25 Apr 1940 | World War II Database

25 Apr 1940

A new evacuation scheme was introduced in Britain as a Ministry of Health survey showed that only 8% of eligible children had been registered. Later studies revealed that 19% of parents refused to register their children, while 73% of them simply did not respond to the registration. ww2dbase [CPC]
3,000 troops of the British 15th Brigade were engaged by 8,500 troops of the German 196th Division at the village of Kvam in Norway, 55 kilometers south of Dombås; despite German numerical advantage and being supported by dive bombers, the British troops held ground and stopped the German advance. Elsewhere, a group of RAF Gladiator aircraft operating on the frozen Lake Lesjaskogsvatnet in Norway was discovered by the Germans. German aircraft bombed the rough airfield on and off for eight hours, destroying 13 aircraft on the ground. Three German He 111 bombers were shot down by RAF aircraft. By the end of the day, Squadron Leader Donaldson ordered the position to be abandoned; the 5 surviving Gladiator aircraft were to be withdrawn to Stetnesmoen. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
An Irish Republican Army land mine killed 6 in Dublin, Ireland. ww2dbase [CPC]
US President Roosevelt announced that the United States recognized the state of war between Germany and Norway, and reaffirmed American neutrality in that conflict. To that end, he specifically forbade Norwegian submarines from entering American territorial waters. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
Wasp (Wasp-class) was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Wasp (Wasp-class) | CPC]

Italy

Franco Pittoni was named the commanding officer of Alpino Bagnolini at Taranto, Italy. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | Taranto, Apulia | CPC]

Norway

HMS Glorious transferred Gladiator aircraft to airfields on land in Norway. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Glorious | AC]

United Kingdom

The 2,470-ton ship Margam Abbey was sunk whilst exiting the Thames Estuary, England, United Kingdom after hitting an aerial laid mine. The ship's bows were blown off and she sank within minutes. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | England | HM]

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis

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