Chronology of World War II

December 1939

Tuesday, December 5th

Battle of the Atlantic

  • U-47 sinks the British steamer Navasota (8795t) from convoy OB-46 50 miles southwest of Fastnet with the loss of 37 of her crew. 35 survivors are rescued by the British destroyer Escapade and 10 by the British steamer Clan Farquhar.
  • The Danish steamer Alexandria (1463t) is seized by Esbjerg by 2 German armed trawlers and taken to Germany.
  • The German steamer Ussukuma (7834t) by the British heavy cruiser Cumberland and the light cruiser Ajax. She scuttles herself rather than be captures. Ajax picks up 107 men that were on the ship.
  • The British light cruiser Despatch captures the German steamer Dusseldorf (4930t) off Punta Caldera, Chile. After passing through the Panama Canal the ship arrives in Bermuda 12 January 1940 where she is later placed in British service under the name Empire Confidence.
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Finland - Winter War

Day 6

The covering force on the Isthmus launches its final counterattack at Perkjärvi. It ends in a Finnish withdrawal to the main defensive position. Forward units of the Soviet 7th Army reach the main Finnish defenses, the Mannerheim Line, on the Karelian Isthmus. Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim is the Finnish Commander in Chief. Already the Finns are learning to exploit the poor management of the Soviet advance. They are developing tactics to master the Soviet tanks by separating them from their supporting infantry and emerging from concealed positions during the night to destroy them in close combat. In the area north of Lake Ladoga the Finnish positions at Kollaa are attacked. Finnish troops disengage from Ägläjärvi. Farther north Soviet troops enter Suomussalmi on the east side of Lake Kianta after it has been evacuated by the Finns

The Finnish Mannerheim Line with tank traps constructed by German experts.

Mannerheim Line


Mannerheim Line

In order to supervise war censorship a central office of censorship as well as a number of local offices is established by General Headquarters. The Finnish Broadcasting Company warns its listeners to be aware of Russian propaganda broadcasts.

Official sources say 80 enemy tanks have so far been destroyed or put out of action.
Photo: SA-KUVA

Destroyed Soviet Tanks


Destroyed Soviet Tanks
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[ Dec 4th - Dec 6th]