The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II. Robert J. Cressman
cruiser Helena (CL 50), at Montevideo, Uruguay, on her shakedown cruise, sends party to inspect wreck of German armored ship Admiral Graf Spee.
U.S. passenger liner Manhattan is stopped by French auxiliary patrol vessel Vaillant about 25 miles southeast of Cape St. Vincent, Portugal, and ordered to proceed to Gibraltar for examination (see 3 and 4 February).
3 Saturday
Light cruiser Helena (CL 50) departs Montevideo, Uruguay, for Brazilian waters as her shakedown cruise continues (see 5 February).
U.S. passenger liner Manhattan is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities (see 4 February).
4 Sunday
U.S. passenger liner Manhattan, detained at Gibraltar the previous day, is released, but not before British authorities seize 390 sacks of German mail. American diplomatic mail pouches, however, are not disturbed.
5 Monday
Light cruiser Helena (CL 50) arrives at Santos, Brazil, on her shakedown cruise (see 10 February).
U.S. freighter Exford is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities (see 13 February).
6 Tuesday
German freighter Konsul Horn, which had departed Aruba on 7 January, reaches Norwegian waters having eluded or deceived the U.S. Neutrality Patrol as well as British and French warships.
8 Thursday
U.S. freighter Scottsburg is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities (see 9 February).
9 Friday
U.S. freighter Scottsburg, detained at Gibraltar by British authorities the previous day, is released. U.S. freighter Exminster, detained at Gibraltar since 1 February, is also released.
10 Saturday
Light cruiser Helena (CL 50) departs Santos, Brazil, winding up her shakedown cruise.
U.S. freighter West Chatala is detained for several hours at Gibraltar by British authorities but is released to continue her voyage.
11 Sunday
U.S. Antarctic Service West Base main building is completed sufficiently to permit occupation. Over the next two months, the base—three buildings connected by an elaborate system of tunnels and caches—is finished by the time the sun sets for the winter on 21 April.
12 Monday
War again comes to the Americas: British heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire stops German freighter Wakama 12 miles off Cabo Frio, Brazil; Wakama’s crew scuttles her so that their ship will not fall into British hands (see 16 March).17
13 Tuesday
U.S. freighter Exford, detained at Gibraltar by British authorities since 5 February, is released.
14 Wednesday
U.S. passenger liner Manhattan is detained at Gibraltar for several hours by British authorities but allowed to proceed; not as fortunate is freighter Exermont, which is also detained there (see 16 February).
15 Thursday
President Roosevelt embarks in heavy cruiser Tuscaloosa (CA 37) at Pensacola, Florida, for a cruise to Panama and the west coast of Central America to discuss Pan-American defense and to inspect the Panama Canal.
Destroyer Goff (DD 247) collides with and sinks harbor tug Wicomico (YT 26) in Hampton Roads, off Naval Operating Base, Norfolk, Virginia. Goff, her bow damaged in the mishap, rescues Wicomico’s 11-man crew.
16 Friday
U.S. freighter Excalibur is detained for several hours by British authorities at Gibraltar but is released; freighter Exermont, detained since 14 February, is allowed to proceed as well.
British destroyer HMS Cossack violates Norwegian territorial waters, boards German tanker Altmark in Jössingfjord, Norway, and recovers 303 merchant seamen from ships destroyed by German armored ship Admiral Graf Spee during her commerce-raiding activities.
17 Saturday
U.S. freighter Exhibitor is detained by British authorities at Gibraltar (see 21 February).
Ten Consolidated P2Y-2s of VP 52, all but one bearing neutrality markings (red-centered blue and white star) on port and starboard sides of each flying boat’s nose, share ramp space at the U.S. Coast Guard air station, Charleston, South Carolina, with two USCG Grumman JF-2s and a USCG Douglas RD-4, 27 February 1940. VP 52 had begun operating from the Coast Guard station on 3 October 1939. (Author’s Collection)
21 Wednesday
U.S. freighter Sahale is detained by British authorities at Gibraltar (see 22 February); freighter Exhibitor, detained since 17 February, is allowed to proceed.
22 Thursday
U.S. freighter Sahale, detained by British authorities at Gibraltar the previous day, is released.
23 Friday
U.S. freighter Lehigh is detained for several hours at Gibraltar by British authorities, but is allowed to proceed the same day.
24 Saturday
U.S. freighter Scottsburg is detained for several hours at Malta by British authorities, but is allowed to proceed the same day.
25 Sunday
U.S. freighter West Camargo is stopped by unidentified French cruiser off north coast of Venezuela, 11°30′N, 66°20′W; French make no attempt to board but only request information “where from, where bound, and what cargo” before allowing the merchantman to proceed after a 20-minute delay.
U.S. freighter Exochorda is detained for several hours at Gibraltar by British authorities, but is allowed to proceed.
26 Monday
Captain Raymond A. Spruance relieves Commander Reuben L. Walker as Commandant Tenth Naval District.
U.S. passenger liner Washington is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities.
27 Tuesday
U.S. freighter Sundance is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities.
29 Thursday
U.S. freighter Cold Harbor is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities.
MARCH
1 Friday
U.S. freighter Exeter is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities (see 4 March).
As the build-up of advanced bases in the Pacific continues apace, cargo ship Sirius (AK 15) steams past Bishop Point, Pearl Harbor, 21 March 1940, bound for Midway, pilings projecting over the side across her forward hatch and the non–self-propelled dump scow YD 69, laden with equipment, riding at a towline astern. (NHC, NH 96600)
2 Saturday
U.S. passenger liner Manhattan is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities, but is released the same day. Some 80 of 200 items of cargo, however, are detained subject to guarantees as to their destinations.
4 Monday
U.S. freighter Exeter, detained at Gibraltar by British authorities since 1 March, is released, but not before 155 sacks of mail for Germany are removed, as are 95 sacks for Italy and 59 for Switzerland. Some 140 sacks previously removed from other neutral ships, however, are brought on board and the ship is permitted to sail.
8 Friday