16 Jan 1940
  • Kichisaburo Nomura stepped down as Foreign Minister of Japan. ww2dbase [Kichisaburo Nomura | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
  • After penetrating Heligoland Bight, the British submarines Seahorse, Undine, and Starfish were reportedly sunk by the Germans. ww2dbase [Heligoland Bight, North Sea | CPC]
  • German submarine U-44 torpedoed and sank the Greek ship Panachrandos in the Bay of Biscay at 0611 hours. She sank within three minutes, killing all 31 aboard. ww2dbase [Bay of Biscay | CPC]
Germany Italy
  • Capitano Tarantini was delivered to the Italian Navy. ww2dbase [Capitano Tarantini | CPC]
Japan
  • Hachiro Arita was named the Minister of Foreign Affairs. ww2dbase [Hachiro Arita | CPC]
United Kingdom
  • British tanker Inverdargle, with 12,000 tons of aviation fuel aboard, struck a naval mine in the Bristol Channel at 1619 hours. All 49 aboard were killed. ww2dbase [Bristol Channel, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 16 Jan 1940
US Navy NAS Jacksonville (Florida, United States) commanding officerPrime Minister Mitsumasa Yonai and his cabinet, Tokyo, Japan, 16 Jan 1940Oiler Patoka off the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, United States, 16 Jan 1940; note SOC floatplane amidships, with its wings folded

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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Takasago Maru at port in Tokyo, Japan, 27 Aug 1945, photographed by US Navy aircraft

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