Wednesday 9 April 1941

The Berlin Opera House on the Unter den Linden burns from the bombing of 9 April 1941. Hitler orders it completely repaired.

Operation Marita/Operation 25: On 9 April 1941, the day that the German offensive expands dramatically and devours strategic objectives, the Yugoslav government issues a statement. It reads in part:

We inform all civilized peoples of the frightful crimes committed by the German armed forces in the war imposed upon us. Belgrade, the capital of our country, which in good time was proclaimed an open and undefended city, was bombed by German aircraft without a declaration of war.... Never during the long history of this martyr city were such cruelties committed even by the most primitive invaders.... Horrible scene occurred during the bombardment when German planes machine-gunned women and children fleeing from their burning homes. Flying low, the German bombers turned houses into hecatombs.

Deutschland Radio is more pithy, reporting:

Belgrade is still burning.

Meanwhile, the Germans continue advancing without too much opposition. In southern Yugoslavia, Field Marshal List's forces have cut the main railway line between Belgrade and Thessalonica (Thessaloniki). They are proceeding west for a junction with the Italians in Albania and have crossed the Vardar River. Today, advance detachments are in the vicinity of Veles, Macedonia. The 11th Panzer Division is in Nis.

The Yugoslav General Staff issues a communique stating that "We have succeeded in halting all attacks and have in part repulsed them."

A bit further south, in Greece, the German XVIII Mountain Corps (Lt. Gen. Franz Böhme) and 30 Corps (Lt. Gen. Otto Hartmann) troops advancing south from Bulgaria lunge forward. At the corner where Yugoslavia, Greece, and Bulgaria meet, the German 2nd Panzer Division pushes aside the Yugoslav units guarding the Greek left flank. This opens a seam south from Dojran Lake for the panzers to race down and take Thessalonica (south of the border mountains, it is flat and almost desert-like flat scrubland). This cuts off the several Greek divisions to the east from the British troops manning the Aliakmon River line just to the west. In essence, the river itself separates the British and the German forces, and during the day a small Wehrmacht patrol tries to cross the river but is fired upon by New Zealand troops.

The LA Times headline, 9 April 1941, "Hitler Army Perils Salonika."

Throughout the war, these "boundary lines" between different units will become increasingly tenuous. In this case, with the boundary between forces from two different countries of independent commands and supply lines, the connection is more tenuous than usual. When under pressure, units that connect to other units tend to withdraw toward their base of supply - which invariably is in a different direction than that of the adjoining unit. This creates a natural tendency for these types of seams to open under pressure.

Lieutenant General Konstantinos Bakopoulos, commanding the Eastern Macedonia Army Section, orders isolated Greek fortresses behind the German lines to surrender. Some do, and some don't. Either way, the troops in them now have no hope of avoiding capture. Greek resistance east of the Axios River effectively ends today. Already, the British and Greeks are considering withdrawing from the Aliakmon Line.

The Germans on the other side of the Aliakmon River River are not even the biggest problem facing the British. The German forces in Yugoslavia already are in a position to turn south through the Monastir Gap, advance along the Florina Valley and surround the British standing on the Aliakmon River Line. Australian General Blamey detaches the 1st Armoured Brigade, places it under the command of Australian General Mackay, and sends it north to the Monastir Valley to serve as a block. Mackay's forces take up positions in the narrowest part of the Monastir Valley, where the valley narrows to 500 yards or less.

To the west, the Yugoslav 3rd Army continues advancing away from the Germans into Albania. The Zetska Division reaches the vicinity of Shkodër and the Yugoslav cavalry reaches the Drin River. Some Yugoslav units of the Kosovka Division are blocked by Wehrmacht troops which have advanced northwest from Skopje to Prizren. The Yugoslav Air Force gets some bombers in the air, and they bomb the Italians on the Drin and Buene Rivers, but not the Germans who pose a much bigger threat.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill announces the capture of Massawa and the loss of Thessaloniki in a speech to the House of Commons. He also attempts to minimize both affairs, stating:

Once we have gained the Battle of the Atlantic and are sure of the constant flow of American supplies which are being prepared for us, then, however far Hitler may go or whatever new millions and scores of millions he may lap in misery, we who are armed with the sword of retributive justice shall be on his track.

Visiting Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies notes that Churchill's speech is:

Not a good speech. He was earth-bound and hesitating, and failed to electrify the House. But even then managed a good phrase, "and then the sword of retribution in our hands, we shall be after him!"

Churchill obviously knew that Massawa was captured before today, but decided to delay his announcement of that victory to ease the pain of the defeat in Greece - an indication that he knows things are going poorly elsewhere.

Smoke over Thessalonica, Greece, 9 April 1941.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command stages another raid on Berlin after dark. It is a fairly average raid as these things go, but this raid affects Adolf Hitler perhaps more than any other during the war. Why? Because some of the bombs drop on the German State Opera House on the Unter den Linden. The building is largely destroyed by fire. Hitler is a huge opera fan, and this is one of the few times that he shows real emotion about an RAF raid. It is the first German theater to be destroyed during the war. Hitler orders reconstruction immediately under the Head of Division Erich Effort from the engineering department of the Prussian Ministry of Finance. The project is not just personal - Hitler hopes to reassure the German populace that everything was fine and victory was still assured.

Other RAF bombers attack Brest again after dark. They drop 25 tons of 227 kg Ap bombs, four of which hit the heavy cruiser Gneisenau on the starboard side of the forward superstructure. There are 72 dead and 90 wounded on the Gneisenau, with another 18 of the wounded to perish. The bombs cause some structural issues which must be corrected. This attack, more than any other, removes Gneisenau from participation in Operation Rheinübung, the Atlantic sortie by battleship Bismarck and cruiser Prinz Eugen.

