World war II timeline - September 1939

1 September 1939	German Reinhard Heydrich and Alfred Helmut Naujocks dress prison camp inmates in stolen Polish army uniforms, drive them to the German - Polish frontier, and stage an attack on a German radio station in Gleiwitz. The prisoners are shot, then the bodies are presented as evidence of a Polish attack.German Chancellor Adolf Hitler issues a proclamation to the German Army, accusing Poland of refusing his offers of peace, of persecuting Germans in Poland, and of violating the frontier.German planes attack Polish cities of Puck, Gdynia, Cracow, and Katowice. German battleship Schleswig-Holstein opens fire on Danzig.About one million German soldiers begin an invasion into Polish territory toward Upper Silesia and Czestochowa.German planes make the first air raid on Warsaw.In Danzig, German Chief of State Albert Forster announces a decree proclaiming the annexation of the city to the German Reich.Polish forces shoot down German planes trying to bomb Warsaw.German Chancellor Adolf Hitler addresses the Reichstag in Berlin, with the audio broadcast to nations around the world. Some quotes: "I have offered England friendship and, if necessary, close cooperation. Germany has no interests in the West. The Westwall is and remains our border on the west.", "Neutral powers have assured us of their neutrality and we have assured them they will be respected. We mean this.", "Germany and Russia fought against each other in the World War, and that shall not occur again." British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain addresses the House of Commons, saying that Adolf Hitler "has not hesitated to plunge the world into misery in order to serve his own senseless ambitions."The British House of Commons passes the National Services (Armed Forces) Act, conscripting all men ages 18 to 41 into the armed forces. In England, official evacuation of children and others from British big cities begins. (A total of about 1.5 million are evacuated in a week to other parts of the country.) United States President Franklin Roosevelt sends an appeal to Great Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, urging them to refrain from aerial bombing of unfortified cities or civilian populations. The Canadian parliament invokes the War Measures Act of 1914, giving the government extra powers over trade shipping, censorship, and expropriation of private property. The government declares that "a state of apprehended war exists and has existed since Aug. 25, 1939.". Militia forces are placed on active service to defend coasts and vulnerable interior points. Norway's King Haakon VI proclaims the neutrality of his country. The Swiss government orders full mobilization its army as of 2 September. In London, England, King George signs an order in council to complete the mobilization of the army, navy, and air force. In Berlin, Germany, a decree is issued, forbidding listening to any foreign radio station, with the death penalty imposed for spreading false foreign radio news. Portuguese Prime Minister António de Oliveira Salazar declares the neutrality of his country. Cuban President Federico Laredo Bru issues a proclamation declaring the neutral position of Cuba's government. Latvian president Karl Ulmanis issues a declaration of strict neutrality. Finland declares strict neutrality. Yugoslavia announces a declaration of strict neutrality. The government of Bulgaria issues a declaration of strict neutrality, maintaining close cooperation with Yugoslavia. Romania proclaims neutrality. Ireland declares it will endevor to remain neutral in the event of a general war. The immediate mobilization of the army is called for. The Italian Council of Ministers decides Italy will remain neutral unless attacked. London, England, begins blackout conditions for the duration of the war. The German press reports the capture Westerplatte, the Polish munitions dump off Danzig harbor. Ambassadors of the British and French governments issue an ultimatum to the German government to pull out of Poland. Canadian Prime Minister William King holds a seance session, on which he reports spirits told him Adolf Hitler had been shot dead by a Pole. The Danish government issues a declaration of neutrality.
