World War II in real time

Day 169 of World War II, February 16th 1940



Norway - Altmark Incident

Having spotted the Altmark few days ago, the Admiralty, i.e., Winston Churchill, acts fast. It instructs the HMS Cossack to violate Norwegian neutrality and enter its territorial waters for the purposes of boarding the supply ship. The Altmark, crowded with 299 British prisoners from the ships sunk by the Admiral Graf Spee in the South Atlantic, believes that it is safe, but it is not.

Located in Joessing Fjord, Southwest Norway, Admiral Vian menaces the Altmark at around 22:00, which then runs aground. A British boarding party kills seven German sailors, wounds 11, and releases the prisoners from the hold. Captain Philip Vian becomes a national hero for this, and the incident enters British naval lore for truths, half-truths, and unproven and unlikely legends about the affair (such as that the boarding party actually used cutlasses, like pirates, to free the men).

The Norwegian escort - a torpedo boat - watches the whole affair but does not intervene. Technically, the prisoners should have been released upon entering neutral waters, so the Norwegian involvement is equivocal, but the Germans never notified them of the prisoners. This, actually, is something the British have done as well, such as when a British ship passed through the US Panama Canal with German prisoners, so they have no cause to complain, and don't. The Cossack leaves the Jøssingfjord just after midnight on 17 February with the 299 prisoners.

While the fate of the 299 sailors is important, so is the larger course of the war. The Germans observe the high-handed British attitude to Norwegian neutrality and speed up their own plans regarding the country. Naturally, the Germans make the dead into martyrs.

Photo: Aerial reconnaissance photo of the Altmark moored in Jossing Fjord, Norway, photographed by a Lockheed Hudson of No. 18 Group prior to the Altmark Incident



Battle of the Atlantic

U-14 (Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Wohlfarth) has a big day northeast of Scotland. They are all carrying coal from Britain to Denmark and Sweden.

First, around midnight, U-14 torpedoes and sinks 1,064 ton Danish freighter Rhone. There are 11 survivors, 9 perish.

Second, it torpedoes and sinks the 1,066 ton Danish freighter Sleipner. There are 28 survivors and 13 perish. The Sleipner had stopped to help the people from the Rhone.

Third, at 21:25, U-14 sinks the 1,526 ton Swedish freighter Osmed. There are 7 survivors and 13 perish.

Fourth, about ten minutes later, U-14 sinks 1,646 ton Swedish freighter Liana. There are eight survivors, 10 perish. The area is full of passing freighters and trawlers, so the survivors all get picked up fairly quickly.

The British authorities at Gibraltar detain the US freighter Excalibur for a few hours, then let it and the freighter Exermont, which has been detained since 14 February, proceed.

Convoy OA 93 GF departs from Southend. Convoy HX 20 departs from Halifax.

Royal Air Force: Royal Air Force Hurricanes and Spitfires are converting over to 100 octane fuel. This gives them a performance boost by increasing engine power by raising the boost to +12 lb/sq.in. Every little bit helps against the equally matched Bf 109s, though the Bf 109s as yet cannot make it to Great Britain. No. 602's Operations Record Book notes today that "100 octane fuel now in all aircraft."

Anglo/Soviet Relations

Sir Stafford Cripps, a well-known Marxist sympathizer who plays that role well in the British government, meets with Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov. This is a fascinating example of the British minding their diplomatic fences. On the one hand, they are openly supporting the Finns in their fight against the Soviets, but on the other, they are secretly attempting to learn if there is any room for accomodation with the Soviets.

British Homefront

The British authorities crack down on "steakeasies," which are unauthorized slaughterhouses circumventing the rationing process.

Day 171 of World War II, February 18th 1940

From World War II Realtime Instagram Account

German submarine U-23 sinks the British HMS Daring, killing 157. While many think the ‘Phoney’ war was quiet and boring, German submarines were already very active during the first months of the war. The commander of the U-23 is Otto Kretschmer who *SPOILERS* would become the most successful German U-boat commander of World War Two. He entered service back in 1936, and commanded the U-35 from July 1937 onwards.

He became commander of the U-23, a Type IIB coastal U-Boat in September 1939. In the first eight months of the war were limited because of the limited capabilities of the Type II submarine. Besides the HMS Daring, he sank a tanker in January and nothing Major besides that. He would take command of a Type VII U-Boat in April with which he would gain his fame, but that lies in the future.

