Saturday 9 March 1940

Jews taking their things to the Lodz Ghetto (Gauss, Federal Archive).

Winter War: The Finns admit in a 9 March 1940 communique that the Soviets have established a beachhead on the far (northwestern) shore of Viipuri Bay. However, they are quick to add that everywhere else the line is holding.

The British and French still promise assistance, but they want a formal request for assistance. Their offers are cynical: while they promise 12,000 troops, only 4,000 are allocated to Finland; the rest would be to seize control of iron ore mines in Norway and Sweden.

Winter War Army Operations: While there are no major breakthroughs, the Finnish positions are deteriorating. They evacuate key positions in the Gulf of Viipuri.

Winter War Air Operations: The Finns perform strafing missions with nine Moranes and a Fiat, destroying 6 trucks, and also shoot down 2 Soviet I-153 and a Tshaika. Ten new Hawker Hurricanes, much more advanced than current planes on either side, arrive at the Sakyla base, but must be worked up and pilots trained on them.

Winter War Peace Talks: The Soviets are demanding a huge slice of Finnish territory to the west of Lake Ladoga, including Salla in Lapland. The Finns are aghast because they never expected to lose all access to Lake Ladoga. Marshal Mannerheim calls at 17:00, and he tells PM Ryti that General Heinrichs, in charge of the most sensitive area of defense on the Karelian Isthmus, says that there is no military hope. Mannerheim thus urges acceptance of the Soviet terms, draconian as they may be perceived.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-14 (Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Wohlfarth) has a big day.

First, at 05:42 U-14 torpedoes and sinks 1,097-ton British freighter SS Borthwick north of Zeebrugge. All 21 aboard survive. Next, U-14 torpedoes SS Abbotsford at 11:30. The freighter does not sink, and 643 ton SS Akeld turns around to assist. U-14 then puts a torpedo into the Akeld, which sinks. U-14 then turns back to the 1,585 ton Abbotsford and puts a second torpedo into it, sinking it. All crewmen are lost on both ships, 19 on the Abbotsford and 12 on the Akeld.

U-38 (Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe) spots a fleet (6 ships) of neutral Irish trawlers in the Donegal Bay fishing grounds. It should not attack at all, because the trawlers have their lights on, indicating neutrality. However, U-38 surfaces and fires a warning shot anyway - which hits the trawler Leukos. The Leukos sinks and all 11 aboard perish.

U-28 (Kapitänleutnant Günter Kuhnke) sinks 4,979 ton Greek freighter P. Margaronis 125 miles west of Brest, France. All 30 crew perish.

British freighter Chevychase hits a mine and sinks.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Kelly (Lord Mountbatten) collides with destroyer HMS Gurkha, damaging the Kelly.

The Kriegsmarine conducts minelaying operations.

The British commission two minesweeping trawlers, HMS Hazel (W. E. Coggin) and HMS Juniper (Lt. Commander G. S. Grenfell).

The British at Gibraltar detain US freighter Exmoor.

Convoy OB 105 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HG 22F departs from Gibraltar, and Convoy SL 23F departs from Freetown, and Convoy HX 26 departs from Halifax.

Anglo/Italian Relations: The British authorities release the 13 Italian coal ships that they have been holding near Kent. However, they warn the Italians that they must find an overland source of supply. The timing is interesting because it comes on the eve of a visit to Rome by Nazi Foreign Minister Ribbentrop. This resolves the "Coal Ships Affair."

Admiral Raeder and Hitler.

German Military: Admiral Raeder, who is the de facto head of the proposed invasion of Denmark and Norway, cautions Hitler that the British and French may occupy Norway at the earliest opportunity. They will use assistance to the Finns, he cautions, to seize strategic positions throughout Scandinavia. Thus, Operation Weserubung should be executed at the earliest opportunity.

Canadian Military: In a pungent show of team spirit, Canadian soldiers who left their hockey team to serve their country with the BEF don their Toronto Maple Leafs team jerseys while training in England.

British Homefront: The UK press, which has a mind of its own, accuses the US industry of war profiteering. Ambassador to the Court of St. James Joseph Kennedy replies, "We're not playing Shylock, getting rich off misery." He also rather pointedly adds, "America's desire to stay out of this war is getting stronger." The US Supreme Court ultimately rules that businesses are perfectly entitled to take profits from war contracts even if this is seen by some as "war profiteering."

