Friday, October 10, 2025

On The Week of 1 – 6 January 1940

Monday, 1 January 1940

            Tenth Naval District with headquarters at San Juan, Puerto Rico, is established, Commander Reuben L. Walker is first commandant (see 26 February).

            U.S. freighter City of Flint, her odyssey almost at an end, is damaged in collision with British steamship Baron Blytheswood. Repairs to City of Flint will keep her at Narvik, Norway, for another six days.

            U.S. freighter Exeter is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities.

            Uruguayan government interns German freighter Tacoma at Montevideo as an auxiliary war vessel.

            Charles Edison of New Jersey becomes Secretary of the Navy; he had been Acting Secretary since the death of Claude A. Swanson on 7 July 1939. Department of State releases statement to press telling of the delivery of "vigorous protest" (dated 27 December 1939) to the British Foreign Office concerning the British removing and censoring U.S. mail from British and U.S. and neutral ships.

Wednesday, 3 January 1940

            U.S. freighter Mormacsun is intercepted by British naval vessel and diverted to Kirkwall, Scotland, into the zone designated as a combat area. Freighter Nashaba is detained by British authorities at Gibraltar; freighter Executive, detained at Gibraltar since 20 December 1939, is released to proceed on her voyage to Greece, Turkey, and Rumania.

Thursday, 4 January 1940

            U.S. freighter Exiria is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities.

Friday, 5 January 1940

            German tanker Nordmeer reaches Vigo, Spain, after her voyage from the Netherlands West Indies.

Saturday, 6 January 1940

            Admiral James O. Richardson relieves Admiral Claude C. Bloch as Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet on board battleship Pennsylvania (BB38) at Pearl Harbor, T.H. Admiral Charles P. Snyder hoists flag as Commander Battle Force on board battleship California (BB44).

            U.S. passenger liner Manhattan is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities (see 7 January).


 

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