Sumner Welles, now back in Rome, met with King Victor Emmanuel III in the morning and then Benito Mussolini again that evening. Welles thought that Mussolini seemed to be in better spirits than he was at their first meeting. He receives a cordial but non-committal welcome. This is the last stop of his mission to discuss conditions for mediation or peace talks in Europe. At this point, he appears to be acting as a mediator, which may make certain parties in other capitals uncomfortable. In any event, he is not accomplishing anything if that is his agenda.
Hitler continues meeting with senior military leaders.
A new Nazi decree establishes brothels for the troops — under medical supervision. The ostensible purpose is “to protect Wehrmacht members against health dangers.” Jewish prostitutes are banned, but other working girls can avoid any police hassles by helping out the boys in uniform.
Calling on all Germans to join in the drive to collect all available supplies of metals needed in the manufacture of arms, Field Marshal Hermann Göring has requested delivery to army authorities of “every article made of copper, bronze, brass, tin, lead and nickel that is not vitally needed by the citizen.”
The particular situation of Finland has not weakened the spirit of resistance in Belgium nor increased the fear of a German military offensive.
Either a reorganization or an enlargement of the French Daladier Cabinet is expected to result shortly from the discussions held during the two-day secret session of the Senate and its final vote last evening, when sixty Senators abstained.
The foreign ministers of the Baltic states held a conference in Riga. They agreed to share information in order to prevent the Soviet Union from playing them off against each other. They pledge “absolute neutrality.” The Soviets and Germans have other plans.
After six months of the war, Ireland finds herself strong economically and financially and confident of maintaining her neutrality, Premier Eamon de Valera declared in an interview with this correspondent.
Six months of Winston Churchill before the war would have been “six nails in Hitler’s coffin,” Sir Archibald Sinclair said today in criticizing Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain for not taking the Admiralty chief and Anthony Eden into the government until he was “forced” to have them. Criticism of Chamberlain is mounting.
At 8 PM, 32 Junkers Ju 88s dive bombers of KG30 attacked the Royal Navy Home Fleet in Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. The Royal Navy heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk (78) was hit with one bomb that passes through the upper, main & lower decks and exploded causing 6 casualties. In the same air attack, old battleship HMS Iron Duke was near missed by three bombs. Two bombs exploded astern of battleship HMS Rodney causing no damage. Norfolk was the only ship hit, but the Germans claimed hitting three battleships and one cruiser. Most of the Home Fleet was at Scapa Flow at this time and this prompted the Admiralty to order Forbes to take his fleet to sea during the next moonlight period between 19 and 26 March. Gutter Sound was closed due to the danger of magnetic mining from this air raid. Gutter Sound was reopened at 1116/17th. A German aircraft fleeing the battle released 19 bombs on the village of “Bridge of Waithe” on the shore of Scapa Flow wounding seven civilians and killing James Isbister, aged 27. Isbister became the first British civilian death on land. James Isbister, aged 27, who lived in the village of Bridge of Waithe on Loch Stenness, was standing in the doorway of his home. Apparently he had been about to run across the road to help a neighbor whose cottage had been hit. He leaves a widow and an infant son. The raid was the first on Scapa Flow since 17 October when the old battleship Iron Duke was hit. None of the enemy aircraft was shot down, although several of them were claimed as damaged in fights with RAF machines. Despite the damage, the HMS Norfolk left Scapa Flow under her own steam on March 19, 1940 for repairs in the Clyde and rejoined the fleet on June 24, 1940.
Luftwaffe Major Fritz Doensch, who was on the mission, comments: “It was a long flight, but we’re used to that. 1 radio operator had a harmonica to keep us cheerful.”
During the night, British reconnaissance planes operated over Poland and over the Heligoland Bight. RAF planes also stage a raid on Borkum in the Frisian Islands.
The first flight of the Spitfire Mk.III occurs. This model has a 1390hp Merlin XX engine. The wings have been shortened, and the fuselage lengthened. The landing gear has been revised, with full wheel well covers.
