1 March 1939

Yesterday Tomorrow

March 1st, 1939 (WEDNESDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: HMS MASHONA, a Tribal class destroyer, is commissioned.

Ringway, Manchester: 613 "City of Manchester" Squadron RAF is formed.

U.S.A.: The 150th anniversary of the constitution is celebrated.

Destroyer USS Kearny and Plunkett laid down.

Submarine USS Tautog laid down.

Submarine USS Sailfish commissioned.

1 March 1940

March 1st, 1940 (FRIDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM:

RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group. Leaflets and Reconnaissance - Berlin and Baltic ports. 10 Sqn. Two aircraft. Moderate opposition. One Whitley crashed on landing at Dishforth (K9026). Crew safe.

RAF Fighter Command: Luftwaffe attack on North Sea convoy. No damage.

Women are urged to wear light clothes in order to save dye for forces uniforms.

Two-thirds of the adult population tunes in to Lord Haw-Haw's broadcasts from Hamburg, according to BBC audience research just completed. One person in six is a regular listener to his propaganda. Some 16 million listeners hear the BBC nine o'clock news every night, and about six million of them switch straight over to Lord Haw-Haw afterwards.

Speculation continues about the identity behind his superior drawl, which has been compared with Bertie Wooster's. Norman Baillie-Stewart, the officer imprisoned in the Tower for passing information to Germany before the war, and William Joyce, a former member of Sir Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists, have been suggested.

After much debate the BBC decided not to answer his broadcasts with direct refutation, but it has begun weekly broadcasts at the same hour by a commentator with the pseudonym "Onlooker", believed to be Norman Birkett, the eminent KC.

An order for the first 50 Mosquito light bombers is placed by the Air Ministry with de Havilland.

Destroyer HMS Chiddingfold laid down.

FRANCE: Paris: Gastronomes took another knock today with the publication of new restrictions on what can be eaten and drunk. Meals in hotels and restaurants will be restricted to two, only one of which can be meat, and the sale of spirits will be limited to four days a week. Eating at home offers no escape: ration cards are to be distributed, with bread, pastries and chocolates among foods either restricted or even banned.

The French Premier Édouard Daladier announces that the Allies will send 50 000 men to aid Finland. They will arrive in late March. The Finnish government received the word already yesterday, and it has delayed drafting the Finnish reply to the Soviet demands. The cabinet is divided on the matter; some want to make peace when the Army is still intact, others dread the Soviet demands and want to accept the Allied help and continue fighting.

GERMANY: Berlin: Hitler issues a war directive ordering the invasion of Denmark and Norway. He also meets Sumner Welles, to whom he says that, "there is no other solution than a life-and-death struggle."
OKW issues Führer Directive #10a for "Fall Weserübung

(i) The developing situation in Scandinavia makes it necessary to prepare for the occupation of Denmark and Norway. This would anticipate English action action in the area, secure iron ore supplies from Sweden, and provide naval and air bases for expanded operations against England.

(ii) The basic aim is to lend the operation the character of a peaceful occupation designed to protect the neutrality of the northern countries. Any resistance will be broken by all means available using the smallest possible military force.

Skilful action and surprise will make up for weakness in numbers.

(iii) General of Infantry von Falkenhorst will prepare and command the operation as Commander Group XXI. Timetables and plans should be provided to OKW as soon as possible.

(iv) The crossing of the Danish frontier and landings in Norway will take place simultaneously. Preparations will proceed with the utmost speed, and every effort should be made to ensure surprise.

(v) In Denmark, Grp XXI supported by the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine, shall conduct the surprise occupation of Jutland and Fönen, and the subsequent occupation of Zeeland.

(vi) In Norway, Grp XXI shall conduct the surprise occupation of important places on the coast by landings from the sea and air. The Kriegsmarine is responsible for transport of invasion troops and follow up forces and supplies transported to Oslo and elsewhere.

(vii) After the operation the Kriegsmarine will be responsible for rapidly preparing coastal defences, the Luftwaffe should quickly prepare bases for the prosecution of the air war against England. (Marc Roberts)

U-118 is laid down.

FINLAND: Coastal Group (Maj. Gen. Kurt Wallenius) is formed on the western coast of Bay of Viipuri. Its mission is to repel the expected Soviet assault across the frozen bay, where the Red Army has already captured several islands. Gen. Wallenius's troops are either recently arrived from northern Finland (like Wallenius himself) and are unfamiliar with the environment, or ill-trained coastal defence battalions compiled from older reservists. Wallenius himself is very unhappy with his new mission. He had performed very well in his previous assignment in northern Finland, where his troops had lots of room to manoeuvre. Here there is no room, the men has to stand and fight, to defend every inch. Wallenius considers the situation hopeless. There are allegations he is seen drunk in his HQ.

GIBRALTAR: U.S. freighter SS Exeter is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities.

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: A voluntary oath is taken by the great majority of the Union Defence Force to serve "anywhere in Africa".

AUSTRALIA: Minesweeper HMAS Lismore laid down.

U.S.A.: The motion picture "Strange Cargo" is released. Directed by Frank Borzage and starring Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Peter Lorre and Paul Lukas, the plot involves prisoners escaping from Devil's Island who encounter a Christ-like figure (Ian Hunter). (Jack McKillop & Jeff Chrisman)

Native Son by Richard Wright was published. The novel tells the story of 20-year old Bigger Thomas, an African-American living in utter poverty.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0315, SS Mirella was hit in the bow by one torpedo from U-20, but did not sink. The U-boat waited submerged during the daytime, returned to the abandoned ship in the evening and sank her at 2114 hours by a coup de grâce. The wreck in position 52°26´09N/02°05´02E was later dispersed.

1 March 1941

March 1st, 1941 (SATURDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: Churchill tells Eden that in the light of the Turkish reluctance to join in the war, he should concentrate his efforts on Yugoslavia and encourage her to attack south to produce an Italian disaster in Albania.

John. G. Winant the new US ambassador is welcomed by the King.

Convoy EN79 departs Methil, Fife, at 0630.