2 September 1939	British and French governments declare that only "strictly military objectives in the narrowest sense of the word" would be bombed by their forces. The German government also pledges a similar restraint. Brazilian President Getulio Vargas declares his country's neutrality. Acting Prime Minister Frazer of New Zealand pledges full cooperation with Great Britain. Chilean Foreign Minister Abraham Ortega declares Chile would remain strictly neutral. Sweden issues a declaration of neutrality. German Ministers at Stockholm, Sweden, and Oslo, Norway, give a declaration that Germany would respect the integrity of Sweden and Norway. The German-American League for Culture in Cleveland, Ohio, representing 103,000 German-Americans, issues a resolution calling on German people to rise up and defeat Adolf Hitler. President Konstantin Paets proclaims Estonia will observe strict neutrality. German forces capture Polish cities of Rawicz and Leszno. Polish Prime Minister Feliclen Slawoj-Skladkowski addresses parliament: "... the unconquerable Polish Army will defeat the historic enemy of our country and crush Teutonic arrogance." President Ismet Inönü of Turkey gives assurances to the British Ambassador that Turkey would remain faithful to the peace front at the side of Great Britain and France. Ten squadrons of Battle single-engined medium bombers leave England to be stationed in France, forming the RAF Advanced Air Striking Force. The Irish parliament approves Prime Minister Eamon de Valera's policy of neutrality in the event of war in Europe, and grants wartime powers for censorship and control of supplies.
3 September 1939	Sir Neville Henderson, the British Ambassador in Berlin informs the German government that if Germans are not withdrawing from Poland by 11:00 AM London time, that a state of war would exist as of that hour. A short time later, French Ambassador Robert Coulondre delivers a similar ultimatum, with 5:00 PM deadline. Russia informs France and Britain that if they join in the German-Polish conflict, Russia would be compelled to revise her Western borders. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declares the country is at war with Germany. The British Foreign Office notifies the German Embassy that a state of war existed as of 1100 hours British Summer Time.The British Admiralty issues orders to all ships to open hostilities against Germany.In London, air raid sirens are tested. Joachim von Ribbentrop reads his government's reply to the British ultimatum to British Ambassador Sir Nevile Henderson. The written reply, signed by Adolf Hitler, refuses to accept or fulfill the terms of the ultimatum, and blames Britain for the conditions in Poland and Germany that lead to the conflict.German forces capture Czestochova in Upper Silesia, and Polish forces retreat from the area.French Ambassador Robert Coulondre informs Joachim von Ribbentrop that at 1700 hours France would be in a state of war with Germany. The Egyptian government proclaims martial law, in order to deport Germans, impose censorship, and arrest persons suspected of espionage. Polish president Isnaz Moscieki declares Poland is under a state of war with Germany. Denmark issues a declaration of neutrality. Spanish Generalissimo Francisco Franco declares the neutrality of his country. The Netherlands Government issues a statement declaring strict neutrality. Ireland proclaims its neutrality. Winston Churchill is appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, and a member of the British Inner War Cabinet. Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 2 "for the Conduct of the War". No forces are to be transferred to the West, the immediate aim is the conclusion of operations against Poland. Conversion of entire German economy to war basis is ordered. Full mobilization of all Armed Forces is ordered. No attacks may be made on the West until attacked upon. German Führer der U-Boote Karl Dönitz sends a message to all submarines at sea reminding them of the Prize Rules: to let crews into lifeboats before sinking any ships.German submarine U-30 torpedoes and sinks Donaldson Line passenger liner Athenia, 250 miles north of the west coast of Ireland. Of about 1418 passengers, 118 die. Germany denies responsibility, claiming that Great Britain planted a bomb to bring the US into the war. (Captain Fritz-Julius Lemp fired without realizing it was a civilian liner, not a merchant cruiser. He orders the crew to secrecy, and has the log book rewritten to remove references to torpedoing the ship. After the war, records show that Admiral Karl Dönitz was involved in concealing the facts.) Paris,Premier Edouard Daladier announces officially by radio that a state of war exists with Germany. Melbourne,Prime Minister Menzies announces that Australia is at war with Germany. Australian Prime Minister Menzies sends a message to Stanley Bruce, the Australian High Commissioner in London, England, stating that the question of providing an expeditionary force would have to wait until the position of Japan is known. Ten Whitley planes from England drop 13.5 tons of leaflets on northern Germany. The 5.4 million leaflets tell Germans that Adolf Hitler's promises are worthless, that Germany is near bankruptcy, and weak compared to Allied forces. This is the start of operation NICKEL.
