WE REMEMBER AUGUST 22nd

August 22

We Remember:

1939:     Hints of a Russo-German pact are everywhere. PM Chamberlain recalls Parliament for the 24th. The Times announces the massing of German troops in the Polish border. There are heavy losses of British Gold reserves. The telegram from Ambassador Lindsay in Washington in finally deciphered. Chamberlain gives a fighting speech, to be broadcast by the BBC, saying it is unthinkable that Great Britain should not carry out its obligations to Poland. (Andy Etherington)

Hitler tells his generals, meeting in Obersalzburg, that the destruction of Poland "starts on Saturday morning" (26 August), the aim of this war is the wholesale destruction of Poland. (Andy Etherington)

Ambassador Kennard (British Ambassador in Warsaw) and Leon Noel (French Ambassador) try to make Colonel Beck change his mind for one last time. (Andy Etherington)

Sir William Seeds, (British Ambassador in Moscow) accuses Molotov of negotiating in bad faith. (Andy Etherington)

In France, the passenger liner SS Normandie sails from LeHarve with a full passenger load as U.S. citizens rush home fearing war. (Jack McKillop)

1940:      British MPs bitterly condemn the internment of aliens. (Andy Etherington)

German batteries shelled Dover tonight during a cross-Channel duel which had lasted all day. Their first target was a convoy of ships edging up the English side of the Channel under Royal Navy escort. In the air, RAF fighters broke up waves of Luftwaffe bombers. Other British aircraft hit back until nightfall. By then the convoy, with its 50,000 tons of food and war material, was snug at anchor. The Germans have installed 14-inch batteries with a 20-mile range along the coast from Boulogne to Calais as part of the plan to invade England. Those guns were used for the first time today when shells sent water spouts 100 feet above the convoy. With dusk, the guns turned on civilian targets in Dover. During a 45-minute barrage a shell burst through the stained glass window of a church and exploded near the altar. 11:32 PM (Andy Etherington)

British raiders bomb industrial targets at Frankfurt and Cologne. (Andy Etherington)

Britain promises to send air and sea forces to aid Greece if the enemy attacks. 11:33 PM (Andy Etherington)

Land-based Swordfish from Eagle's 824 Squadron repeat their July success with another torpedo strike in the Gulf of Bomba. Just as she prepares for a human torpedo attack on Alexandria, submarine 'Iride' and a depot ship are sunk. 11:33 PM (Andy Etherington)

Three Fleet Air Arm Swordfish deliver, arguably, the most interesting torpedo attack of the war.  Having been informed of an Italian "depot ship" at An-el-Gazala, three Swordfish of HMS Eagle's 824 Squadron, FAA, temporarily based at Ma'aten Bagush, are transferred to Sidi Barrani, equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks and torpedoes.  In the late-afternoon, the three crews [Capt. O. Patch, RM (p)/Mid. G. J. Woodley, RNVR(o), Lt. N. A. F. Cheeseman, RN(p)/Sub-Lt. F. Stovin-Bradford, RN(o), and Lt. J. W. G. Welham, RN(p)/PO(A) A. H. Marsh(TAG)] headed out on the 180 mile flight to the Gulf of Bomba, routing 30 miles out to sea so as to approach the target from seaward. Approaching the target, they sighted the Italian Submarine Iride [the mother ship for Italian human torpedoes arriving to attack Alexandria]
approaching on the surface.  Heading straight for her, Captain Patch
released his torpedo, which smacked Iride amidships, sinking her. 
Having had no opportunity to attack themselves, the other two continued
on the mission assigned.  As they approached, they discovered the depot
ship [Monte Gargano (1,976 GRT)] with a submarine and a destroyer tied
up along side.  Both torpedoes ran true into the pack, the resulting
explosions "sinking whole bloody lot".  Initially treated with distain
when they reported sinking four ships with three torpedoes, the crews
were quite exuberant when recon photos the next morning verified that
all three in harbour had, in fact, sank, though apparently the destroyer
and the submarine were only beached. (Mark Horan)

