Diplomatic Relations
A mutual assistance treaty is signed between the USSR and Lithuania. Having been annexed by Poland in 1922, the city and area of Vilna are restored to Lithuania while Russia gets sea and air bases.[
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Finland
Reserves are called up and some of the frontier districts begin evacuating.[
| ]German Raiders
Flying a French Flag, the Graf Spee stops and boards the British steamer Huntsman (8196t) and captures secret merchant vessel routing documents. The latter's 'May Day' distress call had been intercepted by the triumphant radio operator of the German vessel.
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| ]Germany, Planning
Adm Erich Raeder mentions to Hitler for the first time the possibility of invading Norway to secure naval and especially submarine bases (see Dec 8, 1939 and Jan 27, 1940). Churchill is, at this time, arguing in the British Cabinet that Norwegian coastal waters should be mined to interfere with German iron-ore traffic.[
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