Finnish Homefront: Reserve Lieutenant Martti 'Make' Uosikkinen, a gymnast who is one of Finland's top athletes, is killed in action at Kollaa.

Holocaust: Polish Jews from Lodz who have been forced to move into the Jewish Ghetto find conditions there deplorable: "A refuse dump choked with rats. A stinking toilet full of melting snow. A leaking roof. 1 little room for 7 people," says Irena Liebman.

Future History: Raúl Juliá is born in Floral Park, San Juan, Puerto Rico. He becomes famous as an actor in the 1960s and 1970s for appearances on Broadway, television shows such as Sesame Street, and films such as "Kiss of the Spider Woman." He passed away in 1994.

March 1940

March 1, 1940: Soviet Breakthroughs Past Viipuri
March 2, 1940: Soviets Swarm West in Finland
March 3, 1940: Soviets Across Gulf of Viipuri
March 4, 1940: USSR Apologizes to Sweden
March 5, 1940: Katyn Forest Massacre Approved
March 6, 1940: Finns Head to Moscow
March 7, 1940: The Coal Ships Affair
March 8, 1940: Peace Talks Begin in Moscow
March 9, 1940: Soviets Harden Peace Terms
March 10, 1940: Germany Draws Closer to Italy
March 11, 1940: Winter War Peace Terms Finalized
March 12, 1940: War is Over (If You Want It)
March 13, 1940: Winter War Ends
March 14, 1940: Evacuating Karelia
March 15, 1940: The Bletchley Bombe
March 16, 1940: First British Civilian Killed
March 17, 1940: Enter Dr. Todt
March 18, 1940: Mussolini To Join the War
March 19, 1940: Daladier Resigns
March 20, 1940: Soviets Occupy Hango Naval Base
March 21, 1940: Paul Reynaud Leads France
March 22, 1940: Night Fighters Arise!
March 24, 1940: French Consider Alternatives
March 25, 1940: Reynaud Proposes Action
March 26, 1940: C-46 First Flight
March 27, 1940: Himmler Authorizes Auschwitz Construction
March 28, 1940: Allies Ponder Invading Norway
March 29, 1940: Soviets Prefer Neutrality
March 30, 1940: Allied Uncertainty
March 31, 1940: The Tiger Cage

2019

Thursday 7 March 1940

Sumner Welles towers over Edouard Daladier, 7 March 1940.

Winter War: With the situation becoming desperate on 7 March 1940, the Finns have begun calling up the next class of recruits, lowering the service age to 20.

Winter War Army Operations: The fighting continues in the Viipuri Bay sector and north of Lake Ladoga. The Soviets make small gains in both sectors. The major Soviet success is that the Soviet 28th Corps cuts the highway between Viipuri and Helsinki, which basically is a lifeline for Finnish positions further north.

The Finns have almost no ammunition left, but they know they have to stop the Soviets from continuing to cross the bay. Someone thinks of using saws to cut the ice... but the cuts quickly freeze.

Legendary Finnish sniper Simo Hayha, the "Magic Shooter" who has 505 kills in 95 days, is shot in the jaw, but survives. "Half his head is hanging out," says one man who helps to rescue him.

Winter War Peace Talks: The Finns arrive in Moscow in the evening. They announce that negotiations are in progress over Soviet terms that are even more drastic than those issued before the war - and they should know since Juho Kusti Paasikivi is the one who failed at his negotiations with the Soviets in November. German and Swedish mediators are participating.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-14 (Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Wohlfarth) sinks 1,965-ton Dutch freighter Vecht in the North Sea off Knokke-Heist, West Flanders, Belgium. All 22 crew perish.

The British detain many more Italian vessels carrying German coal. The ships are brought to The Downs, off Deal in Kent, and anchored off the coast without being unloaded. Other ships are en route to Italy from Rotterdam. Italy is badly in need of coal, and rationing has been imposed.

The incident is turning Italian public opinion against the British, who it is believed are using the war as a pretext for arms deals that Mussolini refuses to approve. It is an extreme example of the high-handed British attitude toward neutral rights that has permeated the Admiralty's conduct to date, exemplified by the seizure of mail and dubious "contraband" and lengthy detainments of neutral vessels. This current squabble gets the tabloid name "The Coal Ships Affair."