4 September 1939	Governor General Viscount Galway proclaims New Zealand is at war with Germany. Polish troops cross into Germany north of Breslau. British Admiralty orders convoys be organized for all merchant ships, with naval escorts. Argentina and Uruguay issue decrees declaring their neutrality. President Jorge Ubico of Guatemala issues a manifesto declaring strict neutrality. Mexican President Lazaro Cardenas declares the neutrality of his country. A Protocol of Mutual Assistance is signed between Poland and France. Quote of Canadian Major General A.G.L. McNaughton: "This war may be over in three or four days, or it will last ten years. Certainly it will be longer than the last one.". German forces capture Bydgoszcz and Grudziadz in northern Poland. Spanish Generalissimo Francisco Franco signs a decree ordering subjects to observe strict neutrality. Fifteen Blenheim bombers take off from England to attack the German pocket battleship Admiral von Scheer sighted at the western end of Kiel Canal, near Wilhelmshaven. The few bombs that hit do not explode. Five planes and sixteen crew are lost. (This is the first British attack of the war.) An unidentified plane drops four bombs on Esbjerg, Denmark, killing two civilians. Dutch anti-aircraft batteries fire on several unidentified planes over Amsterdam. Fourteen Wellington bombers take off from England to attack two large warships sighted off Brunsbüttel. Only one plane reaches the ships, and is not successful in damaging them. Two planes and twelve crew are lost. Yugoslavia, Romania, and Bulgaria officially declare neutrality unless attacked.
5 September 1939	American President Franklin Roosevelt asks Canadian Prime Minister William King if Canada is at war. King replies "no", which is a relief to Roosevelt, as the United States is sending war supplies to Canada. Under the American Neutrality Act, it cannot send supplies directly to countries at war. The Polish government moves from Warsaw to Lublin, 100 miles south-east, as German forces advance to with 31 miles of the city. The Polish Corridor is cut-off entirely. German Army Commander-in-Chief Colonel-General von Brauchitsch gives the A-4 rocket project the highest possible priority. (Even so, it will be another five years before the first production A-4 (V-2) rocket is launched at a military target.) American President Franklin Roosevelt issues a declaration of neutrality. The French Commissioner of Information makes a radio broadcast, referring to the current war communiqués as "those of a people that has already at hand all that is necessary for defense or attack, whose frontier cannot be violated.". Japanese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Renzo Sawada announces that Japan will maintain neutrality in the European war.
6 September 1939	Germans capture Cracow, Poland. General Jan Christiaan Smuts becomes new Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa. He pledges to cooperate with Britain, and declares war on Germany. Sweden is partially mobilized for war. The Iraqi government breaks off relations with Germany, begins deporting Germans, and promises to fulfill treaty obligations of support to Britain.
7 September 1939	Polish defenders of Westerplatte Fortress in Danzig Harbor surrender. Romania declares neutrality. British planes bomb the German island of Sylt, north of the western end of the Kiel Canal.
8 September 1939	Ten to fifteen planes again bomb the German island of Sylt. German Commander-in-Chief Walther von Reichenau's 10th Army reaches the outskirts of Warsaw, Poland. First German troops enter Polish capital Warsaw. In a BBC radio broadcast in London, Jan Masaryk, son of late Czech president Thomas Masaryk, announces that Eduard Benes, the late Czech president, had declared the Czech people to be at war with Germany. German pioneers remove a barricade at the Jasiolka Bridge in Jaslo, Poland. Several mines containing mustard gas explode, killing two, injuring twelve. (claimed by German embassy in Washington, D.C.) American President Franklin Roosevelt declares a limited national emergency, issuing orders to substantially increase the army, navy, marine corps, and National Guard.  French and Moroccan troops surround the German town of Saarbrucken. President Anastasio Somoza declares Nicaragua will maintain strict neutrality.   Former German Kaiser Wilhelm sends a message to Adolf Hitler: "You face a disaster that might prove far greater than in 1918."
