27 December 1940

December 27th, 1940 (FRIDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: The George Cross is gazetted for Sub-Lt Richard Valentine Moore (b. 1916), RNVR, who was called upon in an emergency and, although he had no practical training, disarmed five mines.

The George Cross is also gazetted for Sub-Lt John Herbert Babington (b. 1911), RNVR, who died tackling a bomb at Chatham which had a new type of fuse, knowing that a similar device had recently killed an RAF expert; he could not remove it, but much was learnt from this brave attempt.

London: There is a major night attack by over 100 bombers.

London: Prime Minister to First Sea Lord:
What have you done about catapulting expendable aircraft from ships in outgoing convoys? I have heard of a plan to catapult them from tankers, of which there are always nearly some in each convoy. They then attack the Focke-Wulf and land in the sea, where the pilot is picked up, and machines salved or not as convenient. How is this plan viewed?

Prime Minister to General Ismay:
...
2. The operation "Marie" [the occupation of Djibouti] has been regarded by the Chiefs of Staff, and is considered by me, to be valuable and important. For this purpose not only the Foreign Legion battalion but two other French battalions should be sailed in the January 4 convoy, and deposited at Port Sudan, where they can either intervene in "Marie" or in Egypt.

When the destroyer HMS Acheron was mined while running trials after a refit, off the Isle of Wight, it sank instantly, killing 151 men and sparing only 15 men.

VICHY FRANCE: The official press agency states that the Laval incident is closed and that the former Premier is in Paris on private business. His retirement is confirmed by the Vichy government. On 12 July 1940, Laval was appointed vice-premier and because he was enthusiastically pro-Nazi; his demands for a Franco-German military alliance led to him being sacked from the government and arrested on 13 December. The German ambassador in France, Otto Abetz, has him freed and moved to Paris.

The German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper completes Operation NORDSEETOUR in the Atlantic Ocean during which she engaged the British heavy cruiser HMS Berwick (65). Admiral Hipper arrives in Brest, the first of the German big ships to reach the French Biscay ports.

GERMANY:
Grand Admiral Raeder reports to Hitler in Berlin: 'The threat to Britain in the entire eastern Mediterranean, the Near East and in North Africa has been eliminated ... The decisive action in the Mediterranean for which we had hoped therefore is no longer possible.
Berlin:
The United Press Agency reports:
The German authorities are maintaining silence about the rumours coming from Budapest that German troop movements are taking place there.

SINGAPORE: The defences are being strengthened. Aircraft, air force personnel, members of Indian infantry, artillery, engineers, and auxiliaries have recently arrived in Malaya.

PACIFIC: The disguised German raider 'Komet', flying the Japanese flag, bombards phosphate plants on the Australian protectorate of Nauru. Nauru Island is a 21 square kilometer (8 square mile) island in the South Pacific about 380 nautical miles (703 kilometers) west-southwest of Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands. The island is rich in phosphate deposits and will be occupied by the Japanese on 25 August 1942.

CANADA:

Fairmile B patrol craft HMC ML 062 and ML 063 ordered.

Bangor class-minesweepers Kelowna, Noranda and Lachine laid down Lauzon, Province of Quebec.

ATLANTIC OCEAN:

SS Waiotira sunk by U-38 58.05N, 17.10W - Grid AL 3687.

SS Risanger sunk by U-65 12.30N, 21.30W - Grid EJ 9675.

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