10 Monday
Italy declares war on France and Great Britain; Italian troops invade France. President Roosevelt, in a speech at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, proclaims that the Italian declaration of war on France is like “the hand that held the dagger has struck it in the back of its neighbor.”
Norway capitulates to German forces.
Canada declares war on Italy.
Rear Admiral David M. LeBreton relieves Rear Admiral Charles E. Courtney as Commander Squadron 40-T on board light cruiser Trenton (CL 11) at Lisbon, Portugal.
Heavy cruiser Vincennes (CA 44), escorted by destroyers Truxtun (DD 229) and Simpson (DD 221), departs Casablanca, French Morocco, for New York (see 20 June).
U.S. passenger liner Washington arrives at Lisbon, Portugal, to embark American nationals desiring passage to the United States; destroyer Dickerson (DD 157) arrives the same day with her passengers who are to embark in the liner (see 11 and 15 June).
Destroyer O’Brien (DD 415) arrives at Bahia, Brazil, on her shakedown cruise (see 14 June).
11 Tuesday
Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa declare war on Italy.
President Roosevelt declares Mediterranean area and mouth of Red Sea to be combat zones in accordance with Neutrality Act.
British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill, in a telegram to President Roosevelt sent via the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., again raises the need for destroyers with the Italian entry into the war and the possibility of having to deal with more submarines. “To this,” Churchill declares, “the only counter is destroyers. Nothing is so important as for us to have 30 or 40 old destroyers you have already had reconditioned.”
U.S. passenger liner Washington, en route from Lisbon, Portugal, to Galway, Ireland, with 1,020 U.S. passengers, to embark more American citizens returning to the United States, is stopped by German submarine U 101 at 42°12′N, 12°50′W. The submarine, mistakenly believing the ship to be a Greek vessel, orders Washington abandoned preparatory to being sunk. Blinker signals exchanged between the two ships soon result in the Germans’ confirming Washington’s neutral identity and allowing her to proceed without further hindrance (see 15 June).
12 Wednesday
Navy Department awards contracts for 22 new warships.
Japan-Thailand Non-Aggression Pact is announced.
Heavy cruiser Quincy (CA 39) arrives at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for a port visit while she is en route to Montevideo, Uruguay (see 17 June).
13 Thursday
Rear Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. relieves Vice Admiral Charles A. Blakely as Commander Aircraft Battle Force, on board carrier Yorktown (CV 5) at Lahaina Roads, Maui, T.H., Halsey receives the temporary rank of vice admiral.
14 Friday
President Roosevelt signs “11% Naval Expansion Act” increasing the carrier, cruiser, and submarine tonnage of the Navy by 167,000 tons, auxiliary shipping by 75,000; and the useful number of authorized naval aircraft to 4,500 planes (see 15 June).
German troops occupy Paris, France.
Destroyer O’Brien (DD 415) departs Bahia, Brazil, on her shakedown cruise, bound for Buenos Aires, Argentina (see 20 June).
15 Saturday
Soviet forces, as allowed by the Nazi-Soviet pact, occupy Lithuania. The United States refuses to acknowledge this annexation or those of the two other Baltic states that the USSR will occupy two days later (see 17 June).
President Roosevelt approves Act of Congress to increase naval aviation to a strength of not more than 10,000 aircraft, overriding the 4,500 in the act signed the previous day.
British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill, in a telegram to President Roosevelt, again asks for destroyers, calling the matter one “of life and death.” Britain will carry on the struggle “whatever the odds,” the “Former Naval Person” declares to the President, “but it may well be beyond our resources unless we receive every reinforcement and particularly do we need this reinforcement on the sea.”
Submarine tender Bushnell (AS 2) completes hydrographic surveys off the coast of Venezuela from Cape San Roman to Bahia Vela de Coro. Having begun on 9 April, she covered an area of 2,200 nautical square miles in the course of her work.
U.S. passenger liner Washington sails from Galway, Ireland, for the United States with an additional 852 American citizens, making a total of 1,872 U.S. passengers embarked. She will arrive at New York unmolested.
17 Monday
Soviet forces occupy Estonia and Latvia.
France sues for an armistice with Germany. France’s collapse prompts concern for the disposition of the French fleet. French Minister for Foreign Affairs Paul Baudouin privately informs Deputy U.S. Ambassador to France Anthony J. Drexel Biddle Jr. that the fleet “would never be surrendered to Germany.” To guarantee that pledge, Bauduoin informs Biddle that Admiral François Darlan has been appointed as Minister of Marine (see 18 June).
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold R. Stark asks for $4 billion to construct the “Two-Ocean Navy.”
Heavy cruiser Quincy (CA 39) departs Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for Montevideo, Uruguay (see 20 June).
18 Tuesday
Secretary of State Cordell Hull directs Deputy U.S. Ambassador to France Anthony J. Drexel Biddle Jr. to inform the French government that if France fails to keep its fleet out of German hands, France would “permanently lose the friendship and goodwill of the Government of the United States.” Although those sentiments “deeply pained” the French, Minister for Foreign Affairs Paul Baudouin reiterates that the French fleet “would never be surrendered to Germany.”
U.S. Minister in Uruguay Edwin C. Wilson reports that Uruguayan government has arrested eight Nazi leaders and that Uruguay’s Chamber of Deputies, in secret session the day before, has begun considering a report on Nazi activities in their country.
British steamship Niagra is sunk by a mine at 35°53′S, 174°54′E, while en route from Auckland, New Zealand, to Vancouver, British Columbia. All passengers, including nine Americans, and crew are rescued and taken to Auckland.
20 Thursday
Bureau of Ships is established with Rear Admiral Samuel M. Robinson as chief; Bureau of Construction and Repair and Bureau of Engineering are abolished.
Office of Undersecretary of the Navy is created for duration of emergency (see 22 August).
Heavy cruiser Vincennes (CA 44), escorted by destroyers Truxtun (DD 229) and Simpson (DD 221), arrives at New York Navy Yard and transfers the Bank of France gold reserves ashore for deposit in U.S. banks.
Destroyer Herbert (DD 160), attached to Squadron 40-T, departs Lisbon for French Morocco (see 21 June).
Heavy cruiser Quincy (CA 39) reaches Montevideo, Uruguay, as part of the American effort to counteract German propaganda in Latin America (see 21, 27, and 30 June).
Destroyer O’Brien (DD 415) reaches Buenos Aires, Argentina, as her shakedown cruise to Latin American ports continues (see 25 June).
Light cruiser Phoenix (CL 46) departs Lahaina, Maui, T.H., for the Panama Canal Zone, on the first leg of her goodwill cruise to the Pacific coast of South America (see 3 July).
Vichy France opens northern Indochina to Japanese military mission and supporting troops.
21 Friday
Heavy cruiser Wichita (CA 45), with Commander Cruiser Division 7 (Rear Admiral Andrew C. Pickens) embarked, arrives at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, en route to join heavy cruiser