January 6th, 1940 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Dogs are reportedly wearing bicycle reflectors on their collars to boost their visibility in the blackout.Sir John Reith, the founder of the BBC and its first Director-General is to take over as Minister of Information. He inherits a troubled ministry whose 999 civil servants, based in the Senate House of London University, have been criticised in the press and parliament for their ineptitude at raising morale, against the constant sniping of Germany's "Lord Haw-Haw".
Many functions of the ministry of been taken away. The press and censorship bureau is independent under Sir Walter Monckton, British propaganda to enemy countries is a joint effort of the MoI, the foreign office and the Ministry of Economic Warfare, and postal censorship is a war office function. The resulting muddle has left the MoI open to the charge that it has no information and no use.
RAF Bomber Command: 'Security Patrols' - Hornum - Borkum. 10 Sq. Four aircraft. Opposition moderate. Cold intense.
Submarine HMS Tempest laid down.
ÉIRE Dublin: Eamon de Valera, Prime Minister, is calling for new emergency powers to aid a nationwide crackdown on the IRA. The move came swiftly following an Irish High Court ruling which set free 53 men detained under the Emergency Powers Act. An amended and draconian version of the act has been proposed in the 'Dail'.
The amended act would allow the government the right to arrest and detain suspects without trial. Most of the freed men - who include several IRA leaders - are on the run.
GERMANY: U-557, U-558 laid down.
NORWAY: The Norwegian government rejects the Soviet claim that Norway is pursuing an "unneutral" policy.
FINLAND: Two Finnish Fokker fighters destroy seven Ilyushin bombers over Utti, 60 miles north-east of Helsinki.
Mikko Härmeinen adds: This is the famous exploit of Lieutenant Jorma Sarvanto, who shot down six of the bombers in five minutes before running out of ammo. Another Fokker D.XXI later finished the remaining plane.
The Russians have been forced to abandon their offensive tactics and are now digging in opposite the entire length of the Mannerheim Line. They are barricading themselves behind tank traps and barbed wire, building pillboxes, using dynamite to blow trenches in the frozen ground and site their guns in defensive positions. The Russians have now brought in their most modern aircraft, and now that the sea has frozen they have moved big guns over the ice to bombard the Finnish positions.
General Timoshenko is to replace Voroshilov and Meretskov.
GIBRALTAR: The U.S. passenger liner SS Manhattan is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities.
NEW ZEALAND: The New Zealand 4th Brigade sails from Auckland for Egypt in six transports escorted by the battleship HMS Ramillies, heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra and light cruiser HMS Leander.
U.S.A.: Richardson assumes command of the Pacific Fleet.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: SS City of Marseilles was damaged by a mine laid 12 Dec 1939 by U-13, 1.5 miles SE of Tay Fairway Buoy, River Tay.