In addition, the RAF conducts Rhubarb operations over France during the day. This leads to the loss of a Spitfire to Hptm. Josef Fözö of II./JG 51 around noontime.

The Luftwaffe attacks Birmingham with 237 bombers which drop 285 tons of bombs, including 1110 incendiaries. The Luftwaffe loses four Heinkel He 111s to two RAF Squadrons, No. 151 (Hurricanes) and 264 (Defiants). The Luftwaffe gradually is improving its night-fighter capabilities. Another Luftwaffe attack on the Newcastle/Tynemouth coastline region causes extensive damage, with 116 bombers dropping 152 tons of high explosives and incendiaries.

A pilot M2 Half-Track Car at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, Maryland. 9 April 1941.

East African Campaign: The British now have occupied Addis Ababa and Massawa. Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell decides to focus on withdrawing whatever troops he can for transfer up to Egypt. He orders General Cunningham to send the 1st South African Division north from Massawa toward Port Sudan, where he hopes it will become available for transfer to the Egyptian desert. The 4th Indian Infantry Division already is standing by for transfer to Egypt.

German officers arrive at Anatolia College in Thessaloniki, Greece on 9 April 1941. They are commandeering the premises for use as their Balkan headquarters.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-107 (K.Kapt. Günther Hessler) is on its second patrol and is stalking Convoy OG 57 about 400 miles north of the Azores. U-107 torpedoes and sinks 4671-ton British freighter Harpathian and 8516-ton tanker Duffield.

U-98 (Kptlt. Robert Gysae), on its first patrol sailing out of Kiel, stalks Convoy HX 117. Gysae sinks 1304 ton Dutch freighter Prins Willem II. There are twelve deaths.

German raider Kormoran sinks 8022-ton British freighter Craftsman about midway between Africa and Brazil at their closest point. There are 6 deaths, and 43 are taken as prisoners.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 1600 ton British freighter Dudley Rose out to sea off Berry Head. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe also bombs 5187-ton Norwegian tanker Buesten off Berry Head. There are 28 deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 812-ton Norwegian freighter Bjornvik off Berry Head. The Bjornvik makes it to Dartmouth, but a delayed action bomb explodes within the ship there, wrecking it. There is one death.

The Luftwaffe attacks Harwich and bombs the 409-ton auxiliary minesweeper HMS Marmion. The captain beaches the Marmion on Harwich Hard and it eventually is towed to Tilbury for scrap.

The Luftwaffe also bombs and sinks 126-ton British examination ship D'Arcy Cooper at Harwich. There are three deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks British launch Falcon at Harwich.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 6991-ton British tanker British Statesman off Harwich.  The British Statesman makes it to port.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 4159-ton British freighter Pandorian off Duncansby Head. The Pandorian makes it to port.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks British fireboat Queen at Ipswich. It is later raised and returned to service. Two other fire floats at Ipswich, Alert and Greta, also are badly damaged and written off.

The Luftwaffe bombs motor lifeboat John Pyemont of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution at Tynemouth - it is in the boathouse, which is bombed and wrecked.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 622-ton British freighter Kylegorm four miles off St. Anne's Head. A tug brings the Kylegorm to Milford Haven.

The Luftwaffe attacks Convoy EC-4 off Keiss, Scotland and damages 6994-ton British tanker British Workman. The British Workman makes it to port at Kirkwall.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 1516-ton British freighter Aberhill along the coast southeast of Hartlepool. The Aberhill makes it to Leith.

British 6363-ton tanker Lunula hits a mine at Shellhaven jetty at Thames Haven and is badly damaged. A tug sent to tow it also hits a mine and has to be beached. 28 men perish on the Lunula, which eventually is written off.

German coastal tanker Sund hits a mine and sinks in the Elbe.

Convoy SL 71 departs from Freetown bound for Liverpool, Convoy SC 28 departs from Halifax also bound for Liverpool.

Destroyer HMS Brocklesby (L42, Lt. Commander George P. Huddart) and corvette Aster (K 188, Lt. Commander Eric Hewitt) are commissioned.

Battleship USS North Carolina (BB-55, Captain Olaf M. Hustvedt) is commissioned at the New York Naval Shipyard in Brooklyn, New York. It is the US Navy's first new battleship since the USS West Virginia was commissioned in 1923.

Battleship USS North Carolina is commissioned at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, 9 April 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Lieutenant General Rommel, in receipt of air reconnaissance reports that the British are in full retreat, decides to invest Tobruk. He orders Major General von Prittwitz of the 15th Panzer Division to advance south of Tobruk and then conduct patrols around the fortress. He also orders General Bortolo Zambon in command of the Italian Brescia Division to close in from the west and create the appearance of more troops than he actually has - "Make lots of dust in the terrain." This is a standard Rommel trick, and it invariably works in deceiving his opponents as to his own strength.

Rommel flies in his Fieseler Storch to Mechili, where the 5th Light Division is in complete control. He orders the division to head down the Via Balbia to Gazala in preparation for an attack on Tobruk.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages Yugoslav destroyer Beograd off Sibenik in the Adriatic.

Royal Navy gunboats HMS Aphis and Gnat bombard German positions at Bomba, Libya, a village near the city of Derna in Libya.

An Italian supply convoy departs from Naples bound for Tripoli. It has five transport ships (Andrea Gritti, Sebastiano Venier, Rialto, Birmania, and Barbarigo.

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Eagle departs from Alexandria to transit the Suez Canal and enter the Indian Ocean.

Two Harvard trainers crash on the ground and wind up like this on Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada, 9 April 1941 (Jack McNulty Collection, Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association).

