| Axis | Dec-40 | Allied | Neutral | |||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Total | Class | Total |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | Battleship | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Fleet Carrier | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Light Carrier | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 9 | Heavy Cruiser | 15 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 16 | Light Cruiser | 62 | 41 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 19 |
| 52 | 0 | 7 | 82 | 34 | 123 | Destroyer | 276 | 181 | 60 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 161 |
| 61 | 8 | 1 | 92 | 50 | 143 | Submarine | 143 | 54 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 87 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Escort Carrier | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | 0 | 3 | 32 | 9 | 44 | Escorts | 138 | 107 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | Other | 56 | 44 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Neutral | ||||||||||||||
| Class |  |
 |  |
 |  |  |
 |
 |  |
 |
 |
 |  |  |
| Battleship | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Fleet Carrier | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Light Carrier | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Heavy Cruiser | 16 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Light Cruiser | 19 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Destroyer | 106 | 53 | 16 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 5 | 16 | 9 | 19 | 4 | 10 |
| Submarine | 53 | 207 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 4 |
| Escort Carrier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Escorts | 15 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Sunday 1st December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Saguenay | Destroyer | Damaged | Damaged by torpedo from Italian submarine Argo, 300 miles off the Irish coast, bow section destroyed, 3 dead 01/12/1940 | |
| Politics | American ambassador to the United Kingdom Joseph P Kennedy is asked to resign by American President Roosevelt after his Boston Sunday Globe article about democracy being finished in England |
||||
| Other | Football International: Italy 1-1 Hungary, Stadio Comunale, Genoa |
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| Monday 2nd December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Forfar | Armed Merchant Cruiser | Lost | Torpedoed by German submarine U-99, 500 miles W of Ireland, in the North Atlantic, 172 dead, 54.35N 18.18W 02/12/1940 | |
| Other | World Bantamweight Boxing Title Lou Salica (USA) beat Small Montana (Philippines) Rsf 3, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto. |
||||
| Tuesday 3rd December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Glasgow | Light Cruiser | Damaged | Damaged by 2 torpedoes from Italian aircraft whilst at anchor in Suda Bay, Crete, damaged to two propeller shafts, extensive flooding & some fires 03/12/1940. Temporary repair at Alexandria, ship's speed limited to 24 knots 15/02/1941 | |
| Wednesday 4th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | The Bomber Offensive: Minor night time British air raid, 80+ aircraft attack on Dusseldorf & Turin |
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| Thursday 5th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Calipso | Destroyer Escort | Lost | Mined laid by British submarine Rorqual, E of Tripoli, 4 miles off Misurata, Libya 05/12/1940 | |
| Friday 6th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Regulus | Submarine | Lost | Mined by Italian mine around the Straits of Otranto, off Taranto, in the Mediterranean Sea, no survivors 06/12/1940 |  |
| Military | The Bomber Offensive: Minor British air raid, 50+ on Luftwaffe airfields in France |
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| Saturday 7th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | The Bomber Offensive: Minor British air raid, 70+ on Dusseldorf |
||||
| Sunday 8th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Rodney | Battleship | Damaged | Damaged by heavy weather in North Atlantic, causing major structural damage, parting steel hull plates & flooding 08/12/1940. Arrived for repair at Rosyth 18/12/1940 | |
| Politics | General Francisco Franco rules out Spanish entry into the war |
||||
| Military | The Blitz: Major night time German air raid, 370+ aircraft attack on London. BBC Broadcasting House damaged The Bomber Offensive: Minor British air raid, 90+ on Dusseldorf |
||||
| Other | Football International: Croatia 1-1 Hungary, Stadion Koturaška, Zagreb |
||||
| Monday 9th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | Western Desert Campaign: Operation Compass the British forces attack Italian forces in Egypt and Libya The Bomber Offensive: Minor British air raid, 70+ on Bremen |
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| Tuesday 10th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | The Bomber Offensive: Minor British air raid, 60+ on German ports |
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| Wednesday 11th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | The Blitz: Major night time German air raid, 380+ aircraft attack on Birmingham. Extensive damage to city centre & factories |
||||
| Thursday 12th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | The Blitz: Major night time German air raid, 400+ aircraft attack on Sheffield. Extensive damage to city centre The Bomber Offensive: Minor British air raid, 15+ on Duisburg |
||||
| Friday 13th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Coventry | Light Cruiser | Damaged | Damaged by torpedo from Italian submarine Naiad, off North African coast, ship's bow badly damaged 13/12/1940. Temporary repair at Alexandria, new bow structure fitted 14/12/1940. During trails new bow structure fell off 27/12/1940. Repaired Alexandria heavier steel bow & concrete back fill fitted to bow, speed limited to 23 knots 28/12/1940 | |
