Friday 23 February 1940

HMS Gurkha.

Winter War: Finland, feeling the strain of the unceasing Soviet attacks on 23 February 1940, once again asks Sweden and Norway to grant transit rights to Allied troops. The Swedes already have denied the request, the Norwegians have not really addressed it, but both must agree. The weather has brought operations all along the line to a halt.

The Soviets appear to have an inkling about the Allied plans to intervene in Finland. They slow the tempo of operations and submit peace terms, suggesting that the Finns may have just a tiny bit of negotiating room.

Winter War Naval Operations: The Finns operating out of Viipurinlahti Bay attempt to re-take Lasisaari Island, but withdraw after dark.

Winter War Peace Talks: The Soviet ambassador in Stockholm, Madame Kollontai, delivers a list of Soviet demands for peace to the Finnish Foreign Minister Väinö Tanner. The Finns are displeased at the terms. The Finnish Foreign Affairs Committee meets to consider them. Among other things, they require the entire Karelian Isthmus, including Finland's second-largest city Viipuri. The Soviets also require territory completely surrounding Lake Ladoga, islands in the Gulf of Finland and a 30-year lease on the naval base at Hanko. In exchange for these concessions, the Soviets would agree to return Petsamo. The terms expire on 1 March 1940.

Looked at from the cold gaze of 75 years later, the terms are not too onerous. There are no reparations demanded, Finland would retain its heartland along the Gulf of Finland and its independence, and it would still have an outlet to the sea in the north. All things considered given an unwinnable war...

Battle of the Atlantic: U-53 (Korvettenkapitän Harald Grosse) is sunk in the North Sea in the mid-Orkneys by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Gurkha. All 42 aboard perish.

HMS Ajax and Exeter, two of the ships from the Battle of the Platte, return to England and march through London's Guildhall. Cheering crowds salute the 700 officers and men. HMNZS Achilles returns to New Zealand to a similar reception.

British freighter Benvolio hits a mine and sinks.

The RAF bombs German warships in the Heligoland Bight during the night, with one aircraft failing to return.

The Luftwaffe returns the favor, attacking British shipping by moonlight. The freighter Gothic is strafed.

The British at Gibraltar detain the US freighter Lehigh for several hours, then let it proceed.

Convoy OA 97 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 97 departs from Liverpool, and Convoy OG 19 forms at Gibraltar.

European Air Operations: The RAF conducts a leaflet raid on Prague, which has been the center of numerous student protests in recent months. It also performed reconnaissance over Austria and Bohemia-Moravia.

Moscow denies bombing the Finnish town of Pajala along the Swedish border on 21 February.

German/Norwegian Relations: The two nations sign a trade agreement.

Turkey: The Turkish government declares a state of emergency following a (false) report of a Soviet unit crossing the frontier.

Future History: Actor Peter Fonda, son of Henry and sister of Jayne Seymour Fonda (currently 2 years old), is born in New York City. He becomes famous as an actor in the 1960s for films such as "Easy Rider." He passes away on 16 August 2019.

Väinö Tanner, Finnish Foreign Minister.

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

2020

Sunday 18 February 1940

The Scharnhorst photographed from the Gneisenau. The photo appears to have been taken just after launching one of the Gneisenau's Arado Ar 196 aircraft.

Winter War Army Operations: The Soviet 13th Army assaults the Taipale sector on 18 February 1940. Bludgeoning their way forward with their armor, the Soviets create breaches in the V-Line in two places.

The Finns north of Lake Ladoga complete the destruction of the "regimental motti" of part of the Soviet 18 Rifle Division. They capture 32 field guns, 30 antitank guns, 1 mortar, 20 tanks, 15 machineguns, 25 trucks & 32 field kitchens. The Soviets lose some 1,000 dead, 250 prisoners and uncounted wounded. The Finns complete their efficient operation with only 166 dead. While things are not going well for them further south, the operations in the north continue to favor the Finns.

Winter War Air Operations: The Soviets bomb Tampere, Pori, the Karelian Isthmus, and several smaller towns. The Finns claim to have shot down another 24 Soviet planes.

Battle of the Atlantic: German pocket battleships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst and heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, along with destroyers Wilhelm Heidkamp, Karl Galster, and Wolfgang Zenker, make a sortie towards the Shetland Islands. This is "Operation Nordmark" and is intended to intercept British convoys (the "HN" route) between Bergen, Norway and Great Britain. In the evening, Wolfgang Zenker has to return to port when it takes on water. There are several U-boats providing escort duties to the surface ships.

