1912: OSS Research Assistant, Chef, author, television personality. Julia (Nee: McWilliams) Child, in Pasadena, California (Tom Hickox)
August 15th, 1939 (TUESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:
At last given permission by their political masters, the British Chiefs of Staff eagerly
draft new instruction for Drax, while the Foreign Office and the Quai d'Orsay put pressure
on Poland to allow Russian forces into Poland if necessary.
FRANCE:
Churchill begins a tour of the Maginot Line, France's main land defensive barrier against
Germany.
GERMANY: Captain Karl Dönitz, head of the U-boat arm of the German Navy, is recalled unexpectedly
early from leave.
Berlin: Von Dirksen's own leave is uninterrupted: although he wishes to see Ribbentrop,
the Nazi Foreign Minister will not receive him. Von Dirksen also discovers that the
Italian Ambassador in Berlin, Bernardo Attolico, believes
Germany is about to go to war with Poland, ignoring Britain's attitude. Von Dirksen is
convinced Attolico is wrong.
At a demonstration bombing for the Luftwaffe leadership, including von Richthofen, an
opponent of the Stuka concept, 13 aircraft crash when cloud cover merges into fog
deceiving the pilots as to when to pull out of the dive. It is too difficult to check the
spinning altimeter needle so they were waiting to break through the clouds. Some of them
realised their mistake in time to pull out but not all. Hitler is reportedly speechless
for 10 minutes when told of the accident. The inquiry does not find anyone guilty of
negligence, it is assumed that the fog had materialised in the hour after the latest
weather observation. The aircraft were from I/StG 76. (54)
U-54 launched.
U.S.S.R.: In Moscow, Molotov is highly interested in von der Schulenberg's proposals;
von der Schulenberg in turn is surprised and pleased at the Russian's moderate conditions.
EGYPT: Indian
troops arrive in Suez to reinforce the British forces in Egypt.
U.S.A.: The motion
picture "The Wizard of Oz" premieres at Grauman's Chinese Theater in
Hollywood, California. Crowds thronged the theatre to catch glimpses of Hedy
Lamarr, Orson Welles, and other stars who attended the opening. Based on the
novel by L. Frank Baum, this fantasy, adventure film is directed by Victor
Fleming and stars Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr
and Billie Burke. The plot has Dorothy, a Kansas girl, and her dog
"Toto" caught in a tornado and going "Over the Rainbow'' to a
land of colorful characters and spirited adventure. Two of the 13 memorable
songs from the film are Harold Arlen's "Over The Rainbow," sung by
Judy Garland, and "We're Off To See The Wizard," sung by Garland,
Bolger, Haley and Lahr. The film is nominated for six Academy Awards including
Best Picture; it wins two musical awards including Best Song ("Over The
Rainbow"). The American Film Institute has ranked this film as Number 6 of
the 100 Greatest Movies ever made.
Destroyer USS Sterett commissioned. Submarine USS Seawolf launched.