1937 (THURSDAY)
U.S.A.: The USN commissions the light cruiser USS Philadelphia (CL-41) at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The USN now has 11 light cruisers in commission.
September 23rd, 1939 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Petrol restrictions are introduced. They take the form of a basic ration and a supplementary allowance.
England, Sigmund Freud, physiologist, medical doctor, psychologist and
father of psychoanalysis, dies in London of cancer of the mouth and jaw at
age 83.
GERMANY: Wireless sets
(radios) are confiscated
from all Jews.
U-201,
U-202,
U-203,
U-204,
U-251,
U-252,
U-253,
U-254,
U-255,
U-331,
U-332,
U-333,
U-334,
U-371,
U-372,
U-373,
U-374,
U-401,
U-402,
U-403,
U-404,
U-431,
U-432,
U-433,
U-434 ordered
U-54 commissioned.
POLAND: Warsaw: The dead lie unburied in the streets; houses topple; at midday the city is dark with dust and smoke; the Art Gallery and the French Embassy are on fire.
Meanwhile, there have been clashes between German and Russian forces as Germans in pursuit of fleeing Poles cross the demarcation line agreed between Molotov and von Ribbentrop. In one clash Germans fired on a Cossack unit, killing two. The Russians retaliated with a sabre charge killing 15 Germans before local commanders put a stop to the fighting. The Germans have had to hand over the city of Lwow to the Russians and their is much grumbling from the Germans at having to do all the fighting and then handing over the city to the Russians.
Hitler, still not happy with the Treaty is demanding that the province of Lublin be added to his share of Poland. Stallin, unwilling to clash with Germany, agrees. This means that Warsaw, originally to be divided between the two powers will now be wholly in German territory.
In the village of Pilica all the Jewish men are rounded up and taken to the marketplace where they were forced to shout in German: "We are all traitors of the people." They are then shot.
The Poles too are feeling the weight of German oppression. Any display of dissent brings instant, cruel retaliation from the conquerors. The Gestapo operates at night and in the morning posters give the names of those executed for carrying arms, for having insulted the Fuhrer or spoken ill of the Reich. This is the other side of Blitzkrieg. It is called Schrecklichkeit, meaning frightfulness.
JAPAN: Admiral Nomura Kichisaburo is appointed Foreign Minister in Prime Minister General Abe Nobuyuki's recently appointed Japanese government. This cabinet will hold office until January of 1940, and make some conciliatory moves towards the US which will not be reciprocated. This will strengthen the position of the more militant Japanese leaders.
U.S.A.: Baseball, Brooklyn Dodgers third baseman Cookie Lavagetto goes 6 for 6 as the Dodgers get 27 hits and beat the Philadelphia Phillies 22-4.
Destroyer USS Rowan commissioned.
PANAMA: The Organization of American States agrees to a 300 mile neutral zone off the North and South American coasts.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-4 sank SS Walna.