Tuesday, September 30, 2025

On The Week of 22-28 October 1939

US NAVY

Sunday, 22 October 1939

            U.S. freighters Endicott and West Gambo are detained by French authorities and portions of their cargo ordered ashore as contraband; 750 bales of carbon black from West Gambo and 2,276 bars of copper and 1,796 bags of carbon black from Endicott (see 2 November).

            U.S. steamship President Hayes is detained by British naval authorities at Alexandria, Egypt, and searched for contraband (see 23 October); freighter Patrick Henry, detained by the British since 10 October, is released.

            German armored ship Admiral Graf Spee stops British freighter Trevanion, embarks her crew, and sinks the ship at19°40'S, 04°02'W.

Monday, 23 October 1939

            U.S. freighter City of Flint arrives at Murmansk (see 24, 27 and 28 October and 3 November).

            U.S. freighter Tulsa is detained at London by British authorities (see 9 November).

            U.S. steamship President Hayes, detained by British naval authorities at Alexandria, Egypt, the previous day, is released, but not before a consignment of rubber earmarked for delivery to Genoa, Italy, is unloaded. The cargo is held at Alexandria for about two weeks, and then reloaded on board steamship President Polk. The President of the shipping concern involved (American President Lines) subsequently requests the Department of State to protest methods employed by the British naval authorities at Port Said and Alexandria in searching that company's vessels. “The fact that [the] British...allowed this eventual delivery," the shipping company executive complains, "indicates that [the] shipment ought never have been interfered with in [the] first place."

Tuesday, 24 October 1939

            British light cruiser HMS Orion and Canadian destroyer HMCS Saguenay locate German tanker Emmy Friedrich in the Yucatan Channel; British light cruiser HMS Caradoc subsequently intercepts Emmy Friedrich whose crew scuttles her to avoid capture.

            British steamships Menin Ridge and Ledbury are attacked and sunk by German submarine U 37 (torpedoes and gunfire, respectively) 36°01'N, 07°22'W. U.S. freighter Crown City rescues the only five survivors from the 27‑ man crew of Menin Ridge and Ledbury's entire 33‑man crew.

            Soviet authorities intern U.S. freighter City of Flint's German prize crew from armored ship Deutschland at Murmansk (see 27‑28 October and 3 November).

            U.S. freighter Wacosta is detained by British authorities (see 8 November); freighter Iberville, detained by the British since 13 October, is released after cargo due to be discharged at Antwerp and Rotterdam, Holland, is seized as contraband. British authorities at Kirkwall remove 468 bags of U.S. mail destined for Gothenborg, Sweden and 18 for Helsinki, Finland, from Finnish freighter Astrid Thorden.

Wednesday, 25 October 1939

            U.S. freighter Sundance, detained at London, England, by British authorities since 11 October, is released; freighter West Hobomac, detained by the British since 18 October, is released.

            U.S. freighter Nashaba, detained at Le Havre by French authorities since 14 October, is released.

Thursday, 26 October 1939

            U.S. freighter Black Eagle is detained by British authorities (see 5 November).

            U.S. Consul at Gibraltar William E. Chapman confers informally with British naval authorities there concerning protracted delays in detention of American merchantmen (see 27 October).

Friday, 27 October 1939

            U.S. freighter City of Flint is again placed under German naval prize crew from armored ship Deutschland (see 28October and 3 November).

            U.S. Consul at Gibraltar William E. Chapman meets informally with British Colonial Secretary there, and objects to protracted delay in detention of U.S. merchantmen, especially freighter Exporter, which has on board diplomatic pouches bound for Athens, Greece. Consul Chapman's low‑key approach bears fruit. Exporter, detained since 14October, is released later that day, as are freighters Oakman (detained since 13 October) and Meanticut (detained since 21 October).

Saturday, 28 October 1939

            U.S. freighter City of Flint, again under German control, sails from Murmansk for Norwegian waters. At no time during City of Flint's enforced stay at Murmansk has the ship's master, Captain Joseph A. Gainard (an inactive USNR officer) been allowed to communicate with the U.S. Embassy in Moscow (see 3 November).

            U.S. freighter Black Tern, detained at Weymouth, England, by British authorities since 11 October, is released.

            German armored ship Admiral Graf Spee makes rendezvous with tanker Altmark near Tristan de Cunha. The warship refuels from the auxiliary, and transfers British freighter Trevanion's crew to her.

 


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