Air War: Hull and Wick (northeast Scotland) bombed in daylight; 12 killed, 22 injured. 12 Hampdens bomb Kiel naval base; Guy Gibson drops 2,000 lb. bomb near battlecruiser Scharnhorst, cruiser Prinz Eugen hit by 2 small bombs (night July 1-2).

Vichy France: French Government moves from Bordeaux to Vichy.

Occupied Channel Islands: German occupation completed.

Neutrals, Rumania: Rumania renounces Anglo-French guarantee of her territorial integrity. Hungary alleges frontier violations by Rumanian troops; several civilians killed. Both countries mass troops along borders.

Diplomacy: Britain warns that she will not countenance Axis occupation of Syria.

Home Front Japan: Sugar and matches rationed.

TUESDAY, JULY 2, 1940

Sea War: British liner Arandora Star (15,501 t), carrying 1,500 Italian and German internees and PoWs to Canada, sunk by U-47 west of Ireland. Panic-stricken passengers fight for places in lifeboats (670 dead).
Hitler makes first tentative plans for seaborne invasion of England.

Picture: Exercises with the tracked amphibious verhicle LWS for the transportation of 8.8cm Flak guns to the coast, pictured in July 1940 on the German island of Sylt.

Occupied Poland: General Sikorski issues Order of the Day to Polish Forces in Britain: 'We shall continue to fight with an iron will until victory is won.'

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1940

Sea War: (MAIN EVENT) THE MERS-EL-KEBIR AFFAIR (Operation Catapult): British 'Force H' opens fire on French naval squadron in Mers-el-Kebir naval base, Algeria, after failure of prolonged negotiations and refusal of Admiral Gensoul to join British Fleet. French battleship Bretagne sunk (977 killed); battlecruiser Dunkerque damaged (210 killed); battlecruiser Strasbourg escapes to Toulon, under air attack.

Picture: The French fleet at Mers-El-Kebir under British attack.

Sea War: British forces seize 59 major French warships in British harbours, inc. battleships Courbet and Paris and giant submarine Surcouf, fighting aboard Surcouf and destroyer Mistral (some casualties).

Occupied Holland: General Winkelman, former Dutch CinC., arrested and taken to Germany for 'hindering' the demobilization of the Dutch Army.

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1940

Sea War: Stukas and German MTBs attack convoy, south of Portland, sinking five merchant ships and auxiliary anti-aircraft (AA) ship Foyle Bank.

Air War: Italians raid Malta and Alexandria.

East Africa: Italian forces, supported by aircraft and armour, occupy frontier outposts of Kassala and Galabat (Anglo-Egyptian Sudan).

Neutrals, Rumania: New Cabinet under Gigurtu ('a personal friend of Field-Marshal Goering'), including two leaders of the previously outlawed Iron Guard: Manoilesca (Foreign Minister) and Sima ('Minister for Arts'!). 22 British oil technicians expelled.

FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1940

Sea War Atlantic: Destroyer Whirlwind sunk by U-34 southwest of Ireland. Vichy-French warships and submarines capture three British merchant ships in reprisal for Mers-el-Kebir attack. U-30 enters new U-boat base at Lorient.

Air War: RAF daylight raids on shipping off Dutch coast and Waalhaven airfield; night raids on Kiel and Wilhelmshaven.
Vichy-French aircraft make unsuccessful reprisal raid on shipping at Gibraltar.

Diplomacy: Vichy-France breaks off relations with Britain. Swedish-German Railways Agreement: Germany obtains permission to utilize Swedish railways for the transport of war supplies and troops 'on leave' to and from Norway (vigorous British and Norwegian protests, July 8 and 17).

SATURDAY, JULY 6, 1940

Sea War: French battlecruiser Dunkerque crippled at Mers-el-Kebir by Swordfish torpedo-bombers from Ark Royal.
Five British submarines sunk off Norway (July 6 - August 2): Shark, Salmon, Thames, Narwhal and Spearfish. British submarine operations in the area temporarily suspended.

Home Front Germany: Hitler returns to Berlin in triumph after eight weeks 'in the field'.

Picture: Hitler returns to Berlin in triumph after the victory in the West.

SUNDAY, JULY 7, 1940

Sea War Mediterranean: French naval squadron at Alexandria interned and demobilized by amicable agreement between British and French administrations (it includes old battleship Lorraine and four cruisers).
Italy waives article of June 24 Armistice which ordered demilitarization of French naval bases.

Sea War Atlantic: British naval forces disable battleship Richelieu at Dakar, following French rejection of ultimatum: motor launch drops depth charges under battleship's stern and six Swordfish aircraft from carrier Hermes score one torpedo hit.

Air War: 11 Italian SM-81 bombers (2 lost) raid Alexandria (night July 7-8).