The Admiralty offers cash prizes for information about enemy naval activities.
The Royal Navy trawler HMT Maida struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Margate east of North Foreland, Kent, with the loss of six of her 12 crew. The survivors were rescued by HMT Mare (also Royal Navy).
The Yugoslavian steam merchant Slava struck a mine laid by U-29, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Otto Schuhart, on March 2, 1940 in the Bristol Channel south of Nash Point, Glamorgan, United Kingdom (51°19′45″N 3°38′45″W). Of the ship’s complement, 1 died and 33 survived. The 4,512 ton Slava was carrying coal and coke and was bound for Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The British fishing trawler Xania sank after a collision with the fishing trawler Aberdeen in the fishing grounds off the coast of Ireland. Her crew were rescued by Aberdeen.
The Swedish cargo ship Osman ran aground in the Baltic Sea off Risør, Norway and was wrecked. Eleven of her twenty crew were killed.
Convoy OB.110 departs Liverpool, with 31 merchant ships escorted by sloop HMS Folkestone and destroyer HMS Vanquisher.
Convoy OA.111 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer HMS Amazon from 16 to 18 March. The convoy dispersed on the 19th.
Convoy OB.111 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyer HMS Whirlwind and sloop HMS Rochester from 16 to 19 March.
Convoy FN.122 departed Southend escorted by sloops HMS Londonderry and HMS Fleetwood and destroyer HMS Vimiera. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 18th.
Convoy FS.122 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyers HMS Vega and HMS Woolston and sloop HMS Stork, from convoy MT.31. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 17th.
Convoy MT.32 departed Methil and arrived at the Tyne later that day.
Convoy TM.28 departed the Tyne escorted by the 19th Anti-submarine Group and destroyer HMS Valorous.
Convoy BC.29 of four steamers, including Baron Kinnaird (Commodore) departed Loire escorted by destroyer HMS Vivacious. The convoy arrived in Bristol Channel on the 18th.
The War at Sea, Saturday, 16 March 1940 (naval-history.net)
Heavy cruiser NORFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow from the Rosyth at 1020 in preparation for sailing on Northern Patrol duties.
Battleship WARSPITE departed the Clyde at 1400 escorted by destroyers HARDY, HOTSPUR, HOSTILE, and HUNTER, and arrived safely at Scapa Flow at 1600/17th.
Destroyers ESKIMO and PUNJABI arrived at Greenock at 2200 after being relieved of convoy NS 1 by destroyer WANDERER in North Channel.
AIR ATTACK ON SCAPA FLOW
Destroyer KASHMIR, escorting convoy ON.20, reported the approach of a German air raid on Scapa Flow. In this air raid, by Ju.88’s of KG30, heavy cruiser NORFOLK at anchor in Scapa Flow was damaged at 1959. The bomb striking NORFOLK struck the quarter deck near Y turret. The bomb passed through the upper, main, lower decks and exploded near Y shell room. This blew a hole in the starboard side below the water line. A fire was started and X and Y magazines were flooded. Midshipmen J. W. Busk and R.C. Evans-Lombe, Paymaster Midshipman D.B.P. Pick, Warrant Engineer J.F. Baxter RNR, were killed. Midshipman R.H. Cooper, Gunners H.R. Richards and D.A. Holdsworth, Acting Warrant Electrician M.A. Smith, three ratings were wounded.
In the same air attack, old battleship IRON DUKE was near missed by three bombs. Two bombs exploded astern of battleship RODNEY causing no damage. Heavy cruiser NORFOLK was the only ship hit, but the Germans claimed hitting three battleships and one cruiser. Most of the Home Fleet was at Scapa Flow at this time and this prompted the Admiralty to order Forbes to take his fleet to sea during the next moonlight period between 19 and 26 March. Gutter Sound was closed due to the danger of magnetic mining from this air raid. Gutter Sound was reopened at 1116/17th.
