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December 15th, 1940 (SUNDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: Destroyer HMS Cameron (one of the 50 US leases) is severely damaged by German bombing whilst in dry dock at Portsmouth. She topples over and is considered to be beyond repair and broken up. There are no casualties. (Alex Gordon)(108)

Destroyer HMS Ithuriel launched.

Submarine HMS P-32 launched.

 

FRANCE:
Paris: The Germans ceremonially return the ashes of Napoleon II to the city.
This was Hitler's idea of the supreme tribute to the French. He was to be re-interred during a solemn ceremony at the Invalides, attended by Hitler and Petain. Today is the anniversary of the day when Napoleon's remains reached Paris from the island of Saint Helena. Everything was arranged, the precise order of ceremonies was worked out to the last detail, Petain and Hitler, standing side by side, would review the German honour guards, and they would both make speeches eulogising the son of Napoleon. The ceremonies took place but neither Hitler nor Petain was present. Petain refused to attend, chiefly because he was in the middle of a cabinet crisis, but also because he had not the slightest interest in the ashes. Someone told Hitler that Petain would not come because he was afraid of being kidnapped by the Germans. 'It is contemptible to credit me with such an idea, when I meant so well!' Hitler exploded.

GERMANY: The Germans release the papers (summaries of British CoS reports) captured by the raider Atlantis on November 11 to the Japanese. (Daniel Ross)

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Free French Submarine FFL Narval mined off Tunisia.

TURKEY: The Uruguayan registered vessel MV Salvador, carrying refugee Bulgarian Jews who are desperately attempting to reach Palestine, sailed from Constanza in Romania and miraculously reached Istanbul. The vessel is built to carry between 30-40 passengers but on this journey she is carrying 327. There are no cabins, bunks or life-jackets, the passengers packed in like sardines, standing room only. After departing Istanbul the dilapidated ship is caught in a severe storm while crossing the Sea of Marmara, the inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating the Asian part of Turkey from its European part. The ship sinks taking the lives of 204 passengers including 66 children. There are 123 survivors.

NORTH AFRICA:
Imperial troops cross the frontier into Libya.
The British take in a surprise raid the Halfaya Pass on the Libyan-Egyptian border. The remnants of the Italian Tenth Army withdrew to the fortress of Bardia. The Italians now reinforce the defences of Tobruk and the El Mekili-Derna line, where they station three divisions which they have summoned from the interior.

ATLANTIC OCEAN:
Italian submarine R. Smg. 'Tarantini' is torpedoed and sunk by submarine HMS/M Thunderbolt (N 25) in the Bay of Biscay as she returns from North Atlantic patrol. Location: About 459 nautical miles (850 kilometers) north-northeast of Lagens Field, Azores, in position 45.25N, 22.00W.The T-class submarine HMS Thunderbolt is the recomissioned/renamed HMS Thetis which failed to surface from its first submerged test trial in Liverpool Bay on 1st. June 1939. (Alex Gordon)

 

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