Britain Against the U.S.
1939
3Sept39. U.S. freighter Saccarappa, with a cargo of phosphates and cotton, is seized by British authorities and cargo confiscated. Patrol stops 108 merchantmen over the next three weeks, ordering 28 into the port to have their cargoes inspected, confiscated, and to remove German nationals. British, French and Germans stop and inspect ships on the high seas and capture cargo deemed contraband. This continues at least thru 1939 until a procedure to certify cargos before departure.
29Sep39. British warships operating on the Northern Patrol continue to stop neutral merchantman; between this date and 12 October, 63 vessels are stopped, of which 20 are detained for the inspection of their cargoes.
10Oct39. British authorities remove from freighter Black Gull, 303 sacks of American mail. This is among the first instances of the British removing mail addressed to neutral countries and opening and censoring sealed letter mail sent from the United States. This continues at least thru the early March 1940.
1 Jan40 . British authorities detaining U.S. vessels at Gibraltar to search for contriband, taking from a few hours to several weeks. Continues into mid-March.
3 Jan40 . U.S. freighter Mormacsun is intercepted by British navy and diverted to Scotland, a combat area.
16Apr40. Iceland declares its independence from occupied Demark and asks the United States for recognition.
By the time the US entered WW2, the war had been going on for over two years in Europe, five years in Africa, and ten years in China.
Germany Against US
1939
Sept 3 . U-30 torpedoes British passenger liner Athenia without warning in the belief that she is an armed merchant cruiser; 28 American citizens are among the dead.
Sep 10. U.S. freighter Wacosta, bound from Scotland to New York is stopped by German submarine and detained for three hours.
1941
Jan 30. Germany announces that ships of any nationality bringing aid to Great Britain will be torpedoed.
Apr 17. Neutral Egyptian steamship Zamzam is shelled and sunk by German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis (Schiffe 16) in South Atlantic; 138 Americans (including 21 ambulance drivers) are among rescued passengers . See reader provided story.
May 21. Unarmed U.S. freighter Robin Moor, en route to South Africa and Mozambique, is stopped and sunk by German submarine U-69 (torpedo and gunfire) about 700 miles off the west coast of Africa. First American merchantman sunk by a U-boat in World War II. Crew given food and directions by submarine.
Jun 19. Germany and Italy request closure of U.S. consulates.
Sep 7 . SS Steel Seafarer bombed and sunk in Red Sea.
Oct 17. Kearney (DD-432) escorting a convoy was attacked by U-boat off the coast of Iceland with 11 killed.
Oct 19. Unarmed U.S. freighter Lehigh is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-126 off Freetown, Sierra Leone
Oct 28. Oiler Salinas (AO-19), in convoy ON 28, is torpedoed by German submarine U-106 about 700 miles east of Newfoundland.
Oct 31. Reuben James (DD-245), an older destroyer on convoy duty west of Iceland, was sunk by U-boat with loss of 115 men.
Oct 31. DuPont (DD-152) is attacked by U-boat, but missed.
Dec 2 . German submarine U-43 torpedoes and sinks unarmed U.S. tanker Astral and her 37 man crew.
Dec 3 . Unarmed U.S. freighter Sagadahoc is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-124 in South Atlantic.
Espionage
German espionage rings in the US were destroyed in a sweep on June 28, 1941, well before Pearl Harbor and formal US entry into the war. A naturalized U.S. citizen, was threaten with blackmail to become a radio operator for the Abwar. He told the FBI and became a double agent sending large quantities of approved information. He was considered so valuable in Germany that he was put in contact with all German agents in the U.S.
More here:
http://www.ww2pacific.com/bellacts.html
1939
3Sept39. U.S. freighter Saccarappa, with a cargo of phosphates and cotton, is seized by British authorities and cargo confiscated. Patrol stops 108 merchantmen over the next three weeks, ordering 28 into the port to have their cargoes inspected, confiscated, and to remove German nationals. British, French and Germans stop and inspect ships on the high seas and capture cargo deemed contraband. This continues at least thru 1939 until a procedure to certify cargos before departure.
29Sep39. British warships operating on the Northern Patrol continue to stop neutral merchantman; between this date and 12 October, 63 vessels are stopped, of which 20 are detained for the inspection of their cargoes.
10Oct39. British authorities remove from freighter Black Gull, 303 sacks of American mail. This is among the first instances of the British removing mail addressed to neutral countries and opening and censoring sealed letter mail sent from the United States. This continues at least thru the early March 1940.
1 Jan40 . British authorities detaining U.S. vessels at Gibraltar to search for contriband, taking from a few hours to several weeks. Continues into mid-March.
3 Jan40 . U.S. freighter Mormacsun is intercepted by British navy and diverted to Scotland, a combat area.
16Apr40. Iceland declares its independence from occupied Demark and asks the United States for recognition.
By the time the US entered WW2, the war had been going on for over two years in Europe, five years in Africa, and ten years in China.
Germany Against US
1939
Sept 3 . U-30 torpedoes British passenger liner Athenia without warning in the belief that she is an armed merchant cruiser; 28 American citizens are among the dead.
Sep 10. U.S. freighter Wacosta, bound from Scotland to New York is stopped by German submarine and detained for three hours.
1941
Jan 30. Germany announces that ships of any nationality bringing aid to Great Britain will be torpedoed.
Apr 17. Neutral Egyptian steamship Zamzam is shelled and sunk by German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis (Schiffe 16) in South Atlantic; 138 Americans (including 21 ambulance drivers) are among rescued passengers . See reader provided story.
May 21. Unarmed U.S. freighter Robin Moor, en route to South Africa and Mozambique, is stopped and sunk by German submarine U-69 (torpedo and gunfire) about 700 miles off the west coast of Africa. First American merchantman sunk by a U-boat in World War II. Crew given food and directions by submarine.
Jun 19. Germany and Italy request closure of U.S. consulates.
Sep 7 . SS Steel Seafarer bombed and sunk in Red Sea.
Oct 17. Kearney (DD-432) escorting a convoy was attacked by U-boat off the coast of Iceland with 11 killed.
Oct 19. Unarmed U.S. freighter Lehigh is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-126 off Freetown, Sierra Leone
Oct 28. Oiler Salinas (AO-19), in convoy ON 28, is torpedoed by German submarine U-106 about 700 miles east of Newfoundland.
Oct 31. Reuben James (DD-245), an older destroyer on convoy duty west of Iceland, was sunk by U-boat with loss of 115 men.
Oct 31. DuPont (DD-152) is attacked by U-boat, but missed.
Dec 2 . German submarine U-43 torpedoes and sinks unarmed U.S. tanker Astral and her 37 man crew.
Dec 3 . Unarmed U.S. freighter Sagadahoc is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-124 in South Atlantic.
Espionage
German espionage rings in the US were destroyed in a sweep on June 28, 1941, well before Pearl Harbor and formal US entry into the war. A naturalized U.S. citizen, was threaten with blackmail to become a radio operator for the Abwar. He told the FBI and became a double agent sending large quantities of approved information. He was considered so valuable in Germany that he was put in contact with all German agents in the U.S.
More here:
http://www.ww2pacific.com/bellacts.html
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