The Soviet Union is continuing its massive offensive against the Finnish backline positions.
The Finns acknowledge that Soviet forces have established a bridgehead on the northwest shore of Viipuri Bay. However, the communiqué claims that the defenses along the rest of the Karelian Isthmus remain intact. Finland is now in danger of being overwhelmed by the Soviet offensive. Meanwhile, Britain and France promise Finland troops and planes to fight the Soviets provided that Helsinki makes a formal request.
The British and French still promise assistance, but they want a formal request for assistance. Their offers are cynical: while they promise 12,000 troops, only 4,000 are allocated to Finland; the rest would be to seize control of iron ore mines in Norway and Sweden.
Soviet troops captured the village of Tali on the outskirts of Viipuri and for the most part were in control of the Bay of Viipuri. An attack in the morning by two Soviet divisions shatters the Finnish backline defences in Tali. The defending Finnish battalion loses 44 percent of its strength in the savage engagement. Despite their heavy losses, the Finns still attempt a counterattack towards Tali at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, but without success. Tali village falls to the enemy. In the evening the Finnish troops regroup in defensive formations on a line cutting through the southern head of Lake Leitimojärvi and the eastern head of Lake Kärstilänjärvi. Some of the men are in a state of panic. Divisional staff is forced to ask for additional military policemen to pick up deserters from the front line.
The Finns evacuated their last toeholds in the Gulf of Viipuri. The Finnish force in Viipurinlahti bay withdraws from Lihaniemi promontory and Hapenensaari and Piispansaari islands. On the western side of the bay the Soviet troops sever the new trunk road from Viipuri to Säkkijärvi.
Soviet 7th Army is attacking toward Viipuri through floodwaters of the Saimaa canal.
In Taipale, the Finnish troops manage to evacuate the Terenttilä stronghold without the Russians realising what is going on.
In the Kollaa sector in Ladoga Karelia the enemy offensive continues unabated, with strongholds changing hands several times during the course of the day. One of Finland’s leading gymnasts, Reserve Lieutenant Martti ‘Make’ Uosikkinen is killed in Kollaa. By midnight the entire main defensive line is once again in Finnish hands.
Approximately 70 Finnish aircraft strafe enemy troops and columns in Viipurinlahti Bay. In the resulting dogfight, the Finns shoot down three enemy fighters. One Finnish plane is lost and three damaged. The Finns perform strafing missions with nine Moranes and a Fiat, destroying 6 trucks, and also shoot down 2 Soviet I-153 and a Tshaika. Ten new Hawker Hurricanes, much more advanced than current planes on either side, arrive at the Sakyla base, but must be worked up and pilots trained on them.
Finnish pilots spot over 400 enemy lorries carrying infantry and over 50 assault tanks on the roads to the south of Lake Suvanto on the eastern Isthmus.
The Soviets are demanding a huge slice of Finnish territory to the west of Lake Ladoga, including Salla in Lapland. The Finns are aghast because they never expected to lose all access to Lake Ladoga.
The Finland’s government convened at 5 p.m. to consider the telegrams sent by the delegation at the Moscow peace talks. The assembled ministers were shocked by the proposed loss of access to Lake Ladoga and the cession of the district of Salla in Lapland. The session was interrupted by an important telephone call from Commander in Chief Field Marshal Carl Mannerheim, and reconvened at 10 p.m. The government was able to draw on an assessment of the military situation prepared by General Heinrichs, commander of the Army of the Isthmus. Heinrichs’ pessimistic assessment forced Mannerhiem to conclude that there was no alternative but to accept the Soviet Union’s peace terms.
Peace between Russia and Finland at this time — no matter on what basis — can be regarded only as a major defeat for the Allies, in the opinion of military observers in Washington. Both American and foreign experts agree that the end of the Russian-Finnish conflict would be the second major setback in six months of war for the Allies. Germany’s quick conquest of Poland is generally regarded as the first, since the Nazi “Blitzkrieg” of last September changed a war that opened on two fronts Into a war of a single front. Similarly, peace in Finland will not only enable Russia to divert her attention — political and military — to other areas, probably the Near East and the Balkans, but should also enable the Soviet Union to ship more supplies to Germany.
