4 Aug 1940 | World War II Database

4 Aug 1940

Italian troops marched in three columns toward Berbera, British Somaliland. The main column marched along the main road through Hargeisa, while two smaller columns flanked to the east and west. ww2dbase [Invasion of British Somaliland | CPC]
German submarine U-58 sank Greek ship Pindos with two torpedoes 10 miles from the Irish coast at 2120 hours; 3 were killed and 29 took to lifeboats. 300 miles northwest of Ireland, German submarine U-52 sank three transports in convoy HX-60: Geraldine Mary (3 killed, 48 survived), Gogovale (all 37 survived), and King Alfred (7 killed, 34 survived); U-52 was depth charged by Royal Navy escort vessels, causing significant damage, but she was able to escape and sail to Kiel, Germany for repairs; she would be out of action until 17 Nov 1940. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
British submarine HMS Sealion sank Norwegian ship Torun off of the Norwegian southern coast. ww2dbase [CPC]
After sundown, German armed merchant cruiser Widder stopped Norwegian tanker Beaulieu with one shot from her gun in the Atlantic Ocean about 1,700 miles east of Florida, United States, killing 4 in the process. 28 survivors were taken to lifeboats and abandoned; they would be rescued by British tanker Cymbeline on 13 Aug 1940. Beaulieu was sunk by scuttling charges. ww2dbase [Widder | CPC]
Three British minesweeping trawlers hit German naval mines on this date at different locations on the British coast and were all destroyed: HMT Drummer (2 killed), HMT Marsona (11 killed), and Oswaldian (12 killed, 7 survived). ww2dbase [CPC]
German anti-submarine trawler Perseus (UJ-175) hit a naval mine and sank off Ameland Island off northwestern Netherlands. ww2dbase [CPC]

Atlantic Ocean

Alessandro Malaspina sighted a hostile destroyer in the Atlantic Ocean just west of the Strait of Gibraltar at 0335 hours; she dove to avoid detection. ww2dbase [Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]

Germany

Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld was transferred to the Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 wing based in Gütersloh, Germany. ww2dbase [Egmont | Gütersloh | CPC]

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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