US/Greenland Relations: The two governments formally sign the agreement with the Danish government in which the US takes over the defense of Greenland in exchange for the right to build air and naval bases there (which are necessary for the defense of Greenland, of course). Danish Ambassador Henrik Kauffmann signs for Denmark/Greenland. Denmark, of course, is occupied, though technically not - it is a very unique situation. The Danish government in Copenhagen disavows the agreement, while Greenland accepts it. Kauffmann basically is operating without true authority, but is continuing his role of ambassador as if Denmark were still free - he becomes known as the "King of Greenland" for this and other agreements made on its behalf.

Indian/German Relations: Subhas Chandra Bose has escaped from British-controlled India and is in Berlin. He proposes an alliance between India and Germany. India, for some reason, is often on Hitler's mind - he has proposed "giving it" to the USSR in exchange for concessions in Europe. Mahatma Gandhi supposedly also has had correspondence with Hitler, but some suspect that the letters he is supposed to have sent to Hitler were actually forgeries by British intelligence.

German Military: Hirth Motoren GmbH, being run by trustee Reichsministry of Civil Aviation, is taken over by Ernst Heinkel AG. The Hirth company makes aircraft turbojet engines, and the Air Ministry hopes that Heinkel can speed up jet engine development. Heinkel just recently, on 5 April, demonstrated his new He 280 jet engine to top Luftwaffe officials such as Ernst Udet, and Heinkel undoubtedly mentioned at that time that the jet engine problems were the only thing holding back a fleet of Luftwaffe jet fighters.

A Piaggio company photograph of the P.111 at Villanova d'Albenga, Savona.

Italian Military: While the Regia Aeronautica has not exactly covered itself in glory so far in the war, Italian engineers are making huge progress with new aircraft designs that match anything in the air. Today, The prototype Piaggio P.111, a high-altitude research aircraft, takes its maiden flight. It is a three-seat, twin-engine, high-speed, high-altitude bomber with a pressurized cabin. It is mainly a research vehicle, not intended for mass production, but shows the vibrancy of the Italian aircraft industry.

Soviet Military: Commander of the Soviet Air Forces (VVS) Pavel Rychagov complains about the quality of the planes in the air force, calling them "flying coffins." He is referring specifically to a very high accident rate in the Air Force, but he will be confirmed correct during Operation Barbarossa in terms of their combat capabilities. Warning about these problems, however, does not insulate him from criticism, and the Politburo begins an inquiry into his claims - with Rychagov to be held responsible for any failures or problems.

Japan: Prince Hiroyasu steps down as chief of the Japanese Navy General Staff. However, he remains on the Supreme War Council, though basically he is retired. Hiroyasu is a "moderate" and has qualms about Japanese alignment with Germany via the Tripartite Pact.

China: The Japanese have been retreating from Shanggao for some time. Today is considered the end of the Battle of Shanggao, as the Japanese make it back to their main base. While the Japanese did not win the battle, they successfully kept the Chinese on the defensive and also avoided repeated attempts to surround them on the way back.

American Homefront: William Worthington passes away in Beverly Hills, California, age 69. Worthington was a star in silent films, starring, for instance, in "Damon and Pythias" (1914) and other films that were popular at the time. With the advent of talkies, Worthington's career plummeted, and he spent the last ten or so years of his career in uncredited walk-ons.

USS North Carolina is commissioned with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background, 9 April 1941.

April 1941

Tuesday 8 April 1941

Land mine damage in Great Yarmouth on April 8, 1941 (Archant Library).

Operation 25/Operation Marita: At day's end, the Germans have broken through the Greek lines along the Bulgarian border, while the Germans have isolated Yugoslavia from the outside world and are in the vicinity of Zagreb and advancing toward Belgrade.

Belgrade is the prize in Yugoslavia, and Ewald von Kleist wants it. He sends his panzers off at 05:30 toward the city from the northwest. They capture Nis in Serbia and head down the Morava Valley toward the capital. The Yugoslav is giving ground everywhere.

The weather is poor over Belgrade, so the Luftwaffe's Operation Punishment ends today. There is tremendous devastation, but total casualty estimates vary from the as low as 1500 to 17,000. Later estimates of the extent of the damage also vary wildly, with some stating that half of the housing stock is destroyed. Among many other national treasures, the National Library of Serbia is destroyed, along with its medieval manuscripts and other irreplaceable artifacts.

The 1st SS Division Adolf Hitler has moved into the front lines and now sits astride the main railway link between Belgrade and Thessalonica (Thessaloniki). The Yugoslavs in Belgrade now are effectively isolated.

Max Dobislav, who becomes an ace, with his Bf 109E of 8,/JG 27, April 1941.

Greece along the Bulgarian border is still a secondary theater as events play out to the north. The Greek Army vigorously defends the Rupel Pass but it badly outnumbered. The British 1st Armoured Division moves forward when the Wehrmacht's 30 Infantry Corps begins breaking out through the Dorian Gap. The weather is poor here as well, a typical late-winter scene of snow at the higher elevations and rain in the valleys. The Germans begin to push through the Florina Gap. The British further back on the Aliakmon Line prepare for the onslaught on their own positions, which is only a day or two away now.

The British hurry some of their units (such as the 16th Australian Brigade) forward to support the Greeks on the frontier, but the battle is rapidly becoming a lost cause. The Australians are inexperienced in snow and there is virtually no transport in the mountains they are crossing. The Germans, meanwhile, have mountain troops leading their attack, with the 6th Mountain Division in the vanguard. The 164th Infantry Division captures Xanthi, and the 50th Infantry Division has Komotini and is advancing beyond it.

Strategically, what is happening is obvious on the map. While von Kleist in the north picks apart the internals of the Yugoslav state virtually at his leisure, the panzer forces in southern Yugoslavia have completely bypassed the Greeks and the British to the south. Worst of all for the Allies, the Germans have taken almost no casualties in their drive west through a non-essential portion of the country (from the Yugoslav view). The Greek High Command, of course, notices this, and they put out a communique to that effect which states that the German advance is "exposing the left flank of our brave army."

