FRANCE: Corvette FS Alysse commissioned.

GERMANY: Hitler decides on June 22, 1941 for the invasion of Russia, Operation Barbarossa.

London:

This evening the British public was let into the secret of radio-location (also known as RDF, or radar) for the first time. Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert, who last week took over RAF Coastal Command, paid tribute to Robert Watson-Watt, the scientist who pioneered the system which did much to help win the Battle of Britain. He gave no technical details, but he did say that it was a system of rays "which are unaffected by fog or darkness. Any aircraft or ship in the path of this ray immediately sends back a signal to the detecting station." Watson-Watt himself, who has been made a CB and Fellow of the Royal Society, insists: "I am just an ordinary man."

FINLAND: Helsinki: Finland today ordered general mobilisation of its armed forces, effective in three days time. Notices on street corners order all reservists up to the age of 44 to report for duty.

Tension is running high here as rumours that Hitler is preparing to march on the Soviet Union sweep the city. There is no doubt that if the Germans do attack Russia the Finns will fight alongside them. The bitter memories of the "Winter War" in which the Russians crushed Finland despite its gallant defence run too deep for any other course; there are reports that the 10,000 German troops who arrives in Finland recently, ostensibly on their way to northern Norway, are still in Finland preparing for a joint thrust with the Finns at Leningrad.

The Finnish army, with its knowledge of the country and ability to use the terrain, would also be able to hold the Russian army in the north while the Germans launched a Blitzkrieg towards Moscow. Many in Britain will be sad to see the Finns allying with Hitler, but hatred of Russia outweighs all other considerations.

EGYPT: Cairo:

A grim faced Commander-in-Chief flew in from the Western Desert today and dictated a cable to London which began: "I regret to report the failure of 'Battleaxe'." General Wavell's first major counter-offensive has ended in defeat, with 91 British tanks destroyed against German losses of 25. On London, Churchill - who had sent a fast convoy of reinforcement tanks under the code name "Tiger" and had high hopes for Battleaxe - took the news calmly. He has already decided to replace Wavell.

Wavell, too, had been optimistic, although he had grave doubts about the mechanical capacity of many of his tanks. He had not allowed for Rommel's intelligence which forewarned of the attack; or the devastating use by the Afrika Korps of the 88mm "ack ack" gun as an anti-tank weapon. With armoured support, Indian troops fought hard to take the Halfaya Pass; but a hastily improvised Panzer counter-attack was the decisive factor.

The British forces by now are 30 miles east of the position they started out from three days ago and morale is low. Although losses are not large, less than a thousand men killed, wounded and missing, 91 tanks had been lost and 80% of the British tanks were out of action. The Germans lost 12 tanks.

LIBYA: Halfaya Pass: In the evening the Germans advanced upon the British forcing them to retire, firing as they left. Within 15 minutes the 2nd RTR had only five tanks left and they were unable to hold the rapid advance of the Germans. With the enemy occupation if Sidi Suleiman the action ended.

SYRIA: Concerned that the French counter-attack may swing westward and cut off 7 Division in the mountains of Lebanon, Lt-Gen Lavarack orders 21 Brigade (Brig Stevens) to halt the coastal advance and detach a battalion to reinforce Jezzine. On the Eastern axis 2nd Bn Queens attack from Deraa and drive French forces out of El Quneitra. An initial thrust by Free French Senegalese against Ezraa is repulsed but a second attempt drives out the French forces and take 160 prisoners. In the central sector the French again attack Jezzine but are driven off by elements of 25 Aust Bde. 70 weary and hungry Vichy Senegalese troops are taken prisoner. 2/2 Pioneer and 2/25 Bns under Brig Berryman attack Merdjayoun but are driven back by fierce French resistance. (Michael Alexander)

CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Lockeport laid down North Vancouver.

Lt Denis James Patrick O'Hagan RCNVR awarded George Medal.

United States and Canada set up Joint Economic Committees. (“ . . .to study and to report to their respective governments on the possibilities of (1) effecting a more economic, more efficient, and more coordinated utilization of the combined resources of the two countries in the production of defence requirements (to the extent that this is not now being done) and (2) reducing the probable post-war economic dislocation consequent upon the changes which the economy in each country is presently undergoing"

Destroyer HMCS St Clair is heavily damaged in a collision with the oiler Clam soon after joining the Newfoundland Escort Force. St Clair is diverted to St. John's for repairs that will last until 2nd December 1941. It is highly unlikely that Clam and St Clair were engaged in underway refuelling at the time of the collision. Clam was used for 'afloat tankage' and for shuttling fuel to St. John's from Halifax. Fuelling was done alongside the oilers while they lay either at a berth or at mooring buoys. This was also the RN practice at Greenock.

Corvette HMCS Rosthern commissioned.

U.S.A.: Washington:
President Roosevelt">Roosevelt has ordered all 24 German consulates in the USA to shut by 15 July and all consular staff to be expelled. Diplomats in the embassy here are not affected.

Although US-German relations are deteriorating generally, the administration complains that the consulates are not being shut down for that reason but because they were being used for espionage and fifth-column activities "wholly outside the scope of their legitimate duties." The reason why the administration did not take this step sooner is that it is bound to lead the Germans to close US consulates, which are useful listening posts inside Europe.

In the U.S., baseball star Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees extends his hitting streak to 30 games in a row in a game against the Chicago White Sox. This breaks the team record held by Roger Peckinpaugh and Earl Coombs.