The Type II U-boat, of which 50 were made, is quite small compared to other submarines. However, since Germany had to rebuilt its submarine fleet and its training program after being abolished after World War One, these were quite useful for preparing new commanders and crewmen for the future, as well as helping to establish new and modern submarine tactics. The Type II has three torpedo tubes, a crew of 25 and a speed of 13 knots (24 kmph) surfaced and 7 knots (13 kmph) submerged. They are strictly ‘coastal’, as they are not seaworthy enough for the Atlantic. Instead, they mainly patrolled the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.

Battle of the Atlantic

German pocket battleships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst and heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, along with destroyers Wilhelm Heidkamp, Karl Galster and Wolfgang Zenker, make a sortie towards the Shetland Islands. This is "Operation Nordmark" and is intended to intercept British convoys (the "HN" route) between Bergen, Norway and Great Britain. In the evening, the Wolfgang Zenker has to return to port when it takes on water. There are several U-boats providing escort duties to the surface ships.

The British tanker Imperial Transport, torpedoed on 11 February 1940 by U-53 (Korvettenkapitän Harald Grosse), has remained afloat - at least the stern half has. The crew returned to it as it drifted. They are spotted by a passing ship and landed in Scotland.

HMS Hasty brings the German freighter Morea, which it intercepted trying to run the blockade, into a West Country port.

Dutch cargo vessel Ameland hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea.

Spanish freighter Banderas sinks after an explosion of undetermined cause.

The British protest to the Norwegian government that it should intern the Altmark for violating the neutrality laws.

Convoy OA 94 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 94 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SL 21 departs from Freetown, Convoy HX 21 departs from Halifax.

Western Front

A small German infantry detachment, supported by heavy mortars, makes an unproductive raid on a French post near the Moselle.

German Military 

German Army General Franz Halder, reluctantly, as ordered by Adolf Hitler, incorporated General Erich von Manstein's planned thrust through the Ardennes Forest into the invasion plans for France. Von Manstein, Hitler and even Halder will ultimately take credit for the move. Hitler signs Directive No. 10, a revised ‘FALL GELB’ plan, reversing the roles of Bock and von Rundstedt which includes the following;

“The objective. . . is to deny Holland and Belgium to the English by swiftly occupying them; to defeat, by an attack through Belgium and Luxembourg territory, the largest possible forces of the Anglo-French Army, and thereby to pave the way for the destruction of the military strength of the enemy.”

Franco/Polish Relations

The French government agrees to allow the Polish Air Force to re-establish its units on French soil.

British Government

The government approves formation of a Cyrus Regiment.

US Government

US Secretary of State Cordell Hull states that the "moral embargo" indicated by President Roosevelt extends to the Soviet Union.

China

In the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Japanese 22nd Army evacuates Kaofengyi and the Chinese recover it. There are reports that Nanning is lost as well.

In the Shangtung Operation, Japanese naval troops land at the tip of Shangtung Peninsula.

Day 173 of World War II, February 20th 1940

Battle of the Atlantic

War comes to the waters of the Americas. 75 miles southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia, U-96 sinks British MV Empire Seal at midnight (carrying steel from USA to Belfast, 1 dead, 56 survivors picked up by the British CAM ship Empire Flame and landed at Halifax) and neutral American MV Lake Osweya at 04.53 (en route to Iceland, all 39 lives lost). In the Caribbean, U-129 sinks Norwegian SS Nordvangen at 4 AM 25 miles east of Trinidad (all 24 dead) & U-156 hits American SS Delplata with 3 torpedoes at 11.31 AM 60 miles west of Martinique. All 53 crew abandon ship and are picked up the next day by USS Lapwing, which scuttles Delpata with gunfire after finding her unsalvageable. 

U-54 goes missing in North Sea (all 41 hands lost), probably lost to mine barrages laid by the British destroyers HMS Ivanhoe and HMS Intrepid in early Jan 1940.

Operation Nordmark, the naval exercise by the Gneisenau, Scharnhorst and Admiral Hipper, ends without the fleet sighting any convoys or being discovered by the British.

Air War over Europe

The RAF sends 20 aircraft to attack German shipping in the North Sea during the night, but does not find any. The Luftwaffe also is searching for targets and sinks the British freighter Fifeshire.