Colonel General Walther von Brauchitsch, Commander-in-Chief of the German armies, stood today at the “noisy corner” of the Western Front where France, Germany and Luxembourg meet, the D.N.B. semi-official news agency said, and gazed across the sunlit No Man’s Land to the French lines, while artillery shells burst on a hilltop about two kilometers from him. In a journey along the Westwall General von Brauchitsch is reported to have passed from the rearmost lines through the maze of fortresses, some of which are still under construction, to the very front, where the German troops were able to point out to him, “there lies France.” That corner where the three countries adjoin has been the scene of the heaviest firing since November, when the French troops ceded strips of territory they had gained in the early stages of the war. During the day, as for many days past, the German High Command reported “only slight activity on the Western Front.”
Admiral Erich Raeder, Commander of the German Navy, tells Hitler that the British and French might occupy Norway and Sweden under the pretext of aiding the Finns and he encourages an invasion of Norway at the earliest time.
Polish Jews from Łódź who have been forced to move into the Jewish Ghetto find conditions there deplorable: “A refuse dump choked with rats. A stinking toilet full of melting snow. A leaking roof. 1 little room for 7 people,” says Irena Liebman.
One French fighter downed in engagements with Luftwaffe fighters.
An Anglo-Italian compromise solution to the “Coal Ships Affair” of March 7th is achieved. The British released the Italian coal ships detained on 7 March 1940 and announced that the United Kingdom would allow Italy to continue to import German coal but only via overland routes.
The UK press, which has a mind of its own, accuses the U.S. industry of war profiteering. Ambassador to the Court of St. James Joseph Kennedy replies, “We’re not playing Shylock, getting rich off misery.” He also rather pointedly adds, “America’s desire to stay out of this war is getting stronger.” The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately rules that businesses are perfectly entitled to take profits from war contracts even if this is seen by some as “war profiteering.”
In a pungent show of team spirit, Canadian soldiers who left their hockey team to serve their country with the BEF don their Toronto Maple Leafs team jerseys while training in England.
The creation of a great allied air force in the Near East was discussed by Turkish, British and French air chiefs at the beginning of a five-day conference. Informed sources said the plans included close coordination of the three air forces, and the use of Turkish bases by British and French air fleets in the event of war in the Near East. An air attack on the Caucasus oilfields is regarded as probable if Russia becomes involved in a Near Eastern war.
The Kriegsmarine conducts minelaying operations.
At 0542 hours , the unescorted British steam merchant Borthwick was torpedoed and sunk by the U-14, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Wohlfarth, north of Zeebrugge off the Belgian coast (51° 44’N, 3° 22’E). Borthwick (Master G. Simpson) was hit by one G7e torpedo from U-14 and sank after breaking in two north of Zeebrugge. The master and 20 crew members were picked up by the Flushing pilot boat Loodsboot No.9 and landed at Flushing on 10 March. The 1,097-ton Borthwick was carrying 700 tons of general cargo and was bound for Leith, Scotland.
The British steam merchant Abbotsford was also torpedoed and sunk by the U-14 north of Zeebrugge (51° 44’N, 3° 22’E) at 2330 hours. Abbotsford was hit in the foreship by one G7e torpedo from U-14 north of Zeebrugge and caught fire. The Akeld was ahead of the vessel and apparently turned around to help the torpedoed ship, but at 2345 hours was struck herself amidships by a G7a torpedo from the same U-boat and sank within seconds. At 2355 hours, the first ship was sunk by a coup de grâce. The master, 17 crew members and one gunner from the Abbotsford (Master Alexander John Watson) were lost. The 1,585-ton Abbotsford was carrying steel and flax and was bound for Grangemouth, Scotland.