Heavy cruiser NORFOLK departed Scapa Flow at 1630/19th, attended by tug BUCCANEER and escorted by destroyers GURKHA, COSSACK, IVANHOE, and GALLANT. The tug was detached en route and returned to Scapa Flow. Destroyers ESKIMO and PUNJABI escorting Tender C (dummy aircraft carrier HERMES – special service vessel MAMARI) traded charges with Destroyers IVANHOE and GALLANT near Cape Wrath. Cruiser NORFOLK arrived in the Clyde at 2230/20th, escorted by destroyers COSSACK, GURKHA, ESKIMO, and PUNJABI. The heavy cruiser entered the dockyard in the Clyde on the 27th, NORFOLK was repairing until 14 June 1940. After safely delivering the cruiser, destroyer GURKHA and COSSACK returned to Scapa Flow.
Armed merchant cruiser WOLFE arrived in the Clyde from Northern Patrol.
Armed merchant cruiser FORFAR departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.
Light cruiser BIRMINGHAM and destroyer HERO departed Portsmouth for Scapa Flow and the Clyde, respectively. HERO arrived in the Clyde at 1430 after refitting at Portsmouth.
Destroyer HYPERION arrived in the Clyde.
Destroyers IVANHOE, INTREPID, and GALLANT departed Invergordon to patrol in Moray Firth. On the 17th, they were involved in operation HSM with air cooperation.
Submarines SALMON and STERLET arrived at Harwich on patrol.
Submarines SEAL and THISTLE on patrol in the Skagerrak were ordered to exercise contraband control.
Convoy OA.111 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer AMAZON from 16 to 18 March. The convoy dispersed on the 19th.
Convoy OB.111 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyer WHIRLWIND and sloop ROCHESTER from 16 to 19 March.
Convoy FN.122 departed Southend escorted by sloops LONDONDERRY and FLEETWOOD and destroyer VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 18th.
Convoy FS.122 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyers VEGA and WOOLSTON and sloop STORK, from convoy MT.31. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 17th.
Convoy MT.32 departed Methil and arrived at the Tyne later that day.
Convoy TM.28 departed the Tyne escorted by the 19th Anti-submarine Group and destroyer VALOROUS.
Convoy BC.29 of four steamers, including BARON KINNAIRD (Commodore) departed Loire escorted by destroyer VIVACIOUS. The convoy arrived in Bristol Channel on the 18th.
Minesweeping drifter MAIDA (107grt, Temporary Skipper R. M. Utting RNR) was sunk on a mine off Margate, ten miles east of North Foreland. Utting and five ratings were lost. Six crew were picked up by minesweeping drifter MARE (92grt) and taken to Dover.
Yugoslav steamer SLAVA (4512grt) was sunk on a mine five miles south of Start Point, in 51-19-45N, 3-38-45W. One crewman was lost.
Light cruiser DELHI arrived at Alexandria with CINCMED aboard.
Australian destroyer HMAS WATERHEN departed Gibraltar for Malta.
President Roosevelt set forth his basic terms for “a real peace” in an international broadcast yesterday in which he said that the peace must free small nations of economic domination or fear of invasion by powerful neighbors, do away with huge armies, permit free international exchange of ideas and allow the worship of God. The President spoke in Washington on an international broadcast held in New York under the auspices of a Christian Foreign Service Convocation at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria. The voice of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, speaking from The Hague in an appeal for a revival of the Christian way of life as the only way to save the world from ruin, was also heard by the 1,000 persons attending the luncheon. The convocation was sponsored by the Foreign Missions Conference of North America, representing 30,000,000 Protestants.
The President’s speech was heard in London and seized upon there as an assurance that the United States would not sponsor any peace terms in warring Europe that would leave Germany in possession of gains won by armed force. British opinion, which has been concerned over the European mission of Sumner Welles, Undersecretary of State, hailed the speech as showing a notable parallel with the British attitude toward prospective peace moves.
Semi-official British sources, according to The Associated Press, declared they were “in agreement with every passage of the address.” “We might have put the same statement forward as part of our own objectives,” one source said. Late editions of Sunday morning newspapers displayed the President’s speech prominently. The Sunday Dispatch under a two-line banner headline said: “President Roosevelt hits out at the ‘peace’ racketeers” and added that “Germany’s great peace racket was dramatically exposed by the one man in a position to expose it — President Roosevelt.” Lord Beaverbrook’s Sunday Express under a six-column headline, said that the President “laid down the basis of what a real peace, should be.”
Official French sources found agreement between the Allied war aims and the assertion by President Roosevelt that no peace can be sound “if small nations live in fear of powerful neighbors,” according to an Associated Press dispatch from Paris. They pointed to the declaration Friday in the Senate of the aim “to conduct the war to the complete victory that will assure the liberty of all nations.” That means, they said, “it is not merely a question of those nations’ liberty, but also of their security — there can be no question of treating with imperialists until they abandon their covetous methods.” In Rome the talk was regarded as “highly significant” in informed Italian circles, The Associated Press reported. The public expression of the President’s views comes, it was pointed out, just as Mr. Welles is completing his fact-finding tour of British, French, German, and Italian capitals and almost on the eve of his audience tomorrow with Pope Pius XII.
The Roosevelt Administration today renewed its attack on Senator Tobey, Republican of New Hampshire, for his defiance of the census questions on personal income. Secretary Hopkins, acting under the direct authority of President Roosevelt, followed up yesterday’s White House denunciation of Mr. Tobey by accusing the Senator of “calling for resistance to the authority of the government, appealing for civil disobedience” and “urging an informational sit-down strike against the government.”
A satire on the various Presidential aspirants and considerable ribbing of Mr. Roosevelt for his silence on the third-term issue were the principal features tonight of the eighteenth annual dinner of the White House Correspondents Association.
J. Edgar Hoover, Chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said tonight in reply to Congressional critics that there was no place in the United States for a national police organization such as the Russian OGPU or the Nazi Gestapo.
A German official news agency dispatch from Amsterdam cited “confidential information” today as basis for an allegation that relations between Joseph P. Kennedy, American Ambassador to Great Britain, and the British Government had become strained. Kennedy, the dispatch alleged, had sent to Washington a report on the chances of the belligerents which displeased the British Government. Essential points of the “report,” the dispatch alleged, were: 1. Kennedy “blamed” Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his government for “diplomatic blunders.” especially the British guarantee to Poland, as having led to the “difficulties” in which the Allies now “found themselves.” 2. Kennedy from the “political view point” felt that the Allies had “lost the war” even before it started. 3. Kennedy on the basis of impressions gained in London felt “compelled to state” that the Western Powers “had no chance” of winning the war on German’s western front. It was said that according to Kennedy’s alleged report that even in the opinion of British and French experts, Germany enjoyed a clear superiority in the air.
Britain and France were represented, the agency said of the alleged report, as lacking an “economic set-up to overtake Germany’s lead in armaments.” Kennedy was represented as having doubted the efficacy of the British blockade and to have referred to alleged anxiety in financial circles at “losses caused by German counter-measures.” Finally he was represented as having reported that there was pessimism among British financial men and aristocrats lest a long war weaken their “leadership In British public life.” U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull denied flatly the German report that Ambassador Kennedy has lost the friendship of Great Britain.
John F. Kennedy, the son of current US ambassador to the Court of St. James Joseph Kennedy, publishes his senior year thesis at Harvard. It covers the pre-war period of negotiation between England, France, and Germany. The thesis is later published as a book after some re-drafting, given a title taking off on Winston Churchill’s 1938 classic “While England Slept.” The book, “Why England Slept,” is a financial success that enables future US President Kennedy to donate money to Plymouth England and also buy himself a Buick convertible. It looks at the Chamberlain policy of appeasement with sympathy. Chamberlain, of course, remains the PM, and it is only later that attitudes toward him and his policies harden.
The Congressional committee which opens this week an investigation of Allied plane purchases in this country will learn that in more than six months of war actual French and British munitions purchased in this country have been extremely small.
