Wednesday 24 January 1940

An NKVD blocking detachment. They are not there to fight the enemy, but their own fleeing comrades.

Winter War: On 24 January 1940, Other nations continue contributing to the Finnish war effort. Two planes full of medical supplies depart from London for Helsinki. In addition, there are reports that 30 British aircraft have arrived in Finland to help with air defense.

Winter War Army Operations: The Soviets resort to a typical tool to keep men at their guns. They create special NKVD "preventative detachments" or "blocking detachments" (zagraditelnyi otriad). These are set up in the rear of Soviet front-line units and are armed with machine guns just like regular army units. If troops retreat without orders, they are shot.

Group Talvela is at Kollaa, defending successfully against the Soviet 8th Army. The two sides throw alternating attacks at each other at Aittojoki River (Joki = river in Finnish).

Winter War Air Operations: Soviet aircraft bomb Finnish hospitals, 19 killed.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-44 (Kapitänleutnant Ludwig Mathes) torpedoes and sinks 3,819-ton French freighter Alsacien 5 miles west of Lisbon at 11:40. Four crew perish.

U-18 (Oberleutnant zur See Ernst Mengersen) torpedoes and sinks 1,000-ton Norwegian freighter Bisp. All 14 men on the ship perish.

U-23 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Kretschmer) has been tailing 1,085-ton Norwegian freighter Varild off northeast Scotland since 20:00 on the 23rd. Kretschmer finally gets within range and fires a torpedo, but it jams in the tube. He tries a second torpedo in another tube, but it misfires and becomes a circle-runner (kreisläufer). Kretschmer, exercising all sorts of patience, fires a third torpedo at 19:00 and it runs true.  All 15 crew perish.

Yugoslavian destroyer Ljubljana runs into a reef at the port of Šibenik and sinks before it can get to shore. The Captain is arrested pending an investigation. The ship is refloated.

Convoy OB 78 departs from Liverpool, HG 16 departs from Gibraltar, SL 18 departs from Freetown.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe drops four bombs on the Shetland Islands but they do no material damage.

British Government: The King reviews Canadian 1st Division training at Aldershot.

British/ Belgian Relations: Prime Minister Chamberlain, attempting to smooth over some of the drama from the Mechelen Incident, tells Belgium that it will aid in their defense if attacked by Germany.

Spain: The Spanish Council of Ministers bans Freemasonry.

China: The Chinese 2d War Area captures Licheng, Tungyangkuan, and She Hsien during the continuing Chinese Winter Offensive.

Paavo Talvela and Marshal Mannerheim.

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 December 1 1939

The Soviet bombing of civilian areas in Helsinki.

Winter War: On 1 December 1939, the Soviets bomb Helsinki again during the night, killing 80 people.

On the ground, the Soviet advance is slow. The Finns may be small in numbers, but they are big in heart. The Karelian Front is the scene of savage fighting. The Finns report capturing 1200 prisoners, destroying 19 tanks and shooting down at least 16 aircraft.

Winter War Army Operations: Soviet 7th and 8th Armies on either side of Lake Ladoga are advancing, but slowly. They are meeting unexpected strong resistance and are behind schedule. Soviet tanks are operating independently from the infantry. These occasionally penetrate the Finnish lines but are eventually neutralized.

North of Lake Ladoga, the advance Finnish forces near the border flee back to the Mannerheim Line. The Soviets are in hot pursuit, aided by naval forces on Lake Ladoga.

Soviet 14th Army in the far north accomplishes its prime objective and captures the prime port of Petsamo.

Winter War Naval Operations: The Finnish troops on Russaro Island beat back the Soviet cruiser Kirov that is bombarding it. The Soviet ship takes 17 dead and 30 wounded, while the Finns report no casualties. The Finns are armed with four massive 234 mm coastal guns there, and they are able to return fire at a range of 24 km to good effect.

Soviet gunboat Orangenbaum runs aground on a sandbar in Lake Ladoga, a notoriously treacherous lake for ships. It is accompanying other ships trying to shell Finnish shore batteries and land troops at Taipale behind the Mannerheim Line. The overall Soviet attack is unsuccessful.

The Soviet Navy lands troops on Someri Island and Narvi Island.

Scandinavia: There are widespread pro-Finnish demonstrations throughout the Nordic region. These nations live in perpetual fear of heavy-handed tactics such as the USSR is displaying, and now the nightmare is coming true.

A recruitment office for volunteers wishing to help the Finns opens in Stockholm.

Winter War Peace Talks: Molotov rejects requests to negotiate with the new Finnish government.

United States Government: President Roosevelt condemns the Soviet invasion of Finland. US Ambassador to the USSR Laurence B. Steinhardt states that in particular, the US objects to "the alleged bombardment of civilians in Finland by Soviet airmen."

Soviet Propaganda: The Soviets set up a puppet Finnish government (the Democratic Republic of Finland) just across the border in occupied Finland, at Terijoki. It is led by Finnish Communist Otto Kuusinen, who asks Finns to "overthrow the oppressor" in Helsinki.

The TASS news agency touts the Kuusinen government that the Soviets have installed: "The people already rose in various parts of the country and proclaimed the formation of a democratic republic. Part of the soldiers of Finland's army already have sided with the new government, backed by the people." In actuality, the entire Finnish Army is fighting with great skill and determination against the Soviet hordes.

Battle of the Atlantic: British freighter Dalryan hits a mine and sinks off the southeast coast of England. Norwegian freighter Realf is reported lost at sea.

U-21 (Kapitänleutnant Fritz Frauenheim) sinks 4,260-ton Finnish freighter Mercator off Buchan Ness, Scotland in the North Sea. One crew member perishes, 35 survive.

U-31 (Kapitänleutnant Johannes Habekost) sinks 1,277-ton Norwegian freighter Arcturus east of Scotland.

Convoy OA 44 departs from Southend.

Battle of the Pacific: The US sends six submarines to join the Asiatic Fleet in Pearl Harbor.

France: Premier Edouard Daladier addresses the French and British people (with simultaneous translation as usual). He states that it "has not been necessary to take an attitude of aggressive attack" due to the strength of the Maginot Line. He makes a point of blaming French communist leaders' subversion ("treating with foreign governments") for France's situation, stating that it constitutes "treason."

China: A major Chinese winter offensive, long-planned by Chiang Kai-shek, begins. It starts in north China. The Chinese 1st War Area (Honan and northern Anhwei, with 3rd Army Group and 36th Army Group) cuts the Lunghai Railway in three places (Lowang, Neihuang, and Lanfeng).

In the Battle of Kwangsi, the Japanese, pursuing the fleeing Chinese, capture Kaofengyi north of Nanning.

Edouard Daladier.

December 14, 1939: Quisling Meets Hitler
December 15, 1939: Chinese Winter Offensive in High Gear
December 16, 1939: Battle of Summa
December 17, 1939: End of Admiral Graf Spee
December 18, 1939: Battle of Heligoland Bight
December 19, 1939: British Disarm Magnetic Mines
December 20, 1939: Finnish Counterattacks Continue
December 21, 1939: Finns Plan More Counterattacks
December 22, 1939: Enter Chuikov
December 23, 1939: Failed Finnish Counterattack
December 24, 1939: Soviets on the Run
December 25, 1939: Fresh Soviet Attacks
December 26, 1939: Vicious Battles at Kelja
December 27, 1939: Grinding Finnish Victories
December 28, 1939: Liberators
December 29, 1939: Finns Tighten the Noose
December 30, 1939: Finnish Booty
December 31, 1939: Planning More Soviet Destruction

2019