This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning (3 Viewers)

[parsifal]

March 7 Thursday
GERMANY: Ob. Alois Stoeckl is appointed Kommodore of KG 55 in place of Generalmajor Wilhelm Sussmann.

Adolf Hitler allocated 8 divisions for the invasion of Norway and Denmark.

RAF aircraft, operating from France, drop Polish language leaflets over German occupied Polish lands and German language leaflets over Leipzig and the Ruhr.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The British boarded 9 Italian ships from Rotterdam carrying German coal in the English Channel and detained all ships at The Downs, off Deal, Kent, England. This action follows a warning that Britain will seize all German coal found at sea. The ships are brought to Kent where they are anchored of the coast while the government decides whether to unload the cargoes. Four more Italian colliers have set sail from Rotterdam and a further six are loading with Rhineland coal destined for Italy where coal rationing is in force. Many Italians believe that the seizure of their ships is a deliberate attempt to force them to buy British coal on British terms. This becomes known as the "Coal Ships Affair".

NORTHERN EUROPE: Fighting continues around Viipuri. Red Army breaks through the last defensive line in several places, threatening Finland's second city. Prime Minister Ryti, Paasikivi, Rudolf Walden Väinö Voionmaa arrive in Moscow in the evening (via Stockholm) to discuss peace terms with the Soviets.

Juho Kusti Paasikivi returns to Moscow in defeat (having led the failed Dec 1939 territorial negotiations with Molotov and Stalin).

NORTH AMERICA: RMS "Queen Elizabeth" arrived at New York, New York, United States.

UNITED KINGDOM: In the United Kingdom, British Chief of the Imperial General Staff Edmund Ironside offered military assistance to Carl Mannerheim of Finland.

Sir Kingsley Wood announced that fighting strength of the RAF had doubled in last 12 months.

WESTERN FRONT: The French prime minister, Edouard Daladier, meets the US envoy Sumner Welles.

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[Njaco]

March 8 Friday
GERMANY: Hptm. Dr. Erich Mix, the Mayor of the City of Wiesbaden, a former World War I pilot and acting Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 53, is appointed Gruppenkommandeur of the forming Stab of the III Gruppe of the 'Richthofen' Geschwader, JG 2.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Red Army closes in on Viipuri, with fighting in the suburb of Tali. They capture more islands in Viipurinlahti Bay. Meanwhile, large quantities of French arms, ammunition and aircraft (175) are now on the way to Finland.

Finnish delegates in Moscow begin negotiations in the evening with Molotov, Zdanov and General Vasilevski but not Stalin, to their disappointment. Finns ask for a ceasefire during negotiations. The Soviets know that they are about to take Viipuri and refuse, preferring to negotiate from a position of strength.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: British cruiser HMS "Dunedin" and Canadian destroyer HMCS "Assiniboine" captured German steamer "Hanover" near Jamaica. "Hannover" would later be converted into escort aircraft carrier HMS "Audacity".

British steamer "Counsellor", flagship of Rear Admiral Franklin of convoy HX-22 convoy, struck a mine in Liverpool Bay, England. The Admiral, his 7 naval staff, and the entire crew of 70 were rescued by destroyer HMS "Walpole" and landed at Liverpool. The mines were laid on 6 Jan 1940 by German submarine U-30; these mines had claimed 6 ships totaling 33,000 tons.

UNITED KINGDOM: Heinkel plane bought down by RAF Fighter Command patrol off north coast of Scotland. Two Heinkel aircraft encountered over North Sea were engaged and seen to be hit.

Air Ministry announced that machines of Bomber and Coastal Command attacked three enemy patrol vessels near Borkum.

In the course of reconnaissance, RAF aircraft flew over Posen in Western Poland; longest flight of the war.

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[parsifal]

9 March 1940
Known Reinforcements
Axis
IJN Type A ASW Escort KUNASHIRI0, SC CH13 Class (precise dates for both uncertain)

Allied
ASW Trawlers HAZEL and JUNIPER, Fr Chamois Class MSW Surprise
[NO IMAGES FOR THE HAZEL OR JUNIPER]

Known Losses
U.14 sank steamers BORTHWICK (UK 1097 grt), AKELD (UK 643 grt) and ABBOTSFORD (UK 1585 grt) in the North Sea. A Dutch coast guard cutter assisted in the rescue of the entire crew of BORTHWICK, but all 13 crew on AKELD were lost, and all 19 crew of the ABBOTSFORD were lost. ABBOTSFORD was carrying a cargo of steel and flax Ghent - Grangemouth. AKELD was carrying general cargo Rotterdam (9 Mar) - Newcastle-upon-Tyne and BORTHWICK was carrying

The AKELD

[NO IMAGE FOUND FOR THE BORTHWICK]

ABBOTSFORD under her former name Cyrille Danneels.

Steamer ASHLEY (UK 1323 grt) ran aground 1.4 miles 225° from East Goodwins Light Vessel. DD BEAGLE was dispatched to assist, but returned to patrol when two tugs arrived. The steamer broke up on the tide on the 11th.

MV CHEVY CHASE (UK 1500 grt (est)) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off the north coast of Norfolk 53°18′N 1°13′E). All 21 crew were rescued by the trawler MONIMIA.

U.38 sank trawler LEUKOS (Eire 216 grt) northwest of Tory Island. On 9 March 1940 the ship was attacked without warning by U-38 about 12 miles northwest off Tory Island. At 20.00 hours, the U-boat had spotted 6 trawlers all with their lights set near Tory Island and Liebe thought that they were forming a patrol line. He decided to give one of them a warning and fired one shot from its deckgun at the Leukos from a distance of 200 metres. The shot hit the trawler in the engine room and she dissappeared in a cloud of steam and smoke. The U-boat waited until the trawler sank after one hour and then continued the patrol. All 11 crewman lost their lives

Steamer MAINDY HILL (UK 1918 grt) was lost in collision with steamer ST ROSARIO (4312grt) three miles NE of Hartlepool. ST ROSARIO was able to proceed to the Tees. All 23 crew were rescued.

MV P MARGONIS (Gk 4970 grt): Crew: 30 (30 dead - no survivors): Cargo: Ballast : Route: Antwerp (6 Mar) - Canada : The cargo ship was torpoedoed and sunk in the Bristol Channel off the north coast of Cornwall by U-28.
View attachment 286852

Air Attacks By FliegerKorps X
fishing vessel SANTA GODELIVIA (Be 33 grt) was lost to unknown cause in the North Sea. Later research attributes her loss to attack by aircraft of KG26.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop In Rome for conversations with Mussolini and Count Ciano.

The Russians are advancing despite strong Finnish resistance. Negotiations under Swedish mediation are now said to have
commenced officially. Russian conditions:

Cession on lease of Hangoe peninsula.
Cession of islands in the Gulf of Finland.
Cession of the Karelian Isthmus, including
the north coast of Lake Ladoga.
No concession of Petsamo.

Italy' s attitude has undergone a change insofar as she is now also calling upon Finland to submit and to accept the Russian
peace conditions

Anglo-Italian coal negotiations not yet concluded. Germany is to make an effort to increase the export of coal to Italy overland by all available means so that Italy becomes almost independent of Great Britain for coal supplies.

The French and British press demand the immediate extension of the war to Scandinavia.

The Finnish Foreign Minister Informs the Swiss Ambassador that if the Russian demands are excessive the Finnish Government
will request immediate official aid from the Western Powers. This help had been definitely assured without regard to the forcible extension of the war to the northern area.

Commander in Chief, Navy emphasizes his conviction that the occupation of Norway by Great Britain might possibly decide the war against Germany and that "Weseruebung" must therefore be regarded as urgent. Further, he informs the Fuehrer of the special difficulties which the character of the operations involves for the Navy . The return of the naval forces after the execution of the landing must be regarded as the most difficult operation of the whole "Weserubung".

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

Nothing to report.

At Sea 9 March 1940
U-14, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-38, U-52.
6 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
CLs NEWCASTLE and GALATEA, departed Scapa on Northern Patrol.

North Sea
DD JERVIS attacked a sub contact 4.6 miles 102° from Bell Rock. Sisters ships JUPITER and JANUS hunted in the area until dark. Meanwhile JERVIS and JAGUAR, also sister ships, arrived at Rosyth after escort duty with ON.17 A, with JUPITER and JANUS reaching there on the 9th. Sub SEAWOLF departed Harwich for a special patrol in the vicinity of Outer Dowsing Light Vessel. FN.116 departed Southend with DD VIMIERA joining on the 9th for the voyage to Rosyth. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 11th. FS.117 departed the Tyne escorted by sloop EGRET and DD WHITLEY, and arrived at Southend on the 11th. Trawler JUST REWARD sighted a light nine miles NE by E of Scarborough, and considering it to be a dan buoy, approached. However, on arrival at the light, the trawler found a submarine which dived immediately.

Northern Waters
DD KANDAHAR departed Scapa for Hull to repair structural damage to her fuel storagel tank compartment. On passage she attacked a submarine contact east of Berwick , and another one off Filey Brig on the 10th before arriving in the Humber later the same day.

West Coast UK
DDs HOTSPUR and MASHONA departed the Clyde at 1200 to provide escort for armed merchant cruiser LETITIA on a full calibre firings in the Forth of Clyde. Afterwards, the destroyers carried out their own full calibre firing. LETITIA proceeded to her station on Northern Patrol, and the DDs arrived at Tail of the Bank. ASW trawler CORNELIAN (568grt) on patrol near Bar Light Vessel in Liverpool Bay attacked a submarine contact. DD WHIRLWIND and ASW yacht VIRGINIA (712grt) searched the area on the 10th in daylight, but were unable to reestablish contact.

Channel
DD ESKIMO departed Portsmouth on the 8th after refitting at Southampton and arrived at the Clyde on the 9th. DDs KHARTOUM and KINGSTON arrived at Falmouth for refittings.

UK - France
BC.28 of steamers BARON CARNEGIE (Commodore), BATNA, KERMA, LOCHEE, PIZARRO and RAMON DE LARRINAGA departed the Loire escort DD VIVACIOUS, and arrived in the Bristol Channel on the 11th.

Nth Atlantic
HX.26 departed Halifax at 0800 escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY and SKEENA. DD OTTAWA also escorted the convoy at the start. At 1800/11th, the convoy was turned over to BB MALAYA, which detached on the 22nd. DDs VANSITTART, VENETIA, VIMY and WOLVERINE escorted the convoy in home waters from the 24th to 26th, when it arrived at Liverpool.

Central Atlantic
Fr BB PROVENCE, CA DUQUESNE and RN CVL HERMES with DDs DECOY and DEFENDER departed Dakar for a sweep, returning on the 16th. Base ship EDINBURGH CASTLE arrived at Freetown. SLF.23 departed Freetown escort AMC JERVIS BAY, and on the 19th, merged with SL.23, the combined convoy arriving at Liverpool on the 22nd.

Med- Biscay
HG.22F departed Gib with 30 ships escort Fr DD TIGRE, PV VIKINGS and RN DD ACTIVE. The Fr ships detached on the 15th and arrived at Brest on the 16th. The convoy was escorted at sea by sloop LEITH and DD VANOC, and arrived at Liverpool on the 18th.

