WE REMEMBER AUGUST 26th

1939:     Dahlerus sees Halifax again, flies back to Berlin with a letter for Goering. and returns to London later that afternoon. (Andy Etherington)

Queen Elizabeth tells her lady-in-waiting 'If things turn out badly, I must be with the King,' She goes to London. (Andy Etherington)

The Chiefs of Staff advise the cabinet that the earliest possible date for any ultimatum to Germany is 1 September. (Andy Etherington)

In France, horses, cars and some property are requisitioned.  (Andy Etherington)

Robert Coulondre (French Ambassador) sees Hitler and appeals to him as one soldier to another. When Coulondre cites the probable fate of women and children in any war, Hitler hesitates visibly, but Ribbentrop strengthens him again. (Andy Etherington)

Mussolini submits a list of Italian requirements to Ribbentrop. (Andy Etherington)

The Pope issues a general appeal for peace. (Andy Etherington)

Khalkin-Gol: The Japanese attempt to relieve their trapped forces. It is repulsed, mainly by 6th Tank Brigade. In the last two days Soviet planes have made 218 sorties and claimed 74 Japanese aircraft. (Andy Etherington)

In Germany, the government issues a declaration of neutrality for Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark and Switzerland. (Jack McKillop)

In Canada, certain Army units are mobilized in anticipation of the declaration of war. These are mostly coast defence units however, many militia units also mobilize details to guard vulnerable points. (Jack McKillop)

In the U.S., the first major league baseball telecast is broadcast on the experimental NBC TV station W2XBS in New York City. The announcer for the doubleheader between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn is the "Old Redhead," Red Barber. The Dodgers and Reds split the doubleheader. (Jack McKillop)

1940:     RAF 4 Group (Whitley). Bombs industrial targets at Turin and Milan.

RAF Fighter Command: Fierce and effective raids on airfields (especially Debden) mark the period of Fighter Command's greatest strain. Dover, Folkestone are attacked. Ineffective attacks on Hornchurch and Portsmouth. At night Coventry, Birmingham and Plymouth are bombed heavily. The day is marked by three major Luftwaffe operations. The first comprising of five distinct raids over Kent, He 111s bombed Folkestone. Warned of an intended attack on its base, Hornchurch, 264 Squadron hastened away to engage KG 3s Do17s over Herne Bay. Although the Defiants assembled in their specified battle formation for bombed interception they were no match for the escorting Bf109s which claimed three. In return the Defiants shot down six Do17s and a fighter. The struggle did reduce the Bf109s fuel forcing them to leave. The Do17s decided it was unwise to continue unprotected and jettisoned their loads. Losses: Luftwaffe, 41; RAF, 31. (Andy Etherington)

At Croydon, Surrey, 2nd Lt Wallace Launcelot Andrews (1908-44), Royal Engineers, was blown some distance when a bomb blew up as he tried to defuse it. (Empire Gallantry Medal) (Andy Etherington)

Ireland's neutrality, assiduously preserved by the premier, Eamon de Valera, has not won immunity from German air raids. Luftwaffe bombs hit four places in County Wexford today, 130 miles from the border. Two of the three young women killed while working at a creamery were sisters. The third, a blast victim, was found sitting at a dining table, knife and fork in hand. The motive for the attack is not clear, for Ireland, like neutral Spain and Turkey, is an intelligence goldmine for the Germans. Dublin's representative in Berlin has protested. (Andy Etherington)

Chad declares its allegiance to Free France and General de Gaulle. French Equatorial Africa is the latest French colony to support General de Gaulle's Free French. Governor Eboue of Chad, France's first black governor in Africa, said today that he refused to accept capitulation. The other Equatorial territories will make similar statements in the coming days. Elsewhere in French Africa, recent weeks have seen the replacement of pro-Allied officials with Vichy supporters, although the Ivory Coast rallied to de Gaulle on 26 July. The first colony to back de Gaulle was the New Hebrides in the Pacific on 22 July. (Andy Etherington)

US President Franklin D Roosevelt and Canadian Prime Minister W L MacKenzie King signed the Ogdensburg Agreement calling for a permanent board for the defense of Canada and the US 8-days ago and The Permanent Joint Board on Defense holds its first meeting in Ottawa, Ontario today. The US representatives are (1) Fiorello H LaGuardia, the mayor of New York City, who is also President of the US Conference of Mayors; (2) Lieutenant General Stanley D Embick, US Army, Commanding General Fourth Corps Area; (3) Captain Henry W Hill and Commander Forrest Sherman, US Navy, of the War Plans Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; (4) Colonel Joseph T McNarney, Army Air Corps, of the Joint Army-Navy Planning Committee; and (5) John D Hickerson, Assistant Chief, Division of European Affairs, US State Department. Unfortunately, I do not have the names of the Canadian members of the board; perhaps one of our northern neighbors can provide the data.  (Jack McKillop)