The British steam merchant Akeld also was torpedoed and sunk by the U-14 at 2345 hours north of Zeebrugge (51° 44’N, 3° 22’E). The master, eleven crew members and one gunner from the Akeld (Master David Lambert) were lost. The 643-ton Akeld was carrying general cargo and was bound for Newcastle, England.
At 2113, the Irish steam trawler Leukos was attacked without warning by U-38, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe, about 12 miles NW of Tory Island (55° 39’N, 8° 45’W). At 2000, the U-boat had spotted six trawlers all with their light set near Tory Island and Liebe thought that they were forming a patrol line. He decided to give one of them a warning & fired one shot from its deckgun at the Leukos from a distance of 200 meters. The shot hit the trawler in the engine room and she disappeared in a cloud of steam and smoke. The U-boat waited until the trawler sank after one hour and then continued the patrol. Leukos was reported missing on 12 March, when she failed to arrive in Dublin. On 21 March, a lifeboat bearing the logo of the ship was washed ashore on Scarinish Tiree off the West Coast of Scotland. The 216-ton Leukos was carrying 21 tons of fish, bound for Dublin.
The German U-boat U-28, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Günter Kuhnke, torpedoed and sank the Greek steam merchant P. Margaronis , southwest of Lands End, near the English Channel (48° 51’N, 6° 55’W) at 2317 hours, killing the entire crew of 30. U-28 fired one G7e torpedo at an illuminated westbound freighter without flag about 70 miles south-southwest of the Scilly Isles and observed that the ship sank by the stern within 90 seconds after being struck on port side just ahead of the aft mast and breaking in two. This must have been the P. Margaronis which was reported missing after 8 March southwest of Land’s End. The 4,979-ton P. Margaronis was carrying ballast and was bound for Canada.
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Kelly (Lord Mountbatten) collides with destroyer HMS Gurkha, damaging the Kelly.
The British collier Ashley ran aground on the Goodwin Sands, Kent. She broke in two on 11 March. All seventeen crew were rescued by the lifeboat Prudential.
The British cargo ship Chevychase struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off the north coast of Norfolk 53°18′N 1°13′E). All 21 crew were rescued by the British trawler Monimia.
The British cargo ship Maindy Hill collided with the British ship St Rosario in the North Sea 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) north east of Hartlepool, County Durham and sank. All 23 crew were rescued.
The Belgian fishing vessel Santa Godelieva struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Ostend, West Flanders by aircraft of KG26, Luftwaffe, with the loss of four crew.
The French Navy auxiliary patrol vessel P-100 Murad ran aground near Latakia, Syria and was wrecked.
The U.S. freighter Exmoor was detained at Gibraltar by British authorities.
Convoy FN.116 departed Southend with destroyer HMS Vimiera joining on the 9th for the voyage to Rosyth. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 11th.
Convoy FS.117 departed the Tyne escorted by sloop HMS Egret and destroyer HMS Whitley, and arrived at Southend on the 11th.
Convoy BC.28 of steamers Baron Carnegie (Commodore), Batna, Kerma, Lochee, Pizarro and Ramon De Larrinaga departed the Loire escorted by destroyer HMS Vivacious, and arrived in the Bristol Channel on the 11th.
Convoy OB.105 departs Liverpool.
Convoy HG.22F departed Gibraltar with 30 ships escorted by French destroyer Tigre, patrol vessel HMS Vikings and British destroyer HMS Active. The French ships detached on the 15th and arrived at Brest on the 16th. The convoy was escorted at sea by sloop HMS Leith and destroyer HMS Vanoc, and arrived at Liverpool on the 18th.
Convoy SLF.23 departed Freetown escorted by armed merchant cruiser HMS Jervis Bay, and on the 19th, merged with SL.23, the combined convoy arriving at Liverpool on the 22nd.
Convoy HX.26 departs Halifax for Liverpool.
The War at Sea, Saturday, 9 March 1940 (naval-history.net)
Light cruisers NEWCASTLE and GALATEA, departed Scapa Flow on Northern Patrol.