 

[Njaco]

March 9 Saturday
WESTERN FRONT: At 1606 hours in the afternoon, Fw. Franz Jaenisch of 3./JG 2 gets his first kill of the war when he destroys a French Morane east of Diedenhofen.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: An Anglo-Italian compromise solution to the "Coal Ships Affair" of March 7th is achieved. The Italian colliers detained by the British are released and Italy agrees to find an alternative (overland) supply route from the German coalfields.

German submarine U-14 sank 3 British steamers 5 miles off of the Belgian coast near Zeebrugge: SS "Borthwick" at 0542 hours, no lives lost; SS "Abbotsford" at 2330 hours, killing 19; SS "Akeld" 2345 hours, killing 12.

German submarine U-38 fired a warning shot from its deck gun toward 6 neutral Irish trawlers 10 miles north of Aran Island, Ireland at the distance of 200 meters at 2113 hours. Trawler "Leukos" was hit by the warning shot, killing the entire crew of 11 during the sinking.

German submarine U-28 torpedoed and sank Greek steamer "P. Margaronis" 125 miles west of Brest, France at 2317 hours, killing the entire crew of 30.

The collier 'Maindy Hill' (1,918t) while on Admiralty service, was sunk in a collision with an unknown ship off Hartlepool. Twenty-three crew members were landed at Hartlepool Dock Head the following day. The one man injured was taken to hospital.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Soviets take Tali village on the outskirts, almost surrounding Viipuri. Red Army is in control of the Western shore of Viipuri Bay and most of the islands. However, Finnish aircraft strafe Soviet troops on the ice and shoot down 3 Soviet fighters. In the evening, Finnish Government in Helsinki considers Soviet peace demands including Lake Ladoga and Salla district in Lapland. Commander-in-Chief Mannerheim suggests there is no alternative to surrender. Meanwhile, Britain and France promise Finland troops and planes to fight the Soviets provided that Helsinki makes a formal request.

One of Finland's leading gymnasts, Reserve Lieutenant Martti 'Make' Uosikkinen is killed in Kollaa.

ASIA: Lieutenant General Mikio Uemura was named the chief of staff of the Taiwan Army.

GERMANY: Admiral Raeder tells Hitler the British and French might occupy Norway and Sweden under the pretext of aiding the Finns and encourages an invasion of Norway at the earliest time.

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[parsifal]

10 March 1940
Known Reinforcements
[Allied
ASW Trawler ELM (RN 350 grt (est))

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

Official assumption of Russo-Finnlsh peace negotiations. Prime Minister Ryti In Moscow. The Western Powers are making desperate efforts to interrupt the negotiations by sudden most pressing offers of aid to Finland. According to an official statement made by Chamberlain, the British and French Governments have informed Finland that they are ready to help her jointly and Immediately
with all the means in their power, if she requests this aid.

The reports as a whole definitely Indicate the possibility of a directly imminent large-scale action "by the Western Powers in Norway. The enemy has without doubt been making preparations for a landing in Norway and may have them finished on 11 March.

His strategic aim is the complete cuttlng-off of Germany's ore imports from Scandinavia by occupying the north Norwegian ore ports, the central Norwegian ports of Bergen and Stavanger and the northern Swedish ore region and also, by extending pressure
to Sweden, the complete cessation of further deliveries of ore from Sweden. The enemy sees no possibility of winning the war
in the European theater. He regards the extension of the war to the Scandinavian area, to cut off German ore imports, as an urgent strategic necessity. The operation must be carried out soon , for the following reasons: Finland's precarious position, which furnishes him with a pretext; the expected and feared German offensive in the west; the ice situation in the Baltic Sea and entrances to the Baltic, which is still hampering German operations at present. The striking concentration on 10/11 March of British heavy forces In Scapa, which is still greatly endangered from the air, combined with other reports received, makes a landing
operation in Norway by a Franco-British Expeditionary Corps, with the aid of the entire British Home Fleet, seem perfectly possible already in the week from 11-16 March.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

U 28 reported that she had carried out her minelaying operation in the main position in accordance with Operations Order No. 22.

At Sea 10 March 1940
U-14, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-38, U-52.
6 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
CL SOUTHAMPTON departed Scapa Flow on Northern Patrol. CA YORK arrived at Scapa Flow after Northern Patrol, whilst AMC WORCESTERSHIRE departed Greenock on Northern Patrol, and AMC CORFU arrived at Greenock after Northern Patrol. At 1710, AMC WOLFE reported sighting nine vessels, believed to be warships, which were later determined to be ice.

North Sea
CL GALATEA departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth, where she arrived on the 11th. DD DELIGHT reported her feed tank leaking. Sub THISTLE arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub SUNFISH departed Lowestoft for Harwich, where she arrived later that day. OA.107 departed Southend escort DD VETERAN from the 11th to 12th, although she was damaged in collision on the 11th (q.v.). The convoy dispersed on the 13th.

HN.18 of 36 ships departed Bergen escorted by DDs ENCOUNTER, ESCORT, ELECTRA and ECLIPSE. Submarine NARWHAL joined the convoy on the 11th. DD KIMBERLEY departed Scapa on the 9th for patrol and then joined the westbound section. When the convoy split into sections, DDs FAME, which departed Scapa on the 11th, and KIMBERLEY joined to escort the west coast section of 10 steamers. NARWHAL joined the convoy on the 12th. 3 steamers from the Orkneys joined for passage to east coast ports. The convoy of 25 steamers arrived at Methil on the 13th without incident, escort ENCOUNTER, ESCORT, ELECTRA and ECLIPSE. On the same day, FAME and KIMBERLEY arrived at Scapa.

MT.27 of nine steamers departed Methil escort 1st ASW Gp, supported by DD JAVELIN, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. JAVELIN went on ahead to the Tyne to escort Norwegian steamer MIRA (1152grt) to Methil, where they arrived on the 11th. FN.117 departed Southend escorted by sloop PELICAN and DD VIVIEN, and arrived at the Tyne on the 12th. FS.118 departed the Tyne, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and GRIMSBY, and arrived at Southend on the 12th. DD FORESTER attacked a contact east of South Ronaldsay, which was later found to be the wreck of sunken collier GIRALDA. DD FOXHOUND, after standing by the scene of destroyer GURKHA's submarine attack, was ordered to return to Scapa Flow. En route, she was diverted to Rosyth, where she arrived on the 11th.

Northern Waters
Monitor MARSHAL SOULT, towed by three tugs, was escort DDs EXPRESS and ESK, from Sheerness to Portsmouth.

MARSHAL SOULT at Chatham in 1934
Sub NARWHAL departed Scapa escorted by ASW BUTTERMERE and two other trawlers of the Gp for exercises in the Fair Isle Channel. DD KELLY, on passage from Lerwick, attacked a contact at 1230 off Stronsay, which was later determined to be non-submarine. She later arrived at Scapa Flow for temporary repairs.

West Coast UK
DD depot ship WOOLWICH escort DDs TARTAR, ESKIMO and MASHONA departed the Clyde at 1000, and arrived at Scapa at 1700/11th. OB.107 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers VERSATILE and WALPOLE from the 10th to 15th, when the convoy dispersed. DD HASTY, which departed Devonport on the 9th en route to the Clyde after refitting, attacked a submarine contact at 0315, SW of Chicken Rock, . The attack was unsuccessful, and the contact was later assessed as probably a collier wreck. HASTY arrived in the Clyde at 1100/10th. Sloop FOLKESTONE on convoy duty SW of Milford Haven attacked a submarine contact, which was determined to be non-submarine, and rejoined the convoy. Later at 1925/11th, FOLKESTONE, ahead of her convoy of two ships, attacked a submarine contact off Holy Isle in the Firth of Clyde.

Anti-submarine trawler JUNIPER (530grt) attacked a submarine contact at 1700 in 57-15N, 7-00W off Ushinish.
Channel
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Med- Biscay
CL DRAGON arrived at Gibraltar from Portland and departed the same day for Malta.

 

[Njaco]

March 10 Sunday
NORTHERN EUROPE: Finnish negotiators Ryti, Paasikivi, Walden and Voionmaa in Moscow again meet Molotov, Zdanov and Vasilevski at the Kremlin for 2 hours. The Finns try to revise the peace terms but to no avail. The Soviets will change 'not a single comma', according to Finnish Prime Minister Ryti. Meanwhile, Red Army closes in around Viiprui, Finland's second city and gateway to the capital, Helsinki.

Russia claimed capture of Reploa north-east of Viipuri, and of two other towns. Soviet troops said to have occupied Karppila and Ruthela on western Coast of Bay of Viipuri and also certain islands.

MEDITERRANEAN: German Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop meets Mussolini in Italy. He informs Mussolini of Hitler's plan to invade France (although not in great detail) and assures him of a swift victory, hoping for an Italian commitment to join the war with Germany. Mussolini is not convinced and, knowing that his forces are not ready to fight a modern war, prefers to sit on the sidelines and await the result. Mussolini promises only to intervene as soon as possible.

ASIA: Captain Gunji Kogure was named the commanding officer of Settsu.

EASTERN EUROPE: Noted Russian writer and playwright, Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940), whose work Joseph Stalin liked but would not allow to be staged or read, passed away. When Bulgakov's play about Stalin's early life was turned down in 1939, he became ill and depressed, and died less than a year later. His crowning achievement, the novel 'The Master and Margarita', was not published until 1968.

RAF planes carried out successful reconnaissance flights over Vienna and Prague.

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[parsifal]

11 March 1940
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIB U 101

Known Losses

MV AMOR (Ne 2325 grt):The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea. All 33 crew were rescued by MV CITY OF BREMEN (UK).

MV CLAN STUART (UK 5760 grt): The cargo ship collided with ORLOCK HEAD (UK) in the English Channel 18 nautical miles south east of Start Point, Devon and sank. All 75 crew were rescued.

Tkr EULOTA (Ne 6236 grt): Lost in the SW Approaches. The outbound tanker enroute from Rotterdam to Curacao, inballast at the time of her loss, was torpedoed and damaged in the Atlantic Ocean 120 nautical miles west of Ouessant, France by U-28 . The torpedo, fired from about 1000 meters, struck amidships, broke her in two and set her on fire. The crew abandoned ship, but returned later that morning. An Allied a/c sighted the burning tkr in the afternoon and directed DDs BROKE and WILD SWAN to the ship. The latter picked up the majority pf survivors whilst the former attempted to establish a tow, but decided to sink the wreck, which was done the next day. all 42 crew were rescued.

Lost by Air Attacks
Type VIIA U-31 (DKM 733 grt) The Type VIIA submarine was bombed and sunk in the Jade Bight by a Bomber Command AC Bristol Blenheim aircraft of 82 Squadron, Royal Air Force with the loss of all 58 people on board. She was subsequently salvaged, repaired and returned to service July 1940, and then lost a second and final time in November
German Submarine U-31 from Sharkhunters, the original and only true history of the U-Boats.

Propsgsnds shot of U-31 Conning Tower

Bristol Blenheims from 82 sqn, Bomber Command, lined up at Watton UK, some time in 1940

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

Commanding Admiral, Submarines and Group West receive the following directive (Ski. I op 287/40):

1. As defense against any British plans, submarines provided in accordance .with B.d.U. Gkdos. 0086 Chefs (Operational Order North Sea - Atlantic No.l) under 1 and 2 are to operate off the two ports (Narvik and Trond^eim) at once . U n 31 n , "43", "44",
n 65 n are to be disposed off Bergen and Stavanger for the present

2. Unseen approach and disposition, radio silence.

3. Assignment: Attack and report on possible British troop transports and warships which are about to effect landings in these ports. No operations against merchant shipping.

