January 1940

January

• 01

  • The Japanese counter-offensive in ShanxiOn 1 January 1940 the Japanese struck near Changzhi in Shanxi at Chinese corps that had hemmed in garrisons of their 36th Division in the winter offensive.
• 07

  • The destruction of Soviet divisions on the Raate roadIn the first week of January 1940 Colonel Siilasvuo’s Finns cut the Soviet 44th Division into pockets on the Raate road and destroyed it, taking tanks and guns.
  • Timoshenko takes command in FinlandOn 7 January 1940 Moscow formed the North-Western Front under Komandarm Timoshenko. After the defeats of December, he was to break the Mannerheim Line.
• 08

  • Food rationing begins in BritainOn 8 January 1940 the British first bought bacon, ham, butter and sugar on ration in this war, and only from the shop where they had registered.
• 10

  • Key eventThe Mechelen incidentOn 10 January 1940 a German liaison aircraft force-landed in Belgium near Mechelen. The Belgians seized the charred papers of the plan of attack in the West.
• 16

  • Hitler postpones the attack in the WestOn 16 January 1940 Hitler put off the attack in the West until spring, swayed by snow, frost and the plans lost at Mechelen. It was to be rebuilt anew.
• 17

  • Soviet air raids on Finnish townsIn mid-January 1940 Soviet bombers struck Turku, Tampere, Helsinki and dozens of other towns, while north of Lake Ladoga the Finns encircled two divisions.
• 21

  • The sinking of HMS ExmouthOn 21 January 1940 U-22 sank the destroyer HMS Exmouth in the Moray Firth with all 190 hands. A day earlier U-44 had sunk a Greek ship off Portugal.
• 27

  • Hitler orders preparations to invade NorwayOn 27 January 1940 Keitel, at Hitler’s wish, took over planning an operation against Norway. A separate OKW staff was set up and the plan named “Weserübung”.