25 January 1939

U.S.A.: Writing to Lewis Strauss of the publishers Kuhn, Loeb and Co., Leo Szilard the nuclear physicist tells of an exciting breakthrough in the quest for a sustained nuclear reaction.

BELGIUM: The Belgian Foreign Minister rejects British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's appeal to join the Allies that was issued in a speech on 20 January.

NORTH SEA: At 0230, SS Biarritz was torpedoed by U-14 36 nautical miles NW of Ymuiden. She sank quickly and only one lifeboat with 19 people set off. 26 crewmen and 11 passengers (among them several women) died. 21 survivors and three bodies were picked up by the Norwegian SS Borgholm, which sailed nearby and were taken to Ymuiden. Several passengers were sailors who had paid off their ships and were on their way home.

At 2130, SS Gudveig was torpedoed and sunk by U-19 4.5 miles east of Longstone Lightvessel, north of Newcastle. Eight survivors were rescued and taken to Methil. Four of them probably by the Norwegian SS Vim.

POLAND: The "Goring-Frank Circular" is issued. It specifies that all material resources and manpower is to be ruthlessly exploited for the immediate benefit of the Reich. Copies of this top secret document are soon obtained by the Polish government-in-exile in France and widely publicized.
A site near the village of Oswiecim (Auschwitz) is selected for construction of a concentration camp.

U.S.A.: The motion picture "The Shop Around the Corner" opens at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Directed by Ernst Lubitsch, this romantic comedy stars Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart and Frank Morgan.

U.S.A.: Washington: Viscount Halifax, the new British ambassador, asks the Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, for swift American aid.

The keel of the Iowa Class battleship Wisconsin (BB-64) is laid at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. She will be the last battleship commissioned by the U.S. Navy.

U.S.S.R.: The recommendation for Fegelein's Knight's Cross that was submitted by GdI Albrecht Schubert, commanding General XXII A.K.. The SS-Kavallerie-Brigade was located on the southeast front of 23.Armeekorps in the sector north of Nikulino-Polowinino-Saizewo-Dmitrowo-Sokolomo. The Brigade was assigned the task of preventing the advance of strong enemy forces that had breached the gap west of Rshev, towards the south against the rear of the 206.Division.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: U-453 and U-372 were attacked in the Mediterranean by aircraft and damaged so heavily that they had to return to base.

LIBYA: Speeding eastward again, the forces of General Erwin Rommel, General Officer Commanding Panzer Army Africa, capture Msus. The weakened British 1st Armoured Division of 13 Corps, Eighth Army, is ordered to fall back on Mechili, leaving a detachment to protect the withdrawal of the Indian 4th Division from Benghazi and Barce. General Claude Auchinleck, Commander in Chief Middle East Command, visits Eighth Army HQ, where he remains until 1 February. General Neal Ritchie, General Officer Commanding Eighth Army, revokes the order for a general withdrawal of 13 Corps and orders the Indian 4th Division, over which he takes direct control, and the British 1st Armoured Division to counterattack in the Msus area.

THAILAND: The government declares war on the U.S. and the U.K. The government of Great Britain, New Zealand and the Union of South Africa respond in kind.

AUSTRALIA: The government orders full mobilization. The War Cabinet orders that “all able-bodied white male British subjects” between 18- and 45-years-old should be called up immediately for service. The central government also assumes control of all state budgets.
By this date, the USAAF has received 112 P-40s from the U.S. with another 160 due by 4 February.

The USAAF Far East Air Force’s 20th Pursuit Squadron (Provisional), which is preparing to depart Brisbane, Queensland for Port Moresby, New Guinea, is ordered to fly to Darwin, Northern Territory, as quickly as possible for duty in Java.

MALAYA: Since Batu Pahat must be abandoned at once, Lieutenant General Arthur Percival, General Officer Commanding Malaya Command, orders the entire line in central Johore State withdrawn. The Indian 3 Corps is responsible for the withdrawal operation, which begins after nightfall. Meanwhile, the Batu Pahat defence force fights a losing battle for that town throughout the day. The Indian 11th Division commander sends the British 53d Brigade Group to the relief of the Batu Pahat defence force, but most of the column is unable to get through. To the east, Japanese attacks in the Ayer Hitam-Kluang area are beaten off.

BORNEO: By dawn, the Japanese Assault Unit that landed near Balikpapan have occupied the airfield. Their advance southward, however, is slow as the bridges on the coastal road have been destroyed and the unit did not reach the northern outskirts of Balikpapan City until the night of the 25th. The Dutch garrison troops had been withdrawn and the unit entered the city without a fight. Guided by the lights placed by two traitorous native policemen, who had proceeded them, the Japanese Surprise Attack Unit lands just south of the reservoir at 0430 hours and sails up the river in camouflaged boats. No Dutch troops are encountered and while part of the unit occupies the area around the reservoir, the main body proceeds to the village of Banoeabaroe, arriving there at 1440 hours, thus cutting off the Dutch line of retreat. While the main body of the unit was advancing along the road to Balikpapan City, it ran into a Dutch military column attempting to escape from Balikpapan. After defeating this Dutch column, the Surprise Attack Unit proceeded to Balikpapan City. The city was completely occupied during the night of the 25th.