The Kriegsmarine conducts minelaying operations west of Heligoland.

Liner Queen Elizabeth completes its journey to New York in the service of the Admiralty.

Convoy OA 105G departs from Southend.

European Air Operations: RAF planes drop Polish-language leaflets over western Poland, then also drop German-language leaflets over Leipzig and the Ruhr.

The Luftwaffe conducts a night raid over ships anchored off the southeast coast of England. The RAF shoots down a Heinkel He 111 bomber east of Aberdeen.

Western Front: There is heightened patrol activity in the no man's land between the Maginot and Siegfried Lines. One officer, a Captain Twomey, states that British posts are so poorly situated that "No one can see another to support it."

RAF: Sir Kingsley Wood declares that the fighting capacity of the RAF has doubled over the past year.

Concerned about "loose lips," the RAF picks out some men and makes the "specially deputized" to report on those they hear speaking indiscreetly.

German Military: Hitler expands Operation Weserubung, which originally was a one-division operation, to eight divisions. It will include the occupation of Norway and, as a "land-bridge" to Norway, Denmark. At this point in the war, all of Hitler's military decisions are turning up roses.

British Government: The debate over land sale restrictions in Palestine boils over in the House of Commons, where Labour laments these cruel impositions on "a weak and hunted race," while Tories point out that "Now is not the time to face Arab revolt."

US Government: Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles continues his tour of world capitals in Paris. He meets first with President Albert François Lebrun, keeps wandering off into areas that were not "in the slightest degree significant." Welles then meets with French Premier Daladier in Paris, who surprisingly (in light of his many contrary public statements) says that he would not absolutely rule out negotiating with Hitler. Daladier emphasizes that the restoration of Czech and Polish independence is the primary war aim.

Simo Hayha, legendary Finnish sniper, before his injury.

March 1940

March 1, 1940: Soviet Breakthroughs Past Viipuri
March 2, 1940: Soviets Swarm West in Finland
March 3, 1940: Soviets Across Gulf of Viipuri
March 4, 1940: USSR Apologizes to Sweden
March 5, 1940: Katyn Forest Massacre Approved
March 6, 1940: Finns Head to Moscow
March 7, 1940: The Coal Ships Affair
March 8, 1940: Peace Talks Begin in Moscow
March 9, 1940: Soviets Harden Peace Terms
March 10, 1940: Germany Draws Closer to Italy
March 11, 1940: Winter War Peace Terms Finalized
March 12, 1940: War is Over (If You Want It)
March 13, 1940: Winter War Ends
March 14, 1940: Evacuating Karelia
March 15, 1940: The Bletchley Bombe
March 16, 1940: First British Civilian Killed
March 17, 1940: Enter Dr. Todt
March 18, 1940: Mussolini To Join the War
March 19, 1940: Daladier Resigns
March 20, 1940: Soviets Occupy Hango Naval Base
March 21, 1940: Paul Reynaud Leads France
March 22, 1940: Night Fighters Arise!
March 24, 1940: French Consider Alternatives
March 25, 1940: Reynaud Proposes Action
March 26, 1940: C-46 First Flight
March 27, 1940: Himmler Authorizes Auschwitz Construction
March 28, 1940: Allies Ponder Invading Norway
March 29, 1940: Soviets Prefer Neutrality
March 30, 1940: Allied Uncertainty
March 31, 1940: The Tiger Cage

2019

Friday 16 February 1940

The Altmark in Norway.

Winter War: Sweden on 16 February 1940 rejects the Finnish request for rights of passage of foreign troops across its territory. It is a right assumed by the Allied Supreme War Council in its plans to cross over Swedish territory to Finland and also "protect" Swedish iron ore mines. This unexpected Swedish decision, however, does not cause the Allies to alter those plans.

Winter War Army Operations: The Finns admit in a communique that the Soviets have breached the Mannerheim Line in three places: east of Summa, and two between Muola Lake and Vuoksi River. This, of course, does not include the critical fact that the entire line now is in retreat to the V-Line.

