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January 14th

1940/41/42

1940 - The US freighter SS Narbo, detained at Gibraltar by British authorities the previous day, is released to continue her voyage to Italy, Yugoslavia, and Greece, but not before some items from her cargo are removed as contraband
1940 - Japanese Prime Minister, General ABE Nobuyki, and all his Cabinet resign and Admiral Yonai Mitsumasa is chosen to form a new government
1940 - The British Minister in Panama, Charles Dodd, transmits the response of the British government to a note sent by the President of Panama on behalf of the 21 American Republics concerning the violation of American neutrality that occurred in the Battle of the River Plate. The British "reserve their full belligerent rights in order to fight the menace presented by German action and policy and to defend that conception of law and that way of life, which they believe to be as dear to the peoples and Governments of America as they are to the peoples and Governments of the British Commonwealth of Nations"
1940 - U-432 laid down

1941 - George Crosses are Gazetted for Sub-Lt John Bryan Peter Duppa-Miller (b. 1903) and AB Stephen John Tuckwell (b.? d.1966), RNVR who dealt with a mine which had fallen into soft mud in a tributary of Barling Creek. In all, they disposed of ten mines in their work together
1941 - Motor minesweepers ordered in Canada - HMS MMS 104, MMS 105, MMS 106, MMS 102, MMS 103, MMS 99, MMS 100 & MMS 101
1941 - Swordfish aircraft from HMS Eagle lost while searching for an Italian convoy
1941 - Destroyer HMS Onslaught laid down
1941 - Minesweeping trawler HMS MacBeth commissioned
1941 - Corvette HMS Jasmine launched
1941 - Destroyer HMS Oribi launched
1941 - Submarine HMS Torbay commissioned

1942 - The Japanese force slated to invade Rabaul on New Britain Island in the Bismarck Archipelago, departs Guam
1942 - U-381 launched
1942 - U-257 commissioned
1942 - At 0834, the unescorted tanker Norness was hit by one of two stern torpedoes fired by U-123 about 60 miles from Montauk Point, Long Island and began listing to port. At 0853, a coup de grâce hit the tanker underneath the bridge and the ship began settling on even keel, allowing the survivors to abandon ship in the starboard lifeboat and row away from the ship. The port lifeboat had capsized during the launch due to the heavy list and threw the occupants into the cold sea, drowning two Norwegian crewmembers. At 0929, the vessel was hit by a third torpedo in the engine room, after a second coup de grâce at 0910 proved to be a dud. Shortly thereafter, the tanker sank by the stern with the bow still visible over the surface. 30 survivors were spotted in the afternoon by a US Navy blimp, which directed USS Ellyson & USCGC Argo to them, while nine men were picked up by the American fishing boat Malvina. All survivors were landed at Newport RI
1942 - At 0254 U-43 attacked Convoy ON-55 south of Iceland and sank SS Empire Surf. At 0304 the U-boat attacked again and heard a heavy detonation after 40 seconds, but a few minutes later was unable to see the target. The KTB has the marginal comment Apparently not a hit. The master, 37 crewmembers and nine gunners from the Empire Surf were lost. Six crewmembers were picked up by HMS Alisma & landed at Londonderry
1942 - At 0453, U-43 attacked Convoy ON-55 a second time and sank SS Chepo
1942 - Trawler HMS Ironbound launched Kingston ON
1942 - Newfoundland Trawler (Motor Minesweepers) ordered from Steers Shipbuilding St John's, Newfoundland - HMS MMS 238, MMS 239, MMS 240 & MMS 241
1942 - Corvettes HMCS Sherbrooke & Hepatica departed St John's to escort Convoy SC-64 to Londonderry
1942 - Coast Guard plane, a Hall PH-3 No. V-177, dropped food to raft with 6 persons
1942 - Canada orders Japanese Canadians out of British Columbia coastal region; now defined as a 'protected area'

