×
Home Intro People Events Equipment Places Maps Books Photos Videos Other Reference FAQ About
     

World War II Database

22 Jan 1940
  • Norwegian merchant vessel Segovia, with 750 tons of general cargo (including 140 tons of oil) became missing off western Scotland; her crew of 23 was never seen again. She might had been attacked and sunk by German submarine U-55. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • British Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax criticized First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill's speech of 20 Jan 1940, noting that by stating support for Finland in the war with Soviet Union he was meddling with foreign policy. ww2dbase [Halifax | CPC]
  • The Finns, with Swedes and Norwegians already fighting with them, announced the formation of a "Foreign Legion" which would include British volunteers. ww2dbase [AC]
  • USS Helena arrived at Buenos Aires, Argentina. ww2dbase [Helena (St. Louis-class) | CPC]
  • Oberleutnant zur See Otto Harms was made the commanding officer of U-56, relieving Wilhelm Zahn. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
  • The unescorted Norwegian 2,589-ton merchant steamer Songa was stopped by German submarine U-25 in calm seas 200 miles west of the Scilly Islands. Viktor Schütze ordered the Songa's crew to abandon the ship after he declared her cargo of copper, tin and foodstuffs to be contraband. A single torpedo then sent the vessel to the bottom; the submarine's crew supplied the Norwegians with rum and gave them a course to steer the two lifeboats towards the shipping lanes. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | HM]
United Kingdom
  • The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Furious left the Clyde, Scotland, United Kingdom with two squadrons of Swordfish torpedo-bombers to seek German shipping off Norway. ww2dbase [Furious | Firth of Clyde, Scotland | AC]
Photo(s) dated 22 Jan 1940
2-inch mortar team of UK 2nd Warwickshire Regiment at Rumegies, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France, 22 Jan 1940

22 Jan 1940 Interactive Map

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




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds

Change View
Desktop View

Search WW2DB


Famous WW2 Quote
"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us... they can't get away this time."

Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, at Guadalcanal


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!