In the U.S., the Cadillac Division of the General Motors Corporation announces that they are discontinuing the manufacture of the LaSalle automobile after fourteen years of production. The LaSalle had been introduced as a moderately priced alternative to the expensive Cadillac. (Jack McKillop)

1941:     GERMANY:      An Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW or German High Command) memorandum accepted by Chancellor Adolf Hitler states that the war against the Soviet Union won't be finished before the end of 1941. (Mikko HŠrmeinen)

IRAN:      British forces take complete control of the Abadan area while the Soviets moving down from the north enter Tabriz. Soviet aircraft  bomb Teheran. (Jack McKillop)

U.S.:       The White House issues a statement that "this Government is preparing to send a military mission to China. The mission will be sent for the purpose of assisting in carrying out the purposes of the Lend-Lease Act. It is being organized and it will operate under the direction of the Secretary of War. Its chief will be Brigadier General John Magruder." (Jack McKillop)

U.S.S.R.:      Soviet forces near Velikiye Luki attempt a counterattack against the German Army Group North. It is unsuccessful. (John Nicholas)


1942:     ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: A U.S. Army reconnaissance troop lands on Adak Island and finds no Japanese troops.  (Jack McKillop)
     A USAAF 11th Air Force photo mission is aborted over Atka Island due to weather.  (Jack McKillop)

GERMANY: During the night of 26/27 August, the Soviet Air Force conducts air raids against Danzig, Berlin and Stettin. (Jack McKillop)

GILBERT ISLANDS: Undefended Ocean Island, located about 242 nautical miles (448 kilometers) west-southwest of Tarawa Atoll, is occupied by Japanese troops. Like Nauru Island, occupied yesterday, the island has large phosphate deposits and the loss of these two islands cause a severe shortage of fertilizer in Australia and New Zealand.  (Jack McKillop)

INDIA÷The training center for Chinese troops is activated at Ramgarh, Bihar Province, with Colonel Frederick McCabe as commandant.  (Jack McKillop)

NEW GUINEA: In Papua New Guinea, beginning at 0145 hours local, the Japanese convoy bringing the rest of the 1,170-man force from New Ireland Island, Bismarck Archipelago, arrives safely in Mime Bay. During the night of 26/27 August, the Japanese make another night attack to the west, forcing the Australian militia back to the Gama River line. In the air, elements of the Allied Air Force, RAAF Hudsons and Kittyhawks and USAAF B-25 Mitchells, B-26 Marauders and B-17 Flying Fortresses, attack Japanese forces who have landed in Milne Bay ; a large transport is damaged and most of the supplies on the beachheads east of Rabi are destroyed.   (John Nicholas and Jack McKillop)
     Meanwhile, Japanese forces on the track between Isurava and Deniki renew their overland drive on Port Moresby at dawn and, after a five-hour fight, the Japanese withdraw. The Japanese supply lines, which are becoming overextended, are frequently attacked by air.  (John Nicholas and Jack McKillop)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: The "Tokyo Express" lands 350 Imperial Japanese Army troops east of Taivu Point on Guadalcanal. At approximately 1200 hours, 12 USMC F4F Wildcats intercept 16 "Betty" bombers (Mitsubishi G4M, Navy Type 1 Attack Bomber) which have just bombed Henderson Field. The Marine shoot down three of the bombers but they have damaged the aviation gasoline supply and two 1,000-pound (454 kg) bombs and several parked aircraft are damaged by bomb splinters.  (Jack McKillop)

U.S.:  Wendell Willkie, the Republican candidate for President in the 1940 election, begins a trip around the world as the envoy of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. One of the purposes of the trip is to boost Allied solidarity.  (Jack McKillop)

1943:     The French Committee of national Liberation is granted limited recognition by the US, Britain and Canada.  Tomorrow The USSR and China do the same.

