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Q3/1941 SUMMARY[/SIZE]
Original News Thread
July 1
Air France opened service from Paris to New York City today, flying via Shannon Airport in Ireland and Vinland with a new Bloch MB.970 Transatlantique, the F-IGP. The aircraft was rigged for sleeper berths rather than high-capacity seating, and fifty-eight passengers, including a number of journalists, boarded the aircraft in Paris.
July 2
The battlecruisers
Dunkerque and
Strasbourg arrived in Casablanca today on the first stop of their planned midsummer cruise. A three-day port call is planned before they steam onward.
July 3
The Tour de France began today in Paris. Twenty teams of nine riders, all representing a country or region, started in Paris today on the twenty-one day race. They are preceded by the publicity caravan, a group of forty-five advertising vehicles.
July 4
The Republic of France offers their best wishes to the United States for their independence day, and their condolences to the British Empire.
July 5
The
Dunkerque and
Strasbourg departed Casablanca for their next call at the port of Dakar.
July 6
The Armee de l'Aire announced that it had reached an agreement with the Greek government to deploy a company of the AdlA's airfield construction specialists to train a similar Greek unit. As part of the agreement, the AdlA's
1ère Compagnie d'ingénierie d'Air and support elements of the Marine Nationale's
2e Demi-Brigade du génie naval would deploy with the newly-created Greek unit to Cyprus to build a new military and civil airfield at Nicosia. According to the plans, the new Nicosia airport will be a fully modern civil airport, capable of handling large airliners like the Douglas DC-4.
July 7
Paul Theisman was officially sworn in today as the President of the Republic of France. In his inaugural address, Theisman said that he would work to spread the values of freedom, justice and representative democracy, and would work with the FAR allies and other like-minded states to maintain the peace of Europe and the world.
July 8
The new production facility at Hispano-Suiza's Bois-Colombes factory was officially opened today. The new facility is reportedly capable of manufacturing a hundred new aero-engines and an unknown quantity of automobile engines per month, substantially raising the total production capabilities for the French aeronautical industry. The facility's opening comes as a relief to Hispano-Suiza, which has seen extremely high demand for HS-12Z engines, due in no small part to the large orders of VG.60 Revenants ordered this year by the Armee de l'Aire. The various VG.60 manufacturers have reportedly placed orders in excess of 2,700 units for delivery between 1941 and mid-1942, a figure which swamped the existing Hispano-Suiza factories at Bois-Colombes and Tarbes.
In related aviation news,
Société des Avions Marcel Bloch announced that it was in the process of delivering MB.1050 Milan carrier fighters for the Atlantean Navy. The aircraft are partially assembled in France at Bloch's factory, then shipped crafted to Bloch's Atlantean sister firm of Ripon, which finishes assembly and adds an Atlantean-produced radial engine, believed to be the Roth R-1800 currently in widespread use by the Atlantean Navy as the power unit of the Accrisius Avenger.
July 8 -
Il est Midi (Dakar newspaper, evening edition)
The battlecruisers
Dunkerque and
Strasbourg, two of the premier fast units of the Marine Nationale entered the harbor today, to the welcome of thousands of observers. The two battlecruisers, the premier fast capital ships of the Mediterranean Fleet, are engaged in a series of port calls and maneuvers that will take them quite far afield from their normal cruising grounds. The two ships will be open to local visitors tomorrow and Thursday before moving on Friday morning, their next destination believed to be the naval base at Abidjan.
In related news, it was announced that the cruisers
Duquesne and
Gloire would call at Dakar on their return trip from Djibouti, where they have been on extended deployment since late November.
July 9 -
Le Matin
The first of the mountain stages of the Tour de France began today, with an ascent of the Col du Tourmalet. Belgian rider Sylvère Maes, the winner of the 1936 and 1939 Tours, has established a comfortable lead in earlier stages, but has been challenged today by Japanese rider Hashimoto Sato, who closed in on Maes but was unable to take the yellow jersey. Two riders withdrew during the stage. Karl Litschi of the Swiss-Luxembourg mixed team (the Swiss road-race champion) reportedly collided with a dog and fell from his bicycle. Although he re-mounted and tried to continue, Litschi reported severe pain from his knee and withdrew shortly thereafter. An Irish rider, reported to be team leader Eoin Miller, was found unconscious on the road.
