RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - road and rail communications in France.
58 Sqn. Four aircraft to Amiens. Two bombed, one damaged by Flak.
102 Sqn. Four aircraft to Aulnoye. One returned early, two bombed.
Turin and Genoa are bombed by the RAF.

‘The enemy is continuing his grand efforts to force a swift decision. The German Luftwaffe has bombed French airfields and connections leading to Paris. French aircraft have bombed various German industrial cities and also took parts in the battles in France.

Chalons-sur-Marne falls to Guderian during his continued rapid advance.

Germany occupies Rheims and Rouen.

General Weygand orders a general retreat.

MAP

GERMANY:

NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN: (Mark Horan): Ark Royal, having entered a storm from at noon on the 11th, turns Eastward and takes up a course for Trondheim. Word having arrived that the German capital ships that sank Glorious, Acasta, and Ardent, including both Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, as well as a Hipper class cruiser are in Trondheim and, on orders from CinC Home Fleet, Vice-Admiral Air Wells plans to strike them.

However, unlike the April operation that sank Konigsberg in Bergen, this operation has little chance of coming off by surprise. First, in April there the day was roughly half light and half darkness, so the attackers could arrive under the cover of darkness and attack at dawn. Second, Bergen Harbour is located fairly close to the North Sea coasts, so the attackers had to spend little time over land before the attackers struck. Finally, Bergen is not located near an operation airfield.

Trondheim will be a much tougher nut to crack. First, at this latitude, June contains virtually 24 hours of daylight. Second, the main harbour where the warships were anchored is some 45 miles from the coastline. Finally, Trondheim was home to the largest airfield in Norway, on which were stationed numerous single-engine and twin-engined fighters within only a few miles of the warship anchorage.

Recognizing these problems, the powers that be had come up with a three pronged attack plane. First, the new Beaufort torpedo-bombers of Coastal Command's 22 Squadron, RAF, would make a low level attack on Vaernes airfield to keep the German fighters grounded before the attack unfolded. Second, Blenheim fighters of 254 Squadron, RAF would rendezvous with the Fleet Air Arm strike force over Ark Royal, and then provide fighter cover over the harbour itself. Finally, while the Blenheims distracted any Luftwaffe fighters that did get in the air, the Skua striking force of 800 and 803 Squadrons, FAA would execute a dive-bombing attack on the warships and then high-tail it for the ship.

In its original form, the plan had called the Swordfish torpedo bombers of 810 and 820 Squadrons to launch torpedo attack on the German warships simultaneous to the dive-bombing attack. However, the weather was simply not cooperating. The Southeasterly wind was stiff enough to severely hamper the ground speed of the Swordfish. This, combined with the nearness of the German fighter forces was such that all involved realized is was a suicidal option. Thus, the final plan called for the dive-bombing attack alone.

Exactly what their lordships actually hoped to accomplish is unclear.

The largest bombs that the Skua could carry (and the largest bombs Ark Royal's ordnance magazines contained) was the 500 pound Semi-Armour Piercing (SAP) bomb which, even with the added impetus of the diving aircraft could not generate enough velocity to penetrate the armour decks of the primary targets, the two German battleships.

Certainly these facts were recognized by Commander Flying, Commander F. M. Stephenson, RN when he summoned each of the squadron commanders, Lt.Cdr. J. Casson, RN (803) and Capt. R. T. Partridge, RM (800), to separate interviews with Vice-Admiral L. V. Wells CB, DSO, RN where he gave each "the word.". It would be an understatement to say that both were less than enthusiastic about the mission's chances.

Partridge, although junior to Casson, was by now perhaps the most experienced dive-bomber pilot in the Royal Navy. He recalled bluntly that his first reaction was one "Whoever thought this one up must be absolutely bonkers, I'm not going and neither are any of my Squadron!".

But, of course, he could not and did not. However, he took great pains to ensure that no one was mistakenly  comparing this operation to the April Bergen mission. He pointed out that the key to success then, a surprise dawn attack [see above], simply would not happen here. Later, he found that Casson had, prophetically, predicted 50% losses.