In the Aleutian Islands, the US Eleventh Air Force's striking power shrinks rapidly as 2 B-24 Liberator and 2 B-25 squadrons are ordered to prepare for departure to the Zone of Interior (ZI). (Jack McKillop)

In China, 15 US Fourteenth Air Force B-24s, with an escort of 17 P-38 Lightnings and P-40s, bomb Kowloon Docks at Hong Kong; 5 Japanese interceptors are shot down. (Jack McKillop)

FRANCE: The USAAF's VIII Air Support Command in England flies Mission 35: 36 B-26 Marauders attack Carpiquet Airfield at Caen at 1846 hours.    (Jack McKillop)

The RAF's Desert Air Force (DAF) is assigned to the Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF), along with US units of the Ninth Air Force which have been an operational part of DAF and Northwest African Tactical
Bomber Force (NATBF).   (Jack McKillop)

ITALY: During the day, 28 B-24 Liberators of the USAAF's Ninth Air Force visually bomb the marshalling yard at Foggia without loss while 82 Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) B-17 Flying Fortresses, with P-38 Lightning escort, visualkly bomb Capua Airfield. Meanwhile, 100+ fighter-escorted medium bombers hit Grazzanise Airfield and satellite field. During the night of 26/27 August, 52 RAF Liberators of No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group visually bomb the marshalling yard at Bagnoli.  (Jack McKillop)

In the Solomon Islands, 11 US Thirteenth Air Force B-25s and 40+ USMC SBD Dauntlesses, escorted by fighters, pound AA positions and barges at Ringa and Webster Coves on New Georgia Island and at Nusatuva Island; 15 B-24's bomb Papatura Ite and supply areas on Papatura Fa Island; 15 B-24's, with fighter escort, bomb Kahili Airfield on Bougainville Island; and P-39 Airacobras strafe buildings on Gizo Island and at Kolulavabae Inlet.  (Jack McKillop)

1944:     General de Gaulle returns to Paris to participate in a ceremonial parade.

Solid bridgeheads are established by the British 8th Army over the River Metauro in Italy.  The German 71st Division falls back in the face of attacks by V Corps.

The Russian advance reaches the Danube River east of Galati, Rumania.

Bulgaria withdraws from the war and disarms German troops.

In the Kurile Islands, 3 B-24s hit the Kashiwabara staging area on Paramushiru Island during the early morning, starting several fires; later 6 B-25s strafe and bomb the east coast of the northern Kurile Islands, sinking a patrol boat; 1 out of 4 interceptors and one of the B-25s are hit; 7 more B-24s bomb targets on Kashiwabara and on Otomari Cape, including docks, piers, boats, and a fuel dump. 6 P-38s unsuccessfully attempt to intercept 4 unidentified aircraft west of Attu Island.    (Jack McKillop)

The US Eighth Air Force in England flies 8 missions (numbers in parenthesis
indicate number of bombers attacking).
     Mission 575: 359 B-17s attack gun batteries in the Brest, France area;
targets are Brest/Pte de St Mathieu (35) and coastal batteries at Kerandieu
(27), Cornovailles (21), Brest/Ile Longue (20), Brest/Kerviniov (9) and
Brest/Ponscorf (7); targets of opportunity are Brest/Pte des Espagnoles II
(21) and Brest/Pte des Espagnoles III (18); escort is provided by 48 P-51
Mustangs; 1 P-51 is lost.
     Mission 576: 588 bombers and 402 fighters, in 3 forces, attack oil
refineries, fuel stores and chemical works in Germany; 10 bombers and 3
fighters are lost. (1) B-24s bomb the chemical works at Ludwigshafen (41);
secondary targets hit are marshalling yards at Ehrang (33) and Kons/Karthaus
(8); 11 others hit Alzey and 2 hit other targets of opportunity; 7 B-24s
are lost; escort is provided by 77 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft on the
ground; 1 P-51 is lost. (2) B-17s bomb oil refineries at Gelsenkirchen/Buer
(89) and Gelsenkirchen/Nordstern (85); 19 hit Deelen Airfield, a secondary
target, and 11 hit targets of opportunity; 3 B-17s are lost; escort is
provided by 159 P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51s without loss. (3) B-24s hit the
Dulmen fuel dump (73) and oil refineries at
Salzbergen (71) and Emmerich (36); 36 others hit Eindhoven Airfield; escort
is provided by 129 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-38 and 1 P-51 are lost.
     Mission 577: 9 B-24s fly an AZON bomb mission to Moerdijk rail bridge,
the Netherlands but clouds prevent an attack. Escort is provided by 32 P-51s.
     Mission 578: 37 B-17s are dispatched to hit liquid oxygen plants at La
Louviere, Torte and Willebroeck, Belgium but the mission is aborted due to
clouds. Escort is provided by 18 P-51s.
     Mission 579: 3 B-17s fly a special bomb test using Micro H radar
against aviation industry targets at Meaulte, France. Escort is provided by
7 P-47s.
     Mission 580: 3 B-17s fly a Micro H test mission; 2 of the aircraft also
drop leaflets.
     Mission 581: 7 B-24s are dispatched on a radio countermeasures mission
to aid the RAF Bomber Command.
     Mission 582: 6 B-17s drop leaflets in France and Belgium during the night.
     183 P-47s and 206 P-51s attack transport targets in Belgium, eastern France and western Germany in an attempt to prevent the escape of German forces; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft; 2 P-47s and 7 P-51s are lost. (Jack McKillop)