July 10
In surprising events on the Tour de France, leading rider Sylvère Maes of Belgium lost the yellow jersey to German cyclist Otto Lieberman after the German team launched a challenge in another of the mountain stages. Observers noted that Lieberman, as with most of the German bicyclists, are very strong mountain-riders.
July 11
Dunkerque and
Strasbourg have departed Dakar.
July 12
French cyclist Jean-Pierre Hagen was rescued by gendarmes after being accosted by a small party of individuals during the Tour de France. Hagen, a junior cyclist riding on the French Sud-Est team, was ejected from the 1940 Tour de France for using cocaine and alcohol to improve his performance during the Tour. Hagen was banned for nine months but returned for the 1941 Tour. Witnesses reported that Hagen was knocked off his bicycle by "several angry spectators" who jeered at him about his use of drugs during the previous Tour, and prevented him from getting back onto his bicycle. After the gendarmes intervened and arrested three people, a shaken Hagen continued on, having lost an estimated eight minutes of time.
July 14
France celebrates Bastille Day.
See here for the Bastille Day Military Parade.
July 14 -
Le Matin
In a hard day's riding today on the Tour de France, German Otto Liebermann fended off attempts by Belgian Sylvère Maes to take the yellow jersey.
July 14
The battlecruisers
Dunkerque and
Strasbourg have arrived at Abidjan, receiving a loud welcome from the port city's population. The battlecruisers, decorated for Bastille Day, entered the port at noon, surrounded by small fishing boats of the local population.
July 16
With ten days left in the Tour de France, the nine riders of the French Ouest team began a concerted push on the leaders. The Ouest team is composed of some of the best riders in France, and for the last three years has traditionally reserved themselves for the latter half of the race, as they did in 1940 when rider Jean Darracq won the Tour. However, among the leaders, Belgium's Sylvère Maes assumed leadership of the peloton and the yellow jersey, but German rider Otto Liebermann kept it a very close race, and Japanese rider Japanese rider Hashimoto Sato remained in third place.
July 18
Thousands braved the weather to watch today's stage of the Tour de France in Brittany, where French rider Jean Darracq seized the yellow jersey, with his teammate Jacques Dezobry taking up second place.
Read more...
July 19
The Carrousel de Saumur opened today at the grounds of the École de Cavalerie in Saumur.
Read more...
July 21
Germany's Otto Liebermann powered himself back into the lead and the yellow jersey in today's leg of the Tour de France. Hashimoto Sato of Japan fell back several ranks while Jean Darracq and his teammate Jacques Dezobry held second and third place. Liebermann's lead is tenuous, however, as he holds only ten seconds' lead over Jean Darracq.
July 23
The transport ship
Daman left Toulon with elements of the 2er Regiment Ingénieurs de l'air of the Armee de l'Aire. The
Daman is bound for Greece, where the 2nd Regiment will aid in training a Greek construction battalion.
July 24
President Theisman has announced that the French ambassador to Germany, Michel Herry, will be stepping down from his post due to medical reasons. Theisman has requested the longtime ambassador to Germany, André François-Poncet, to take up the post again. François-Poncet was ambassador in Berlin from 1931 to 1938, and currently serves as the interim ambassador to Italy. There is no news about who will replacy François-Poncet in Rome.
July 26
Otto Liebermann pedaled his way to victory in the Tour de France today, with Japan's Hashimoto Sato barely edging out Jean Darracq for second place. Belgium's Sylvère Maes placed fourth, while Jacques Dezobry placed fifth.
July 29
Plans to build the Akesombo Dam and Tema Aluminum Smelter in Côte-de-l'Or were discussed in the French Parliament today despite continued protests over the high cost and the environmental effects. The Akesombo Dam project will create one of the largest manmade lakes in the world, and if built, could substantially improve the economy of French West Africa.
July 30
One of the four Farman F.400 heavy bomber prototypes crashed today while taking off for flight testing. Witnesses at ONERA said that the plane had achieved approximately two hundred meters of altitude when debris reportedly separated from the aircraft. The plane entered a sharp port turn and rapidly lost airspeed. Although the pilot visibly tried to level the plane, the F.400 had lost too much airspeed and hit the ground. ONERA reported that there were two survivors of the six-man crew, although both are in extremely serious condition.