U-23 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Kretschmer) sinks Royal Navy destroyer Daring with two torpedoes off the Pentland Firth while escorting convoy HN-12 from Norway. The sinking is 40 miles east of the Orkney Islands, Scotland; 156 perish, and there are 4-15 survivors (sources vary). This sinking is an ancillary benefit of Operation Nordmark. Attacking destroyers is considered quite risky, so this adds to Kretschmer's already huge reputation.

The British tanker Imperial Transport torpedoed on 11 February 1940 by U-53 (Korvettenkapitän Harald Grosse) has remained afloat - at least the stern half has. The crew returned to it as it drifted. They are spotted by a passing ship and landed in Scotland.

HMS Hasty brings the German freighter Morea, which it intercepted trying to run the blockade, into a West Country port.

Dutch cargo vessel Ameland hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea.

Spanish freighter Banderas sinks after an explosion of undetermined cause.

The British protest to the Norwegian government that it should intern the Altmark for violating the neutrality laws.

Convoy OA 94 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 94 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SL 21 departs from Freetown, Convoy HX 21 departs from Halifax.

Western Front: A small German infantry detachment, supported by heavy mortars, makes an unproductive raid on a French post near the Moselle.

Following his meeting with General von Manstein, Hitler instructs General Halder to re-cast the Fall Gelb plan to include a major thrust through the Ardennes Forest. This is the decisive moment in the transition of the Fall Gelb plan for the invasion of France and the Low Countries from a conventional regurgitation of the von Schlieffen Plan of August 1914 into its final 1940 form.

Franco/Polish Relations: The French government agrees to allow the Polish Air Force to re-establish its units on French soil.

British Government: The government approves the formation of a Cyrus Regiment.

US Government: US Secretary of State Cordell Hull states that the "moral embargo" indicated by President Roosevelt extends to the Soviet Union.

Iraq: Prime Minister Nuri al-Sa'id resigns.

China: In the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Japanese 22nd Army evacuates Kaofengyi and the Chinese recover it. There are reports that Nanning is lost as well.

In the Shangtung Operation, Japanese naval troops land at the tip of Shangtung Peninsula.

Photo of the Gneisenau (far left) from underneath the Arado Ar 196 floatplane showing two destroyers as seen from the Scharnhorst off the Friesian island of Wangerooge, 18 February 1940.

February 1940

February 1, 1940: Second Battle of Summa
February 2, 1940: Soviet Assaults at Summa 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

Wednesday 14 February 1940

Finnish soldiers sheltered from bombardment during the Russian attack on the Mannerheim line, February 1940.(Photo: SA-kuva).

Winter War: The Finns on 14 February 1940 send numerous foreign governments notes accusing the Soviets of using "illegal" methods in the Winter War. These include the indiscriminate bombing of unprotected towns, hospitals, railways, and other sensitive facilities. They also accuse Soviet soldiers of pretending to surrender while waving the white flag, then attacking.

The Finns also admit that their forward line on the Karelian Isthmus has been breached, but also say that the Soviet advance has been stopped at the second line of defenses.

The British government gives formal permission for British volunteers to serve in the Finnish armed forces. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the United Kingdom’s Home Department Osbert Peake says:

A general license has been granted to British subjects to enlist in the Finnish forces, and a license has been granted to the recruiting organization which has been established in London.

Winter War Army Operations: It has now been 72 continuous hours of horrific bombardment and Soviet attacks against the entire line. The temperature decreases in the morning to minus 31 degrees Celsius, and there are no reserves. When ammunition is sent forward, it typically is with a message that this is the last of it, so use it wisely.

The fighting becomes medieval. In one section of the line, on the eastern end of the Suursuo swamp, the Soviets open a renewed attack in the morning with the 24th Rifle Division, composed of the 274th and 168th Regiments. Earlier, at 03:45, the 1st Division HQ refused an order for the 2nd Brigade to retreat. The Soviet offensive on a wide track fails after desperate Finnish resistance by a dwindling group of men (248 men hold a 3-km front, all that is left of 3 battalions). The Finns counterattack by attempting to blow up a key Soviet bunker, but the Soviet 274th Regiment beats them back with a hail of machine gunfire. After that, the Soviets counterattack again, and the two sides remain in hand-to-hand combat all night long.

