LINER COLUMBUS SCUTTLED OFF U. S. (12/20/39)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz | 12/20/39 | Frank L. Kluckhohn, James Aldridge

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime”.)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Luxury Ship Burns – 2-5
The International Situation – 3
Liner Samaria Puts Back After Crash Off England – 3
Incidents in European Conflict – 6
Five Ports Bombed – 7-9
Russian Advance Made at High Cost – 9-10
Helsinki Raid Casualties; 2 Crows Dead, 1 Wounded – 10
Nazi Vessel Flees To Florida Harbor – 11-12
France Said to Offer Italy 90-Year Lease of Jubuti – 12
New Type Plane Used By Germans – 13-14
Russo-German Ball is Given In Moscow – 14

[BroJoeK]

"New Type Plane Used By Germans – 13-14 "

"The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often (erroneously) called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter (Zerstörer - German for "Destroyer") in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II.

"Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten ("Ironsides")[3].

"Development work on an improved type, the Me 210 that was to replace the Bf 110, begun before the war started, but due to teething troubles, resulted in Bf 110 soldiering on until the end of the war in various roles, alongside its replacements, the Me 210 and the Me 410."

[mowowie]

The Columbus was a real nice older ship.
MANY incredibly beautiful liners were destroyed during this war.
Sad.
The engineering and craftsmanship of these vessels was astounding.
The Normandy comes to mind....

[PAR35]

You probably know it - but the bottom picture is a night fighter conversion from later in the war, with a radar unit in the nose (or more accurately - on the nose.)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

abb’s gone fishing so I will post the onwar.com stuff for today.

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1939/dec39/f20dec39.htm

In Argentina... Langsdorff, former commander of the now scuttled German pocket battleship Graf Spee, kills himself in his hotel room. Meanwhile, British experts examine the radar equipment on board the wreck of the Graf Spee.
In the United States... The American cruiser USS Tuscalossa arrives in New York with 579 survivors from the scuttled German liner Columbus. They disembark on Ellis Island.
In the Winter War... The main Soviet attacks against the Mannerheim Line, around Summa, continues with less force. The Soviet 122nd Division is cut off by Finnish attacks while advancing toward Salla from positions near the White Sea.
In Washington... The government forbids the export of technical data for producing aviation fuel to belligerent countries.

[abb]

Ack! Forgot all about it today.

[abb]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/20.htm

December 20th, 1939

UNITED KINGDOM: RAF Bomber Command: ‘Security Patrols’ - Hornum - Borkum. 77 Sqn. Two aircraft. Bombs dropped on flarepath. 102 Sqn. One aircraft. Bombs dropped on flarepath.

Experts examine the captured RDF system of the ‘Graf Spee’.
Cris Wetton writes: ‘At the time of the sinking of the Graf Spee, the British had no concrete proof that the Germans had any form of Radar. A British Engineer called Derek Bainbridge-Bell was flown out to examine any Radar equipment; as far as I recall, he was only able to examine the antenna - which was sufficient to determine the frequency range but not much else. I have an album of German cigarette cards detailing the armed forces and dating from 1940. The Graf Spee features in the naval section and it is easy to see that the radar antenna has been carefully blanked out.’

‘O Thou whose righteous judgements stand’, a new wartime hymn with music composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams, is published.

GERMANY: U-122 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: Washington: The USA forbids the exports of technical data for producing aviation fuel, as well as the fuel itself to belligerent countries.

Heavy cruiser USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) disembarks scuttled German passenger liner SS Columbus’s “distressed mariners” at Ellis Island immigration centre in New York Harbour.

ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires: Kpt.z.S. Hans Langsdorff, the commander of the ‘Graf Spee’, while in his room in the Naval Arsenal in Buenos Aires where the ships officers were being held, commits suicide with a shot to the head. He is found this morning wrapped in the ensign of his ship. He was later buried in the Cementerio del Norte in Buenos Aires.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-22 sank SS Mars. (Dave Shirlaw)

[PzLdr]

While a good night fighter later in the war, the Me 110 was a dog. During the Battle of Britain, they required an escort of 109s, and would fly in a defensive circle if they ran in to Hurricanes or Spitfires.

Reinhard Heydrich, Chief of RSHA, flew [as a reserve major in the Luftwaffe] 110s in Norway and in the Soviet Union [where he was shot down, rescued, and forbidden to fly in combat in the future].

[PzLdr]

Langsdorff, interestingly, wrapped himself in the Imperial Naval ensign when he committed suicide. While publicly supporting his decision to scuttle, Raeder was not happy that Langsdorff didn’t sail out and go down in a blaze of glory. Hitler wasn’t happy, either; and a belief that the surface navy was “cowardly” may have taken root with the scuttling of GRAF SPEE.

[CougarGA7]

This is the last radio report I have for this year unless I find some alternative source other than OTR.

CBS - Elmer Davis Reports and Swedish Volunteer Units and other Headlines

[CougarGA7]

Day 21 of the Winter War, December 20, 1939

Abroad: donated ambulances leave Sweden and Denmark en route to Finland.
Photo: SA-KUVA

Finns grab the initiative in Salla

• Karelian Isthmus: Soviet troops continue their assault at Summa. The first Soviet offensive on the Isthmus runs out of steam. By evening the main defensive positions are entirely under Finnish control.

• The Finnish II Army Corps commanded by Lieutenant-General Öhquist are ordered to launch a counteroffensive.

• Northern Finland: at Joutsijärvi in the Salla sector a Russian battalion manages to infiltrate behind the Finnish positions at Mäntyvaara. The Russian battalion is finally destroyed in hand-to-hand fighting.

• A battalion of the Soviet 122nd Division surprises two companies of Detached Battalion 17 which had been moved into reserve. After four hours of fighting, the enemy withdraws with the loss of 300 dead. Finnish losses are 17 dead, including the two company commanders.

• The Finns take the initiative at Salla.

• Colonel Paavo Talvela is promoted to Major-General, and Lieutenant-Colonel A.O. Pajari to Colonel.

• Ladoga Karelia: the enemy bombs and machine-guns a train carrying evacuees at Jänisjärvi Station in the parish of Harlu. 16 civilians are killed.

• Northern Finland: the enemy bombs Kontiomäki. One person is killed.

• Ladoga Karelia: the enemy bombs Sortavala. Two people are killed and three injured.

• Soviet aircraft also bomb Matkaselkä. Five people are killed and three seriously injured.

• Abroad: donated ambulances leave Sweden and Denmark en route to Finland.

[GeronL]

2 Crowd dead, 1 injured?