TEWKESBURY as Commodore-ship led the port column, (ATHELTEMPLAR as Vice Commodore-ship led the starboard column). Escorts were HMS FOWEY, and HM Trawlers HUGH WALPOLE, and INDIAN STAR. Convoy WN91 (opposing route to EN79) was still en route on the evening of 1st March. Reconnaissance flights by the Luftwaffe during the day would have charted the speed of both convoys and forecast their arrival together off the Aberdeenshire coast. Three aircraft were commonly employed in such attacks and would have split-up off-shore, approaching the shore in line-abreast, about 15kms apart, to search for shipping. If an aircraft missed the convoy, it usually attacked coastal targets. The convoy progressed through a stiff north-easterly wind and sea, without incident until dusk that day. Sunset in the area would have been at 1738 GMT (1838 local time), and it was three days after a new moon, with the moon in the western hemisphere, setting at 2225. Thus the moon, if it was visible, was showing less than a quarter, and was close to its zenith. The weather over most of the UK was cloudy with poor to moderate visibility. Air cover of three hurricanes was provided throughout the daylight hours, and was withdrawn, as was normally the case 30 minutes after sunset. Then 45 minutes after sunset, with Girdle Ness bearing 276°, distance 7½ miles [TEWKESBURY position 57º 09’ N, 1º 46’ W], the convoy was attacked by enemy aircraft. Initially an aeroplane was sighted by HUGH WALPOLE [Range 2 miles, bearing NNW] approaching from the North, and challenged by her. The aircraft altered course and headed for HUGH WALPOLE who opened fire with Lewis guns when the aircraft was in range. A small object dropped from the aircraft, fell into sea and did not explode. The aircraft opened fire with machine guns, and after passing over HUGH WALPOLE headed for the convoy.
Two minutes later a Norwegian ship was spotted by FOWEY showing her fore steaming light, so FOWEY began turning to order her to desist. During this turn ATHELTEMPLAR was hit on the navigation bridge and bridge deckhouse by three bombs. The enemy aircraft, a Heinkel 111 heavy bomber, was heard in the vicinity about two minutes before the attack, and then observed rapidly bearing down from right ahead at a height of approximately 250 feet, towards ATHELTEMPLAR at the head of the starboard column. The bombs that struck her exploded instantly and caused an immediate devastating fire. The Master, Capt A. Waterson, and all executive officers except Chief Officer J.M. Scott were killed, and the Chief Officer was severely injured as he was blown from the bridge to the forecastle by the blast. FOWEY opened fire four times
with barrage fire, but hit nothing. At the same time the ss TEWKESBURY
gave the enemy a burst from her starboard Hotchkiss to which he replied with his rear machine gun, causing minor damage to deck fittings, but no casualties were inflicted. The bomber flew down the length of the convoy, using his machine gun or guns and increased his altitude rapidly at the same time, before disappearing to the rear of the convoy but could be heard faintly at frequent intervals lurking in the vicinity. Simultaneously in
WN91 an enemy aircraft was sighted flying 320° distance about 2 miles on port beam, and engaged from time to time by FORTHBANK, CURAÇOA, and other escorts and vessels in the convoy. Shortly after, it reappeared flying up the two columns being engaged continuously, and then flew out of sight. The fire aboard ATHELTEMPLAR was reported as being “a ship on fire” off Whinnyfold, Cruden Bay by coastguards (Register of Air Raids 1941). The ATHELTEMPLAR was much further away (three to four times the distance reported), amply illustrating the intensity and magnitude of the fire on board.

At 1940 an aircraft returned to EN79 and machine-gunned the port column of the convoy, using green tracer. At 1943 coastguards at Bullers of Buchan report two bombers at low level. One headed for EN79 out to sea, and the other climbed above the cliffs and headed inland. A minute later (1944) FORTHBANK of WN91 observed an enemy aircraft flying towards the column leaders athwart the convoy at an altitude of about 150 feet. The aircraft was engaged, and dropped a stick of bombs, disappearing in a steep climb in the poor light. One bomb made a direct hit on the wireless cabin demolishing it. The Second Radio Officer, Leonard J. Moser, a Canadian, was killed instantly, but no trace was found of him. FORTHBANK was hit twice amidships exposing the engine room and No 4 hold, and immediately burst into flame. She lost fire main pressure and a bucket-chain had to be organised to fight the fire. GAVOTTE went alongside and got fire hoses onto the fire, but was damaged due to bumping caused by the heavy swell running.
FORTHBANK’s midships accommodation was burnt out and a mass of debris had fallen onto her engine, putting her main engines, steering and lighting out of action, but her hull was sound. HMS HASTINGS, who happened to be in the vicinity, took off three badly wounded men.

Just a minute later (1945) EN79 came under attack again when a He 111, similar to the one that had previously attacked, was observed approaching rapidly from the east at a height of approximately 350 feet obviously intending to attack the TEWKESBURY. Passing low over ATHELTEMPLAR which by now was very much afire amidships but still maintaining her course and speed, the enemy released a heavy bomb intended for TEWKESBURY but this fell into the sea and did not explode. His second bomb however, weighing 250 kgs, crashed through TEWKESBURY's engine room skylight casing on the Boat Deck and then hit a ventilator casing below the skylight, finally coming to rest on an iron grating deep in the of engine room, but did not explode.
When the bomber passed over after releasing this heavy bomb, TEWKESBURY immediately gave it a burst from her port Hotchkiss at short range, and hit the Heinkel in its port engine. The bomber then began to lose height very quickly with heavy black smoke issuing from tail and fuselage, but the plane was not actually seen to fall into the sea from the ship, due to the dusk.
As the attack on the TEWKESBURY developed Chief Engineer Godfrey onboard ATHELTEMPLAR realized that there was no one in command of his ship; there were no more engine-room telegraph orders, and the helm position was destroyed. Thus the ship continued on her way until the Chief Engineer ordered the engines to be stopped. When sufficient way was lost, attempts were have been made to lower the aft life-boats under the orders of the Chief Engineer. Only one was successfully launched, and those whose accommodation was aft disembarked into it. Those in the forecastle had no means of escape, and the surviving lifeboat could not get to them because of the sea. They were eventually taken off by INDIAN STAR, who then picked up the others from the lifeboat. Several of the survivors in the forecastle were badly injured, and great credit was due to those who rescued them by lowering them to the deck of INDIAN STAR. All were later transferred to HMS Leda who landed the survivors at Aberdeen. There was no further action or attack on the convoy after this last bombing. Meanwhile the third bomber flew inland and dropped four HE bombs one minute later on Fountainbleu Farm, Cruden Bay, killing Henry F. Johnson, airman in charge of the RAF mobile beacon close to the farm. Jimmy Gall (aged 12) and his younger sister, Betty (aged 8), who lived at the farm, had a miraculous escape. Another HE bomb hit Slains Lodge, nearby. Then at 1957 the He 111 hit by TEWKESBURY’s gunfire crashed into the sea off Whitehills, Melrose Head. About an hour later the bomber’s crew of four led by pilot Oberleutnant Hatto Kühn plus UffZ. F. Grossardt, Gefr. M. Hänel and Uffz. Männling, were captured as they tried to come ashore in a rubber dinghy, and eventually they were sent to Canada as POWs. The aircraft sank in the sea, and 35 years later, in 1976, one of its engines and a propeller were raised and put on display at Strathallan Aviation Museum. Kühn was of German descent, but from some Australian administered islands.

