Sept 3, 1939

Day 3 Sunday September 3, 1939 
The German advance into Poland continues but the main action on this day is diplomatic. Honoring their promise to protect Poland if invaded, Britain issues an ultimatum to Germany at 9 AM and declares war 2 hours later. France, Australia, New Zealand and India follow suit. Germany does not expect this intervention, after British and French appeasement following German annexation of Austria and occupation of Czechoslovakia in the previous 18 months. On hearing of the British ultimatum, Hitler asks his Foreign Minister Ribbontrop “'What now?"

KEY FIGURES Winston Churchill is appointed to Chamberlain's War Cabinet as Lord of the Admiralty. Churchill has long warned of German aggression but has been kept at bay to appease Hitler. The Admiralty signals all ships and naval bases: "WINSTON IS BACK." 

Britain declares a naval blockade of Germany. The German sub U30 sinks the British passenger ship Athenia, mistaking her for a cargo ship. 122 lives are lost.

From another site:

Atlantic Ocean

• German submarine U-30 torpedoed British passenger liner Athenia in the Atlantic Ocean. 

Austria

• Otto Skorzeny was sent home from Trost Barracks, Vienna, Austria despite the outbreak of war due to the lack of instructors to train new recruits. 

Belgium

• The government of Belgium announced their neutral stance in the European War. 

Germany

• At 0900 hours, British Ambassador in Germany Nevile Henderson delivered the British declaration of war to German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, effective at 1100 hours; British Commonwealth nations of New Zealand and Australia followed suit. France would also declare war later on this day, effective at 1700 hours. In the afternoon, Adolf Hitler issued an order to his generals, again stressing that German troops must not attack British and French positions. Finally, Hitler also sent a message to the Soviet Union, asking the Soviets to jointly invade Poland. 
• German government issued orders that executions by members of the SS were to be carried out in concentration camps, effective 20 Sep 1939. 
• The first RAF operation flight over Germany was a reconnaissance mission, but later in the night RAF bombers would conduct a leaflet raid. 
• Adolf Hitler departed Berlin, Germany for the Eastern Front. 

Poland

• 55 Polish peasants at Truskolasy, Poland were executed. 

German Vehicles in Poland, photo dated 9/3/1939. (Caption notes officer in SdKfz might be Guderian)

United Kingdom

• British General Edmund Ironside became the Chief of the Imperial Staff. 
• British Member of Parliament Winston Churchill became the First Lord of the Admiralty, a post he had held during the Great War
• The British government announced the immediate closure of all theatres, cinemas, music halls and other places of public entertainment. Football matches and other events likely to be attended by large crowds were banned, as was the blowing of whistles or sounding of horns.

World War 2 - Day by Day, 75 years later

Found a blog written starting 2009, noting what happened day by day 70 years after the original events. It really got me thinking - what it would have been like to LIVE through the history, not knowing the great sweep but only reading what was in today's paper.

I don't know who wrote the blog - he doesn't identify himself from what I can see. But I'll post his name if I can find it,  because the work deserves recognition.

But here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to limit myself to reading just one day at a time, and will post what I've read. If you're interested you can read along what happened that day too. So here goes....

Sept. 1 1939

WORLD WAR II STARTS! At 4.45 AM on Sept. 1 1939, Germany invades Poland on the pretext of Polish aggression on German soil (dead "Poles" are German prisoners dressed in Polish uniforms & shot). The German battleship Schleswig-Holstein fires the first shots of WWII and shells the fortress guarding the port of Danzig. At dawn, 53 German divisions cross into Poland. Classic blitzkrieg tactics of dive bombers, fast moving panzers and armored infantry divisions decimate the unsuspecting Polish forces on the borders. Heavy bombers damage major Polish cities (panicking the citizens) and destroy airfields, railways and bridges, plus railway stations full of mobilizing Polish soldiers. The Polish Air Force is mostly destroyed on the ground. 

While most of the WWII combatants (Britain, France, USA, Russia) are not directly involved, this action is widely held to start the global conflict that follows. After years of appeasement, Britain & France quickly declare war on Germany...and we're off.

Day 2 Sept. 2 1939 

Using new tactics developed by Heinz Guderian, German forces advance 50 miles into Poland in 36 hours, threatening Krakow, Lodz and other cities. 

The term BLITZKRIEG has not been coined yet. Large fast-moving group of tanks, tracked artillery and troop carriers (supported by dive bombers) penetrate the front lines and fan out deep in the enemy's rear. They attack supply dumps and HQ companies unprepared for combat, while enemy front line units are isolated, surrounded and destroyed. The undermanned Polish army is not fully mobilized and equipped with ancient weapons and horse-drawn artillery. It is outmatched and quickly overwhelmed despite brave resistance.

