Wallis Simpson marries The Duke of Windsor on 3 June 1937
at the Château de Candé, lent to them by French
millionaire Charles Bedaux. The date would have been King
George V's 72nd birthday; Queen Mary thought the wedding had
been scheduled for then as a deliberate slight. No member
of Edward's family attended.
On 6 June 1937, The Basque Army loses the last of its air
force the last Basque air fighters are shot down, the culmination
of a suicidal resistance against the Condor Legion. Totally
outnumbered, the pilots were flying day by day to relieve
the soldiers in the trenches, and being destroyed one after
the other by the enemy.
Blücher
Heavy cruiser
Launched 8 June 1937
On 11 June 1937,
Dornier
Do 18F Zyklon flying boat took its maiden flight.
On 11 June 1937, General Paul Lukacs, also known as Zalka
Mate, born Bela Fankl, dies during an inspection of the Republican
lines at Huesca. His car is hit by an artillery shell, the
driver dies immediately. General Lukacs himself is mortally
wounded on his right temple and dies several hours later.
The Iron Ring, el cinturón de hierro, is a vast, labyrinthine
fortification around Bilbao, consisting of bunkers, tunnels,
and fortified trenches in several rings, protected by artillery.
The Basque Army had hoped to position themselves in the Iron
Ring to resist constant air raids and prevent the enemy from
reaching the Basque capital. However, the layout of the Ring
was betrayed to the Nationalist army, and since the first
days of June the Condor Legion have been able to target so
accurately that the Ring is bombed to pieces. Basque President
Aquirre comes to the front he witnesses a horrible event at
Mount Urcullu: A dried out forest just behind part of the
Iron Ring is shelled with fire bombs from enemy aeroplanes
and artillery. Along a length of three kilometres, the defenders
on this part of the Ring are overcome by the smoke. The attackers
break through and occupy the heights near Bilbao, around 10
kilometres from the city. Basque General Gamir and the Basque
government decide to organise a slow retreat to Santander.
On 19 June 1937, The Nationalists enter Bilbao without opposition
and begin immediately to distribute food to thousands of women
lining the streets. Around 200,000 people flee the city. Thousands
try to reach the French coast by sea, but the Nationalist
navy is waiting for them in the Bay of Biscay. The bay is
full of fugitive's overcrowded boats, some sinking. The ships
from the Nonintervention Committee in the Bay of Biscay, mostly
British are watching the scene. Franco concedes two thirds
of the production from the mines and steel factories of the
Basque country to his German ally. Adolf
Hitler needs these resources for his own war preparations.
Birka
Hospital ship
Launched 23 June 1937
Z5
Paul Jakobi Destroyer
Commissioned 29 June 1937
Go To: July
Articles:
The Second Great War.
Edited by Sir John Hamilton
The War Illustrated.
Edited by Sir John Hamilton
2194 Days Of War.
ISBN-10: 086136614X
For a complete list of
sources
