Today in the Second World War

September 19th beckons us once again to the pages of World War II, where moments of courage and conflict played out against a global backdrop. Today's dispatch will illuminate the pivotal events of this specific date, bringing to the fore the intricate dance of war and peace that shaped our collective history. Embark with us on this historical sojourn, as we traverse time and memory.

"Never in the field of human conflict, has so much, been owed by so many, to so few!" - Winston Churchill - September 1940

Air War in China

1937: Mao Yingchu, flying a Hawk III biplane fighter, claimed a D1A2 dive bomber, another D1A2 as a probable, and a third damaged over Nanjing, China. Later study of Japanese records revealed that Lieutenant Kawaguchi's 3-plane flight of 13th Air Group failed to return, so it was likely that Mao had actually shot down all three.

Wong Sun-sui, flying a P-26 fighter, attempted to attack multiple Japanese E8N aircraft which were shooting Lieutenant Liu Lan-ching who was descending to grounds near Nanjing, China via a parachute. Wong was in turn attacked by Pilot Officer 2nd Class Harada, flying an A5M fighter. Wong suffered fragment wounds to the left hand but was able to bail out safely.

Hot Potato

1939: While flying a reconnaissance missiong in an unarmed Polish aircraft, Josef Frantisek attacked advancing German columns by throwing hand grenades from the cockpit near Kamionka Strumilowa, Poland (now Kamianka-Buzka, Ukraine).

Hitler’s Cronies

1939: The construction of Graf Zeppelin was halted temporarily as Erich Raeder and Hermann Göring competed for resources.

Invasion?

1940: Wellington, Hampden, and Whitley bombers of the British RAF attacked German invasion barges in ports along the French coast. One Hampden bomber was lost. After the attack, Adolf Hitler ordered the barges to disperse to minimize further losses. Thus far, 214 of the 1,918 barges assembled for the planned invasion had been destroyed by British aerial attacks.

British members of the Tizard scientific mission met with their American counterparts at the Wardman Park Hotel in Washington DC, United States and began exchanging results of their scientific research up to that point, including and especially their radar technology. All by itself, this first meeting almost immediately led to vast improvements to radar on both sides and also led to further advancements in related areas, such as development of the proximity fuze.

Heavy Losses

1944: Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC, the leader of the Dambusters raid in 1943, was killed when his aircraft crashed near Steenbergen, the Netherlands.

While flying a Dakota aircraft on a supply run for British troops at Arnhem, the Netherlands, Flight Lieutenant David Lord flew several runs over the drop zone despite the starboard wing being hit and became aflame. Having dropped all supplies, he ordered his crew to bail out while he made no attempt to jump, remaining in the pilot's seat to keep the aircraft steady. The aircraft eventually exploded in mid-war. Lord was later awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross medal.

Violence Not Over

1945: A group of recently freed Dutch internees raised a Dutch flag over the Hotel Oranje (now Hotel Majapahit) in Surabaya, Indonesia. The hotel building was the headquarters of the Recovery of Allied Pirsoner of War and Internees organization as well as the headquarters of the Japanese troops charged with keeping order in the city. This flag raising triggered violence from local nationalists, resulting in the death of the leader of the Dutch group. Indonesians lowered the Dutch flag, tore off the blue third of the flag, and re-raised it as an Indonesian flag.

Photo of the Day

Neville Chamberlain and Benito Mussolini at the Führerbau building in München, Germany, 19 September 1938.

As the curtain falls on our exploration of World War II's events from September 19th, let us carry forth the lessons and legacies of this epochal date. The tapestry of history is woven with tales of valor, loss, and determination, and through these daily reflections, we gain both perspective and purpose. Until tomorrow's edition, let us remain ever-cognizant of our shared past.

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