June 21st, 1940 (FRIDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:10 Sqn. Seven aircraft to oil plant Salzbergen. One returned early, six bombed. One attacked by fighter but not damaged.
51 Sqn. Nine aircraft to oil plant Salzbergen. All bombed. Two aircraft to oil plant Bochum. Both bombed. Opposition severe.
77 Sqn. Six aircraft to marshalling yards Hamm. All bombed. Three enemy aircraft sighted but these did not attack.
Impressed with German paratroop tactics,
Churchill orders a corps of at
least 5,000 soldiers to be trained in parachuting.
Evidence about "Knickebein" , a German radio navigation aid, is given to a
British cabinet level committee, by R.V. Jones. The actions taken after this meeting
result in progress and plays a large part in lessening the effects of the German Blitz.
Because his advice was ignored, Henry Tizard resigns. Tizard had been in the forefront of
the British use of radar. This results in Frederick Lindemann, (Lord Cherwell), becoming
one more of Churchill's scientific advisor.
Corvette HMS Myosotis laid down.
Corvette HMS Fleur de Lys launched.
Minesweeper HMS Rhyl launched.
FRANCE: Italian soldiers push into France on a wide front. The attacks
occur through various Alpine passes and are defeated.
The French receive the terms for Armistice by the Germans in a railroad carriage at
Compiègne, France. There will be no discussion of the terms allowed by the Germans. This
is the same location and the same railroad carriage used to present the Allied terms to
the Germans in 1918.
The terms allow the government known to history as Vichy France; they provide for the demobilization of the French Armed Forces and reparations.
NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN: (Mark Horan): Throughout the bulk of the NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN, the Swordfish squadrons from HMS Glorious had been operating from various FAA and RAF airfields, engaging primarily in minelaying operations. Mid-June saw both 821 and the surviving elements of 823 Squadrons based at HMS Sparrowhawk (RNAS Hatston) when word came in that the damaged German battleship Scharnhorst had sortied south from Trondheim under heavy escort, intent on returning to Germany.
At 1150 ACOS Hatston (Acting Captain C. L. Howe, RN) instructed the combined squadrons to prepare a striking force. The short notice, combined with the need for the aircraft to be fitted with both long range tanks and torpedo couplings limited the available effort to a paltry six Swordfish, one sub-flight of three from each squadron. Lt. J. H. Stenning, RN of 821 was the strike commander, Lt. J. C. Reed, RN led the 823 sub-flight. There would be no escort.
At 1245 the six aircraft departed Hatston with orders to fly to a designated point 40 miles off the Norwegian coast, turn northwards to search for the enemy fleet, and to return to RAF Sumburgh in the Shetlands. The intended point was reached at 1445, and a short search begun which resulted in the enemy force being sighted ahead at 1458, Scharnhorst in the center of a circular screen with one escort ahead, one astern, and two on either beam. The attacks approached from the port bow. The attack commenced at 1508 with a diving attack from 8,000 feet. The long-range AA fire, opened at as the Swordfish descended through 4,000 feet was considered inaccurate, but the close range AA fire from Scharnhorst was both heavy and effective, shooting down two from 823: 4M shot down in flames (S-Lt.(A) Maurice Phillip White, RN (P), NA1 Charles Herbert Arthur G. Hull (TAG)) while 4R was seen to make a controlled force-landing nearby (S-Lt.(A) Leonard Beale Cater, RN (P), LA Frederick Walter Davis (TAG)), but in the event, neither crew was recovered from the cold North Sea waters. During the withdrawal S-Lt.(A) O. A. G. Oxleys of 821 sighted four approaching Bf-109s. He continued climbing and escaped after dragging his Stringbag into the cloudbank at 13,000 feet!
Oxley, separated from the remainder of the striking force, and without an observer on board, managed to navigate his way back to Hatston. The other three survivors managed a safe return to RAF Sumburgh as planned.
Unfortunately for the British cause, none of the six torpedoes dropped hit home in this, the last act of the NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN.
ROMANIA: King Carol tries to unite the country by assuming dictatorial powers at
the head of a new "National Party".
LIBYA: Italo Balbo is flying his SM79 to the Italian post at Bir el Gobi— and with a mixed entourage in his plane, including not only the crew but his nephew Lino, a German war correspondent, and an Italian Army photographer— he decided to take a look over an area often traversed by the enemy armored cars in their sorties. Sure enough, Balbo spotted a British armored car, stationary and rather poorly camouflaged, with materials apparently brought along for that purpose, not matching the sparse local vegetation (nonetheless, his co-pilot was unable to detect the vehicle until Balbo pointed it out). It turned out that the armored car, a British Morris, was stranded due to a flat tire. Balbo landed at the Italian camp and got out, the plane immediately taking off again, returning to circle the British vehicle until the ground forces (including some L3 tanks) he hastily dispatched arrived to take the crew prisoner. The “capture” was more of a rescue, as the latter were out of water (Balbo showing his chivalrous nature by personally “lending” the officer commanding the vehicle 1,000 lire for spending money while in captivity). Balbo afterwards ensured that the car itself was displayed to Italian troops at Bardia, Tobruk, and Derna, not only to boost morale by showing off a trophy, but also so that it could be studied and its vulnerable points— the tires, the open top— could be observed and studied in person by as many soldiers as possible. (Mike Yaklich)
CANADA: Henry Asbjorn Larsen 1899-1964 sets sail from Vancouver on RCMP patrol vessel St. Roch intending to reach Halifax via Arctic. Makes first successful west to east navigation of NW Passage.
U.S.A.: John Thompson, inventor of the "Tommy Gun" dies at age 79 in Whiteneck, New York, USA.