The order to retreat came late on the 15th, and the units under the most pressure executed it immediately. Some units in better shape don't receive the order until this afternoon.

Finnish 9th Infantry Division, including Group Talvela, wipes out the remnants of the Siberian ski brigade "Dolin." There are 70 survivors of the unit out of the 1,800 skiers who initially crossed the frontier. The Siberians are/were well-equipped with automatic weapons, which the Finns can use.

Winter War Air Operations: The Finns bomb Soviet railway stations and tracks behind the lines. They also claim to have shot down 8 more Soviet planes.

Special Ops: Having spotted the Altmark a few days ago, the Admiralty, i.e., Winston Churchill, acts fast. It instructs the HMS Cossack to violate Norwegian neutrality and enter its territorial waters for the purposes of boarding the supply ship. The Altmark, crowded with 299 British prisoners from the ships sunk by the Admiral Graf Spee in the South Atlantic, believes that it is safe, but it is not.

Located in Joessing Fjord, Southwest Norway, Admiral Vian menaces the Altmark at around 22:00, which then runs aground. A British boarding party kills seven German sailors, wounds 11, and releases the prisoners from the hold. Captain Philip Vian becomes a national hero for this, and the incident enters British naval lore for truths, half-truths, and unproven and unlikely legends about the affair (such as that the boarding party actually used cutlasses, like pirates, to free the men).

The Norwegian escort - a torpedo boat - watches the whole affair but does not intervene. Technically, the prisoners should have been released upon entering neutral waters, so the Norwegian involvement is equivocal, but the Germans never notified them of the prisoners. This, actually, is something the British have done as well, such as when a British ship passed through the US Panama Canal with German prisoners, so they have no cause to complain, and don't. The Cossack leaves the Jøssingfjord just after midnight on 17 February with the 299 prisoners.

While the fate of the 299 sailors is important, so is the larger course of the war. The Germans observe the high-handed British attitude to Norwegian neutrality and speed up their own plans regarding the country. Naturally, the Germans make the dead into martyrs.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-14 (Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Wohlfarth) has a big day northeast of Scotland. They are all carrying coal from Britain to Denmark and Sweden.

First, around midnight, U-14 torpedoes and sinks 1,064-ton Danish freighter Rhone. There are 11 survivors, 9 perish.

Second, it torpedoes and sinks the 1,066-ton Danish freighter Sleipner. There are 28 survivors and 13 perish. The Sleipner had stopped to help the people from the Rhone.

Third, at 21:25, U-14 sinks the 1,526-ton Swedish freighter Osmed. There are 7 survivors and 13 perish.

Fourth, about ten minutes later, U-14 sinks 1,646-ton Swedish freighter Liana. There are eight survivors, 10 perish. The area is full of passing freighters and trawlers, so the survivors all get picked up fairly quickly.

The British authorities at Gibraltar detain the US freighter Excalibur for a few hours, then let it and the freighter Exermont, which has been detained since 14 February, proceed.


Convoy OA 93 GF departs from Southend. Convoy HX 20 departs from Halifax.

Royal Air Force: Royal Air Force Hurricanes and Spitfires are converting over to 100 octane fuel. This gives them a performance boost by increasing engine power by raising the boost to +12 lb/sq.in. Every little bit helps against the equally matched Bf 109s, though the Bf 109s as yet cannot make it to Great Britain. No. 602's Operations Record Book notes today that "100 octane fuel now in all aircraft."

Anglo/Soviet Relations: Sir Stafford Cripps, a well-known Marxist sympathizer who plays that role well in the British government, meets with Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov. This is a fascinating example of the British minding their diplomatic fences. On the one hand, they are openly supporting the Finns in their fight against the Soviets, but on the other, they are secretly attempting to learn if there is any room for accommodation with the Soviets.

British Homefront: The British authorities stage a crackdown on "steakeasies" (like "speakeasies" during Prohibition) which are unauthorized slaughterhouses circumventing the rationing process.

Flag-draped coffins containing German dead are brought ashore for burial after the Altmark Incident in Jossingfjord, Norway.

