September 10, 1941 – Curfews, Gas Shortages, Attacks And Counterattacks
Merchant ships bound for the War Zone – attacks were stepped up.
Click on the link here for audio player: News for September 10, 1941
News for this day in September of 1941 surrounded the latest sinking of a U.S. Merchant ship, carrying Lend-Lease supplies for Britain, off the port city of Suez by German bombers. The crew of the USS Steel Seafarer were rescued by British Warships, but the attack was one of several in recent days and it brought a call for re-thinking our policy on neutrality in light of these stepped-up attacks on American ships in the war zone.
From London came word that German claims of intense 72-hour retaliation bombings of British cities were untrue and that no German bombers were sited in Britain in some days.
News from Moscow told of Russian counterattacks, forcing German retreats and the capture of many German troops and equipment.
From Capitol Hill came reports that President Roosevelt was returning to Washington from Hyde Park where he was mourning the recent death of his mother and would be giving a nationwide address regarding the recent attacks on American ships.
Also from Capitol Hill came news that the House would consider investigation of charges that Hollywood was engaged in pro-war propaganda in the latest batch of movies. Blame was leveled on “foreign-born” producers stoking pro-war sentiment.
And with the gas shortage, brought on by the war and loss of crude from the Middle East, there was talk of building a pipeline from Texas to New York in an effort to ease the crisis. The talk was stymied as it was pointed out that much needed steel for defense would be needed for building the pipeline, and that just wasn’t going to happen.
All that, and much more, including an interview with the rescued crew members of the Steel Seafarer on this September 10, 1941, as broadcast by the NBC Blue Network Morning News Roundup.
