Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Day 163 February 10, 1940

Finland. A crack opens in the Mannerheim Line. Red Army attacks again across the Karelian Isthmus from Summa to Taipale. The Mannerheim Line holds in most places but the Soviets wade across the Munasuo swamp and through several rows of barbed wire to achieve a breakthrough in the swampy but poorly fortified Merkki sector.

Two wooden British ships HMS Salve and HMS Servitor successfully sweep for magnetic mines on the sea bed, dragging a long charged electrical cable which detonates the mines in their wake.

From 5-7 PM, U-48 stops, inspects and then sinks Dutch steamer Burgerdijk (carrying grain from USA to Rotterdam) 40 miles from Land’s End, England. The crew and passengers abandon ship in lifeboats and are picked up 12 hours later by Dutch steamer Edam and taken to England. http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/239.html

At 9 PM, U-37 sinks Nowegian steamer Silja (carrying salt from Gibraltar to Bergen) with 1 torpedo southwest of Ireland (all 16 lives lost).

1 comment:

  1. A day of terror as Russia rounds up thousands of Polish Military Settlers and loads them into cattle cars for deportation to labor camps in the Ural Mountains.

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