August 9th, 1939 (WEDNESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:
At Weymouth, on the south coast of England, King George VI inspects the 133 warships of
the Reserve Fleet immediately prior to its mobilisation.
During the inspection, as a courtesy to the French, Admiral de la Flotte Jean Darlan,
Chief of the French Naval Staff is presented to the King.
Ambassador von Dirksen, preparing to depart on leave to Germany, visits the British
Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax. Halifax quizzes von Dirksen over the 'sharp tone of the
German press concerning Danzig.' Von Dirksen replies that it is the fault of the Polish
paper Czas which has published a statement that if there were any attempt to incorporate
Danzig into the Reich, Polish troops would open fire on the Free City.
GERMANY: An official warning concerning the Polish attitude to Danzig is sent from Berlin to
Warsaw, where it is viewed as an unwarranted interference in internal Polish affairs.
U.S.S.R.:
11.00 p.m. Admiral Drax and his colleagues arrive in Leningrad.