23 Sep 1939 | World War II Database

23 Sep 1939

China

In Hunan Province, China, Japanese Army 6th Division crossed the Sinchiang River at dawn, followed by a similar crossing by another division at 0620 hours at Yingtian (now Miluo). Also on the same day, naval vessels landed Japanese Navy Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force and Japanese Army 3rd Division east of the city of Changsha. Surrounded on three sides, Chinese troops fell back to prevent encirclement, opening the way to Changsha. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

French Syria and Lebanon

Émile Bertin embarked 57 tons of Polish gold at Syria-Lebanon. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

Germany

German police began confiscating radios from Jews. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

Poland

German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop expressed approval for the Soviet proposal on the partition of Poland. Meanwhile, at Krasnobrod, Poland, three squadrons of the Nowgrodek Cavalry Brigade attacked and surprised the German 8th Infantry Division which had entrenched on a hill. The German made a disorderly retreat to a nearby town, hotly pursued by the Polish cavalry. Despite heavy losses from machine-gun fire the Poles secured the town, capturing the German divisional headquarters including General Rudolf Koch-Erpach and about 100 other German soldiers. In addition forty Polish prisoners were freed. During the action Lieutenant Tadeusz Gerlecki, commanding the second squadron, defeated a German cavalry unit - one of the last battles in military history between opposing cavalry. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC, AC]

United States

Joseph Stilwell ended a period of leave in the United States. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

Photo(s) dated 23 Sep 1939

Wilhelm Gustloff, as a hospital ship, at Danzig, 23 Sep 1939

Members of a Polish Army anti-aircraft crew posing with their Ckm wz.30 machine gun, Warsaw, Sep 1939

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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