1939 The Russians cease their attacks at Summa, leaving Finnish forces in control of the whole Mannerheim defensive line, except the Oinala Bulge. Captain Langsdorff of Admiral Graf Spee commits suicide. “Let’s Help Finland” event held at Madison Square Garden, New York City. 1940 The Luftwaffe continues its attacks against British cities, this time hitting Liverpool. […]

1939 The Russians lose 20 tanks out of 100 as they continue to attack at Summa. Inside US territorial waters off Florida, British light cruiser Orion fires at German freighter Arauca, violating Pan-American Neutrality Zone; Arauca puts in to port at Port Everglades, FL. 1940 Mussolini requests German assistance for his hard-pressed troops in Cyrenaica, asking for a Panzer Division,

1939 First Canadian troop convoy, TC-1, arrives at Liverpool. Lavrenti Beria, head of the NKVD, orders the start of large-scale deportation of Poles to the USSR. The Finnish 40th Infantry Regiment of the Lapland Group, forces the Russian 273rd Infantry Regiment of the 9th Army to retreat at Pelkosenniemi. The RAF launch another daylight raid

1938 Italy declares the 1935 pact with France invalid, because ratifications had not been exchanged. France denies the argument. 1939 Unable to complete the repairs to the Admiral Graf Spee within 24 hours, the time limit stipulated by international law for foreign warships in neutral ports to leave and under strict orders by OKM not to

1939 Finnish ski troops fight Soviets with first use of homemade “Molotov Cocktails.” 1940 134 RAF bombers attack Mannheim in revenge for German attacks against British cities. This is the RAF’s largest attack on a single target thus far in the war. 115 German civilian’s were killed or injured and 1,266 made homeless. It is also

1938 Washington sends its fourth note to Berlin demanding amnesty for Jews. 1939 A fifth British division arrives in France. The Uruguayan government gives the Admiral of the Graf Spee 36 hours to leave harbour. The Russians launch heavy attacks against Finnish forces at Taipale. 1940 The coffin of Napoleon II is moved from Vienna