Author Archives: secondbysecond

This week in the War, 6–12 October 1941: Assault on Moscow

Posted on October 10, 2013 by secondbysecond

This week in the war on 6 October 1941, the German army launched a two-pronged offensive against Moscow as part of Operation Taifun (Typhoon). Hitler had announced that the Soviet Union ‘has already been broken and would never rise again.’ … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 29 Sept–5 Oct 1941: The Maltese Falcon

Posted on October 3, 2013 by secondbysecond

The Maltese Falcon was one of Dashiell Hammett’s most successful novels. According to the London Times Literary Supplement: “This is not only probably the best detective story we have ever read, it is an exceedingly well written novel.” How true. … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 22–28 September 1941: The Liberty Ships

Posted on September 25, 2013 by secondbysecond

The first ‘Liberty Ship’, the Patrick Henry, was launched in Baltimore on 27 September 1941. Thousands of these 10,000-ton cargo vessels would be built in the USA before the war finally ended in 1945. By that time, the industrial capacity of … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 15–21 September 1941: More help from America

Posted on September 18, 2013 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 16 September 1941, the United States announced that US warships would protect convoys as far east as the 26°W meridian if they were carrying materials to countries receiving Lend-Lease aid. Such countries notably included … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 8–14 September 1941: The siege of Leningrad

Posted on September 11, 2013 by secondbysecond

The siege of Leningrad began this week in the war on 8 September 1941, when the Finns cut off the last remaining land route to the city by severing the Leningrad-Murmansk rail line. The situation was desperate by 11 September, … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 1–7 September 1941: The yellow star

Posted on September 3, 2013 by secondbysecond

On 1 September 1941, the German Government ordered that all Jews in Germany above six-years-old must wear the yellow star, the Judenstern—a Star of David that was coloured yellow and inscribed Jude (Jew) in mock-Hebrew lettering. The supposed mark of shame … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 25–31 August 1941: British and Soviets invade Iran

Posted on August 26, 2013 by secondbysecond

On 25 August 1941, the British and Soviet ambassadors each presented an ultimatum to the government of Iran (Persia). That day, Soviet troops invaded the country from the north, and British and India troops invaded from Iraq and the Persian … Continue reading →

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Vignette: Battle of the Atlantic

Posted on August 21, 2013 by secondbysecond

These sad and dramatic pictures are of the cargo ship SS Geraldine Mary that was torpedoed by a U-boat in the North Atlantic, 2 August 1940. The pictures were taken from a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF 10 Squadron) Sunderland flying … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 18–24 August 1941: Pierre Georges fires the first shot in Nazi-occupied Paris

Posted on August 19, 2013 by secondbysecond

On 21 August 1941, a German naval adjutant named Alfons Moser was shot and killed at the Barbès-Rochechouart métro station in Paris. The act marked the beginning of an armed struggle against the Nazi occupation. The shot was fired by … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 11–17 August 1941: The evil wind

Posted on August 13, 2013 by secondbysecond

On 12 August 1941, Vichy’s head of state Marshal Philippe Pétain made a radio broadcast to the people of France. He had felt an evil wind (vent mauvais) blowing across many areas of France, he told them. He said that the … Continue reading →

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