German Military

Hitler, wishing to get the Norway headache off of his desk, appoints General der Infanterie (Lieutenant General) Nikolaus von Falkenhorst ground commander for the invasion of Norway and Denmark (Operation Weserübung). Admiral Raeder is working up the naval aspects. The Fuhrer is in a hurry and tells Falkenhorst to come up with a plan by 5 p.m. Falkenhorst walks out to a nearby stationery store, picks up a Baedeker tourist guidebook of Norway, and plans his operation from that. Hitler immediately approves the plan.

The way that Hitler makes the choice shows increasing interference in army operations. This is a OKW (overall military) operation, so the OKH (army) is basically excluded from the process.

Iraq

A coup d'etat against the regime of the "four colonels" led by General Amin al-Umari fails. One of the chief sources of complaint by General al-Umari and his confederates is the regime's decision to send Iraqi forces to join the Allied forces in the Balkans. Thus, this could be interpreted as positive for the Allies.

Day 175 of World War II, February 22nd 1940

Air War over Europe 

Trawlers from the Tyne continued to use the Dogger Bank fishing ground during the war, just as they had done in peacetime. This did not go unnoticed by the German Naval Group West who planned an operation against the trawlers with the aims of eroding the morale of the trawlermen, possibly capturing some valuable auxiliaries and forcing the Royal Navy to supply escorts for the trawlers. The German destroyers 'Friedrich Eckholdt', joined by 'Richard Beitzen', 'Theodor Riedel', Z3 “Max Schultz”, Z1 “Leberecht Maass” and 'Erich Koellner' sailed from the Schillig Roads about midday. In the moonlight, they made their way through swept channel '1' (a channel 6 miles wide, providing a safe and secret passage for German warships needing to reach the North Sea) entering the minefield in line ahead at 26 knots. At 1913, a twin-engined aircraft (a He 111 aircraft of 4./KG 26) was sighted flying above the destroyers as if trying to identify them. At 1921 hours the aircraft appeared again, and on its second run, the 'Beitzen' and 'Koellner' opened fire and the plane sheered off. It was not seen again until 1943 hours when the 'Maass' opened fire. The aircraft dropped 2 bombs which hit the 'Maass' between the bridge and forward funnel. The remaining destroyers turned back towards the 'Maass' but were ordered to stand off by the flotilla leader. Suddenly the "Maass's" guns opened up again as more bombs were released. When the smoke had cleared, the bows and stern of the ship were visible, pointing vertically upwards, the lower parts resting on the shallow sea-bed. A period of great confusion reigned as the 'Riedel' hearing an explosion from the direction of the 'Schultz', dropped depth charges but was going so slowly that she badly damaged her own gyro-compass, rudder motor and all of her command elements. The 'Koellner' seeing the 'Riedel' dropping depth charges, ordered her picket boat to cast off (it was tied to the ships propeller guard). Under the impression that it had done so, the 'Riedel' picked up speed, dragged her picket boat under and drowned the occupants. Then, seeing what was thought to be the conning tower of a submarine, went to ram it only to discover that it was the bows of the 'Maass' sticking out of the sea. The flotilla leader ordered the remains of his force back to Wilhelmshaven. In all 578 German seamen were lost.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-50 (Kapitänleutnant Max-Hermann Bauer) sinks another ship, this time 4,580 ton British tanker SS British Endeavour (Master Thomas Weatherhead). The ship, travelling in Convoy OGF-19, sinks about 100 miles west of Vigo, Spain, and five lives are lost. The 32 survivors are picked up by passing British freighter SS Bodnant and landed on Madeira.

US freighter Sahale is released from detention at Gibraltar.

Convoy HG 20F departs from Gibraltar, and SL 21F departs from Freetown, while Convoy HX 22 departs from Halifax.

Applied Science

RAF Squadron Leader Douglas Farquhar takes the first British gun-camera footage of the air war while shooting down a German Heinkel He 111 over Coldingham, England.

And all that due bad ore no communication between the Luftwaffe and the Kriegsmarine.