BURMA: General Archibald Lord Wavell, Commander in Chief Australian-British-Dutch-American (ABDA) Command, South West Pacific, visiting Rangoon, orders Moulmein held. The 16th Brigade, Indian 17th Division, is disposed west of the Salween River, opposite Moulmein. The Indian 46th Brigade is ordered to the Bilin area. A lull ensues as the Japanese bring up reinforcements to the vicinity of Paan and Moulmein, on the Salween River.

NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES: The advance flight echelon of the USAAF Far East Air Force 17th Pursuit Squadron (Provisional) arrives at Soerabaja, Java with 13 P-40s. They will undergo five days of theater training by RNAF pilots.
Twenty five Japanese fighter aircraft land on Kendari Airdrome that was captured two days ago.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: On Bataan, the responsibility for the defence of beach area of southern Bataan passes from the Service Command Area to commanders of the I and II Corps. II Corps continues their withdrawal under air attack and with the Japanese in full pursuit. I Corps abandons the Mauban main line of resistance. The withdrawal of the 1st Division, Philippine Army, southward begins during the morning and continues through the night of 25/26 January. Diverting the enemy’s attention, other elements of I Corps press in on the roadblock on West Road from the west. In the South Sector, operations against Japanese at Quinauan and Longoskawayan Points remain indecisive.

MIDWAY ISLAND: The island is shelled by Japanese submarine HIJMS-73. The submarine uses its 3.9 inch (100mm) deck gun. I-18 and I-24 surface off Midway Island to shell U.S. Marine positions. I-24 fires six shells, but the Marines return the fire and force I-24 to abandon shelling and submerge. I-18 is taken under fire before she can open fire and forced to submerge.

NEWFOUNDLAND: Corvettes HMCS Summerside and Shawinigan departed St John's to escort Convoy SC-66 to Londonderry.

U.S.A.: Marshall directs Deputy Chief of Staff, Major General Joseph Narney, to draft a reorganisation plan for US War Department. (Marc James Small)

URUGUAY: The government breaks diplomatic relations with Germany, Italy and Japan.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The German submarine U-125 attacks unarmed U.S. tanker SS Olney, forcing the latter aground off Cape Lookout, North Carolina. Olney is subsequently removed from her predicament, however, repaired, and returned to service.

During bad weather in the North Atlantic a lookout on U-575 broke his arm.

SS Culebra, dispersed from Convoy ON-53, was sunk by gunfire by U-123 ENE of Bermuda. The master, 38 crewmembers and six gunners were lost

Tanker SS Varanger sunk by U-130 at 38.58N, 74.06W - Grid CA 5435

At 0925, SS Mount Kitheron was torpedoed by U-754 and sunk by a coup de grâce at 0938 hours at 47.32N, 52.31W - Grid BB 6359 .

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Syrian sailing ships Mouyassar and Omar el Kattab was shelled and destroyed by U-431 near Haifa.

NORTH AFRICA: General Giovanni Messe of the Italian First Army takes overall control of the Axis forces in North Africa.

U.S.A.: During WW II, the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) produced numerous documents, most commonly known are the Intelligence Bulletins. The Military Intelligence Special Series continues with "The German Squad in Combat" (William L. Howard)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: SS Lackenby, a straggler from Convoy SC-117, was hit by two torpedoes from U-624 and sank south of Cape Farewell. The master, 38 crewmembers and five gunners were lost.

SS City of Flint sailed from New York as part of the convoy UGS-4. While en route she encountered a storm that caused her deckload to shift and she straggled from the convoy. The ship maintained a zigzag course at 11 knots and tried to find the other ships, when she was hit by one torpedo from U-575 at 22.05 hours on 25 Jan 1943. The torpedo struck on port side at the #1 hold and ignited the oil and gasoline stored there. As the vessel settled by the head, flames engulfed the forward section. With the engines secured, the crew of ten officers, 30 crewmen, 24 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in and six 20mm guns) and one US Army Security officer abandoned ship with four lifeboats in rough seas within ten minutes. Then a second torpedo struck the port side aft of the bridge and the ship sank bow first at 23.05 hours about 300 miles south of Flores, Azores. Two crewmen and four armed guards died in the attack. The chief cook Robert Daigle was picked up by U-575 and was later interned in a POW camp. Three of the boats stayed in the area for two days before setting sail for the Azores. They used a portable radio for sending distress calls. The following day, the Portuguese destroyer Lima picked up 48 men and landed them at Ponta del Garda, Azores. On 28 January, destroyer HMS Quadrant rescued the ten survivors in the fourth boat and landed them in Gibraltar.

