17 Mar 1940

Germany
  • Fritz Todt, although he had no experience in the military field, was made the Reichminister for Armaments and Munitions by Adolf Hitler. ww2dbase [Fritz Todt | CPC, AC]
United Kingdom
  • In the wake of a German raid on Scapa Flow, the British Admiralty admitted that the Home Fleet base was vulnerable to air attacks. The fleet was ordered to depart Scapa Flow between 19 and 26 Mar. In anticipation of this move, German submarines U-57, U-19, U-21, and U-22 began to move toward Scapa Flow in an attempt to attack the departing warships. ww2dbase [Scapa Flow | Scapa Flow, Scotland | CPC]
  • German submarine U-38 torpedoed and sank Danish merchant vessel Argentina east of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom at 2325 hours, killing the entire crew of 33. ww2dbase [Unst, Scotland | CPC]
  • British miners from Nottinghamshire, England voted to forgo vacations to support the war effort. ww2dbase [Nottinghamshire, England | CPC]

17 Mar 1940 Interactive Map

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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Random Photograph

Hull underway off the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Washington, United States, 10 Oct 1944; note US Navy camouflage Measure 31, Design 6d


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Famous WW2 Quote
"All that silly talk about the advance of science and such leaves me cold. Give me peace and a retarded science."

Thomas Dodd, late 1945


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