Year 1940

Diary for Thursday, February 15, 1940: Finland Winter War: Finnish forces withdraw to second line of defenses in Mannerheim Line (operation completed February 17).

Diary for Wednesday, February 14, 1940: Politics Finnish Note (circularize to many foreign governments) accuses Russia of adopting ‘illegal’ methods of warfare, inc. indiscriminate bombing of unprotected towns, hospitals and

Diary for Tuesday, February 13, 1940: Sea War Atlantic: British cruiser HMS Dorsetshire intercepts German blockade-runner Wakama (scuttled) near Rio de Janeiro. Brazil makes vigorous protest.

Diary for Monday, February 12, 1940: North Africa Australian Imperial Force and detachment of NZ troops arrive at Suez. Sea War Atlantic: U-boat U-33 sunk in the Clyde by minesweeper

Diary for Sunday, February 11, 1940: Finland Winter War: Russians break through Mannerheim Line in Summa sector. 123rd Division overwhelms defending Finnish battalion. Finns launch desperate counter-attacks. Politics Russian-German Trade

Diary for Saturday, February 10, 1940: Western Front French communiqué reads: Rien a signaler (‘Nothing to report’). Sea War Atlantic: Six German merchant ships leave Vigo, Spain to run the

Diary for Friday, February 9, 1940: Sea War North Sea: German destroyers lay mines in ‘The Wash‘, on British East coast (night February 9-10). Finland Winter War: Finns hold Russian

Diary for Thursday, February 8, 1940: Western Front Two French soldiers capture German patrol in Forbach Woods. Secret War USA: ‘Harry Sawyer’ (Sebold) arrives in New York to head German

Diary for Wednesday, February 7, 1940: Sea War Atlantic: Irish passenger-mail ship Munster sunk by mine in Irish Sea. Home Fronts Britain: IRA men, Barnes and Richards, executed at Winson

Diary for Tuesday, February 6, 1940: Home Front Britain: four people injured by IRA parcel bombs at Euston Station, London.

Diary for Monday, February 5, 1940: Neutrals Holland: C-in-C General Reynders resigns over question of Dutch military preparedness. Sea War US Maritime Commission announces that Britain and France are buying

Diary for Sunday, February 4, 1940: Air War Finland: Russian bombers attacking 141 targets (towns, rail junctions, harbors) over weekend February 3-4, dropping approx. 6,800 bombs. Finnish casualties 193 (14

Diary for Friday, February 3, 1940: Air War 20 Heinkel He 111‘s (3 lost) attack ships (2 sunk) off British East Coast.

Diary for Friday, February 2, 1940: Politics Balkan Entente Conference at Belgrade: Neutrals Yugoslavia, Greece, Romania and Turkey proclaim common interests in maintenance of peace in southeast Europe and renew

Diary Thursday, February 1, 1940 Finland Winter War – Second battle of Summa: Russian 7th Army batters key sector of Mannerheim Line near village of Summa, with waves of tanks