In the eight weeks since Anthony Eden’s appeal, 1,060,000 men have signed on with the Local Defence Volunteers. However, they still have no uniforms, no ranks, and few weapons apart from rifles borrowed from museums and even from London’s Drury Lane theatre.

The LDV average age is high, and some units include several generals of the last war now in the ranks. In two days time the first course begins at the LDV training school set up at Osterley Park, near London. It is run by Tom Wintringham, the former commander of the British volunteers in Spain, whose articles in Picture Post on guerrilla fighting inspired its publisher, Edward Hulton, to set up the "guerrilla" school.

The LDV may soon see a change of name. Churchill recently suggested to Eden that they be given the shorter title "Home Guard".

London: The Exchange News Agency reports:

Marshal Petain’s government has published a warning to all British war vessels and aircraft, not to approach the French coast. His naval and aerial combat forces have been ordered (he says) to open fire without previous warning on any British units that appear.

NORTH SEA: A Hudson of RAF Coastal Command 233 Squadron attacks a Swedish destroyer squadron. All four bombs are near misses and no damage results. The British foreign office later issues an apology to the Swedes. (David Pounder)

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Two Italian battleships, 14 cruisers and 32 destroyers are reported in the Ionian Sea covering a convoy to Benghazi, to Admiral Cunningham.

After four days of attacking the Vichy French Fleet at Oran (Operation Catapult), Vice-Admiral Sommerville's Force H, built around HMS Ark Royal, sorties into the Western Mediterranean to support the Mediterranean Fleet's effort to escort two convoys running between Alexandria and Malta. Within eight hours of departing the force is attacked by Italian bombers but emerges unscathed. (Mark Horan)

The Jean Bart at Casablanca is also attacked.

Charles de Gaulle is publicly critical of these British actions.

FRENCH WEST AFRICA: During the night, the British launch two attacks to disable the French battleship Richelieu at Dakar. In the first, four depth charges dropped over the side of a motor boat from aircraft carrier HMS Hermes fail to explode. In the second, carrier-based Swordfish Mk. I aircraft of No. 814 Squadron in HMS Hermes torpedo Richelieu, rendering her incapable of steaming at more than half power. Her main battery, however, is unaffected. (Jack McKillop and Mark Horan)

FRENCH WEST INDIES: Carrier 'Bearn' and two cruisers are immobilised by mainly diplomatic means.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The Newfoundland-registered Bowater Co. merchantman Humber Arm (5,758 GRT), was torpedoed and sunk by U-99, Kptlt. Otto Kretschmer, Knight's Cross, Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Knight's Cross with Swords, CO, south of Ireland, in position 50.36N, 009.24W. Humber Arm was as part of the 44-ship Halifax to Liverpool convoy HX-53 and was loaded with 1,000 tons of steel and 5,450 tons of paper. There were no casualties in this incident. Convoy HX-53 arrived in Liverpool on 10 Jul 40 having lost only one ship.

London:

P G Wodehouse could be prosecuted after the war for making his broadcasts from Berlin, which are being recorded as evidence. Mr Eden told the Commons yesterday that "the government has seen with regret the report that he has lent his services to the German propaganda machine."

The RAF Bomber Command's No. 90 Squadron based at Polebrook, Northamptonshire, dispatches three Fortress Mk. Is (B-17Cs) to bomb the German Naval base at Wilhelmshaven, Germany; this is the RAF's first B-17 mission. The three aircraft fly individual sorties and the results are far from successful. The USAAF criticizes the individual sorties stressing that attacks by large formations are more effective. The RAF flies a total of 51 individual sorties in 26 raids by September and abandons operations over Europe with the Fortress identifying difficulties with the Norden bombsight, numerous mechanical failures and a tendency for the guns to freeze up at altitudes up to 30,000 feet (9,144 m). The most serious defect was the inadequate defensive armament. In October 1941, four of the Fortress Mk. Is are sent to Egypt to serve with Coastal Command's No. 220 Squadron where they served until May 1942 bombing Benghazi at night and attacking shipping in the Mediterranean. In October 1942, the surviving aircraft were all transferred to Coastal Command and they served in Scotland until replaced by the Fortress Mk. II (B-17F) and IIA (B-17E).

YUGOSLAVIA: Belgrade: Germany and Italy announce plans to dismember Yugoslavia. Croatia is to independent. Ljubljana, part of Dalmatia and some of the Adriatic islands are annexed by Italy. Bosnia will be an Italian Protectorate. Germany takes Montenegro, Carinthia and Cariola. Hungary also takes some territory.

BALTIC STATES: Jews are ordered to wear a yellow badge of identification.

U.S.A.: Baseball!

U.S.S.R.: Battle of Someri. Soviet attempt to capture the island fails after heavy land, naval and air combat.

Pacific Fleet: Submarines "Sch-138" and "Sch-118" are sunk by torpedo explosion in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur. (Sergey Anisimov)(69)

NORTH AFRICA: US Army, Middle East Air Force (USAMEAF) B-24s bomb the harbour and shipping at Benghazi, Libya during the night of 8/9 July, while B-17s hit the harbour at Tobruk.