4. Our own operational plans can be expected to materialize at a date within the operational endurance of the boats. Supplies for the boats at both places in the north are provided in our own operation.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

U 38 and U 52 have been allocated operations areas on the Norwegian coast. (see Appendix 1 to War Log).

U 31 did not return from her trial runs in the Schilling Roads. Search showed that she had sunk near Black Buoy No. 12, after an attack by an English A/C. (Details of this accident are set out in Appendix 2 to War Log). It is particularly regrettable that a boat should have been lost by enemy action in the immediate vicinity of her own base, inside our own barrage defenses. Losses of this kind should be avoidable. This is the second time that an enemy A/C has flown very low over the Schilling Roads and attacked U-boats. We must have sufficient AA defenses for the approach route on the Jade so that at least the enemy is prevented from flying low undisturbed. B.d.U. has made demands accordingly.

Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-14

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-30, U-34, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51

At Sea 11 March 1940
U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52.
11 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
Western Baltic
DKM Raiders ATLANTIS and ORION departed Kiel for gunnery exercises in the North Sea prior to departing on mercantile raiding missions. As the Kiel Canal was still icebound, ex BB HESSEN, acting as an icebreaker, cleared the Canal for their passage to the sea. After these exercises, both returned to Kiel for final preparations and provisioning.

North Sea
CL EDINBURGH arrived at Rosyth. CAs NORFOLK, BERWICK and YORK, after completing their practices, were to proceed to Rosyth where they arrived on the 13th. CinC CruSqn 2 raised his flag on the CL GALATEA which became flagship. Submarine UNITY arrived at Blyth after patrol. Submarine L.23 departed Blyth on patrol. Submarine STERLET departed Lowestoft and arrived at Harwich. Submarine TRIBUNE conducted her full speed trial, which was unsatisfactory, and docked at Rosyth later in the day. Blockship JUNIATA (1139grt) departed the Tyne under the tow of tug KROOMAN, escort 1st ASW Gp and DD JUPITER. The blockship arrived at Methil on the 12th. On the 13th, JUNIATA departed Methil escorted by ASW trawlers IMPERIALIST (520grt) and ALOUETTE (520grt) for Scapa. She was later deployed at Scapa Flow.

ON.19 of 39 ships for Norway and 1 ship for Aberdeen departed Methil escort DDs COSSACK, NUBIAN, GURKHA and ILEX. The convoy was joined by a section of 13 merchant ships from Kirkwall escort DDs FAULKNOR and FORTUNE which departed Scapa on the 12th. These merchant ships are included in the sailing breakdown from Methil. DDs FAULKNOR and FORTUNE relieved ILEX which returned to Scapa. On the 13th, east of Duncansby Head, NUBIAN attacked a submarine contact. The DD then returned to the convoy. CL EDINBURGH and CLA CAIRO arrived at Scapa Flow on the 12th to provide close support for the convoy. CLA CAIRO after sailing from Scapa was forced to return with sea damage. CLA CALCUTTA departed Sullom Voe on the 13th to provide AA support. The convoy arrived safely at Bergen on the 14th.

MT.28 of 21 ships departed Methil, escort ASW Gp 19 cover DDs JERVIS and JAGUAR, and arrived in the Tyne the next day. FN.118 of 27 ships departed Southend escort DDs VEGA and WOOLSTON, and sloop STORK and arrived in the Tyne on the 13th. FS.119 departed the Tyne escort by sloop LOWESTOFT, HASTINGS and DD VALOROUS cover DDs JERVIS and JAGUAR. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 13th.

Northern Waters
Vice Admiral commanding the BC sqn raises his flag aboard the BC RENOWN. ASW exercises were conducted at Scapa with all available DDs participating under DD HARDY. ML TEVIOTBANK, DDs ICARUS, IMPULSIVE, and MSWs SEAGULL and SHARPSHOOTER departed Invergordon on the 11th on ML mission PA 3 off Kinnaird Head in Moray Firth. The mines were laid on the 12th.

U.30, U.46, U.47, U.49, U.51 departed Wilhelmshaven to take stations off Norway to combat British STRATFORD operations and later support their own WESERUBUNG operation.

West Coast UK
CL ORION, which arrived from the West Indies in the Clyde on 25 February, completed her refitting at Devonport, and departed for Bermuda on the 14th. DDs HASTY and HOTSPUR departed the Clyde escorting tankers BACCHUS, PRESTOL and BRITISH LADY to Scapa.

Channel
DD VETERAN, en route from Portsmouth to Plymouth in OA.107, was sent to search for steamer CLAN STUART (5760grt), which had been damaged in a collision. VETERAN was herself damaged in collision with tanker HORN SHELL (8372grt), also of OA.107, ten miles 176° from Start Point,. Her stern was damaged, maximum speed was restricted twelve knots, and she was taken to Devonport for repairs, completed on 17 April.

Nth Atlantic
Fr BB BRETAGNE CA ALGERIE, carrying 147 tons of gold to be deposited in the US, departed Toulon escort Contre Torpilleur DDs VAUBAN, AIGLE, MAILLE BREZE. The DDs returned to Casablanca on the 17th. VAUBAN and AIGLE departed Casablanca on the 21st and joined Fr AMCs EL KANTARA, EL MANSOUR, VILLE D' ORAN and EL DJEZAIR after the cancellation of Finland operations. DDs TARTU and CHEVALIER PAUL departed Brest with the cruisers, VAUBAN and AIGLE passed Gib with the cruisers on the 23rd and arrived at Oran on the 24th. DD MAILLE BREZE with steamer MEDIE II departed Casablanca on the 19th and passed Gib on the 20th. They arrived at Marseilles on the 22nd with Chasseurs Alpins that had been earmarked for service in Norway being disembarked.

Med- Biscay
OG.21 was formed from two convoys - (1) OA.105G, which departed Southend on the 7th, escort sloop ABERDEEN, and OB.105G, which departed Liverpool on the 8th escort DDs VIMY and WINCHELSEA, with 38 ships. OB.105G was delayed due to fog and diverted to Milford Haven, arriving on the 9th. WINCHELSEA escorted the convoy from Milford Haven, and DDs BROKE and WILD SWAN escorted the OB.G section from Isle of Wight on the 9th. DD VIMY from convoy HG.21 joined on the 11th. The convoy was escorted by DDs WINCHELSEA, VIMY and BROKE until the 11th March. Fr DD PANTHERE and PV MERCEDITE joined the convoy on the 10th and DD WISHART on the 14th. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 17th.

CLs CAPETOWN, CALEDON and CALYPSO arrived at Alexandria after a short exercise.

Other
Certain FAA CAGs were intensively training in Night operations. This was to deliver dividends over the next year, but learning to fly at night on combat conditions was hazardous. In night air accident, a Swordfish of 823 Squadron crashed at Hal Far. Lt T W G French, Naval Airman J O'Riley, and LAC G A Lawrence of 812 Squadron were killed.

 

[Njaco]

March 11 Monday
WESTERN FRONT: Late in the afternoon, north east of Sierck, Oblt. Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke of 7./JG 53 gets his second aerial victory when he shoots down a French Potez 63.

French battleship "Bretagne" and cruiser "Algerie", escorted by destroyers "Vauban", "Aigle", "Maille Breze", departed Toulon carrying 2,379 bars of gold totaling 147 tons. The gold from the French gold reserves were to be sent to Canada for safekeeping.

NORTHERN EUROPE: The Soviet noose tightens around Viipuri, with fighting in many suburbs. 5 Soviet tanks reached Tammisuo Station in northeast Viipuri, Finland while Finnish delegates in Moscow negotiated peace terms. At 1800 hours, Finnish delegates in Moscow meet for final talks at the Kremlin and agree to Soviet terms to end the Winter War. The Finnish public is told for the first time about the Moscow peace talks.

British and French governments, under public pressure to do something to aid Finland, decide to send troops into Scandinavia to capture Swedish iron mines before a Soviet-Finnish peace robs them of an excuse. The Allies hope for cooperation from Norway and Sweden, despite repeated statements that they will resist. The question of whether, or how, to respond to Norwegian or Swedish armed resistance is left unanswered.

An Italian volunteer in the Finnish Air Force, Diego Manzochi is killed when his plane runs out of fuel. He had flown his own Fiat fighter to Finland in Dec 1939.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-28 torpedoed and sank Dutch tanker "Eulota" 125 miles west of Quessant, France at 0317 hours. The ship broke in two but remained afloat until HMS "Broke" and HMS "Wild Swan" arrived to rescue the entire crew of 42. "Eulota" was scuttled upon completion of the rescue.

GERMANY: Blenheim bombers of 82 Squadron, RAF Bomber Command attacked German submarine U-31, on sea trials, in Jade Bay near Wilhelmshaven. 2 of the 4 anti-submarine bombs hit U-31, killing all 58 (48 crew, 10 dock workers) on board. Interestingly, U-31 will be refloated later in March and sunk again by depth charges from HMS "Antelope" on Nov 2 1940, becoming the only German submarine to sink twice in WWII.

UNITED KINGDOM: Meat rationing began, the allowance was 1s 10d (9p) worth of meat for everyone over 6 years of age. This was equivalent to about 1lb in weight. Young children were allowed 11d (4½p) worth. Restaurants could serve meat without asking for coupons. Poultry, game, offal, sausages and meat pies remained off the ration.

NORTH AMERICA: The government lifts its arms embargo to allow Britain and France to buy some P40 fighter planes.

.

 

[parsifal]

12 March 1940 Part I
Known Losses
MV GARDENIA (UK 3754 grt) (Note 3rd ship in that series, Gardenia II was sold to the Russians 1929 and retained the same name this ships was lost in 1944) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Cromer, Norfolk. All 33 crew were rescued by RN Trawler VIVIANA

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

ROSE EFFEUILEE (Fr 35 grt) The barquentine fishing vessel struck a mine in the North Sea (51°25′N 1°45′E) and sank. All crew were rescued

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

The conclusion of the Russo-Finnish peace negotiations is regarded as imminent. According to various reports, Norway and Sweden are exercising'strong pressure on Finland to accept the Russian conditions, although all the Scandinavian countries feel that they are very severe. In Scandinavia there is growing recognition of the fact that Great Britain's offer of aid to Finland was made only in her own interests and she intended to Include the Scandinavian countries in her plans. Furthermore, the Norwegian Foreign Minister informed our Ambassador that so far the Western Powers had made no official demand regarding right of way through Norway. 0ne never knows, however, what Great Britain will be so foolish as to do next. The Finnish Government's decision to commence negotiations for peace with Moscow is said to have been reached after the Swedish refusal to allow foreign troop transports to pass. Daladier made a statement in the Chamber of Deputies about French aid for Finland. From the beginning of December to date Prance has sent 145 planes, 496 guns, 5,000 machine guns and a large quantity of ammunition. France is also ready to send men. The decision about intervention was taken on 5 Feb. French troops of the Expeditionary Corps have been assembled for embarkation since 26 Feb. A considerable number of ships has been retained in two large ports on the Channel and Atlantic coasts and is ready to sail, but so far no direct official appeal has been made by Finland to France or Great Britain. They are still awaiting this. This appeal from Finland is necessary, because the Swedish and Norwegian Governments are opposing the passage of Allied troops through their territories with all their power. An appeal from Finland would have immediate effects. The reports received by Naval Staff and present suppositions about the plans of the Western Powers are fully confirmed by Daladier's statement. We must now definitely expect that:

1. When there is an ostensible pretext for their action, the Western Powers have definitely decided to violate Norwegian neutrality and land troops in Norwegian ports.