On the TEWKESBURY Chief Engineer Joseph Love, assisted by the Donkeyman, was shutting the engine-room skylights – these were enclosed within a temporary canvas tent slung over the awning boom and weighted down by sandbags, with separate sheets of canvas lashed snuggly across the open ends. They were working by torch-light within when they heard the rattle of machine guns, and then a peculiar and loud noise together with some shaking. Love went out onto the boat-deck and shouted to the bridge asking what had happened.
He was told that the ship had been hit by a bomb that appeared to strike the canvas tent. Love went back under the canvas to try and see what had happened, and saw Turner far below wrestling with a large bomb. In fact the bomb hit the canvas structure just at the abutment between the forward end-piece and the “tent”, brushing the edge of the canvas briefly aside as it passed through narrowly missing the oblivious engineer and donkeyman!
Love came out from the canvas and shouted the news to de Neumann who was senior officer on the bridge. Peter de Neumann, who was directing the guns, left the bridge immediately, explaining to George Jeffrey, whose watch it was, that he would “go below and lend a hand”! de Neumann also detailed the bridge messenger to find and inform Captain Pryse, before he rushed from the bridge to see where the bomb had gone. Gerard Turner in the engine-room, had been distracted by a noise above the din of the ship’s engine, and upon looking around for its source was startled to see a large grey-painted bomb with badly damaged tail-fins rolling on the second engine room grating (above his head). In He 111s bombs hung vertically from a nose-lug in the bomb-bays, and as the attack was from low altitude, it seems likely that the bomb struck the ship tail-first. Turner could have fled the engine-room as quickly as possible, but he chose to grapple with the bomb and prevent it rolling off its precarious platform. He sat astride it as on a horse, whilst contemplating what to do next. De Neumann entered the engine room, and saw Turner, far below, mounting the bomb. De Neumann immediately went to Turner’s assistance, and between them, using Turner’s trousers’ belt, secured the bomb temporarily to a stanchion. On being appraised of the situation by the messenger, Pryse recruited a team from the crew to help handle the bomb, and ordered all non-essential crew aft to the poop deck.
George Jeffrey was left on the bridge to maintain his watch, but the Commodore and his staff quickly decided to move aft in order to better observe and signal the ships following them in the disrupted convoy. Thus Jeffrey, apart from the quartermaster, was alone on the bridge, and straining his eyes for any sign of the unlit leading ships in convoy WN81 that were known to be approaching in the dark. He dare not look back, or around in case his night vision was spoilt by the fierce light from ATHELTEMPLAR. Pryse and his volunteers and the two men in contact with the bomb had a rapid shouted discussion to decide how to handle it. The dangers of moving it were immense, and exacerbated by the fact that TEWKESBURY was still under way using her engine , and avoiding the blazing ATHELTEMPLAR, less than a quarter of a mile to starboard, and likely to go out of control imminently. A sling was made and the bomb dragged over the grating to the ladder up to the top engine grating. A shear-legs was rigged and it was hauled up to the next grating, sliding on the top of the hand-railings on either side of the ladder – the volunteers remained higher than the bomb and Turner and de Neumann were beneath it helping to prevent it slipping off the rails. It was then manoeuvred across the grating to the foot of the ladder leading to main deck level. Again shear-legs were rigged and the bomb slid up this considerably longer ladder (about 20 feet). Again Turner and de Neumann were beneath the bomb helping to prevent it from slipping off the hand-rails. During this procedure de Neumann and Turner had to balance on the dangerously hot cylinder tops of the (open) moving engine with the ship reacting to the heavy sea. An inopportune roll by the ship, and they would have fallen to severe injury, or, more likely, painful death amongst the crankshaft, connecting rods, and main bearings of the engine. On reaching the top of the ladder the bomb was slid along the top of the hand rails to the main-deck-level water-tight door to the engine room. Here it was lifted from the hand rails, swung through the doorway, and lowered to the deck. It was then dragged along a companionway, out through a weather door , lifting it over the weather step, and onto the main-deck. Here a section of railing was removed, and the bomb rolled over the side into the sea at an opportune moment. The bomb emitted distracting clicks and other noises throughout the disposal process. de Neumann, many years later, once said that the real danger was from the moving engine, the precariousness of Turner’s and his position on it, and the distraction and discomfort of both the intense heat and noise, and that if the bomb exploded then neither of them would know anything about it. [No doubt both officers would have expressed the same sentiments as Petty Officer Thomas Gould, who was awarded a VC for a similar incident aboard HM Submarine Thrasher, and who said when asked what he was thinking about as he manoeuvred his bomb, “I was hoping the bloody thing wouldn’t go off!”] Turner and de Neumann maintained a proprietary and close interest in the bomb throughout. The bomb detonated shortly after its release from the ship. After this long drawn-out procedure, that took 90 minutes to enact, Capt Pryse opened some cans of beer, and he, de Neumann, and Turner, enjoyed a well-earned rest sharing the beer and unwinding.
Turner and de Neumann became close friends following this incident, and found that they both were to be married upon return from this voyage.
Despite CURAÇOA’s defensive rôle to the two proximate convoys as a specialised anti-aircraft cruiser, and the presence of FOWEY as further anti-aircraft cover, only one aircraft was brought down during the sustained air-attack, and that was by the merchant vessel ss TEWKESBURY.

