13 Dec 1940 | World War II Database

13 Dec 1940

Führer Directive 20 was issued to prepare for Operation Marita, the invasion of Greece. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
German Army units began redeployment in preparation for Operation Barbarossa. ww2dbase [TH]
British 4th Armored Brigade crossed the desert between Halfaya and Sidi Omar in Egypt in an attempt to cut the road to Tobruk, Libya. To counter the British naval bombardment, Italian submarine Neghelli attacked British cruiser HMS Coventry 40 miles northeast of Sidi Barrani, Egypt at 2042 hours, nearly blowing off her bow; she was able to sail under her own power to Alexandria, Egypt for repairs. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
British submarine HMS Truant sank Italian ship Sebastino Bianchi 20 miles off the southern tip of Italy. ww2dbase [CPC]
German submarine U-43 torpedoed and damaged British ship Orari 450 miles west of Land's End, England, United Kingdom at 2046 hours. ww2dbase [CPC]
HMS Manchester arrived in Britain from the Mediterranean Sea. ww2dbase [CPC]
Douglas Bader was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | AC]

France

Pierre Laval was dismissed as the Vice President of the Council, which in effect was the Prime Minister of France. He was placed under arrest shortly after. ww2dbase [Pierre Laval | Vichy | TH]
Morosini undocked at Bordeaux, France. ww2dbase [Morosini | Bordeaux, Aquitaine | CPC]

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis

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