Today in the Second World War

Welcome to today’s edition of the Hidden History Newsletter! In this newsletter, we aim to provide you with insightful information about the significant events that took place during World War II on this day in history. From major battles to technological advancements, we will explore the highs and lows of this tumultuous period of global history. Whether you are a history buff or simply interested in learning more about the events that shaped the world as we know it today, we have something for everyone. So, let's step back in time and explore the stories and events that occurred during World War II on the 9th of April!

“If we have power, we’ll never give it up again unless we’re carried out of our offices as corpses.” - German Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels

Invasion of Denmark and Norway

On this day in 1940, German troops crossed into Denmark at 0500 hours, with landings near Copenhagen unopposed; the Danish government surrendered within the same day, and Germany completed the conquest Denmark with only 20 casualties. To the north in Norway, German troops attacked four locations. At Narvik, German destroyers sank Norwegian coastal cruisers Eidsvold and Norge, killing 276. At Trondheim, German warships pretended to be British ships and sailed by the coastal batteries without being hassled, thus the city was captured with relative ease. At Bergen, the coastal batteries at Fort Kvarven damaged German cruiser Königsberg and minelayer Bremse. Off Bergen, German Ju 88 and He 111 aircraft attacked British battleship HMS Rodney and destroyer HMS Gurkha at 1400 hours; Rodney was hit by a dud 500-kg bomb, and Gurkha sank at 1600 hours, killing 15; only four German Ju 88 aircraft were lost in this attack. Finally, at Oslo, the batteries at Oscarborg sank German cruiser Blücher in the Oslofjord, killing 830. Out at sea, British battlecruiser HMS Renown intercepted German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau after they had successfully escorted Marine Gruppe 1 to Narvik; Renown fired first, hitting Gneisenau three times, but received two hits before the German ships disengaged from the battle. Given the dire situation, the Norwegian royal family, the government, and the country's gold reserves (with over 48 tons of gold) departed from Oslo at 0830 hours.

The US Navy Increases its Strength

On April 9, 1941, the “world’s fightingest ship” was commissioned at 11:30 a.m., in the New York Navy Yard. The event received tremendous media attention.

“The 35,000-ton battleship NORTH CAROLINA, solid, gleaming symbol of America’s awakening from a sleep naval holiday of 18 years…. 29 minutes of ceremony in dazzling sunshine formally placed in service the $70,000,000 battleship it had taken nearly four years to build.” The commissioning was four months ahead of schedule.

“As bugles blared and white-capped officers and bluejackets saluted, a pennant was run slowly up the flagstaff to show that the ship was in commission. Millions listened over the radio as the mightiest battleship afloat was put into service.”

HMS Hermes is Sunk

Japanese carrier aircraft attacked the harbor at Trincomalee, Ceylon at 0700 hours. Two hours later, empty British aircraft carrier HMS Hermes and Australian destroyer HMAS Vampire were detected 90 miles further south. At 1035 hours, Japanese carrier aircraft attacked and sank HMS Hermes (307 killed) and HMAS Vampire (9 killed); hospital ship Vita rescued survivors from both warships. At 1207 hours, 20 Japanese carrier dive bombers sank British oiler Athelstane (all aboard survived) and British corvette HMS Hollyhock (48 were killed, 17 survived) in the Indian Ocean.

She was the world's first ship to be designed and built as an aircraft carrier, and she played a key role in the defense of the British Empire during the early years of the war.

HMS Hermes was launched in 1919 and served in the Mediterranean and Far East before being modernized in the mid-1930s. At the outbreak of World War II, she was assigned to the Home Fleet and took part in the Norwegian Campaign. She then sailed to the Indian Ocean, where she joined the British Eastern Fleet.

Today, the wreck of the HMS Hermes is a popular diving site off the coast of Sri Lanka.

The Largest Surrender in American History

75,000 US and Filipino troops, remainder of the US II Corps under General Edward King on the Bataan peninsula at Luzon, Philippine Islands, surrendered to the Japanese at 1230 hours; it was the largest American surrender in history. Before doing so, they destroyed fuel dumps, ammunition stores, tug USS Napa, and floating drydock USS Dewey.

