On The Week of 22 – 28 January 1940

US NAVY

Sunday, 21 January 1940

            Auxiliary Bear (AG‑29) follows leads in the ice spotted on the 19th; the ship's Barkley‑Grow floatplane flies over the northern limits of the Edsel Ford Mountains.

            Minesweeper Penguin (AM‑33) transfers 24 survivors of Japanese fishing schooner No. 1 Seiho Maru, stranded off the southeast coast of Guam, M.I., on 15 January, to Japanese freighter Saipan Maru.

            British light cruiser HMS Liverpool stops Japanese passenger liner Asama Maru 35 miles off Nozaki, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, and removes 21 Germans from the ship. All but nine are naval reservists, survivors of the scuttled passenger liner Columbus; the nine civilians are released. The incident further strains relations between Great Britain and Japan.

            U.S. freighter Nishmaha is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities (see 22 January).

Monday, 22 January 1940

            Joint amphibious exercise concludes in the Monterey, California, area, having afforded the Fleet profitable experience in joint planning. It also demonstrates interservice cooperation.

            Light cruiser Helena (CL‑50) arrives at Buenos Aires, Argentina, on her shakedown cruise (see 29 January).

            Rear Admiral Adolphus E. Watson becomes Commandant Fourth Naval District and Commandant Philadelphia Navy Yard in the wake of the death of Rear Admiral Julius C. Townsend on 28 December 1939.

            U.S. freighter Excellency is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities (see 23 January); freighter Nishmaha, detained there the previous day, is released.

Tuesday, 23 January 1940

            Great Britain and France announce they will attack any German vessels encountered in Pan‑American Safety Zone.

            Destroyer J. Fred Talbott (DD‑247) arrives at Wreck Bay, Galapagos Islands, to assist U.S. tuna boat City of SanDiego (see 24 January).

            U.S. freighter Excambion, detained at Gibraltar by British authorities since 17 January, is released to proceed on her voyage to Genoa, Italy, but not before 470 sacks of mail (bound for Germany and Italy) are seized; freighter Excellency, detained at Gibraltar the previous day, is released.

Wednesday, 24 January 1940

            Interior Department motorship North Star (U.S. Antarctic Service) departs Bay of Whales, Antarctica for Valparaiso, Chile, for additional supplies and equipment to establish East Base. Construction of West Base commences immediately at the site chosen that lies at 78°29'06"S, 163°50'10"W, two miles from the edge of the ice barrier and five miles northeast of the site of Little America I and Little America II, the previous Byrd expedition bases. Until the main building is completed for habitation, the men live in regulation army tents (see 11 February).

            Gunboat Erie (PG‑50) joins destroyer J. Fred Talbott (DD‑247) at Wreck Bay, Galapagos Islands, to assist U.S. tuna boat City of San Diego. The gunboat takes on board the craft's chief engineer (pneumonia) and sails the following day for Balboa, where the man will be transferred ashore for medical attention.

Thursday, 25 January 1940

            Auxiliary Bear (AG‑29) (U.S. Antarctic Service) reaches 77°43'S, 143°52'W; it marks the deepest penetration by any ship into the Antarctic region.

Friday, 26 January 1940

            United States‑Japanese Trade Treaty of 1911 expires.

            Minesweeper Quail (AM‑15) arrives at Palmyra Island with first construction party to begin building a naval air station there.

Saturday, 27 January 1940

            U.S. freighter Cold Harbor, bound for Odessa, is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities (see 30 January).