July 31
French automaker Delahaye sparked controversy today when it requested to re-submit their entry for the French Army's lightweight utility car. The previous Delahaye entry, called the Delahaye 171, was approved for a second round of testing despite being nothing more than a paper study with a mock-up model. Delahaye was reportedly unable to meet the French Army's request for a working vehicle by the end of the year, and in a controversial move, quickly purchased a production license for the American Bantam "Jeep". Delahaye's representative pointed out that the US-designed "Jeep" barely missed the Army's first-round cut because, quote "It was not French enough." Delahaye noted that they still plan to develop the 171 as a commercial vehicle, but don't believe they can push that development fast enough to meet the Army's requirements.
August 1
In response to media commentary about the recent crash of the F.400 heavy bomber prototype, ONERA announced that the plane was fitted with a Hussenograph or in-flight data recorder. The F.400's Hussenograph was damaged in the crash, but ONERA said the data on the recorder was recovered and being analyzed.
August 2
The
Grande Semaine d’Aviation de la Champagne (Grand Week of Aviation in Champagne) began today at the Reims-Champagne Air Base, which was opened to the public for visitation.
Read more...
August 4
Four Lioré et Olivier LeO-400 seaplanes have left Toulon for Tunisia with a flying boat of the Aeronavale on the first leg of their tour to Eastern Europe. From Tunisia, the LeO-400s will fly to Yugoslavia for demonstration, to be followed by visits to Bulgaria and Romania. After leaving Romania the aircraft will fly overland to visit Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Nordmark, after which point they will return to France.
August 7
The Indochinese Gendarmerie has arrested three men who attempted to assassinate Governor-General candidate Truong Van Bao. The three accused men reportedly prepared a roadside ambush to kill Van Bao before a campaign rally in Hanoi, but were betrayed to police by an accomplice. Police arrested the three men and confiscated homemade grenades and small arms.
August 8
Police revealed that the three men arrested yesterday for an attempted assassination attempt on Governor-General candidate Truong Van Bao were motivated by Van Bao's rejection of "extreme independence and communist ideals".
Read more...
August 9
The battlecruisers
Dunkerque and
Strasbourg have anchored in Djibouti following a passage of the Mozambique Channel and the Indian Ocean.
August 11
Government spokesmen announced today that President Theisman will be traveling to St. Petersburg and Cleito over the course of the next month in order to meet with the Atlantean and Russian heads of state and key members of their government. President Theisman has also indicated his wish to meet with other key heads of state in Europe, with Britain, Germany, and Italy being named.
August 14
President Theisman arrived in Cleito today by air, calling on the chief members of the Atlantean government, including the King and the members of the Atlantean cabinet. The president reportedly planned to discuss economic, political, and military issues related to the FAR Alliance.
August 15
Four LeO-400 floatplanes of the French Aeronavale landed today in the Yugoslavian port of Bar, together with their flying-boat mothership, following a long flight from Tunis. The aircraft are on a promotional tour of Europe.
August 16
President Theisman left Cleito this evening en route back to Paris. In a press conference held at the airport shortly before his departure, Theisman praised Atlantean hospitality and thanked the Atlantean people for being "our oldest and firmest ally and friend".
August 19
French and Thai troops finished nine days of extensive joint training in southern French Indochina. The training exercises involved land, air, and sea forces from both countries. Speaking from Paris, Minister Jean-Marie Lemaréchal (National Defense and War Minister) said "Exercise commanders report success, all goals achieved."
Read more...
August 19 -
Le Matin
President Theisman arrived at the Russian capital of Petrograd today for talks with high-ranking members of the Russian Federation government.
August 20
Société Clerget-Blin et Cie confirmed rumours today that they were in high-level negotiations with an Atlantean firm, believed to be Roth-Packard, to form an Atlantean-based company to build licensed Clerget turbo-diesel engines for the Ripon Transatlantique.
August 21
President Theisman departed Petrograd late this afternoon, speaking to reporters briefly before boarding his chartered Air France airliner. In his remarks, he praised the Russian government for its rock-solid dedication to maintaining the peace of Europe and Asia, and thanked the Russian people for their welcome. After leaving Petrograd, Theisman flew to Berlin, arriving at Templehof just after sunset. He plans to meet with Chancellor Adenauer and other prominent German officials in the morning.
August 22
The Lioré et Olivier demonstration team departed Bar, Yugoslavia today, flying to the Bulgarian seaplane base at Lake Chaika, outside Varna, on the second stop of their demonstration tour.