2. Expeditionary troops are already in readiness to embark in Great Britain and France and preliminary work for the landing is actually finished, including the readiness of the British naval forces necessary to protect the crossing.

Conference on the Situation with Chief a Naval Staff

Special Items

I. Report by Chief, Operations Branch on state of preparedness for "Weseruebung":

a) Ice conditions in the Baltic still do not permit any movement of naval forces or of the steamers required for the sea transport units.

b) The following are now ready for action according to a report from Commanding Admiral, West:
1. In the North Sea : GNEISENAU, SCHARNHORST, HIPPER, KARLSRUHE, BREMSE, 10 destroyers, 4 boats of the 6th Torpedo Boat Flotilla.

2. In the Baltic : (Passsage to ports of departure dependent, however, on the ice situation) LUTZOW, KOLN, EMDEN, KOENIGSBERG, TSINGTAU.

3. Probable time required by vessels still frozen- in in the Baltic after their arrival in the North Sea: CARL PETERS, DIETER VON ROEDER, ERICH G1ESE, HERMAN KTJENNE, HANS LUEDEMANN, KONDOR, ALBATROS - 5 days each, depending on the result of the trial runs. 6 boats of the 1st PT Boat Flotilla - 3 days. 4 boats of the 2nd PT Boat Flotilla - 2 days.

4. Commanding Admiral, West reckons from previous experience that not more than ten destroyers will be in full operational readiness for "Weseruebung" from 20 March and also expects breakdowns through engine trouble on a long run at high speeds.

Naval Staff cannot completely concur with this lamentably low estimate regarding the destroyers, since if "Weseruebung" proceeds normally the speeds required from the destroyers will on no account make excessive claims on them. If there are breakdowns, only limitations of speed and not total breakdowns are to be reckoned with; this will, of course, render the execution of "Weserubung" to schedule more difficult, but will not have a decisively prejudicial effect.

II. The subject of Fleet forces remaining for a long period in the northern area Is discussed in a conversation between General Keitel and Chief of Staff, Naval Staff. In a conversation with the Fuehrer, Field Marshal Goering urged that naval forces be left In the ports until the Air Force is in a position to use strong forces to control the sea area to be traversed on the return trip, so that the risk of the return passage would be greatly lessened. Naval Staff must on principle decline to accept other than naval strategic and operational principles for the return trip of the naval forces. Support for the return trip from the strongest possible formations of the Air Force is naturally most desirable and necessary; it would, however, be incorrect to rely on such support being definitely available, since the weather and unforeseen difficulties and incidents might make Air Force operations doubtful just when they are urgently required to support the naval forces.

Air Force General Staff is again consulted on this subject and the number of air forces actually available in the northern area ascertained. Their strength - according to information available to date 3 squadrons on W-Day and 3 bomber groups and 1 Stuka group to be moved up later - must be described as hardly adequate in view of the extent of the assignment, and it still seems doubtful whether large-scale operations by these air forces will be possible at all in view of operation n Gelb n which is to follow.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

U 32 reported that she had carried out her minelaying operation. (Operations Order No. 26). This minefield closes the gap left beside the field laid by U 30 and is therefore likely to produce good results.

U-29 entered port. She carried out her minelaying operation (Operations Order No. 22) very well, and in addition sank by torpedo:
1) Darkened steamer about 5,000 tons
2) S.S. "Pacific Reliance" 6,717 tons
3) S.S. "San Florentino" 12,842 tons
24,559 tons

Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-29

At Sea 12 March 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52.
10 boats at sea.

 

[parsifal]

12 March 1940 Part II
OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
CL MANCHESTER arrived at Scapa after Northern Patrol.

North Sea
TM.25 departed the Tyne, escort ASW Gp 19 and supported by DD JAVELIN. FN.119 departed Southend escort DD JERVIS and WHITLEY, sloop EGRET, and arrived in the Tyne on the 14th. DD WOLSEY was slightly damaged when she grounded alongside an oiler in the Firth of Forth. DDs WOLSEY, BRAZEN and cable ship ROYAL SCOT arrived at Rosyth after completing the work of repairing cables. Submarine URSULA departed Blyth for patrol, and on the 14th, was ordered to the vicinity of Gotenburg to attack German destroyers reported operating in the area. Submarines TRITON, TRUANT and SEAL departed Rosyth on patrol. Steamers MACGREGOR LAIRD (4015grt) and LOMBARDY (3379grt) arrived at the Clyde from the south, leaving there on the 16th to return to Newport.

Northern Waters
DDs HARDY, FIREDRAKE, HOSTILE, TARTAR escorted CAs BERWICK, NORFOLK and YORK of CruSqn1 on a full caliber shoot west of the Orkneys. After the shoot, the cruisers proceeded to Rosyth. The DDs INTREPID and GRIFFIN undertook an ASW Sweep for a submarine reported by aircraft at 1900 east of South Ronaldsay. DDs HARDY, FIREDRAKE, HOSTILE, ILEX, TARTAR were ordered at 2000 to join. At 2130, HARDY and FIREDRAKE attacked a submarine contact and at 2140, TARTAR attacked a submarine contact east of Copinsay. All the attacks were unsuccessful. The contact was later assessed as probably a wreck. HARDY, HOSTILE, TARTAR arrived at Scapa after the hunt on the 13th. FIREDRAKE was detailed to patrol on a line south of Canntlick Head to Sandwick Bay, South Ronaldshay. DDs ESKIMO, PUNJABI, MASHONA departed Scapa at 0030 for the Clyde for escort duties, and arrived late on the 12th. ASW trawlers LE TIGER (516grt) and COVENTRY CITY (546grt) attacked a submarine contact off Aberdeen. DesFlots 1, 7 and 12 and the "I's" of DesFlot 20 were attached to the Home Flt.

DDs ILEX, GRIFFIN, INTREPID carried out Sweeps in Moray Firth in response to a sighting report by a British a/c. INTREPID was joined on the 13th by DDs FOXHOUND and IVANHOE. FOXHOUND and IVANHOE had escorted steamers DEVON CITY (4928grt) and SPANKER (1875grt) from Methil departing at 1200/12th and arriving at Scapa Flow on the 13th. Submarines NARWHAL and SWORDFISH departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth and Blyth, respectively. Anti-submarine whaler BUTTERMERE (560grt), escorting the submarines in Moray Firth carried out DC attacks on a submarine contact. The contact was probably a buoy laid by minesweeper NIGER after her submarine attack on 21 February. NARWHAL arrived at Rosyth on the 13th. SWORDFISH continued on to Blyth where she arrived later on the 13th.

Channel
DD WREN was damaged in a collision with steamer LACKLAN (8670grt) 16 miles 180° off the Lizard. The stern of the DD was damaged. The steamer proceeded to Falmouth. WREN was repaired at Plymouth completing on 13 April. DD VENETIA, escorting OB.106, attacked a submarine contact west of Ushant at 1910. Sloop ROCHESTER was in company and reported an underwater explosion at 1940. Submarine PORPOISE departed Portsmouth for Rosyth, and on the 13th, left Southend attached to FN.120 for the passage north.

Lt P.G. Philcox RNVR and Able Seaman D. Lewis were killed when their Proctor of 758 Squadron crashed near Worthy Down.

RN Proctors were mostly used for the training of observer/radio operators. Just over 250 served the RN

Med- Biscay
HG.22 of 39 ships departed Gib escorted by DDs WATCHMAN and VORTIGERN from 12 to 19 March. WATCHMAN and VORTIGERN were detached to Devonport and Portsmouth, respectively, for leave. DDs VANQUISHER, WITCH, ACASTA escorted the convoy in Home Waters from 19 to 21 March. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 22nd. DD WRESTLER arrived at Gib after repairs at Malta.

Fr Contre Torpilleur DDss MILAN and ÉPERVIER collided during preparations for the Finland operations. MILAN was repaired at Cherbourg completing on 4 April and ÉPERVIER at Brest, completing on 12 April.

Indian Ocean

Other
A peace treaty between the USSR and Finland was announced and signed on the 13th. British operation STRATFORD, and the companion Plan R 3, the proposed landing of troops at Narvik and Trondheim on the 20th to be followed shortly by landings at Stavanger and Bergen to relieve Finnish troops, was cancelled. The ships of the operation were released on the 15th. CAs of the CruSqn 1 returned to Northern Patrol duties. CLs GALATEA and AURORA with DDs of DesFlot 6 departed the Clyde to return to Scapa Flow. Troops (mainly the 146 Bde) were disembarked and returned to barracks, stood down from operations. it was not known, at the time, but proved to be a critical mistake

 

[parsifal]

13 March 1940
Known Losses

MV IDANT (Aus 121 grt): The wooden coastal steamer sank off the mouth of the Camden Haven River, New South Wales.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV ROSSINGTON COURT (UK 6922 grt): Crew: 37 (some sources say 45, all survived) Cargo: Not known: Route: Newfoundland to Liverpool. Part of Convoy HX 26: According to a relative of the ships master (given in an interview for the BBC's Peoples War), SS ATHERLVIKING also in the convoy lost her steerage and collided with the vessel as a result of the very rough weather at the time. After this collision, the ship dropped out of the convoy and sank later that night. Next morning another ship in the convoy realised she was missing and backtracked, finding all the survivors packed into one lifeboat and rescuing them. She was lost in the Atlantic Ocean 600 nautical miles east of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Rossington Court

Steamer ESCHERSHEIM (Ger 3303 grt) Crew: 32 (6 lost) Enroute from Bremen to Oslo, apparently with a load of coking coal. The ship was lost near Loenstrup and Hirtshals off the coast of Jutland after hitting a submerged wreck. Flooding became uncontrollable, and she was run aground near Hirtshals, Denmark. Some records are unclear if she was salved after coming ashorem, but Lloyds register shows her as being lost.

MV LA CORUNA (Ger 7359 grt): The ship, had departed Rio de Janiero on 3 February, making a run for Germany, but was intercepted east of Iceland by AMC MALOJA on Northern Patrol. The German steamer, disguised as Japanese steamer TAKI MARU, set herself afire when she was unable to escape. The British ship rescued all 18 officers and 50 ratings of the German crew.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type IXA U-44 (DKM 1135 grt): The Type IXA submarine struck a mine laid by destroyers EXPRESS, ESK, ICARUS and IMPULSIVE on the 3rd. Her entire crew of forty seven men was lost. The boat was lost off the coast of the Netherlands.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

The Fuehrer has ordered that preparations for "Weseruebung" are not to be carried out with extreme haste since the situation has altered because of the conclusion of the Russo-Finnish peace, but are to be accomplished quietly with special regard to secrecy.

Permission is granted, as requested by Group West, to Exchange the EMDEN for the KOENIGSBERG, since the war readiness of the EMDEN is only limited because of the cadets' state of training.

