Picture: a shot down German He111 bomber near Charlons in France is examined by soldiers of the French 4th Army in March 1940. During the Phoney War missions of German bombers over France were seldom.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1940

Sea War Pacific: Russian cargo ships Selenga and Vladimir Mayakovski (carrying metallic ores to Vladivostock for trans-shipment to Germany) ordered to Hong Kong by British warships.

Diplomacy: (MAIN EVENT) Sixth meeting of Allied Supreme War Council, in London. Solemn signed declaration that neither Britain nor France will conclude an armistice or peace treaty, except by mutual agreement. A similar agreement had been made early in WW I.
Norwegian territorial waters to be mined, thereby disrupting transport of Swedish iron ore to Germany.

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 1940

Air War: Capitaine Antoine de Saint-Exupery flies first recce sortie over West Germany in the Bloch 174 (max. speed 530 km/hour).
Air Marshal Portal appointed AOC, RAF Bomber Command.

Picture: The excellent light bomber Bloch 174 suffered from its French industrial and political environment and none reached the Armee de l'Air until 19 March 1940. The first operational sortie took place on 29 March and combat experience was outstanding, and the loss rate was even lower than for the equally fast American Douglas DB-7 (which was also in French service).

Sea War Atlantic: French cruiser Algerie escorts two US ships from Halifax with cargoes of American-built warplanes.

Home Front Britain: Prince Alexander Obolensky, famous rugby player, killed landing RAF aircraft in East Anglia, aged 24.

SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 1940

Home Front Britain: Sir John Gilmour, Minister of Shipping, dies aged 63.

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 1940

Sea War: only one British merchant ship - SS Daghestan (5,742 t.) - lost through enemy action in week ending March 31.

Home Front Britain: A large proportion of people evacuated from cities in September 1939 have now drifted back home; only 300,000 schoolchildren, out of original one million, remaining in country reception areas.

Picture: the evacuation of the children from London.