However, to coin a phrase, "Their's not to reason why, their's but to do and die", both set to work on the mission details and the briefings necessary for the crews involved. For this one, both agreed that only the crews with the most dive-bomber experience, regardless of seniority or assignment, should participate. Limited by the available flight deck to space to fifteen aircraft, they ultimately settled on a composition of nine Skuas in three sections from of 803 Squadron, and six in two sections from 800.

Meanwhile, around 1600, Ark broke out of the weather front and, at 1630, launched a fighter patrol of three Skuas from 800 Squadron, led by Lt. G. R. Callingham, RN. While none of the pilots was slated to fly the attack, in the event the section observer, PO(A) W. Crawford would. Later that evening, at 2230, a second patrol went up, this time with just two Skuas. While they orbited the carrier, the fifteen Skuas of the striking force were brought up and spotted. The crews manned there aircraft shortly before midnight for what would be, save one, the closing act of the NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN.

U.S.S.R.: The USSR issues an ultimatum to Lithuania. Between now and the 22nd various communications between these countries take place. In the end the USSR prevails.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: The Mediterranean Fleet (RN) with HMS Warspite, HMS Malaya and HMS Eagle, cruisers and destroyers sails from Alexandria for a sweep against Italian shipping in the Eastern basin. South of Crete, light cruiser HMS Calypso is torpedoed and sunk by Italian submarine Bagnolini. The British at first think this is due to a mine, but it is the first British loss caused by Italian naval forces. (Alex Gordon)(108)

NORTH AFRICA: EGYPT: British troops capture 62 Italians in the first skirmish along the Egypt-Libya border.

Cairo: Britain replied swiftly to Italy’s declaration of war today with RAF and SAAF bombers striking at Italian aircraft on the ground, petrol depots and ammunition dumps in Libya and East Africa. The Italians were caught by surprise, according to official sources, and only light anti-aircraft fire was met. The RAF claimed that the raids had crippled Italy’s striking power in the Middle East.

CHINA: Ichang: Japanese forces are within 400 miles of the Chinese Nationalist capital, Chungking, after capturing the gateway city of Ichang today. The taking of Ichang - the westernmost city to fall to the Japanese - is the culmination of a three-month campaign by Japan’s China Expeditionary Army to put the Nationalists back on the defensive after their success at Wuyuan and their continuing guerrilla attacks on Japanese units.

Japan’s response has been to hit back with a massive invasion of the Nationalist-held provinces in south and west central China. So far the price has been high. In the see-saw battle for Tsaoyang in May the Japanese suffered 45,000 wounded or killed, and they had to pull in reinforcements from Manchukuo before taking Ichang.

JAPAN: Tokyo: A Non-Aggression Pact with Thailand is announced.

U.S.A.: New York: Italy’s sudden entry in the war may well have provoked a pro-Allied, anti-Isolationist backlash in the United States with serious long-term consequences for the Axis.

Tomorrow’s New York Times sums up the opinions of many Americans about Italy’s sudden entry into the war. "With the courage of a jackal at the heels of a bolder beast of prey Mussolini">Mussolini has left his ambush," says an editorial. It was not the decision of the Italian people, it adds. It was the decision of one man "which now takes Italy into the darkness of night and makes her people the moral enemy of every democratic people."

The Baltimore Sun describes Italy’s action as a "long and dangerous gamble ... inevitably it is a losing one". As other influential American newspapers joined in a chorus of disgust at Mussolini">Mussolini’s action, the official American view came from President Roosevelt">Roosevelt, bringing more cheer to the Allies, anxious for America’s support.

Italy, said the President, has "scorned the rights of security of other nations", and he added that the United States would extend to the opponents of force the material resources of his nation.

"Some still hold to the obvious delusions that the United States can become a lone island - in a world dominated by the philosophy of force," added the President. "Such an island represents to the overwhelming majority of Americans a helpless nightmare - of a people without friends."

ATLANTIC OCEAN: