Battle of the Atlantic
- The German liner Columbus is burned by her crew off Cape Hatteras to avoid capture by British destroyer HMS Hyperion.
After being intercepted by a British warship about three hundred miles off the coast of North Carolina, the liner Columbus, the third largest and one of the most luxurious vessels in the German merchant fleet, was set on fire by her crew to avoid capture. She belonged, to the North-German Lloyd line and was a favorite with the American tourist trade. In the top picture she is seen blazing furiously from stem to stern. Below, her crew are seen taking to the boats. German liner Columbus in Flames
- The Danish steamer Jytte (1877t) sinks on a mine 18 miles east of Souter in the Tyne. This is a result of the minefield laid by German destroyers the night of the 12th. 10 of the crew are lost and 8 survivors are rescued by the Danish steamer Avance.
- For the third day in a row the Luftwaffe attack shipping in the North Sea. 2 more British trawlers are lost: the Daneden (210t) ESE of the Shetlands; and the River Earn ENE of Kinnaird Head. The entire crew of the River Earn are rescued by the Norwegian steamer Rogaland and taken to Kopervik.
- The Finnish steamer Uko (757t) is sunk by a Luftwaffe attack 80 miles south of Utsire with 3 crewmen and 2 passenger being wounded. The survivors are picked up by the Swedish steamer Sir Ernest Cassel and taken to Kopervik.
- The British steamer City of Kobe (4373t) in convoy FS-56 is sunk off Cross Sands on a mine laid by U-60 on the 17th. 1 crewman is lost and 18 survivors are rescued.
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]Finland - Winter War
Day 20
On the Karelian Isthmus the Soviet offensive near Summa continues. The only successes for the Soviets are temporary breakthroughs. By evening 20 Soviet tanks have been destroyed and their infantry have once again been stopped. The Finns, however, are unable to retake the village of Oinala. On the Ladoga Karelia in the Tolvajärvi sector, the Finns launch a new offensive to retake Ägläjärvi.
In northern Finland troops from Detachment Roininen hit the flank of the Russian 122nd Div from the south at Joutsijärvi. The Russians lose heavily in both men and material while the Finns have 22 killed and 29 wounded.
On Koivisto a Russian naval detachment led by the battleship Marat begin an artillery exchange with Saarenpää. The exchange lasts about an hour.
In bombing raids the city of Turku is hit for the first time. Also bombed on this day are Hanko, Helsinki, Viipuri and Jänisjärvi.
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