WWII in real time

The King of Greece, George II had ordered that his palace's wine cellars be opened & bottles given to Allied soldiers, before Germans can loot them. Each enlisted man gets one bottle, & each officer two.

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Jean Baldwin, in Blitzed Plymouth: "Leaving school we're hit by the smell of charred wood & gas from fractured pipes." 3700 houses have been destroyed, leaving thousands homeless. https://t.co/FTA27Liwk5

In Plymouth, a communal air raid shelter in Portland Square has suffered a direct hit from a German high-explosive bomb. 76 people hiding from the Blitz killed. https://t.co/GCoCh2lUdM

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German invaders of Yugoslavia have killed 36 Serbian civilians in city of Pancevo, hanging & shooting locals in random reprisal for "partisans" firing at Wehrmacht. https://t.co/vGfElY5ksX

9-year-old Jean Baldwin, in Plymouth: "We were sheltering with mother in the cupboard under the stairs when father says the next-door house is on fire & we have to run. Outside the night is as light as day- every building is blazing."

Plymouth racked by bombings; force of explosions has blown a double-decker bus onto the roof of the gutted central bus garage. https://t.co/YK86EQ0Xu8

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Luftwaffe now attacking Plymouth in a brutal Blitz- British have lit decoy fires outside town to try & distract bombers, but city is still being smashed. https://t.co/TGPI8SwLfg

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German panzer & mountain divisions now assaulting Thermopylae, where Anzac troops are making a last stand to protect the Allied retreat. Australian General Vasey: "Here we bloody well are & here we bloody well stay.” https://t.co/WgjqUGjVus

After threats from German occupiers, Danish bookseller changes sign to: “Learn German in just 10 days- quickly, before our friends the Nazis leave.”

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In Nazi-occupied Denmark, a bookseller has been fined for advertising: “Learn English in just 10 days- quickly, before the Tommies arrive!”

Sepp Dietrich, head of SS "Adolf Hitler" regiment, has accepted surrender of northern Greek forces- in secret, to avoid angering the Germans' Italian allies.

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Allied troops are retreating in Greece via truck & lorry- leaving outflanked Greek soldiers trudging south to try & get away from Germans: https://t.co/rNnDpZ8W5b

New stamp issued to mark Hitler’s birthday; as with all German stamps, postal service pays to license the Führer’s likeness, paying Hitler millions of Reichsmarks. https://t.co/itrkuk1lID

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Yesterday was Hitler’s 52nd birthday. German radio announces he spent the day in the Balkans, “directing victorious Wehrmacht troops as they advance into Greece.”

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German radio claims British have shot all heathy animals in Belfast Zoo, so that they can blame Luftwaffe bombs for killing them; Nazis denounce the British for inventing "atrocity fairytales".

RAF pilot Roald Dahl reports on the “Battle of Athens”: “Wherever I looked I saw an endless blur of enemy fighters whizzing towards me from every side.” https://t.co/4MGEv9aQo2 https://t.co/8OpCYxjLCh

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The Royal Air Force in Greece- 12 British Hurricane fighters- have been ordered to fly in formation above Athens to boost civilian morale. There they’ve met over 100 Luftwaffe planes sent to attack the city.

Coward has just returned from a propaganda tour of USA, secretly funded by British Intelligence: "London's behaviour is absolutely magnificent. Much better than gallant. Wish the whole of America could really see & understand it."

Noel Coward, British writer, actor & spy, reports from bombed London: "I’m at the Savoy. Pretty bad Blitz overhead, but the orchestra kept on playing.” https://t.co/b8zlHxyUw5

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London's smouldering from its worst bombing yet; 2300 people died last night, thousands of buildings destroyed; great shopping centre of Oxford Street left devastated: https://t.co/BsDU7jy08X

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