This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning (1 Viewer)

[Njaco]

February 6 Tuesday
NORTHERN EUROPE: Finnish Army Command stated that new attacks by large Russian forces and tanks in Summa sector of Mannerheim Line were repulsed after 16 hours of fighting. Soviet shelling of the Mannerheim Line fortifications continues on the Karelian Isthmus, but probing infantry and tank attacks are restricted to Summa village and Marjapellonmäki in the nearby Karhula sector (Hill 38 ). Further North, above Lake Ladoga, Finnish 9th Division completed its encirclement of the Soviet 54th Division at Kuhmo. Reported that Russian parachute troops had been dropped behind Finnish lines both on Isthmus and at Rovaniemi, in Lapland, but were either killed or taken prisoner.

UNITED KINGDOM: Britain launches a new poster campaign admonishing citizens not to discuss sensitive war information in public. The posters feature comical images of an eavesdropping Adolf Hitler and the slogan "Careless Talk Costs Lives."

At Euston Station, in London, a parcel bomb injures 4 people. Members of the IRA are reported to be responsible.

Notes exchanged between Britain and Japan, over removal on Jan 21 of 21 Germans from the 'Asama Maru' were published as a White Paper.

Pressure from the admiralty leads to new guidelines for BBC war reporting being agreed upon at Broadcasting House. From now on, the sinking of a small ship may be mentioned only once in a BBC news bulletin. Larger ships, like the Canadian Pacific freighter "Beaverburn", sunk today, can be mentioned in consecutive bulletins. There is concern that the rising effectiveness of German U-boats, combined with zealous reporting, will give the impression that British losses are even greater than they are.

NORTH AMERICA: Vultee received an order from the Swedish government for 144 Vanguard fighters.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Estonian steamer "Anu" sank after hitting a mine 30 miles east of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom, killing the captain, his wife, the cook, and four crew members. This minefield in the mouth of River Tay was laid on Dec 12 1939 by U-13 and also caused damage to British steamer SS "City of Marseilles" on Jan 6 1940 (1 life lost).


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[parsifal]

7 February 1940
Known Losses
Steamer ELDONPARK (UK 5184 grt) went ashore at and was wrecked near Port Eynon, Glamorgan. Her 37 crew were rescued by the Mumbles Lifeboat. This Glasgow registered ship was bound from Bone, Algeria, for Port Talbot with iron ore when she stranded in thick weather. Badly strained she was beached at Port Eynon in a sinking condition on 7 February 1940.
Mumbles Motor Boat Fishing Club

Liner MUNSTER (UK 4305 grt): Crew: 44 Crew 190 passengers (0 dead, 234 survivors) : Cargo: 190 passengers, General cargo, including eggs, animal gut, poultry, thread and textiles : Route: Belfast - Liverpool. The ship struck a mine that had been laid by U-30 and sank in Liverpool Bay . All passengers and crew were rescued MV RINGWALL (UK).

MV ZITELLA (UK 4254 grt): The cargo ship ran aground at Boddam, Aberdeenshire and was wrecked

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

The ARK ROYAL, RENOWN and EXETER left Freetown for Great Britain on 6 Feb. The ARK ROYAL is proceeding at 22 knots and will be about 200 miles northwest of Madeira on 11 Feb.; the two other units are proceeding at only 16 knots because of the EXETER and will be about 200 miles west of Madeira on the morning of 11 Feb. A British patrol boat was severely damaged in the Dover area in the evening.

France :
The area off Vigo is being covered by air reconnaissance to guard against the German steamers putting to sea. One submarine is in
a waiting position 100 miles west of Vigo, other submarines are suspected in that area. One submarine sailed from Brest as a relief.

One destroyer is reported north of Gijon. The submarines in the West Indies are being informed of the movements of the German
steamer MONTEVIDEO.

North Sea :
The enemy submarine in the Lindesnes area is being relieved; another was discovered between the Elbe and the Jace estuary by radio intelligence.

The known positions north of Texel and in the middle of the western edge of our declared area are still occupied. Two British submarines left a port in the Harwich area early on 7 Feb.

Radio monitoring has detected the Commander in Chief, Home Fleet at sea in the northern area. He is probably in the vicinity of
Scapa. Comprehensive air reconnaissance is being carried out in the direction of the Norwegian coast as far as 63° N. The
movements of the Home Fleet and the air reconnaissance over the northern North Sea may possibly be connected with the sailing of a Norwegian convoy. Possibly however they may have some connection with the ALTMARK's return or with suspicions about attempts of German raiders to break through into the Atlantic. Finally, we cannot exclude the possibility that some sort of intelligence received (e.g. news that the battleships have moved to Wilhelm shaven) has led the enemy to believe he must expect an operation by German forces against the Norway - U.K. convoy traffic and hence he considers it necessary to provide stronger escort and take greater precautions.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

U 33 left Heligoland in accordance with Operations Order No. 24.

Arrivals
Heligoland: U-29

At Sea 7 February 1940
U-9, U-17, U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-33 (+), U-37, U-44, U-48, U-50, U-51, U-53 (+), U-56, U-58, U-59.
16 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Baltic
Western Baltic
DKM ML COBRA laid an anti-submarine mine barrier off Borkum.

Northern Patrol
CAs DEVONSHIRE and BERWICK departed the Clyde for Northern Patrol and relieved sister ships NORFOLK and SUFFOLK. AMCs DERBYSHIRE and CIRCASSIA departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

North Sea
DD JANUS collided with DD JUPITER while berthing in the Humber. The damage to the two ships required 48 hours to repair. OA.87 departed Southend escort DDs VANESSA and WREN. VANESSA was replaced on the 8th by sloop WELLINGTON, and on the 9th, the convoy dispersed. FN.86 departed Southend, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop EGRET. In heavy fog, the convoy anchored for the night, and arrived in the Tyne on the 9th. FN.87 departed Southend escort DD VEGA, sloop STORK, DD JUPITER, and also arrived in the Tyne on the 9th. FS.90 departed the Tyne, escort DDs JAGUAR, WESTMINSTER and sloop LONDONDERRY, and arrived at Southend on the 9th. MT.5 departed Methil, escort DDs VIVIEN, JAVELIN, sloop PELICAN, and ASW trawlers of the 1st A/S Group, and arrived in the Tyne on the 8th. DDs JAVELIN and VIVIEN patrolled in the vicinity of Farne Island (off the Northumberland Coast) during the night of the 6th/7th. Patrol sloop MALLARD collided with sister ship PINTAIL off Harwich. PINTAIL's damage was slight and she was able to continue on patrol, but MALLARD required docking. Temporarily repaired at Harwich on the 8th and 9th, she went on to Lowestoft to repair from the 10th to 22nd.

Northern Waters
DDs COSSACK and SIKH carried out ASW Sweeps to the approaches of Scapa. ML PRINCESS VICTORIA and minelaying DDs ESK and EXPRESS, escorted by DDs BRAZEN and BOREAS, departed Aberdeen for minelay LD 2 in the North Sea. The minelay was successfully completed and the ships arrived at Rosyth on the 8th.

Steamer CYPRIAN PRINCE (UK 1988 grt) departed Aberdeen, but due to a navigational error, DDs KIMBERLEY and KIPLING did not join her as escorts until 24 hours later. CL AURORA arrived at Rosyth from Scapa for repairs to her propellers and to undergo degaussing. Armed boarding vessel KINGSTON TURQUOISE (RN 358 grt), which had just left Kirkwall for the North Rona patrol, attacked a submarine contact off Sule Skerry (About 40 miles west of Kirkwall). DD SIKH joined her and tried to remake contact.

West Coast UK
OB.86 departed Liverpool escort DDs WITHERINGTON and WALPOLE. WALPOLE detached on the 8th, WITHERINGTON on the 9th, and the convoy dispersed on the 10th. OB.87 departed Liverpool escort sloop ROCHESTER and DD WALKER from the 7th to 10th, when it dispersed.

Channel
Sub H.43 and DD VETERAN collided in Plymouth Sound. VETERAN was not damaged, but H.43 required three days to repair.

H class Submarine Profile. H Class were launched during the Great war and were obsolete by WWII. They were mostly used for training purposes. There were 6 survivors in 1939

Nth Atlantic
HX.19 departed Halifax at 0900 local escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY, SKEENA and RESTIGOUCHE until detached on the 8th. Ocean escort was BB REVENGE, which was in collision with tkr APPALACHEE (8826grt) of the convoy on the 7th. The tanker was extensively damaged, and REVENGE required ten days to repair, although she was able to continue and did not detach until the 14th. The convoy was joined in Home Waters by DDs WOLVERINE and VANOC from OB.92 and DD VANESSA from OA.9 between the 19th to 22nd, when HX.19 arrived at Liverpool.

Central Atlantic
Fr CL EMILE BERTIN departed Dakar to return to France in preparation for allied operations in Finland. She arrived at Casablanca on the 11th, left on the 15th, and reached Brest on the 17th. For the operations, the cruiser would be the flagship of Contre Amiral Derrien, Commander Force Z.

Med- Biscay
CL CERES completed her refit at Belfast, and then proceeded to the Mediterranean for duty with the Mediterranean Fleet, arriving at Malta on the 22nd.

Fr sloop COMMANDANTE RIVIERE with subs RUBIS, SAPHIR and NAUTILUS departed Oran, and passed Gib on the 8th en route for repairs to the subs at Brest. These ships joined convoy 9R of eight steamers, escort sloop SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA, which left Oran on the 6th. The convoy passed Gib on the 8th, and in the Atlantic, joined convoy 63 KS for the passage to Brest. 63 KS of eight steamers departed Casablanca on the 8th, escort DD CYCLONE, patrol vessel GROENLAND and submarine PASCAL.

DD CYCLONE was a member of the Bourrasque Class

 

[parsifal]

M. Pampunchi, French Minister of Marine, stated that 40 of Germany's 55 submarines at sea in September had been sunk.

Actual losses to that date 11 boats

Images of the Bunkers and battlefield on the Mannerheim Line near Summa

battelfiled detritus still vissible near the SJ-4 Poppius Bunker

Remains of the SJ-4 Poppius Bunker

Remains of the SJ-5 Millionaire Bunker

3D Drawing Of the SJ-5 Bunker

Schematic Plan View of the SJ-5 Bunker

 

[parsifal]

8 February 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
MTB 108 (Experimental Vosper Type)

MTB was an experiemental; 45 foot design of which only one was made. Pictured is the "Big Brother" MTB Type 31, built 1940-45 (about 110 units completed)

Known Losses
No known losses

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

The question of whether the strategic situation will allow the aircraft carrier GRAF ZEPPELIN to operate in the North Sea, Northern Waters or Atlantic does not yet permit of such a definite answer as would compel a demand for work on her to be continued. On principle Chief, Naval Staff has decided that the carrier is to be completed. Reasons are as follows:

a. Naval Staff sees operational possibilities for the carrier in sorties into the Atlantic in conjunction with the battleships, especially after the completion of the BISMARCK and TIRPITZ.

b. Further developments in the military and strategic situation cannot yet be foreseen. It would be fundamentally incorrect to abandon a weapon like the aircraft carrier at the present time. She will not be ready to take part in operations until the middle
of 1941 at the earliest, i.e. at a time when the military situation may offer more favorable operational possibilities for a carrier than is the case today.

c. Her trials must begin in good time, since she is the first carrier-type vessel in the German Navy. If the carrier is to be used successfully on reconnaissance and combat assignments she must be equipped with suitable and efficient carrier planes. Naval Staff's urgent request for the provision of the necessary planes is therefore to be submitted afresh to Commander in Chief, Air Force, Operations Staff.

