The European portion of WWII starts with the German invasion of Poland. Operation “Fall Weiss” or Case White introduced a new form of warfare, dubbed “Blitzkreig” or Lightning Warfare. German Panzer forces supported by the Luftwaffe opened holes in Polish defenses and allowed the German infantry to pour through the breaches in Polish positions.
US NAVY
World War II begins as Germany invades Poland with a power
and rapidity that convincingly demonstrates to the world the blitzkrieg, or
"lightning war." Italy announces its neutrality. Ultimately, the
global conflict set in motion on this late summer day will engulf much of the
globe and wreak far-reaching changes in the world order. The U.S. Navy in
September 1939 is, for the most part, concentrated on the west coast of the
United States, reflecting the nation's traditional interest in the Far East and
its isolationist leanings away from Europe. Although the matter is discussed as
hostilities have loomed on the horizon late in August 1939, there are no plans
to use U.S. naval vessels to repatriate American citizens except in
"collecting small groups [of Americans] in the Mediterranean area for
transportation to places where they can move to safe ports for
embarkation."
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OpNav) sends
dispatch to commanders in chief of Asiatic Fleet, United States Fleet, Atlantic
Squadron, Special Service Squadron and Squadron 40-T: "Reliably informed
[that] German submarines are set to operate on Atlantic trade routes and that a
dozen German merchant vessels will operate as armed raiders [and that] neutral
merchantmen may expect Great Britain may institute may expect Great Britain may
institute similar practices as in last war." Additional addressees to this
warning include the three new warships on shakedown cruises: light cruiser St.
Louis (CL-49) (at Punta Delgada, Azores), destroyer Anderson (DD-411) (at Montreal,
Canada) and submarine Spearfish (SS-190) (en route from New York City to Bahia,
Brazil).
Hydrographic Office begins issuing, by despatch and
bulletin, special warnings of restrictions and dangers to navigation incident
to the outbreak of hostilities between Germany and Poland. Special Warning
Number One is that the German government has announced that Danzig Bay is a
danger area due to military operations taking place there.
President Roosevelt appoints Admiral William D. Leahy, who
has recently retired as Chief of Naval Operations, as Work Projects
Administrator for the Territory of E Puerto Rico (see 11 September).
Light cruiser Marblehead (CL-12) transports marines from
Chinwangtao, China, to Shanghai. The emergency movement is to bring the Fourth
Marine Regiment to full strength in the event that the Japanese take advantage
of the European war to force an incident at Shanghai.
German armored ship Admiral Graf Spee, which has left
Wilhelmshaven on 21 August for the South Atlantic, makes rendezvous with tanker
Altmark southwest of the Canary Islands. The fuel oil carried in Altmark's bunkers
was obtained in August at Port Arthur, Texas. Admiral Graf Spee's sistership Deutschland,
which had departed Wilhelmshaven on 24 August, is deployed to raid commerce in
the North Atlantic.
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