RAF Fighter Command: Attacks on Manston. At night Aberdeen, Yorkshire, Hampshire, South Wales, Bristol and Filton (airfield and Bristol Company's works) are bombed. Losses: Luftwaffe, 3; RAF 5. (Andy Etherington)

In Mexico, the government orders all German consulates to be closed by 1 September. (Jack McKillop)

In the U.S., James V. Forrestal, former Administrative Assistant to the President and Wall Street broker, becomes first Undersecretary of the Navy. His office will become the most important  coordinating agency for procurement and materiel in the Navy Department. (Jack McKillop)

1941:     U.S.S.R.: German troops reach the outskirts of Leningrad. They eventually surrounded the city on 8 September at the start of the siege which lasted until January 1944.  (Jack McKillop)

1942:     Brazil declares war on Italy and German.  This action is taken after the sinking of several Brazilian ships during the past week. (John Nicholas)

Aleutian Islands: A photo reconnaissance mission over Kiska Island by the US 11th Air Force is aborted due to overcast. (Jack McKillop)

CARIBBEAN SEA: The first German submarine sunk in the Caribbean, U-654, is lost about 159 nautical miles (295 kilometers) north of Colon, Panama, in position 12.00N, 79.56W, by depth charges from a USAAF B-18 Bolo of the 45th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) based at France Field, Canal Zone. All hands on the U-boat, 44-men, are lost.  (Jack McKillop)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: The first USAAF aircraft, 5 P-400 Airacobras of the 67th Fighter Squadron, 58th Fighter Group, based on New Caledonia Island, New Hebrides, arrive at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal Island, joining USMC aircraft which arrived earlier; these P-400s, which operate under control of Marine Aircraft Wing One (MAW-1), prove no match for Japanese Zekes or bombers at high altitudes. (Jack McKillop)
     The USN destroyers USS Blue (DD-387) and USS Henley (DD-391), trying to intercept Japanese reinforcements heading for Guadalcanal, run into the Japanese destroyer HIJMS Kawakaze, whose night-fighting experience outperforms the Americans' radar. The Blue is torpedoed at 0359 hours local and throughout the 22nd and 23rd, unsuccessful attempts are made to tow her to Tulagi. She was scuttled at 2221 on 23 August 1942. Kawakaze escapes unscathed.  (Jack McKillop)

BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: USAAF B-17s of the Allied Air Forces B-17s bomb the airfields at Rabaul on New Britain Island.  (Jack McKillop)

NEW GUINEA: The 18th Australian Brigade lands at Milne Bay. Allied troops in the Milne Bay area now numbered more than 8,800 and the fighting at Milne Bay resulted in the first defeat of a Japanese amphibious landing in WWII.  (Jack McKillop)
     In the air, USAAF B-17s of the Allied Air Forces B-17s bomb the airfield at Lae.  (Jack McKillop)

U.S.     "Cow-Cow Boogie" by Freddie Slack and his Orchestra featuring Ella Mae Morse on vocal, was released on 22 August 1942. It was on the charts for 2 weeks and reached Number 9. (Jack McKillop)

U.S.S.R.: The advance of the German 17.Armee (Ruoff) toward the Black Sea port of Suchum west of the Caucasus bogs down. A platoon of 1.Gebirgs-Division hoists the German war flag on the top of Mt. Elbrus, the highest peak in the Caucasus. (Jack McKillop)

1943:     The Germans begin a general retreat from Kharkov.  Manstein has persuaded Hitler to relax his Òstand firmÓ policy. (John Nicholas)

The US VIII Air Support Command in England flies Missions 30A and 30B against 2 Luftwaffe airfields in France. (1) 35 B-26B Marauders attack Beaumont-le- Roger Airfield at 2110 hours; 1 B-26 is lost. (2) 36 B-26's are dispatched to Nord Airfield at Poix; they all return early when they are unable to contact the escort fighters, RAF Spitfires.    (Jack McKillop)