9 September 1939	Belgian fighter planes attack two British bombers over Belgian territory. One Belgian plane is shot down, both British planes are forced to land. The British government appologizes for the incident. German Field Marshal Hermann Göring gives a speech at a German munitions factory: "We will have our Nazism and the Russians their bolshevism, but we are both people who want peace and we are not going to be so silly as to smash each other's heads for Britain.". In Utrecht Province of Netherlands, a small basin is flooded, as a defensive precaution. 13 British RAF squadrons arrive in France. President Jorge Ubico issues a decree proclaiming the neutrality of Guatemala. Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 3 "For the Conduct of the War". Action will continue in Poland until it is safe to transfer forces to the Western border. No air attacks against England, no attacks of any kind against France. Slovak troops cease their advance into Poland, after occupying all former territory taken by Poland in 1920, 1928, and 1938. French forces complete the capture of a German salient from Saarbruecken to Saarlautern, taking villages of Karlsbrunn, Lauterbach, Ludweiler, Grossrosseln, and Saint Nikolaus. German forces capture Lodz, Poland. Canadian Parliament accepts the throne speech, and approves of immediate support to Great Britain and France in the war against Germany. All but one member vote in favor. Polish General Tadeusz Kutrzeba leads the Pomorze Army across Bzura River in an attack on the flank of the German 8th Army.
10 September 1939	After seven nights of British flights dropping leaflets on Germany, the operation stops due to public criticism that Britain only dropped paper while Germany dropped bombs on Poland. An article in the New York Times newspaper refers to the conflict in Poland as the "Second World War".  British Expeditionary Force under Lord Gort begins arriving on mainland Europe. In Ottawa, Canada, the Governor-General of Canada, Lord Tweedsmuir, announces that Parliament has declared war on Germany, as of the start of the day. The US extends its embargo on arms shipments to Canada.
11 September 1939	France notifies the League of Nations that it is at war with Germany, as of 1700 hours September 3. The British Ministry of Information announces the British Government would not conclude peace with a German Government headed by Adolf Hitler. President Juan Arosema of Panama proclaims the neutrality of Panama.
12 September 1939	In Poland, the Polish army west of the Vistula River is trapped in Kutno and Radom pockets, and capital Warsaw is almost completely surrounded. The Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania, begins offering a course on the "second world war". The Soviet Government reports three German war planes in Polish colors shot down over Minsk region of Russia, with German crewmen. The official German News Bureau in East Silesia issues a special report saying that "Removal of the Polish Jewish population from the European domain would ... bring a solution of the Jewish question in Europe nearer."
13 September 1939	French ground forces enter the suburbs of Saarbrüken, Germany, shelling the city. French mine-layer Pluton blows up in port at Casablanca, with several hundred casualties. The British Ministry of Information issues a communiqué stating the belief that Germany may try to build submarine and air bases in Central and South America. Moscow radio orders all Soviet merchant ships bound for England to return home. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain tells the House of Commons that Britain and France agree "that there can be no peace until the menace of Hitlerism has been finally removed.". German Chancellor Adolf Hitler's headquarters announces it will use all armed means against open cities, market places, and villages in which the civilian population engages in guerrilla warfare resistance. French Premier Edouard Daladier assumes functions of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Presidency of Council in Ministry of National Defence and War. In Poland, the Polish army surrounded south of Radom is eradicated.
14 September 1939	Polish mayor Skupien surrenders Gydnia city to German General Magnus Eberhardt. German troops complete the encirclement of Warsaw, Poland. Soviet news agency Tass reports repeated violations by Polish military airplanes over Soviet land. Some chased out, some forced down. The Soviet Union calls for one million new recruits for the Red Army. Off north-west Ireland, German submarine U-39 attacks British carrier Ark Royal, but torpedoes miss. Escorting destroyers use depth charges to force U-39 to the surface. The submarine crew is taken prisoner, and the submarine becomes the first German submarine sunk in the war.