The Graf Zeppelin's profile. The decision to continue her construction was short lived. In the following april a decision was taken to postpone her completion. She was partially dismantled, including the transfer of her catapult (a not particualorly successful system) to the italians to allow them the opportunity to complete their carrier the AQUILA. Work was restarted on her completion in 1942, by which time it was far too late

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

U 51 entered port, having completed her first patrol. She had to return sooner than would have otherwise been necessary owing to a technical defect which impaired her ability to dive. Her results are therefore small.
(Unidentified steamer) about 1,600 tons; (S.S. "Eika") 1,503 tons; (Total) 3,103

Nevertheless the Commanding Officer showed determination. He had the right idea. The second steamer which he sank, a Norwegian whose identity was so unrecognizable that he thought it was an English ship right up to the end, attempted to ram the U-boat when submerged. The C.O. then made a quick decision to fire in spite of the fine inclination. It was only when the steamer was sinking that he identified her as a neutral and saved 2 members of the drew, who were apparently the only survivors, in order to discover whether she really was a neutral ship or a camouflaged enemy. As in a similar case some months ago in which a Danish steamer tried to ram U 3 (see F.O. U/B West's War Log), this incident proves that greatest care is necessary even with neutrals. In this case the steamer received her first punishment.

Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-51, U-58, U-59

Departures
Wilhelmshaven, Germany: U-22, U-57

At Sea 8 February 1940
U-9, U-17, U-21, U-22, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-33, U-37, U-44, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-56, U-57.
15 U boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
AMC ANDANIA arrived in the Clyde from Northern Patrol. AMC WOLFE departed the Clyde to relieve CL NEWCASTLE on Northern Patrol. AMC FORFAR arrived at Greenock from Northern Patrol.

North Sea
CL SHEFFIELD arrived in the Tyne. DDs BRAZEN arrived at Rosyth, as did INTREPID and IVANHOE, and JAVELIN after dark. Subs TRUANT arrived at Rosyth from patrol, and SEALION departed on patrol .

Northern Waters
DDs GALLANT and BOREAS unsuccessfully searched for a submarine reported at 2057, nine miles 207° from Sumburgh Head. DD GRIFFIN departed Aberdeen to search for a submarine SSE of Buchanness. DDs IVANHOE and ESCAPADE joined her to assist in the search. DD KIPLING attacked a submarine contact in Shapinsay Sound. ASW trawlers of the 17th Anti-Submarine Striking Force were searching for DD DELIGHT's contact of the day before – the 7th - NNE of St Abbs Head. LE TIGRE (516grt) attacked a contact and signalled CAPE WARWICK (516grt) which altered course to assist. CAPE WARWICK then struck a submerged object a glancing blow on the starboard side and dropped DCs.

DD DARING escorted tkr BRITISH GOVERNOR (6840grt) and former German merchant ship ILSENSTEIN (8216grt) to Scapa, where they arrived safely on the 10th. ILSENSTEIN was sunk as a blockship at Scapa Flow on the 18th. DDs ESK and EXPRESS arrived at Aberdeen, and BOREAS departed. Sub TRITON and MSWs SEAGULL and SHARPSHOOTER departed Scapa for Rosyth where they arrived on the 9th.

HN.10 with 2 British, 19 Norwegian, 9 Swedish, 2 Finnish, 6 Estonian and 1 Panamanian ship departed Bergen escort DDs IMOGEN, IMPERIAL, ILEX, DELIGHT and submarine NARWHAL who waited for the convoy just outside Norways territorial limits. DELIGHT detected a submarine contact SSE of Copinsay, and DDs GALLANT, GRIFFIN and ASW trawlers of the 11th Anti-Submarine Group joined in the hunt. DD GURKHA and NUBIAN departed Scapa the same day on ASW patrol and attacked a contact shortly after sailing. On the 10th, DDs KIMBERLEY and NUBIAN took over the escort of the twelve ships of the west coast portion of HN.10, while DDs KANDAHAR, KHARTOUM, KASHMIR and KINGSTON departed the Clyde, also on the 10th to meet this section. At dawn on the 11th, NUBIAN and KIMBERLEY left the convoy. (After her escort duties, destroyer GURKHA was to join.) On the 12th, a U-Boat was located near the west coast portion of HN.10 and attacks by DDs GURKHA and NUBIAN prevented any damage being done to the convoy. Meanwhile, the east coast portion of the convoy had arrived at Methil safely on the 11th. FS.91 departed the Tyne at 2300, escort DDs VIVIEN and JAVELIN, and arrived at Southend on the 10th.

West Coast UK
AMC CIRCASSIA investigated the report of a Fleetwood trawler about the sighting of a large merchant ship in company with a submarine. U.37 landed two agents in Donegal Bay, Ireland.

Central Atlantic
CAs DORSETSHIRE and SHROPSHIRE arrived at Buenos Aires and Montevideo, respectively, to refuel after escorting the damaged CA EXETER.

Enemy steamers CORDILLERA (Ge 12,055 grt) had departed Livinston, Guatemala, on 25 August and arrived at Murmansk on 10 September while PHOENICIA (Ge 4124 grt) had left Curacao on the same day in August and reached Murmansk in mid-September. There, they were assigned respectively as accommodation and replenishment ships for German submarines that was planned to operate against British lumber and ore shipping out of Murmansk and Narvik. Both steamers departed Murmansk on 2 December 1939 for Zapadnaya Litsa Bay, which was to be known as Basis Nord, and fishing vessel SACHSENWALD (650grt) arrived there with supplies a day earlier. Her job was to serve as a dispatch vessel. At the end of November, U.36 and U.38 departed Germany for Basis Nord, but were reassigned for operations against British shipping off northern Norway. The base itself was never used, CORDILLERA almost immediately returned to Murmansk, and then completed her voyage home reaching Hamburg on this day 8 February. Steamer KONIGSBERG (Ge 6466 grt) departed Para, Brazi, but returned on the 16th after failing to break away from coastal patrol boats. Brazil,like the US was taking a distinctly pro-allied in the enforcement of the Pan-American neutrality zone, as opposed to Argentina, which was more pro-german

General
On the 8th, a Berlin communiqué admitted the following merchant shipping losses - 13,196 tons captured in enemy harbours (steamers POMONA, CHRISTOPH V. DOORNUM and HAGEN in September 1939), 82,236 tons captured at sea by the enemy, and 141,525 tons scuttled to avoid capture. (See British list of 30 January).

 

[Njaco]

February 7 Wednesday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Belfast-Liverpool ferry boat "Munster", with 45 crew and 190 passengers on board, strikes a mine in the Irish Sea and sinks. All aboard were rescued by British steamer "Ringwal".

GERMANY: At General Gerd von Rundstedt's headquarters in Koblenz, Germany, a war game is held to consider a German armored assault through the Ardennes Forest of Belgium toward France. This plan becomes the accepted approach.

UNITED KINGDOM: With alarming lack of security, British and French newspapers publish Allied Supreme War Council's decision to send aid to Finland. Naturally, this raises Finnish expectations of reinforcement, alarms Norway and Sweden (both reaffirm their neutrality) and further alerts Germany to threats to vital Swedish iron ore supplies. However, popular support for action to save Finland grows in Britain and especially France.

Douglas Bader joined the British No. 19 Squadron RAF flying Spitfire fighters.

Convicted IRA terrorists Peter Barnes and James Richards were executed at Wilson Green prison, Birmingham, England for their part in a street bombing in Coventry which killed five innocent passers-by.

MV 'Gercoa' Dutch vessel had just left Blyth with a cargo of coal for the continent when she ran aground in calm weather on the Bear Back Rocks at Tynemouth. She grounded at high tide and by low water was high and dry. She was declared a total loss by Lloyds. A team of marine salvage experts repaired and refloated her a month later.

Berwick upon Tweed; Berwick schoolboy, Paul Hair recorded in his diary:

"Great alarm in Berwick. Tales of German gas balloons drifting across N. Sea. All wardens out, advising people to carry gas masks.... Rumor started by meteorological balloons."

NORTHERN EUROPE: Soviet troops attacked the Summa gap in Finland for the 7th consecutive day. The daily artillery bombardment and tank/infantry attacks, followed by Finnish counterattacks, weakens the Mannerheim Line fortifications, exhausts the defenders and sucks in the Finnish reserves.
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[Njaco]

February 8 Thursday
NORTHERN EUROPE: To spur diplomatic moves towards peace, USSR asks Finland to choose an island in the Gulf of Finland to give up as a Soviet military base. To press home their case for a settlement, Soviets continue their daily shelling and aerial bombing of Mannerheim Line fortifications and launch attacks around Summa with tanks pulling armored sleds. The sleds contain explosives to be dragged up to the Finnish concrete bunkers and detonated. In addition, at 10.15 AM, two Soviet divisions shell the Kirvesmäki Cape and attack across the River Taipale which has been quiet for a week. They take two Finnish strongholds at Terenttilä at the extreme East end of the Mannerheim Line where the River Taipale empties into Lake Ladoga (Finnish casualties 219 men, with 32 killed). At the Lake Ladoga area in Finland, the various pockets of Soviet troops surrounded by Finnish troops were wiped out one by one. Soviet General Timoshenko did not have any plans to reinforce or rescue these pockets. Finnish 9th division annihilates 1500 Soviet soldiers in mottis from 54th division around Kuhmo. Russian battalion which attempted to come to relief of division encircled at Kuhmo, central Finland, was driven back. The Swedish brigade in Finland, consisting of 6,000 men, had been in action on the Salla front.

ASIA: 3 Hawk 75 fighters of the Chinese 18th Squadron intercepted 27 Japanese aircraft en route to Mengzi, Yunnan, China at 1505 hours. One of the Chinese fighters was heavily damaged and was forced to crash land, injuring pilot Yang Tzu-fan.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: French steamer 'Marie Dawn' sunk by mine in North Sea.

WESTERN FRONT: Third contingent of Canadian Active Service force landed at a West Coast fort.


