Today in the Second World War

Welcome to the May 27th edition of the Hidden History Newsletter, your trusted source for World War II history. As we journey over 80 years back in time, we commemorate the heroic and pivotal actions that occurred on this day, shedding light on the strategic decisions, the personal sacrifices, and the resilience that forever changed the course of history. Our collective remembrance serves as a testament to the importance of understanding our past, informing our present, and shaping our future. Join us today as we continue to delve into the vast narrative of the world's largest and deadliest conflict.

"The Red Army and Navy and the whole Soviet people must fight for every inch of Soviet soil, fight to the last drop of blood for our towns and villages...onward, to victory!" - Josef Stalin

British Introduced to Nazi War Crimes

On May 27, 1940, soldiers from the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf under the command of Hauptsturmführer Fritz Knöchlein captured members of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment of the British Army in the small French village of Le Paradis. The British soldiers had been trying to slow down the German advance to allow the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk.

The German troops herded the British POWs into a barn, where they were shot with machine guns. Of the nearly 100 prisoners, only two survived: Privates William O'Callaghan and Albert Pooley. They hid among the bodies of their fallen comrades and were later discovered by the German medics, who turned them over to their captors.

O'Callaghan and Pooley were held in POW camps for the rest of the war, and their survival was kept a secret to prevent reprisals. After the war, they were able to testify against Knöchlein, who was tried and convicted of war crimes in the Le Paradis massacre. He was hanged on January 21, 1949.

It's important to note that the Le Paradis massacre was a war crime under the laws and customs of war, which protect POWs from murder, mistreatment, or torture. The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, and later the Third Geneva Convention of 1949, specify the rights and protections of POWs, which were clearly violated in this incident.

The End of the Bismarck

At 0710 hours, battleship Bismarck sent in what would become her last radio report. She was sighted by battleships HMS King George V and HMS Rodney at 0844 hours, and their guns fired 3 minutes later, hitting Bismarck and quickly disabling her guns. Heavy cruisers HMS Norfolk and HMS Dorsetshire joined in on the attack shortly after. After receiving about 400 gunfire hits from the British ships and several torpedo hits from HMS Dorsetshire, Bismarck's crew set off scuttling charges in the boiler room to scuttle her. She sank at 1039 hours; 2,091, most of her crew, were killed.

Pacific Plans Developing

From Saipan and Guam in the Mariana Islands, an invasion fleet carrying 5,000 Japanese troops departed for Midway Atoll under Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka. In the northern Pacific Ocean, Japanese submarine I-25 launched her floatplane for a reconnaissance mission over Kodiak Island, US Territory of Alaska, which spotted a US cruiser and two destroyers. To the west, still in the Aleutian Islands, I-19 was preparing to launch her floatplane when lookouts spotted an American aircraft; the submarine dove for cover, destroying the floatplane in the process. In Japan, the naval leadership affected a radio encryption coding change for all fleets and bases. At Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, Joseph Finnegan and Wesley Wright, two intelligence officers working under Joseph Rochefort, broke the Japanese encryption used to secure operational dates after working on it for the entire previous night; with this new knowledge they determined that the Japanese were going to raid Dutch Harbor in Alaska on 3 Jun 1942 and to attack Midway Atoll on 4 Jun 1942. Finally, Rochefort visited Chester Nimitz's office to help him convince other admirals and generals of their belief that Midway was soon to be a Japanese target

Operation Anthropoid

Operation Anthropoid was the codename for the assassination of SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Polizei Reinhard Heydrich, head of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (Reich Main Security Office, RSHA), the combined security services of Nazi Germany, and acting Reichsprotektor of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.

The operation was carried out in Prague on 27 May 1942 after having been prepared by the British Special Operations Executive with the approval of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile. Wounded in the attack, Heydrich died of his injuries on 4 June 1942. His death led to a wave of merciless reprisals by German SS troops, including the destruction of villages and the mass murder of civilians.

Here's a brief overview of how the event transpired:

In the morning of 27 May 1942, Heydrich proceeded on his daily commute from his home in Panenské Brežany to Prague Castle. Gabcík and Jan Kubiš waited at a tram stop in the Prague suburb of Libeň. As Heydrich's open-topped Mercedes-Benz neared the pair, Gabcík stepped in front of the vehicle, attempting to open fire, but his Sten gun jammed. Heydrich ordered his driver to halt the car and tried to confront the attacker.

At this point, Kubiš threw a modified anti-tank grenade at the vehicle. The explosion wounded Heydrich and Kubiš. Despite his injuries, Heydrich attempted to chase after Kubiš but soon collapsed. He was rushed to Bulovka Hospital, where he was treated for severe injuries to his spleen, diaphragm, and lung.

Heydrich initially recovered and was visited by top-ranking Nazi officials, including Heinrich Himmler. However, his condition dramatically worsened, and he died on 4 June 1942, probably from sepsis caused by fragments of auto upholstery, steel, and his own uniform that had been driven into his body by the grenade's blast.

His death led to a wave of brutal reprisals, most notably the massacres in the villages of Lidice and Ležáky. The Nazis accused the residents of these villages of harbouring the assassins and, without evidence, destroyed both villages, killing men, women, and children.

Operation Anthropoid was one of the most significant actions of the Czechoslovak resistance and stands as a stark example of the courage and resilience of the resistance movements during the Second World War.

Photo of the Day

As we conclude this May 27th edition of the Hidden History Newsletter', we hope that today's exploration into the pivotal events of over eight decades ago has provided you with new perspectives and deepened your understanding. Each dispatch is not just a recount of historical facts, but an opportunity to reflect on the echoes of World War II that continue to shape our present and future. We thank you for your engagement and curiosity, and eagerly await your return for our next dispatch, where we'll continue to delve into this monumental era of our collective history. Until then, stay curious and keep learning.

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Have a great weekend :)

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