15 September 1939	Japan calls for a ceasefire in its local conflict with the Soviet Union at Nomonhan near the shared border with Mongolia. During the fighting since mid-May, Japan suffered 50,000 casualties. Both sides conclude the Soviet tanks were better in quality and quantity. (This conflict leaves the Soviet Union concerned about future attacks, and Japan hesitant about conquest to the north.) Soviet Russia and Japan agree to an armistice in the war on the Manchukuo - Outer Mongolia border. In Canberra, Australia, Prime Minister R.G. Menzies announces the creation of a six-man War Cabinet, and an increase in taxes on companies and gold production.  The government of Paraguay formally declares neutrality. The Argentine Minister of Marine announces the entire Argentine naval fleet is ordered to patrol the coast to protect the country's neutrality.   Adolf Hitler order five action squads into Poland, following German armies, with instructions to murder tens of thousands of officials, priests, intellectuals, to deprive Poles of their ruling class.
16 September 1939	A German officer enters Warsaw, Poland, to deliver a military ultimatum to surrender the city by 0310 hours September 17. Receipt of the message is refused.  A Soviet-Japanese agreement for cessation of hostilities in the Nomonhan area along the Outer Mongolia - Manchuhuo frontier is announced. German planes distribute pamphlets with a surrender ultimatum over Warsaw, Poland: military surrender by 0310 hours, or 1510 hours for civilian population to leave the city.  German forces begin large counterattacks on French forces at the France-Germany border: in the Moselle Valley, the Nied Valley, around Saarbrüken, and in the Vosges Mountains. Premier George Kiosseivanoff of Bulgaria officially declares the country's neutrality. Germany closes the frontier with the Netherlands. The first transatlantic Allied convoy of the war, HX-1, sails from Halifax, Canada, escorted by Royal Canadian Navy destroyers Saguenay and St. Laurent for 350 miles at sea, and British cruisers Berwick and York.
17 September 1939	Russian armies cross the entire eastern frontier of Poland, claiming the Polish State no longer exists, and "to protect our own interests and to protect the White Russian and Ukranian minorities". In Berlin, Germany, an explosion occurs in the Air Ministry headquarters. Polish President Ignaz Moscicki and a government party of 57 cross into Rumania. The Germany Army captures the citadel of Brest-Litovsk, Poland, taking 600 prisoners. German forces capture the Polish town of Kutno. The Polish army is largely defeated; German forces reach Vistula and encircle Warsaw. German submarine U-29 torpedoes and sinks the British aircraft carrier HMS Courageous in the Bristol Channel, with the loss of 518 men.
18 September 1939	Russian forces reach Vilna and Brest-Litovsk in Poland, and meet with German forces. A joint German-Soviet military commission meets to draft plans for partition. The German embassy in Washington, D.C. claims mines containing mustard gas exploded at a barricade at the Jasiolka Bridge in Jaslo, Poland, on September 8. Quote of American Major General George White, commander of National Guard 41st Division: "The whole military force of the United States is obsolescent..." Soviets report continuing advance along a 500-mile front, capturing thirteen additional towns and villages, including Stanislawow in Ukraine. German forces capture Drohobycz in southern Poland, center of rich oil fields. The Soviet Government announces its intention to cooperate with Germany in establishing a buffer state to be called Poland.
19 September 1939	German infantry make an assault on French positions outside Saarbruken. The Polish naval base of Gdynia falls to German forces. Adolf Hitler makes a speech at Danzig, saying Poland's fate is to be determined by Germany and Russia, and that he has accepted the western border, with no war aims against Britain or France. He also states that they may "use a weapon which is not yet known and with which we ourselves cannot be attacked". British intelligence personnel begin searching files of the Secret Intelligence Service for clues to the identity of the secret weapon. Quote by British war correspondent Sir Philip Gibbs, on the German-Russian non-aggression treaty: "Germany has opened her gates to the Russian bear who one day will bite her throat". Soviet Navy blockades Estonia's coast, claiming Polish and other submarines are hiding in neutral Baltic ports. Soviet forces capture Vilna, Poland. Czecho-Slovak Republic President Eduard Benes in London broadcasts a message on the BBC system, calling on his countrymen to continue to carry on the struggle against Germany. The five Scandinavian countries make a joint declaration of firm neutrality, cooperating to safeguard their economic life, and continuing trade with all States. Canada's cabinet approves a program to construct 110 ships for the war effort. Two types of small warships are approved: Flower-class corvettes, and Bangor-class minesweepers.