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[parsifal]

9 February 1940
Known Losses
Coaster AGNES ELLEN (UK 293 grt) sank on a mine sailing from Holyhead to Workington on the west coast.

Some sources say this ship was lost in March

MV CHAGRES (UK 5,406 grt): Crew: 64 (2 dead and 62 survivors): Cargo: Bananas : Route: Victoria (Nigeria) - Garston (UK): The refrigerated cargo ship struck a mine laid on 6 January by U-30 and sank 5.5 miles 270° from the Bar Lightvessel, Liverpool. Survivors were rescued by ASW Trawler MONTEITH

Air Attacks By FliegerKorps X
Naval Trawler FORT ROYAL (RN 351 grt): The naval trawler was bombed and sunk in the North Sea north east of Aberdeen by Heinkel He 111 aircraft of KG26, Luftwaffe with the loss of seven crew. The survivors were rescued by Trawlers OHM and Thomas ALTOFT (both RN).

A stunning image of the ASW Trawler Sarah Hide under attack by He 111s of KG 26. This shot shows dramatically how close the aircraft of KG 26 were pressing home their attacks

ASW Trawler ROBERT BOWEN (RN 290 grt): The naval trawler was bombed and sunk in the North sea 20 nautical miles (37 km) north east of Aberdeen by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of all 14 crew

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts
Atlantic:

No reply from the supply ship ALTMARK. The ship should now be on her breakthrough through the Iceland area* The ALTMARK was informed that the steamers CONSUL HORN and BAHIA, coming from overseas, passed unnoticed 30 miles north of Iceland without meeting ice and reached Norwegian territorial waters.

North Sea :
DesFlots 1 and 4 sailed according to plan to carry out minelaying in the Thames (Ship Wash) and at Haisbro Lightship. Commander, Destroyers is on his way with a cover force. In all, ten DDs are at sea for the operation.

10th Air Corps is assisting the operation by checking up on the lightships. Commander, Naval Air Force had to break off air
reconnaissance because of the breakdown of three planes.

The 10th Air Corps is incorporating operations against merchant shipping in the general framework of its armed reconnaissance against the east coast of Britain, Most of the attacks are in the War Channel. One convoy off Crail, two patrol boats and eight armed merchant ships have been attacked.
Successes :
Two patrol boats (ROBERT BOWEN, FORT ROYAL) and one merchantman sunk. Five merchantmen damaged by bomb hits. Own Losses: One He 111 shot down, one Ju- 88 missing after a forced landing in the North Sea.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

U 44 entered port. She sank:
1) A darkened steamer about 3,000 tons 2) Dutch S.S. "Arendskerk" 7,906 tons contraband 3) Darkened steamer about 4,200
tons contraband 4) Danish S.S. "Canadian Reefer" 1,831 tons 5) S.S. "Ecatontracos Draculi" 5,329 tons 6) Darkened Steamer in convoy about 6,000 tons 7) Armed steamer 7,000 tons 8) Steamer without markings 3,000 tons. 38,266 tons

This is the most successful patrol so far, perfectly executed and rewarded with well-earned success. Boats which have recently been in contact with convoys all report very broad, not very deep cruising formations with small distances between ships. The escort was in some cases over 1000 meters ahead. In some cases the escort was close up to the convoy, around and on both wings, and the wing destroyers made circles around several ships, i.e. passed through the gaps.

Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-21, U-24 ,U-44

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-23

At Sea 9 February 1940
U-9, U-17, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-33, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53 , U-56, U-57.
13 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
AMC CIRCASSIA bringing in steamer SOLFERINO (Nor 2580 grt) requested a DD, and GURKHA was detailed to take over escort. CA DEVONSHIRE brought in steamer TRAFALGAR (Nor 5542 grt) for investigation. Both ships were later released.
AMCs PATROCLUS and AURANIA departed the Clyde for Northern Patrol. CL GLASGOW departed Rosyth to relieve sister ship SOUTHAMPTON on patrol off North Cape in Operation WR. SOUTHAMPTON was to proceed to Scapa for a week and then relieve another sister ship NEWCASTLE, also on Northern Patrol.

North Sea
DDs KASHMIR, KANDAHAR, KHARTOUM departed Rosyth for the Clyde. The second half of ML operation LD 1 was conducted when 42 mines were laid the night of the 9th/10th by ML PRINCESS VICTORIA and DDs ESK and EXPRESS. DD GRAFTON of DesFlot 1 departed Harwich for Humber where she arrived later that day. She was attached to the Humber for patrol operations.

ON.11 with 7 British, 13 Norwegian, 1 Swedish, 2 Danish, 3 Finnish and 1 Estonian ship departed Methil escort DDs ECHO, ESCAPADE, ECLIPSE and ENCOUNTER. 3 ships were detached and did not proceed to Norway, including blockship BRANKSEA (214grt) bound for for Scapa in tow of tug PRIZEMAN. Sub NARWHAL sailed with the convoy, but lost touch during the night of the 10th/11th February, and was ordered to patrol and then return to Rosyth. CLA CAIRO departed the Humber on the 10th and joined the convoy in support on the 11th. ON.11 arrived safely at Bergen on the 12th.

FN.89 departed Southend, escort sloops FLEETWOOD, BITTERN and HASTINGS, and arrived at Methil on the 11th. FN.90 departed Southend, escort DDs WOOLSTON, JANUS and sloop GRIMSBY, and arrived in the Tyne on the 10th. Convoy MT.6 departed Methil, escort DDs WHITLEY, JUPITER and sloop EGRET, and arrived in the Tyne the next day.

U.9 laid mines off Tarbett Ness in Cromarty Firth during the night of the 9th/10th which accounted for one merchant ship on 4 May.

Steamer BOSTON TRADER (UK 371 grt) was bombed and damaged by aircraft of German X Air Corps (Note: He111's of KG26 or Ju88's of KG30) one quarter mile SE by S of Blakeney Bell Buoy.

Hopper barge FOREMOST 102 (UK 833 grt) was bombed and damaged by aircraft of German X Air Corps, four miles west of Bell Rock. Paddle minesweeper BRIGHTON QUEEN stood by, and the barge was towed to Dundee by minesweeping trawler EQUERRY (369grt).

Steamer CLINTONIA (UK 3106 grt) was bombed and damaged by aircraft of German X Air Corps, two miles east of Flamborough Head.

Steamer LAURIESTON (UK 1304grt) was bombed and damaged by He111's of German KG26 (X Air Corps) seven miles east of Coquet Island.

Steamer CREE (4791grt) was bombed and damaged by aircraft of German X Air Corps, five miles east of Rattray Head. Steamer DALLINGTON COURT (6889grt) stood by and was joined by DD GRIFFIN as DD ACHATES headed for them to assist. Tug STALWART was sent to take the damaged ship in tow. During this time, GRIFFIN was herself machine gunned by aircraft of German X Air Corps three miles 137° from Buchanness, and two crew wounded.

Trawler LOWDOCK (UK 276 grt) was bombed and damaged by aircraft of German X Air Corps, two and a half miles east of Scarborough.

Paddle minesweeper PLINLIMMON was attacked by aircraft of German X Air Corps, four miles 330° from Bass Rock.

GERMAN DESTROYER MINELAYING IN ORFORDNESS-SHIPWASH and CROMER KNOLL AREAS

During the night of the 9th/10th, DKM DDs FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, RICHARD BEITZEN and MAX SCHULTZ laid 110 magnetic mines in the Orfordness-Shipwash area. DDs WILHELM HEIDKAMP, THEODOR RIEDEL, HERMANN SCHOEMANN were at sea supporting this minelay as well as one off Cromer Knoll being laid at the same time (following). Six merchant ships totalling 28,496 tons were lost in the Orfordness-Shipwash field.

The Cromer Knoll field of 157 mines was laid the same night by DDs BRUNO HEINEMANN, WOLFGANG ZENKER, ERICH KOELLNER with three merchant ships totalling 11,855 tons being lost.

Northern Waters
BB WARSPITE and BC HOOD with DDs FAULKNOR, FAME, FOXHOUND, FORTUNE, FURY, FORESIGHT, FIREDRAKE and FORESTER departed the Clyde at 1130 on patrol. FAME and FORESTER refuelled at Sullom Voe on the 11th and returned to the force, FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, FORTUNE refuelled on the 13th, FURY, FORESIGHT, FIREDRAKE on the 14th, and FORESTER again on the 15th. DDs NUBIAN and GURKHA arrived at Scapa from the Clyde. DDs KIMBERLEY and KIPLING departed Scapa for patrol. DDs GALLANT and BOREAS were patrolling in the vicinity of Rattray Head (near Aberdeen). DD TARTAR was patrolling between Muckle Flugga and a position 20 miles north.

DD GRIFFIN departed Aberdeen and joined DDs BOREAS, IVANHOE and ESCAPADE sweeping for a submarine reported one mile SSE of Buchan Ness . During the sweep, GRIFFIN dropped DCs on a contact four miles NNE of Buchan Ness.

West Coast UK
OB.89 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers WINCHELSEA and VENETIA from the 9th to 12th, when they detached to join HX.18 and HXF.19 respectively. OB.89 dispersed on the 14th.

UK - France
Convoy AXS 12 departed Southampton escorted by sloop ABERDEEN, and arrived at Brest on the 11th.

Med- Biscay
HG.18 with 34 ships departed Gib escort DD ACTIVE from the 9th to 10th, and Fr DD VALMY and Fr armed trawler VIKING from the 9th to 16th. The convoy split In Home Waters, with HG.18 being escort DD VISCOUNT and HG.18B by DD VANQUISHER, both from the 16th to 19th, when the convoys arrived at Liverpool.

During the night of the 9th/10th, German steamers ROSTOCK (2542grt), MOREA (1927grt), WAHEHE (4709grt), WANGONI (7848grt), ORIZABA (4354grt) and ARUCAS (3359grt) slipped out of Vigo to attempt to return to Germany.

Polish troopship BATORY (14, 287grt) and Fr DD L'ALCYON arrived at Gib from Marseilles, and left on the 10th to return to Marseilles.

 

[parsifal]

10 February 1940
Known Reinforcements
Axis
IJN Type A ASW Escort ISHIGAKI (estimated date only)

0Allied
RN DD HAVELOCK

Destroyer HAVELOCK was completed on this day , and after working up at Portland, joined DesFlot9.