BARENTS SEA: SS Fort Bellingham, Canadian-owned, British-registered merchantman torpedoed and sunk in position 73.25N, 025.10E, by U-360, Kptlt Klaus Becker, CO, and U-957, OLtzS Gerhard Schaar, Knights Cross, CO. Thirty-nine members of her crew were lost. Fort Bellingham was proceeding to the Kola Inlet, Russia, as part of the 20-ship Convoy JW-56A. She and 2 other ships were sunk from this convoy, which arrived on 28 Jan 44. In total, the 3 ships' cargoes amounted to 21,650 tons of military stores.

At 1833, destroyer HMS Obdurate was damaged by a Gnat from U-360 while escorting the convoy JW-56A to North Russia. The U-boat missed the damaged destroyer with a coup de grâce at 1844.

At 2012, U-278 fired a spread of three FAT torpedoes at Convoy JW-56A in snow squalls about 115 miles from the North Cape and claimed the sinking of two ships with 7000 tons each after hearing two detonations and sinking noises. In fact, both torpedoes hit SS Penelope Barker in station #12 on the port side. One struck in the #5 hold, blew off the hatch cover and beams, destroyed the port lifeboats and knocked the port AA gun out of its tub. The other hit in the engine room, toppled the stack, damaged the bridge area and engine compartment. The eight officers, 35 crewmen, 28 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) and one passenger (a Royal Navy doctor, who was on board to treating one of the armed guard for appendicitis) began to abandon ship in two lifeboats, but the ship sank by the stern within ten minutes so that some men were forced to jump overboard. Some time before the ship sank the armed guard officer and the doctor went below to assist trapped seamen, both men were lost. In all, one officer, nine crewmen, five armed guards and the passenger were lost. The survivors were picked up 40 minutes later by HMS Savage and taken to Murmansk. The Penelope Barker had left New York in convoy HX-270, arriving at Loch Ewe on 26 Dec 1943. She had left Loch Ewe on 12 Jan 1944 for Iceland, where she arrived seven days later.

U.S.S.R.: The Red Army captures the railway junction at Krasnogvardeisk, south-west of Leningrad.

The unescorted SS Fort la Maune was struck by one torpedo from U-188 and sunk ESE of Socotra Island. The master, 48 crewmembers and seven gunners landed on the Arabian coast and were brought by corvette HMS Nigella to Aden, arriving on 6 Feb 1944. Fort La Maune was a North Sands-class freighter built by North Van Ship Repair Ltd., at North Vancouver, BC She was completed in Oct 42. Fort La Maune was one of 90 North Sands-class freighters built in Canada for American order under the Hyde Park Declaration and subsequently provided to Great Britain under the Lend-Lease Agreement. Hain Steamship Co., Ltd., of London managed the ship for the British government. Twenty-two of these ships were sunk and another seven were damaged. The cargo of a 10,000-ton ship equated to the carrying capacity of 300 train cars. One voyage produced enough revenue to pay for the ship. A single cargo could contain: enough food stuff to feed 225,000 people in the U.K. for a week; enough military vehicles to equip one infantry battalion; enough bombs to load 950 medium or 225 heavy bombers; or enough aluminum to built 740 fighters, plus, carried as deck cargo: two medium bomber aircraft; and sufficient lumber to build 94 four-bedroom houses. Canadian shipyards built 354 10,000-ton cargo ships, resulting in Canada having the world’s fourth largest merchant fleet at the end of the war. The oft-repeated claim is made that Canada possessed the third largest navy by war's end but the RCN was mainly comprised of small escort vessels, many of which were of dubious value. In terms of total tonnage and combat capability, the RCN probably did not rank in the top ten navies of the world. In contrast, the Canadian merchant fleet consisted of large freighters and tankers.

GILBERT ISLANDS: 26th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) with B-24's moved from Nukufetau to Tarawa and then to Kwajalein on 14 Apr 44.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Eighty-three Japanese planes and numerous ships are destroyed by an Allied raid on Rabaul.

CANADA: Frigate HMCS Wentworth arrived Halifax, Nova Scotia from builder Esquimalt, British Columbia.

Destroyer escorts USS Edwin A Howard and Frybarger launched.

Destroyer escort USS Forster commissioned.

Destroyer minelayer USS J William Ditter laid down.

Destroyer escort USS Jaccard laid down.

Anti-Aircraft cruiser USS Flint launched.

Destroyer USS Taussig launched.

GERMANY: German forces in East Prussia almost cut off by the two-pronged Soviet advance. Evacuation operations begin. They will continue until April.

HUNGARY: Soviet forces begin a new offensive on the central segment of the German defences north of Budapest.

INDIAN OCEAN: British carriers set sail for Australia, on their way to join the US Navy in the Pacific.

BONIN ISLANDS: Iwo Jima is bombarded by USS Indiana with accompanying cruisers and destroyers. (See also yesterday)