NORTH SEA: The British Home Fleet sail strong units off Norway as a distraction for upcoming operations in the Mediterranean. The Germans do not notice them.

FRANCE: Resistance leader, Jean Moulin - known to many as "Max" - has died after being brutally tortured by the Gestapo. He betrayed no-one. Moulin was arrested in 21 June with resistance leaders from across the country who were attending a top-secret meeting. He was president of the National Resistance Council and was striving to unite the many Resistance groups fighting in France. His unconscious body was being taken to a concentration camp when he died.

GERMANY: At a meeting in the Supreme Headquarters, Hitler promises his support for continued production of the Me-264 to Messerschmitt, but only for maritime uses. At the same time he drops his plan to bomb the US east coast, because "the few aircraft that could get through would only provoke the populace to resistance." (Neal D. O'Brien)

U.S.S.R.: The Battle of Kursk continues, while the German position on the south is quite good, continued German losses will change the outcome.

BURMA: Anglo-Indian troops have carried out a lightning raid against the Japanese-occupied port of Maungdaw, on the Bay of Bengal. A communiqué issued in Delhi today says that the Allied troops drove the Japanese out of Maungdaw and occupied the port for some hours. After a fierce exchange the village was surrendered, but Allied sources say that valuable information was gathered and equipment captured before the troops withdrew. 

NEW GUINEA: Fifth Air Force B-25s continue to support Australian troops in the Nassau Bay area by pounding enemy positions around Mubo and along the coast of northeaster New Guinea, hitting Kela Point and village, Malolo, Buigap Creek, and trails from Salamaua Airfield and Kennedy's Crossing to Logui.

The 319th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) USAAF (B-24) rejoins the 90th Bombardment Group (Heavy) USAAF at Port Moresby.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: In the Solomon Islands, Thirteenth Air Force B-24s attack Kahili Airfield  on Bougainville, plus other targets, in support of the New Georgia operation. Navy and Marine SBD Dauntlesses and TBF Avengers, escorted by F4U Corsairs, bomb Vila on Kolombangara Island.

TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: Nine Eleventh Air Force B-25s attack Kiska Island.

Eight IJN submarines are in position in the western Aleutians to support Phase II of the KE-GO Operation, the evacuation of Japanese forces from Kiska Island.

CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Canso and frigate HMCS Waskesiu departed Esquimalt for Halifax.

Minesweeper HMCS Melville completed refit in Halifax and joined EG W-5.

Corvette HMCS St Lambert laid down Quebec City, Province of Quebec.

Minesweeper HMCS New Liskeard laid down Port Arthur, Ontario.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: A B-24 Liberator of the 2d Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy), AAF Antisubmarine Command based at Port Lyautey, French Morocco, sinks German submarine, U-232 off Portugal at 40-37N 13-4lW. All 46 men on the U-boat are lost.

1. Of 331 B-24s dispatched, 14 hit Schore Bridge, nine hit Welle Bridge, one hits Orsel Airfield and one hits a target of opportunity; escort is provided by 266 P-38 Lightnings and P-51 Mustangs; they claim 20-0-19 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; a P-51 is lost.

2. Of 304 B-17s dispatched, 61 hit Poix Airfield, 49 hit V-1 sites, 37 hit Etaples Bridge, 13 hit a road junction, 12 hit Abbeville Airfield and 11 hit Etaples choke point; four B-17s are lost. Escort is provided by 36 P-47 Thunderbolts.

3. Of 130 B-24s dispatched, 71 hit V-1 sites, 13 hit St Vallery en Caux Airfield and 11 hit Abbeville railroad junction. 

4. Of 264 B-17s dispatched, 21 hit Jaigle, 20 hit Barenton and ten hit Chandai rail junctions, 11 hit Nantes/Gassicourt Bridge, 11 hit Nantes railroad bridge, nine hit railroad tracks at Yvetot, 11 hit Nogent and six hit Rouen marshalling yards, 24 hit Conches and 11 hit St Andre de l'Eure Airfields and 25 hit targets of opportunity; five B-17s are lost.

Forces 3 and 4 are escorted by 286 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s; they claim 0-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground.

86 P-47s bomb St Andre de l'Eure Airfield without loss.

Mission 461: Four B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night.

17 B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER missions.

HUNGARY: Budapest: At least 300,000 Hungarian Jews have been gassed or shot at Auschwitz-Birkenau in the last 46 days under Adolf Eichmann">Eichmann's carefully thought-out plan to destroy the Jewish population of Hungary. But today Hungary's regent, Admiral Miklos Horthy, ordered a halt to Jewish deportations following concerted pressure from Allied governments, the Red Cross, the pope and the king of Sweden.

Hitler himself had to persuade Horthy, a natural defender of the Jews, to agree to the deportations in the first place. Now, with the Russians getting nearer every day, Horthy feels strong enough to stand up to him, sacking the veteran fascists Laszlo Baky and  Vitez Endre who were helping to implement Nazi racial policies.

