BRITISH RAID ALTMARK IN NORWAY WATERS; FREE 326 SPEE CAPTIVES; NAZI WRATH RAGES (2/18/40)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz | 2/18/40 | Raymond Daniell, C. Brooks Peters, Otto D. Tolischus, James MacDonald, Harold Denny

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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NEWS OF THE WEEK IN REVIEW

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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” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
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]

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
Finland – The Decisive Offensive, 1-21 February 1940
Evolution of Plan Yellow, October 1939-January 1940
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941 – The Imperial Powers, 1 September 1939

[Homer_J_Simpson]

4 Germans Killed – 2-4
Exploit Saved Norway From Shame, Keyes Says – 3
Britons Acclaim Men Off Altmark – 5
Two More Ships Sunk in the War at Sea – 5
Merchant Ships Sunk in War – 5
The International Situation – 6
Scandinavians Will Form Policies Without Finland – 6
Convention Dates Set Latest Since Civil War – 6
Texts of British, Norwegian and German Versions of Altmark Incident – 7-8
Reich Press Irate – 9-10
Japan is Attacked in the Nazi Press – 10
Battle for Outposts Stirs Western Front – 11
Altmark Captives Relate Sufferings – 12-13
Finns Falling Back – 14-15

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 yesterday’s thread for the back story.

[Vigilantcitizen]

Military channel’s “World at War” talked about this last night.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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.

[CougarGA7]

I own the 11 disk set. It is probably the best documentary video of World War II in existence.

[CougarGA7]

Day 81 of the Winter War, February 18, 1940

The old town suffers the worst damage, including the 500-year-old garrison church and the old cathedral containing the grave of the Finnish Lutheran reformer Mikael Agricola.
Photo: SA-KUVA

Over 200 enemy bombers hit Viipuri

• Viipuri suffers unprecedentedly ferocious enemy bombing.

• The first aircraft appear over the city at 8.45 in the morning.

• The air raid continues without a break until evening.

• During the course of the day over 200 enemy aircraft are in action over the city.

• The old town suffers the worst damage, including the 500-year-old garrison church and the old cathedral containing the grave of the Finnish Lutheran reformer Mikael Agricola.

• Numerous medieval buildings are damaged in the bombing.

• The electricity and water mains are cut, the newspapers fail to appear, and the last civilians finally leave Karelia's devastated capital.

• There is growing pressure from Soviet troops around Viipurinlahti bay, and the defending Finnish troops are forced to evacuate the mainland for the islands on the eastern side of the bay.

• The departing Finnish troops set fire to the houses in the municipality of Johannes.

• Eastern Isthmus: the enemy launches a massive assault on the Finnish defences in Taipale.

• In Kirvesmäki the infantry assault is preceded by a brief preliminary bombardment from the enemy artillery.

• The Finnish front line has just been replenished with troops from the 21st Division in their clean snow suits and freshly painted white vehicles. The new arrivals are quickly dubbed the 'porcelain division'.

• The artillery bombardment kills the commanding officers of the strongholds, and enemy bombers cripple most of the Finnish machine guns. Soon the whole front line is in enemy hands.

• Ladoga Karelia: Finnish troops take the 'regimental motti' formed to the north of Lake Ladoga on February 9. After several unsuccessful attempts, the breakthrough finally came this morning with an assault preceded by a relatively mild preliminary artillery bombardment.

• The Finns take charge of a considerable quantity of enemy war materiel: around 20 assault tanks, 35 pieces of artillery, 25 lorries, 17 tractors, 200 other vehicles and 32 field kitchens.

• Also captured is the enemy division's flag embroidered in gold and silver.

• Enemy dead number between 1,000 and 1,200 men, in addition to which around 250 are taken prisoner, including two officers and two political instructors.

• 166 Finnish troops die in the battle, equivalent to 30% of the unit's combat strength.

• Karelian Isthmus: Soviet tanks break through the intermediary positions in two places.

• Northern Finland: in Kuhmo, around 1,000 enemy troops attack the Kuusijoki line with the support of artillery and assault tanks.

• 300 Danish volunteer metal workers have arrived in Finland.

• France: the leader of the Garibaldi League, General Marabini is assembling a force of Garibaldi legionnaires for Finland.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

I own the 11 disk set. It is probably the best documentary video of World War II in existence.

That series never showed up on my radar before. Now added to my Netflix queue.

[CougarGA7]

I highly recommend it. If you can get a hold of the box set I recommend it as a must buy. The full set has a lot of the footage that didn’t make it into the final cut that Thames originally put on the television back in 1974.

[CougarGA7]

I've got a special treat today. As I was moving all my old bookmarks to this new laptop I ran across this old link that I had used in the past. I recall I stopped posting these because my former employer's firewall started blocking it for some strange reason. So without further ado I present Orson Wells and the Campbell Playhouse (formerly the Mercury Theater) and this weeks installment...

Dinner at Eight

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/

Day 171 February 18, 1940

On Hitler’s orders, General Halder reluctantly incorporates Von Manstein’s thrust through the Ardennes Forest into his plans to invade France. Von Manstein, Hitler and even Halder will ultimately take credit for the move.

Finland. Finns destroy the ‘regimental motti’ north of Lake Ladoga & capture 32 field guns, 30 antitank guns, 1 mortar, 20 tanks, 15 machineguns, 25 trucks & 32 field kitchens. Soviets losses; 1,000 dead, 250 taken prisoner. 166 Finnish troops die in the battle. On the Karelian Isthmus, Soviet tanks break the V-line in two places.

Despite being at war only with France, Britain & the Commonwealth, German U-boats sink 6 merchant vessels from France, Spain, Greece, Panama, Holland & Norway (coal, grain and general cargo, 21,000 tons, 40 lives lost). In addition, U-23 sinks British destroyer HMS Daring with two torpedoes, escorting convoy HN-12 40 miles east of the Orkney Islands, Scotland (156 lives lost, 4-15 survivors reported).

http://www.axfordsabode.org.uk/darfo102.htm