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

Tuesday 30 January 1940

Soviet artillery during the Winter War. Note the soldiers' dark uniforms.

Winter War: On 30 January 1940, Soviet losses in the Winter War are estimated at 200,000 men. The Soviet leadership, of course, did not contemplate nearly that many losses in the entire war, but the Finns have been fighting in a steadfast and crafty fashion.

The Soviets, however, have plenty of men to spare. They are continuing their meticulous preparations for an offensive on the Karelian Isthmus, with massive and unceasing artillery barrages. At Lähde, 10 km east of Summa, the artillery pounding is wrecking the Mannerheim Line.

The Kremlin has completely lost interest in its troops further north such as the 54th Rifle Division, which has been surrounded by Finnish 9th Division. Essentially, the divisions that began the war have been written off as losers that are now on their own. The war has become a battle of attrition which the Soviets know they cannot lose.

European Air Operations: Strong Luftwaffe raids along the British coast continue. A Heinkel He shots short down near the Northumbrian coast by RAF fighters. The Heinkels attack shipping in the Great Yarmouth roadstead. Operations on both sides are hampered by poor visibility.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-55 (Kapitänleutnant Werner Heidel), which has had an eventful patrol, attacks British convoy OA-80G 50 miles off Lands End at 07:00. First, U-55 sinks 5,026-ton British tanker SS Vaclite and evades British retribution (all 35 crew survive). After stalking the convoy some more, U-55 sinks 5,085 ton Greek freighter SS Keramiai. All 28 crew survive.

This time, however, Heidel has pressed his luck too far. British destroyers HMS Valmy, HMS Whitshed and French destroyers Valmy and Guépard, along with a Sunderland Short flying boat from No. 228 Squadron attack the U-boat. They damage the U-boat, and it surfaces long enough to allow its crew to escape. Kpt. Heidel, an aggressive (too aggressive) commander, goes down with the ship (perhaps while scuttling it personally), but everyone else, 41 of his crew, survives.

The Luftwaffe sinks British freighters Giralda, Highwave, Bancrest, and Voreda.

In a case of friendly fire, German torpedo boat Iltis sees a submarine 50 miles north of Wilhelmshaven and rams it. U-15 (Kapitänleutnant Peter Frahm) goes down with all 25 hands lost.

The British at Gibraltar release US freighter Cold Harbor.

The Baltimore News-Post, 30 January 1940.

German Government: As is his tradition, Hitler speaks on the anniversary of his accession to power in 1933. At the Berlin Sportpalast, he makes several sharp comments about British PM Chamberlain ("pious and Bible-believing") and Premier Daladier. "They started the war, and they will get all the war they want," he says. He also reiterates a point from his "Mein Kampf" that Germany still needs Lebensraum ("living space"), which can only come in the east. The war, he hints, is now going to become more of a strategic bombing campaign, saying it will be a "war of bombs." He is particularly contemptuous of Britain's "wonderful war aims."

Holocaust: The Reich's two main groups of victims receive attention today. Reinhard Heydrich orders more deportations of Jews from the Reich territory to the occupied rump Polish state at Lublin. Heinrich Himmler also authorizes the deportation of 30,000 Gypsies.

The Vaclite, sunk by U-55 on 30 January 1940.

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

Sunday 28 January 1940

A photo of men about to go on a road trip in Mikkeli. Note the battered, winter-camouflaged car in the endless ankle-deep snow.

Winter War Army Operations: At Lahde on 28 January 1940, the artillery of the 24th Corps Artillery Regiment, having destroyed the "Millionaire bunker" on the 27th, switches targets. The next most-prominent bunker is the "Poppius bunker." While not as elaborate as the other one, the Poppius bunker lies in the middle of the Finnish defenses of the Mannerheim Line and is/now was an anchor of the defense. The Soviets' two 152 mm guns open fire at 12:00, and they quickly destroy the bunker's western casemate, killing four men inside. The two bunkers remain usable, but their defensibility is impaired.

Nearby at Summa, the 7,000 shells/day artillery barrage continues, with an increase in tempo.

At Salla, small advance Soviet forces remain surrounded.

At Kuhmo, Group Talvela of the Finnish 9th Division attacks the Soviet 54th Division. It cuts the Soviets' lines of communications and splits the division into three different sections ("mottis"). The Soviet 23rd Division launches a relief attempt that makes some progress. The Finns destroy the Pieni-Kelivaara motti during the day, capturing 2 field guns, 2 antitank guns, 9 mortars, 9 machineguns, and 100 rifles. The West Lemetti motti, however, holds out, and the Finns continue attacking it.

Battle of the Atlantic: At 02:52, U-34 (Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rollmann) torpedoes 5,625-ton Greek freighter Eleni Stathatou 200 miles east of Isles of Scilly in the Atlantic Ocean. It takes two torpedoes, the first only damages the freighter; the second at 04:21 finishes her off. Those are U-34's last two torpedoes, so its patrol is over. Of the crew, 12 perish.

U-44 (Kapitänleutnant Ludwig Mathes) torpedoes and sinks with one torpedo 2,980 ton Greek coal carrier Flora west of Figuera la Foz, Portugal. All 25 crewmen perish.

The 1,487-ton British freighter Eston hits a mine laid by U-22 on 20 December 1939 in the Bristol Channel and sinks. All 18 crew perish.

The British at Gibraltar detain the US freighter Sarcoxic for several hours and then send it on its way. US freighter Waban also is temporarily detained, and the British seize an item of contraband and 34 items for further investigation.

Convoy OA 81 departs from Southend, Convoy SL 18F departs from Freetown, Convoy HXF 18 departs from Halifax.

British Homefront: The Director of Censorship has been preventing publication of the details of the severe winter weather. Today, though, it allows publication. It is the coldest winter since 1894, and both the River Thames (at Kingston and between Teddington and Sunbury) and Southampton Docks have frozen over. The sea has frozen over at various points on the coast as well. London's reservoirs have a foot of ice. At Buxton, there is 18°C (33°F) of frost. Of course, the rest of Europe is suffering, too.

King George announces that his court will not be held this year due to the war.

China: The Chinese 2d War Area captures Lucheng, while the Chinese 3rd War Area ceases active operations and reverts to the defensive.

Huntington Beach, California oil derricks, 28 January 1940.

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

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