A directive is issued to the Groups (see "Weseruebung" file) on procedure during the outward trip and before "Wesertlme" (evasive movements if there are breakdowns and limitations of speed) as well as on distribution of destroyers for "Nienburg" and "Detmold".

Chief, Naval Staff again states the urgent necessity of the naval forces 1 speedy return after the "Weseruebung" landing in connection with the question of Air Force protection for the fleet.

4. The report of the committee investigating the events during the night of 22 Feb. leads Naval Staff to the conviction that the loss of the two destroyers MAX SCHULTZ and LEBERECHT MAASS was caused solely by bombs from our plane 1 HJM of the 4th Group of the 26th Bomber Wing. Inferences have been drawn from the unfortunate loss of the two destroyers.

Radio intelligence again succeeded in ascertaining the new disposition of British submarines by deciphering British radio messages and in making an extremely striking and important discovery: as opposed to former submarine disposition in the North Sea, on 13 March 15 British submarines in all, i.e. twice to three times as many boats as before, are in waiting position or approaching the Skagerrak area and operating north and northeast of our declared area and in the inner Heligoland Bight. Two more submarines are proceeding to the northeast from Rosyth. All the submarines at present available for the North Sea have therefore obviously gone
into action. The reason for this massed submarine operation can be seen only in the following possibilities, in connection with other information and enemy measures

1. This Is either a flank protection for the large-scale landing in Norway planned by the enemy, as a defense against German counter-attacks,

2. or the enemy is aware that Germany is making some sort of preparations and fears a German operation against the Norwegian area.

In the first case, this must be evaluated as a "hang fire" measure, for since peace has now been concluded between Russia and Finland Immediate action can hardly be expected from the enemy* We must wait and see whether the Admiralty will now recall the boats, some of which are still outward bound.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

U 43 and U 44 sailed in accordance with Operations Order North Sea/Atlantic No. 1

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-43, U-44 (lost same day, Uboat net says one day later)

At Sea 13 March 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52.
11 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
AMC FORFAR arrived at Greenock after Northern Patrol.

North Sea
CLs ARETHUSA and PENELOPE departed Rosyth for Scapa, and arrived on the 14th. CLs GALATEA and AURORA departed Rosyth for the Clyde, and arrived on the 14th. CL EDINBURGH arrived at Rosyth after gunnery practice shoots. Submarines NARWHAL, TRIAD, THISTLE and TRIDENT departed Rosyth on patrol. Submarine SPEARFISH departed Newcastle and conducted diving trials off Blyth, escorted by a trawler, before arriving at Blyth. Submarine TRIBUNE undocked at Rosyth. Patrol sloop GUILLEMOT was damaged in a collision with an unknown ship off Southwold, and patrol sloop WIDGEON stood by. She was repaired at Great Yarmouth from 18 March to 19 April. OA.109 departed Southend escort DD WHITEHALL. The convoy was joined on the 14th by DDs ANTELOPE and ACASTA, with ANTELOPE being relieved on the 15th by DD VANESSA. The convoy was dispersed on the 16th with ACASTA and VANESSA in the escort at that time. MT.29 of six ships departed Methil at 0800 escorted by the trawlers of the 1st Anti-submarine Group, sloop FLEETWOOD and destroyer VIMIERA. The convoy arrived later in the day. FN.120 departed Southend escort sloops BLACK SWAN and GRIMSBY. The convoy included submarine PORPOISE on passage to Rosyth. PORPOISE was detached on the 15th and arrived on the 16th. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 15th. FS.120 of 29 ships and an additional five ships from Middlesborough and five from the Humber departed the Tyne escorted by sloops LONDONDERRY, FLEETWOOD and destroyer VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 15th.

Northern Waters
DDs HOSTILE and TARTAR departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde, and arrived at 1630/14th. DD SOMALI departed the Tees after refitting at Middlesborough for Scapa to conduct a high speed trial en route. She arrived in the Clyde on the 14th.
DD JAGUAR arrived at Dundee. Due to damage to the ASW nets at Scapa, DD FIREDRAKE was detached from a U-boat search and began ASW patrols at daylight in the approaches to Hoxa Sound. At 2000, DD IMOGEN relieved FIREDRAKE on this patrol station. At 0800/14th, DD FOXHOUND relieved IMOGEN. The work on Hoxa Boom was completed at 1900/14th and FOXHOUND returned to Scapa. DDs ESKIMO, PUNJABI, MASHONA departed the Clyde with convoy NS 1 for Plan R.3. At 0233/15th, the convoy was ordered back to the Clyde to stand down with ESKIMO and PUNJABI, while MASHONA continued to Scapa escorting tkr WAR BHARATA.

West Coast UK
DD HUNTER arrived in the Clyde at 1935 on completion of her refitting at Falmouth. OB.109 departed Liverpool escort DDs MACKAY and VOLUNTEER from 13 to 16 March, when they were detached to convoy HX.25.

Channel
Destroyer KEITH was damaged in a grounding near South West Goodwin Buoy. Damage was limited to her asdic dome, and she was taken to Chatham on the 15th for repairs completed on the 20th.

UK - France
SA.33 of two steamers departed Southampton, escort sloops FOXGLOVE and ROSEMARY, and arrived at Brest on the 15th. AXF 2 of one steamer arrived at St Malo

Nth Atlantic
HX.27 departed Halifax at 0700 local escort RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE and ST LAURENT. Later on the 13th, RESTIGOUCHE was ordered by AMC ASCANIA to assist Fr sub SIDI FERRUCH which was having trouble getting through the ice area. On the 14th, the convoy was turned over to the ocean escort AMC ASCANIA, which was detached on the 25th. In Home waters, DDs AMAZON, VANOC, VERSATILE and WINDSOR escorted the convoy from 25 to 28 March, when it arrived at Liverpool.

Med- Biscay
AMC RANPURA, cable ship MIRROR and PHILOMEL departed Gib, escort DDs ACTIVE and WRESTLER until dark on the 15th. The AMC and PHILOMEL headed for Freetown, via Dakar and the cable ship for St Vincent, Cape Verde Island, for cable repair. ACTIVE arrived back at Gib on the 16th after escorting the cable ship, and WRESTLER arrived back at Gib on the 17th after escorting the Freetown ships.

 

[Njaco]

March 12 Tuesday
WESTERN FRONT: Three Hurricanes from Belgium 2/I/2Ae intercept another intruding Do 17. A fierce exchange of gunfire results in severe damage being caused to the three Belgian aircraft. Two Hurricanes make it back to their base while the third makes a successful emergency landing near Durbuy.

The French Prime Minister, Daladier, informs the Chamber of Deputies that an Anglo-French expeditionary force is ready to embark for Finland on receipt of a formal Finnish appeal for assistance.

NORTHERN EUROPE: At 0900 hours, Finnish President Kyösti Kallio authorized his delegates in Moscow full powers to negotiate peace terms. Soviet representatives had drafted a document dated today, ready for the Finnish delegation to sign. The document called for Finland to give up 35,000 square kilometers of territory to Russia, which constituted about 10% of the country, including Salla, the Karelian Isthmus, and Ladoga Karelia, housing about 12% of the entire Finnish population. The Hanko Peninsula was also forced to be leased to the Soviets for 30 years for use as a military base. Finnish President Kyösti Kallio notes;

"This is the most awful document I have ever had to sign. May the hand wither which is forced to sign such a paper."

Sweden offered Finland a defensive alliance, but it was too late to help Finland as it was about to surrender to the Soviet Union.

EASTERN EUROPE: A transport of 1,000 German Jews was forced to march through cold weather toward the Lublin Ghetto. 72 German Jews died of exposure.

NORTH AMERICA: US Under Secretary for State Sumner Welles returned to the US from a fact finding mission, during which he met with one Pope, two Kings, one Führer, One Duce, and three Premieres.

Henry Arnold received a warning from Franklin Roosevelt for having voiced complaints against policies set forth by Roosevelt's cabinet.

GERMANY: Adolf Hitler met with Colin Ross, whom Hitler considered to be his top adviser on the United States. Ross told Hitler that the United States, run by Jews, had imperialist tendencies in terms of foreign policy. Ross also advised Hitler that Franklin Roosevelt, who had come to power around the same time as Hitler, was jealous of Hitler's greater success thus was plotting with the Western Allies to defeat Germany.

MEDITERRANEAN: German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop continued his meeting with Mussolini in Italy, setting up a conference between Hitler and Mussolini to be held sometime on or after 19 Mar 1940.

UNITED KINGDOM: The British embark about 20,000 troops on transport ships to land in Norway. The main force of 5 brigades boards troop transports at Rosyth in the Firth of Forth, Scotland, to land at Tronheim, Bergen and Stavanger. At Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, the landing force intended for Narvik is a single brigade, which is at odds with the strategic aims of pushing through Narvik to the Swedish iron ore mines at Gällivare. The troops are an incoherent force pulled from various units held in reserve in England (10 divisions of the main British army are in France with the BEF) and many are poorly trained reservists. In addition the whole force is wildly under-equipped with little or no artillery or anti-aircraft guns. The ships do not depart, however, awaiting orders to begin the operation, while the British War Cabinet debates operational plans (especially how to deal with Norwegian or Swedish armed opposition to the landings and subsequent troop movements through their countries). British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain is still against the whole operation, particularly armed conflict with the neutral Scandinavian countries should they not welcome the British and French intervention.

The British Home Fleet returns to Scapa Flow from Rosyth and Loch Ewe after the completion of a substantial improvement of the anti-aircraft and anti-submarine defenses at the base.

SS Gardenia' (3,745t) steamer, Casablanca to Middlesbrough was sunk by a mine off Cromer.

,

.

 

[Njaco]

March 13 Wednesday
WESTERN FRONT: Hptm. Josef Fözö of JG 51 gets his first credited kill, when he downs a French observation balloon.

NORTHERN EUROPE: After the Finnish delegation received formal permission from their government, the peace treaty with the Soviets is signed in the early hours of the morning. At 2 AM in Moscow, 1 AM in Finland, Finnish and Soviet delegates sign the Moscow Peace Treaty (documents are dated March 12, having been prepared by the Soviets the day before). However, the ceasefire is not scheduled until 11 AM Finnish time. This ends the 104-day war between Finland and the USSR -- the Winter War. In a vengeful act to punish the beaten and humiliated Finns, Red Army gunners shell the Finnish lines all morning, emptying their magazines as much as possible. In Field Marshal Mannerheim's last Order of the Day to the Finnish Army he states:

"A severe peace [has been concluded] which cedes Russia nearly all the battlefields we have drenched with our blood... The deeds you have accomplished will shine for centuries in the pages of our history."