Some Yugoslav units do see what is going on and take pains to try and prevent it. The 20th "Bregalnička" Infantry Division, part of the 3rd Territorial Army of the Yugoslav army, ties in with the Greeks on the Metaxas Line. It works hard to stop the German 2nd Panzer Division of XVIII Mountain Corps from outflanking the Greek divisions, a task which is vital for the Metaxas Line to have any chance of holding. The 20th Infantry Division, however, can do nothing about the Germans heading due west to the north in what everyone recognizes is a deep flanking maneuver.

Meanwhile, the Yugoslav 3rd Army is fighting well - but headed in completely the wrong direction. While the Germans invade from the north and east, the Yugoslavs are heading... west. In what must have seemed like an extremely clever strategy over holiday dinners, the Yugoslavs intend to defeat the Italians in Albania before turning back around and then dealing with the Germans. This, the strategy posits, would free the mass of the Greek Army stuck in Albania to head east and stop the Germans flooding in from Bulgaria. However, while the Italian Army is weak, it isn't that weak, and in fact, has been dramatically strengthened for their recently concluded Primavera Offensive. The Yugoslavs are making a high stakes gamble based upon the assumption that the Germans can be held at the frontiers until the Italians surrender - a fatal misreading of the situation.

German General Stumme in command of LX Corps, the spearhead cutting east through southern Yugoslavia, is not troubled by any of the Allied moves. He consolidates his grip on southern Yugoslavia and sets his sights on the real prize: the Greek port of Thessalonica (Thessaloniki) not far across the border to the south.

So, some units of the Yugoslav Army do make some progress in the wrong direction. The Yugoslav "Komski" Cavalry Regiment takes the village of Koljegcava in the Valjbone River Valley of Albania, while the 31st "Kosovska" Division breaches the Italian line along the Drin River. However, the Yugoslav High Command begins hedging its bets and recalls the "Vardarska" Division to confront the XL Panzer Corps at Skopje. The Greek Western Macedonian Army Section in Albania also makes some progress toward Durrës, capturing about 250 Italians. However, in strategic terms, the slight gains made by the two armies are meaningless.

The Luftwaffe pays Piraeus another visit, which they are doing every day during this period. They previously virtually destroyed the port on the 6th when they scored a lucky hit on ammunition ship Clan Fraser. Today, the Germans damage 7777-ton Greek tanker Ekaterini Coumantarou.

Yugoslavia, always a tenuous state created out of disparate elements, begins to crumble. Croatian separatists proclaim a new Croatian government in Zagreb. German troops of von Kleist's 1st Panzer Group already are on the city's outskirts. On cue, Croatian soldiers mutiny in Bjelovar. The Luftwaffe quite noticeably is not targeting any Croatian cities, as Croatians tend to favor the Axis over the Allies - as opposed to Serbians, whose cities are getting savaged.

Convoy ASF 24 (five freighters) departs from Piraeus bound for Alexandria. Other convoys at sea are AN 25 and AG 11.

As during the Polish campaign, early headlines are all favorable to the Allied cause as the Germans sweep through Yugoslavia. LA Times, 8 April 1941.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe returns to Coventry with 230 bombers. They drop a combined 330 tons of high explosives, causing extensive damage and casualties. Among the devastation, the main body of the "new" Christchurch off New Union Street, constructed in 1830-32, is destroyed.

RAF Bomber Command, No. 2 Group, continues to focus on Axis shipping. The bombers hit the Kiel Canal with 160 bombers, Bremerhaven with 22 bombers, and shipping off the Danish coast. The RAF also attacks a bridge under construction at Ringkøbing on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in western Denmark.

Princess Mary visits Hull.

"Coffee shop at 278 10th Avenue in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, April 8, 1941." Photo courtesy of the  New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) photo collection at the La Guardia and Wagner Archives/CUNY.

East African Campaign: British troops enter Massawa after a brief struggle, but the battle is not yet over. The 7th and 10th Infantry Brigades lead the charge as they capture hill forts surrounding the port. The French Foreign Legion captures the Italian Admiralty building, at which point Rear Bonetti quickly surrenders, sending 9590 surviving Italian troops into captivity.

The Italians still man the ships in the harbor, and four Italian submarines escape, but the Allies have their eyes on the 17 large merchant ships and many smaller ones anchored there. General Cunningham already has designated the 4th Indian Infantry Division, one of the key components of Operation Compass, for shipment back to Egypt, and he would love to use the port to do it. The port has modern facilities, but the Italians have wrecked the equipment and scuttled ships in the harbor, making it quite a chore for the British to return the port to working order.

After learning of Admiral Bonetti's surrender, the Italian crews of many ships finally bow to the inevitability of the British occupation today and scuttle their ships:

• Destroyer Vincenzo Giordano Orsini
• Torpedo boats MAS 204, 206, 210, 213 and 216
• Italian 11,760-ton passenger ship Colombo
• Italian 3245-ton freighter Clelia Campenella
• Italian 5211-ton tanker Giove
• Italian 4958-ton freighter Prometeo
• Italian coasters San Giorgio (90 tons), Pirano (108 tons), and Trieste (96 tons)
• Italian trawlers Ardita (19 tons) and Sole (15 tons)

In addition, the RAF bombs and sinks Italian minelayer Ostia. Italian 18 ton coastal ship Mario M. sinks in the Red Sea of unknown causes.

These sinkings greatly complicate the British task of putting the port back into service to repair vessels damaged in the conflict in the Mediterranean.

At Addis Ababa, the British occupation forces turn their attention to securing their lines of communication back to Asmara. The Duke of Aosta and his Italian and colonial forces now are bottled up in the mountains and no longer poses an immediate threat even as they continue to hold out. However, at some point, the British will have to flush these troops out.

"Two NYA workers and a chef prepare meals for other NYA workers at the Los Angeles City Playground and Recreation Center Project, April 8, 1941." Photo courtesy of the National Archives via The Living New Deal).

