Eighty years ago this week the US air force unveils an intercontinental bomber

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The US air force announced the existence of the experimental YB-35 flying wing bomber. It had been designed to bomb Europe from America had Britain fallen with a round trip capability of 10,000 miles. Supposedly it was faster than contemporary fighters. Only pre-production examples were to be built but it opened the era of ever-larger American bombers capable of attacking the Soviet Union.

Desperate measures were brought in to address Britain's crippling shortage of wheat. Even before the widely flagged rationing of bread was introduced, the size of a standard loaf was cut to 1 3/4lb from 2lb with no corresponding price cut. It was assumed that this would translate directly  into reduced flour consumption. Beer production was also cut by 10% from prewar level.

As the Soviet army withdrew from China after a brief occupation of Manchuria, it gave control of Harbin, the largest city in North East China, to Mao-Zedong's communists. It was to serve as a major centre for the communists during the civil war and was never taken by the nationalists.


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