Some five hours after the attack on the ATHELTEMPLAR, the minesweeper HMS SPEEDWELL, travelling up the east coast from Hull, spotted a massive fire over the horizon. She went to investigate, and with much caution placed men on board to extinguish the fire and then took the vessel in tow. (Bernard de Neumann)

Regarding the TEWKESBURY incident, two distinguished bomb disposal officers, Don Henderson, GM, and Peter Gurney, GM and Bar, have both stated that the manhandling of “blind” EODs (i.e. armed and launched Explosive Ordnance Devices, which have failed to complete detonation) is extremely dangerous.
Indeed Don Henderson specifically said that he would not have liked to clear the TEWKESBURY bomb. With 250 kg and 500 kg bombs, size did not matter, as they were the only two in the German range which could have two fuzes - the usual combination being a long delay and an ‘anti handling’ fuze! Naturally the type of the bomb that hit the TEWKESBURY was unknown to the two officers in close contact with it. (Bernard de Neumann)

Escort carrier USS (ex-HMS) Charger launched.

ASW trawler HMS Minuet launched.

Corvette HMS Anchusa commissioned.

Destroyer HMS Catterick laid down.

NORTH SEA: Minesweeping trawler HMS St Donats sunk after collision off Spurn, Yorkshire.

GERMANY: Auschwitz: Himmler visited Auschwitz concentration camp today to announce a big programme of expansion.

He told Rudolf Hoess, the camp commandant to get the camp ready to accommodate 130,000 prisoners, some 10,000 of whom must be put to work in the I G Farben synthetic rubber factory.

Hitler writes to the Turkish president that Turkey was in danger from Germany. German troops would be kept well away from the Turkish frontier. Germany's sole purpose was to stop the British.

U-766 laid down.

U-161, U-162 launched.

AUSTRIA: King Boris of Bulgaria joins the Axis Powers by signing the Tripartite Pact in Vienna with Chancellor Adolf Hitler looking on. Hitler needed a compliant Bulgaria through which to march his troops en route to offensives against both Yugoslavia and Greece and Bulgaria hoped, as a new war partner, to gain access itself to the Aegean by claiming Greek territory to its south. Bulgaria benefited in the short term from the alliance; it made territorial gains in both Greece and Yugoslavia. But Hitler was not through exploiting its "partner," the Führer wanted Bulgaria's help in its war with the Soviet Union. While King Boris prepared Bulgarian troops for the Eastern Front in 1943, communists and agrarian reformers mounted a vigorous resistance campaign, assassinating more than 100 pro-Nazi officials. King Boris also died at this time-from a heart attack. A Regency Council was formed, which remained loyal to Germany. Successive governments rose and fell until the Soviet Union's invasion of Bulgaria in September 1944 resulted in an armistice and a postwar, pro-Soviet Bulgaria.

ITALY: Italian civilian rations are halved in order to allow food exports to Germany.

GREECE: An earthquake leaves 10,000 people homeless in the area of Larissa.

BULGARIA: Sofia: Bulgaria joins the Axis Tripartite pact. After von Ribbentrop confirms in writing that when the new Balkan frontiers are determined, Bulgaria would receive an outlet to the Aegean. Ciano makes a similar promise.

NORTH AFRICA: A Free French column under Leclerc, coming from Chad, has occupied the oasis of Kufra in southern Libya.

ITALIAN SOMALILAND: The 11th African Division begins a lightning pursuit of the retreating Italian forces north from Mogadishu towards the Ogaden Plateau.

EAST AFRICA: Cunningham reports on the East African front to Wavell:

Enemy evacuating whole of Italian Somaliland. Force at Ischia Baidoa apparently withdrew via Neghelli. South African Div. was unable to cut it off through lack of petrol. Light forces are moving to occupy Lugh Ferrandi and Dolo. Bardera has been occupied.

...Force at Mogadishu has outrun supplies. Harbour cannot be entered for some days pending sweeping operations. Movement of MT by ship to Mogadishu not possible, and rains beginning to render road from Kenya precarious.

The number of operational aircraft available to the Regia Aeronatica is down to forty-two despite a small number of reinforcements from Italy and the return of damaged aircraft to service, a drop of almost 70% from the beginning of the year. Additionally, increased RAF and SAAF fighter activity means that the Italian's primary bomber, the Ca. 133, can not operate without heavy fighter escort. (Mike Yared)(284)

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: 52 Seversky P-35A’s delivered to Nichols airfield on Luzon. Flying strength of 3 squadrons in the 4^th Composite Group: 42 P-35A’s and 22 P-26A’s.

Vice Admiral John H Newton, Jr, Commander, Cruisers, Scouting Force, Pacific Fleet, takes a cruiser division and destroyer squadron from Hawaii to Australia and New Zealand and return. The voyage is exceedingly secret, and it remains a most murky transaction. (Marc Small)

AUSTRALIA: Minesweeper HMAS Bendigo launched.

U.S.A.: The first radio station in the country to receive a license for Frequency Modulation (FM) transmission, W47NV in Nashville, Tennessee, begins broadcasting. The station started its FM broadcast with a commercial for Nashville's Standard Candy Company.
"Duffy’s Tavern," where “the elite meet to eat,” debuts on CBS radio on this Saturday night between 2030 and 2100 hours Eastern Time sponsored by Schick Razors. The show remained on the air until January 1952.
In New York City, the National Broadcasting Company’s experimental TV station W2XBS broadcasts a track meet from Madison Square Garden at 2030 hours local.

Submarine USS Grayling commissioned.

Destroyer USS Meredith commissioned.

Submarine USS Grunion laid down.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 2356, steam tanker Cadillac in Convoy HX-109 was torpedoed and sunk by U-552 NE of Rockall. The master, 32 crewmembers, two gunners and two passengers were lost. Four crewmembers and one passenger were picked up by HMS Malcolm and landed at Stornoway on 3 March.

1 March 1942

March 1st, 1942 (SUNDAY)

GERMANY: U-758 launched.

U.S.S.R.: German General Halder issues a staff analysis that German losses in the war with the USSR have already reached 1.5 million.

Soviet forces launch a Crimea offensive.