Day 177 of World War II, February 24th 1940

Battle of the Atlantic

U-63 (Oberleutnant zur See Günther Lorentz) torpedoes and sinks Swedish freighter Santos off Kirkwall, Orkney. The Santos is carrying 8 men from the Swedish freighter Liana, which was sunk on 16 February, and 6 of them perish. Altogether, including the men from the Liana, there are 31 who perish in the sinking and 12 who survive. U-63 was one of the U-boats which had accompanying the surface fleet in Operation Nordmark.

British freighters Royal Archer, Clan Morrison, and Jevington Court hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea.

The British at Malta detain US freighter Scottsburg for several hours, then release it.

Convoy OA 98GF departs from Southend, and OB 98 departs from Liverpool.

Air War over Europe

RAF carried out successful reconnaissance flight over Prague during night of February 23-24 and another over north-west Germany. One aircraft lost its bearing and made a forced landing in Belgium. RAF planes also carried out daylight reconnaissance flights over Heligoland Bight and north-west Germany. One aircraft was attacked by five Messerschmitts, but returned safely.

German Military

Revised orders for the attack in the west are issued. OKH has been conducting exercises throughout the winter and especially in the early days of this month because of dissatisfaction with the attack plan. Following von Manstein's conversation with Hitler on February 17th and an OKH presentation to him on the 18th it has been decided to revise the plans to emphasize the role of Heeresgruppe A and an attack through the Ardennes. As far as technique goes the plans are fairly traditional. The emphasis is still not yet fully on the possibilities of the panzer advance. Rundstedt and Bock, who will be the principal commanders, are, despite their considerable abilities, wedded to the conventional infantry-based ideas. Although the direction of the attack is certainly bold, the old school see early problems when it becomes necessary to cross the Meuse River. The tank enthusiasts, like Guderian, are more concerned about exploiting the advance after the crossing.

Royal Air Force

First flight of the Hawker Typhoon P5212 by Hawker test pilot Philip Lucas. It is another Sydney Camm design, he who had designed the Hawker Hurricane which is the fighter currently arming most RAF front-line squadrons.

Photo: Prototype Hawker Typhoon P5212 taken before its first test flight (24 February 1940).



German/Italian Relations

Germany and Italy sign a trade agreement by which the Germans will supply Italy with more coal, of which the Reich has ample supplies.

German Homefront

Hitler give a speech on one of the innumerable days that he makes the nation celebrate - this one is the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Nazi Party (which he was not a member of at the time). He repeats the "stab in the back" thesis of the post-war years, with the slight twist that all that Germany needed at the time was someone like him in charge: "Germany would not have lost the last war if I had been Reichs chancellor in 1918." This, of course, ignores the huge battle losses and retreats of 1918, an empire on the verge of revolution (and actual revolution in places such as the navy), and many other aspects of historical reality.

British Homefront

Prime Minister Chamberlain seemingly takes the bait thrown in the water by Hitler's speech. He gives a speech in Birmingham in which he condemns Germany for its desire for "domination of the world," but also indicates a continued willingness to search for peace - but only with a different German government.

Scandinavia

The Foreign Ministers of Denmark, Norway and the other Scandinavian nations gather in Copenhagen. They cite "absolute neutrality" of Denmark, Norway and Sweden as their ultimate position. Not much is said about Finland, but the implication of "absolute neutrality" is very clear.

Day 179 of World War II, February 26th 1940

Battle of the Atlantic

Newly-constructed British large passenger liner “Queen Elizabeth” left Clydeside, Glasgow, Scotland on the spring tide. Due to her weight, today is one of only two tides this year high enough to float her from dock. Churchill worries that Germany will attempt to sink her. He establishes an elaborate ruse to convince German spies that she is going to Southampton for final fitting. Instead she will head across the Atlantic to New York, where she will remain for 8 months before going to Singapore for refitting as a troopship. 

The British at Gibraltar detain US passenger liner Washington.

Convoy OB 99 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 23 departs from Halifax.

Air War over Europe

Luftwaffe planes fly over Paris and attract anti-aircraft fire.

British Homefront

Due to naval bases being located in the north of Scotland, the British War Offices announces that, commencing 1 March 1940, only those with special passes will be permitted north of the Caledonian Canal.

US Government

Sumner Welles visits with Mussolini and his son-in-law, Foreign Minister Count Galeazzo Ciano, in Rome.

US Military

The War Department creates the Air Defense Command as a component of US First Army. Its mission is to defend the continental United States against attack.