Thursday, February 18, 2010

Day 171 February 18, 1940

On Hitler’s orders, General Halder reluctantly incorporates Von Manstein’s thrust through the Ardennes Forest into his plans to invade France. Von Manstein, Hitler and even Halder will ultimately take credit for the move.

Finland. Finns destroy the 'regimental motti' north of Lake Ladoga & capture 32 field guns, 30 antitank guns, 1 mortar, 20 tanks, 15 machineguns, 25 trucks & 32 field kitchens. Soviets losses; 1,000 dead, 250 taken prisoner. 166 Finnish troops die in the battle. On the Karelian Isthmus, Soviet tanks break the V-line in two places.

Despite being at war only with France, Britain & the Commonwealth, German U-boats sink 6 merchant vessels from France, Spain, Greece, Panama, Holland & Norway (coal, grain and general cargo, 21,000 tons, 40 lives lost). In addition, U-23 sinks British destroyer HMS Daring with two torpedoes, escorting convoy HN-12 40 miles east of the Orkney Islands, Scotland (156 lives lost, 4-15 survivors reported).

http://www.axfordsabode.org.uk/darfo102.htm

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