Destroyer JERVIS attacked a submarine contact 4.6 miles 102° from Bell Rock. Sisters ship JUPITER and JANUS hunted in the area until dark. Meanwhile JERVIS and JAGUAR, also sister ships, arrived at Rosyth after escort duty with convoy ON.17 A, with JUPITER and JANUS reaching there on the 9th.
Destroyers KHARTOUM and KINGSTON arrived at Falmouth for refittings.
Destroyer KANDAHAR departed Scapa Flow at 0745 for Hull to repair structural damage to her petrol tank compartment. On passage she attacked a submarine contact east of Berwick in 55 04N, 1 41W at 2042, and another one off Filey Brig in 54 17N, 00 09W at 0735/10th before arriving in the Humber on the 10th.
Destroyer ESKIMO departed Portsmouth on the 8th after refitting at Southampton and arrived at the Clyde on the 9th.
Destroyers HOTSPUR and MASHONA departed the Clyde at 1200 to provide escort for armed merchant cruiser LETITIA on a full calibre firings in the Forth of Clyde. Afterwards, the destroyers carried out their own full calibre firing. LETITIA proceeded to her station on Northern Patrol, and the destroyers arrived at Tail of the Bank.
Submarine SEAWOLF departed Harwich for a special patrol in the vicinity of Outer Dowsing Light Vessel.
Convoy FN.116 departed Southend with destroyer VIMIERA joining on the 9th for the voyage to Rosyth. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 11th.
Convoy FS.117 departed the Tyne escorted by sloop EGRET and destroyer WHITLEY, and arrived at Southend on the 11th.
Anti-submarine trawler CORNELIAN (568grt) on patrol near Bar Light Vessel in Liverpool Bay in 51-30.5N, 3-29W attacked a submarine contact. Destroyer WHIRLWIND and anti-submarine yacht VIRGINIA (712grt) searched the area on the 10th in daylight, but were unable to reestablish contact.
Trawler JUST REWARD sighted a light nine miles NE by E of Scarborough, and considering it to be a dan buoy, approached. However, on arrival at the light, the trawler found a submarine which dived immediately.
Convoy BC.28 of steamers BARON CARNEGIE (Commodore), BATNA, KERMA, LOCHEE, PIZARRO, and RAMON DE LARRINAGA departed the Loire escorted by destroyer VIVACIOUS, and arrived in the Bristol Channel on the 11th.
U-14 sank steamers BORTHWICK (1097grt) and AKELD (643grt) in 51 44N, 03 22E, and steamer ABBOTSFORD (1585grt) in the North Sea. A Dutch coast guard cutter assisted in the rescue of the entire crew of BORTHWICK, but all thirteen crew on AKELD were lost, and there were no survivors from ABBOTSFORD.
U-28 sank Greek steamer P. MARGARONIS (4979grt) southwest of Lands End.
U-38 sank trawler LEUKOS (216grt) northwest of Tory Island.
Steamer ASHLEY (1323grt) ran aground 1.4 miles 225° from East Goodwins Light Vessel. Destroyer BEAGLE was dispatched to assist, but returned to patrol when two tugs arrived. The steamer broke up on the tide on the 11th.
Steamer MAINDY HILL (1918grt) was lost in collision with steamer ST ROSARIO (4312grt) three miles NE of Hartlepool. ST ROSARIO was able to proceed to the Tees.
Belgian fishing vessel SANTA GODELIVIA (33grt) was lost to unknown cause in the North Sea. Later research attributes her loss to attack by aircraft of KG26.
Convoy HG.22F departed Gibraltar with 30 ships escorted by French destroyer TIGRE, patrol vessel VIKINGS and British destroyer ACTIVE. The French ships detached on the 15th and arrived at Brest on the 16th. The convoy was escorted at sea by sloop LEITH and destroyer VANOC, and arrived at Liverpool on the 18th.
French battleship PROVENCE, heavy cruiser DUQUESNE and British aircraft carrier HERMES with destroyers DECOY and DEFENDER departed Dakar for a sweep, returning on the 16th.