| Military | The Bomber Offensive: Minor British air raid, 30+ on Bremen & Kiel |
||||
| Saturday 14th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Branlebas | Torpedo Boat | Lost | Wrecked in storm SSE of Eddystone Rock, in the English Channel 14/12/1940 | |
|
Naiade | Submarine | Lost | Scuttled to avoid capture after being forced to surface by British warships Hereward & Hyperion, Off Bardia, in the Mediterranean Sea 14/12/1940 | |
| Other | Charlie Chaplin's film, The Great Dictator released |  |
|||
| Sunday 15th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Cameron | Destroyer | Lost | Damaged by bombs from German aircraft at Portsmouth harbour 15/12/1940. Constructive total loss | |
|
Capitano Tarantini | Submarine | Lost | Torpedoed by British submarine Thunderbolt in the Gironde estuary, Bay of Biscay 15/12/1940 | |
|
Narval | Submarine | Lost | Mined NE of Sfax, Tunisia, in the Mediterranean Sea 35.03N 11.53E 15/12/1940 | |
| Military | The Blitz: Heavy night time German air raid, 135+ aircraft attack on Sheffield. Minor raid on Portsmouth The Bomber Offensive: Minor British air raid, 70+ on Berlin |
||||
| Monday 16th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | Western Desert Campaign: Operation Compass British forces captured by Sollum, Egypt and capture Fort Capuzzo in Libya The Bomber Offensive: Major British air raid, 200+ on Mannheim |
||||
| Other | World Heavyweight Boxing Title Joe Louis (USA) beat Al McCoy (USA) Rtd 10, Boston Garden, Boston. Australian & British Empire Middleweight Boxing Title Ron Richards (Aus) beat Fred Henneberry (Aus) Disq 13, Sydney Stadium, Sydney. Australian & British Empire Middleweight Boxing Title Ron Richards (Aus) beat Fred Henneberry (Aus) Disq 12, Sydney Stadium, Sydney. |
||||
| Tuesday 17th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Acheron | Destroyer | Lost | Mined S of the Isle of Wight, ship was on post refit trials, she suffered major structural damage to the bow, 167 sailors dead, 25 dockyard men dead & 19 survivors 50.31N 01.31W 17/12/1940 | |
| Wednesday 18th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
St Croix | Destroyer | Damaged | Damaged by heavy storm weather, in the North Atlantic on convoy duty during passage to St Johns, Newfoundland. Arrived for repair at Halifax, NS 18/12/1941 | |
|
Triton | Submarine | Lost | Mined by Italian mine around the Straits of Otranto, off Taranto, in the Mediterranean Sea, no survivors 18/12/1940 | |
| Politics | Adolf Hitler approves planning for Operation Barbarossa the German invasion of the Soviet Union |
||||
| Thursday 19th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Proteus | Submarine | Lost | Rammed by Italian MTB Antares off Vlore, Albania 19/12/1940 | |
| Military | The Bomber Offensive: Minor British air raid, 80+ on Cologne, Duisburg & Gelsenkirchen |
||||
| Friday 20th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Warwick | Destroyer | Damaged | Damaged by mine from German aircraft off Liverpool, taken in tow by British warship Wild Swan 20/12/1940 | |
|
Berkeley | Destroyer Escort | Damaged | Damaged by mine in Outer Medway sea area, in the North Sea, ship sustained serious damage 20/12/1940 | |
| Military | The Blitz: Major night time German air raid, 240+ aircraft attack on Liverpool & Birkenhead. Damage to docks The Bomber Offensive: Heavy British air raid, 125+ on Berlin & Gelsenkirchen |
||||
| Saturday 21st December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Foresight | Destroyer | Damaged | Damaged by bombs from German aircraft at Liverpool 21/12/1940 | |
| Military | The Blitz: Major night time German air raid, 300+ aircraft attack on Liverpool & Birkenhead. Damage to city centre |
||||
| Sunday 22nd December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Hyperion | Destroyer | Lost | Damaged by Italian mine off Cape Bon, in the Straits of Sicily, causing extensive damage, ship taken in tow by British warship Janus, but as she would be within sight of the island of Pantelleria in the morning, she had to be scuttled, 2 dead, 37.04N 11.31E 22/12/1940 | |
| Military | The Blitz: Heavy night time German air raid, 130+ aircraft attack on Manchester. Extensive damage & fires in cotton warehouses south of city centre |
||||
| Monday 23rd December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Fratelli Cairoli | Destroyer | Lost | Mined laid by British submarine Rorqual, off Misurata, Libya, in the Mediterranean Sea 23/12/1940 | |
| Military | The Blitz: Heavy night time German air raid, 100+ aircraft attack on Manchester. Damage to Manchester Cathedral & city centre |
||||
| Tuesday 24th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report |
| Wednesday 25th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Country | Vessel | Type | Report | Description | |
|
Berwick | Heavy Cruiser | Damaged | Damaged by gunfire from German warship Admiral Hipper, defending troopship convoy off the Azores.She was hit 4 times, 4 dead 25/12/1940. Arrived at Gibraltar for temporary repair & landing wounded 31/12/1940. Arrived for repair at Portsmouth 05/01/1941 | |
| Thursday 26th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report |
| Friday 27th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | The Blitz: Heavy night time German air raid, 100+ aircraft attack on London |
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| Saturday 28th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Politics | Italy requests assistance from Germany in its war with Greece |
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| Sunday 29th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report | |||||
| Military | The Blitz: Heavy night time German air raid, 100+ aircraft attack on London. Damage to St Paul's Cathedral, the Old Bailey, the Guildhall and eight Christopher Wren churches |  |
|||
| Monday 30th December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report |
| Tuesday 31st December 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Report |