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1922   (TUESDAY) 

UNITED STATES: The first aircraft carrier takeoff in the USN is made by Lieutenant Virgil C. Griffin in a Vought VE-7SF from USS Langley (CV-1) at anchor in the York River, Virginia.  

1933   (TUESDAY) 

TURKEY: A treaty of nonaggression, conciliation, and arbitration is signed between Romania and Turkey.  

UNITED STATES: Albert Einstein arrives in the U.S. as a refugee from Nazi Germany.

October 17th, 1939 (TUESDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: Ju88s strike at Scapa Flow and the old gunnery training battleship HMS Iron Duke has to be beached. 25 naval casualties. Estimated 4 enemy aircraft attacking, 1 destroyed.
Second raid at Scapa Flow, 10 enemy aircraft 1 claimed by RAF, no casualties.
Air-raid warning in Yorks., Lincs., East Anglia and Kent coasts.
2 enemy aircraft sighted on N.E. coast of England RAF claim both destroyed.

A joint communiqué from the Admiralty and the War Office stated: "Approximately one dozen aircraft took part in Monday's German aerial attack. The cruiser Southampton, slightly damaged by a bomb, has three injured men, and seven men were wounded by bomb splinters aboard the cruiser Edinburgh. Another bomb fell near the destroyer Mohawk and wounded 25 men. At least four of the attacking aircraft were shot down, three of them by British fighter planes.
The assertion that the German bombers attacked and damaged not only the Royal Oak but also the Repulse, is pure invention."

Submarine HMS Tarpon launched.

Submarine HMS Tribune commissioned.

AMC HMS Wolfe commissioned.

GERMANY: The Wehrmacht High Command announced:
"Yesterday successful raids were again made on English naval forces. Two of the English warships lying in the Firth of Forth were hit by bombs of the heaviest calibre. We were able to score this success despite the most intense enemy resistance by flak fire and fighter planes."

At Wilhelmshaven, the crew of the Scharnhorst lined up on deck, welcomes U-47 (Lieutenant Günther Prien) after its successful attack in Scapa Flow. (Navy News)

FINLAND: Field Marshal Carl Mannerheim is appointed the Commander of the Defence Forces (puolustusvoimain komentaja) as the former holder of the post, Lt. Gen. Hugo Österman (who held the post since 1933 with the title of Chief of the Military Forces (sotavoimain päällikkö), has become the commanding officer of the recently formed Isthmus Army (Kannaksen Armeija). Before this, Mannerheim has been the Chairman of the Defence Council, a part-time job, since 1931.

Change of the title is not meaningless. During his tenure Österman was always under Mannerheim's shadow, and his powers steadily deteriorated to Mannerheim's favour. Now these powers remained with Mannerheim when he took the post, and Commander of the defence Forces was also officially more powerful than the Chief of the Military Forces had been.

The Commander of the Defence Forces is a serving officer who conducts the day-to-day command of the Defence Forces under the President of the Republic, who constitutionally is the Commander-in-Chief. Mannerheim's tenure in this particular post will be brief, however. He has been promised already in the early 1930s than in event of war, he will become the Commander-in-Chief. When the Soviet Union invaded on 30 Nov 1939, Mannerheim was duly given the highest military command.

Compulsory evacuations begin in Karelian Isthmus. A zone 4 to 10 kilometres (2,5 to 6 miles) wide next to the Soviet border is emptied of all civilian population.

TURKEY: Ankara: Turkey breaks off talks for a defence treaty with Russia.

U.S.A.: Cincinnati Reds' pitcher Bucky Walters is voted National League Most Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. St. Louis Cardinals' first baseman Johnny Mize is the runner up.

     The motion picture "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" premieres in Washington, D.C. This drama is directed by Frank Capra and stars Jean Arthur, James Stewart, Claude Rains, Edward Arnold, Thomas Mitchell, Beulah Bondi, Harry Carey and William Demarest; Jack Carson appears in an uncredited role. The plot has naive and idealistic Stewart appointed to the U.S. Senate on a lark by the spineless governor of his state. He is reunited with the state's senior senator, presidential hopeful and childhood hero, Senator Claude Rains however, Stewart discovers many of the shortcomings of the political process. The film is nominated for 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Stewart), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (both Carey and Rains) and Best Director; the film wins one writing award. This film is ranked Number 29 on the American Film Institute's "100 Greatest American Films of All Time."

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The prize ship HUNTSMAN, taken by the GRAF SPEE is sunk. (Navynews)

U-37 sank SS Yorkshire in Convoy HG-3.

U-46 sank SS City of Mandalay in Convoy HG-3.

U-48 sank SS Clan Chisholm in Convoy HG-3.

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