A three-year-old boy, David Barker, of Livingston, New Jersey, was drowned yesterday as swollen streams in the, vicinity of Morristown overflowed their banks. Traffic along the Bronx River Parkway in Westchester was rerouted yesterday as the river swept over its banks and inundated the highway.
The Norwegian-America liner Bergensfjord was prevented from sailing yesterday by United States Custom officials, who withheld the ship’s clearance papers because officials of the line refused to permit the ship to carry United States mail.
Thousands in New York brave driving snow to turn out for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
The President of Panama, Augusto S. Boyd, transmitted a protest to the King of England over the British violation of Pan-American Neutrality Zone in the Wakama Incident that took place off the coast of Brazil on February 12.
The Government of Argentina deports the German crew of Admiral Graf Spee into the interior and forbids them to wear their uniforms.
Mohandas K. Gandhi, All India Nationalist Congress leader, told the United Press today that he is willing to postpone statutory independence for India until after the end of the European War. Gandhi said, however, that the fight for Indian independence would continue unceasingly. He expressed hope that until achievement of a definite post-war settlement Britain would treat India as a free nation.
Domei, the Japanese news agency, reports a tense situation along the RussianJapanese border on Sakhalin Island because of border clashes yesterday which caused the Japanese Foreign Office to make a strong protest to the Soviet Embassy. According to the Japanese War Office, Soviet frontier guards crossed the border and fired on Japanese policemen, wounding one seriously and several others slightly. Japanese reinforcements were rushed to the scene and the Russians withdrew. Both sides reinforced their frontier forces and armed guards are confronting each other across the border in what is described as a tense situation. The War Office did not estimate the Russian losses but Japanese newspapers said that at least ten Russians had been wounded. A blizzard raged today on Sakhalin, an island off the coast of Siberia. The storm was reported to have disrupted railway traffic in Southern Sakhalin.
The Japanese attack the Chinese New 4th Division west of Linhe. While they are occupied there, the Chinese 35th Army of the 8th War Area moves east along the Wu-chia River toward Wuyuan. This is the opening of the Battle of Wuyuan.
Battle of South Kwangsi: Detachment of Japanese 22nd Army captures Chiuchow and Luwu.
Equipped with the double standing of former Premier and full general, Nobuyuki Abe has been selected and has agreed to represent Japan at the inauguration of Wang Ching-wei’s new “Central Government of China” in Nanking.
The Australian cargo ship Kahika sank off West Point, Tasmania after striking an uncharted rock. Her 24 crew members were rescued.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 145.76 (-0.77)
Born:
Chuck Woolery, American TV game show host (“Love Connection”, 1983-94; “Wheel of Fortune”, 1975-81), radio host, and country singer, born in Ashland, Kentucky (d. 2024).
Bobby Jackson, AFL fullback (AFL Champions-Chargers, 1963; San Diego Chargers, Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders), in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Porter Meriwether, NBA point guard (Syracuse Nationals), in Evansville, Indiana.
Bernardo Bertolucci, film director and screenwriter, in Parma, Italy (d. 2018).
Jan Pronk, politician and diplomat, in Scheveningen, Netherlands.
James Wong, Cantopop lyricist, in Panyu, Guangzhou, China (d. 2004).
Died:
Selma Lagerlöf, 81, Swedish author and first woman to win Nobel Prize for Literature (“The Wonderful Adventures of Nils”).
Naval Constrction:
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-334 is laid down by Nordseewerke, Emden (werk 206).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type IIB U-boat U-120 is launched by Flender Werke AG, Lübeck (werk 268).
The Koninklijke Marine (Royal Netherlands Navy) Gerard Callenburgh-class destroyer HrMs (HNMS) Isaac Sweers (G 83) is launched by Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde (Vlissingen (Flushing), The Netherlands).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type 1936A destroyer Z25 is launched by AG Weser (Deschimag), Bremen (werk 959).
The Royal Navy M 1-class minelayer HMS M 3 is commissioned.
History Diaries 