February 1940

February 3, 1940: Soviets Capture a Bunker
February 4, 1940: Peace Talks in Stockholm
February 5, 1940: Allies to Invade Norway
February 6, 1940: Careless Talk Costs Lives
February 7, 1940: IRA Terrorists Executed
February 8, 1940: Spies!
February 9, 1940: The Welles Mission
February 10, 1940: Confiscation of Jewish Goods
February 11, 1940: Soviets Attack Mannerheim Line
February 12, 1940: Breaches In Mannerheim Line
February 13, 1940: Soviets Inching Forward in Finland
February 14, 1940: Soviets Batter Mannerheim Line
February 15, 1940: Finns Retreat
February 16, 1940: Altmark Incident
February 17, 1940: Manstein and Hitler Discuss Fall Gelb
February 18, 1940: Operation Nordmark
February 19, 1940: King Gustav Says No
February 20, 1940: Falkenhorst Commands Weserubung
February 21, 1940: Radar Advances
February 22, 1940: Friendly Fire
February 23, 1940: Soviets Present Their Demands
February 24, 1940: Fall Gelb Revised
February 25, 1940: Mr. Welles Comes to Visit
February 26, 1940: Battle of Honkaniemi
February 27, 1940: Finns Retreat Again
February 28, 1940: Overseas Volunteers Help Finland
February 29, 1940: Finns Accept Soviet Terms In Principle

2019

Thursday 25 January 1940

Pilot Officer John R "Jack" Urwin-Mann, who is posted to RAF No 253 Squadron based at Manston on 25 January 1940. DFC 26 November 1940.

Winter War: A British delegation of the National Council of Labour headed by Sir Walter Citrine sets off for Finland on 25 January 1940.

Winter War Army Operations: At Lahde, the Soviets have been scouting out Finnish positions. The Soviet 123rd Rifle Division (Col. Alyabushev) has built dugouts with stoves and engaged in a training program in preparation for a new offensive. The three regiments of the division are kept well back from the front, approximately 2 km, with company-strength forces to keep an eye on the Finns.

Alyabushev is a taskmaster who gets his men ready. Morale is high. New guns are brought up and put into position, so many that it is difficult to locate them all to the best advantage. The scouts capture some Finnish prisoners and also locate the key defensive features. One is the large "Millionaire bunker" on Tongue Hill, another the "Poppius bunker" in the center of the line. This is one of the best-fortified sections of the entire Mannerheim Line.

Two 152 mm guns are sited for the express purpose of destroying the Millionaire bunker. The Soviet troops have enough time and manpower to construct elaborate wooden casements for the guns. They are in position and ready for action by today, but there is some thick fog which cancels the opening of the assault until the weather clears.

At Summa, the 7,000-shell daily bombardment continues.

"Ski Troops Halt Mechanized Soviets." The Orange Leader (Orange, Tex.), Vol. 27, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 25, 1940.

Winter War Naval Operations: The weather is extremely poor, enough so that a patrol of Kriegsmarine destroyers turns back to base.

Soviet planes sink Finnish freighter Notung in a bomb attack. The crew reports that the Soviets strafed the survivors in their lifeboat.

Battle of the Atlantic: There continues to be a rash of sinkings of neutral vessels, especially Norwegian ones. The British would dearly love for the Norwegians to join the fight, but they refuse to budge on their neutrality - though it is obvious they tilt toward the Allies.

U-14 (Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Wohlfarth) torpedoes and sinks 1,752-ton Norwegian freighter SS Biarritz. 36 miles northwest of Ymuiden. There is only time to launch a single lifeboat. There are 21 survivors, while 37 people perish (11 passengers, including some women, and 26 crew).

U-19 (Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke) continues its stellar patrol by torpedoing and sinking 4,434-ton Latvian freighter SS Everene (re-flagged as Belgian vessel Louvain) five miles off Longstone Lighthouse, Farne Islands at 09:12. There are 30 survivors, one perishes.

U-19 also torpedoes and sinks 1,300-ton Norwegian freighter SS Gudveig nearby at 09:30. There are eight survivors, ten perish. Schepke is proving adept at attacks in quick succession, which takes a bit of nerve due to the chances of being spotted and attacked himself.

U-44 (Kapitänleutnant Ludwig Mathes) torpedoes and sinks 2,769-ton French freighter SS Tourny at 04:11, 20 miles off Porto, Portugal. There are 9 survivors and 8 perish. U-44 sets up on another freighter in the same convoy (56-KS), but an escort vessel spots the U-boat and launches an unsuccessful depth-charge attack.

