Today in the Second World War

The 10th of September

Hidden History
September 10, 2023

Welcome readers to this September 10th edition of the Hidden History Newsletter. As we turn the pages back to this date in the turbulent 1940s, we shed light on both monumental events and personal stories from the war's vast tapestry. Today's insights promise a journey into the sacrifices and moments that shaped the course of history. Let's dive in to the happenings of this day, all those years ago.

“This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government a final note stating that unless we heard from them by eleven o'clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you that no such understanding has been received and that consequently this country is at war with Germany.” - Neville Chamberlain - 3rd September 1939

Battle of the Atlantic Begins

1939: The Battle of the Atlantic officially began. On the very same day, the British Admiralty began organizing a convoy system.

HMS Oxley became the first Royal Navy submarine to be lost in the war when she was either torpedoed or rammed in error off the Norwegian coast by another Royal Navy submarine. Only two of the fifty-three crew survived.

HMAS Oxley (foreground) and Otway.

Changing Tide

1943: Joseph Goebbels visited Adolf Hitler at Rastenburg, East Prussia, Germany, noting that he and Adolf Hitler had a conversation about the possibility of negotiating peace with either the Western Allies or with the Soviet Union in order to focus on the other. At the urging of Goebbels, in order to prevent the damaged morale from fermenting subversive activities, Hitler gave a radio address to motivate the German people.

Elisabeth von Thadden hosted a birthday tea party in Heidelberg, Germany for members of the anti-Hitler Solf Circle. Unbeknownst to the party attenders, one of the guests, Paul Reckzeh, was a spy for the Gestapo. Almost all members were arrested and killed as the direct result of the intelligence Reckzeh gathered at this party.

Lookout air raid schema.

Brits

1944: British Army Major William Cavendish, Lord Hartington, the husband of the sister of future US President John F. Kennedy, was killed in action at Heppen, Belgium at the hands of a German sniper.

Bernard Montgomery received a visit from Dwight Eisenhower at Brussels, Belgium during which Montgomery criticized Eisenhower's broad front strategy and demanded his army group to be the sole offensive force as current strategy placed the other two army groups in poor positions to launch attacks into Germany. Eisenhower responded "[s]teady Monty, you can't talk to me like that. I'm your boss."

Monty & Eisenhower

Photo of the Day

German troops forcing entry into a building, Western Poland, September 1939.

As we wrap up today's insights from September 10th during World War II, we're reminded once again of the resilience and courage that shaped those times. We thank you for journeying with us through history's tapestry and hope you'll return tomorrow for more pivotal moments and stories. Until then, may we continue to learn from the past and honor those who lived it.

If you ever have any recommendations feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]

Have a great weekend :)

PERIL IN THE DEEP: Adventures of the WWII Submarine USS Burrfish: Schultz, David M.

"The first hour of deck watch was spent inside a fog bank with little for the lookouts to see. Then the surfaced submarine USS Burrfish emerged into sunlight just outside the thick wall of mist. Ocean and sky seemed void of activity except for two seagulls flying in the distance far behind. Seagulls? Cardelli focused on the closest bird for a moment but it quickly disappeared into the fog.

The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand (World War II Collection): Biggio, Andrew

Tales of American combat and comradery in World War II all connected to the iconic rifle of the era, the M1 Garand. An award-winning author puts one such rifle into the hands of a series of vets, records their stories, and gathers their signatures on the rifle, in a pilgrimage and homage to heroism.

Cloudbuster Nine: The Untold Story of Ted Williams and the Baseball Team That Helped Win World War II: Keene, Anne R.

In 1943, while the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals were winning pennants and meeting in that year and apos;s World Series, one of the nation and apos;s strongest baseball teams practiced on a skinned-out college field in the heart of North Carolina. Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, and Johnny Sain were among a cadre of fighter-pilot cadets who wore the Cloudbuster Nine baseball jersey at an elite Navy training school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won: Hanson, Victor Davis

A "breathtakingly magisterial" account of World War II by America's preeminent military historian (Wall Street Journal)

MacArthur Reconsidered: General Douglas MacArthur as a Wartime Commander: Ellman, James

James Ellman digs deep, connects the dots, and concludes that General Douglas MacArthur was decidedly not a military genius.

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