16 Jan 1940


- Kichisaburo Nomura stepped down as Foreign Minister of Japan. ww2dbase [Kichisaburo Nomura | CPC]
- 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]
- Due to the compromise of Fall Gelb plans, Adolf Hitler postponed the attack on France and the Low Countries. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- Capitano Tarantini was delivered to the Italian Navy. ww2dbase [Capitano Tarantini | CPC]
- Hachiro Arita was named the Minister of Foreign Affairs. ww2dbase [Hachiro Arita | CPC]
- 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]



Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Please help us spread the word: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
Search WW2DB

News
- » Wreck of Teruzuki Found (27 Jul 2025)
- » USS Orlean's Bow Found (22 Jul 2025)
- » The Emperor of Japan Planned to Honor WW2-era Japanese POWs in Mongolia (4 Jul 2025)
- » US State Lawmaker John Winter Caught Using Racial Slur "Jap" and Apologized (11 Jun 2025)
- » US Government Plans to Purge WW2 Information (17 Mar 2025)
- » See all news
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,182 biographies
- » 337 events
- » 45,119 timeline entries
- » 1,249 ships
- » 350 aircraft models
- » 207 vehicle models
- » 376 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 261 facilities
- » 470 book reviews
- » 28,412 photos
- » 365 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. You win the war by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country!"George Patton, 31 May 1944
Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!