Base ship EDINBURGH CASTLE arrived at Freetown.
Convoy HX.26 departed Halifax at 0800 escorted by Canadian destroyers HMCS SAGUENAY and HMCS SKEENA. Canadian destroyer HMCS OTTAWA also escorted the convoy at the start. At 1800/11th, the convoy was turned over to battleship MALAYA, which detached on the 22nd. Destroyers VANSITTART, VENETIA, VIMY and WOLVERINE escorted the convoy from the 24th to 26th, when it arrived at Liverpool.
Convoy SLF.23 departed Freetown escorted by armed merchant cruiser JERVIS BAY, and on the 19th, merged with SL.23, the combined convoy arriving at Liverpool on the 22nd.
U.S. Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles told the French that the United States will insist that the peace which follows the current European war must provide strong safeguards for the freedom of international trade, and eliminate resentment and fears between nations.
The European mission of Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles meets with general approval in the United States, while a majority believe that this nation should take a hand in any international conference aimed at ending European hostilities, Dr. George Gallup announced yesterday as a result of a survey made by the Institute of Public Opinion.
Day-long speech-making — which some described as a “filibuster” — resulted in a decision to put off further senate consideration of the Hatch anti-politics bill for at least two weeks, and perhaps longer. With no possibility of an early vote in sight, Democratic and Republican leaders agreed informally to displace the legislation with the $923,000,000 farm supply bill, sent to the Senate by the usually conservative appropriations committee with a recommendation increased funds and bookkeeping shifts to save money. Under the arrangement, the administration’s reciprocal trade program will be considered after the farm bill. Then debate will be resumed on the Hatch bill.
Temporary oblivion on the Senate’s calendar of unfinished business to night faced the Hatch bill, designed to clean up State politics, following a week in which it created such dissension within Democratic ranks as to cause Senator Barkley, the majority leader, to threaten to resign his post. When the Senate recessed this afternoon, at the conclusion of an extraordinary Saturday session, there was general agreement that the bill would be set aside on Monday afternoon for consideration of the Agriculture Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year.
It would still remain in first position as pending business, but under a threat of filibuster that might easily make a vote as uncertain at any future time as it is at the present time. The bill, designed to lay the same limitations on political work by state employees supported wholly or partially by federal funds as are imposed on federal workers, has the obvious support of a slim but firm majority composed of a nonpartisan coalition in the Senate. However, two-score Democrats, ranging from the most radical type of “liberals” to iron-clad conservatives, have demonstrated that, since they cannot defeat the bill, they have no inclination to permit a final vote on it, for the present at least.
The deadlock is comparable in many respects, as far as political strategy is concerned, to the impasse always reached over the Anti-Lynching Bill which, in successive sessions, has failed for many years to reach a final vote in the Senate. Today’s debate was lacking in the heat that characterized yesterday’s session; it was entirely good-natured and, if sometimes akin to filibuster, devoid of personalities.
The Democratic leadership, which has won constant success in defeating amendments to which it objected, with the assistance of the twenty-three Republican members, won a technical victory in obtaining an agreement to vote at 2 PM on Monday on a highly controversial amendment by Senator Brown, designed to stop all political activity by persons who stand to profit by governmental operations or actions. But this victory was only technical, in view of the fact that however that vote may go the bill will be laid aside thereafter.
The Brown amendment would disqualify for political activities, and forbid political contributions by, all executives and stockholders in corporations who benefit by operation of the tariff and by government loans or grants; who have tax appeals pending in any form, or who make their living by appearing before government departments and agencies for clients. Pointing out that this amendment would cut off many of the largest contributors to the Republican Party, Senator Brown yesterday challenged the Republican minority to assist the thin line of Democratic followers of Mr. Barkley in defeating this amendment. Senator Hatch strongly fought this amendment.
The Senate Appropriations Committee upheld its subcommittee today against attempts by Senator Hale of Maine to reduce the $297,000,000 for parity payments and surplus commodity disposal added to the Agriculture Department Appropriation Bill as it came from the House.
