[Kyt]

September 21
1939

In Bucharest... The Romanian Prime Minister, Armand Calinescu, is murdered by members of the Iron Guard, a fascist organization. Assassins blocked the path of his car with a wooden cart and fired pistol shots into him and his bodyguards. The assailants then forcibly enter a radio station and broadcast that "the death sentence on Calinescu has been executed." They are later overpowered and shot to death at the location of their murder of the prime minister. A large crowd is present. Their bodies are left to lie there for the next 24 hours. The assassination is in apparent retaliation for the tolerant, even sympathetic, attitude of the Romanian government toward Poland, exemplified by the acceptance of Polish military and civilian refugees.

In Poland... German forces intensify the artillery bombardment of key points in Warsaw.

In Occupied Poland... Nazi occupation authorities initiate "The Heydrich Plan" which involves the deportation of 600,000 Jews from Danzig and western Poland to central Poland to be concentrated in urban ghettoes.

In Luxemburg... Radio Luxemburg closes down.

In London... The British government publishes its Blue Book of prewar diplomatic documents.

In Washington... President Roosevelt addresses a special joint session of Congress and urges the repeal of the Neutrality Act provisions embargoing arms sales to belligerent countries. "Our acts must be guided by one single hard-headed thought -- keeping America out of this war," the president said. Allowing arms to be sold on a cash-and-carry basis would be "better calculated than any other means to keep us out of war."

In the United States... Newspapers allege that senior Nazis, including Goebbels and Hess, have foreign investments worth over $12 million

1940

Over Britain... As the night attacks on London continue, the government officially allows the subway stations to be used as air-raid shelters. This has been happening for some time.

In Australia... The election results are declared. Menzies remains prime minister. Labor is the largest party in both the House and the Senate but has no overall majority. Also, it is announced that the 9th Australian Division will be raised.

1941

On the Eastern Front... Near Leningrad, the German Luftwaffe begins repeated attacks on the Soviet Baltic Fleet in Kronstadt harbor.

From Britain... The British Mosquito bomber makes its first operational reconnaissance flight.

1942

From Stockholm... In the Swedish national elections, pro-Nazi candidates fair badly.

1943

On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces capture Demidov, north of Smolensk. Forces of the Soviet Central Front take Chernigov and Sinelnikovo. Soviet forces also take Dnepropetrovsk, further east.

In Italy... The US 5th Army reorients to the left as the British 8th Army moves to east side of the front. German forces are withdrawing all along the front with the exception of the passes leading to Naples.

In the Mediterranean... Several transports engaged in the evacuation of the German garrison on the island of Corsica are sunk by Allied air and submarine attacks.

In Occupied Greece... At Cephalonia, the Italian "Acqui" Division resists German forces seeking to disarm it.

In the Solomon Islands... American forces on Arundel discover that the Japanese forces have been evacuated.


1944

On the Eastern Front... The Polish 1st Army is forced to withdraw from its bridgeheads in Warsaw.

On the Western Front... Operation Market Garden continues. The British 30th Corps attacks northward from Nijmegen but makes limited progress due to German counterattacks and the exposed terrain. In Arnhem, forces of the British 1st Airborne Division are forced out of the town but remain north of the Rhine. A Polish Parachute Brigade is dropped two miles south of the British position, on the opposite side of the river.

In Italy... Elements of British 8th Army reach Rimini. Canadian and Greek forces capture the town.

In the Philippines... US Task Force 38 conducts air strikes on Japanese targets on Luzon, particularly Manila and Manila Bay. Twelve American carriers are involved.

In Occupied Denmark... The general strike protesting recent deportations by German authorities comes to an end.