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

World War II Database

1 Feb 1940
  • Soviet artillery pieces fired 300,000 shells in the Summa sector of the Karelian Isthmus on this date at the start of a new Soviet offensive against the Finnish forces. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
  • German submarine U-59 torpedoed and sank British coaler Ellen M. 20 miles east of Southwold, Suffolk, England, killing the entire crew of 9. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • In Russia the noted stage director, Vsevolod Meyerhold, having been tortured into confessing that he was the leader of an anti-soviet Trotskyite, was convicted in camera, and was executed on the following day. ww2dbase [AC]
  • The keel of refrigerated cargo ship Telemachus was laid down. ww2dbase [Activity | CPC]
  • Arturo Riccardi was made Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of the Crown of Italy. ww2dbase [Arturo Riccardi | CPC]
Germany
  • Hans-Joachim Marseille was awarded the Pilot's Badge. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | CPC]
  • U-1 was transferred out of the German Navy Submarine School Flotilla. ww2dbase [U-1 | CPC]
Poland United Kingdom
  • The Swedish-owned 2,491-ton Fram, an old steam merchant launched in 1897, was lying at anchor at Rosehearty Buoy off Fraserburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom when, at 0043 hours, she was struck by a G7e torpedo fired from German submarine U-13 (Kapitänleutnant Max-Martin Schulte) and sunk. 9 of her crew were killed in the explosion, survivors were picked up by the K-class destroyer HMS Khartoum and the armed trawler HMS Viking Deeps. Svea Hannson, a 45-year-old stewardess was one of those killed when the neutral ship sank. ww2dbase [Fraserburgh, Scotland | HM]
  • In Britain, the Admiralty took over the responsibility for the building and repair of merchant shipping and concluded an arrangement to buy old cargo ships from the United States. ww2dbase [AC]
  • In the British House of Commons, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declined to accept a suggestion by Herbert Morrison that a Minister of War Economy should be appointed on the grounds that such a post would do nothing which was not already being done. ww2dbase [Neville Chamberlain | London, England | AC]
United States
  • The keel of battleship Alabama was laid down at Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, United States. ww2dbase [Norfolk Navy Yard | Alabama | Portsmouth, Virginia | CPC]
  • Harold George was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and was made the commanding officer of 31st Pursuit Group. ww2dbase [Harold George | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 1 Feb 1940
Keel laying of battleship Alabama, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia, United States, 1 Feb 1940

1 Feb 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
"We no longer demand anything, we want war."

Joachim von Ribbentrop, German Foreign Minister, Aug 1939


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!