24 Jun 1940 | World War II Database

24 Jun 1940

British commandos launched an aborted raid on Le Touquet, France. ww2dbase [TH]
As French warships scattered throughout Dakar, Casablanca, Algiers, and Mers-el-Kébir in French colonies in Africa, Alexandria in Egypt, and Plymouth and Portsmouth and Britain, French Admiral Darlan promised British Prime Minister Churchill that they would not fall into German hands. ww2dbase [CPC]
German submarine U-47 sank Panamanian ship Cathrine with the deck gun about 300 miles west of Land's End in southwestern England. As the entire crew of 19 escaped to lifeboats, they were given food and red wine by the crew of U-47 before being set adrift for their eventual rescue. ww2dbase [U-47 | CPC]
British sloop HMS Falmouth sank Italian submarine Luigi Galvani in the Gulf of Oman. ww2dbase [CPC]
Japan requested Britain to close the Burma Road, a land supply route into China. ww2dbase [Burma Road and the Hump | CPC]

Atlantic Ocean

52 survivors (including Master Trevor Williams) of British motor merchant ship Wellington Star, sunk by German submarine U-101 eight days prior, were picked up by the French steam merchant Pierre L. D. and were later landed at Casablanca, French Morocco. On the same day, the remaining 17 crew members of the Wellington Star in a lifeboat made landfall at Figueira da Foz near Oporto in Portugal. ww2dbase [HM]
The 9,026-ton Norwegian motor tanker Eli Knudsen, disabled by a torpedo from German submarine U-32 two days prior, sank while in tow by British tanker Corinda. ww2dbase [Celtic Sea | HM]

Germany

Robert von Greim was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross medal. ww2dbase [Robert von Greim | CPC]

Italy

The Franco-Italian armistice was signed at Villa Olgiata near Rome, Italy by French General Huntziger and Italian General Badoglio. Fighting would continue until the following day when the agreement would take effect. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Rome | TH]
Morosini arrived at Naples, Italy at 2130 hours, ending her first war patrol. ww2dbase [Morosini | Naples, Campania | CPC]

Malta

Malta received its first strike aircraft with the arrival and creation of No. 830 Squadron with Fairey Swordfish Mk.1 aircraft; they were left behind by HMS Argus when she departed the Mediterranean Sea. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | AC]

United States

Charles Edison resigned as the Secretary of the Navy of the United States; Lewis Compton, Assistant Secretary of the Navy since 9 Feb 1940, took over as the acting secretary. ww2dbase [CPC]
Rear Admiral Charles A. Blakely relieved Rear Admiral Joseph R. Defrees as the Commandant of the Eleventh Naval District and the Commandant of the Naval Operating Base in San Diego, California, United States. ww2dbase [San Diego, California | CPC]

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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