The Soviet advance comes to a halt during March and the battle line remains about the same throughout month, despite continued fighting on all fronts. The Germans are unable to relieve their isolated II Corps, Sixteenth Army, southeast of Staraya Russa, but succeed in withdrawing the salient southwest of Kaluga. The Germans also contain Soviet attacks on the southern front, which are extended to region east of Kharkov.

Leningrad: The people of Leningrad are in a pitiable condition. More than 100,000 died of starvation last month, and there is no sign of the siege being lifted.

There are fears that their rations will be cut even further with the coming of the spring thaw. With great ingenuity the defenders have laid a light railway across the frozen surface of Lake Ladoga.

Supplies are now coming in by the railway and by truck convoys across the ice from Tiklvin, on the eastern side of the lake, which was recaptured by the Red Army on 8 December after ferocious fighting.

When the ice melts, however, this life-line will disappear and the besieged city will have to relay on small ships running the gauntlet of the Stukas in almost perpetual daylight.

Another worry for the authorities is that when the thaws come thousands of bodies hastily buried in snow drifts - because the ground is frozen too hard to dig graves - will be exposed and bring epidemics to people already suffering from the diseases of malnutrition.

Some 300,000 of the strongest people have been organized into gangs to clean up the city once the ice melts. The Leningraders are determined that their city will come to life again. It must be emphasised that the real heroes of this siege are the ordinary people who, by tremendous courage, are managing to survive an almost impossible ordeal.

BURMA: General Chennault's "Flying Tigers' move from Rangoon to Magwe.

The Burma Army's 1st Division covers the concentration of the Chinese 5th Army in the Toungoo area; the Chinese 200th Division of the army, which is already disposed in this area, regains Nyaunglebin and Pyuntaza, on the Rangoon-Mandalay road. General Archibald Wavell, Commander in Chief India, arrives in Burma and orders Rangoon held as long as possible, at least until reinforcements en route, the British 63d Brigade Group, arrive. The Indian 17th Division returns toward Waw, which is to be defended.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Of the 8 P-35As of the 34th Pursuit Sqdn transferred to Bataan on Christmas Day only two are left. These will be destroyed before the Allied surrender to the Japanese in April.

The Japanese 14th Army, during the period 6 January to date, has suffered a severe setback on Luzon and sustained almost 7,000 casualties (2,700 killed and over 4,000 wounded).

NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES: The last heavy bomber mission is flown from Java; the air echelons of three B-17 Flying Fortress and an A-24 Dauntless squadron begin a movement back to Australia. Nine of the remaining 13 USAAF P-40s join with six RAAF and four RNAF fighters to attack Japanese landing craft; three P-40s and two pilots are lost. Later, all of the remaining P-40s in Java are destroyed when Japanese fighters strafe Blimbing Airdrome. The air and ground echelons are ordered to return to Australia by any means possible.
Japanese planes bomb Surabaya, Java; destroyer USS Stewart (DD-224), previously damaged on 19 and 20 February 1942, is damaged again, by a bomb.

The Japanese Western Invasion Force completes the landing of the 2nd Division at Bantam Bay, 40 miles (64 kilometres) west of Batavia while the 230th Infantry lands at Eretan Wetan, 120 miles (193 kilometres) to the east. The Eastern Invasion Force lands the 48th Division and the 56th Regimental Group at Kragan, about 80 miles (129 kilometres) west of Surabaya; the 48th begins advancing on Surabaya while the 56th begins moving across country to Tjilatjap, the seaport on the southwest coast of Java.
The Japanese, now in undisputed control of the air and sea, make rapid progress on the ground on Java. Allied planes based on Java are virtually wiped out, many of them on the ground. After a final effort to stall the enemy by air, surviving air personnel begin assembling in Batavia, the last remaining airfield in Java, for withdrawal to Australia.

Battle of the Sundra Strait.

Batavia: HMAS RUTH and the US cruiser HOUSTON, damaged in the Battle of the Java Sea, are sunk while attempting to escape from Batavia.

Shortly after 2300 hours yesterday, the heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-30), with her No. 3 turret disabled and low on ammunition, and the light cruiser HMAS Perth were heading for the Sunda Strait when they rounded a headland in Banten Bay, Java, where the Japanese Western Invasion Force is landing troops. The two cruisers then engage the Japanese in the Battle of Sunda Strait. The cruisers are almost torpedoed as they approach the bay, but evade the nine torpedoes launched by destroyer HIJMS Fubuki. The two cruisers then sink one transport and force three others to beach. A destroyer squadron blocks Sunda Strait, their means of retreat, and large light cruisers HIJMS Mogami and Mikuma stand dangerously near. (Mogami and Mikuma were armed with 10x 8 inch guns during WWII, so they were "heavy" cruisers, although they were built with 15x 6 inch guns, so they were "large light" cruisers as US Brooklyn class.)

HMAS Perth sinks at 0025 hours from gunfire and torpedo hits; USS Houston faces the same fate at about 0045 hours. Of HMAS Perth’s complement of 680 men, 352 were killed and about 320 were captured by the Japanese and 105 of these died as POWs. 218 survive the war. The fate of these two ships was not known by the world for almost nine months, and the full story of her courageous fight was not fully told until after the war was over and her survivors were liberated from prison camps. An hour or two later the Dutch destroyer HNMS Evertsen, which was to have accompanied the HMAS Perth and USS Houston but had been delayed, ran into two enemy destroyers and, after a brief encounter, beached herself in a sinking condition on Sabuko Island off the coast of Sumatra. (Jack McKillop & Massimiliano Stola)

One of Houston's shells damages Mikuma along with a Japanese destroyer. CO Captain Rooks receives the MOH for this action.

The USS Parrott (DD-218) escorts the SS Seawitch into Tjilatiap, in the Dutch East Indies. (Ron Babuka)

Near Christmas Island, the USS Whipple (DD-217) with the USS Edsel (DD-219) begin transferring USS Langley crew members [rescued 2 days before] to the oiler USS Pecos (AO-6), and completing the task by 0800. While one destroyer transferred personnel, the other circled and maintained an antisubmarine screen. When the job of transferring survivors from the lost seaplane tender had been completed, the two destroyers parted company with the oiler.

