Today in the Second World War

On this day, September 17th, we delve deep into the pages of World War II, retracing pivotal moments that once swayed the course of history. As the world battled amidst the shadows of conflict, each day became a testament to human resilience, bravery, and sacrifice. Join us as we commemorate and understand the events of this day, honoring the legacy left behind.

"Like so many of our people, we have now had a personal experience of German barbarity which only strengthens the resolution of all of us to fight through to final victory." - King George VI - September 1940

Heavy Opening Blow

HMS Courageous was an early aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that was converted from a battlecruiser. On September 17, 1939, shortly after the outbreak of World War II, HMS Courageous was patrolling off the coast of Ireland to locate U-boats, the German submarines. However, the hunter became the hunted.

The German submarine U-29, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Otto Schuhart, managed to sneak up on the HMS Courageous and fired three torpedoes, two of which struck the carrier. The damage was catastrophic, and the carrier capsized and sank within 20 minutes. Out of her crew of around 1,200, 518 were lost, including the ship's captain.

The sinking of HMS Courageous was one of the first major naval losses for the British in World War II. It underscored the significant threat that U-boats posed to naval and merchant shipping and prompted the Royal Navy to re-evaluate its carrier tactics and anti-submarine warfare strategies.

Betrayal

In Poland, German troops captured Kutno west of Warsaw. East of Warsaw, Heinz Guderian's XIX Panzerkorps of Army Group North made contact with XXII Panzerkorps of Army Group South, just to the south of Brest-Litovsk; virtually the whole Polish Army (or what remained of it) was now trapped within a gigantic double pincer. In Russia, Joseph Stalin declared that the government of Poland no longer existed, thus all treaties between the two states were no longer valid; Soviet troops poured across the border to join Germany in the invasion, ostensibly to protect Ukrainian and Byelorussian interests from potential German aggression.

In Romania, the Polish government was interned after attempting to obtain asylum. On the same day, one hundred Polish Air Force planes, as well as 50 civilian aircraft, flew to safety in Romania; many of the escaping airmen would eventually make their way to Britain to continue the fight.

Moral Duty?

1941: At a conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, German physicist Werner Heisenberg warned his mentor Niels Bohr that Germany had embarked on atomic weapon research and gave him a drawing of a reactor as proof.

Laconia Incident

The same Ascension Island-based US B-24 Liberator bomber that had attacked German submarines rescued survivors of sunken British troopship Laconia on the previous day attacked the submarines again, forcing U-506 to dive while 142 survivors were still on the deck; later in the day, French cruiser Gloire, sloop Annamite, and sloop Dumont d'Urville arrived to take on 415 Italian and 668 Allied survivors from the German submarines.

German Navy Admiral Karl Dönitz, who had previously supported rescuing survivors of submarine targets, ordered his submarine commanders to cease such actions in light of the Laconia incident on the previous day where an American bomber attacked a German submarine, full of survivors, flying a large red cross flag.

One of the rescued Italians from sunken British troop ship Laconia passed away aboard Italian submarine Comandante Cappellini in the Atlantic Ocean at 0710 hours; he was buried at sea. At 1210 hours, another Italian survivor, Giovanni Volch, passed away and was similarly buried at sea. In the afternoon, the crew of Comandante Cappellini transferred 19 of the rescued British and Polish survivors onto lifeboats in the Atlantic Ocean and provided them with provisions.

Stalingrad

In Stalingrad, Russia, German and Soviet troops engaged in heavy fighting at the Mamayev Kurgan hill, the Central Station, the grain elevator, and the apartment building soon to be named Pavlov's House. Also in the city, German troops advanced along the Tsaritsa River toward the banks of the Volga River where Soviet reinforcements were arriving from the other side.

Photo of the Day

Koryu Type D submarines in an assembly shed at the Mitsubishi shipyard, Nagasaki, Japan, 17 September 1945.

As we wrap up today's insights from September 17th during the tumultuous years of World War II, let's remember the sacrifices made and lessons learned. These moments in history serve not just as reminders of our past but as guiding lights for our future. Until our next dispatch, may we always honor those who paved the way and cherish the peace they fought for.

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