The US IX Troop Carrier Command is relieved of its assignment to the Ninth Air Force upon transfer of the command and its service organizations from the IX Air Force Services Command to HQ First Allied Airborne Army  commanded by Lieutenant General Lewis H Brereton.  (Jack McKillop)

In France:
     The US Ninth Air Force's IX Bomber Command, with fighter escort, strikes fuel dumps at Saint-Gobain, Fournival/Bois-de-Mont, and  Compiegne/ Clairoix, and troop and equipment concentrations at Rouen; fighters fly ground forces and assault area cover, and armed reconnaissance in the Rouen, Dijon, Chatillon-sur-Seine and S Loire areas.
     During the night of 25/26 August, the US Twelfth Air Force sends fighter-bombers on armed reconnaissance over the Nice, France area to bomb vehicles and other targets of opportunity, and during the day to bomb ammunition dumps in southeastern France; B-25s and B-26s hit guns in the Marseille area but several missions into the Rhone
Valley are aborted due to bad weather; fighter-bombers and fighters fly armed reconnaissance over southeastern France, attacking rail lines, roads, guns, vehicles, and other targets of opportunity.   (Jack McKillop)

HUNGARY: During the night of 26/27 August, two RAF Liberators of No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group fly a night leaflet mission over the country.  (Jack McKillop)

ITALY: During the day, USAAF Fifteenth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses visually bomb five railroad targets without loss: 55 bomb the railroad viaduct at Venzone; 54 bomb the railroad bridge at Ferrara, 39 bomb the railroad viaduct at Aviso; 13 bomb the railroad bridge at Latisana and one bombs the railroad bridge at Piave. During the night of 26/27 August, 66 RAF Liberators of No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group attack German troop concentrations at Pesano without loss.  (Jack McKillop)

ROMANIA: USAAF Fiftheenth Air Force B-24 Liberators visually bomb three targets, two of them in Bucharest: 114 bomb Otoperni Airfield in Bucharest and 114 bomb 114 bomb tactical targets in Bucharest and 20 bomb the ferry at Giurgiu.  (Jack McKillop)

YUGOSLAVIA: USAAF Fifteenth Air Force B-24 Liberators visually bomb two targets without loss: 54 bomb the railroad bridge at Borovnica and one hits the marshalling yard at Nis.  (Jack McKillopo)

US Seventh Air Force B-24s based on Saipan bomb the airfield on Iwo Jima Island. A B-24 on armed reconnaissance bombs Woleai Atoll and Yap Island.  (Jack McKillop)

In the Palau Islands, US Far East Air Force B-24s bomb Koror and Peleliu Airfields. (Jack McKillop)

The USS Yarnell (DD-143), was commissioned as HMS Lincoln (G-42) on 23 Oct. 1940, part of the destroyers-for-bases deal. Today, this ship is transferred to Russia as Druzhny. She joins several sister ships transferred earlier this year. They will return to the RN between 1949-1952. (Ron Babuka)

1945:    BURMA: Japanese envoys, led by Lieutenant General NUMATA Takazo, Chief of Staff to Field Marshal Count TERAUCHI Hisaichi, Commander in Chief, Japanese Southern Army, arrives at an airfield outside Rangoon this morning to carry out surrender arrangements in southeast Asia.  (Jack McKillop)

HONG KONG: Instructions have been given to the Japanese garrison to surrender to British Rear Admiral Cecil H. J. Harcourt, Commander of the 11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron.   (Jack McKillop)

JAPAN: Japanese diplomats board the U.S. battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) to receive instructions on Japan's surrender.  (Jack McKillop)
     The posts of Minister of Greater East Asia, Minister of Agriculture and Commerce and Minister of Munitions in the Cabinet of Prime Minister, Prince HIGASHIKUNI Naruhiko are abolished.  (Jack McKillop)

U.K.: Air Chief Marshall Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris, Commander in Chief of  RAF Bomber Command, announces his resignation. He will relinquish his command next month and retire from the RAF shortly afterwards.  (Jack McKillop)