13 Jan 1940
- German submarine U-20 torpedoed Swedish steamer Sylvia at 0430 hours northeast of Aberdeen, Scotland. Sylvia sank within a minute, taking the lives of the entire crew of 20. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Soviet submarine ShCh-324 attacked an Axis convoy in the Sea of Aland, but all torpedoes missed. Finnish Navy converted yacht Aura II retaliated with depth charges, but the wooden yacht was destroyed when one of the depth charges exploded in the thrower, killing 26; 15 survived the sinking. ww2dbase [ShCh-324 | CPC]
- The Yakovlev YA-26 prototype, later to become the Yak-1 fighter, took flight. This prototype would be lost in an accident in Apr 1940. ww2dbase [Yak-1 | AC]
- Adolf Hitler postponed the attack of France and the Low Countries. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- The German Navy Operations Division reported that while Norway presented strategic importance, Germany should not invade the neutral country if there was little risk of a British violation of Norwegian neutrality. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- USS Helena crossed the Equator for the first time. ww2dbase [Helena (St. Louis-class) | CPC]
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