Battle of the Atlantic: U-107 (K.Kapt. Günther Hessler) is on its second patrol. U-107 is one of the war's most successful U-boats, and this extended patrol (it lasts for over two months) is the most successful. Today, U-107 is stalking dispersed ships from Convoy OG 57 south of the Azores, and it torpedoes and sinks two ships:

• 3314-ton British freighter Helena Margareta (27 deaths, 9 survivors, Captain Owen T. Jones gets the Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery, U-107 surfaces and sinks it with gunfire)
• 3829-ton British freighter Eskdene (all 39 aboard survive)

Hessler in U-107 continues stalking the convoy after the attack.

U-124 (Kptlt. Georg-Whilhelm Schulz), operating in the same general area as U-107, is north of the Cape Verde Islands and sinks 2697-ton British freighter Tweed. There are three survivors and 25 deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 2848-ton British freighter Cormarsh off Sheringham Buoy (near Cley, Norfolk). The ship makes it to Hull.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages British 5792-ton freighter Chaucer near the Humber Light Vessel.

British 8621-ton tanker Ahamo hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea east of Sutton on Sea. There are fourteen deaths.

German freighter Kurzesee sinks from unexplained causes off Skjervøy, Norway. A likely cause is hitting a mine, but an air attack is possible, too.

Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser HMS Bulolo captures Vichy French 4279-ton freighter Fort de France in the Atlantic between Martinique and Casablanca. Bulolo's crew takes it to Gibraltar.

German raider Atlantis crossed into the South Atlantic from the Indian Ocean.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Intrepid lays minefield JO in the English Channel.

Convoy SL 71 departs from Freetown.

Canadian corvette HMCS Chilliwack (K 131, Lt. Leslie L. Foxall) is commissioned.

U-80 (Oberleutnant zur See Georg Staats) is commissioned.

The New Berlin, Illinois Island Grove school, 8 April 1941 (New Berlin Area Historical Society).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Afrika Korps takes the fortress of Mechili in the morning. The remnants of the 2nd Armored Division get some new stragglers from the west during the night to reinforce their position and try to break out, but the 5th Light Division (Major Bolbrinker) takes the fortress by 08:00. Major-General Gambier Parry, General Officer Commanding 2nd Armoured Division, surrenders and now joins Generals Neame and O'Connor in captivity.

General Erwin Rommel quickly tasks the Italians with occupying Mechili while the sends the German 5th Light Division troops to help out at Derna. By nightfall, the Germans have taken the Derna airfield, the town itself, and about 800 prisoners. While some British troops still hold out, their cause is hopeless.

With Benghazi, Derna, and Mechili in their pocket, the Germans now can focus on Tobruk. Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell flies out of Tobruk, but his plane experiences engine trouble (likely due to desert sandstorms) and lands in the desert near Sollum. An armored car picks him up.

Meanwhile, the British still don't know what has happened to General O'Connor and Lieutenant General Philip Neame, their military leaders in Libya (they are in German custody). As visiting Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies notes in his diary following discussions at the War Cabinet:

Balkans bad. O'Connor & Neame missing in Libya. The clouds are dark and there is a lurid patch in the sky - I hope not sunset.... The generals of the War Office are still behind the times. "We have so many divisions" - as if divisions counted. Armour and speed count, and when we catch up to that idea, we will catch up to the Germans.

Menzies notes that "we hope to make a stand" at Tobruk. Until Neame can be located, Major General John Lavarack assumes his duties.

British mooring vessel Moor hits a mine and sinks near the Ricasoli Breakwater Light Vessel at the entrance to Grand Harbour, Malta. There are only one survivor and 28 deaths. The ship suffers a massive explosion around 17:00 that attracts attention from many viewers, turns on its side, and sinks rapidly.
An Axis convoy of five freighters departs Naples for Tripoli.

US/Greenland Relations: Greenland is an odd case. While it is part of Denmark, Greenland's government has announced its effective independence. However, the Danish Minister to the United States, Henrik de Kauffmann, still represents Greenland's interests. He prepares a document, "Denmark-United States: Agreement Relating to the Defense of Greenland," setting forth joint defense of Greenland. This effectively grants the United States responsibility for Greenland's defense from the Axis powers.

King Peter II of Yugoslavia.

US/Yugoslavian Relations: The Yugoslav attaché in Washington has requested as much US assistance that it can provide. In fact, the US can offer virtually no assistance except words, some of which President Roosevelt provides today. He states:

the United States will speedily furnish all material assistance possible in accordance with its existing statutes. I send Your Majesty my most earnest hopes for a successful resistance to this criminal assault upon the independence and integrity of your country.

The Germans already have a stranglehold on Yugoslavia, and the Italians and Luftwaffe dominate the skies, making any shipments by sea extremely unlikely.

US/Polish Relations: President Roosevelt meets with General Sikorski, leader of the Polish government in exile.

US Military: Evans Fordyce Carlson, considered a Far East specialist due to his experience in China, resigned his commission in 1939. Today, he is recommissioned at the rank of Major. Carlson has extensive experience working with Chinese Communist guerillas fighting Japanese invaders.

Joe Louis and Tony Musto at their weigh-in for their 8 April 1941 title fight (Boxing Hall of Fame in Las Vegas).

American Homefront: Earle W. Graser perishes in an automobile accident when he apparently falls asleep at the wheel while driving to his radio station in Detroit. Graser, a young radio actor, has played The Lone Ranger since 30 January 1933 - coincidentally, the same date that Adolf Hitler took power. His is the voice that yells "Hi-Yo, Silver" in both the radio and television series and likely the one that most people would recognize.

Joe Louis knocks out Tony Musto in the Arena at St. Louis, Missouri. It is his 16th successful defense of the World Heavyweight Championship.

