Already Australian and New Zealand troops are stationed in Palestine. "It has fallen to your lot to come to the United Kingdom itself," King George told the new arrivals in a message of welcome, "and as you take your place beside us, you find us in the forefront of the battle."

St. Peter Port, Guernsey: The first that Major John Sherwill, the Attorney-General of Guernsey, knew of German occupation was a telephone call telling him that a Junkers aircraft had landed at the small airport. A little while later there was a knock on his door. Two German officers were admiring his early roses. Sherwill invited them in.

"Please use the side door," he requested them. "The children are asleep in the hall." The Germans were happy to oblige.

It has been a most orderly surrender as white flags fly over British soil and German troops begin to land in numbers on the Channel Islands. No shots have been fired, and the only reported resistance has come from an Irish worker who punched a German soldier in a pub brawl.

The decision to demilitarise the Channel Islands - was taken by the Churchill government earlier this month when it became obvious that there was no way in which they could be defended without huge loss of civilian life. Panic ensued as British-born nationals crowded onto the few available boats and drained the local banks of funds. Thousands of dogs and cats were shot on the quayside before the last boat left five days ago. The widely predicted German move came in the form of orders dropped in canvas bags with red streamers attached. White crosses were to be painted on the airport runway, the main square and a car park. Every building was to fly a white flag. "If these signs of a peaceful surrender are not observed ... heavy bombardment will take place," threatened the Germans. A white sheet was being flown from every house as the Islanders awaited the German’s arrival. First reports suggest that German behaviour is "correct" and that the civil population is obeying instructions to offer no resistance.

A Guernsey shop is advertising cycles ("your best friend in months to come") and the Regal cinema in St. Peter Port is showing Tommy Trinder in "Laugh it off".

Across the water, the larger island of Jersey awaits its turn as German aircraft circle. Alderney has been completely evacuated; but the Germans have yet to meet the formidable Dame of Sark.

Guernsey: 17,000 out of 41,000

Jersey: 6,500 out of 50,000

Sark: 129 out of 600

Alderney: all but 18 of the 1,400 residents evacuated.

 (Denis Peck)

GERMANY: Hermann Göring orders an aerial blockade of Britain.

U.S.A.: On this date, the USN has 1,099 ships and district craft and 189,361 personnel consisting of 160,997 sailors and 28,364 Marines. There are also 13,766 members of the USCG.

The battleship USS NORTH CAROLINA (BB-55) is launched. She weighs 42,000 tons, has 9 x 16-inch guns with a 23-mile range, armour between 8-inches and 16-inches and can make 28 knots. (Marc James Small)

BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC:

Two more German raiders set sail. 'Thor' makes for the South Atlantic and returns to Germany after 11 months. 'Pinguin' leaves for the Indian Ocean around the Cape of Good Hope. Later she goes into the Antarctic and is finally lost in May 1941.

Meanwhile 'Orion' is laying mines off New Zealand that accounted for the gold-bullion carrying liner Niagara on June 19th. According to MAANZ (Maritime Archaeological Association of New Zealand) - Niagara-steel-screw steamship of 7582 tons built in 1913. She sank off Bream Head after striking an enemy mine. She was carrying a cargo of gold bars. All but five gold bars were recovered after the incident. Those five bars are still in the wreck.

http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Paradise/2951/niagra.html

The loss of Norway means that Britain's blockade line from the Orkneys to southern Norway is outflanked and a new one has to be established between the Shetlands and Iceland. The RN starts the massive task of laying a mine barrage along this line.

Within a matter of days the first U-boats are sailing from Bergen in Norway, while others are sent to patrol as far south as the Canary and Cape Verde Islands. Italian submarines join them in this area but without any early successes.

Towards the end of the month, U-122 and U-102 are lost off the North Channel, possible on mines. It is in this area and throughout the North Western Approaches that such U-boat commanders as Endras, Kretschmer, Prien and Schepke enjoy their 'Happy Time' until early 1941. U-boat strength is no greater than at the beginning of the war, and there are never more than 15 boats on patrol out of the 25 operational; the rest are training or on trials. Yet from now until the end of December they account for most of the 315 ships of the 1,659,000 tons lost in the Atlantic. many of these are stragglers, independents or in unescorted convoys, but it is among the escorted convoys that U-boat tactics are particularly notable. Instead of attacking submerged where they can be detected by ASDIC, they are operating on the surface at night as 18kt torpedo boats, faster than most of the escorts - and in any case there are few enough of these as many are held on anti-invasion duties.

Losses:

53 ships of 297,000 tons and 3 armed merchant cruisers.

2 U-boats, dates and causes of loss uncertain.

MERCHANT SHIPPING WAR:

Europe, Losses: 77 ships of 209,000 tons

Mediterranean, Losses: 6 British, Allied and neutral ships of 45,000 tons.