On a different section of the line, Finnish General-Major Laatikainen in command of the 1st Division orders his men in the 1st Brigade to withdraw behind the River Peronjoki. This is a switch position that can only be held temporarily. By withdrawing, the General uncovers the flanks of adjoining units, but the position simply cannot be held. War requires difficult decisions. The Finns have used up their reserves and the Mannerheim Line can no longer be held in the Lahde sector.
In the Lähde sector of the Mannerheim Line, the Soviet troops are in possession of a 2-3 km section of the line. The Soviets take the Kirvesmäki stronghold on the Taipale River for the final time after it has switched hands repeatedly.

The Finns all along the line are running out of ammunition, and losses in men are becoming critical. Among many other issues, Finnish artillery observers rely on phone lines which the Soviet artillery blasts continually sever despite the best efforts of the Signal Corps to keep them operational.

Battle of the Atlantic: A Hudson of Coastal Command spots the German supply ship Altmark making a run for Germany in Norwegian waters. The Altmark was the supplier for the Admiral Graf Spee and has the British prisoners that it took on board. It is near Trondheim and Captain Heinrich Dau believes that he is safe in Norwegian territorial waters.

U-57 (Oblt.z.S. Claus Korth) torpedoes large British tanker SS Gretafield 20 miles east of Wick, Scotland at 01:35. There are 31 survivors, 10 perish. Gretafield drifts ashore burning out of control.

U-53 (K.Kapt. Harald Grosse) torpedoes and sinks Danish freighter S Martin Goldschmidt west of Ireland at 05:00. There are 5 survivors, 15 perish.

U-26 (Heinz Scheringer) torpedoes and sinks British wheat freighter Langleeford (Master H. Thompson) 70 miles northwest of Fastnet, Ireland. There are 30 survivors, 4 perish. The Germans give the survivors some rum, cigarettes, bread, and bandages and point them in the direction of Ireland. The boat makes landfall at Ross, County Clare.

At 17:00, U-48 (Kptlt. Herbert Schultze) sinks the British food freighter SS Sultan Star some 200 miles from Land's End, England. The ship is part of a convoy, and destroyers HMS Whitshed, Vesper and Acasta drop 22 depth charges to no purpose. There are 72 survivors picked up by the Whitshed.

US passenger liner Manhattan is detained at Gibraltar for a few hours, then allowed to proceed. The US freighter Exermont is detained as well.

Convoy HG 19F departs from Gibraltar, and Convoy SL 20F departs from Freetown.

Terrorism: The IRA plants five bombs in Birmingham. Two shops are damaged in the explosions.

British Government: First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill announces that all merchant ships are to be armed due to U-boat attacks.

Vatican: Rationing begins.

The temporary Filter Room set up at RAF Fighter Command HQ at Bentley Priory, Stanmore, Middlesex, 14 February 1940.

February 1940

February 1, 1940: Second Battle of Summa
February 2, 1940: Soviet Assaults at Summa 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

Tuesday 13 February 1940

Finnish ski trooper.

Winter War: The Finnish Foreign Minister on 13 February 1940 travels to Stockholm for meetings with the Swedish government about support in the Winter War.

Winter War Army Operations: In the Merkki sector, the two sides are battling over the Finnish trenches, possession of which swings back and forth. The Soviets were sending chemical tanks and BHM flame-thrower tanks against the Finns in the trenches. The Finns knocked out several Soviet tanks and held the trenches throughout the day.

At Lahde, the Soviets continue fighting off Finnish counterattacks. While giving up ground grudgingly, the Soviets have enough firepower to slowly hack away at the Finnish strong points, none of which can be recovered by the Finns for good once they are taken.

The Kirvesmaki stronghold on the Taipale River continues changing hands, as both sides realize it is the key to the defense.

Battle of the Atlantic: British cruiser HMS Dorsetshire intercepts the German blockade runner Wakama near Rio de Janeiro. The Wakama's crew scuttles it. The Brazilian government protests against British operations off its coast.

U-54 (K.Kapt. Günter Kutschmann) sinks in a British minefield approximately this date. The reason for her disappearance remains officially unknown, but part of one of her torpedoes was recovered by a German patrol boat on 14 March 1940. The minefield had been laid by the Royal Navy destroyers HMS Ivanhoe and Intrepid in early January 1940.

U-25 (Kapitän zur See Viktor Schütze) sinks Norwegian freighter SS Chastine Mærsk with its deck gun at dawn after not sinking it with two defective torpedoes the previous evening. The U-boat chased the ship on the surface all night long. All 30 crew survive.