Future History: Margaret Anne Lennon is born in Los Angeles, California. As Peggy Lennon, she will begin appearing with her sisters Dianna Barbara, Kathy and Janet as the Lennon Sisters on the Lawrence Welk Show from 1955-1968. Peggy will continue performing with the group - which still tours as of this writing - until her retirement in 1999.

Vivienne Isabel Swire is born in Tintwistle Cheshire, near Glossop, Derbyshire. As Vivienne Westwood due to her marriage to Derek Westwood, she and her second husband Malcolm McLaren become clothes designers, with McLaren managing the Sex Pistols. When the Sex Pistols wear Vivienne's clothing, she garners a lot of attention. Westwood becomes a key mover behind the fashions of the punk movement, with a definite edge of leather bondage gear, spikes, chains and the like. She goes on to form her own fashion company, designs clothing for many celebrities such as the characters in "Sex and the City," and become politically active.As of this writing, Dame Vivienne Westwood continues to be perhaps the top fashion celebrity in England, at least in certain circles - though there are several claimants to that throne.

Darlene Faye Gillespie is born in Montreal, Quebec. She becomes famous as a child actress, appearing as a singer and dancer on the original Mickey Mouse Club television series from 1955-1958. She goes on to a singing career and various other adventures.

Earle Graser, the first radio "Lone Ranger," perishes on 8 April 1941 in an automobile accident.

April 1941

April 1, 1941: Rommel Takes Brega
April 2, 1941:Rommel Takes Agedabia
April 3, 1941: Convoy SC-26 Destruction
April 4, 1941: Rommel Takes Benghazi
April 5, 1941: Rommel Rolling
April 6, 1941: Operation Marita
April 7, 1941: Rommel Takes Derna
April 8, 1941: Yugoslavia Crumbling
April 9, 1941: Thessaloniki Falls
April 10, 1941: USS Niblack Attacks
April 11, 1941: Good Friday Raid
April 12, 1941: Belgrade and Bardia Fall
April 13, 1941: Soviet-Japanese Pact
April 14, 1941: King Peter Leaves
April 15, 1941: Flying Tigers
April 16, 1941: Battle of Platamon
April 17, 1941: Yugoslavia Gone
April 18, 1941: Me 262 First Flight
April 19, 1941: London Smashed
April 20, 1941: Hitler's Best Birthday
April 21, 1941: Greek Army Surrenders
April 22, 1941: Pancevo Massacre
April 23, 1941: CAM Ships
April 24, 1941: Battle of Thermopylae
April 25, 1941: Operation Demon
April 26, 1941: Operation Hannibal
April 27, 1941: Athens Falls
April 28, 1941: Hitler Firm about Barbarossa
April 29, 1941: Mainland Greece Falls
April 30, 1941: Rommel Attacks

2020

Tuesday 25 March 1941

Adolf Hitler and Prince Paul of Yugoslavia.

Italian/Greek Campaign: Things have quieted down on land in Albania on 25 March 1941. The Italians finally have given up on their Primavera Offensive, which accomplished nothing but rack up casualties. Overall, Italian casualties for the Primavera Offensive number 11,800 dead and wounded, while the Greeks suffer 1243 dead, 4016 wounded and 42 missing.

Operation Lustre, the British reinforcement of mainland Greece, continues. Convoy AG 8 departs Alexandria bound for Piraeus carrying troops and supplies, while Convoy AS 22 departs Piraeus bound for Alexandria. Norwegian 5062 ton freighter Hav departs from Piraeus bound for Alexandria.

"Goodwill visit to Brisbane by the American fleet in March 1941. This was the first visit to Brisbane during World War Two of an American Naval Squadron. At this time, the United States of America had not entered the war. Entry was a few months away after Pearl Harbour in December 1941." 25 March 1941. State Library of Queensland.

East African Campaign: The latest British 5th Indian Infantry Division attack on Keren continues today. Started late on the 24th, the attack quickly yields tactical successes. One objective of British General Heath is to capture the areas overlooking the Dongolaas Gorge that control access to Keren. Another is to neutralize Italian positions at the head of the gorge from which Italian troops can fire down on British sappers trying to clear the gorge of the obstacles placed there by Italian engineers.

As the day beings, the West Yorkshire and 3/5th Mahrattas advancing down the hill from Fort Dologorodoc to the right of the gorge seize some lower hills overlooking the gorge. The Italians resist fiercely, but the British occupy the entire southeastern side of the gorge by 07:30.

At 03:00, another attack is launched by the 2nd Highland Light Infantry and the 4/10th Baluch Regiment. They emerge from a railway tunnel that is to the left of the gorge in order to attack Italian troops at the head of the gorge. The British maintain heavy artillery fire on the Italian positions from the area around the Sanchil heights. Other troops (3/2nd Punjab Regiment) then enter the gorge itself to clear it. By 05:30, the entire gorge is cleared of Italian troops and the Italians can no longer fire down directly into it.

The Italians counterattack in the afternoon. Italian troops continue to hold out on Mount Sanchil on the left side of the gorge. The Indian troops use artillery to break up the Italian attempts to counterattack.

British engineers quickly begin clearing the Dongolaas Gorge of the obstacles placed there to prevent British vehicular traffic. On the surrounding rim, the Italians and British continue struggling for dominance. The British take 500 prisoners in the early morning hours.

European Air Operations: The RAF switches strategic targets. Rather than attack factories in and around cities, for the time being, RAF Bomber Command will attack Axis convoys. These include the iron ore shipments flowing down the Norwegian coast from Narvik to Hamburg, convoys from Hamburg to occupation forces along the North Sea and Channel coast, and oil shipments coming up from Spain. Initiating this strategy, the British bombers attack shipping off of Ameland in the north of Holland.

