On The Week of 15-21 October 1939

US NAVY

15 October 1939

            German armored ship Admiral Graf Spee meets tanker Altmark and refuels (see 17 October).

Monday, 16 October 1939

            German tanker Emmy Friedrich, whose cargo includes refrigerants needed for the magazine cooling systems in armored ship Admiral Graf Spee, then on a raiding foray into the Atlantic, departs Tampico, Mexico. Neutrality Patrol assets, including carrier Ranger (CV‑4) and heavy cruiser San Francisco (CA‑38), are mobilized to locate and trail the ship if the need arises (see 24 October).

            U.S. freighter Gateway City is detained by British authorities (see 31 October); freighter Black Heron, detained by the British at Weymouth, England, since 7 October, is released.

Tuesday, 17 October, 1939

            U.S. freighter Cranford is detained by British authorities (see 21 October); freighter Black Falcon, detained by the British since 6 October, is released.

            German armored ship Admiral Graf Spee transfers crew of British freighter Huntsman to tanker Altmark; Huntsman is then sunk with demolition charges at 16°00'S, 17°00'W.

Wednesday, 18 October 1939

            Naval landing force from gunboats Asheville (PG‑21) and Tulsa (PG‑22) and destroyer Whipple (DD‑217) is withdrawn from Kulangsu, China, where it had been protecting the American Consulate and the Hope Memorial Hospital since 17 May.

            U.S. freighter West Hobomac is detained by British authorities (see 25 October).

            German armored ship Admiral Graf Spee transfers crews of British freighters Newton Beech and Ashlea to tanker Altmark. The two German ships then part company for a time (see 28 October).

Thursday, 19 October 1939

            Gunboat Erie (PG‑50) arrives off Manzanillo, Mexico, on neutrality patrol; she will monitor movements of German freighter Havelland until 11 December. Commander Special Service Squadron (Rear Admiral John W. Wilcox Jr.) commends the gunboat's work as "the outstanding event" of offshore patrol work conducted by the Squadron.

Friday, 20 October 1939

            Commander Atlantic Squadron informs his ships to use plain language radio reporting of contacts.

            U.S. freighter Scanstates, detained at Kirkwall, Orkneys, by British authorities since 14 October, is released.

Saturday, 21 October 1939

            U.S. freighter City of Flint, under prize crew from German armored ship Deutschland, puts in to Tromsø, Norway, for water. Norwegian government, however, orders the ship to leave; she sails for Soviet waters (see 23, 24, 27 and 28 October and 3 November).

            U.S. freighter Meanticut is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities and ordered to proceed to Oran to discharge certain cargo earmarked for delivery to Italy (see 27 October).