The Administration’s reciprocal trade agreements have accomplished “highly beneficial results in the face of trying and discouraging conditions,” the Senate Finance Committee stated today in its majority report recommending extension of the present law for three years.
Americans were inferentially advised by Senator Charles W. Tobey in a radio broadcast tonight to refuse to answer census questions which violated their “constitutional” right of privacy.
New Deal sympathy shown toward Russia was now an occasion for regret in America, Senator Robert A. Taft of Ohio, candidate for the Republican nomination for President, declared in a speech in Chicago tonight. He made pointed reference to the war in Finland.
Chairman Key Pittman of the Senate foreign relations committee suggested a 30-day armistice in the European war, so that there could be “calm, discussion” by the belligerents looking toward permanent peace. In a radio address, the Nevada senator said he thought that neutral nations of the world would be willing to offer their services in negotiating peace, if the belligerents would stop warfare long enough to permit them to act.
The removal of Thomas C. Wilcox as Sheriff of Wayne County (Detroit) was recommended to Governor Luren D. Dickinson today by Circuit Judge Homer Ferguson, who has been conducting a oneman grand jury investigation of gambling and graft in Detroit. The sheriff is under indictment for conspiracy.
Beechcraft AD-17 biplane flown to altitude of 21,050 feet over the Antarctic to measure cosmic rays for the U.S. Antarctic Expedition, piloted by T. Sgt. T. A. Petras (USMC).
The Spanish cargo ship Hercules ran aground in the Paraná River 167 nautical miles (309 km) from its mouth. She broke in two and was a total loss.
Mohandas K. Gandhi, Indian Nationalist leader, hinted that he might be of more use to India if he broke off all connection with the All-India Congress, which is demanding the country’s independence, in an article today in his newspaper, Harijan.
Dr. Wang Chung-hui, Chinese Foreign Minister, declared today that in making a loan of $20,000,000 to his nation “the United States had again shown friendship that the Chinese people will remember long and gratefully.”
The port of Ningpo, 100 miles south of Shanghai, today offers a comedy of pretended resistance against the Japanese, but actually Ningpo affords a channel for immense trade with China’s hinterland, from which Chinese and Japanese are prospering. Ningpo exports in foreign ships and Chinese junks great quantities of cotton, wood oil, tea, ores, and many other commodities, most of which eventually reach Japanese hands, while through Ningpo go into unoccupied China a tremendous quantity of quantity of manufactured goods for Japan and from Japanese-controlled plants in Shanghai. These goods are not marked “Made in Japan,” but usually are marked “Made in Germany,” “Made in Italy,” or “Made in England.” They are carried in Italian coastline vessels. British ships do not connive in this trademark deception. Ningpo could be more easily captured by the Japanese than Swatow or Amoy, but thus far they have desisted, finding this trade with the interior of China too lucrative to sacrifice for the mere prestige of closing the last important Chinese seaport.
Lieutenant General Mikio Uemura was named the chief of staff of the Taiwan Army.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 148.14 (+0.07)
Born:
Raúl Juliá, Puerto Rican actor (“Addams Family” (films); “Kiss of the Spider Woman”), in San Juan, Puerto Rico (d. 1994).
Naval Construction:
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type IXB U-boat U-109 is laid down by AG Weser, Bremen (werk 972).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type IXB U-boat U-124 is launched by AG Weser, Bremen (werk 956).
The U.S. Navy Gleaves-class destroyers USS Plunkett (DD-431) and USS Kearny (DD-432) are launched by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. (Kearny, New Jersey, U.S.A.).
The Royal Navy Tree-class minesweeping trawler HMS Hazel (T 108) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is T/Lieutenant William Edward Goggin, RNR.
The Royal Navy Tree-class minesweeping trawler HMS Juniper (T 123) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Lieutenant Commander (Emergency) Geoffrey Seymour Grenfell, RN.
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