The Luftwaffe sends small raids against towns on the south coast. A fighter sweep over southern England with fighter-bombers (Jabos) produces few results.

Cable ship C.S. Faraday is lost on 25 March 1941 to Luftwaffe attack.

Battle of the Atlantic: While German cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau have made port at Brest, there remain many German raiders at sea. Today, they make their mark.

German raider Kormoran captures 11,309-ton Canadian tanker Canadolite midway between Africa and Brazil. The Germans put a prize crew on board and sent it to Brest.

German raider Thor remains a thorn in the Admiralty's side. Today, it torpedoes and sinks 8799-ton British liner Britannia in the mid-Atlantic about 750 miles west of Freetown, Sierra Leone, British West Africa. The Thor's captain hears British radio transmissions and assumes they mean that the Royal Navy is nearby. He departs the scene after rescuing only one man from the 203 crew and 281 passengers on board. The Britannia is carrying a large number of Royal Navy officers heading to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations.

While almost everyone on board the Britannia survives the initial sinking, many perish after the Thor leaves. The weather may be warming up a bit, but the seas remain cold. A Spanish freighter, the Bachi, rescues 51 men, another, the Cabo De Hornos, rescues 77, and British freighter Raranga rescues 67 men. Another 33 men reach Brazil in their lifeboat, but it takes them 23 days. Two men on the Britannia, Lieutenant I. S. McIntosh and Frank L. West RNVR (who writes a book about the incident) receive MBEs for their service on the ship, while four others receive commendations. The Thor's captain, Otto Kähler, acts correctly in terms of his legal wartime obligations; however, this is not the best moment of the Kriegsmarine.

Thor later comes across 5047-ton Swedish freighter Trolleholm. This time, Thor takes all 31 men on board prisoner after scuttling the ship.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 627-ton British freighter Rossmore about a dozen miles from Godrevy Island in Bristol Channel. There are six deaths.

The Luftwaffe at 19:45 bombs and damages 5533-ton cable ship CS Faraday in the Bristol Channel. The Heinkel He 111 bombs and strafes the Faraday, causing a fire that forces the crew to abandon ship - after it shoots down the Heinkel. There are 8 deaths and 25 wounded. The blazing Faraday later grounds at St. Anne's Head, and the cable on board is mostly recovered. However, the remains of the ship, such as they are, remain there and in fact have become a favored diving location in shallow water at Hooper's Point, Pembrokeshire.

The Luftwaffe (I,/KG 40 Focke-Wulf Fw-200 Condors) bombs and sinks 9956-ton British tanker Beaverbrae in the Northwest Approaches. All 86 men on board survive. One of the destroyers picking up the men, HMS Gurkha, collides with a small wooden ship while returning to Pentland Firth outside Scapa Flow, but everyone is fine and the destroyer makes it back to base. However, the drifter sinks and nobody on it survives. The Gurkha has to go to Roslyn for repairs to its bow.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 347-ton Dutch freighter Escaut southwest of Hartland Point. After the crew abandons it, the ship drifts ashore near Bude but is later refloated and repaired at Appledore.

British 21-ton fishing boat Alaskan hits a mine and sinks northeast of Hartlepool. All five on board survive.

US 8013-ton tanker Cities Service Denver is under tow off the coast of North Carolina when an unexplained explosion occurs beneath the crew quarters. There are 19 deaths.

The Admiralty sends a troopship, HMS Circassia, from the Clyde to Iceland. It carries more personnel for the growing British presence there.

Convoy HG 57 departs from Gibraltar.

Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Hermione (Captain Geoffrey N. Oliver) is commissioned.

British liner Britannia, sunk on 25 March 1941 by German raider Thor.

Battle of the Mediterranean: It is fair to say that, at this stage of the war, the Italian military has not covered itself with glory. They have been forced back in Albania, East Africa, and North Africa, while the Italian fleet largely has stayed in port. However, there is one area of the military at which the Italians are ahead of everyone: small-scale attacks at sea which can produce big results. However, so far these operations have been canceled for various technical reasons.

That changes today. Italian destroyers Crispi and Sella each carry three 2-ton motor assault boats from Leros in the Dodecanese Islands. They head for the vicinity of the major British naval base at Suda Bay, Crete. The destroyers release the boats from about 10 miles (18 km) offshore at 23:30. The small boats proceed toward the large Royal Navy ships at anchor in the bay for an attack on the 26th. The prime target is heavy cruiser HMS York.

On land, the German Afrika Korps continues consolidating its recent acquisition of El Agheila. The British have withdrawn to Mersa Brega, which occupies a narrow point between the coast and the rocky interior where larger operations are impossible. The Germans also note that the British have abandoned Maaten Bescer, too, with British patrols in the area west of Mersa Brega vastly reduced.

Having completed their mission in Athens and Cairo, Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and CIGS John Dill begin their journey back to London. Today, they lay over at Malta around midnight on the 24th from Athens. The original plan was for them to continue on to Lisbon immediately, but the weather forces a layover, so they spend the day playing billiards and visiting various highly placed individuals on the island. It is a memorable day for Malta, which does not get many highly placed visitors who stick around for any length of time.

British submarine HMS Rorqual lays mines off Palermo west of Sicily.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Pinguin completes its refit at the uninhabited Kerguelen Islands and departs, along with supply ship Adjutant, for further operations. The crew has disguised Pinguin as Norwegian freighter Tamerlane.

British 11,092 ton transport Waimarama runs aground after departing Port Said bound for Alexandria. The ship is pulled off by two tugs, but the ship requires 2-3 months of repairs.

The Admiralty transfers aircraft carrier HMS Eagle's two squadrons of Swordfish bombers to Port Sudan.

Spy Stuff: The British learn through their decoding operations and spy network, along with "hard" intelligence such as observed Luftwaffe reconnaissance missions, that the Italians are planning a major operation at sea.