Finns lose 26,662 killed and 41,692 wounded. Civilian casualties are 892 dead and 1,856 wounded. 65 seamen die in the Finnish merchant fleet. Soviet losses are 126,875 dead and 264,908 wounded, plus unknown numbers killed by NKVD behind Soviet lines and hospitalized with frostbite and other illnesses. The Finns kept remarkable records of their casualties, so these numbers are reliable. USSR on the other hand had no reliable records, so their casualty figure are at best SWAG (scientific wild-assed guess). In Nikita Khrushchev's memoirs he states that 1.5 million Red soldiers went into Finland and only half a million came out. Neither of these figures is correct and the answer is somewhere in the middle. The Gulf of Finland islands and the lands in Karelia (Isthmus and areas surrounding Lake Ladoga) and at Salla, given up by Finland in 1940, continue to be Soviet territory to this day. However, USSR formally renounced its lease on the Hanko Peninsula in the Paris peace treaty of 1947. The disparity in losses suggests to Allied and Axis observers that the effects of Stalin's officer purges have still not been overcome. This impression of inefficiency contributes to Hitler's decision to invade the USSR and makes the British and Americans a little reluctant to send supplies to the Soviets when the Germans do invade because they expect that the Germans will win quickly.

Simo Häyhä regained consciousness after being severely injured in the face in combat a week prior in Finland.

UNITED KINGDOM: The Allies are robbed by the Finnish collapse of any pretext to move into Norway and Sweden. British troops march off the transport ships without having left port. The Allies do not abandon their ambition for action in Scandinavia. Churchill understands the importance of Norway to both sides and writes to British Foreign Minister Lord Halifax;

"Whether they [the Germans] have some positive plan of their own [for Norway]… I cannot tell. It would seem to me astonishing if they have not".

Punjabi nationalist Udham Singh assassinated the former British governor of Punjab Sir Michael O'Dwyer in London.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The Fleet Landing Exercise No. 6 in the Caribbean Sea, participated by personnel of the US Navy and US Marine Corps, drew to a close.

MEDITERRANEAN: Joachim von Ribbentrop informed the Italians that Adolf Hitler would like to push the date of the upcoming Brenner Pass meeting with Benito Mussolini up to on or about 18 Mar 1940.

.

.

 

[parsifal]

14 March 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Fr Le Fier Class TB LE FIER

This represents the launch date for this vessel. LE FIER and her two sisters ostensibly completed prior to the French surrender were in fact still unready at armistice and whilst the germans attempted to complete them, were not finished until post war.

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

The conclusion of the Russo-Flnnish peace is still the center of political events and world interest. Especially depressing impression in France , where Daladier»s policy has been sharply attacked and his position has been greatly shaken by the latest events.

Speaking on the radio the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Koth, repudiated Daladier's assertion that Norway refused permission for troops to pass through. An official request was not made to Norway until late on the evening of 12 March when the peace treaty
had already been signed in Moscow. Koth also rejected reproaches that Norway was transgressing her neutrality In favor of Germany.

On 12 March the Finnish Government asked Norway and Sweden whether their Governments would be prepared to investigate the possibility of establishing a defensive alliance of the three Nordic countries. Sweden and Norway have declared their fundamental readiness. (Such an alliance will probably come up against strong Russian resistance and break down under it. )

After her defeat, Finland was to find herself, friendless, isolated and vulnerable....

Conference on "Weserubung " :
Fuel supplies for the forces in the northern area seem to be assured by the prompt transfer of two tankers (JAN WELLEM, KATTEGAT) to n Nienburg w with 15,300 tons of fuel, since even when all ten destroyers have filled up completely there is
still two-thirds of the whole left for the battle- ships. Another tanker is to be transferred to "Detmold* for the HIPPER and four destroyers. There will also be an ample surplus here for possible battleship refuelling.

The question of putting the supply ship DITHMARSCKEN into service as a further supply vessel and as a transport for "Weseruebung" is closely connected with Naval Staff's plans for warfare in the Atlantic which, in Naval Staff's view, should be kept in mlnd in spite of "Weseruebung". The DITHMARSCKEN is therefore principally scheduled as a reserve supply ship for the LUTZOW, and if the necessity arises will still be available as a transport for "Weserubung "

This decision was to have long reaching and important effects. Effectively keeping one oiler in reserve meant it was out of position and unable to assist at exactly the time she was needed.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

Preliminary regulations have been framed for the AA protection of all U-boats entering and leaving port and on trials. A minesweeper or patrol vessel will accompany every U-boat in the area which is particularly dangerous (outside the protection of
Wilhelmshaven as far as the 30 meter line).

(Note 30m is refering to the water depth).

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-7, U-9, U-19, U-20, U-24, U-56, U-57, U-59

At Sea 14 March 1940
U-7, U-9, U-19, U-20, U-24, U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-59.
19 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
AMC CALIFORNIA departed Greenock on Northern Patrol, whilst AMCs CILICIA and TRANSYLVANIA docked at Greenock.

North Sea
DD IVANHOE departed Scapa for Moray Firth Patrol. ML TEVIOTBANK and DDs ICARUS and IMPULSIVE arrived at the Humber to load mines. Subs STERLET and SNAPPER departed Harwich on patrol. Submarine SEAWOLF arrived at Harwich from patrol. ORP sub WILK was undocked at Dundee. OG.22F was formed from two convoys - (1) OA.108G, which departed Southend on the 11th escort DD WITCH, and (2) OB.108G, which departed Liverpool on the 11th, escort sloops BIDEFORD and FOWEY, of 30 ships. BIDEFORD joined the convoy on the 12th and FOWEY on the 13th. DD WRESTLER joined on the 19th. Both sloops and the DD travelled with the convoy to Gib where it arrived on the 19th. The sloops were temporarily assigned to DesFlot 13 to replace sloops SCARBOROUGH and WELLINGTON. MT.30 of 23 ships departed Methil escort ASW Gp3, plus sloop PELICAN, and DDs VIVIEN and JAVELIN. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later in the day. FS.121 departed the Tyne, escort sloop PELICAN and DD VIVIEN, and arrived at Southend on the 16th. DD JANUS and ASW Gp 1 escorted TM.26 from the Tyne. After a steamer sighted a periscope one mile southwest of Elie Ness, escort vessel WHITLEY and sloop EGRET were dispatched to investigate. They were joined by DD BRAZEN, escort vessels VEGA, WOOLSTON, sloop STORK, and ASW GP 19 . WHITLEY and STORK made attacks but further investigation showed this contact to be non submarine.

HN.19 of 35 ships departed Bergen escort DDs COSSACK, NUBIAN, GURKHA, FAULKNOR and FORTUNE. The convoy was covered by CL EDINBURGH. on the 16th, EDINBURGH made a submarine contact, southeast of Fair Isle, and she and COSSACK attacked the contact. That afternoon COSSACK attacked a contact east of Duncansby Head. This contact had been earlier attacked by CC a/c. At 2330, EDINBURGH made an attack off Tod Head. When the convoy split into two sections, FAULKNOR and FORTUNE escorted the west coast section of 15 ships to Cape Wrath where the convoy was dispersed. The DDs arrived at Scapa on the 17th. DDs FAULKNOR and FORESTER anchored in Longhope pending the clearance of Gutter Sound. The convoy of 20 ships arrived at Methil without incident on the 17th. COSSACK, NUBIAN and GURKHA also arrived at Rosyth on the 17th.

U-BOAT OPERATIONS AGAINST ALLIED SUBMARINES

DKM was receiving high grade radio intercept intelligence at this time, and in response to the location of British Sub positions in the North sea, dispatached a substantial force to counter them. An unsuccessful operation was mounted by DKM submarines to hunt down RN and Fr subs in the North Sea. Submarines deployed were U.7, U.9, U.19, U.20, U.23, U.24, U.56, U.57, U.59.

U.1, U.2, U.3, U.4 were positioned off sthn Norway. On the 16th, U.1 departed Kiel for operations south of Lindesnes. On the 16th, U.2 departed Kiel for operations off Lister. On the 18th, U.3 departed Wilhelmshaven to operate in the North Sea against British submarines. On the 18th, U.4 departed Wilhelmshaven to operate in the Skagerrak. On the 20th, U.22 departed Wilhelmshaven to operate off Pentland Firth. On the 20th, U.21 and U.22 were ordered to patrol south of Lindesnes. On the 21st, U.21 departed Wilhelmshaven to operate off Pentland Firth. On the 22nd, U.1 was moved to a position outside the three mile limit off Egeroy. On the 22nd, U.2 sighted what was identified as either a CA or a CV with 5 DDs. The submarine was unable to gain a firing position. On the 23rd, U.3 and 4 were ordered to area of Lindesnes and Revingen, respectively, to attack warships and transports. On the 27th, U.4 was moved to area of Lindesnes. U.1, U.2, U.3, U.4 returned to Wilhelmshaven on the 29th.

Northern Waters
BC HOOD departed Scapa Flow at 1515 escorted by DDs HARDY (D.2), HOTSPUR and IMOGEN for the Clyde. DD KELLY departed Scapa for Sheerness to repair her collision damage of 9 March at Blackwall. DDs KASHMIR and FORESIGHT departed the Clyde for Scapa. DD INTREPID arrived at Invergordon from patrol.

UK - France
BC.30 of 7 steamers, including BATALLINN, BARON GRAHAM (Commodore), EILDON, MARSLEW departed Bristol Channel escort DD VIVACIOUS, and arrived in the Loire on the 16th.

Central Atlantic
SL.24 departed Freetown escort AMC CHESHIRE until 29 March. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 31st.

Med- Biscay
MSWs PANGBOURNE, ALBURY, and ROSS arrived at Gib from Malta.

Indian Ocean
CVL EAGLE in the Bay of Bengal near the Nicobar Islands was damaged at 0730 when a 250 pound bomb exploded in the bomb room in an operational mishap. One officer, Gunner R.R. Keech, MVO and twelve ratings were killed. Five crew were wounded, one dying of wounds at Singapore. EAGLE proceeded to Singapore for repairs and completed these and a refit on 4 May. She left Singapore on 9 May for the Med.

 

[parsifal]

15 March 1940
Known Losses
MV MELROSE (UK 1589 grt) Crew: 23 (18 lost): The cargo ship struck a mine that had been laid by the captured Estonian cargo ship HANONIA now secretly in DKM service (designated SCHIFF II), and sank in the North Sea off the coast of Belgium .

MV SABA (Ne 389 grt): Route: Caen to Ijmuiden. The coaster struck a mine that had been laid by the captured Estonian cargo ship HANONIA now secretly in DKM service (designated SCHIFF II), and sank in the North Sea

ASW trawler PERIDOT (RN 550 grt), was badly damaged on a mine off Dover, while on station "LD 6". ASW trawler SAON (386grt) on station "LD 7" took off the crew of the trawler. There were no casualties. DD BRILLIANT took the trawler in the tow and transferred the tow at daylight at 0825 to tug LADY DUNCANNON (181grt). However, PERIDOT sank before arriving in harbour.

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

Radio monitoring intercepts two very important items, which permit conclusions regarding British preparations for the occupation of Norway or the despatch of troops for Finland:

1. The British submarine disposition in the North Sea off the Skagerrak and in the Heligoland Bight is dispersed. On 15 March some of the boats are again on return passage to their ports of departure. It may be concluded from this discovery that the
operations planned have been postponed because of the unexpected Finnish peace.

2. Further, the deciphering service succeeds in partially deciphering an order about "Plsn R 3" (see radiogram War Diary, Part B, V, 122) sent at 1437 on 14 March from the Admiralty to Commander in Chief, Home Fleet, Station Commanders, Portsmouth, Scapa, Plymouth, Nore and Clyde, also to the 1st and 2nd Cruiser Squadrons, from which the following is deduced:

a) The measures for troop embarkations on a large scale have been taken and completed. The transports are ready and organized. Some of the troops have embarked, the others are ready to embark. The transports are obviously to proceed northwards from west coast Channel ports.

b) The transports are assigned new alerts (48 hours, 96 hours, 80 hours) in 8 transitional order which is probably in force until the political situation is clarified. The movements of the cruiser GALA'TTSA (sic) with Commander, 2nd Cruiser Squadron and of the cruiser AURORA are connected with the transports. Both messages indicate postponement of British measures for the present.

