http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/29.htm
June 29th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: An island fortress is preparing to repel invaders expected at any moment. Sea-fronts and sands on the south and east coasts are bare of visitors and children, while gun emplacements, barbed wire and pill boxes, disguised as chalets, tea stalls, even haystacks, spring up everywhere. Scaffolding and concrete blocks cover beaches, and piers have been cut off from the shore. To prevent troop gliders from landing, open spaces, downs and golf courses are strewn with obstacles - old cars and buses, carts even iron bedsteads. On the moors above Rochdale, old canal barges are floated on reservoirs to prevent landings by sea and float planes. All signposts have been removed and station names painted out. Motorists must lock and immobilise parked cars. Church bells are silent - to be rung if the invasion should come.
Submarine HMS TALISMAN is commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
NORTH SEA: U-99 was attacked in the North Sea by a “friendly” aircraft with three bombs. The boat suffered slight damages. (Dave Shirlaw)
GERMANY: Radio propaganda interprets British moves to block landing strips as popular sabotage of the wealthy classes’ cricket pitches.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: At 0615 the Italian submarine Argonauta was probably sunk near Cape Ras el Hilal, Libya by destroyers HMS Dainty, Decoy, Defender, Ilex and HMAS Voyager. It is also possible the Argonauta was depth charged and sunk around 1450 that same day by an RAF Sunderland in position 37.29N, 19.51E. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.S.R.: Submarine SC-411 is laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
JAPAN: Tokyo: Japan announces its interest in controlling the South Seas, which it sees as part of its sphere of influence.
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
About 0500, the unescorted Empire Toucan was torpedoed by U-47 190 miles SW of Fastnet and broke in two. The U-boat sank the afterpart by gunfire. The bow section was sunk by gunfire by destroyer HMS Hurricane, which picked up the master and 30 crewmembers and landed them at Plymouth. Three crewmembers were lost
At 0012, decoy ship HMS Edgehill was hit by one torpedo from U-51 amidships and stopped but did not sink due to her buoyant cargo. The U-boat surfaced and fired a coup de grâce at 0106, but it needed a third torpedo at 0124 to let the vessel sink slowly by the stern. Built as motor ship West Lynn (4702 tons), 1931 renamed Willamette Valley for Sir William Reardon Smith and Sons Ltd, Cardiff. On 17 Sep 1939 requisitioned by the Royal Navy and converted to a decoy ship, commissioned as special service vessel (SSV) HMS Edgehill (X 39). The ship had a concealed armament of nine 4in guns and four torpedo tubes and carried a buoyant cargo to help keep her afloat if hit.
U-26 sank SS Frangoula B. Goulandris at 49.59N, 11.24W. Six dead and 32 survivors. (DS)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 303 June 29, 1940
Operation Catapult. Admiralty gives Vice Admiral Somerville explicit instructions to secure the transfer, surrender, or destruction of the French warships at Mers-el-Kébir, Algeria, with no concessions given to the French - they either accept the British terms or face destruction. Somerville’s Force H consists of battleships HMS Valiant & HMS Resolution, battlecruiser HMS Hood, aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, cruisers HMS Arethusa & HMS Enterprise and 11 destroyers.
U-99 is again subjected to friendly fire. Leaving Wilhelmshaven, she is attacked by a German aircraft with 3 bombs. U-99 crash-dives and collides with the sea floor, causing minor damage.
U-boats sink 3 ships Southwest of Ireland. U-51 sinks Royal Navy decoy ship (SSV) HMS Edgehill (with concealed armament of nine 4in guns, four torpedo tubes and a buoyant cargo to help keep her afloat if hit). Due to Edgehill’s buoyancy, it takes three torpedoes to sink her. http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/394.html
U-47 torpedoes British SS Empire Toucan which breaks in two (3 killed). 31 crew are rescued and landed at Plymouth by destroyer HMS Hurricane which scuttles the floating aft section. http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/393.html
U-26 sinks Greek steamer Frangoula B. Goulandris (6 lives lost, 32 survivors). http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/395.html
Italian submarine Rubino is sunk by Short Sunderland flying boats of RAF 201 Group in the Ionian Sea between Italy and Greece. RAF flying boats pick up some survivors. Off Tobruk, Italian submarine Sirena is damaged by Short Sunderlands of RAF 230 Squadron. West of Crete, Italian submarines Uebi Scebeli and Salpa are damaged by British destroyers HMS Dainty, Ilex, Defender & Voyager. Uebi Scebeli sinks slowly and the crew is rescued by HMS Dainty.