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http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/feb40/f05feb40.htm

Allies to occupy Norway, aid Finland
Monday, February 5, 1940 www.onwar.com

From Paris... The Supreme War Council of the British and French allies decides to intervene in Norway and send help (in the form of aircraft and guns) to Finland. They plan to begin with landings at Narvik and three other towns on or about March 20th. They are relying on the Norwegians and Swedes acquiescing and doing nothing to maintain their neutrality. By comparison with the contemporary, meticulous German plans, these Allied preparations are vague and irresolute. The pretext of going to help Finland is unconvincing and it is the obvious intention to devote most effort to stopping the Swedish iron ore reaching Germany.

In the Netherlands... General Reynders, the Dutch commander-in-chief, resigns over the lack of military preparedness in Holland.

In the North Atlantic... The British destroyer HMS Antelope sinks a U-boat in the south-western approaches to Britain.

In the United States... The US Maritime Commission announces that Britain and France are buying 113,000 tonnes of old American cargo ships.

HMS ANTELOPE

HMS Antelope was a British A-class destroyer. She was completed 20 March 1930 and assigned to the 18th Destroyer Flotilla, Channel Force, Home Fleet. On 5 February 1940, Antelope sank U-41 in the South Western Approaches. The U-boat had attacked an outward-bound convoy on 5 February and sunk Beaverburn. It was the only U-boat at sea at the time in the area and was the first to be sunk underwater by a single destroyer. Antelope's commanding officer, Lt. Cdr. R.T. White R.N. (later Captain R.T. White D.S.O.**, 2nd son of Sir Archibald White, Bt. of Wallingwells) was awarded the D.S.O. on 11 July 1940 for this feat. White was commander of Antelope from 24 September 1938 until 26 February 1941. In April 1940, the destroyer escorted the French cruiser Emile Bertin, flagship of Admiral Derrien, to Scapa Flow after it had been damaged in action off Namsos, Norway. On 13 June 1940, Antelope collided with Electra off Trondheim, Norway, and had to return to the Tyne for repair. She then returned to her base at Harwich. In August 1940, Antelope sailed in convoy to take part in Operation Menace, the attack on Dakar, but after HMS Fiji was torpedoed on 1 September 1940, she escorted her back to the Clyde, Scotland. On 31 October 1940, Antelope sank U-31 off northwestern Ireland. She rescued 43 survivors and returned them to the Clyde. Lt. Cdr. White was awarded his first bar to his D.S.O. following this sinking. In May 1941, in the chase for the German battleship Bismarck after the battle of the Denmark Strait, Antelope searched for survivors from the sinking of HMS Hood, and later was escort to HMS Victorious. In August 1941, Antelope took part in Operation Gauntlet, an operation that succeeded in destroying the coaling facilities on Spitsbergen, thus denying the coal to the enemy. In 1942 and 1943, Antelope participated in various operations to resupply Malta, including Operation Pedestal in August 1942. In March 1943, she escorted the Empress of Canada, but the liner was sunk on 13 March. In 1944, she conducted numerous patrols and anti-submarine operations. In August 1945, she returned to the United Kingdom. In 1946, she was sold and broken up by Hughes, Bolkow.