The Japanese Navy is also patrolling south of Java and sinks the destroyer USS Edsall (DD-219) and oiler USS Pecos (AO-6). USS Edsall (DD-219) is en route from Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean to Tjilatjap, Java, after transferring 177 survivors of the seaplane tender USS Langley (AV-3) to USS Pecos. Edsall is sunk by gunfire of battleships HIJMS Hiei and Kirishima, heavy cruisers HIJMS Tone and Chikuma, and planes from carriers HIJMS Akagi and Soryu; the amount of main battery shells expended in the attempt to sink the U.S. ship amounts to 297 15-inch (38,1 cm) and 844 eight-inch (20,32 cm). Edsall's five enlisted survivors are subsequently executed at Kendari on Celebes Island. Oiler USS Pecos, with USS Langley survivors on board as well as evacuees from Java, is bombed and sunk by carrier-based bombers from HIJMS Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, and Soryu, 250 miles south-southeast of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

Changing course in anticipation of orders to retire from Java, Whipple prepared to send a message relative to these orders when the destroyer's chief radioman heard a cell for help over the radio from Pecos, then under attack by Japanese bombers near Christmas Island. Whipple sped to the scene to render assistance if possible.

Throughout the afternoon, as the destroyer closed the oiler, all hands on board prepared knotted lines and cargo nets for use in picking up survivors. Whipple went to general quarters at 1922 when she sighted several small lights off both bows. Whipple slowly closed and began picking up survivors of Pecos. After interrupting the proceedings to conduct an unsuccessful attack on a submarine lurking in the area, she returned to the task and continued the search until she had received 231 men from the oiler. (Ron Babuka)

Batavia: The other survivors of the Battle of the Java Sea, the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter having refueled and carried out emergency repairs to her boiler rooms at Surabaja, leaves harbor on the evening of 28 February in company with the destroyer HMS Encounter and USS Pope (DD-225); the ships have been ordered to Colombo, Ceylon, via the Sunda Strait. The ships are spotted by Japanese aircraft and at about 1000 hours, they encounter the Japanese heavy cruisers HIJMS Myoko, Ashigara, Haguro and Nachi plus four escorting destroyers. HMS Encounter is sunk first and after 90 minutes, a torpedo from a Japanese destroyers sinks HMS Exeter. USS Pope escapes the cruisers but is located and bombed by floatplanes from seaplane carriers HIJMS Chitose and Mizuho. Damaged by one close-miss, USS Pope is then located by carrier-based aircraft from HIJMS Ryujo and attacked by 12 aircraft shortly before 1200 hours; scuttling is in progress when the cruisers HIJMS Myoko and Ashigara deliver the coup de grace with gunfire and USS Pope sinks about 250 miles north-northwest of Surabaja.

IJN cruisers Nachi and Haguro account for Exeter with Mogami and Mikuma credited with PERTH and Evertsen. IJN cruisers Myoko and Ashigara sink ENCOUNTER and USS POPE. There are 307 survivors from PERTH and 300 from EXETER, who are rescued by the Japanese. The USS POPE gets away only to be sunk by Japanese aircraft an hour later. (Alex Gordon)(108)

South of Java: EDSALL, USS, US Destroyer; sunk by 14in gunfire from the Japanese battleships Hiei and Kirishima. Some crew may have survived the sinking but none survived the war.

PILLSBURY, USS, US Destroyer; sunk by Japanese cruisers lost with all hands.

(James Paterson)

HMS EXETER faced two enemy cruisers off the port quarter and two on the starboard beam. With all power lost after yesterdays' encounter, she sank soon after coming under fire. Her captain and 651 of the crew survived.

Concerned with the Japanese naval success, and the possibility of the Japanese establishing a base on Madagascar, Churchill today informs Roosevelt of the British intention to take Diego Suarez, Madagascar's main harbour.

PALMYRA ISLAND: The US Marine detachment on the atoll is reorganised as the 1st defence Battalion as it's Wake Island detachment has been lost and the Johnston detachment has been reorganised as a separate defence force. (Gordon Rottman)

AUSTRALIA: Japanese submarine HIJMS I-25 launches a Yokosuka E14Y1, Navy Type 0 Small Reconnaissance Seaplane (later assigned Allied Code Name “Glen”) to reconnoitre Hobart, Tasmania.

CANADA: The Canadian Women's Army Corps is granted full Army status as "a Corps of the Active Militia of Canada."

HM MTB 333, 334 and 335 commissioned.

U.S.A.: The owners of the major league baseball clubs consider the question of whether players in the military can play for the clubs if they are on furlough or based near a game site? The owners decide against it.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-656 (Type VIIC) is sunk in the North Atlantic about 35 miles south of Cape Race, position 46.15N, 53.15W, by depth charges from an American Hudson aircraft (VP 82). 45 dead (all hands lost). The Hudson PBO-1 aircraft was from a US Navy patrol squadron (VP-82) based at NAS Argentia, Newfoundland, that was flying support for convoy ON.72. This is the first U-boat sunk by US Navy forces during World War II. The Hudson PBO-1 was one of 20 Lend-Lease Hudson IIIA's used by the USN to equip one squadron. These aircraft sank the first 2 U-boats sunk by the USN, U-656 on 1 March, 1942 and U-503 on 15 March. (Alex Gordon and Jack McKillop)

RFA Finnanger had been in the convoy ONS-67 but had lost contact after the heavy U-boat attacks on 24 February and was last seen by the Norwegian motor tanker Belinda two days later about 300 miles south of Cape Race. She carried a crew of 36 Norwegian and four British. At 1133 on 1 March, U-158 attacked an unescorted tanker and observed two hits. The tanker fired on the U-boat but was sunk by gunfire after 4 hours 45 minutes. This must have been the Finnanger.

At 0200, SS Carperby, dispersed from Convoy ON-66, was torpedoed and sunk by U-588 about 420 miles south of Newfoundland. The master and 39 crewmembers were lost.

1 March 1943

March 1st, 1943 (MONDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: Soviet envoys tell the Polish government in exile that the USSR intends to keep eastern Poland, which it invaded in 1939.

A year after "Austerity" was introduced, the population of Britain has reduced its annual consumption to four-fifths of its peacetime level, although incomes are up by over 50% since 1938. Rationing, high taxes and shortages have bitten deep into the average family's way of life. While expenditure on food, clothing and travel has fallen in real terms, that on drink and tobacco has doubled.