In North Africa, all fighter and medium bomber groups of the US Ninth Air Force are transferred to the US Twelfth Air Force.    (Jack McKillop)

ITALY: The marshalling yard at Salerno is attacked twice:
   - During the day, Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) B-26 Marauders, with an escort of Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) A-36 Apaches, bomb the marshalling yard; they claim 26 enemy fighters destroyed.
   - During the night of 22/23 August, 51 RAF Liberators on No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group visually bomb the marshalling yard.  (Jack McKillop)

In the Solomon Islands, US Thirteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells and USMC SBD Dauntlesses, escorted by fighter aircraft, bomb barge centers on the west coast of Vella Lavella Island.    (Jack McKillop)

In New Guinea, as a result of the air offensive against Wewak and satellite
airfields, Japanese airpower on New Guinea is sufficiently neutralized for 4 Allied destroyers to proceed along the coast from Milne Bay to Finschhafen; after bombarding Finschhafen during the night of 22/23 August, the warships return to Milne Bay.   (Jack McKillop)

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: The German submarine U-458 is sunk about 42 nautical miles (78 kilometers) southeast of Italy's Pantelleria Island, by depth charges from the RN escort destroyer HMS Easton (L 09) and the Greek escort destroyer HHMS Pindos (L 65, ex-HMS Bolebrook). Thirty nine of the 47 U-boat crewmen survive.  (Jack McKillop)

In the U.S., Andrei A. Gromyko replaces Maxim Litvinov as Soviet ambassador to the U.S. (Jack McKillop)

EIRE: A Short S.25 Sunderland Mk. III, s/n DD848 assigned to No. 201 Squadron based at Castle Archdale, County Fermanagh, Ireland, crashes on the lower slopes of Mount Brandon on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry at 0530 hours. This aircraft had taken off at 0330 hours in a flight of four Sunderlands to fly ASW patrols in the South Atlantic. The aircraft was flying off course, below the minimum safety altitude and in low clouds when it crashed. Three of the 11 crewmen aboard survive. (Jack McKillop)

1944:     The Japanese government announces decrees conscripting women between 12 and 40 for war work. (John Nicholas)

2 British escort carriers and 3 fleet carriers, HMS Duke of York and supporting escorts of the Home Fleet under Admiral Moore sail toward Norway.  Their mission, the German battleship Tirpitz in Kaafiord.  The air attacks are heavily attacked on approach and the raid today is unsuccessful with heavy British losses (John Nicholas)

ROMANIA: Soviet forces break through to Jassy on the Dnestr River, in northeastern Romania, convincing Romania's King Michael to sign an armistice with the Allies and concede control of his country to the USSR.  (John Nicholas and Jack McKillop)

FRANCE: German officer Heinz Stahlschmidt blows up a bunker full of detonators, effectively preventing the destruction of Bordeaux by the retreating German army. 
     Heinz Stahlschmidt had three ships sunk under him and he survived all three.  He stayed behind and settled in Bordeaux after the war. He marrying a local girl and worked in the port fire brigade.  Apparently, he has never received any recognition for what he did. (Jack McKillop and Tom Hickox)
     In the air over northern France, US IX Bomber Command operations are cancelled because of weather however, fighters fly sweeps, provide air cover for 2 infantry and 1 armored division, strafe numerous military and
transportation targets, and fly armed reconnaissance from Evreux to Troyes. (Jack McKillop)
     In the air over southeastern France, weather restricts operations by the US Twelfth Air Force; A-20 Havocs hit motor transport in the Nice area during the night of 21/22 August and hit industrial buildings during the day; fighters hit motor transport west of the Rhone River and in scattered parts of southeastern France. (Jack McKillop)

