January 31st, 1940 (WEDNESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: The Barlow Report on the "Distribution of Industrial Population" is published, recommending the building of new towns.
U-15 (Type IIB) is sunk in the North Sea at Hoofden, after being rammed in error by the German torpedo boat Iltis. 25 dead (all hands lost). (Alex Gordon)
GERMANY: Admiral Raeder visits the commerce raider 'Atlantis' in dock at Kiel, and presents the captain with his operational orders. (Alex Gordon)
FINLAND: The Finnish Prime Minister Risto Ryti travels to Stockholm and presents the Swedish government a request for 30 000 men with equipment.
GIBRALTAR: U.S. passenger liner SS Washington is detained for several hours at Gibraltar by British authorities, but is allowed to proceed the same day; the freighter SS Jomar is also detained there.
ITALY: A secret British military mission orders 300 Caproni Re2000 fighters. (German intervention in April effectively vetoes the deal and British attempts to obtain the fighters through a Portuguese intermediary fail with the Italian declaration of war on 10 June.)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: SS Start sunk by U-13.
SS Vidar sunk by
U-21 at 58.39N, 02.00E -
Grid AN 4245.