This surrender led to the infamous Bataan Death March, in which thousands of American and Filipino prisoners of war were forced to march long distances in harsh conditions, resulting in many deaths: from 5,000 to 18,000 Filipino deaths and 500 to 650 American deaths during the march. If an American soldier was caught on the ground or fell, he would be instantly shot. All the American soldiers who are known to have died or were killed now have a gravestone honoring them.

The march was characterized by severe physical abuse and wanton killings. After the war, the Japanese commander, General Masaharu Homma and two of his officers, Major General Yoshitaka Kawane and Colonel Kurataro Hirano, were tried by United States military commissions for war crimes and sentenced to death on charges of failing to prevent their subordinates from committing war crimes. Homma was executed in 1946, while Kawane and Hirano were executed in 1949.

Königsberg Falls

General Otto Lasch, who was in charge of the German forces defending Königsberg, surrendered the city to the Soviet forces on April 9, 1945. The surrender caused panic among the civilian population, many of whom were already fleeing the city due to the advancing Soviet forces.

As the roads were crowded with refugees, Soviet forces attacked, causing significant civilian casualties. The fighting continued until midnight, when the Soviet forces were finally able to eliminate all remaining German resistance. The remaining German troops, numbering around 33,000 soldiers, were taken prisoner and sent to labor camps in the Soviet Union. The city was heavily damaged during the siege and much of its historic architecture was destroyed. By this time, between 80% to 90% of the city lay in ruins as a result of the intense bombing and artillery fire it had endured during the siege.

The fall of Königsberg was a significant victory for the Soviet Union and marked the beginning of the end of World War II in Europe. After the war, Königsberg was annexed by the Soviet Union and renamed Kaliningrad.

Wilhelm Canaris is Executed

Wilhelm Canaris was a German admiral and intelligence officer who served as the chief of the Abwehr, the German military intelligence service, during World War II.

Canaris was initially a supporter of Adolf Hitler, and the Nazi regime. Following the German invasion of Poland in 1939, however, Canaris turned against Hitler and committed acts of both passive and active resistance during the war. As chief of the Abwehr, Canaris was involved in a number of plots to overthrow Hitler and the Nazi regime, including Operation Valkyrie, a failed assassination attempt against Hitler in July 1944.

Canaris also intervened to save a number of victims from Nazi persecution, including Jews, by getting them out of harm's way. He was instrumental, for example, in getting 500 Dutch Jews to safety in May 1941. Many such people were given token training as Abwehr "agents" and then issued papers, which allowed them to leave Germany. One notable person he is said to have assisted was the then Lubavitcher Rebbe in Warsaw, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn. That has led Chabad Lubavitch to campaign for his recognition as a Righteous Gentile by the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.

The evidence that Canaris was playing a double game grew, and at the insistence of Heinrich Himmler, Hitler dismissed Canaris and abolished the Abwehr in February 1944. In February 1944, Canaris was arrested by the Gestapo and accused of involvement in the July 20 plot. He was imprisoned and tortured, but he refused to reveal any information about his co-conspirators or his involvement in the plot. Canaris was executed by hanging at the Flossenbürg concentration camp in April 1945, just weeks before the end of the war.

Canaris is remembered for his opposition to the Nazi regime and his involvement in the resistance movement against Hitler. Despite his involvement in these plots, Canaris remains a controversial figure, with some historians questioning his motivations and his level of involvement in the resistance movement.

Photo of the Day

Danish machine gun team gathered for a photo hours before engaging with German invaders, Bredevad, Denmark, 9 April 1940; two of the men died later that day; note Madsen light machine gun. 

As we come to the end of another day, let us take a moment to remember the events that occurred on April 9th during the Second World War. From the Surrender of Königsberg, to the sinking of HMS Hermes, to the courageous resistance of Wilhelm Canaris against the Nazi regime, these events shaped the course of the war and had a profound impact on the lives of countless individuals.

Let us honor the bravery and sacrifice of those who fought and died during these tumultuous times, and let us never forget the lessons of the past as we strive to build a better future. Join us tomorrow as we continue to explore the fascinating history of World War II.

Thanks for reading today’s edition of the newsletter! If you ever have any recommendations feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Have a great weekend :)

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