U-53 (K.Kapt. Harald Grosse) sinks Swedish freighter SS Norna west of Ireland. 18 lives are lost.

The German freighter Wolfsburg also is scuttled by its crew off the coast of Brazil.

British freighter British Triumph is sunk by a mine.

US freighter Exford is released from detention at Gibraltar.

Convoy OA 91 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 90 departs from Liverpool, and Convoy OB 91 departs from Liverpool.

Palestine: The Second Australian Imperial Force, part of General Freyberg's command, arrives in Palestine.

British Government: A Labour Party bill to nationalize all forms of inland and coastal transport is defeated in the House of Commons. The government does impose strict control over the railway network but allows it to remain in private hands.

The Chastine Mærsk (Photo courtesy of State Library of New South Wales).

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

Monday 12 February 1940

Finnish antitank barriers at Summa.

Winter War Peace Talks: The Soviet negotiators in Stockholm harden their position and demand more from the Finns due to the success of the Soviet offensive on the Karelian Isthmus.

The Finnish cabinet, meanwhile, agrees in secret that peace should be obtained if at all possible. The Finnish government appeals for direct aid from Sweden, which the Swedish government rejects.

Winter War Army Operations: The Soviet offensive against the Mannerheim Line on the Karelian Isthmus continues. At 05:00, The Soviet 255th Rifle Regiment leads an assault on the front near Summa. Soviet tanks drag explosives-laden armored sleds up to the Millionaire Fort at Lahde and destroy it, killing everyone inside. After capturing it, the Soviets hold it against all counterattacks.

On the Merkki sector, the Soviet 90th Rifle Division assaults a narrow front of 2.5 km. It is supported by massive artillery, including 48 152 mm guns, 20 122 mm guns, 37 76 mm guns and 24 45 mm guns. The main assault is on Hill 44.8, which is held by the 3d Battalion of Major Ruotsalo. The Soviets capture the Finnish trenches, and a night counter-attack fails to dislodge them. The Finns know that they must recapture their line or a major breakthrough will result.

At Taipale, the Soviets capture the Kirvesmäki stronghold and hold it against fierce counterattacks.

While there are breaches in the Mannerheim Line, the Soviets patiently work to expand their advantage.

Battle of the Atlantic: HMS Gleaner, a minesweeper sloop, sinks U-33 (Kapitänleutnant Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky) in the Firth of Clyde after catching it laying mines. The Gleaner forces U-33 to the surface after an extended depth charge attack, where the crew abandons ship. There are 17 survivors, while 25 perish (including von Dresky).

After rescuing the U-33's crew, one of them (Friedrich Kumpf) is found to have the three rotors for the Enigma machine in his pockets (he apparently forgot to throw them in the sea as regulations require). They are immediately sent to the Alan Turing's naval cryptanalysis section of Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park. Two of the rotors (VI and VII), while extremely valuable, are only used by the Kriegsmarine, so they are not universally helpful for solving the critical "Dolphin" key. Unbeknownst to the British, Chief Engineer Schilling also has rotors on his person, but he is not properly searched and he manages to throw them overboard later.

Hitler, Doenitz and von Dresky.

The U-33's mission had been a major priority for the Kriegsmarine. The hazards of laying mines in the Clyde were apparent to the Germans, but closing it down would have been a major success. Hitler himself is said to have ordered the mission, and Admiral Doenitz, in charge of U-boats, saw the U-33 off on its mission from Wilhelmshaven.

U-53 (K.Kapt. Harald Grosse) follows up its successful day on the 11th by sinking the Swedish SS Dalarö west of Scotland (captain drowns; there are 29 survivors picked up by Belgian trawler Jan de Waele).

U-26 (Heinz Scheringer) torpedoes and sinks Norwegian freighter Nidarholm west of Ireland. All 26 crew survive a night in the water.

Destroyer HMS Hasty captures one of the six German ships, the Morea, that left Vigo, Spain to get to Germany. Cruiser HMS Glasgow captures another, Herrlichkeit, off Tromso, Norway.

The crew of the 3,771-ton German freighter Wakama scuttles it (sets it afire) 12 miles off Cabo Frio, Brazil after being stopped by the heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire, whose spotter aircraft found it. The Dorsetshire picks up the 46 survivors.

Convoy OA 90G departs from Southend, Convoy HXF 20 departs from Halifax.

