Second battle of Summa for Mannerheim Line
week from January 29 - February 4, 1940

Second battle of Summa for Mannherheim Line (on February 1) was the main event of the week !

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1940

Winter War, Finland: Battle of Kuhmo begins. Finns encircle Russian 54th Division at Kuhmo, in the 'Waist'.
Heavy Russian air raids on Finnish ports.

Diplomacy: Russian Note to Sweden: USSR willing to negotiate peace agreement with Finnish government.

Sea War: In the North Sea German Heinkel He111 aircraft attack British merchant ships (two sunk) and two lightships, between Shetlands and Kent. East Dudgeon lightship bombed, seven of eight-man crew die.

Home Front France: Premier Daladier delivers a stirring broadcast speech: 'Germany hopes to encompass our downfall by exploiting weakness at home. . .'

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1940

Sea War: Heinkel He111 bombers again attack shipping off British coast.
U-55 attacks convoy off Land's End, sinking 2 ships; but is then damaged by sloop Fowey and a Sunderland flying boat and forced to scuttle.

Home Front Germany: Hitler speaks at Berlin Sportpalast on seventh anniversary of the Nazi regime. He demands Lebensraum ('living space') for Germans; ridicules Chamberlain ('pious and Biblebelieving'), Churchill and Daladier; and declares that, since 'they started the war, . . . they will get all the war they want !'.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1940

Air War: Secret British military mission to Italy orders 300 Caproni Re2000 fighters.
Germany vetoes deal in April. British attempts to obtain fighters via a Portuguese intermediary fail on June 10 (declaration of war by Italy).

Picture: the Reggiane company copied the American Seversky P-35 to produce the Re2000. Extemly manoeuvrable, none were used by Italian forces. All were exported to Hungary, Sweden and should also have been delivered to Britain.

Home Front Britain: Barlow Report on the 'Distribution of the Industrial Population' published by Royal Commission; recommends the building of 'new towns'.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1940

Winter War, Finland: (MAIN EVENT) Second battle of Summa. Russian 7th Army batters key sector of Mannerheim Line near village of Summa, with waves of tanks pulling armoured infantry sledges ('Molotov Coffins') and flamethrowers; supported by 'creeping' artillery barrage and hundreds of aircraft. Finns repel all attacks until February 11 (ends February, 16).

Picture: The OT-130 flame-thrower tank version of the T-26 in action against the Mannerheim line during the second battle of Summa. Their main problem was that they had to approach very close to their target, and were very vulnerable to even the simplest weapons such as the anti-tank rifle.

Home Front Britain: Admiralty takes control of merchant ship building and repairing.

Neutrals, Japan: Japan begins five-year re-armament programme.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1940

Diplomacy: Balkan Entente Conference at Belgrade. Neutrals Yugoslavia, Greece, Rumania and Turkey proclaim common interests in maintenance of peace in southeast Europe and renew their pact.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1940

Air War: 20 Heinkels He111 (three lost) attack ships (two sunk) off British East Coast.

Picture: a Heinkel He111 releasing an 765kg torpedo. The bomber was capable to carrying two of these weapons, each with a 440lb warhead and and effective running range of about 1,000 yd.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1940

Air War: Russians attack 141 targets (towns, rail junctions, harbours) over weekend February 3-4, dropping approx. 6,800 bombs. Finnish casualties 193 (14 killed).