Known Losses
Blockship BRANKSEA (UK 214 grt) sank off Girdle Ness at 0500 for no apparent reason, and the mate of the tug was lost attempting to free the tow.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer BURGERDIJK (Ne 6853 grt): Crew: Unknown but entire crew rescued : Cargo: Wheat and maize : Route: New York - Rotterdam. In the late afternoon on 10 Feb 1940 the ship was stopped by U-48 southwest of the Scillies after being followed for three hours. The master came with the papers on board and it was discovered that he had orders to go to The Downs, so the crew and passengers had to abandon ship. At 18.45 hours, the vessel was hit by one torpedo amidships and sank. The survivors were picked up by the Dutch steam merchant EDAM from the same shipping company.:

Ex-USS MONOCACY (USN 204 grt): MONOCACY was at Kiuklang protecting American neutrality during the Japanese invasion of China, when on 29 August 1938 several mines exploded within 80 yards (73 m) of the ship, showering the gunboat with fragments. She was then held at the port until the Japanese completed sweeping operations some days later. She was decommissioned at Shanghai on 31 January 1939. The veteran gunboat was towed to sea and sunk 10 February, 1940 in deep water off the China coast..

MV SEA RAMBLER (UK 2327 grt): The cargo ship foundered in the Atlantic Ocean north west of the Azores, Portugal.

MV SILJA (Nor 1259 grt): Crew: 16 (16 dead - no survivors): Cargo: Salt: Route: Trapani - Gibraltar - Bergen. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Ireland by U-37.

Air Attacks By FliegerKorps X
Trawler THERESA BOYLE (RN 224 grt) was bombed and sunk by He111's of German KG26 (X Air Corps) 115 miles east by north of Aberdeen, and her survivors rescued by minesweeping trawlers BRABANT (240grt) and ALMANDINE (295grt) after they were located by British a/c.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

The German steamers in Vigo were once more ordered to attempt the breakthrough at all costs. On receipt of a signal during
the night from the outward bound steamer ROSTOCK (2,542 tons) "Am about to be seized" - Norddeich passed on plain language
instructions that she was to scuttle herself if there were no more hope of escape. No further reply from the ROSTOCK. According to information from Madrid the following German steamers have sailed: WAHEBE, WANGONI, ORIZABA, MOREA from Vigo, probably the
tanker FEDANIA from Las Falmas.

France :
The sailing of the German steamers from Vigo, which took place during the night of 10 Feb. has caused increased activity along
the Spanish coast. One destroyer has been ordered to proceed at 30 knots to a point about 270 miles westnorthwest of Cape
Finisterre. The steamers lying in Gijon are expected to sail. The additional French vessels sent to the Spanish coast were
unable to sail because of fog and will be considerably delayed in reaching their positions. One vessel is taking up a position
280 miles northwest of Cape Villano, another west of it. The French tug ABEILLE which is shadowing the German steamers in
Vigo has changed procedure since the Minister for the Navy intervened. She did not sail on 10 Feb.

The majority of the (enemy neutral) steamers assembled in Bergen sailed on a northerly course, and are to depart from the Floroe region during the night of 11 Feb. However, another thirty to forty ships are already assembled in Bergen. The captain of the German steamer CONSUL HORN sighted about 60 steamers near Krakenaes at noon on 9 Feb. .

The former Polish submarine ORZEL has again been detected in
the North Sea.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

Operations against "Ark Royal", "Renown" and "Exeter"

On 7.2 a radio intelligence report was received stating that "Ark Royal", "Renown" and "Exeter" had left freetown and that "Ark Royal" would be in a certain indicated position about 200 miles northwest of Madeira at 000/11/2, course 150, speed 22 knots. "Renown" and "Exeter" would be about 180 miles astern of this, making 16 knots. As these positions are very far away and there is yet no indication of what port they are making for, I consider that it would be premature for the boats to take action on this report from the positions they have at present reached. The Chief Radio Intelligence station today expressed the view that a channel port was probably the port of destination, but this still does not alter my opinion. In order to be able to act on further details, more exact details from the Radio Intelligence Service, I decided however, to keep back the boats in the area south of Ireland off the Channel approach. U 26, 37 and 48 received orders accordingly, although it is not certain that these boats have actually reached this position. It is doubtful if U 26 and U 37 have got so far, and it is not known if U 48 has completed her minelaying operation. It must also be remembered that the C.O. of U 26 has had little experience and ought not, if possible, to be faced with the difficult task of operating against warships on his first patrol.

Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-17

At Sea 10 February 1940
U-9, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-33, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-56, U-57.
12 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
AMC WOLFE and FORFAR departed the Clyde for Northern Patrol, and AMC LETITIA arrived back.

North Sea
Subs SEAL and TRIAD departed Rosyth on a special mission to investigate the courses of German iron ore ships off the Norwegian coast. ORP sub WILK departed Rosyth on patrol. FN.91 departed Southend, escort DDs WESTMINSTER, JAVELIN and sloop LONDONDERRY, and arrived in the Tyne on the 11th. FS.92 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyers WHITLEY, JUPITER and sloop EGRET. WHITLEY and EGRET attacked a submarine contact NNW of St Abbs Head, in 56-01. 5N, 2-14. 5W, and the convoy arrived at Southend on the 12th. MT.7 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne the next day.

ML PRINCESS VICTORIA with DDs ESK and EXPRESS departed Rosyth to lay 60 mines in minefield LD 2 during the night of the 10th/11th. MTBs 22, 24, 25 departed the Nore for Blyth to act under the command of Commander in Chief, Rosyth. OA.89 departed Southend escorted by sloop FOWEY. DD WITCH joined the escort on the 11th, both warships detached on the 12th, and the convoy dispersed on the 13th. Steamer GALLIA (Ne 9974 grt) was damaged on a mine off the Downs.

Aux MSW SALVO swept the first magnetic mine with an LL sweep off Sunk Light Vessel (in the Thames estuary).

Northern Waters
Armed boarding vessel NORTHERN ISLES (655grt) attacked U.53 north of North Rona (an island north of the mainland roughly mid way to the Faeroes). DDs COSSACK, SIKH and MOHAWK departed Scapa to escort convoy HN.10B from the Norwegian coast. DD GURKHA was involved in the escort of tanker ATHELKNIGHT (8940grt). DDs IVANHOE and GRIFFIN arrived at Aberdeen. GRIFFIN departed again that day to relieve destroyer BOREAS on patrol off the northeast coast, and BOREAS reached Aberdeen on the 11th.

Steamer HOUSATONIC (5559grt), escort DDs DIANA and DARING, departed Muckle Flugga for Rosyth. Tanker BRITISH GOVERNOR (6840grt) joined them on passage and all four ships reached Rosyth on the 11th.

Profile of C D Class DD

West Coast UK
CA SUFFOLK was in a collision with steamer MASIRAH (6578 grt) off Little Cumbrae (a small island in the Clyde) and was badly damaged abreast B-turret with three men killed, five missing and eight injured, three of them seriously. The steamer was seriously damaged and anchored in Rothesay Bay. SUFFOLK arrived at Govan and began repairs on the 12th which were not completed until 10 April.

DD INGLEFIELD departed the Clyde for Rosyth

UK - France
Convoy SA.29 of two steamers departed Southampton, escort sloops FOXGLOVE and ROSEMARY, and arrived at Brest on the 12th.

SW Approaches
DD WINDSOR made an attack on a submarine contact south of the Scilly Isles. U.26, U.37, U.48 were deployed west of the English Channel to intercept warships ARK ROYAL, RENOWN and EXETER returning to England from the Sth Atlantic. This deployment continued until the 14th, without any contact being made.

ARK ROYAL Profile

Central Atlantic
DD DECOY departed Gib for Freetown. SL.20 departed Freetown on the 10th escort AMC ESPERANCE BAY until the 25th, and SLF.20 departed Freetown on the 14th, escort AMC CHESHIRE. The two convoys merged on the 25th and were joined by DDs VANQUISHER, VANSITTART, VERSATILE and VETERAN until the 28th, when they all arrived in the UK.

Med- Biscay
DDs HASTY and HERO departed Gib for England, screening CA EXETER as thyey proceeded, after joining her on the 13th, and searching also for German blockade runners that had left Vigo the day previous before arriving at Plymouth and Portsmouth, respectively, on the 15th. Both DDs joined the Home Flt in mid-March after refitting.

 

[Njaco]

February 9 Friday
UNITED KINGDOM: A German bomber was shot down near Firth of Forth during raids on shipping in North Sea. Two other bombers were believed to have been damaged. Other raiders engaged at various points ranging as far north as Peterhead. The German bomber – a He 111 - was forced down over North Berwick just after midday. It narrowly missed telegraph wires as it crash-landed in the south east corner of the field behind the Lime Grove bus shelter. The Heinkel 111H-1 was shot down by a Spitfire from RAF No.602 Squadron piloted by Squadron Leader Douglas Farquhar stationed at Drem. The Spitfire fired 625 rounds at the Heinkel over Fife. With smoke pouring from its port engine and the undercarriage lowered in a sign of surrender, it turned towards the coast and made a forced landing tipping onto its nose. The rear gunner Uffz F. Wieners was hit by gunfire from the Spitfire and was taken to Drem where he died of his injuries and was buried in Dirleton Cemetery. The remaining three-man crew escaped without inquiry and spent the remainder of the war in a POW camp. The aircraft was repaired and taken to Turnhouse, given the RAF serial number AW 177 and flown by No 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) Flight, until Wednesday. 10th November 1943, when, on his approach for a landing at Polebrook, the pilot, Flying Officer F.A. Barr, saw the Flight's Junkers Ju 88 flying towards him, steeply turning to port, the aircraft stalled, spun vertically into the ground and exploded on impact, killing seven of the eleven on board. The same Heinkel was used in the film 'Combat America', a training film for the American Air Force gunner, made by Captain Clark Gable, in July 1943.

Winston Churchill made a radio broadcast to warn Bulgaria against joining the Tripartite Pact.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Mannerheim Line starts to crack in the Summa sector. Soviet troops take a bunker near the village of Karhula, north of Marjapellonmäki (Hill 38 ). Finns are unable to retake the position despite bringing up reserves. Attacks are made not only at Summa, but also between Punnusjoki and over ice of Taipale River. Finns claimed to have improved their positions in Kuhmo sector. In far north Finnish patrols attacked Soviet positions at Salmijaervi. North of Lake Ladoga, Finnish troops surround Soviet JR 203 creating the 'regimental motti'.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German destroyers Z3, Z4, and Z16 deployed 110 mines in the Shipwash, a busy sea lane in the North Sea east of Harwich, England.

British vessel "Chagres", carrying 1,500 tons of Cameroonian bananas, hit a mine deployed by German submarine U-30 on 6 Jan 1940. "Chagres" sank 10 miles from her destination, killing 2. The remaining 62 men were rescued by anti-submarine trawler HMS "Loch Montreith".

GERMANY: OKH Chief of Staff Halder tires of von Manstein's criticism of Case Yellow, his invasion plan for France, Belgium and Holland. Halder promotes Manstein to command an army corps garrisoning Poland, well away from planning forthcoming campaigns. General Manstein is appointed to command the German 33.Korps. Although this promotion is well deserved it seems that the German Army High Command hopes to shift Manstein to a less influential post than his present appointment as Chief of Staff to Rundstedt at Heeresgruppe A. He has had considerable influence in policy making and has been the leading figure arguing for a radical change in the plans for the attack on the west.

