Today in the Second World War

The 7th of September

Author

Hidden History
September 07, 2023

Welcome to the September 7th edition of the Hidden History Newsletter, your daily source for captivating stories, crucial battles, and unsung heroes of World War II. On this day, we delve into the impactful events that shaped the course of the conflict, offering insights into the strategies, individuals, and indomitable spirit that marked this tumultuous period in history. Thank you for joining us as we remember and learn from the past, a pursuit that remains ever-relevant in our modern world.

"In the course of my life I have very often been a prophet, and have usually been ridiculed for it. During the time of my struggle for power, it was in the first instance only the Jewish race that received my prophecies with laughter when I said that I would one day take over the leadership of the state and with it that of the whole nation and that I would then among other things settle the Jewish problem...but I think that for some time now they have been laughing on the other side of their face. Today I will once more be a prophet: if the international Jewish financiers in and outside Europe should succeed in plunging the nations once more into a world war, then the result will not be the Bolshevising of the earth and thus the victory of Jewry, but the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe!"... - Adolf Hitler - 26th September 1938

Opening Moves

1939: Adolf Hitler ordered Erich Raeder to hold back German Navy from attacking British and French vessels.

German troops captured Kraków, Poland.

The city of Łódź, Poland was captured by the German 8th Army after the Łódź Army failed to halt their advance.

French Army entered the Saarland region of Germany, but made no move on the Westwall.

German soldiers at the Westerplatte, Danzig, 7 September 1939.

Target London

1940: Ignoring the RAF airfields, German bombers instead attacked London, England, United Kingdom as the new Operation Loge commenced; Göring rode his personal train Asia to Pas-de-Calais, France in a freshly made uniform to personally oversee the first night of the operation. At 1600 hours, 300 bombers and 200 Bf 110 fighter-bombers escorted by 600 Bf 109 fighters. British fighters expected the attacking force to split up to attack airfields, thus were unprepared when they flew straight for East End, London. By the time the British fighters arrived, the bombers had already unloaded their bombs. However, as the Bf 109 fighters had already left due to low fuel levels, German bombers became easy prey. During the day, 53 German bombers were shot down, as was 21 Bf 109 fighters; the British lost 27 fighters. Overnight, German bombers continued to attack East End, which saw 490 killed and 1,200 wounded on this day. This would mark the first of 57 consecutive nights of German bombings on the British capital.

German He 111 bomber in flight northbound over Surrey Docks, London, England, United Kingdom at 1700 hours on 7 September 1940.

A New Era

1944: The first two German V-2 rockets were fired against the Allies by German 444 and 485 Mobile Artillery Detachments at 1030 and 1140 hours, respectively. They both targeted Paris, France, but both crashed immediately after launch.

British Member of Parliament Duncan Sandys, Winston Churchill's son-in-law who had been made responsible for coordinating the defences against the V-1 flying bombs, confidently predicted that "Except fot a few shots, the Battle for London is over". It was not within a day the V-2s (the second of Adolf Hitler's secret weapons) would begin to fall on the British capital.

V-2 rocket on Meillerwagen for Operation Backfire near Cuxhaven in 1945.

Photo of the Day

Three Japanese Type A-class midget submarines wrecked by demolition charges, at a former Japanese base on Kiska Island, Aleutian Islands, 7 September 1943.

As we wrap up this September 7th edition of the Hidden History Newsletter, we hope the stories and insights we've shared today deepen your understanding of the pivotal events and individuals that shaped this day in World War II history. Thank you for joining us in this daily journey of remembrance and learning, and we look forward to bringing you more captivating content in tomorrow's edition.

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

Have a great week :)

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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