British destroyer HMS Exmoor is launched.

Convoy OA 79 departs from Southend, OB 79 departs from Liverpool.

Carole Lombard on the cover of Photoplay, January 1940.

European Air Operations: A RAF reconnaissance fails to return from a mission over northwest Germany.

Occupied Poland: The "Goering-Frank Circular" is issued. All occupied territory is to be fully exploited for the benefit of the Reich. This is a top-secret document that soon finds its way to the Polish government-in-exile.

A 1940 Lincoln Continental.

US Navy: US Navy icebreaker USS Bear (AG-29), constructed in 1874, advances further south into the Antarctic than any ship previously. She is commanded by Lieutenant Commander Richard H. Cruzen, fated to lead Operation Highjump in 1948. This is part of the 1939-1941 United States Antarctic Expedition led by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd.

Canada: Lord Tweedsmuir announces that Parliament is dissolved for elections to be held on 28 March. The issue at hand is the thoroughness of war preparation.

Belgium: The Belgian Foreign Minister rejects the 20 January 1940 appeal by First Lord of the Admiralty for neutral countries to join the Allies.

Vivien Leigh on the cover of Paris Match, 25 January 1940.

Holocaust: The SS selects the village of  Oswiecim (Auschwitz) for the construction of a concentration camp.

China: Chinese 3rd War Area attacks the Japanese 22nd Infantry Division west of Shaohsing.

In the Battle of South Kwangsi, Japanese units from Nanning open an offensive in the direction of Pinyang.

Jimmy Stewart and Frank Morgan in "The Shop Around the Corner," released 25 January 1940.

American Homefront: "The Shop Around the Corner" starring Jimmy Stewart and directed by Ernst Lubitsch opens at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

The "Millionaire" bunker at Lahde.

Future History: Ian Watkin is born in Greymouth, New Zealand. He becomes an actor, getting his first film credits in the early 1970s. His first major role is as Dr. Ryder on New Zealand television series "Pukemanu," and he works steadily thereafter in minor roles on both television and film. He is perhaps best known for "Braindead" (1992) and "Sleeping Dogs" (1977). Fans of "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys might recognize Watkin from his various supporting roles in the series. Ian Watkin passes away in Australia on 18 May 2016.

Ricardo Costa is born in Peniche, Portugal. He becomes a filmmaker in the mid-1970s, producing a series of low-budget films that focus on Portugal.

January 1940

January 1, 1940: Finns Carve up the Soviets
January 2, 1940: Finnish Counterattacks Continue
January 3, 1940: Soviets Trapped
January 4, 1940: Soviet Breakout Attempts Fail
January 5, 1940: Dicing Up the Soviets
January 6, 1940: Soviet 44th Division Runs
January 7, 1940: Shakeup in Soviet High Command
January 8, 1940: Ratte Road Battle Ends
January 9, 1940: British Submarines in Peril
January 10, 1940: Mechelen Incident
January 11, 1940: Finns Surround More Soviets
January 12, 1940: New Soviet Attacks at Taipale
January 13, 1940: Fall Gelb Postponed
January 14, 1940: Japan's Government Falls
January 15, 1940: Soviets Prepare More Carefully
January 16, 1940: German Atrocities Uncovered
January 17, 1940: Bletchley Park in Action
January 18, 1940: New Hope for Allied Shipping
January 19, 1940: Finnish Attacks at Salla
January 20, 1940: Churchill Urges Cooperation
January 21, 1940: Asam Maru Incident
January 22, 1940: Dissension Within British Government
January 23, 1940: Dissension in South Africa
January 24, 1940: NKVD Blocking Detachments
January 25, 1940: Auschwitz Site Selected
January 26, 1940: Millionaire Bunker Destroyed
January 27, 1940: U-20 Sinks Four Ships
January 28, 1940: Softening Up the Finns
January 29, 1940: Moscow Willing to Talk
January 30, 1940: Hitler Throws Down the Gauntlet
January 31, 1940: Timoshenko Is Ready

2019

Friday 19 January 1940

Finnish soldiers scatter as Soviet bombers approach. January 19, 1940.