WESTERN FRONT: Paris reported artillery activity between the Moselle and the Saar; also a severe encounter during a reconnaissance, when losses were suffered on both sides.

NORTH AMERICA: President Roosevelt announced that he was sending Mr. Summer Welles, US Under Secretary of State, to collect information about conditions in Italy, France, Germany and Great Britain. He is to visit the belligerent countries in Europe with the aim of trying to negotiate a peace settlement.


.

 

[Wurger]

Finnish soldiers riding in a snowmobile ...

 

[parsifal]

11 February 1940
Known Losses
Trawler CISNELL (UK 300 grt (est): The trawler was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 70 nautical miles (130 km) off the Fastnet Rock by a German submarine (not identified. the loss of this trawler is confirmed however).

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV LINDA (Est 1,213 grt): Crew:15 (1 dead, 14 survivors) : Cargo: Coal : Route: Blyth - Gothenburg : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 100 nautical miles (190 km) west of Utsira, Norway by U-9 . The survivors were rescued by MV BIRGITTA ( Sweden).

MV ORANIA (Sd 1854 grt): Crew: 24 (14 dead and 10 survivors): Cargo: Maize, bran and oil cake: Route: Buenos Aires - Malmö and Ahus : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 60 nautical miles (110 km) north east of the Shetland Islands by U-50. The U-boat had spotted the illuminated vessel at 22.40 hours, but was not able to identify her as neutral. The wife of the master was also aboard. All hands on board abandoned ship in two lifeboats, but one of them with 14 occupants was never seen again (including the master and wife). The survivors in the other boat were picked up the next day by DD FAULKNOR.

MV SNESTAD (Nor 4114 grt) Crew:36 (2 dead and 34 survivors):Cargo: Ballast : Route: Bergen (9 Feb) - Philadelphia : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of the Hebrides by U-52. There were no casualties initially. The survivors were rescued by the steamer ALBERT L ELLSWORTH, which in turn was attacked. The torpedo detonated prematurely, but the crew abandoned ship in near panic. two crewman of the SNESTAD were left behind on the ship (along with 7 others) and drowned as they launched a raft to escape.

Trawler TOGIMO (UK 290 grt): Crew:11 (1 dead 10 survivors) : Cargo:15 tons of fresh fish : Route: Milford Haven - Fishing grounds in the Atlantic (W of Ireland) : The trawler was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of Cornwall by U-37, requiring 26 rounds to sink. Firing continued after the trawler had struck her colours in surrender and the crew were clearly visible (U-37 was only 500 yards from the target, and conditions were clear) abandoning ship. The survivors were rescued 28 hours later by MV MONTE NAVAJO (Spain)
New source: TOGIMO

Steamer ROSTOCK (Ger 2542 grt), which left Vigo on the 9th/10th, was captured off the Spanish coast by French sloop ELAN (see details below). A prize crew was put aboard and she was taken into Brest arriving on the 14th. Renamed SAINT MAURICE for French service, she reverted to German service after the fall of France.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts
[No significant reports]

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

U 29 left Heligoland in accordance with Operations Order No. 22. After U 25's successful supply operation, cover name "Moro", U 41 has now been ordered to supply in the same way. This boat has been west of Vigo for the last few days in order to make use of chances of attacking enemy patrol vessels and thus make it easier for our own merchant ships to leave the port. So far no results of her activity are known. Most of the steamers have sailed however, and the operation can therefore be regarded as completed.
U 48 reported that she had carried out her minelaying operation in the main position and had also sunk the Dutch S.S. "Burgendyk" in accordance with prize law.

Departures
Heligoland: U-29
Wilhelmshaven: U-14, U-18

At Sea 11 February 1940
U-9, U-14, U-18, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-29, U-33, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-56, U-57.
15 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
CA NORFOLK arrived at Scapa from Northern Patrol. AMC ASTURIAS departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol. CA DEVONSHIRE intercepted Norwegian steamer BORGLAND (3636grt) and requested a trawler to take her in to Kirkwall.

North Sea
DD GREYHOUND 7 personnel off the Humber. During the night of the 11th/12th, ML PRINCESS VICTORIA with DDs EXPRESS and ESK laid minefield LD 3 (first half). OA.88GF departed Southend on the 8th, escorted by destroyer BROKE which was relieved on the 10th by sloop BIDEFORD and destroyer VETERAN, while OB.88GF sailed from Liverpool, also on the 8th with 29 ships escorted by sloop LEITH and destroyer VERSATILE. On the 11th, they merged as OG.18F. Destroyer VERSATILE escorted the convoy on the 11th before detaching to HG.18F, sloops LEITH and BIDEFORD were with the convoy from the 11th to 17th, and destroyer ACTIVE joined it in the Gibraltar approaches out of Gibraltar, where OG.18F arrived on the 17th. FN.92 departed Southend, escort DDs JUPITER, VIVIEN and sloop PELICAN, and arrived in the Tyne on the 13th. FS.93 departed the Tyne at 2300 escort DDs VEGA, JAGUAR and sloop STORK, and arrived at Southend on the 13th

Northern Waters
Tkr IMPERIAL TRANSPORT (UK 8,022 grt): Crew:51 (2 dead and 49 survivors) Cargo: Ballast : Route: Tyne – Methil - Loch Ewe (17 Mar) – Curaçao : The tanker was torpedoed and damaged in the Atlantic Ocean north west of the Outer Hebrides. After being hit the vessel broke in two, and the crew abandoned ship. . The bow section sank but the stern remained afloat and the crew re-boarded. They painted a distress signal on the deck and then were able to raise stem, bring the ship to a speed just under 4 knots.

Just before dusk on 14 Feb and after sailing the stern section more than 130 miles they met four RN DDs of which DD KINGSTON remained with the stricken ship. The next morning the weather was deteriorating and the tanker had to stop to examine the forward bulkhead and then tried to sail by the stern, but just went round in circles. After an unsuccessful attempt to take her in tow, the DD took all men off the ship for the night. On 16 February, the tug BUCCANEER and DD FORESTER arrived. The master of IMPERIAL TRANSPORT asked to be returned to the tkr for the salvage operation, but the weather was too bad so during the afternoon he and his crew were all transferred to FORESTER and landed at Scapa on 17 February

Further tugs arrived on the scene. The stern section was taken in tow by the tugs ENGLISHMAN and St MARTIN and beached at Kilchattan Bay, Bute on 26 February. A new bow section was constructed and the ship was repaired and re-entered service in 1941. The ship survived the war.

The beached stern section of IMPERIAL TRANSPORT.

HN.10B with 29 ships departed Bergen on the 11th, escort DDs COSSACK, SIKH, MOHAWK and TARTAR, with 12 of the ships being detached down the west coast of Britain. Next day, HN.11 with 1 British, 15 Norwegian, 10 Swedish and 1 Finnish ship left Bergen and were escorted by the same warships from HN.10B, but in this case, none of the ships were bound for west coast ports. Still on the 12th, COSSACK and GURKHA attacked a submarine contact northeast of Sumburgh Head, and on the 13th SIKH also attacked a contact, off Aberdeen. That same day, the 13th, DD DIANA departed Rosyth to relieve DDs COSSACK and GURKHA for operation DT. They reached Rosyth later in the day, as did the east bound section of HN.10B. CLs EDINBURGH and ARETHUSA also arrived in Rosyth, on the 14th, and the later convoy, HN.11 safely reached Methil on the 15th.

DD GALLANT, leaving Aberdeen, damaged her propellers on a submerged object, and was docked for examination. DD EXPRESS attacked a submarine contact off Flamborough Head

West Coast UK
DD KINGSTON conducted ASw sweeps 22 miles west by south of Dubh Artach (a remote skerry of basalt rock off the west coast of Scotland lying 18 miles (29 km) west of Colonsay and 15 miles (24 km) south-west of the Ross of Mull). ASW trawler HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (399grt), joined later by DD WINCHELSEA, escorting a convoy, attacked a submarine contact off the Smalls Lighthouse (rock outcrop approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Marloes Peninsula in Pembrokeshire, Wales).

Med- Biscay
CV ARK ROYAL, BC RENOWN, and DDs HASTY and HERO, which departed Gibraltar on the 10th to return to England, searched for the German ships which had escaped from Vigo (Operation VO). Other ships taking part included CVL HERMES which left Freetown at 1200/11th, CL GALATEA from Gib at 1800/12th, and Fr DDs TRIOMPHANT and FOUGUEUX already on patrol. DDs KEITH, WAKEFUL and VETERAN departed from Plymouth on the 9th, ANTELOPE on the 10th to join ARK ROYAL at 0900/12th , ACASTA, WHITSHED, VESPER at 1430/11th with ARDENT to sail as soon as possible, and WREN, WOLVERINE and HEARTY at 0830/12th. Aircraft from ARK ROYAL made critical sighting reports of several of the German steamers, leading to the capture of ROSTOCK and MOREA (see loss section above).

Indian Ocean
CL GLOUCESTER departed Mombasa and arrived at Durban on the 21st.

General
Trade negotiations between Germany and Russia which began in the latter part of 1939 were signed in Moscow. As part of the treaty, German handed over the incomplete CA LUTZOW, plans for BB BISMARCK, heavy naval guns, and about 30 aircraft including ME.109 fighters, ME.110 fighter bombers and JU.88 bombers. The sale of incomplete CAs SEYDLITZ and PRINZ EUGEN and turrets of two of the Z-programme battleships had also been discussed during the negotiations, but had been vetoed by Hitler on 8 December.

 

[Njaco]

February 10 Saturday
GERMANY: The German Government warns Sweden and Norway that while sending aid to Finland was acceptable, the presence of English or French troops in transit to Finland would not be.

Jews from Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland) and Stralsund in Pommern, Germany were deported to ghettos in Lublin, Poland.

NORTHERN EUROPE: A crack opens in the Mannerheim Line. Red Army attacks again across the Karelian Isthmus from Summa to Taipale. The Mannerheim Line holds in most places but the Soviets wade across the Munasuo swamp and through several rows of barbed wire to achieve a breakthrough in the swampy but poorly fortified Merkki sector.

A force of Soviet ski troops begin an unsuccessful attempt to advance against the Finnish defenses which continues until February 13th. This force is wiped out.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Two wooden British ships HMS "Salve" and HMS "Servitor" successfully swept for magnetic mines on the sea bed, dragging a long charged electrical cable which detonated the mines in their wake.

Six German merchant ships leave Vigo, Spain to run the blockade. Allied warships intercept 4, 1 runs aground off northern Norway and 1 (Wangoni) reaches Kiel.