No complete abandonment of the Norway operation, the basic plans for which can no longer be doubted, can be detected
from the messages. German deliberations and preparations for operations must take this fact into account.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

U 41 and U 53 declared missing with effect from 15.3.

Departures
Kiel: U-1, U-2

At Sea 15 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-7, U-9, U-19, U-20, U-24, U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-59.
21 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
CAs DEVONSHIRE and NORFOLK ran several runs over the D.G. range in the Firth of Forth. The cruisers then departed Rosyth for Scapa. They were designated for Northern Patrol duties. DEVONSHIRE proceeded directly to patrol in the Denmark Strait.

The Northern Patrol from 15 March to 31 March was to sight 69 eastbound merchant ships of which 13 were sent into Kirkwall for inspection. One German ship was intercepted in this period.

North Sea
DDs JERVIS and JANUS arrived at Rosyth. DD WOOLSTON departed Rosyth to act in conjunction with a Bomber Command exercise in the North Sea.

ON.20 of 40 ships departed Methil escort DDs ENCOUNTER, ESCORT, ELECTRA, ESCAPADE. The convoy was joined at sea by DDs KASHMIR and KIMBERLEY which departed Kirkwall on the 16th with a detachment of twelve ships for the convoy (already included in the stated numbers). CLA CAIRO, assigned to this convoy, sustained sea damage and returned to Scapa. On the 17th, CAIRO arrived at Sullom Voe to repair the damage. CL SHEFFIELD departed the Tyne on the 17th and provided close cover for the convoy. The convoy arrived safely at Bergen on the 18th.

MT.31 of five ships departed Methil escorted by ASW Gp 19, DD VEGA and sloop STORK. VEGA and STORK detached at dark to escort FS.122 which departed the Tyne at 2100. MT.31 arrived in the Tyne that night. TM.27 departed the Tyne at 1700 escorted by the ASW Gp 3 and DD BRAZEN. Sub SPEARFISH departed Blyth and joined the convoy on passage to Scapa. Once the convoy was abeam Rosyth, BRAZEN took SPEARFISH on to Scapa. FN.121 departed Southend escort sloops LOWESTOFT, HASTINGS and DD VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 17th. 17 miles south of Needles, a civilian a/c reported a submarine. DD ISIS and ASW yacht ST MODWEN (237grt) were ordered into the area, later joined by DDs HERO and WILD SWAN. DD HERO, en route from Portsmouth to the Clyde, made an attack on a submarine contact off the Needles Channel. DDs ARROW, WILD SWAN and ANTHONY joined HERO in the search of Christchurch Bay and Poole Bay. ASW trawler STELLA DORADO (416grt) stopped Belgian trawler IBIS (160grt) and brought her to the Downs for examination.

Northern Waters
Heavy weather again carried away a 5-600 foot section of the ASW nets at Scapa. ASW trawler COVENTRY CITY went ashore at Longhope. DD KIMBERLEY commenced an ASW off Hoxa Boom south a line from Cantick Head to Sandwick Bay, South Ronaldsay. At 1900, KIMBERLEY was relieved by DD FORESIGHT. At 0800/16th, FORESIGHT was relieved by DD FEARLESS. The nets were repaired at 1100/16th and FEARLESS returned to Scapa.

BC HOOD with DDs HARDY, HOTSPUR and IMOGEN arrived in the Clyde from Scapa. CLA CALCUTTA arrived at Sullom Voe. DD MASHONA escorting tkr WAR BHARATA arrived at Scapa.

West Coast UK
DD MATABELE arrived in the Clyde after refitting at Devonport. CLs GALATEA and AURORA escort DDs SOMALI, TARTAR and MATABELE departed the Clyde for Scapa where they arrived on the 16th.

Channel
DDs HAVELOCK and HAVANT departed Portsmouth for the Clyde, and arrived on the 16th. They left again on the 16th escorting submarine TARPON to Portsmouth. Submarine CLYDE departed Portsmouth for Blyth, joined FN.122 on the 16th, and detached when the convoy was abreast Blyth, arriving on the 18th. Fr TBs BOUCLIER, FLORE and MELPOMENE arrived at Dover from Dunkirk for a courtesy visit. The TBs were retained to assist in covering the 10th MSW Flot operations between North Goodwin Light Vessel and Fairy Bank Buoy on 17 and 18 March. The TBs then returned to Dunkirk.

Far East/Pacific/Australia
RAN AMC KANIMBLA seized Soviet steamers VLADIMIR MAIAKOVSKY (3972grt) and SELENGA (tonnage unkown) in the Sth China Sea and Sea of Japan and took them (at separate times) into control because they were carrying a cargoes destined for Germany (VLADIMIR MAIAKOVSKY was carrying a vital cargo of copper from the United States). On the 26th, near Hong Kong she was handed over to French CL LAMOTTE PICQUET, and taken to Saigon, arriving on 1 April. The ships were not taken as prizes, but their cargoes were seized and both ships held in custody until after the Third Republics surrender.

 

[Njaco]

March 14 Thursday
NORTHERN EUROPE: The Finnish Parliament met and debated over the ratification of Moscow Peace Treaty.

The first of the over 450,000 Finnish civilians in the territories ceded to Russia per the Moscow Peace Treaty began to move into Finland. Some of them burned their homes to the ground to leave as little to the conquerors as possible.

GERMANY: According to Alfred Jodl's diary entry for this date, Adolf Hitler was actively searching for excuses that would justify the planned invasion of Norway.

Goring decrees that all articles made of copper, bronze, nickel and other useful metals must be given up for the war effort.

INDIAN OCEAN: At 7.30 AM in the Bay of Bengal near the Nicobar Islands, British aircraft carrier HMS "Eagle" is damaged when a 250 pound bomb explodes in the bomb room in an operational mishap (14 lives lost). HMS "Eagle" will be repaired and refitted in Singapore, leaving 9 May for the Mediterranean.

EASTERN EUROPE: In Russia, Viktor Abakumov was promoted to the rank of State Security Major.

The Polish government-in-exile publishes a white paper today giving a general view of Poland's relations with Germany between May 1933 and October 1939. Among the revelations is that Hitler tried to involve Poland in a plot to attack the Soviet Union. It was proposed by Goring during a visit to Warsaw in February 1935. In a discussion with the Polish leader, Marshal Pilsudski, he suggested that Poland and Germany should mount a joint invasion of the Ukraine. The Poles insist that they gave the Germans no encouragement whatsoever.

UNITED KINGDOM: Alan Turing's development of the Polish "cryptologic bomb" yields the British Bombe at Government Code and Cypher School, Bletchley Park, England. The first working Bombe (named "Victory"), manufactured by the British Tabulating Machine Company at Letchworth, Hertfordshire, goes operational decrypting daily settings on the German Enigma machines.

British Foreign Minister Lord Halifax began to ask Finland to return some of the supplies that the British had given to Finland for the Winter War. He retracted the request shortly after Finnish Ambassador to London G. A. Gripenberg reminded him that Finland had paid for the relatively small amount of goods that Britain offered.

ASIA: Twenty-seven out of 30 Chinese fighter planes are shot down by 12 Japanese Zero fighters over Chengtu. The Japanese suffer no losses.

.

 

[Njaco]

March 15 Friday
EASTERN EUROPE: In Romania, King Carol granted amnesty to members of the fascist Iron Guard party after they swore allegiance to him.

During the night (March 15-16), RAF bombers drop leaflets over Warsaw. During the return flight, a British Whitley bomber, low on fuel, lands by mistake in a field in western Germany. The crew speaks to some local inhabitants before taking off again before German authorities arrive. Some small arms fire is reported.

NORTHERN EUROPE: The Finnish Diet, meeting in secret session during the evening, ratifies the Moscow peace agreement by 145 votes to three. (52 abstentions, including Prime Minister Voionmaa who is traveling from Moscow and can not vote). Speaking before the vote, the Prime Minister, Mr. Ryti, says:

"Finland, as well as the whole of Western civilization, is still in the greatest danger, and no one can say what tomorrow may bring. We believe that by choosing peace we have acted in the best way for the moment."

ASIA: Emphasizing the global nature of the growing conflict, the Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser HMS "Kanimbla" (a converted Australian passenger ship) impounds Soviet steamer "Vladimir Mayakovsky" carrying American copper to Germany in the Sea of Japan. She will be taken to Hong Kong, handed over to the French and sailed to Saigon, Vietnam arriving on 1 April.

INDIAN OCEAN: HMS "Eagle" arrived at Singapore for repairs for damage caused by the accidental explosion of 14 Mar 1940.

GERMANY: Reichsmarshal Herman Goering said 100-200 church bells are enough for Germany and smelted the rest.

 

[parsifal]

16 March 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Fr Elan Class Minesweeping Sloop La Batailleuse

Neutral
NE DD ISAAC SWEERS (Launch date) Italian Liuzzi Class Submarine TARANTINI

DD ISAAC SWEERS was towed to Britain after the invasion and was completed with British equipment May 1941 as an AA DD
Known Losses
ASW Trawler MAIDA (RN 107 grt): The naval trawler struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Margate east of North Foreland, Kent, with the loss of six of her 12 crew, including the skipper Utting. The survivors were rescued by ASW Trawler MARE (RN 92 grt) and taken to Dover.

MV OSMAN (Sd 1316 grt): The cargo ship ran aground in the Baltic Sea off Risor, Norway and was wrecked. 10 crew were killed.

MV SLAVA (Yug 4512 grt): : The cargo ship struck a mine laid on 2 March by U-29 and sank 5 miles southwest of Nash Point in the Bristol Channel. One crew member was lost.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

Rumors of a Government crisis in France and Great Britain, as the result of violent criticism of previous inactive warfare, differences of opinion between Chamberlain and Churchill and also between Daladier and Reynaud. The Chamberlain Government is reproached with inactivity and lack of initiative.

The 10th Air Corps carried out the attack on Scapa that has been planned for several days. After weather reconnaissance there
was an offensive sortie against the Orkneys, carried out by
18 Ju 88 f s and 16 He 111*3 (5 planes broke off the assignment
prematurely because of technical trouble) .

The Fleet units lying in Scapa were attacked between 1950 and 2010, the airfields at Kirkwall, Stromness and Earthouse
between 2000 and 2040.

Results as per Air Force reports ;

2 hits on a battleship

1 hit on a battleship or battle cruiser

1 hit on a battle cruiser

1 hit on a heavy cruiser

2 bombs dropped in the immediate vicinity of further battleships, so that damage is assumed.

The LW after action report was wildly optimistic. Actual damage was one bomb hit on the NORFOLK. Anumber of KG30 a/c failed to engage, releasing their bombs over the land as they retreated the scene

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

For operation and orders for the Atlantic boats, except U 28 and U 32, which are still on their way back, see Appendix 1 to B.d.U.'s War Log.

