World War II Database

• Home
• » Events
• » WW2 Timeline
• » 22 Feb 1940

• Georg von Küchler ordered his subordinates to stop all forms of criticism toward Nazi racial policies. ww2dbase [Georg von Küchler | CPC]

• Six German destroyers were launched into the North Sea during Operation Wikinger, which attempted to attack British fishing boats that had been reporting the movement of German warships. He 111 aircraft of the German Luftwaffe, never been notified of such an operation, misidentified the destroyers and attacked them, sinking destroyer Z1 Leberecht Maas at 1945 hours, killing 282 while 60 survived. Destroyer Z3 Max Schultz was able to evade the bombs, but ran into a minefield, detonated a mine, and sank, killing 308. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
• In the Atlantic Ocean, German submarine U-23 sank British steamer Loch Maddy, which was damaged by U-57 and abandoned by its crew on the previous day. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-23 | North Sea | CPC]
• German submarine U-50 sank British tanker British Endeavour 125 miles west of Vigo, Spain, killing 5. 32 men were rescued by British steamer Bodnant, which landed them on the Portuguese island of Madeira. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Soviet 43rd Division attacked across frozen waters of the Gulf of Finland, capturing the islands of Lasisaari and Koivisto. Before Koivisto was given up, Finnish troops sabotaged all the gun barrels in the coastal batteries. ww2dbase [The Winter War | Koivisto | CPC]

• Irish Republican Army bombs injured 12 in London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [London, England | TH]

22 Feb 1940 Interactive Map