German submarine U-48 stopped Dutch steamer "Burgerdijk", transporting grain from the United States to Rotterdam), inspected the cargo, and then sank the ship 40 miles from Land's End in southwestern England. The ship's crew, floating in lifeboats, were rescued by Dutch steamer "Edam" 12 hours later.

German submarine U-37 torpedoed and sank Norwegian steamer "Silja", transporting salt from Gibraltar to Bergen, southwest of Ireland at 2100 hours. All 16 men aboard were killed.

NORTH AMERICA: In Washington DC, United States, President Franklin Roosevelt confronted a booing demonstration of 4,446 members of the American Youth Congress who had marched up Constitutional Avenue with banners condemning the prospect of the US being drawn into an imperialistic war. Angrily he told the demonstrators that American sympathy is overwhelmingly in support of Finnish efforts to stave off invasion, and warned them not to pass resolutions on subjects of which they have no complete knowledge.

EASTERN EUROPE: A day of terror as Russia rounds up thousands of Polish Military Settlers and loads them into cattle cars for deportation to labor camps in the Ural Mountains.

In Prague Nazi authorities order the closing of all Jewish-owned textile, clothing and leather goods stores and warn the Baron von Neurath, the German Reich Protector of Bohemia-Moravia, may order all other Jewish business to shut. Neurath has also ordered the sale of all jewelry, gold, platinum, silver and works of art owned by Jews. The measures are seen as part of a plan to eliminate Jews from the economic life of former Czechoslovakia.

WESTERN FRONT: The Dutch government announces the decision to build 3 battlecruisers (with technical assistance from Italy) for the defense of the Dutch East Indies. (The ships are never completed.)

.

 

[Wurger]

On the 10th January 1940 the Soviet Government started mass deportation of all Poles living at the Eastern territories of the pre-war Poland that were occupied by Soviets after their invasion on Poland in the September 1939. The proces of exiling was done at four phases, on the 9/10th January 1940, 12/13th April 1940, 28/29th June 1940 and 14th May 1941 . It is estimated there were about 1,350,000 Poles deported . On the 10th January the temperature hit -40°C. The NKVD troops stormed Polish homes late at night. People had several minutes for packing the most necessary things. Often they couldn't take with them anything. People were forced to board stock-cars. A cattle wagon was for 20-30 poples but there were 50 boarded usually. A trip lasted many weeks and often , for days on end. About 150 000 people died during travelling because of starvation, thirst and freezing cold. Most Poles were deported to the Siberia and Kazakhstan .

 

[Njaco]

February 11 Sunday
NORTHERN EUROPE: With the Mannerheim Line weakening, Timoshenko opens his main attack with a massive artillery barrage (heard 100 miles away), then 120,000 Soviet troops attack into the 12 mile Summa gap at 1200 hours. 123rd division (an element of the Soviet 7th Army) penetrates the Lähde sector and 245th Rifle Regiment under Colonel Rosly takes Fort Poppius at 1330 hours by parking armored cars in front of the machinegun ports. Finns try to plug the gap but are cut down by Soviet tanks. Strangely, Soviets do not send in reinforcements to exploit this gap. Fighting goes on around Million Fort all night.

GERMANY: A comprehensive trade agreement was signed between Germany and the USSR in which Soviet raw materials and food would be exchanged for German machinery and military equipment.

NORTH AMERICA: The Governor-General of Canada, Lord Tweedsmuir (well-known as the author John Buchan) dies after surgery for a head injury at age 64.

The second Vultee Model 48 Vanguard prototype aircraft took its first flight.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-53 sinks Norwegian MV "Snestad" with 2 torpedoes (all 36 crew rescued by Norwegian tanker "Albert L. Ellsworth") and damages British tanker MV "Imperial Transport" (2 lives lost). U-9 sinks Estonian SS "Linda" (1 dead). U-50 sinks Swedish SS "Orania" 65 miles (14 lives lost). 10 survivors are rescued the next day by HMS "Faulknor". U-37 sinks British trawler "Togimo" off Milford Haven with the deck gun (1 dead).


.

 

[Wurger]

A Soviet ChT-130 (T-26) light tank with a flamethrower instead of a cannon at the Karelian isthmus in the winter 1940.

 

[parsifal]

12 February 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Destroyer VIMIERA completed conversion to fast escort vessel (AA configuration), and after working up at Portland, was assigned to Convoy Cmd working from Rosyth; Fr CH-5 Class SC CH-7 (est)

Known Losses
MV DALARO (Sd 3927 grt): Crew: 29 (1 dead and 28 survivors) Cargo: 5400 tons of linseed in bags : Route:Rosario - Buenos Aires - Gothenburg - Malmö: The unescorted and neutral vessel was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean north west of Ireland by U-53 . The survivors were rescued by the trawler JAN DE WAELE (Belgium).

Steamer FLANDRES (Be 5827 grt) was sunk in a collision with steamer KABALO (Be 5186 grt) in the Fairway of the South Downs.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV NIDARHOLM (Nor 3482 grt): Crew: 25 (0 dead and 25 survivors): Cargo:cotton and grape fruit : Route: Tampa - Halifax - Liverpool : The cargo ship was torpedoed, shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean by U-26. The ship was split in two, with the bow section sinking that day and the stern section sometime afterwards. All 25 crew were rescued by MV BERTO (Norway).

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fishing Vessel O H BEWAAR ONS (Be 61 grt): The vessel trawler struck a mine in the North Sea near the West Hinder Light vessel and sank.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fishing Vessel STEUR (Be 62 grt): At the same time as above, the vessel struck a mine in the North Sea 10 nautical miles north west of the West Hinder Lightship and sank.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type VIIA U-33 (DKM 733 grt): sunk whilst attempting to lay mines in the Firth of Clyde : The Type VIIA submarine was depth charged and damaged in the Firth of Clyde by MSW GLEANER at 0440 halfway between Pladda Lighthouse and Ailsa Craig. GLEANERs electricals and ASDIC were both seriously damaged preventing completion of her DC attacks, however, U33 was also in serious trouble. The Uboat surfaced and surrendered to GLEANER, and sank after her scuttling charges went off at 0530, before all the crew could get off the boat. Twenty five of the crew were lost and 17 saved. DD KINGSTON recovered 20 bodies, one of which had the rotors of the ENIGMA coding machine on his person.

Type VIIA U.54 (DKM 733 grt) set out from Wilhelmshaven on the 12th on her first patrol, which was intended to be around Cape Finisterre, and was never heard from again. It is now belived that she was lost on the 12th/13th with all 41 crew, sunk by a mine laid by the DesFlot 20 on the 9/10 January. On the 14 March, DKM VP.1101 (trawler PREUSSEN, 425grt) found one of U.54's torpedoes, and later, on the 16 April, naval auxiliary ship Schiff 37 (trawler SCHLESWIG, 433grt) found another one in the Skagerrak.

Steamer MOREA (Ger 1927 grt) was captured by DD HASTY. The ship had departed Vigo on the 9th/10th, off the Portuguese coast. A prize crew boarded and MOREA joined convoy HG.17, arrived at Falmouth on the 17th, and was renamed EMPIRE SEAMAN for British service. The German crew were interned for the duration of the war. The vessel was sunk as a blockship in East Weddel Sound on 30th June 1940.

Trawler HERRLICHKEIT (Ger 268 grt) was captured near Tromso by CL GLASGOW. HERRLICHKEIT was in poor shape, capable of only four and a half knots and had to be towed part of the way by GLASGOW. She was forced to put into Fraserburgh due to heavy weather, and finally arrived at Aberdeen on the 21st. Taken over later by the Ministry of War Transportation, she was renamed EMPIRE FISHER for British use

Trawler HERRLICHKEIT as the EMPIRE FISHER in the foreground

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

The great Russian offensive on the Karelian Isthmus is in full swing. The Russians have thrown in very strong forces and seem to have broken into the first line of the Mannerheim positions. Unless large-scale foreign help arrives soon, Finnish resistance must flag. According to a communication from the Swedish Government, Sweden will not give Finland any large-scale active support beyond the scope of her assistance to date, since her inadequate armament makes such intervention impossible and at all events Sweden wishes to avoid a break with Germany.

Operation "Nordmark" must again be postponed, since the GNEISENAU's two screws must be changed owing to the damage
done by the ice during the passage from Kiel to Wilhelms-haven. Earliest date for "Nordmark" 16 Feb.

Since Naval Staff is under the impression -that both Group v/est and Commanding Admiral, Naval Forces, West, also Commanding Admiral, Submarines still hesitate to accept the results evaluated from radio monitoring and do not yet consider them as sufficiently well-founded to serve as a basis for their operations, the following information is to be communicated to:

Group West; Commanding Admiral, Naval Forces, West and Commanding Admiral, Submarines.

1. With our present standard of radio deciphering, especially in northern and home waters, it can be taken for granted that all
enemy movements will be intercepted,
2. This state of affairs can at the moment be taken into account when planning operations,
3. You will be informed immediately if a change in the enemy's code alters the present situation.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

U 54 sailed in accordance with Operations Order No. 25. Radio Intelligence Service has reports of the sinking of a U-boat in the Clyde. If this is correct, it can only be U 33. But the report's are not so definite that hope of the boat's only having been seen need be abandoned. C-in-C Navy visited Headquarters West. B.d.U. briefed him on the situation and future intentions.

Operation against "Ark Royal" etc.
A fresh Radio Intelligence report on Ark Royal gives the A/C carrier's exact position for 0900/12/2 with her escort of 4 destroyers. According to this, she has altered course. Assuming that she is still making 22 knots, she can be expected to pass the Channel-approach about the morning of 13.2. There is further confirmation of the suspicion that she is making for the Channel. Although the exact positions of the U-boats were not known, I decided to operate the boats kept back in this area against her. It was known that U 48 is west of the Channel again and it could therefore be assumed that U 26 and U 37 will have arrived there by now at the latest. On the morning of 12.2 they were allocated operations areas in the Channel approach. Shortly after this order was given U 48 reported a convoy on a westerly course. As she was in contact with the enemy and possibly about to score a success, I did not think it right to interfere with her operations. U 37 also made a radio message. She was in a favorable position for an attack on "Ark Royal". Nothing was known of U 26's position. During the night however, she also made a radio message. She was a long way off and could not make sufficient speed against the heavy sea to reach her position in time. Meanwhile U 48 had lost the convoy.

