December 2nd, 1940 (MONDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:Minesweeping trawlers HMS Balta and Copinsay launched.
Minesweeping trawler HMS Ophelia commissioned.
ITALY: Newly arrived RAF
Wellington bombers begin offensive actions from Malta by bombing Naples.
SPAIN:
Madrid: In a significant act of defiance, the Spanish dictator, General Franco, today
ignored pressure from Nazi Germany and signed a financial pact with Britain. At the same
time Franco gave a categorical assurance to Britain and the US that in no circumstances
will Spain join the war against Britain or allow Spain to be used for military operations.
The pact with Britain will release Spanish funds in London which have been frozen since
the start of the Spanish Civil War.
EGYPT:
Cairo: General Archibald Wavell, Commander in Chief Middle East Command,
meets with Lieutenant General William Platt, General Officer Commanding Sudan
Defence Force, from the Sudan and Lieutenant General Alan Cunningham, (brother
of the naval C-in-C) General Officer Commanding 51st Division, from Kenya. They decide that an operation must be planned to
recapture Kassala in East Africa. But this would need at least one infantry division to be
supplied from Egypt and that in turn would depend upon the outcome of the forthcoming
offensive.
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
U-99 claims her third armed merchant cruiser when she torpedoes AMC
Forfar and sinks her west of Ireland at 54 35N, 18 18W. Forfar was sailing
independently to meet convoy SC 14. (Alex Gordon)(108)At the same time nearby convoy HX90 is attacked just before the Western
Approaches escorts arrive. Eleven ships are lost to the U-boats.
The armed merchant cruiser HMS Montrose was torpedoed and sunk in the North Atlantic in position 54.35N, 018.18W, by U-99, Kptlt. Kretschmer, Knight’s Cross, Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves, Knight’s Cross with Swords, CO. There were 185 casualties in this incident. Montrose was the former Canadian National Steamships cargo-liner SS Lady Somers (16,402 GRT). She was requisitioned into the Royal Navy as an armed merchant cruiser renamed HMS Forfar. She had been detached from convoy HX-90 was on route to join convoy OB-251 when she was hit by five torpedoes from U-99. Due to the intense convoy battle underway and the stormy weather rescue operations were delayed, leading to the high casualty toll.
U.S.A.: Light cruiser USS
Montpelier laid down.