Although Eichmann">Eichmann remains determined to try to keep the trains running, he may have met his match in the form of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat. Wallenberg, on his way to Budapest clutching Swedish visas for 630 Hungarian Jews and British documents guaranteeing a further 700 entry to Palestine, is expected to arrive tomorrow. The king of Sweden has sent Wallenberg on a mission to save as many Jews as possible. His brief is simple: protect them while visas are prepared, then get them to a safe haven.

FINLAND: This morning the Soviets attack again the Finnish positions at Tähtelä, west of Pyöräkangas and Ihantala, but are repulsed. A rested and refitted Soviet 286th Division tries to attack at Vakkila and Ihantala, but its attempts are prevented by Finnish artillery.

U.S.S.R.: Baranovichi, between Minsk and Brest-Litovsk, is liberated by Rokossovsky.

ITALY: The Fifteenth Air Force in Italy dispatches 520+ B-17s and B-24s to attack targets in the Vienna, Austria area including refineries at Vosendorf and Korneuburg, the airfield at Zwolfaxing, Markersdorf, and Munchendorf, and marshalling yard and oil storage at Vienna/Floridsdorf, and the airfield at Veszprem; fighters fly 200+ sorties in support of the bomber missions which are opposed by 100+ fighters; 14 US aircraft are lost; heavy bombers and fighters claim 50+ fighters shot down.

CHINA: American B-29s based here have carried out a second attack on the Japanese mainland. Last night's raid by 20th Bomber Command was aimed at naval installations at Sasebo and the iron and steel works at Yahata, "Japan's Essen", first hit by B-29s three weeks ago. Sasebo, Omura and Tobata were also hit. General Arnold, the commander of the USAAF, set up the independent 20th to fly the huge bombers in any theatre of war. he has said that B-29s will only fly night raids until the shakedown stage is over.

MARIANAS ISLANDS: Japanese air attacks continue and a P-61 Black Widow shoots down a G4M "Betty" during the night near Saipan while Navy F6F Hellcat pilots shoot down 9 A6M "Zekes" early in the morning. 

During the night of 7/8 July, Seventh Air Force B-24s stage through Eniwetok Atoll and bomb Truk Atoll; more B-24s follow with another raid during the day. 

Also during the day, Seventh Air Force P-47s fly fighter-bomber operations against Japanese troops on Saipan, Pagan, and Tinian Islands. 

The cruisers and destroyers of Task Group 53.18 begin a daily bombardment of Guam.

MARIANAS ISLANDS, SAIPAN: Victorious but stunned US troops on Saipan are still coming to terms with the mass suicide of 8,000 Japanese defenders and civilians in the final throes of the invasion. Ever since Tarawa, US veterans of the Pacific campaign have become used to the gruesome Japanese determination to fight to the death. On Saipan they were as ready as it is possible to be when the Japanese launched a last desperate lunge, quickly losing 1,500.

But this was as nothing compared with  the shock when US troops broke through to Marpi and found thousands of bodies on the rocks and floating in the surf. Many were civilians, many of them children and themselves hurled over the cliffs rather than be taken prisoner, heeding the warning by Saipan's commander General Saito that they would be tortured and killed if captured. Saito committed ritual suicide.

The survivor's stories bear out the results of a wider survey conducted among Japanese prisoners - many injured or unconscious when captured. Of the PoWs surveyed 84% said they expected to be killed or tortured if taken prisoner. Fear of the consequences of surrender rather than any elevated sense of the samurai code of bushido motivated them to fight to the death.

Many are clearly affected by Japanese propaganda that never fails to call their American opponents subhuman "brutes" and "wild beasts", and depicts Roosevelt and Churchill as horned demons. One typical issue of a popular Japanese magazine portrays Americans as bestial degenerates, sex-obsessed, fiercely racist and capable of killing deformed children by bashing their heads against walls, a fear reinforced among Japanese by the recent US sinking of a hospital ship.

CANADA: HMC ML 126 completed.

Frigate HMCS Sea Cliff launched Lauzon, Province of Quebec.

BORNEO: On Borneo, Thirteenth Air Force B-24s and B-25s, supporting Australian forces who arelanding at Penajam, hit the Balikpapan area defensive positions, Samarinda shipyards, various targets along the Samarinda road, and warehouses at Tandjung. B-24s [including some of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)] bomb warehouses at Donggala on Celebes Island.

CANADA:

Corvettes HMCS Asbestos, Moose Jaw and Smiths Falls paid off Sorel, Province of Quebec.

HMC ML 050, 087 and 103 paid off.

U.S.A.: Opinion pollsters asked the following question: 

Do you think American soldiers in Germany should be allowed to have dates with German girls?

                 All     Men     Women

Yes           30%   41%   22%

No            59%     48%      67%

No opinion     11%     11%     11%

Utah: A soldier opens fire on German PoWs, killing eight and wounding 20.