August 30th, 1939 (WEDNESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:The last first class cricket games of the pre-war period get under way. Lancashire play Surrey at Old Trafford (home of Lancashire Cricket Club), because the Oval has already been designated as a potential prisoner of war camp (for expected German parachutists).
RMS Queen Mary sets sail from Southampton for New York City on its last commercial voyage. The ship will remain berthed at New York until the end of the year while it was decided what role the ship would play in the war.
FRANCE: With war on the horizon,
the government evacuates 16,000 children from Paris.
GERMANY:
Ambassador Henderson is informed from Britain that
Hitler's demand for the arrival of a Polish plenipotentiary that day is
unreasonable.
Henderson and Ribbentrop
meet again, and this time come close to blows:
Ribbentrop 'gabbles'
through Hitler's latest proposals
and refuses to give Henderson a copy of the text.
A document setting out the German demands in 16 points is prepared.
They include: the annexation of Danzig by Germany; a corridor across the Danzig
Corridor; a plebiscite to be held in the Corridor area in 12 months time, and a
later exchange of populations. The port of Gdynia was to be recognized as
Polish, thus leaving Poland with access to the sea. It is not put to the Polish
ambassador until 1 September, although they are broadcast over German radio on
the evening of the 31st.
[Tomorrow the OKW will issue] Führer Directive #1 for the Conduct of the War.
(i) The Führer has concluded that all possibilities of peacefully resolving the crisis on Germany’s eastern frontier have been exhausted and the intolerable situation requires a forceful solution.
(ii) The attack on Poland is to be conducted in accordance with the prepared plan ‘Case White’, and is set to begin on 1st September1939.
(iii) In the West the responsibility for opening hostilities is to be left unmistakably in the hands of Britain and France. Assurances of neutrality to Switzerland and the Low Countries are to be strictly observed.
(iv) If hostilities are opened in the west, Wehrmacht operations should be conducted with the goal of maintaining conditions for successfully concluding the war with Poland. The West Wall will be occupied, a direct Führer order is required for any offensive undertakings. The Kriegsmarine will operate against merchant shipping, with England as its focus, and will secure the Baltic Sea.
The Luftwaffe’s primary role is to protect German targets from enemy air attack, although operations disrupting English deployments to Europe, maritime activity, and particularly opportunities against heavy Royal Navy units should be exploited. (Marc Roberts)
Hermann Göring is appointed Reich Council Chairman for National Defence. (Gene Hanson)
SWITZERLAND: Henri Guisan is elected by the Swiss Federal Assembly as General. The Swiss Army only elects a General when their neutrality is threatened and Guisan is only the fourth General in Swiss history. (John Nicholas)
POLAND:
Beck tells Kennard that Polish
mobilisation will resume at midnight.
By 4.30 p.m. all Polish towns are covered with posters summoning up all men
up to the age of 40 to report for enlistment.
Poland sends all 4 of their destroyers, and 1 submarine to the UK. Their other 4 submarines are sent to positions in the western Baltic. (Alex Gordon)
NEW ZEALAND: The Army mobilizes the Regular Force and Special Reserve and coastal defenses were manned.