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Phoney War
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(21)
1939
September
04
The British Expeditionary Force in France
On 4 September 1939 the advance parties of the BEF sailed from Portsmouth for France. In early October Lord Gort’s four divisions took over a sector near Lille.
07
The Saar Offensive begins
On 7 September 1939 French troops crossed the Reich border in the Saar. It was France's only offensive of 1939, cautious and limited from the outset.
13
Explosion aboard the cruiser Pluton
On 13 September 1939 the French minelaying cruiser Pluton blew up in Casablanca harbour while unloading armed mines. Some 200 people were killed.
27
The Phoney War
On 27 September 1939, as Poland was going down, German guns shelled French villages. In the west the Phoney War went on, with almost no fighting on land.
October
04
The French withdraw from the Saar
In early October 1939 the main French forces left the strip of the Saar taken in September and returned to the Maginot Line. Only outposts stayed behind.
06
Hitler offers peace
On 6 October 1939 Hitler proposed a peace conference in the Reichstag if the West accepted the conquest of Poland, whose fate was for Germany and the USSR.
09
The Case Yellow directive
On 9 October 1939 Hitler signed Directive No. 6 – strike through Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands as soon as possible. The generals objected.
11
The British Expeditionary Force on the Belgian border
On 11 October 1939 Hore-Belisha announced that 158,000 men had been sent to France. Four BEF divisions were already fortifying a sector on the Belgian border.
21
Conscript registration in Britain
On 21 October 1939 some 230,000 young Britons, the first age group of wartime conscription, registered at labour exchanges; 2.2 per cent as objectors.
27
Belgium reaffirms its neutrality
On 27 October 1939 Leopold III, in a radio address to Americans, reaffirmed Belgium’s neutrality and warned that if attacked the country would fight.
November
09
The Dyle Plan
On 9 November 1939 at Vincennes Gamelin won approval for the Dyle Plan. If Belgium were attacked, the Allies would advance as far as the Antwerp–Namur line.
December
18
Canadian and Indian troops reach Europe
On 17 December 1939 the 1st Canadian Division’s first flight reached Greenock, as Churchill announced. Indian mule companies landed at Marseille on 26 December.
28
Britain extends food rationing
At the end of December 1939 Food Minister William Morrison confirmed that from 8 January 1940 bacon, ham, butter and sugar would be rationed.
31
Goebbels’s New Year speech
On 31 December 1939 Joseph Goebbels gave the Third Reich’s version of 1939 on the radio. He passed over the pact with Stalin and warned that 1940 would be hard.
1940
January
08
Food rationing begins in Britain
On 8 January 1940 the British first bought bacon, ham, butter and sugar on ration in this war, and only from the shop where they had registered.
10
Key event
The Mechelen incident
On 10 January 1940 a German liaison aircraft force-landed in Belgium near Mechelen. The Belgians seized the charred papers of the plan of attack in the West.
16
Hitler postpones the attack in the West
On 16 January 1940 Hitler put off the attack in the West until spring, swayed by snow, frost and the plans lost at Mechelen. It was to be rebuilt anew.
March
11
Meat rationing in Britain
On 11 March 1940 meat was rationed in Britain. The ration was set by price – 1s 10d per person a week – while offal stayed off the ration.
21
Paul Reynaud becomes Prime Minister of France
On 20 March 1940 Daladier resigned after a secret debate on Finland. On 21 March Paul Reynaud formed a government; next day the Chamber backed him by one vote.
28
The Anglo-French pledge against a separate peace
On 28 March 1940 Britain and France pledged not to make a separate armistice or peace with Germany. The Council also decided to mine Norwegian waters.
30
British reconnaissance flights over Baku
On 30 March 1940 a British intelligence aircraft took off from Iraq and photographed the Soviet oilfields at Baku. The Allies were preparing to bomb them.