"Utility" production applies not only to clothing and furniture but also to many household goods. Only white crockery is being made and this year's plain white cups are usually without handles to save material. Licensed manufacture permits only one standard quality of sheets, blankets, pots and pans, kettles and electrical appliances, carpets and linoleum, pens and pencils, lighters and umbrellas. "Fripperies" such as soup spoons and butter knives and ornamental glassware are banned. Toys cannot include rubber, hemp, cork, celluloid or plastic.

Shortages have driven many goods "under the counter" - notoriously cigarettes of all popular brands, vacuum flasks, combs, hair grips, needles, safety pins, babies' teats, lipstick and cosmetics, alarm clocks, prams and bicycles. Shortage of newsprint means that national papers are reduced to four pages on several days of the month.

The ministry of food's rhyming exhortations continue - "Don't you know the sight of peelings greatly hurts Lord Woolton's feelings?" Wartime sausages have been dubbed "breadcrumbs in battledress". There are recipes for carrot jam and nettle tea. Unloved dried egg has encouraged people to keep chickens and two million families are self-sufficient in vegetables thanks to "digging for victory" in gardens and allotments.

Rescue tug HMS Vagrant launched.

Sloop HMS Kite commissioned.

GERMANY:

U-299 laid down.

U-842 commissioned.

ITALY: GENIERE, RM, Italian Destroyer. Sunk in dry dock at Palermo by USAAF air raids

MONSONE, RM, Italian Destroyer. Sunk in Naples harbour by USAAF air raids

(James Paterson)

U.S.S.R.: Russian troops resume the offensive North of Moscow. Soviet troops re-capture Demyansk, Zaluchie and Lychkovo.

BURMA: Myitkyina: A new Burma road, to take material to Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists, has just been completed. Two Chinese divisions which had retreated into India, the 22nd and 38th under the command of Chiang Kai-shek's hard-boiled US chief of staff, Lieutenant General "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell, pushed up from Ledo, 275 miles through Hukawng Valley and the Pangsan Pass, to Myitkyina, on the frontier with China.

In three months Stilwell's divisions killed 4,000 Japanese. They were followed by US Army engineers and 15,000 labourers. Since the original Burma Road was cut by the advancing Japanese early in 1942, the Nationalists have not been isolated. For nearly a year US pilots have flown an air bridge from Dinjan, near Ledo, across the Himalayan foothills into Yunnan. It was a dangerous journey, with planes buffeted by turbulent air currents and pilots suffering snow-blindness and crashing. Yet so successful was the air bridge that it carried more supplies than the original Burma Road.

CANADA: Dive tenders DT 2, 3, 4 ordered for RCN.

AMC HMCS Prince David arrived Burrard Drydock for conversion to infantry landing ship.

U.S.A.: VMB-413 is the first Marine PBJ squadron formed. Commissioned at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina.

Washington: The Atlantic Convoy Conference, which opened here today, is deciding the strategy for combating the continuing U-boat menace in the North Atlantic. Losses have mounted because of the increased number of U-boats, the deployment of "milch cow" submarines so that the U-boats can refuel while on patrol, and the shortage of very-long-range aircraft. From 1 April the Royal Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy are to share the escort of convoys on the North Atlantic route, with a dividing line at 47 degrees west, while the US Navy will cover the South Atlantic and Caribbean.

Aircraft carriers USS Ticonderoga and Kearsarge laid down.

Destroyer escorts USS Cates, Gandy and Lee Fox laid down.

A revision of the squadron designation system changed Inshore Patrol Squadrons to Scouting Squadrons (VS), Escort Fighting Squadrons (VGF) to Fighting Squadrons (VF), Escort Scouting Squadrons (VGS) to Composite Squadrons (VC) and Patrol Squadrons (VP) operating land type aircraft to Bombing Squadrons (VB). This revision also redesignated carrier Scouting Squadrons (VS) as VB and VC and as a result the types of squadrons on Essex Class carriers was reduced to three. In spite of this change, the aircraft complement of their Air Groups remained at its previous level of 21 VF, 36 VSB and 18 VTB. (Massimiliano Stola)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Between 28 Feb and 2 Mar, 1943, U-518 attacked Convoy BT-6, which was escorted by the Brazilian escort vessels Carioca, Caraveles and Rio Branco, several times and reported one ship sunk, six missed shots and eight duds or deep-running torpedoes. At 0330 on 1 March, lookouts on the Fitz-John Porter in station #14 spotted one torpedo coming from the starboard beam and cross the bow by a few feet. Later another torpedo missed the stern by about 25 yards. At 0652, a third torpedo struck on the port side at #5 hold. The explosion blew large holes in the ship at the waterline on both sides, demolished the after gun mount, severed the main shaft and completely destroyed the #5 hold. The eight officers, 30 men and 17 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 3in and five 20mm guns) abandoned ship in four lifeboats and one raft in good order. One armed guard, sleeping on #5 hatch was blown overboard and was not seen again. The Liberty ship sank sometime during the night of 2 March. The Brazilian minelayer Carioca picked up the survivors within two hours after the attack. One hour later they were transferred to a Brazilian freighter and landed in Recife, Brazil.

1 March 1944

March 1st, 1944 (WEDNESDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: The British minesweepers ME 35, commanded by Lieutenant Jack Nielsen, and ME 83, commanded by Lieutenant I Carlo F. Sørensen, are manned with Danish crews and flying 2 flags, Orlogsflaget (Danish Naval Ensign) and the White Ensign.

Destroyer HMS Ursa commissioned.

Submarine HMS Thorough commissioned.

FRANCE: Rommel has arrived in northern France to take command of the German forces awaiting the long-expected Allied invasion. The legendary "Desert Fox" has been dismayed to discover that the Führer's vaunted "Atlantic Wall" is largely a figment of Hitler's imagination, and he is urgently throwing up fortifications along the Normandy coast.

Vital training programmes have had to be dropped because, unable to get labour and materials from the Todt Organization, he is having to use his troops as labourers to cut trees for stakes on the beaches. Fuel shortages have created transport problems, and he has been driven to depend on horses and carts. Field Marshal Rommel asked for 50 million mines to sow as the first line of defence on the beaches; he expects to receive about 6 million. He reckons that he needs 240 loads of cement daily for fortifications; he is receiving fewer than 50.