Following earlier assurances of Poland’s security, France and Britain are committed to war with Germany but diplomatic and strategic questions delay an immediate response on this day. However, the evacuation of children from London begins.

Flying Colors AAR: Rebalanced El Ferrol

Lately my table's been busy with Flying Colors, a great game that recreates fleet sized battles in the age of sail. It's playable, fast, and so fun that I've been inspired to re-re-read my all time favorite historical series, the unmatched Patrick O'Brian Aubrey-Maturin novels. An all around blast.

The "El Ferrol" scenario imagines what might have happened if the Spanish squadron had come to sea to engage rather than waiting around and letting the Brits take the port. I'd played it twice before, once solo and once with friends, but both times the Spanish totally owned the Royal Navy tars. Before playing a third time, I ran the VP balance as if it were a design your own scenario - and wasn't surprised to find that the Spaniards start with about 25% more power than the Brits. 

So in this run, I modified to Order of Battle to give both sides the same VPs, a truly points balanced scenario. In order to keep some of the tactical flavor, the Spanish kept their higher ship count (6 vs the British 5) and command limitations (1 admiral vs 2). Consequently, while the stock scenario found the Spanish with an intimidating 3 first rates, a second rate, and 2 third rates (!!), in my setup they now have a single first rate with everything else being 3rd rate 74 gun ships of the line.

Starting Lineup
Spaniards: San Agustin (3rd rate); San Antonio (3rd rate); Glorioso (3rd rate), San Fernando (1st rate, with Admiral Moreno); San Genero (3rd rate), and San Isidro (3rd rate)

British: Renown (3rd rate, with Adm Warren); Captain (3rd rate); Courageux (3rd rate); Impeteux (3rd rate, with Adm Pellew) and London (2nd rate)

Starting position:



General strategy for the Spanish was to slip with the wind while moving forward to lengthen the time the RN line was approaching and thereby devastate the lead ships. Meanwhile, the RN hoped to
decrease range and take advantage of what developed: maybe parallel line at close range, maybe cut the line, and ideally isolate a section of Spanish ships to destroy in detail.

TURN 2

The lead British ship, HMS Renown,  is really paying for it as the San Antonio and San Agustin have taken turns heavily targeted rigging. As the geometry declares itself, the RN is deciding to break the line, probably between the second and third ships. 

TURN 3

Despite the damage suffered by Renown and then Captain, the Brits have had everything go their way. Once again they win the initiative roll, using that first movement to drive the lead ships into the gap. Renown and then Captain have great positional opportunities as they pass their targets...Spanish opportunity defensive fire does its best but doesn't do enough: Renown gets an utterly  devastating stern rake against San Antonio,  a good roll, Brit DRMs, and doubled damage and leaving Spanish guns dismounted and Spanish blood running in the scuppers. HMS Captain follows up with an equally vicious rake of San Agustin. 

When initiative passes to the Spaniards, they elect to turn in echelon to reduce raking opportunities while threatening to catch the British line between two rows of battleships.(Because I'm positively allergic to having ships go out of command, each Spanish ship maintained the same facing.) Every gun that would bear was shot off, but the Spaniards were clearly getting the worst of the exchanges. And so far neither side had engaged their heaviest ships...things looked to get even uglier shortly. 

By this time both San Agustin and San Antonio had hurt enough that they had flipped to the damaged side, and San Antonio had almost run out of hit points - she was vulnerable to striking her colors, but rolled well enough that didn't happen. The most injured British ship, Renown, had only lost one Rate but remained on her full strength side. 

 TURN 4

And as these fights often do, things descended into a furball. Again the RN went first, and as each of the three ships in Warren's command activated they moved to attack the most advantageous target. Almost every ship fired both broadsides at ranges from 1- 3, dealing out progressively catastrophic damage to the Spanish van - that was clearly cut off before the remainder of the fleet could be brought to bear. The Spanish did remain in command, but little else went right for them. As the Turn 4 sequence of play wound down, San Agustin struck her colors...and then the Spanish fleet failed it's Break Check, rolling a zero and bringing the scenario to a sudden, decisive end.


Ending position:

A few closing thoughts. First, I have to admit that the standard El Ferrol scenario may not be as hopelessly imbalanced as I'd thought...because although this mod was technically balanced it sure didn't play that way! 

Command plays a huge role, with the Spanish having a hard time bringing everything into play. Having only one admiral reduces flexibility while the RN can split their squadrons to hit different targets. I think I'm going to try the scenario again as written...maybe I've learned the game enough that the RN can pull it off despite all those Spanish first rates!