Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Day 157 February 4, 1940

Finland. Consistent with Timoshenko’s small unit tactics, Soviet artillery, aircraft and tanks bombard Finnish positions in the Summa gap but Red infantry only advance on Summa village. Above Lake Lagoda, Colonel Dolin’s Siberian ski battalion arrives near the village of Kuhmo and counterattacks Finnish 9th division. After a week of pressure, Finnish IV Corps completes the destruction of West Lemetti motti, capturing 4 field guns, 2 antitank guns, 1 mortar, 32 tanks, 6 machineguns, 120 rifles and 26 trucks. Orders for the attack are notable for the first official use of the term “motti”.

At 4.17 AM, U-37 torpedoes Norwegian steamer SS Hop 100 miles South of the Shetland Islands (all 17 hands lost). About the same time 100 further miles South in the mouth of Moray Firth, HMS Sphinx finally sinks in heavy seas after being damaged by bombs on Feb 3.

At 9.25 PM, U-37 sinks British steamer SS Leo Dawson 15 miles east of Bressay, Shetlands, after missing with the first torpedo (all 35 hands lost).

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