Battle of the Atlantic

• Heinkel bombers again attack shipping off the British coast. The British steamer Voreda (7216t) is severely damaged and abandoned. Her entire crew is rescued by the British destroyer Vivien. The British steamer Giralda (2178t) is bombed and sunk 3 miles east of Grimness with the loss of her entire crew of 23. The steamer Bancrest (4450t) is also hit by the German bombers and goes ashore at Wick with the loss of 1 of her crew. The survivors are rescued by the British destroyer Javelin.
• U-55 attacks a convoy off Land's End, sinking 2 ships, but is damaged by the sloop Fowey and a Sunderland flying boat and is forced to scuttle. One of the ships sunk by U-55 is the British tanker Vaclite (5026t). The 28 man crew is rescued by the Italian steamer Pollenzo. The other ship sunk is the Greek steamer Keramiai (5085t). Her 35 crew members are rescued by the British sloop Fowey.

Britain, Home Front

Amazing to think how nice those beds must have seemed, compared to sleeping on the platform. The caption from the Science and Society Picture Library: “The London Passenger Transport Board has now fitted the tube station platforms with comfortable bunks enabling thousands of Londoners who use the tubes as shelters to obtain a good night’s sleep in the deep security of the underground. Photograph taken at Holborn, Kingsway in London.”

Holborn Station, London as Air Raid Shelter

Finland - Winter War

Day 62

On the Ladoga Karelia the Soviet offensive on the Aittojoki River ends in failure as Group Talvela defends its position. In northern Finland in the Salla sector, the Russian 88th Div attacks on the northern front at Saija south of the Tenniöjoki River.

Ladoga Karelia: the Soviet offensive on the River Aittojoki ends in failure as Group Talvela holds its ground. Photo: SA-KUVA Soviet Offensive Halted

Germany, Home Front

Hitler speaks at the Berlin Sportpalast on the 7th anniversary of the Nazi regime. He demands Lebensraum ('living space') for Germans; ridicules Chamberlain ('pious and Bible-believing'), Churchill and Daladier; and declares that, since 'they started the war,... they will get all the war they want!'.

Germany, Policy

Jews are expelled from German by Heydrich and sent to Lublin in eastern Poland. Similarly, Himmler authorizes the deportation of 30,000 German gypsies.