| Axis | Dec-39 | Allied | Neutral | |||||||||||
 |
Total | Class | Total |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| 5 | 5 | Battleship | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 0 | 0 | Fleet Carrier | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | Light Carrier | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 2 | Heavy Cruiser | 19 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 | Light Cruiser | 51 | 40 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 14 | 3 | 1 |
| 38 | 38 | Destroyer | 189 | 169 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 178 | 116 | 96 | 48 | 16 |
| 53 | 53 | Submarine | 66 | 59 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 60 | 56 | 102 | 179 | 3 |
| 0 | 0 | Escort Carrier | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | 10 | Escorts | 51 | 44 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 36 | 18 | 0 |
| 5 | 5 | Other | 61 | 52 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Neutral | |||||||||||||||
| Class |  |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |
 |  |
 |
 |
 |  |
 |  |
| Battleship | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fleet Carrier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Light Carrier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Heavy Cruiser | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Light Cruiser | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Destroyer | 7 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 15 | 5 | 16 | 10 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 10 |
| Submarine | 4 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 9 | 8 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 4 |
| Escort Carrier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Escorts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Friday 01 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | Winter War: Helsinki bombed by Soviet forces Winter War: Finnish forces retreat to Mannerheim Line |
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| Saturday 02 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Punjabi | Destroyer | Damaged | Damaged in collision with British merchant ship SS Lairdcrest, S of Hoy Island, in the North Sea 02/12/1939 | |
| Politics | US Govenrment imposes 'moral embargo' on the Soviet Union, urging American companies not to sell aircraft or components |
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| Military | Winter War: Soviet Red Army captures Petsamo |
||||
| News | Wartime Football International: England 2-1 Scotland, St James' Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
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| Sunday 03 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | First British air raid on German soil, when RAF Wellington bombers attack German shipping at Heligoland |
||||
| Other | Football International: Germany 3-1 Slovakia, Stadion an der Planitzstraße, Chemnitz Annual American Army-Navy Game: Navy 10-0 Army, Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia |
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| Monday 04 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Nelson | Battleship | Damaged | Damaged by mine laid by German submarine U-31 in entrance to Scapa Flow, massive explosion under ship causing serious structural damage & shock damage to main armament, 73 injured 04/12/1939. Arrived for temporary repair Loch Ewe 07/12/1939 | 
|
|
U-36 | Submarine | Lost | Torpedoed by British submarine Salmon, in the North Sea SW of Kristiansand, Norway, 40 dead, 0 survivors, 57.00N 05.20E 04/12/1939. Though not known at the time by the British this U-boat was on a mission to scout Basis Nord a Soviet base offered to the German Navy west of Murmansk. | |
| Tuesday 05 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | Winter War: Battles of the Kollaa River and Suomussalmi begin |
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| Wednesday 06 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | Winter War: Start of the Battle of Taipalethe |
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| Thursday 07 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Politics | Norway, Sweden and Denmark declares neurality in Winter War German SS over see start of euthanization of mentally disabled patients at the Dziekanka Psychiatric Hospital, Gniezno in Reichsgau Wartheland. Until 12th January 1940 a total of 1,043 patients were loaded into vans and gassed with carbon monoxide |
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| Friday 08 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Politics | American Government send a diplomatic note of protest to British Government over policy of seizing German goods in American and other neutral ships |
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| Other | German Lightweight Boxing Title Karl Blaho (Germany) beat Albert Esser (Germany) Pts 12, Deutschlandhalle, Berlin. |
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| Saturday 09 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Other | British Lightweight Boxing Title Eric Boon (GB) beat Dave Crowley (GB) Ko 7, Harringay Arena, London. |
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| Sunday 10 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Naval | First troop convoy of Canadian troops departs Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
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| Politics | German authorities order the establishment of a Jewish Ghetto in the city of Lodz. |  |
|||
| Monday 11 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Politics | The League of Nations sends telegram to Soviet Union calling them to cessation of hostilities with Finland |
||||
| Other | World Middleweight Boxing Title Al Hostak (USA) beat Erich Seelig (Germany) Ko 1, Cleveland Arena, Cleveland. |
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| Tuesday 12 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Duchess | Destroyer | Lost | Lost in collision with British warship Barham in the North Channel 9 miles off Mull of Kintyre 55.19N 06.06W 12/12/1939 | |
| News | IRA S-Plan: The opening of the trail of the IRA members responsible for the bombing of Coventry on the 25/08/1939 |