August 23
President Theisman departed Germany late this evening after a busy day of discussions with German officials. Theisman held a joint press conference with Chancellor Adenauer where both leaders spoke on their desire to improve the Franco-German relationship. In response to a reporter's question, Theisman commented "For the last century our nations have fought over the control of the rudder of continental Europe. My grandfather once told me that 'Europe is too small for both France and Germany'. Twenty-three years ago, I returned to what had once been my home in Metz and saw the result of that attitude. It no longer matters who first was to blame; it matters that we stop and reconsider our course for the future before we do something we - and the rest of the world - would regret. Even now in Germany there are voices crying to avenge the result of the Great War, and in France there are people who, fearing just that, think we ought to weaken and isolate Germany to prevent it. These people do not know what would ensue from their lack of foresight. Chancellor Adenauer and I agree that the time is right for both of us to act together to create a less imperfect world for our children. If history remembers us, let it be for this."
August 25
The French Army reported that the Mecanique-Aviation-Traction (Matra) company of Vélizy-Villacoublay, which was selected earlier this year to perform aftermarket modifications to Berliet GBC-6 trucks to install rocket-launching rails, received an additional contract today to assemble 132mm and 200mm artillery rockets.
August 27
The Lioré et Olivier demonstration team left Bulgaria and made a short flight to Romania in order to demonstrate their aircraft to the Romanian military.
August 28
President Theisman arrived in Rome today for general consultations with the Italian government, including Duca d'Aosta (leader of the Italian senate), Prime Minister Galan, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Grandi.
August 31
President Theisman left Rome this afternoon after several days meeting with Italian leaders, as well as a visit with the Pope. Theisman, in his remarks to the press on leaving Rome, declined to comment in substance about the discussions, but noted they'd discussed both international security and economic issues.
September 1
Close on the heels of his return from Rome, President Theisman flew to London, where he met with British Prime Minister Sir Howard Kingsley Wood, as well as King Edward VIII.
September 2
A technical committee reviewing the July 30 crash of a Farman F.400 bomber prototype released their findings today. According to the committee, a compressed oxygen bottle in the port wing root exploded, severing a main wing spar and all of the aircraft's portside controls, resulting in the aircraft spearing violently out of control. A prompt reaction by the pilot managed to partially redress the loss of the portside controls, but lack of altitude and airspeed prevented any further actions.
In the aftermath of the crash, however, ONERA's chief test-pilot, who flew another F.400 prototype both before and after the crash, drew up a list of over eight hundred faults with the aircraft's design and performance, thirty-one of which were listed as "critical issues". As a result, ONERA has recommended that the F.400 be grounded until Avions Farman has corrected all of the critical issues identified so far.
September 2 -
Le Matin
Some advance voting has begun in Indochina on the regional elections for Governor-General and other key positions. The general elections are scheduled for September 7.
September 3
The AIAI IA.30 Épouvantail counter-insurgency aircraft developed in conjunction with Thailand made its first flight today in Saigon, becoming the first modern aircraft ever developed in Southeast Asia. The twin-engine aircraft was jointly developed by AIAI (under the umbrella of Loire-Nieuport) and Thailand's TNAC. The Thai-built version of the aircraft is expected to fly within a few days. This represents a major advance of capabilities for aviation in Southeast Asia.
September 4
Deliveries of the production 1942 Citroen 2CV began today. Citroen has been working to increase production to address the backlog of orders, with a two year estimated waiting list before the car even entered production.
September 5
The 3rd Cannes Film Festival began today in the Riviera town of Cannes. Among the films being shown is
Séraphin, a Franco-Atlantean production filmed by a cast of bilingual French and Atlantean actors; the movie was a major hit when released earlier this summer.
September 7
Voters across Indochina have gone to the polls to elect a governor-general, as well as representatives to the 35-seat Indochina Governing Council.
September 8
Initial results from the Indochina elections appear "too close to call", and colonial officials declined to comment further.
September 9
Nguyen Van Minh of the Viet Dan Party conceded the Indochina Governor-General election to Truong Van Bao of the Viet Tan Party early this morning, accepting the results of a surprisingly close election. According to election officials, Nguyen Van Minh only trailed Truong Van Bao by a margin of four thousand votes in the region, with both candidates receiving approximately 41% of the total vote. The remaining percentage of the votes went to minor candidates.
However, the Viet Dan, to the surprise of many, have seen the election of nineteen party members to the Indochina Governing Council, winning a majority of the thirty-five open seats in the Council. [1] This body is capable of forcing the resignation of the Governor-General through a vote of censure (a capability shared by the French Parliament). The French Parliament will receive, later this month, the official certified results of the election and will vote whether or not to confirm Van Bao as Governor-General Elect. If the French Parliament does so, then Van Bao will take office on November 8th.
