World War II Chronicle: June 20, 1941
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The front page reports that a World War-era submarine has been lost during a test dive off the coast of Portsmouth, N.H (map on page three). USS O-9 can withstand a depth of 220 feet, but crews fear that the boat is in much deeper water and although chances of survival are slim, crews will work over the next several days to locate and rescue those aboard…
Page three reports that the St. Louis Cardinals might not renew the contract of their general manager Branch Rickey, and the Army has turned down Chicago White Sox pitcher Johnny Rigney due to a perforated ear drum… On page four, King George has cited an American-born officer serving in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. Draper Kauffman was a 1933 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, but his poor eyesight prevented him from serving in the fleet. He volunteered for service with the American Volunteer Ambulance Corps and was captured during the Battle of France. When the American Embassy convinced the Germans to release him, Kauffman went to work defusing bombs and mines for in the Royal Navy. An exploding mine nearly kills him, but after he recovers he joins the U.S. Navy and will create a Bomb Disposal School. His father, Capt. James L. Kauffman, currently commands Destroyer Division SEVEN. Stay tuned for more on the younger Kauffman soon…
The Senate Foreign Relations committee discusses what the massive numbers of German troops deployed to the Soviet border could mean for the war…
Sports section begins on page 48. The next page features a boxing column by Grantland Rice… Also on page 49: 20-year-old baseball prospect extraordinaire Dick Wakefield has announced he is quitting the University of Michigan and will consider offers from the Major Leagues (see page 49). He has been trying out for scouts with the Dodgers, Reds, Tigers, Nationals, Red Sox. Reportedly the Yankees will beat any offer…
DiMaggio Streak
| AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | AVG | |
| DiMaggio CF | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .354 |
On this day, DiMaggio goes 4-for-5, collecting two hits off Bobo Newsom and adding a single and a double off Archie McKain as the Yankees hammer Detroit 14-4. He now moves into eighth place on baseball’s all-time hit streak list.
Major League Baseball’s Longest Hitting Streaks (as of June 20, 1941)
| 1 | Willie Keeler | 45 | 1896-97 |
| 2 | Bill Dahlen | 42 | 1894 |
| 3 | George Sisler | 41 | 1922 |
| 4 | Ty Cobb | 40 | 1911 |
| 5 | Gene DeMontreville | 36 | 1896-97 |
| 6 | Fred Clarke | 35 | 1895 |
| Ty Cobb | 35 | 1917 | |
| George Sisler | 35 | 1924-25 | |
| 7 | George McQuinn | 34 | 1938 |
| 8 | Joe DiMaggio | 33 | 1941 |
| George Davis | 33 | 1893 | |
| Hal Chase | 33 | 1907 | |
| Rogers Hornsby | 33 | 1922 |
Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 20 June 1941. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1941-06-20/ed-1/