Today in the Second World War

Welcome back to the Hidden History Newsletter. On this September 9, we delve into a series of pivotal moments and untold stories from World War II. From the frontlines to the home front, join us as we traverse time, uncovering the complexities and heroics of this monumental day in wartime history.

"In the event of any action which clearly threatened Polish independence and which the Polish Government accordingly considered it vital to resist with their national forces, His Majesty's Government would feel themselves bound at once to lend the Polish Government all support in their power. They have given the Polish Government an assurance to this effect. I may add that the French Government have authorized me to make it plain that they stand in the same position in this matter." - Neville Chamberlain - 31st March 1939

Movements

1939: Battle of the Bzura, also known as Battle of Kutno to the Germans, began; it was to become the largest battle in the Poland campaign. Elsewhere, German forces captured Łódź and Radom. South of Radom, Stuka dive-bombers of Colonel Gunter Schwarzkopff's St.G.77 finished off the great Polish attempt to cross the Vistula River, crushing the last pockets of resistance in conjunction with tanks; "Wherever they went", reported one Stuka pilot after the action, "we came across throngs of Polish troops, against which our 110-lb fragmentation bombs were deadly. After that we went almost down to the deck firing our machine guns. The confusion was indescribable." At Warsaw, German attempts to enter the city were repulsed.

British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) began landing in France.

In Moscow, Russia, Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov informed the German ambassador that Soviet forces would be ready to attack Poland within a few days.

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's cabinet planned for a 3-year war.

US President Franklin Roosevelt began recalling military servicemen who were on retired lists.

Attack on Oregon

1942: The Lookout Air Raid: After some time waiting submerged off Oregon, United States, Japanese submarine I-25 launched her E14Y aircraft, flown by Pilot Chief Warrant Officer Nobuo Fujita and crewman Petty Officer Shoji Okuda, shortly after dawn. The aircraft was spotted by the Americans as it crossed the coast. It dropped two incendiary bombs in a forest near Brookings, Oregon at 0600 hours; this attack was the first of only two aerial bombing against the United States during WWII. En route back to the submarine, the aircraft spotted two merchant ships. After recovering Fujita and Okuda, I-25 attempted to give chase to the two merchant ships, but US aircraft would force I-25 to abandon the attack and submerge.

Ironic

1943: Upon hearing the news that Italy had surrendered, Italian transport submarine Comandante Cappellini (Aquilla III), in port at Sabang, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, attempted to request permission to leave port under the guise of a training exercise. The request was denied by the Japanese leadership. When the submarine's commanding officer Walter Auconi met with Vice Admiral Hiraoka Kumeichi of the 9th Base Unit at Sabang, the Japanese officer suggested surrender, which the Italian complied.

No Friends

1945: Americans began Operation Magic Carpet, the repatriation of servicemen, from the Pacific theater. Over the next six months, 369 warships would take 1.3 million men back to the United States.

At 0900 hours, the main Japanese surrender ceremony in China took place at the auditorium of the Central Military Academy in Nanjing, China. General Yasuji Okamura, Commander-in-Chief of Japanese Army's China Expeditionary Army, represented Japan, while General He Yingqin represented China. In pursuit of Chiang Kaishek's wishes to treat the Japanese with benevolence, the Chinese had wanted the ceremony to be taken place at a round table so that the Japanese representatives would be viewed as peers, but the American liaisons sent to Nanjing succeeded in preventing such a friendly gesture. General He was said to have apologized to Okamura, an old acquaintance at the Japanese Army Academy in the 1910s, for subjecting him to such an embarrassing arrangement forced by the Americans. As a part of the surrender agreement, Japanese troops in China were to remain in power to maintain order, to care for prisoners of war, and to guard important locations against Chinese Communists.

Americans Vice Admiral Thomas Kinkaid and Lieutenant General John Hodge accepted the surrender of all Japanese forces in Korea in the General Government Building in Seoul, Korea. Unaware of previous Japanese-Korean agreements on the transfer of power, Hodge ordered the Japanese occupation administration to remain in place, triggering anger among Koreans. Realizing the mistake made in his ignorance, Hodge quickly rescinded his order. However, he refused to recognize any of the political organizations vying for power in Korea, solely relying on his own military administration to make decisions despite of his staff's less than perfect understanding of the political situation.

Photo of the Day

African-American mess attendants take their turn at a 20mm gun during gunnery training on Aircraft Transport USS Copahee during transit from California to Pearl Harbor, 9 September 1942. Note TBF Avengers on the flight deck.

As we close today's edition of the Hidden History Newsletter, we're reminded of the indelible impact of every moment we've explored. Thank you for accompanying us on this historical journey. We eagerly await our next exploration together tomorrow.

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Have a great weekend :)

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