20 September 1939	Russians occupy Grodno, Poland, 90 miles southwest of Vilna in northeast Poland near the Lithuanian border. The Finnish Government makes preparations to evacuate civilians from Helsingfors and other centers in case of emergency. German Colonel General Walther von Brauchitsch informs the German Army that "operations in Poland are completed". In twenty of days of war, German forces occupied 100,000 square miles of territory, capturing 400,000 prisoners. British Royal Air Force shoots down their first German fighter plane in France. Swiss anti-aircraft guns fire on two French warplanes near Basle. British patrol vessel Kittiwake strikes a mine in the English Channel. The remaining Polish troops at Gdynia surrender.
21 September 1939	US President Franklin Roosevelt calls for Congress to repeal the 1937 Neutrality Act, with its prohibition of the export of arms and munitions to belligerent powers. The Soviet Government informs the Finnish Government that the Russian Navy has mined eastern Gulf of Finland, to protect the entrance to Kronstadt. The German news agency reports the Polish port of Gydnia has been renamed Gotenhafen. France completes a twenty-day general mobilization, with six million men ready for action. French Premier Édouard Daladier tells the French people that Germany has already printed maps showing the dismemberment of France. In Bucharest, Rumania, six Iron Guards assassinate Prime Minister Armand Calinescu. This is intended as a prelude to a Nazi uprising, but is quickly stopped by police. Nine men are captured and executed before midnight.
22 September 1939	Soviet forces occupy Brest-Litovsk and Bialystok in Poland. The Rumanian Government executes 100-200 members of the Iron Guard. Netherlands and Belgium flood part of their territory bordering Germany as a defensive measure. The French High Commissioner suspends the constitution of the Lebanese Republic, dissolves parliament, and appoints a secretary general to rule during the war. German Colonel General Werner von Fritsch, chief of Twelfth Regiment of Artillery, is killed by a Polish sniper near Warsaw. A German submarine torpodoes Finnish steamer Martti-Ragnar off the coast of Norway, on route to Britain. A German submarine boards Finnish steamer Haalow Lighthouse off the coast of Norway, blowing it up with dynamite. Swiss anti-aircraft guns fire on two or more German planes over Schaffhausen. Lwow, Poland, surrenders to German troops.
23 September 1939	Chairman of Presidium of Supreme Soviet orders troops remain mobilized until further notice. Premier Benito Mussolini gives a speech, affirming Italian neutrality unless attacked. Hungary and Soviet Russia re-establish diplomatic relations. The German Reich Defence Council authorizes the Finance Minister to raise 15 billion marks in war credit financing.
24 September 1939	New Zealand offers Britain a fully-equipped division for service in any part of the world. Swedish freighter Gertrud Bratt is torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine, ten miles off the south Norwegian coast. The Soviet Government informs the Finnish Government that passage through Leningrad via Neva River would now be closed to Finnish vessels. The route was allowed by agreement of 1923, allowing for closure in case of war danger. Official German radio broadcast declares that with the redrafting of Poland's frontiers, Germany's war is over. British aerial leaflet drops over Germany resumes, with home publicity emphasising night reconnaissance. Planes raid German airplane engine plant at Friedrichshafen.
25 September 1939	Off Stavanger, Norway, a German submarine sinks Swedish freighter Silesia, carrying cargo to England. The German High Command orders commencement of systematic attack on Warsaw. Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 4 "For the Conduct of the War", concerning the final steps in Poland: secure the Demarcation Line with Russia, halt the flow of refugees west of the Line. No attacks on or over land are to be made in the West. Attacks on English and French merchant shipping are to be made. Guns of the French Maginot Line and German Westwall along the 80-mile front from Lauterbourg to Basle exchange fire for 24 hours. German forces outside Warsaw capture Fort Mokotowski. Soviet Ukraine closes the Black Sea port of Odessa. Canada's premier of Quebec, Maurice Duplessis, calls a general election in a month's time. He claims that proclamations made by the federal government under the War Measures Act are a violation of provincial rights.