Egypt: General Freyberg's convoy, US 1, composed of New Zealand and Australian troops, reaches the Suez Canal. This heralds the arrival of the 4th brigade of the New Zealand Division.

British Homefront: With supplies down 40%, paper rationing is begun.

U-33.

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

Sunday 11 February 1940

A Finnish soldier ready to go.

Winter War: The frost returns to Europe on 11 February 1940. It is possible to walk across the Kattegat from Jutland to Sweden. The Finnish command summarizes Soviet losses to date as 327 airplanes, 594 tanks, and 206 guns captured.

After a month of retraining, reinforcement, bombardment, and probing attacks, the Soviet Army launches a major attack on the Karelian Isthmus to break through the Mannerheim Line. The Soviets have about 460,000 men, over 3,350 artillery pieces, about 3,000 tanks and about 1,300 aircraft deployed on the Karelian Isthmus. In the front line, they dispose of 120,000 men. All told, the Soviets have available about 7 men per yard of the 12-mile front.

Opposing them, the Finns have 150,000 men in total, organized into 8 Divisions. The Finns are deficient in each weapon category by vast margins. Superior mastery of the terrain and weather does little to help them in a brutal frontal assault.

The Soviet barrage opens at 08:40. It can be heard 100 miles away. It lasts until 11:00. Four Soviet artillery regiments fire at the Finns near Summa. The 24th Corps Artillery Regiment alone fires 14,769 shells. The Finns attempt counter-fire, but it is quickly silenced.

At 11:00, the 245th Rifle Regiment of the Soviet 123rd Division, 7th Army, supported by heavy T-28 and light T-26 tanks, attacks the Poppius bunker in the center of the line at Lähde. While the bunker has been destroyed previously, it still constitutes a rallying point for the Finns. The Soviet troops capture the bunker for good at 12:24, using armored cars parked in front of the bunker to block machine-gun fire from the Finns inside. By the end of the day, the Finnish company defending the bunker has just 16 men left out of the 100 with which they started. The 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment which defends the sector loses control of the situation. The Soviets, having made their first real breach in force of the entire campaign, dig in for the night, but fighting continues around the Millionaire bunker.

One aspect of the Soviet effort fails completely. They attempt to outflank the Mannerheim Line on the ice of Lake Ladoga. The attempt fails completely.

North of Lake Ladoga, the Finns ambush a Soviet supply convoy of 60 trucks.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-53 (Korvettenkapitän Harald Grosse) torpedoes 8,022-ton British tanker Imperial Transport off Butt of Lewis in the Atlantic. All 51 survive. The ship remains afloat but abandoned for the time being.

At 11:00, U-53 also sinks 4,114 ton Norwegian MV Snestad. Two perish, 34 crew survive - the two who perish do so in the water during the rescue operation. Grosse waits for the crew to abandon ship, then fires a finishing shot torpedo.

U-53 also attacked the Albert L. Ellsworth at the same spot a few hours later. The ship was rescuing the men from the Snestad. Grosse fired a torpedo which detonated prematurely but looked like it had hit. The men of the freighter abandoned it in a great rush. Grosse then fired another torpedo to finish off the freighter, but it also was a dud. A third torpedo ran underneath the ship and exploded beyond. Grosse then thought the ship was finished and left. However, the ship remained afloat, and the survivors re-boarded it the next morning. The ship was completely intact, so they resumed their voyage to Bergen and arrived there safely.

U-9 (Kptlt. Ludwig Mathes) torpedoes and sinks Estonian freighter SS Linda. One crew perishes.

U-50 (Kptlt. Max-Hermann Bauer) torpedoes and sinks Swedish freighter SS Orania. Fourteen crew perish, 10 survivors are picked up by HMS Faulknor after a night in the water.

U-37 (K.Kapt. Werner Hartmann) uses its deck gun to sink British trawler Togimo off Milford Haven. One crew member perishes.

Convoy OG 18F forms at Gibraltar.

German/Soviet Relations: The two nations conclude another trade agreement, whereby the Germans will provide machinery and the Soviets will provide raw goods such as oil, wheat, and cotton.

Canada: Lord Tweedsmuir, the Gouverneur-General, passes away at 64.

China: In the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Japanese 22nd Army force that took Wuning withdraws toward Nanning.

The Snestad, sunk on 11 February 1940. Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart.

February 1940

February 1, 1940: Second Battle of Summa
February 2, 1940: Soviet Assaults at Summa 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