To compound Rommel's problems, he is in disagreement with Field Marshal von Rundstedt, the C-in-C West. Rommel considers that the Allied invasion will be mounted in Normandy; von Rundstedt is certain it will be in the Pas de Calais and is holding back an armoured reserve which Rommel argues is vital for hitting the enemy when he is weakest, at the moment of landing.

GERMANY: Berlin: Fritz Sauckel, the Reich plenipotentiary for the allocation of labour, says that there are five million slave workers in Germany.

In response to the emergency created by the Allied Combined Bomber Offensive, the Armaments and Air Ministries create the Fighter Staff (Jägerstab) program, which was to produce between 1,000 and 4,000 fighters per month. (Mike Yared)

Walter Model is promoted to Field Marshal. (Glenn A. Steinberg)

U-907, U-1017, U-1018 launched.

U-873, U-1170, U-1274 commissioned.

U.S.S.R.: Marshal Zhukov takes over the command of the First Ukrainian Front from the injured General Vatutin; the German General Walter Model is promoted to Field Marshal.

Soviet troops take Russaki near Pskov.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-358 (Type VIIC) is sunk north of the Azores, in position 45.46N, 23.16W, by depth charges from the British frigates HMS Gould (ex-USS Lovering), Affleck, Gore and Garliese. 50 dead and 1 survivor. On 5 May, 1943 U-358 was depth charged in the North Atlantic by the British destroyer escort HMS Pink. The boat was damaged so badly that she had to return to base.

U-603 (type VIIC ) sunk in position 48.55N, 26.10W, by depth charges from the US destroyer escort USS Bronstein. 51 dead (all hands lost).

U-709 (type VIIC) is sunk north of the Azores, in approximate position 49.10N, 26.00W, by depth charges from the US destroyer escorts USS Thomas, Bostwick and Bronstein. 52 dead (all hands lost). 12 Jul, 1943 A torpedo explosion on board of U-709 killed 2 men and wounded another

(Alex Gordon)

Whilst in company with several escorts hunting down a submarine contact, frigate HMS Gould is torpedoed (A homing torpedo) and sunk at 7.20pm 480 miles NNE of the Azores by U-358 (Kapitanleutnant Rolf Manke). There are 123 casualties and 14 survivors. (James Paterson and Alex Gordon)(108)

BURMA: Air Commando Combat Mission N0. 13 3:15 Flight time. No details of results were noted. (Chuck Baisden)

ADMIRALTY ISLANDS: US troops defending Los Negros drive off Japanese attacks on the perimeter.

CANADA: HMC MTB 462 commissioned.

U.S.A.: USAAF XXI Bomber Command is activated at Smoky Hill AAFld, Kansas.

Submarine USS Hammerhead commissioned.

Aircraft carrier USS Tarawa laid down.

Destroyer escort USS Fieberling laid down.

Submarines USS Sea Robin and Stickleback laid down.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: During an air attack U-703 suffered 3 dead and 3 wounded. The damaged boat reached Narvik, Norway two days later. [Funkobermaat Paul Kretschmar (died on 7 March), Bootsmaat Erich Junker Maschinengefreiter Heinz Schade].

SS Saint Louis sunk by U-66 at 05.23N, 00.09W.

1 March 1945

March 1st, 1945 (THURSDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: Convoy RA-64 arrived at the Clyde.

GERMANY: East Prussia: Soviet troops under Zhukov push on to Kolberg.

US troops capture Mönchen-Gladbach and Neuss.

Pte James Stokes (b.1915), King's Shropshire Light Infantry, seized two buildings and 17 prisoners before he was fatally wounded. (Victoria Cross)

Maj. Frederick Alfred Tilston (b.1906), Canadian Army, led an attack, silencing a machine gun and refusing treatment for his severe wounds until sure the position was secure. (Victoria Cross)

U-3044, U-4712 launched.

U-4710 laid down.

U-2541, U-3035 commissioned.

FINLAND: Finland declares that state of war has existed with Germany and Japan since 15 September 1944. Finns had considered already in the previous fall declaring war on Germany, but back then USSR had not considered it necessary, even though Finns and Germans are fighting active war in northern Finland. But in February 1945 Finns are informed that nations who had declared war on the Axis Powers at the latest on 1 March 1945 will be invited to the founding conference of the United Nations in San Francisco. While it's not clear whether the former enemies will be invited, Finnish cabinet decides that a formal state of war gives Finland the option to demand war reparations from Germany in any future peace conference.

JAPAN: The US 5th Fleet carriers raid Okinawa.
The aircraft of Task Force 58 and Fifth Fleet surface ships bombard several islands in the Ryuku Islands especially Okinawa. At the end of the day, TF 58 retires to Ulithi Atoll in the Caroline Islands.

TSUBAME, IJN, Japanese Escort. Sunk by USN carrier aircraft form TF38 at Ishigaki, Sakishima Gunto.

MANAZURU, IJN, Japanese Escort. Sunk off Okinawa by US carrier aircraft from TF38

(James Paterson)

IWO JIMA: Private James Trimble III, a former baseball star in the US, dies while on a hazardous scouting mission. (Mike Yared)

CANADA: Destroyer HMCS Columbia paid off.

U.S.A.: President Roosevelt, back from the Yalta Conference, proclaimed the meeting a success as he addressed a joint session of Congress.

Submarine USS Corsair laid down.

Destroyer USS Hugh Purvis commissioned.

The USAAF 477th Bombardment Group begins moving by train to Freeman Field, Indiana from Godman Airfield, Kentucky. Word gets back to the remaining African-American officers that Colonel Selway had created two separate officers' clubs at Freeman: Club Number One for use by "trainees," all of whom are black; and Club Number Two for use by "instructors," all of whom are white. Led by Second Lieutenant Coleman A. Young, the future mayor of Detroit and an experienced labour organiser, a group of black officers still at Godman decided on a plan of action to challenge the de facto segregation at Freeman as soon as they arrived there.

There had already been an attempt to integrate Club Number Two on March 10, when two groups of black officers entered it and were refused service; but the officers still at Godman decided to push the issue to the point of arrest if necessary. (William L. Howard)

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