26 September 1939	The French Government issues a decree dissolving the Communist party in France.
27 September 1939	Warsaw, Poland, surrenders to German troops after a 21-day siege. Adolf Hitler announces to the commanders of the three military services that he intends to attack the West this year crossing Belgium and Holland to attack France and isolate Great Britain. Despite protests, Adolf Hitler orders that Plan Yellow should be mounted on November 12. The Government of Bulgaria outlaws membership in Nazi-like organizations. A German destroyer stops Swedish Johnson Line's motorship Kronprincessen Margareta just outside Swedish territorial waters, ordering the transfer of crew of eleven from the torpedoed British trawler Caldes. For the first time, German guns of the Westwall fire over the Maginot line on villages behind French fortifications.   A submarine torpedoes and sinks Soviet steamer Metallist in Narva Bay, off the coast of Estonia.
28 September 1939	Guns of French Maginot Line and German Westwall exchange fire along the 15-mile sector from the Luxembourg border to Mondorf. German infantry and tanks launch an attack outside Saarbruecken. French artillery and machine gunners beat back the attack. The Polish fortress of Modlin in Warsaw unconditionally surrenders to German troops. Swedish steamship Nyland is torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea, off Kvitsoey, near Stavanger. The American Institute of Public Opinion announces results of a survey of Americans: 63 percent think Germany will start war with the USA if England and France are defeated. In Moscow, a Pact of Mutual Assistance is signed between the Soviet Union and Estonia, allowing Soviet military bases in Estonia, and Soviet control of naval bases and airports. Germany and Russia conclude the Treaty of Frontier Regulation and Friendship, to regulate the partition of Poland. The agreement is signed in Leningrad by German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop and Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vyadieslav Molotov. Russia gains control of Lithuania, in exchange for extension of the German area of Poland.
29 September 1939	Off Bergen, Norway, Norwegian freighter Takstaas is stopped by a German submarine and sunk. Off Norway, Norwegian steamship Solaas strikes a mine and sinks. Norwegian cargo ship Jern, en route to Great Britain, is stopped by a German submarine and blown up with dynamite. The remaining Polish government in Warsaw capitulates. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet ratifies the Soviet-Estonian pact of mutual assistance. Russian Premier and Foreign Commissar Vyacheslaff Molotoff and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop issue a joint statement that there is no need to continue hostilities. If Britain and France continue, Germany and Russia would consult about necessary steps to take. Nine Blackburn Skua fighters are launched from the British carrier Ark Royal in Norwegian waters, to attack three German Dornier Do-18 flying boats. one is shot down, the first German plane downed by a British pilot in the war. Rumania strengthens its defence forces on the Bessarabian border facing the Soviet Union. About 10 British Hampden bombers attack two German destroyers near Heligoland. The ships are not hit. Two German Me 109 planes are shot down, at a cost of five British planes. Five Heinkel He-111 planes from the German mainland attack the British carrier Ark Royal between Norway and Britain. Anti-aircraft fire forces four planes to jettison their bombs in the sea, but the fifth dives in to drop its 2000-pound bomb. The ship turns to avoid it, but smoke from the carrier's funnel leads the pilot to believe he scored a direct hit. Captain Hans Langsdorff of the pocket-battleship Admiral Graf Spee receives orders to attack Allied merchant shipping.
30 September 1939	Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 5. The Demarcation Line through former Polish territory is to be constantly strengthened and built up. There are to be no limitations on the war at sea against French warships. German pocket-battleship Admiral Graf Spee sinks SS Clement off the coast of Brazil.   German scientists make the first successful test launch of an A-5 rocket from Peenemünde. The rocket reaches a height of 7.5 miles, with a range of 11 miles.