Today in World War II History—June 1, 1940 & 1945
Launching of battleship USS Washington, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, PA, 1 Jun 1940 (US Navy photo)
85 Years Ago—June 1, 1940: British troops withdraw from Dunkirk perimeter, leaving defense to the French.
USS Washington is launched at Philadelphia Navy Yard, America’s first new battleship since 1921.
80 Years Ago—June 1, 1945: British 12th and 14th Armies link in Burma.
British force Cossacks (White Russians who opposed communism and fought for Germany) to Soviet zone in Austria, and 700 Cossacks are killed or commit suicide; many of the 32,000 sent back to USSR will disappear.
Denmark decrees prison for war profiteers and for those who aided Germans or joined German military or police units, and the death penalty for those in Danish Nazi terror organizations.
