World War II As It Happened
A MaritimeQuest Daily Event Special Presentation
Wednesday, July 2, 1941
Day 671

July 2, 1941: Front page of the Manchester Evening News, Manchester, England.
(Click on the image for a readable version.)


July 2, 1941: Front page of The Daily Mail, Hull, England.
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July 2, 1941: Front page of the Evening Despatch, Birmingham, England.
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Note the report in column 4: "Sailors going home die in rail crash'
(Chief Petty Officer George R. Antell, DSM and Seaman Harry Housley were both assigned to HMS Raleigh. Seaman Frederick Ives was assigned to HM Trawler Norwich City.)


July 2, 1941: Front page of The Evening News and Southern Daily Mail, Portsmouth & Southsea, England.
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July 2, 1941: Front page of the Western Mail and South Wales News, Cardiff, Wales.
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July 2, 1941: Front page of the Evening Telegraph and Post, Dundee, Scotland.
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Note the report at bottom right: "Price Controls Of Apples, Plums And Damsons"


July 2, 1941: Front page of The Examiner, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
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July 2, 1941: Front page of The Sydney Sun, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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July 2, 1941: Front page of The Telegraph, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
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Note the report in column 6: "Ruthless Measures In Rumania"
(Another report on the front page which outlines the hideous treatment being inflicted on Jews.)


July 2, 1941: Front page of The Lethbridge Herald, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
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July 2, 1941: Front page of The Winnipeg Tribune, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
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July 2, 1941: Front page of the Biddeford Daily Journal, Biddeford, Maine.
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July 2, 1941: Front page of The Evening Star, Washington, D.C.
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July 2, 1941: Front page of The Evening Gazette, Xenia, Ohio.
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July 2, 1941: Front page of The Port Arthur News, Port Arthur, Texas.
(Click on the image for a readable version.)
 
Note the report in column 3: "Battleship Rodney Is Reported Damaged"
(NBC in New York quoted a German radio report that claimed a neutral source had told them that the battleship HMS Rodney was severely damaged during the battle in which HMS Hood and the German battleship Bismarck were sunk. Just to make this clear, HMS Rodney was not there when HMS Hood was sunk by the Bismarck on May 24th. Rodney was there and was involved in the battle when the Bismarck was sunk, however, less a near miss which jammed Rodney's torpedo tube doors, the ship received no damage during the battle.)


July 2, 1941: Front page of The Nevada State Journal, Reno, Nevada.
(Click on the image for a readable version.)
 
Note the report in column 5-6: "Lindbergh Scores Russia Alliance"
(Lindbergh is quoted as saying; "I would a hundred times rather see my country ally herself with England, or even Germany with all her faults than with the cruelty, the Godlessness and the barbarism that exists in Soviet Russia." This statement is interesting, he was apparently aware of what Russia under Stalin was, but was not aware of, or did not acknowledge what Germany was under Hitler. I am sure he did not know that the Nazis were attempting to exterminate the Jews, but he had to have been aware of the unbelievable barbarism the Nazis were committing in the occupied countries.

He then went on and made an assessment of the war that I find very hard to disagree with. He is quoted as saying "Russia and Germany would have been at war two years ago had it not been for the interventionist interference of England and France. Instead of pushing her [Germany] on to Russia, they [Anglo-French interventionists] drew the German onslaught to their own countries... and brought the defeat of France and the devastation of England."

This statement, at the time, might have seemed insensitive or inaccurate, but through the prism of history we now know he was, in this case, almost 100% correct. To call the British and French "interventionists" is not accurate, they were obligated by treaties to defend Poland if she was attacked. Under the NATO agreement, we have the same obligation today. When England and France declared war on Germany, the most surprised man in the world was, Adolf Hitler. He never believed that England would declare war over Poland. He was not overly concerned about France declaring war on Germany, because he surmised that France and the low countries would be relatively easy to roll over, but England was a tougher nut to crack.

Lindbergh is essentially correct when he says Germany and Russia would have been at war, had it not been for England and France. Hitler's real goal was always to attack Russia, it was the entire focus of the war. It was the focus of Lebensraum [living space] and the "living space" was in the east. However, because England and France unexpectedly declared war on Germany, Hitler was forced to divert his attention toward them rather than Russia. Had they (England and France) not declared war on Germany, Hitler would not have attacked them, there is very little doubt about that. He may have attacked them after he had defeated the Soviets, but not until then, unless they presented a threat to Germany, which now they did.)


July 2, 1941: Front page of the San Mateo Times, San Mateo, California.
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July 2, 1941: Front page of the Teltower Kreisblatt, Kreis Teltow, Brandenburg, Germany.
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1. Auch Riga ist in deutscher Hand.
(Riga now in German hands.)
2. Bolschewistenrausch in London.
(Bolshevik frenzy in London.)


July 2, 1941: Front page of the Völkischer Beobachter, the official newspaper of the NSDAP.
(Click on the image for a readable version.)
1. Unaufhaltsamer Vormarsch im Osten. Beresina erreicht - Düna überschritten.
(Unstoppable advance in the east. Reached Berezina - exceeded Düna.)
2. Ausbruchsversuche der eingeschlossenen Armeen blutig zusammengebrochen - 280 Sowjet - und 23 Britenflugzeuge vernichtet.
(Bloody attempt for the surrounded armies to breakout collapsed - 280 Soviet and 23 British planes destroyed.)



   
Page published July 2, 2022