Today in the Second World War

As we usher in the month of July, welcome back to the Hidden History Newsletter. We're shedding light on the lesser-known heroes and events of July 1, revealing how the war was not just fought on the frontlines, but in myriad unseen arenas that were crucial to the outcome. Join us as we explore these pivotal moments, their implications, and the enduring legacy of human resilience they signify.

"Once more a red fire blows steeply upwards...the factory will do no more work for Herr Churchill...tomorrow morning Coventry will lie in smoke and ruins." - Josef Goebbels

Concerns Over French Fleet

US Ambassador to France William C. Bullitt met with French Marshal Philippe Pétain, who ensured that orders had been given "to every captain of the French Fleet to sink his ship rather than permit [it] to fall into German hands". Later on the same day, Bullitt visited French Admiral François Darlan, who noted that French ships had been ordered to sail for Martinique and Guantanamo should there be a risk that the Germans would gain the French fleet, and if sailing not possible, the ships would be scuttled.

No Faith in Britain

Winston Churchill recorded in his diary that during a meeting with the US Ambassador, Joseph Kennedy had stated that Britain was beaten and that Adolf Hitler would be in London by the 15th of August.

A Very Unfortunate Result

USS Sturgeon sank Japanese passenger-cargo ship Montevideo Maru off northern Philippine Islands before dawn. The crew of Sturgeon did not realize that most of those aboard were Australian prisoners of war, nor was the ship marked in any way to indicate that she was carrying prisoners of war; all 1,054 prisoners perished in the sinking. Of the 88 Japanese crew members and armed guards, 68 were lost.

A New Era

US submarine Barb attacked Japanese positions at Kaihyo Island off Sakhalin with rockets; it was the first American submarine-based rocket attack.

Operation Crossroads

Operation Crossroads was a series of nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States in the summer of 1946. Its objective was to investigate the effect of nuclear weapons on naval warships. The operation took place at the Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands and consisted of two individual tests, code-named Able and Baker.

Test Able, conducted on July 1, 1946, was an air detonation. A B-29 bomber named "Dave's Dream" dropped a bomb known as "Gilda", which was identical to the Fat Man bomb design that was dropped on Nagasaki in August 1945. The bomb exploded approximately 520 feet above the target fleet with an estimated yield of 23 kilotons.

Despite the anticipation, Test Able was considered less successful than expected. The bomb missed its target, the battleship USS Nevada, by about 650 yards, reducing the damage inflicted on the ships. Additionally, less information than expected was obtained due to the malfunctioning of several instruments. The result did show, however, that air bursts are less damaging to ships than surface or subsurface bursts because the water absorbs and chokes the shock wave and reduces the heat and radiation effect.

Test Baker was conducted later that same month, on July 25. For this test, a bomb was detonated 90 feet underwater in the midst of the target fleet. The underwater explosion created a massive amount of radioactive contamination, which presented unanticipated challenges for the decontamination of the ships and caused future nuclear testing to be moved to more remote locations.

Photo of the Day

The target fleet after test Able. The aircraft carrier Saratoga is right-center with Independence burning at left-center. The ex-Japanese battleship Nagato is between them. The ship at left, next to the battleship Pennsylvania, is trying to wash down the radioactivity with water from the lagoon.

As we wrap up today's journey through the events of July 1, we hope these narratives have enriched your understanding of the profound complexity and humanity of World War II. Every thread we unravel, every forgotten hero we spotlight, adds to our collective memory and guides us in shaping a better future. Your participation breathes life into these historical lessons, ensuring they remain relevant and illuminating. Until tomorrow's edition, we appreciate your continued engagement and look forward to exploring more chapters of this pivotal era together.

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

Have a great weekend :)

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