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| Wednesday 13 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Naval | Battle of the River Plate |  | |||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Admiral Graf Spee | Pocket-Battleship | Damaged | Damaged by gunfire from British warships Exeter & Ajax and New Zealand warship Achilles during Battle of the River Plate. An 8" shell from Exeter knocked out one boiler room. Another 8" shell caused major internal damage & water contamination of diesel fuel tanks, 36 dead, 60 injured, 13/12/1939 | |
|
Exeter | Heavy Cruiser | Damaged | Damaged by gunfire from German warship Graf Spee during Battle of the River Plate, in the South Atlantic, ship was hit by seven 11" shells & damaged by many near misses, all of her main armament knocked out & her speed was limited to 18 knots, 61 dead, 23 injured, 13/12/1939. Temporary repair at Port Stanley before returning to UK 20/12/1940 | |
|
Ajax | Light Cruiser | Damaged | Damaged by gunfire from German warship Graf Spree, during the Battle of River Plate, in the South Atlantic, X & Y turrets disabled, 7 dead, 5 injured 13/12/1939. Withdrawn for repair of battle damage 31/01/1940 | |
|
Leipzig | Light Cruiser | Damaged | Damaged by torpedo from British submarine Salmon in the North Sea, 130 miles W of Jutland, ship hit in No: 2 engine room 56.47N 04.00E 13/12/1939. Laid up for weeks at Kiel & converted into a training ship at Danzig, lost No 2 engine room, repaired by 01/10/1940. Ship's speed limited to 24 knots after repair | |
|
Nurnberg | Light Cruiser | Damaged | Damaged by torpedo from British submarine Salmon, in the North Sea, 130 miles W of Jutland 56.47N 04.00E 13/12/1939 | |
|
Achilles | Light Cruiser | Damaged | Damage by gunfire from German warship Graf Spree during the Battle of River Plate, in the South Atlantic, ship hit in the bridge area, 4 dead 13/12/1939. Ship remained operational | |
| Thursday 14 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Kelly | Destroyer | Damaged | Damaged by mine laid by German warships 13 miles NW of Tyne estuary in the North Sea 14/12/1939 |  |
|
Admiral Graf Spee | Pocket-Battleship | Ship arrived in neutral Montevideo harbour, Uruguay after Battle of the River Plate 14/12/1939 | ||
|
F 09 | Escort | Lost | Torpedoed by British submarine Ursula, SW of Heligoland, in the North Sea 54.08N 07.55E 14/12/1939 | |
| Politics | Soviet Union expelled from the League of Nations |
||||
| News | IRA S-Plan: The end of the trail of the IRA members responsible for the bombing of Coventry on the 25/0/1939. James Richards and Peter Barnes sentenced to death | ||||
| Friday 15 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | Winter War: Soviet Red Army attack Taipale |
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| Saturday 16 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report |
| Sunday 17 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Admiral Graf Spee | Pocket-Battleship | Lost | Ship scuttled by explosives outside Montevideo harbour & crew interned in Buenos Aries, Argentina 17/12/1939 |  |
|
Birmingham | Light Cruiser | Damaged | Damaged in collision with British tanker Francol, whilst refuelling in the South China Sea. Damaging her bow & starboard propeller 17/12/1939 | |
| Military | German government decides to occupy Denmark sometime in the future First troop convoy of Canadian arrives in the UK |
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| Monday 18 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Naval | Battle of Heligoland Bight: British RAF aircraft attack German shipping in Heliogoland |
||||
| Politics | Adolf Hitler sends Jospeh Stalin a telegram on his sixtieth birthday wishing him "good health and a happy future for the peoples of the friendly Soviet Union." |
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| Tuesday 19 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report |
| Wednesday 20 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Naval | Graf Spee captain Hans Langsdorff commits suicide in Buenos Aries |
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| Thursday 21 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report |
| Friday 22 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Other | Two German express trains collied in Magdeburg, 132 killed |
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| Saturday 23 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report |
| Sunday 24 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Politics | Pope Pius XII Christmas address in which he offers a five-point program as a basis for a negotiated peace, "a just and honourable peace". |
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| Monday 25 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report |
| Tuesday 26 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | First Royal Australian Air Force squadron, No 10 Squadron RAAF, arrives in Britain |
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| Wednesday 27 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | Winter War: End of the Battle of Taipalethe in Finnish victory First British Indian troops arrive in France |
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| Thursday 28 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Barham | Battleship | Damaged | Damaged by torpedo from German submarine U-30, 66 miles W of the Butt of Lewis, in the North Atlantic, extensive damage to ship's A & B turret shell rooms, 4 dead 28/12/1939 | |
| Politics | British Government announce that food rationing will start on 8th January 1940. Rationed items include butter, bacon, ham and sugar |
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| Friday 29 December 1939 |
|---|
| Daily Report |
| Saturday 30 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Politics | German Supreme Commander of the Luftwaffe Hermann Goering, writing in a article in Völkischer Beobachter, the Nazi Party newspaper warning that as soon a Hitler orders it, the Luftwaffe will attack Britain, "it will make an assault such as world history never has experienced". |
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| Sunday 31 December 1939 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Politics | German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels in a radio address makes no predictions for 1940, only saying next year "will be a hard year, and we must be ready for it." |
 |
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| Military |
|
||||
| Other | World Welterweight Boxing Title Henry Armstrong (USA) beat Jimmy Garrison (USA) Ko 7, Cleveland Arena, Cleveland. |
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