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1932   (MONDAY) 

SWITZERLAND: Iraq enters the League of Nations.

 

1935   (THURSDAY) 

CANADA: After the Italian invasion of Ethiopia (Abyssinia), Canada refuses to support military intervention or even sanctions

 

ETHIOPIA: The Ethiopian government proclaims general mobilization stating that "Hostilities were reported to have begun on the Eritrean border."

 

1938   (MONDAY) 

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Slovakia presents an ultimatum demanding full autonomy.

 

JAPAN: Japan threatens counter measures to League of Nations sanctions stating that ". . . the adoption by the Council of the report concerning sanctions against Japan has made clear the irreconcilability between the positions of Japan and the League, . . ."

 

UNITED STATES: The USN commissions the light cruiser USS Phoenix (CL-46) at the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Navy Yard. The USN now has 17 light cruisers in commission.

October 3rd, 1939 (TUESDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: Chamberlain dismisses German peace proposals outright.

Great Britain and the U.S.S.R. re-establish diplomatic relations.

RAF: Bad weather over the continent precludes any operations for the next fortnight.

RAF Bomber Command leaflet drops over Germany again halt, due to complaints from Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark about airspace violations.

FRANCE: 1 Corps, BEF, moves into position on the border with Belgium. Orders are given out for the 3rd Div.., to move to a defensive area South of Lille, around Lesquin and take over from 1st Div. Described as "a highly pregnable stretch of ground offering a single anti-tank ditch as its sole obstacle to enemy penetration." Had the Germans invaded then, Lt-General Brooke noted in his diary, it would have been a walk over.

POLAND: The German Tenth Army pulls out and heads for the western front.

LITHUANIA: After an invitation for 'concrete negotiations', the Lithuanian Foreign Minister hastily departs for Moscow.

U.S.A.: Inter-American Conference reaffirmed their declaration of solidarity, announced, sea safety zones in Western Hemisphere for neutrals.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The Deutschland, after accounting for two ships in the North Atlantic, is ordered home. She reaches Germany in November and is renamed Lutzow.

U-35 sank SS Diamantis. Took on 26 survivors from Diamantis and brought them to shore in Ventry, Ireland. U-35 sighted the Britain-bound SS Diamantis, a Greek steamer of 4990 tons, 40 nautical miles (46 statute miles or 74 kilometers) west of the Skellig Islands, County Kerry, Éire. The Skellig Islands (Skelligs Michael and Small Skelligs Rock) are located about 8 miles (12,8 kilometers) off the southwestern coast of Éire. The main claim to fame of these islands is a 6th century monastic settlement, complete with beehive huts, oratory and terraced garden on Skelligs Michael. U-35 surfaced in bad weather and warned those aboard that their ship was about to be sunk. As the sea was rough and unsuitable for normal lifeboat operations, the crew of 28 men were taken aboard U-35 and the ship was torpedoed and sunk. In the late afternoon of 4 October, after 30 to 35 hours on board, the Greeks were landed in Dingle Bay near Ventry, County Kerry, in neutral Éire, on a beach lined by local people. U-35 crew member Walter Kalabuch rowed the Greeks, several at a time, from the U-boat to the shore (He was awarded the Iron Cross, second class, for this on 12 October 1939). When all were ashore U-35 left slowly on the surface, watched by onlookers until it disappeared into the fog. (Dave Shirlaw and Jack McKillop))

BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC: Summary of Allied and Axis Warship losses for the first month of the war:

20 British, Allied and neutral ships of 110,000 tons from all causes in the

North and South Atlantic and 1 fleet carrier.

2 U-boats.

MERCHANT SHIPPING WAR:: Summary of Allied losses

33 British, Allied and neutral ships of 85,000 tons in UK waters.

 

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