Departures
Kiel: U-3, U-4

At Sea 16 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-7, U-9, U-19, U-20, U-24, U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-59.
23 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
AMC WOLFE arrived in the Clyde from Northern Patrol, whilst AMC FORFAR departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

North Sea
DDs IVANHOE, INTREPID, GALLANT departed Invergordon to patrol in Moray Firth. On the 17th, they were involved in operation HSM with air cooperation. Submarines SALMON and STERLET arrived at Harwich after patrol. Submarines SEAL and THISTLE on patrol in the Skagerrak were ordered to exercise contraband control. OA.111 departed Southend, escort DD AMAZON from 16 to 18 March. The convoy dispersed on the 19th. FN.122 departed Southend escort sloops LONDONDERRY and FLEETWOOD and DD VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 18th. FS.122 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VEGA and WOOLSTON and sloop STORK, from convoy MT.31. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 17th. MT.32 departed Methil and arrived at the Tyne later that day. TM.28 departed the Tyne escorted by the ASW Gp 19 and DD VALOROUS.

Northern Waters
DD KASHMIR, escorting convoy ON.20, reported the approach of a LW air raid on Scapa. In this air raid, by32 Ju.88's of KG30, CA NORFOLK at anchor in Scapa Flow was damaged in the late dusk. The bomb striking NORFOLK struck the quarter deck near Y turret. The bomb passed through the upper, main, lower decks and exploded near Y shell room. This blew a hole in the starboard side below the water line. A fire was started and X and Y magazines were flooded. 3 officers and one NCO were killed and 7 other crewman wounded in the attack. German aircraft fleeing the battle released 19 bombs on the village of "Bridge of Waithe" on the shore of Scapa Flow wounding seven civilians and killing James Isbister, aged 27. Isbister became the first British civilian death on land

In the same air attack, old BB IRON DUKE was near missed by three bombs. Two bombs exploded astern of BB RODNEY causing no damage. CA NORFOLK was the only ship hit, but the Germans claimed hitting three BBs and one cruiser. Most of the Home Flt was at Scapa Flow at this time and this prompted the Admiralty to order Forbes to take his fleet to sea during the next moonlight period between 19 and 26 March. Gutter Sound was closed due to the danger of magnetic mining from this air raid. Gutter Sound was reopened on the morning of the 17th.

The damaged CA NORFOLK departed Scapa on the 19th, attended by tug BUCCANEER and escorted by DDs GURKHA, COSSACK, IVANHOE, GALLANT. The tug was detached en route and returned to Scapa. DDs ESKIMO and PUNJABI escorting Tender C (dummy aircraft carrier HERMES - special service vessel MAMARI) traded charges with DDs IVANHOE and GALLANT near Cape Wrath. Cruiser NORFOLK arrived in the Clyde late on the 20th, escort DDs COSSACK, GURKHA, ESKIMO, PUNJABI. The CA entered the dockyard in the Clyde on the 27th, NORFOLK was repairing until 14 June 1940. After safely delivering the cruiser, DD GURKHA and COSSACK returned to Scapa.

West Coast UK
DD HYPERION arrived in the Clyde. OB.111 departed Liverpool escort DD WHIRLWIND and sloop ROCHESTER from 16 to 19 March..

Channel
CL BIRMINGHAM and DD HERO departed Portsmouth for Scapa and the Clyde, respectively.

UK - France
BC.29 of four steamers, including BARON KINNAIRD (Commodore) departed Loire escort DD VIVACIOUS. The convoy arrived in Bristol Channel on the 18th.

Med- Biscay
CL DELHI arrived at Alexandria with CINCMED aboard. RAN DD WATERHEN departed Gibraltar for Malta.

 

[parsifal]

17 March 1940
Known Reinforcements
Axis
AMC THOR

Known Losses
MV ALYN (UK 350 grt): The coaster ran aground on Fort Island, just sth of the Isle of Man with the loss of two of her nine crew

MV ARGENTINA (Den 5375 grt): Crew: 33 (33 dead - no survivors): Cargo: General Cargo : Route: Copenhagen (13 Mar) - Las Palmas - South America : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of the Shetland Islands, by U-38. The ship sank 10 minutes after being hit by one torpedo. The identity of the ship was only revealed postwar.

MV KITAFUKU MARU (Jpn 4769 grt): The cargo ship ran aground at off Kumejima Island (Ryuku Gp).

DD INTREPID in an accidental collision in the Pentland Firth 50 miles northeast of Kinnaird Head sank trawler OCEAN DRIFT (227grt). Eight survivors were picked up and INTREPID proceeded to Invergordon with a damaged stem for emergency repairs, escort DDs IVANHOE and GALLANT. She departed on the 18th for Southbank near Middlesbrough where repairs were completed on 28 April.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV SINT ANNALAND (Ne 2248 grt): The cargo ship struck a mine that had been laid by the Disguised ML Schiff 11 (former Estonian vesse; HANONIA, referred to in DKM service as the ULM). The ship sank in the North Sea off the coast of Belgium . All crew were rescued by SCHIENLAND and SCHOKLAND (both Netherlands)

On 6 Feb 1940, the Hanonia was commissioned in the Kriegsmarine as Schiff 11/Ulm after conversion to an auxiliary minelayer was completed on the Stülckenwerft. On 9 Mar 1940, Schiff 11 laid 144 mines and 146 explosive buoys off the Dutch coast, which sank 12 Neutral ships mostly off the coast of Holland. She appears to have been lost April 1940

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

The Pan-American President has made a protest to the British Government on behalf of the 21 American republics regarding
the violation of the American neutrality zone in connection with the scuttling of the German steamer WAKAMA on 12 Feb.

Radio monitoring intercepts various convoy movements.

A British press report maintains that neutrals, especially Norwegian and even Italian steamers, are now joining British
convoys to an increasing extent.

France :

French vessels are informed that there was a German submarine about 25 miles north of Land's End at 1300. French naval
circles are saying that there is proof of the sinking of two German submarines during the past few days. Report is untrue.

Reconnaissance by the 10th Air Corps sighted two submarines off the British coast, and off the Firth of Forth one cruiser
(probably the EFFINGHAM) and one minelayer of about 4,000 tons. According to an agent's report, British naval vessels are
patrolling on the route Vardoe-Bear Island-Iceland.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

Nothing to report

At Sea 17 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-7, U-9, U-19, U-20, U-24, U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-59.
23 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
Sub TRIDENT and ORP ORZEL arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub SUNFISH on patrol in the North Sea sighted two large unescorted trawlers, but RN rules of engagement prevented an attack on these unidentified ships. FS.123, delayed twenty four hours by fog, departed the Tyne escort DD WALLACE and sloop FLAMINGO. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 19th. Netlayer GUARDIAN departed Scapa on the 16th for Rosyth. On the 17th off Bell Rock, she was attacked by German bombers of KG26 but was not damaged, and arrived at Rosyth later on the 17th. ASW trawler STOKE CITY (422grt) was attacked by German bombers of KG26 off Girdleness, but was not damaged. Italian steamer VERBANIA (6640grt) broke down in 60-54N, 08-52W. Armed boarding vessel NORTHERN DUKE (655grt) stood by and tug WATERMEYER was dispatched to take her in tow. Steamer CARIBOU (2222grt) sighted the ship on the 21st and NORTHERN DUKE located her on the 22nd. Tug ST MELLONS was ordered to replace WATERMEYER on the 23rd, while tug BRIGAND was also ordered to proceed. On the 27th, the Italian steamer in tow of BRIGAND and escorted by armed boarding vessels NORTHERN WAVE (655grt) and NORTHERN GEM (655grt) arrived at Stornoway.

DKM submarines were ordered to positions to attack damaged British ships leaving Scapa after the 16 March air raid. U.57 and U.19 in the North Sea were ordered to the west side of Pentland Firth. U.21 and U.22 were ordered to the east side of Pentland Firth.U.22 departed Wilhelmshaven on the 20th and U.21 departed Wilhelmshaven on the 21st. On the 22nd, U.22 was ordered to assist a German ship grounded on the southern coast of Norway. On the 26th, U.22 was ordered to Moray Firth. On the 27th, U.22 was ordered to assist U.21 which had run aground. U.22 acknowledged none of the changes of orders, and was apparently lost soon after her departure from Wilhelmshaven around 23 March. The submarine was officially listed as lost lost with all twenty seven crew on the 27th.

Northern Waters
DesFlot 7 was assigned to the, Home Flt at midnight.

Steamer BELLWYN (1670grt) collided with CA SUFFOLK in Princess Dock at Govan. CL EDINBURGH arrived in the Tyne for repairs. DD BRAZEN arrived at Scapa with Submarine SPEARFISH. DDs INGLEFIELD and ILEX departed Scapa to join DDs IVANHOE and GALLANT on Moray Firth ASW Striking Force duties. After this, INGLEFIELD and ILEX arrived at Scapa in the evening of the 18th. At this time, the Moray Firth ASW Striking Force was no longer operating. IVANHOE and GALLANT joined the Home Flt from the Orkneys and Shetlands Command on the morning of the 19th.

MLs PRINCESS VICTORIA and TEVIOTBANK, escort ML DDs ESK, EXPRESS, ICARUS, IMPULSIVE, departed the Humber for Invergordon for minelaying mission PA 4. The ships arrived at Invergordon on the 19th.

West Coast UK
DDs HERO and HYPERION departed the Clyde with RFA tanker PETROBUS (475grt) for Scapa. En route, the tanker was sent into Stornoway and HERO and HYPERION were ordered to Scapa with dispatch, arriving on the 19th. DD IMOGEN departed the Clyde for Portsmouth for escort duties.

Med- Biscay
HG.23F departed Gib with 30 ships, escort DD BULLDOG, as local escort. Fr DD PANTHERE and aux PV MINERVE escorted the convoy from 17 to 23 March. DDs WINCHELSEA and WAKEFUL came from convoy OG.23F and escorted the convoy from 23 to 26 March. DD WHITEHALL joined the convoy on the 23rd and escorted the convoy until 26 March when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

 

[Njaco]

March 16 Saturday
GERMANY: Oblt. Kuno Wendt is posted as Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 26, the 'Adamson Staffel' based at Mulheim.

UNITED KINGDOM: 32 German Ju 88 dive bombers including fifteen Ju 88s of I./KG 30 attacked the British fleet in Scapa Flow. A few hits are scored on the heavy cruiser HMS "Norfolk" causing no serious damage. Some planes bomb the village of Bridge of Waith in Scotland, killing James Isbister, first British civilian killed in the war. Despite the damage, HMS "Norfolk" will leave Scapa Flow under her own steam on March 19 for repairs in the Clyde until June 14.

SOUTH AMERICA: The Argentine government issues a decree saying German men of the "Graf Spee" are to be divided into groups and moved away from Buenos Aires. The government deports the German crew into the interior and forbids them to wear their uniforms.

MEDITERRANEAN: In Rome US envoy and Under-Secretary of State, Sumner Welles, holds talks with Mussolini, Count Ciano, the foreign minister, and King Victor Emmanuel III on the last stop of his mission to discuss conditions for mediation or peace talks in Europe. He receives a cordial but non-committal welcome.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Yugoslavian steamer "Slava" hit a mine laid by German submarine U-29 on 2 Mar 1940 and sank in the Bristol Channel, killing 1. 33 were rescued.

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