Winter War: The weather stays chilly on 19 January 1940, with 45°C (81°F) of frost recorded north of Lake Ladoga. Even as far south as Italy, there is 20° of frost, all of Europe is covered by a massive cold front.

Winter War Army Operations: Fierce fighting at Salla, where the Soviets are suffering in the weather more than the Finns, who are better prepared and closer to their supplies. The Soviet 122nd Division there stops a Finnish attack.

The Soviet 18th Division remains surrounded north of Lake Ladoga. It has suffered an estimated 18,000 killed and captured.

Attacks on Taipale gain no ground. The artillery bombardment of Summa continues.

Winter War Air Operations: The Swedish volunteer pilots bomb Soviet positions.

Winter War Peace Talks: Germany declines to mediate in the USSR/Finnish Winter War.

Battle of the Atlantic: British destroyer HMS Grenville (Capt. George E. Creasy) strikes a mine and sinks about 23 miles east of the mouth of the River Thames. Nearby destroyers rescue 118 men, while 77-81 perish (estimates vary). It is a brave move by the destroyers, who also are exposed to the mines.
U-9 (Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang Lüth) continues its successful patrol. It torpedoes and sinks 1,188-ton Swedish freighter Patria north of Ymuiden, Holland. Four survive and 19 perish. The U-boat has been chasing the freighter and dispatches it with one torpedo.

U-55 (Kapitänleutnant Werner Heidel) torpedoes and sinks 1,694-ton Norwegian freighter Telnes northwest of the Orkneys. All 18 crew perish.

U-59 (Kapitänleutnant Harald Jürst) torpedoes and sinks 1,296-ton French freighter Quiberon off Great Yarmouth, England with one torpedo.

U-44 has the Greek freighter Ekatontarchos Dracoulis in its sights in the Bay of Biscay around midnight. A torpedo, though, detonates prematurely.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Sunfish fires four torpedoes at U-14 off Heligoland, Germany. All four miss.

Convoy OA 75G departs from Southend.

Convoy OB 75 departs from Liverpool.

Western Front: The British 50th Motor Division begins embarking for France to join the BEF.

US Government: Senator Borah of Idaho, an influential Isolationist but quite progressive, passes away at age 74 after 32 years in the Senate.

Denmark: The government states that it will fight to preserve its independence.

A.B. Bromfield, the last man to leave the ship, clings to a porthole in the bows of the sinking HMS Grenville. It was a vessel of 1,485 tons and had a complement of 175 officers and men. Eight men died in the explosion, 73 more in the water, there was no time to lower the boats.

January 1940

January 1, 1940: Finns Carve up the Soviets
January 2, 1940: Finnish Counterattacks Continue
January 3, 1940: Soviets Trapped
January 4, 1940: Soviet Breakout Attempts Fail
January 5, 1940: Dicing Up the Soviets
January 6, 1940: Soviet 44th Division Runs
January 7, 1940: Shakeup in Soviet High Command
January 8, 1940: Ratte Road Battle Ends
January 9, 1940: British Submarines in Peril
January 10, 1940: Mechelen Incident
January 11, 1940: Finns Surround More Soviets
January 12, 1940: New Soviet Attacks at Taipale
January 13, 1940: Fall Gelb Postponed
January 14, 1940: Japan's Government Falls
January 15, 1940: Soviets Prepare More Carefully
January 16, 1940: German Atrocities Uncovered
January 17, 1940: Bletchley Park in Action
January 18, 1940: New Hope for Allied Shipping
January 19, 1940: Finnish Attacks at Salla
January 20, 1940: Churchill Urges Cooperation
January 21, 1940: Asam Maru Incident
January 22, 1940: Dissension Within British Government
January 23, 1940: Dissension in South Africa
January 24, 1940: NKVD Blocking Detachments
January 25, 1940: Auschwitz Site Selected
January 26, 1940: Millionaire Bunker Destroyed
January 27, 1940: U-20 Sinks Four Ships
January 28, 1940: Softening Up the Finns
January 29, 1940: Moscow Willing to Talk
January 30, 1940: Hitler Throws Down the Gauntlet
January 31, 1940: Timoshenko Is Ready

2019