Posted on 01/18/2010 4:51:10 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/jan40/f18jan40.htm
Factory explosions kills 5 workers
Thursday, January 18, 1940 www.onwar.com
In Britain... In a series of explosions, five employees are killed at the Waltham Abbey explosives factory in Essex. Nazi saboteurs are blamed. Meanwhile, a British company delivers the first of a very large admiralty order for buoyant electrical cable. It is to be used in the fight to remove the threat of magnetic mines to British ships. When the cable is towed behind a wooden trawler, a current generated by the ship will produce a magnetic field around it sufficient to detonate a mine.
In Warsaw... The Nazi Gestapo executes 250 Jews in woods outside the city following the arrest of the Jewish-born Catholic resistance leader Andrzej Kott.
My grandfather was in the Finnish army and fought in Russia.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/18.htm
January 18th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: A British company has today delivered the first of a very large Admiralty order for buoyant electrical cable. It is to be used in the fight against the magnetic mine. When the cable is towed behind a wooden trawler, a current generated by the ship will produce a magnetic field around it sufficient to detonate a mine. In the meantime ships continue to be sunk by mines - over 260,000 tons between September and December 1939.
Waltham Abbey Essex: Nazi saboteurs are blamed for an explosion at an arms factory which killed five people. Mr. Leo Francis O’Hagan (d. 1968) and Mr. Stanley William Sewell (1906 - 1969) employees of the Royal Gunpowder Factory, were working on over 1,000lbs of unstable nitro-glycerine when an explosion partly wrecked their building. Mr. William George Sylvester (b. 1914) was even closer to the blast. However, despite the obvious danger, all three men remained at their posts until the danger was past. All were awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal (later exchanged for the George Cross).
RAF Bomber Command: Reconnaissance of North-West Germany for naval targets.
Glasgow: Cpl. John McIntosh McClymont (b.1903) Auxiliary Air Force, was badly burnt pulling two men from a blazing aircraft. Unfortunately both men were dead. He was awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal which was later changed to a George Cross.
GERMANY:
U-756 laid down
U-63 commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
POLAND: Warsaw: The Gestapo shoots dead 250 Jews in woods outside the city following the arrest of Jewish born catholic resistance leader Andrzej Kott.
BERMUDA: The British commence censorship of air mail passing through Bermuda; the censor there removes mail for European destinations from the Lisbon-bound Pan American World Airways Boeing 314 American Clipper. A written protest is lodged and no assistance in the unloading process is offered. (Jack McKillop)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 1625, SS Pajala was hit in the bow by one torpedo from U-25, after the ship had been spotted 20 minutes earlier together with an escort. A first coup de grâce at 1650 missed due to bad visibility, but the second at 1703 hours hit in the stern and caused the ship to sink 10 miles 072° from North Rona, Hebrides.
At 1126, MS Canadian Reefer was torpedoed and sunk by U-44 25 nautical miles east of Cape Villano.
At about 1745, SS Foxen was sunk by an explosion about 85 miles from Pentland Sound. The ship broke in two and sank within 90 seconds. On 24 January, the Norwegian steam merchant Leka picked up one survivor, another survivor was rescued earlier by another Norwegian ship, which took him to Bergen. There is no corresponding U-boat report since U-55 did not return from her patrol, but the likelihood is that she sank the Foxen.
At 2030, SS Patria was spotted on a southerly course by U-9 and was suspicious because no national markings could be seen from the distance of 500 meters. At 2223 and 2240, the U-boat fired one torpedo each, but missed with both. 30 minutes later, the Flandria was spotted and sunk with one torpedo at 2.53 about 95 miles north of Ymuiden before the Patria was hit underneath the bridge by one torpedo at 0145 hours on 19 January, which caused the ship to sink rapidly north of Ymuiden.(Dave Shirlaw)
btt
Northern Finland: four Finnish battalions mount an assault on Märkäjärvi, but the enemy's 122nd Division holds firm.
Photo: SA-KUVA
Enemy bombers hit icebreaker Tarmo
CBS - Today in Europe - Edward R Murrow and William L Shirer in Amsterdam
Murrow: What's the most popular song in Berlin now?
Shirer: A new piece written soon after the outbreak of the war called, "We March Against England." It's a very catchy tune, the sentiment is popular, and everybody's singing it. Any popular war songs over there?
Murrow: The best effort so far is a tune called "We're Gonna Hang Out Our Washing On the Siegfried Line."
That one really is a good one. It’s interesting how they compare and contrast the conditions they are living with in their war torn countries then laud the pleasant conditions in “neutral” Holland. “Now lets go throw some snowballs.”
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