September 11
In a memo made public earlier today, highly-placed individuals in the Armee de l'Aire's research and development office requested permission to investigate fallback options in the event that the Farman F.400 Ourse fails to materialize.
September 12
The Lioré et Olivier demonstration team has left Romania bound for the Baltic States. Reportedly, the team's long stay in Romania was prompted by a high level of Romanian interest, and Lioré et Olivier's spokesman acknowledged that the Romanian Navy is seriously discussing purchasing the plane.
September 15
Air France, in collaboration with LAN Airlines, announced that they have received the permission of the Brazilian government to form an international holding group to purchase three small bankrupt Brazilian airlines and merge them into a major Brazilian airline, to be named Serviços Aéreos Cruzeiro do Sul (Southern Cross Airline). Cruzeiro do Sul will continue service to all locations previously-served by their smaller predecessors, but will double their locations served, and will cooperate with Air France and LAN Airlines to offer international service. The new company will be majority-owned and operated by Air France for an undisclosed period of time, eventually opening the stock up for purchase by Brazilian investors, under the scope of the agreement. Cruzeiro do Sul's air fleet, composed of aircraft acquired by the parent companies before the merger, is composed of two Dragon Rapides, on Ju52, and three DC3s. As part of the deal, Air France shall transfer three MB.970 Transatlantiques to Cruzeiro do Sul for use on a Brazil-to-Europe and Brazil-to-US joint service, and will oversee some comprehensive modernizations to the Sao Paulo airport, with the expectation of turning it into the largest and most modern airport in South America.
September 16
The French Parliament has received the certified results of the September 7th Indochina election for their confirmation.
September 18
The Indochina election results were formally confirmed without modification today by the French Parliament, following a reading of the results and a minor debate about several technical issues. In Saigon, Governor-General Elect Truong Van Bao thanked his supporters and acknowledged that he would begin naming individuals for his cabinet within the next week. These positions will include Agriculture and Industry, Commerce, Education and Health, Finance, Justice, Public Works and Transportation.
September 19
The Congregation of Maronite Lebanese Missionaries (or Kreimists), headquartered in Jounieh, Lebanon, has announced their intention to send a mission to Valparaiso, Chile, in order to support the growing population of Maronite Lebanese emigres in that city.
September 22
High drama occurred today in Grenoble when an individual entered the lower station of the
Téléphérique de Grenoble Bastille (Grenoble-Bastille Cable Car) with a gun and a box which he claimed was filled with explosives. The individual, not identified by police, ordered the cable cars stopped, trapping a number of tourists above the city; he threatened to blow up the lower station unless the police met his demands. After lengthy discussions with a police negotiator, the individual demanded the release of two imprisoned friends, a million francs in cash, a fast car, and his name in the history books. Police negotiators agreed to deliver the individual's two friends, along with a car, to the lower station; but requested several hours to gather a million francs. According to police, the gunman decided to take a nap while he waited for his friends to arrive, and the incredulous cable car operator slipped away and signaled the police, who disarmed the tired gunman and relieved him of his pistol. The box, allegedly filled with explosives, instead contained a half-dozen ham sandwiches and three bottles of red wine, apparently reserved to toast a successful getaway. The gunman, awakened from his nap, soon joined his friends in prison.
September 23
Governor-General Elect Truong Van Bao named four of his six cabinet minister positions. Lan Khiem was nominated to be the Indochinese Minister of Agriculture and Industry, Nguyen Phi was nominated Indochinese Minister of Finance, Ho Le Hung was nominated Indochinese Minister of Justice, and Jacques de Rosnay as Indochinese Minister of Public Works and Transportation.
September 24
Truong Van Bao named the final two ministers for the Governor-General's cabinet today, but followed it up with an interesting surprise. Ham Van Loc was nominated Indochinese Minister of Commerce, while Thich Anh Hung was nominated Indochinese Minister of Education and Health. Van Bao then nominated Nguyen Van Minh, the leader of the Viet Dan opposition party, as Minister Without Portfolio. Van Minh's surprising nomination lends substance to rumors that the Viet Dan party leader cut a deal not to contest the extremely close Governor-General election in exchange for a stronger voice in the post-election Indochinese cabinet.