Year 1940

Monday, January 22, 1940 Finland Winter War: Finnish authorities announce the formation of a Foreign Legion, including British volunteers.

Sunday, January 21, 1904 Air War Finland: Finnish Blenheim bombers raid Kronstadt naval base, near Leningrad (today St Petersburg). Russians bomb Oulu, northwest Finland. Sea War North Sea: RN destroyer

Saturday, January 20, 1940 Politics Britain: Churchill broadcasts appeal to neutral States to join Britain and France in resisting Nazi aggression. He compares their timid conduct with the crocodile’s victims

Friday, January 19, 1940 Finland Winter War: Heavy fighting continues on three fronts. 45 °C (81 °F) of frost recorded. Sea War Destroyer HMS Grenville mined and sunk off Thames Estuary. Neutrals

Thursday, January 18, 1940 Home Fronts Britain: Five workmen killed in series of explosions at Waltham Abbey explosives factory.

Wednesday, January 17, 1940 Secret War Polish cryptographers in France break Luftwaffe Enigma key of October 28, 1939. Regular decoding now possible. Finland Winter War: Finns recapture Kursu, southwest of

Tuesday, January 16, 1940 Home Front France: 66 Communist members ejected from Chamber of Deputies.

War Diary WW2 for Monday, January 15, 1940: Finland Winter War: Russian heavy artillery commences 17-day preparatory bombardment of Summa sector of Mannerheim Line. Home Fronts France: Meat rationing introduced

War Diary WW2 for Sunday, January 14, 1940: Neutrals Norway and Sweden: Russian aircraft drop bombs near Lulea, Sweden and violate Norwegian airspace; diplomatic protests in Moscow.

War Diary WW2 for Saturday, January 13, 1940: Politics Franco-Spanish Trade Agreement: Spain to receive French wheat, fertilizers and manufactured goods in exchange for iron, ore and other minerals. Neutrals

War Diary WW2 for Friday, January 12, 1940: Finland Winter War: Battle of the Taipale. Major Russian effort to break through left flank of Mannerheim Line, by crossing ice-bound river

War Diary WW2 for Thursday, January 11, 1940: Finland Winter War: Russian 168th Division encircled north of Lake Ladoga. Finns beat off reinforcements, while Russians supply the ‘pocket’ by air.

War Diary WW2 for Wednesday, January 10, 1940: Western Front German Me 108 carrying Major Reinberger – a paratroop commander with secret documents on the planned Gelb Offensive in the

War Diary WW2 for Tuesday, January 9, 1940: Sea War German patrol craft depth-charge RN submarine Undine and S class subs Seahorse and Starfish in Heligoland Bight (on January 6,

War Diary WW2 for Monday, January 8, 1940: Sea War Converted Wellington bomber, fitted with metal hoop energized to explode magnetic mines, makes first successful low-level sortie over North Sea

War Diary WW2 for Sunday, January 7, 1940: Finland Winter War: 400,000 Finnish civilians have now been evacuated from battle areas and large towns. Marshal Voroshilov to command the Russian

War Diary WW2 for Saturday, January 6, 1940: Air War Two Finnish Fokker fighter planes destroy a formation of seven Ilyushin bombers over Utti, northeast of Helsinki.

War Diary WW2 for Friday, January 5, 1940: Finland Winter War: Russian 18th Division encircled north of Lake Ladoga. 18,000 Russians are killed or captured by February 19. First contingent

War Diary WW2 for Thursday, January 4, 1940: Occupied countries Poland: Franco-Polish military agreement: Polish Army in Exile at France to be equipped and maintained at French expense. Finland Winter

War Diary WW2 for Wednesday, January 3, 1940: Western Front In Vosges area, French patrols ambush two German detachments and take several prisoners. Sea War British warships detain American SS