February 9th, 1940 (FRIDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: RAF Fighter Command: Luftwaffe aircraft attacked shipping off the east coast. Two enemy aircraft were destroyed, two naval trawlers were sunk, three merchant ships damaged. Two more German aircraft were severely damaged.
FINLAND:
Helsinki: Fierce fighting continued today as General Timoshenko pressed his massive and
well organised attack on the Mannerheim Line. The offensive opened with a concentrated
barrage of 300,000 shells on the Finnish positions near Summa.
The Russian guns are virtually wheel to wheel, at the same time as Red Air Force bombers
attack Finnish lines of Communication and reserve bases.
The Russians have assembled 1500 aircraft including the new Ilyushin I16/17 fighter and
are using troop-carrying armoured cars mounted on sledges, armed with machine-guns, for
the first time. These dash forward, laying smoke screens, dropping off their troops and
carrying on. Tanks, each accompanied by a group of soldiers, are then sent forward through
the smoke to attack the Finnish positions. In the way the Russians hope to avoid the heavy
casualties they suffered in the first round of fighting when massed ranks of infantry were
driven into the Finnish machine gun fire.
GIBRALTAR: U.S. freighter SS Scottsburg, detained by British authorities yesterday, is released.
TURKEY: The government dismisses 80 German technical advisers.
CANADA:
AMC conversion for HMCS Prince Robert awarded to Burrard Drydock N. Vancouver , British Columbia.
USA:
Washington: The under-secretary of State, Sumner Welles, is to be sent to Europe to try to
negotiate a peace.
The motion picture "Broadway Melody of 1940" is
released. Directed by Norman Taurog, this musical stars Fred Astaire, Eleanor
Powell, George Murphy and Frank Morgan.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0105, the Chagres (Master Hugh Roberts) struck a mine, laid on 6 January by U-30 and sank 5.5 miles 270° from the Bar Lightvessel, Liverpool. Two crewmembers were lost. The master and 61 crewmembers were picked up by HMS Loch Montreith and landed at Liverpool.