December 22nd, 1940 (SUNDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:Churchill meets with the Home Secretary to discuss the continuing internment of various individuals without trial by jury or habeas corpus. These individuals include Oswald Mosley and his wife, and Pandit Nehru. He asks that in the case of Nehru the rigorous character of his imprisonment be removed.
GERMANY:
U-557 launched.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA:
While escorting battleship HMS Malaya (01) destroyer HMS Hyperion (H 97) is torpedoed by Italian
submarine Serpent 24 east miles of near Cape Bon at 37 40N, 11 31E. She is
taken in tow by HMS JANUS but later has to be scuttled. (Alex Gordon)(108)
Malaya carries on and is met by Force H.
The press report that the British Mediterranean Fleet bombarded Valona and poured a
hundred tons of high explosives on the port. During this action, not an Italian vessel or
plane was seen.
15 aircraft from HMS Illustrious bomb Tripoli, Libya.