January 29th, 1940 (MONDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:RAF Fighter Command: Three enemy aircraft attacked the Shetlands. No damage was caused, 12 bombs fell into the sea.
Between 15 and 20 enemy aircraft attacked shipping off the East Coast from Shetlands to Kent. 4 merchantmen were sunk or damaged, the enemy aircraft were driven off. 1 Luftwaffe aircraft is claimed destroyed.
The German Intelligence at this time believed that as Great Britain was buried under a heavy fall of snow, with roads and railways blocked, that the aerodromes were out of action. But all ranks were working to maintain the aerodrome surfaces in serviceable condition, and the German air crews who attacked were unpleasantly surprised by the weight of air defence that they had to face.
The British Admiralty orders that no American ships should, under any circumstances, be diverted into the war zone delineated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the provisions of the Neutrality Act.
Submarine HMS Talisman launched.
FRANCE: Paris: The Polish government in exile says that the Nazis have killed
18,000 prominent Poles.
Premier Edouard Daladier delivers a stirring broadcast speech: "Germany hopes to encompass our downfall by exploiting weakness at home..."
SWEDEN: Diplomatic exchanges via Sweden shows the USSR is prepared to negotiate with the recognized Finnish Government and abandon the puppet communist government.
GIBRALTAR: U.S. freighter SS Exochorda is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 1530, SS Eika
was hit by one torpedo from U-51,
broke in two and sank. Only two men survived Harald Støle (age 16) and stoker
Alfred Johansen. Both were later picked up by the U-boat and were taken to
Germany. Harald Støle was together with his brother Arne on board, who died in
the sinking. On 4 February, Harald had his 17th Birthday and on this occasion
U-51 CO Knorr gave him a drink
and some chocolate. The two survivors were sent home to Norway one week after
arriving in Germany. U-51 had to abort patrol due to technical difficulties.