News of the Week in Review
Additional authors not named in thread header: Hanson W. Baldwin, Arno Dosch-Fleurot
Twenty News Questions 17
Red Drive Ushers In New Phase in Finland 18-19
Mannerheim Plays an Old Role Again 20
Answers to Twenty News Questions 21
Specify, 8-1 Shot, Triumphs at Santa Anita As Entry of Seabiscuit and Kayak II Trails* - 22
* See reply #3 from yesterdays thread for the back story.
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/feb40/f18feb40.htm
German raiders fail, subs succeed
Sunday, February 18, 1940 www.onwar.com
In the North Atlantic... The German battle cruisers Gneisenau, Scharnhorst and the pocket battleship Admiral Hipper make an unsuccessful sortie against the “HN” convoy route between Britain and Scandinavia as part of Operation Nordmark. German U-boats providing escort for the capital ships, however, sink 12 merchant ships and the British destroyer HMS Daring.
From London... The British government presses Norway to intern the Altmark.
From Washington... The American Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, applies the American “moral embargo” to the USSR.
In Paris... The French government agrees to allow the reconstitution of the Polish air force on French soil.
On the Western Front... A German infantry detachment, with heavy mortar support, makes an unsuccessful raid on a French outpost near the Moselle River.
In China... Japanese forces engaged in the city of Nanning are compelled withdraw after heavy fighting.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/18.htm
February 18th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: London: The British government presses Norway to intern the Altmark.
FRANCE: Paris: The French government agrees to allow the reconstitution of the Polish Air Force on French soil.
A German infantry detachment, with heavy mortar support, makes an unsuccessful raid on a French outpost near the Moselle River. (Jack McKillop)
GERMANY: OKW issues Führer Directive #10 for the Conduct of the War. This directive deals in detail with the ‘Case Yellow’ plan for the German offensive in the west. It was revised several times and much of the text has been lost.
Surviving fragments of the final version reveal the change in emphasis of the German attack from the north to the centre through the Ardennes. The aim is to cross the Meuse near Sedan and drive to the Somme estuary, destroying a large part of the Anglo-French army and denying the Dutch and Belgian coasts to the enemy. (Marc Roberts)
CHINA: Japanese forces engaged in the city of Nanning are compelled to withdraw after heavy fighting. (Jack McKillop)
U.S.A.: The Secretary of State, Cordell-Hull, applied the American “moral embargo” to Russia.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: In operations against Norway/UK convoys the German battle cruisers Gneisenau, Scharnhorst and the pocket battleship Admiral Hipper make an unsuccessful sortie against convoy HN12 as part of Operation Nordmark. It is the escort of U-boats though which make the attack and the D class destroyer HMS Daring is torpedoed and sunk by U-23 40 miles east of Duncansby Head at 58 38N 01 40W. There are 15 survivors, who are rescued by HM Submarine Thistle. Another 12 merchant ships are sunk by the submarines. The commander of U-23 was Leutnant zur See Otto Kretschmer, who went on to become the German tonnage sinking king of WW2. (Alex Gordon and Jack McKillop)(108)
At 0926, SS Ameland had just passed the Maasbank-buoy and was hit by a torpedo from U-10. She began to sink and the 48 crewmembers (3 of them injured) abandoned the ship. The master A. Kokke returned to rescue the documents and the ship sank later by the stern. The survivors were picked up by the Dutch SS Montferland and were transferred to the tug Zwarte Zee. The wounded men were brought to Vlissingen and the crew was put ashore in Maassluis.
SS El Sonador sunk by U-61 east of the Shetlands.
SS Sangstad sunk by U-61 at 59.00N, 00.25E .
At 0420, SS Banderas was torpedoed and sunk by U-53 eight miles NW of Cabo Villano.
At 0823, SS P.L.M. 15 in Convoy 10-RS was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-37 and sank immediately.
At 0045, SS Ellin was torpedoed by U-37 and sunk 25 miles NW of Cape Finisterre.
(Dave Shirlaw)