Departures
Kiel: U-54
Wilhelmshaven: U-61

At Sea 12 February 1940
U-9, U-14, U-18, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-54, U-56, U-57, U-61.
16 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
CL MANCHESTER arrived at Scapa Flow after Northern Patrol. AMC FORFAR departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

North Sea
CLA CALCUTTA departed the Humber for Sullom Voe, and arrived on the 13th. DD INTREPID relieved destroyer GRIFFIN on patrol in Moray Firth. GRIFFIN arrived at Rosyth on the 13th. Submarines THISTLE and TRITON exercised in the Firth of Forth. Sub SALMON and DD ESCORT exercised off Harwich. Sub NARWHAL arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Subs L.23 departed Blyth on patrol, and STURGEON for the Tyne to refit. Sub SWORDFISH departed Dundee on trials to arrive at Rosyth on the 13th, but was diverted and arrived at Blyth on that date. ML PRINCESS VICTORIA with DDs EXPRESS and ESK laid 38 mines in operation LD 3 (second half) in the North Sea. The ships then proceeded to the Thames. MT.9 departed Methil, escort sloops FLEETWOOD, BITTERN and HASTINGS, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. Convoy FS.94 departed the Tyne, escort sloops FLEETWOOD, BITTERN and HASTINGS, which had just arrived from Rosyth with MT.9.

Northern Waters
DD KIMBERLEY arrived at Scapa. Steamer CYPRIAN PRINCE (UK 1988 grt) departed Stromness for Aberdeen.

West Coast UK
DDs KANDAHAR, KASHMIR, KHARTOUM arrived at Greenock.

Channel
DD HARDY departed Portland for the Clyde. Sloop ROSEMARY attacked a submarine contact ESE of Start Point (near Devon). Sloop SANDWICH passed nearby at 0840/13th, joined ROSEMARY and carried out her own attack. DD BROKE also joined in the search at 1030, and the operation continued until 1630 when ROSEMARY was ordered to return to harbour.

UK - France
BC.26 with six steamers, including BARON KINNAIRD, DUNKWA (Commodore) and RONAN departed the Bristol Channel escort DD MONTROSE, and arrived safely in the Loire on the 14th.

Nth Atlantic
HXF.20 departed Halifax local escort RCN DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT, which detached on the 13th. Ocean escort until the 22nd when she detached, was AMC LACONIA. On that day, DDs ACASTA and VENETIA attached and escorted until its arrival at Liverpool on the 25th.

 

[parsifal]

13 February 1940
Known Losses
MV CHASTINE MAERSK (Den 5177 grt): Crew: 30 (0 dead and 30 survivors) : Cargo: Phosphate : Route: Safi, Morocco - Kalundborg, Denmark: At 0716 in thge morning U-25 fired a shot across the bow of the neutral vessel, but it took two more shots until she stopped. The Germans then ordered the crew to abandon ship in 10 minutes and shelled and sank the ship from 08.36 to 08.45 hours. The survivors were picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant Hilda. U-25 had spotted the ship at 16.30 hours the day before and fired a stern torpedo that missed at 20.10 hours. 19 minutes later Schütze fired his last torpedo and observed a hit aft without effect, but the torpedo probably detonated prematurely without damaging the ship. The U-boat then chased the ship on the surface during the night and attacked with the deck gun at dawn.

MV NORNA (Sd 1022 grt): Crew: 18 (18 dead - no survivors) : Cargo: Salt : Route: Savona (23 Jan) - Gibraltar (7 Feb) - Stockholm : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of ireland by U-52.

Steamer WAKAMA (Ger 3771 grt) scuttled herself to avoid capture. CA DORSETSHIRE's seaplane sighted the vessel off Cape Frio at 1615/12th. DORSETSHIRE intercepted her next day in 22‑42S, 41‑38W, and WAKAMA which had departed Rio de Janiero on the 11th scuttled herself rather than be captured.

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

Conference on the Situation with the Chief. Naval Staff.
The following points have arisen from the conferences held by the Chief, Naval Staff in Wilhelmshaven .
1. Since we cannot rule out the possibility that the enemy has boarded the missing patrol boat "805", the Chief, Naval Staff
has given orders that patrol boats are to be equipped only with such confidential material as is absolutely necessary* (This
measure has already been in force for a long time with regard to radio codes.)

2. Group West is especially- anxious that the headquarters of the new 9th Air Corps now being formed (Minelaying Corps) should
be transferred to Jever .

3. The Group is considering the reconstruction of the barrage system in the German declared area, in particular the question
of extending the minefields to the north and filling in the gaps by further minelaying. The result will be reported later.

4. The battleship sortie "Nordmark" is scheduled for 16 or 17 Feb. 5. Commanding Admiral, Naval Forces, West requested a second
Admiral to deputize for the Commanding Admiral, Fleet in case of absence and to relieve the Fleet Staff. (Fresh appoint- ment for Commanding Admiral, Pocket Battleships as next senior officer of the Fleet?) This question is being examined by the Naval Staff.

Special Reports on the Enemy ,
Great Britain: Indian Ocean :
The following steamers were included in the troopship convoy from Australia: ORION 23,371 tons; ORCADES 32,456 tons; EMPRESS OF JAPAN 26,032 tons; EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA 21,133 tons. Escorts: RAMILLIES, EAGLE and probably CANBERRA. The convoy Was
in Colombo on 30 Jan. and 1 Feb., passed Aden on 9 Feb, and arrived in Suez on 12 Feb. The RAMILLIES, EAGLE and CANBERRA and several steamers put in to Aden harbor.
Submarine Situation.
Atlantic operational area :
Submarines U "41", U "48", U "37", U "26". Submarines U "48", U "37" and U "26" have not succeeded in operating in the western entrance to the Channel a gains t the Task Force ARK ROYAL, RENOWN and the damaged EXETER returning from the South Atlantic. The operational order came too late for the submarines to reach the ordered attack-positions in time under the present weather conditions. Only submarine U "37" is now in the western entrance to the Channel, Submarines U "26" and U "48" were ordered by Commanding Admiral, Submarines to operate north (submarine U "26") and south (submarine U "48").

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

Operations against "Ark Royal" etc....On the morning of 13.2 the situation was:
U 37 presumably in position
U 48 also in position, or in the immediate vicinity.
U 26 a long way off, making little headway against the sea.
I gave the following order:
"U 37 and U 48 to make every effort to take up the attacking position ordered. Only particularly valuable targets are to be attacked until boats are dismissed from this position.
U 26 will occupy an attack area......" (an area corresponding to her present position). This was necessary, because she could no longer reach her position and was then in danger of using up her fuel for nothing.
At midday a radio message was received from U 48 which, from the position given, showed that she had tried to regain contact with the convoy. She pursued it so far to the west and was then such a long way from the Channel approach (340 miles) that she was unlikely to be able to get back there inside 2 days (wind E 7).
This action by the C.O. of U 48 will have to be thoroughly investigated when he gets back. It was already doubtful whether he should have been left with the convoy, but when he had lost contact and received new orders, he should never have allowed himself to be lured so far west that in the end he could not carry out these orders.

Departures
Heligoland: U-62

At Sea 13 February 1940
U-9, U-14, U-18, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-54, U-56, U-57, U-61, U-62.
17 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
ON.12 of 27 ships departed Methil escort DDs INGLEFIELD, ILEX, IMPERIAL, DELIGHT and sub THISTLE. CLs ARETHUSA and PENELOPE were originally to provide close cover, but had been assigned to Operation DT, and CL EDINBURGH sailed from Rosyth to take over. Four ships were detached before making the North Sea crossing, including Norwegian steamer FERNMOOR (4268grt) which IMOGEN took into Scapa on the 14th. IMOGEN left again on the 15th and joined CLA CALCUTTA which had departed Sullom Voe the same day to bolster AA defences. ON.12 arrived safely at Bergen on the 16th.

Convoy OA.91 departed Southend escort DD VERITY from the 13th to 16th, when it dispersed. FN.93 departed Southend, escort DDs WHITLEY, JACKAL and sloop EGRET, and arrived in the Tyne on the 15th. FS.95 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WOOLSTON, JANUS and sloop GRIMSBY, and arrived at Southend on the 15th. MT.10 departed Methil, escort ASW trawlers of the 19th Anti-Submarine Group, and arrived in the Tyne later that day.

Steamer NAHALT (Ger 5870 grt) was damaged in a collision in the North Sea, and was assisted by steamer KONIGSBERG PREUSSEN (Ger 2530 grt).

Northern Waters
DDs KELVIN, KINGSTON, KANDAHAR and KHARTOUM departed the Clyde on the 13th to participate in Operation WR, and rendezvoused with AMC CIRCASSIA. CLA CAIRO arrived at Scapa Flow. Sub TARPON was carrying out trials in Gare Loch.

U.50 attacked tkr ALBERT L. ELLSWORTH (Nor 8309 grt) in the North Sea, NW of the Shetlands, and reported her sunk. This was an error, and the attack failed due to torpedo malfunctions.

West Coast UK
OB.91 departed Liverpool escort DDs WALPOLE and VIMY from the 13th to 16th, and dispersed on the 17th

Med- Biscay
DD DEFENDER departed Gibraltar for Freetown.

Allied Hunting Gps reported on this day
Allied Hunting Groups were reorganized as follows:
Force G - CAs HAWKINS and DORSETSHIRE
Force H - CAs CORNWALL and CUMBERLAND
Force I - CVL EAGLE, CA SUSSEX, RAN CL HOBART
Force M - CA KENT and the Fr CA SUFFREN
Force X - F CAs FOCH and DUPLEIX
Force Y - Fr BB PROVENCE, Fr CAs COLBERT, DUQUESNE,and Fr CL EMILE BERTIN

 

[Njaco]

February 12 Monday
NORTH AFRICA: The Australian 2nd Imperial Force and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force arrive at Suez, Egypt.

NORTHERN EUROPE: At 0500 hours, Soviet tanks dragged sleds with explosives on board up to the Million Fort on the Mannerheim Line in Finland. When the sleds were detonated, all defenders inside the fort were killed, but the Soviet 7th Army did not pass through this breach on the Mannerheim Line. Later on this day, near the eastern end of the Mannerheim Line, Soviet troops captured the Kirvesmäki stronghold in Taipale (now Solovyovo, Russia). A counterattack late in the day by the Finnish 5th Division fails to expel the Soviet forces from their hold on the Summa position. It becomes apparent the Karelian defense line will not hold. By the end of the day, the Finnish government agreed that it has little hope other than to seek peace.

In Helsinki, during the diplomatic negotiations the Soviets raise their terms a little further to match their growing military success. The Finnish cabinet now favors peace and authorizes moves to end the war against the USSR. At the same time, Finland requests aid from Sweden (which Stockholm rejects).

ATLANTIC OCEAN: British Royal Navy minesweeper HMS "Gleaner" located German submarine U-33 laying mines in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland at 0250 hours. U-33 was badly damaged by depth charges and surfaced at 0522 hours, but the submarine began to sink shortly after surfacing, killing 25 men, including commanding officer Kapitänleutnant Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky. Despite orders to remove the rotors from the secret Enigma code machine and throw them into the sea, one man among the 17 survivors has 3 rotors in his pockets, which was sent to Alan Turing at the Government Code and Cypher School for further study.

