Posted on 02/12/2010 5:31:00 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/feb40/f12feb40.htm
Commonwealth troops in Egypt
Monday, February 12, 1940 www.onwar.com
In Egypt... The first echelon (4th Brigade) of the New Zealand Division and the Australian Imperial Force arrive at Suez.
In the North Sea... The sloop HMS Gleaner sinks a U-boat (U-33) in the Firth of Clyde. German naval Enigma cipher machine rotors are recovered.
In the North Atlantic... As part of an operation to intercept 6 German merchant vessels, the destroyer HMS Hasty captures the Morea in the Atlantic and the cruiser HMS Glasgow captures a trawler off Tromso, Norway.
In Britain... Paper rationing is introduced, with supplies cut by 40 percent.
The Winter War... A counterattack late in the day by the Finnish 5th Division fails to expel the Soviet forces from their hold on the Summa position. It becomes apparent the Karelian defense line will not hold.
In Helsinki... In the diplomatic negotiations the Soviets raise their terms a little further to match their growing military success. The Finnish cabinet now favors peace and authorizes moves to end the war against the USSR. At the same time, Finland requests aid from Sweden (which Stockholm rejects).
Given Mrs. Roosevelt's wide ranging appetites, one has to wonder how close that 'close contact' would be.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/12.htm
February 12th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM:
U-33 on a minelaying operation in the Firth of Clyde is sunk by minesweeper HMS Gleaner.
Paper rationing is introduced with supplies cut by 40%.
London: Women living in the London postal area whose husbands are away in the services are to receive increased allowances, payable immediately. The rise brings the separation allowance to 3/6 a day and will date back to 4 December. Oliver Stanley, the new Secretary of State for War, promised a full review of the army pay system when he took office last month. This increase follows widespread complaints about hardships experienced by service wives while their husbands are away.
RAF: No.2 AACU (Based in Gosport, Plymouth and Eastchurch) take delivery of the first target towing conversion of the Blackburn Skua (L2978).
Destroyer HS Aegion (ex-HMS Avon Vale) laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
GERMANY: U-501 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
FINLAND: The Finnish troops at the Lähde sector are withdrawn to the second line of defence. (Mikko Härmeinen)
POLAND: The German government begins the deportation of German Jews to Poland. (Jack McKillop)
EGYPT: Convoy US.1 carrying the (ANZAC Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) New Zealand 4th Brigade and the Australian 16th Brigade arrives at Ismailia. The convoy had left Auckland on 6 January and Sydney on 10 January. (Jack McKillop)
U.S.A.: The motion picture “Abe Lincoln in Illinois” is released. Directed by John Cromwell, this biography of Abe Lincoln’s life stars Raymond Massey, Gene Lockhart, Ruth Gordon and Howard da Silva. (Jack McKillop)
“The Adventures of Superman,” a 15-minute transcribed syndicated radio show featuring the comic strip hero, debuts on station WOR in New York City this Monday afternoon. The identity of the actor playing “mild-manned reporter” Clark Kent was unknown to listeners until 1946. The secret eventually leaked out that Superman’s voice was actually that of Bud Collyer, who would later host the hit television program, “To Tell the Truth” on CBS. (Jack McKillop)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: As part of an operation to intercept six German merchant vessels, the destroyer HMS Hasty captures the ‘Morea’ in the Atlantic and the cruiser HMS Glasgow captures a trawler off Tromsø , Norway.
The British heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire stops German freighter SS Wakama 12 miles (19 kilometres) off Cabo Frio, Brazil; Wakama’s crew scuttles her so that their ship will not fall into British hands. (Jack McKillop)
At 0955, the unescorted Nidarholm was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-26 after she had been stopped at 0925 by two shots across her bow. The ship broke in two, the bow sank and the afterpart remained afloat. The U-boat fired two coups de grâce at 1009, one torpedo detonated prematurely while the other sank the wreck. The survivors were picked up about 10 hours later by the Norwegian SS Berto, which was enroute from Torrevieja to Bergen via Gibraltar and Kirkwall.
SS Dalarö sunk by U-53 at 56.44N, 11.44W. 1 dead and 29 survivors. (Dave Shirlaw)
Some of my ancestors were socialists, until FDR showed them the error of their political ways.
Then they became solid conservatives. ;-)
Possibly they were just quick learners.
Many never did learn, and today we have a whole new generation seemingly determined to repeat the sad lessons of history.
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