AUSTRIA: Vienna is the target for 269 B-24 LIberators of the USAAF's Fifteenth Air Force in Italy: 150 bomb the Lobau oil refinery, 96 bomb the Korneuburg oil refinery and 23 bomb the Vienna oil refinery with the loss of 18 aircraft. All bombing is visually (Jack McKillop)

BARENTS SEA: German submarine U-344 is sunk about 61 nautical miles (113 kilometers) west-northwest of Bjornoya (Bear) Island, Norway, in position 74.54N, 15.26E, by depth charges from a RN Swordfish Mk III in the escort aircraft carrier HMS Vindex (D 15). All hands on the U-boat, 50-men, are lost.  (Jack McKillop)

GERMANY: Three targets are bombed by the USAAF's Fifteenth Air Force in Italy:
   - The Deschowitz synthetic oil facilities at Odertal is the target for 150 B-17 Flying Fortresses: 97 bomb visually and 53 use H2X radar to bomb. Five aircraft are lost.  (Jack McKillop)
   - The I.G. Farben synthetic oil facilities at Blechhammer is the target for 114 B-24 Liberators:  66 bomb visually and 48 use H2X radar to bomb. Fourteen aircraft are lost.
   - One aircraft bombs a marshalling yard as a target of opportunity.  (Jack McKillop)

HUNGARY: During the night of 22/23 August, 50 RAF Liberators of No. 205 Group bomb a marshalling yard at Miskolc with the loss of three aircraft.  (Jack McKillop)

ITALY: During the night of 22/23 August, an RAF Liberator of No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group drops leaflets on Milan.  (Jack McKillop)

ENGLISH CHANNEL: RN minesweeper HMS Loyalty (J-217, ex-HMS Rattler) is torpedoed and sunk by U-480 (Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Joachim Forster) about 45 nautical miles (83 kilometers) south-southwest of Brighton, Sussex, England, in position 50.09N, 0.41W. This is about 11 nautical miles (20 kilometers) southeast of the position that U-480 torpedoed and sank the Canadian corvette HMCS Alberni (K 103) yesterday. Loyalty sinks within seven minutes with the loss of 20 of her crewmen.   (Alex Gordon and Jack McKillop)

NORWEGIAN SEA: Two RN ships are torpedoed:
   - Whilst refuelling some of convoy JW.59 (Loch Ewe, Scotland, to the Kola Fjord, U.S.S.R.) escorts, the Canadian-manned escort aircraft carrier HMS Nabob [D 77, ex USN Edisto (CVE-41)] is torpedoed by German submarine U-354 (Kapitanleutnant Hans-Jurgen Sthamer) about 422 nautical miles (782 kilometers) north of Tromso, Norway, in position 71.42N, 19.11E.  Although the torpedo struck aft causing considerable damage, Nabob is able to make the 1100+ natucial mile (2 000+ kilometer) return trip to Rosyth, Scotland, U.K., but is not repaired and subsequently broken up. Nabob had just participated in a Home Fleet attack on Tirpitz, and was returning from that operation.
   - Frigate HMS Bickerton (K 466) is torpedoed in the same attack. There are 38 casualties. Although the ship was salvageable the force commander did not wish to be burdened by two crippled ships and since HMS Nabob was the more valuable unit, Bickerton was scuttled by destroyer HMS Vigilant (R 93).(Alex Gordon and Jack McKillop)

U.S.S.R.: Soviet Premier Josef Stalin writes letters to U.S. President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill denouncing the leaders of the Warsaw rising as "a group of criminals."  (Jack McKillop)

1945:     The Japanese Kwantung Army surrenders in Manchuria, China.  Soviet forces capture Port Arthur and Darien. (John Nicholas)

The Japanese commander of Mille Atoll in the Marshalls surrenders to the Americans; this is the first Japanese garrison to capitulate. Meanwhile, Japanese AA gunners near Hong Kong fire on USN patrol aircraft over the Chinese coast.    (Jack McKillop)