The Navy was the primary contributor to the US official combat chronologies in prior to the Japanese strike on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. 25 September 1945 marked the final set of entries in the four service chronologies and the blog has finished posting the events of the closing of the war on it’s 80th anniversary and started with the origins. In an effort to align future posts with the 85th anniversary dates, they will now each cover a week for periods prior to the Pearl Harbor attack.
Wednesday, 27 September 1939
US NAVY
Warsaw falls; Poland surrenders unconditionally to Germany
and the USSR. After the fall of Poland, the war on the western front
degenerates into a stalemate, sometimes derisively called the sitzkrieg ("sitting
war") after the blitzkrieg that had crushed Polish resistance in
September.
Commandant of the Coast Guard informs Commander of the
Boston Division that upon withdrawal of destroyers from the Grand Banks Patrol,
the patrol will be maintained by two Campbell-class 327-foot cutters.
U.S. freighter Executive is detained by French
authorities at Casablanca, French Morocco (see 29 September).
Thursday, 28 September 1939
US NAVY
Hawaiian Detachment, U.S. Fleet, is established in response
to Japan's continuing undeclared war against China that has been underway since
7 July 1937. The establishment of the Hawaiian Detachment, to be based at Pearl
Harbor, necessitates changing the schedules of the supply ships and oilers
needed to provide logistics support.
Friday, 29 September 1939
US NAVY
Poland is partitioned by Germany and the Soviet Union. U.S.
freighter Executive, detained at Casablanca, French Morocco, since 27
September, is released by French authorities, provided that she proceed to
Bizerte, Tunisia.
British warships operating on the Northern Patrol continue
to stop neutral merchantman; between this date and 12October, 63 vessels are
stopped, of which 20 are detained at Kirkwall for the inspection of their
cargoes.
Battleship Arizona (BB-39) engineering plant is
sabotaged, San Pedro, California. A thorough FBI investigation into the
occurrence opines that the deed is done to embarrass certain ship's officers
rather than cause serious damage.
Saturday, 30 September 1939
US NAVY
Rear Admiral Hayne Ellis relieves Rear Admiral Alfred W.
Johnson as Commander Atlantic Squadron on board the squadron’s flagship,
battleship Texas (BB-35).
Vice Admiral Adolphus Andrews (Commander Scouting Force)
assumes command of Hawaiian Detachment, breaking his flag in heavy cruiser Indianapolis
(CA-35). Andrews will shift his flag to carrier Enterprise (CV-6) on
3 October prior to the detachment's move to its operating base (see 5 October).
European war again comes to the Americas: German armored
ship Admiral Graf Spee stops and sinks British steamship Clement 75
miles southeast of Pernambuco, Brazil, 09°05'S, 34°05'W (see 1 and 5 October).
U.S. freighters Ethan Allen and Ipswich, detained
by British authorities since 20 September, are released. Cargo destined for
Bremen and Hamburg, however, is seized and taken off Ipswich.
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