As part of an operation to intercept 6 German merchant vessels, British Royal Navy destroyer HMS "Hasty" intercepted and captured German blockade runner "Morea" 300 miles west of Porto, Portugal. "Morea" had departed from Vigo, Spain and was bound for Germany.

German submarine U-53 sank Swedish ship "Dalarö" west of Scotland, killing the captain. 29 survivors were rescued by Belgian trawler "Jan de Waele".

German submarine U-26 sank Norwegian ship "Nidarholm" west of Ireland. The entire crew of 25 were rescued by Norwegian ship "Berto" about 10 hours later.

12 miles off Cabo Frio, Brazil, aircraft from British cruiser HMS "Dorsetshire" spot German freighter SS "Wakama". HMS "Dorsetshire" stops "Wakama" but her crew set her on fire, so that "Wakama" will not fall into British hands, and take to the lifeboats. 46 survivors are picked up by HMS "Dorsetshire".

GERMANY: Erwin Rommel was named the commanding officer of the 7. Panzerdivision.

UNITED KINGDOM: In Britain paper rationing is introduced, with supplies cut by 40 percent.


.

 

[Njaco]

February 13 Tuesday
GERMANY: German General Alfred Jodl records in his diary that due to the loss of plans, Adolf Hitler changed the main invasion point farther south, in the direction of Sedan, to capture a large group of Allies in Belgium.

Hptm. Joachim Schlichting, the Geschwaderadjutant of JG 27 assumes his new position as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 1 in place of Major Bernhard Woldenga. Hptm. Schlichting was appointed to the position on 1 February, his twenty-sixth birthday. His Staffelkapitäns with the Gruppe are Oblt. Wilhelm Balthasar with 1./JG 1, Oblt. Walter Adolph of 2./JG 1 and Oblt. Max Dobislav of 3./JG 1.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-50 fired several torpedoes at Norwegian tanker "Albert L. Ellsworth" at 0200 hours, missing with all of them. The crew of the tanker panicked and abandoned the ship, with 2 survivors of merchant vessel "Snestad" (rescued on 11 Feb 1940) drowning in the process. After realizing the ship was not harmed, 42 men reboarded "Albert L. Ellsworth" and continued on with their journey to Bergen, Norway.

German submarine U-25 fired two torpedoes at Norwegian ship "Chastine Mærsk" before dawn, with both missing. At dawn, she surfaced and sank "Chastine Mærsk" with her deck gun. The entire crew of 30 were rescued by Norwegian ship "Hilda".

German submarine U-53 sank Swedish ship "Norna" west of Ireland, killing 18.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Finnish troops tried to seal the hole on the Mannerheim Line in the Lähde sector, but Soviet tanks stopped the attack. Elsewhere, Finnish troops retook the Kirvesmäki fort on the Taipale River on the Mannerheim Line. In Stockholm, Finnish Foreign Minister Tanner asked Sweden to send troops to Finland; Sweden declined in fear of invasion by both the United Kingdom and Germany as a response.

In Sweden, Finnish Foreign Minister Tanner asks Swedish Government to send troops to Finland. The Swedes declines, being too concerned with Allied plans to 'aid Finland' via the Swedish iron ore fields and likely German intervention to prevent this.

NORTH AMERICA: The US Senate approved in principle, by a vote of 49 to 27, a loan of US$20,000,000 to be made to Finland, with restriction that none of it to be used for "arms, ammunition or implements of war". A further two weeks however would elapse before the bill would be passed.

ASIA: Three Hawk 75 fighters of the Chinese 18th Squadron intercepted 27 Japanese bombers en route to bomb the bridge on the Xi River near Xiaolongtan, Yunnan, China. One bomber was claimed to be destroyed.

UNITED KINGDOM: The British government imposes strict controls over the railway network but continues to allow private ownership and operation of the railways. A Labour Party proposal to nationalize all forms of inland and coastal transport is defeated in a House of Commons vote.

.

.

 

[parsifal]

14 February 1940
Known Losses
MV GIORGIO OLSEN (Ita 4156 grt) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea with the loss of 17 of her 33 crew.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Tkr GRETAFIELD (UK 10,191 grt) was torpedoed by U-57 east of Wick after she straggled behind convoy HX.18. One Marine was lost and 31 survivors rescued by trawlers PEGGY NUTTEN and STRATHALLADALE. To search for the submarine responsible, DDs BOREAS and GURKHA were detailed to search off Rattray Head, while DDs KIPLING and KASHMIR were already hunting in the area. GURKHA made an attack on the 15th in Moray Firth, and was then advised with KASHMIR that if no further contact was made, they were to join in operation WR. Still on the 15th, DD KINGSTON was ordered to stand by the still floating tanker for ASW protection, but she run aground at Dunbeath. GRETAFIELD broke in two on 19 March and was declared a total loss.

MV LANGLEEFORD (UK 4622 grt) Crew: 34 (4 dead and 30 survivors): Cargo: 6800 tons of wheat:Route: Boston - Halifax - Tyne : The cargo ship was part of HX 18 but became a straggler behind the convoy. She was torpedoed and in the Atlantic Ocean 70 nautical miles (130 km) north west of the Fastnet Rock by U-26. The Germans questioned the survivors, handed over two bottles of rum, 100 cigarettes, bread and dressing materials and told them the course to the nearest land.

MV MARTIN GOLDSCHMIDT (Den 2,095 grt): Crew: 20 (15 dead and 5 survivors): Cargo: Phosphate : Route: Safi, Morocco - Fredericia (Denmark). The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean north west of Ireland by U-53. The survivors were rescued by BERTA (Nor).

MV SULTAN STAR (UK 12,306 grt): Crew: 73 (1 dead and 72 survivors): Cargo: 7803 tons of frozen meat, 1000 tons of butter and general cargo: Route: Buenos Aires (27 Jan) - Liverpool : The cargo liner was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 200 nautical miles (370 km) south west of Land's End, Cornwall by U-48. The survivors were rescued by DD WHITESHED.

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

The supply ship ALTMARK has reported that she is about to enter Norwegian territorial waters off Kristiansund, She requested a pilot for the inner leads as far as Koppervik and further orders. The crew, including 23 men from the ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE, are all in perfect health. The prisoners - 220(?) British, 67 Indians and 8 negroes are likewise in good health. Thus by dint of the skill and resolution of her officers the ship has accomplished the voyage from the South Atlantic to Norway unnoticed by the enemy. In accordance with the original directive, she has taken advantage of the moon and the favorable weather conditions during the
past few days to pass the Iceland area. Group West has been entrusted with the task of bringing the ALTMARK home. For this purpose the following directive given to the Group:
"I. The ALTI/ARK has the following orders: No false markings in territorial waters, Reich Service flag, no stopping, keep prisoners below deck. If ship is stopped, demand free passage as government ship.
II. The ALTMARK has no recognition signals, only codes for foreign waters.
III. Note by Naval Staff: Group to take over command . Copy of orders issued to be forwarded to Naval Staff. The Embassy and consulates in Norway have been informed about the ALTLARK and her orders. Inform the ALTL'ARK that there are official consulates in Kristiansand , Haugesund, Trondheim also that Naval Staff has not arranged for special pilots, so that these must be taken on board on the spot."
During the afternoon Group Y;est informed the ALTMARK about the German consulates in Norway and issued orders for the rest of
the passage. The Group has not provided direct protection for the ALTMARK but if the weather is favorable there will be air
reconnaissance in the Skagerrak. In accordance with Naval Staff's original exhaustive deliberations, the return voyage will now
take place inside Norwegian territorial waters, as these seem to offer the greatest protection against the movements of enemy
light forces which have frequently been detected in the Shetlands - Norway area. Proceed from Koppervik to Lindesnes inside
territorial waters. Leave territorial waters at Lindesnes light - house . Cross the Skagerrak to Hanstholm at maximum speed at night.
From Hanstholm to Nordmanns Deep in Danish territorial waters. Further instructions from the Group to the ALTMARK concerned radio service, sending of special signals, recognition signals, position of enemy submarines and picking up by our own forces. The patrol boats north of Nordmanns Deep near Slugen North light and whistle buoy are to pilot the ALTMARK through Nordmanns Deep.
For this purpose the ALTMARK is to be off Nordmanns Deep at dawn.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

Reports have been received of several steamers sunk in the sea area south of Ireland, including a 12,000 tonner.

Arrivals
Heligoland: U-9

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-10, U-19, U-60

At Sea 14 February 1940
U-10, U-14, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-54, U-56, U-57, U-60, U-61, U-62.
19 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
AMC SCOTSTOUN departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

North Sea
DD GURKHA (later joined by DDs KASHMIR, KIPLING and BOREAS) attacked a submarine contact in Moray Firth. CLA COVENTRY departed Sullom Voe for repairs at Chatham, arriving en route in the Humber on the 15th. DDs BRAZEN and DIANA departed Rosyth and BOREAS was detached from submarine hunting off Rattray Head. All three reached Invergordon on the 15th and left again later that day to escort the collision-damaged DD DUNCAN under tow by tugs ST MELLONS and NORMAN from Invergordon to Rosyth for repairs following the collision of 17 January. BRAZEN and BOREAS were last minute replacements for SIKH and NUBIAN which were needed for DT. DUNCAN repaired at Grangemouth completing on 22 July 1940.

Subs TRIDENT arrived at Rosyth from patrol and TRIBUNE trained in the Firth of Forth. FN.94 departed Southend escort DDs VEGA, JAGUAR and sloop STORK, and arrived in the Tyne on the 16th. FS.96 departed the Tyne escort DDs WESTMINSTER, JAVELIN and sloop LONDONDERRY, and WESTMINSTER and LONDONDERRY attacked a submarine contact north, NNW of St Abbs Head. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 16th.

Northern Waters
DKM ALTMARK (10,847grt) was sighted by RAF Hudson's of 220 Sqn off Trondheim as she was being escorted to Bergen by Norwegian torpedo boats TRYGG and GARM for contraband inspection. RAF 220 (Hudson) sqn from Thornaby was assigned to provide support and, greatly assisted by speeding up the search capabilities and simplifying the battle problem for the RN. .

Central Atlantic
SL.20 departed Freetown on the 10th escort AMC ESPERANCE BAY until the 25th, and SLF.20 on the 14th, escort AMC CHESHIRE. The two convoys merged on the 25th when they were joined by DDs VANQUISHER, VANSITTART, VERSATILE and VETERAN, all the escorts remaining with the convoys until its arrival on the 28th.

Med- Biscay
ASW trawler LORD HOTHAM (464grt), escorting tug BRIGAND and a battle target off Cape St Vincent attacked a submarine contact. HG.19F departed Gib with 25 ships, escort DD WISHART from the 14th to 16th, Fr DD TIGRE and Fr Aux PV MINERVE from the 14th to 21st, and DD WREN from the 21st until the 23rd, when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.