13 Apr 1940
  • RAF Hampden bombers of No. 44, No. 49, No. 50, No. 61, and No. 144 Squadrons began laying magnetic mines in German coastal waters. ww2dbase [AC]
  • Oswald Mosley's son Max Rufus Mosley was born. ww2dbase [Oswald Mosley | CPC]
  • U-23 began her ninth war patrol. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
  • HMS Acasta joined the escort force for Convoy NP1, transporting troops toward Narvik, Norway. ww2dbase [Acasta | CPC]
Norway
  • At Narvik, Norway, a British naval force consisted of battleship HMS Warspite and 9 destroyers under the command of Vice Admiral William Whitworth entered Ofotfjord; in the Second Battle of Narvik, Warspite's Swordfish torpedo bomber sank German submarine U-64 with bombs, while surface vessels sank 3 destroyers, with another 5 German ships scuttled by their own crews after suffering extensive damage; three British ships were damaged in the battle; without their ships, 2,600 German sailors went on land and served as infantrymen; Whitworth radioed London, noting that German forces at Narvik were now stranded, and a single brigade could defeat them. Meanwhile, off Trondheim, Norwegian cruiser-minelayer Frøya was damaged by German warships while defending the Agdenes fortress; German submarine U-34 scuttled Frøya to prevent salvage. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Warspite | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 13 Apr 1940
Warspite and a British destroyer during Second Battle of Narvik, 13 Apr 1940

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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