1943/44/45

1943 - U-965, U-966 launched
1943 - U-958 commissioned
1943 - Corvette HMCS Norsyd laid down Quebec City PQ
1943 - Corvette HMCS Sackville arrived Liverpool NS for refit
1943 - Casablanca Conference President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, accompanied by the Combined Chiefs of Staff
1943 - In first submarine resupply mission, USS Gudgeon lands 6 men, 2,000 pounds of equipment and supplies on Negros Island
1943 - Destroyer escort USS Atherton laid down
1943 - Aircraft carrier USS Independence commissioned
1943 - Minesweeper USS Swallow commissioned
1943 - Submarine USS Gudgeon lands men and equipment near Catmon Point, Negros, Philippines
1943 - Submarine USS Pike is damaged by bombs and depth charges off Ichie Saki, Honshu. Pike returns to base
1943 - Submarine USS Searaven, on her sixth patrol moving through the waters around the Palaus, attacks a Japanese convoy between the Palaus and the Philippine island of Mindanao. Searaven fires a total of four torpedoes. All torpedoes hit targets. Two hit the sole escort, Ganjitsu Maru #1 and two strike SS Shiraha Maru [some sources name the vessel Shirahane Maru]. They sink in position 09°12'N, 130°38'E

1944 - Minesweeper HMCS New Liskeard launched Port Arthur ON
1944 - Frigate HMCS (ex-HMS) Loch Alvie launched
1944 - Destroyer USS Massey laid down
1944 - Destroyer escorts USS Abercrombie & Halloran launched
1944 - Frigates HMS Tyler & Spragge commissioned
1944 - Minesweeper HMS Recruit commissioned
1944 - Submarine USS Crevalle, on her second patrol, lays mines off Kega Point, east of Saigon, French Indochina on the night of 14-15 January. The field is laid in position 10°33'N, 108°01'E
1944 - Submarine USS Scamp, embarked on her sixth patrol, attacks a convoy several hundred miles south of Woleai Atoll. In a daytime periscope attack, Scamp fires 6 torpedoes with two hits sinking tanker Nippon Maru in position 05°02'N, 140°50'E. Several hours later, USS Guardfish, on her seventh patrol, sets upon the same convoy and sinks tanker Kenyo Maru in position 05°22'N, 141°27'E after a twilight periscope attack. Five of six torpedoes obliterate the naval tanker. USS Albacore, nearby on her eighth patrol, sinks destroyer Sazanami in position 05°15'N, 141°15'E, near Woleai Atoll
1944 - Submarine USS Seawolf, on her twelfth patrol, attacks a Japanese convoy approximately 300 miles NE of Okinawa in a night surface radar attack. Two of three torpedoes hit home, sinking tanker Yamazuru Maru in position 28°30'N, 133°40'E
1944 - Barge, Fuel Oil (Self-Propelled) YO-159 lost off the New Hebrides Islands
1944 - Submarine USS Swordfish, on her tenth patrol, attacks a Japanese convoy in the waters south of Honshu. In a night periscope attack, Swordfish fires four fish, of which, two hit and sink Yamakuni Maru near Hachijo Jima in position 33°16'N, 139°30'E

1945 - HMC ML 081 begins refit
1945 - Corvette HMCS Trillium, while escorting the 47-ship Southend to New York City Convoy ON-278, suffered a collision with coaster, which sank. No record of either name of the vessel or loss of life, in this incident
1945 - Submarine USS Chivo launched
1945 - U-3521 commissioned
1945 - At 1035, U-1232 attacked Convoy BX-141 east of Halifax, sank SS British Freedom & badly damaged SS Martin Van Buren six minutes later. The U-boat then sank SS Athelviking and missed HMCS Ettrick. Later in the action, HMCS Ettrick, while conducting an attack, ran over the conning tower of U-1232, which was forced to depart for home badly damaged. Dobratz reported sinking four ships totaling 30.400 tons. The master & three crewmembers from SS Athelviking were lost. 39 crewmembers & eight gunners were picked up by HMC ML-102 & landed at Halifax
1945 - U-1208 sailed from Norway on her first & only patrol
1945 - Submarine USS Cobia, making her third patrol, fires a salvo of five torpedoes in a daytime periscope attack against SS Yurijima off the east coast of Malaya SE of Kota Bharu. One torpedo explodes and sinks the coastal minelayer in position 05°51'N, 103°16'E