U.S. Navy cruiser Chicago makes port at Brisbane, Australia, 25 March 1941. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 77816.

German/Yugoslavian Relations: Despite fierce opposition even within his own cabinet, regent Prince Paul authorizes signing of the Tripartite Pact. In Vienna's Belvedere Palace, Yugoslavia Prime Minister Dragiša Cvetković signs the Pact, adding his name to those from Japan, Romania, Italy, and other nations. Hitler and German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop are in attendance, signifying the importance they place on this event.

By joining the Axis, Yugoslavia allows German troops to cross its territory but does not have to fight - at least according to the secret terms promised by Hitler. There is immediate disagreement with Prince Paul's decision throughout the country, but particularly within certain sections of the military. There also is a division along ethnic lines that foreshadow events decades later, with Serbs favoring the British and Croats favoring the Germans.

The Germans are ecstatic about Yugoslavia signing the agreement. The Propaganda Ministry orders its outlets to describe this as another step toward a New World Order.

German/Soviet Relations: One of the remaining sticking points between Germany and the USSR is removed today. Ethnic Germans from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia complete their resettlement to Germany, while ethnic Lithuanians, Russians, and White Russians are resettled in the USSR. That many of these people, such as the White Russians, may not particularly want to make the move is irrelevant. These mass dislocations of people (an estimated 60,000 people head west while 20,000 head east) is a common and continuing feature of World War II. Of course, the people heading east will see the Germans again before too long, but nobody outside of the top German government and military circles is supposed to know that. The people brought in from the east are housed for the most part in camps to await properties the Germans plan on seizing or otherwise acquiring soon from others.

German/Japanese Relations: Japanese Foreign Minister Yōsuke Matsuoka is visiting Berlin and says:

The Japanese nation is with you in joy or sorrow...to arrange the world on the basis of the new order.

Matsuoka is visiting both Berlin and Moscow, and his trip will have repercussions that reverberate for years. He is a proponent of Japan attacking the USSR in concert with Germany, but that view is not shared within the higher levels of the Japanese government and military.

German/Greenland Relations: Greenland long ago declared its independence from mother country Denmark due to German domination there. However, Greenland never declared war on Germany. Today, Germany declares that it will observe only a three-mile territorial limit around Greenland.

Australians greet visiting American sailors, Brisbane, Queensland, 25 March 1941. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 104176.

US/Australian Relations: Rear Admiral John Newton takes his cruiser squadron (USS Chicago and Portland, along with five destroyers) to Brisbane for a three-day visit. This follows an extremely successful visit to Sydney.

In the same vein, Captain Ellis S. Stone brings his light cruiser squadron (USS Brooklyn and Savannah, along with three destroyers) to Tahiti.

Italian Military: Following the disaster of the British Operation Compass, Marshal Rodolfo Graziani is formally replaced by General Italo Gariboldi as Commander-in-chief of Italian North Africa and as Governor-General of Libya. Despite his lack of success on the battlefield, Graziani remains good friends with Benito Mussolini, traveling with him and acting as a military confidante. This is not the end of his military career, either, but Graziani will remain inactive for the time being.

Japanese Military: Captain Kiichi Hasegawa takes command of aircraft carrier Akagi.

Romanian Military: Petre Dumitrescu takes command of the Romanian Third Army. This formation is oriented toward northern Bukovina, which the Soviets occupied in June 1940.

British Government: The Admiralty holds a conference on shipping and shipbuilding. Visiting Australian Prime Minister Menzies, who has been visiting ports around the country, shares his thoughts. He decries the control being exercised by the Admiralty over shipyards. In Menzies' view, private industry would be much more efficient. Somewhat unusually, since he views many in the Churchill government as "Yes men," Menzies notes with satisfaction in his diary that he gains support from others at the meeting.

Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding is in the United States inspecting aircraft factories. He has made some public statements with which British Ambassador Lord Halifax disagrees. Halifax requests Dowding's recall.

China: At the Battle of Shonggao, the Japanese 11th Army has given the Chinese 19th Army Group of the Chinese 9th War Area its best shot - and come up short. Having used all of its resources to try to punch through the Chinese lines, the army gives up the fight as pointless given the high cost. The lines remain where they are for the time being, but the Japanese launch no more attacks. The city of Shangkao, though, is destroyed. This has been a very important Chinese defensive victory. The Chinese try to take advantage of this victory by moving to encircle the advanced Japanese positions, but the Japanese begin edging back toward their base.

Author Ernest Hemingway is in the Far East on a "tourist" visit which may be a little more than that. Today, he and his wife Martha Gellhorn depart from the British base in Hong Kong for China.

British Homefront: Lord Woolton cuts the jam and marmalade ration, as previously announced. Everyone gets 8 ounces per month. He also cuts the meat ration to 6 ounces per month.

Occupation currency issued on Guernsey in the Channel Islands, dated 25 March 1941.

March 1941

March 1, 1941: Rettungsboje
March 2, 1941: Oath of Kufra
March 3, 1941: Germans in Bulgaria
March 4, 1941: Lofoten Islands Raid
March 5, 1941: Cooperation With Japan
March 6, 1941: Battle of Atlantic
March 7, 1941: Prien Goes Under
March 8, 1941: Cafe de Paris
March 9, 1941: Italian Spring Offensive
March 10, 1941: Humanitarian Aid
March 11, 1941: Lend Lease Becomes Law
March 12, 1941: A New Magna Carta
March 13, 1941: Clydeside Wrecked
March 14, 1941: Leeds Blitz
March 15, 1941: Cruisers Strike!
March 16, 1941: Kretschmer Attacks
March 17, 1941: Happy Time Ends
March 18, 1941: Woolton Pie
March 19, 1941: London Hit Hard
March 20, 1941: Romeo and Juliet
March 21, 1941: Plymouth Blitz
March 22, 1941: Grand Coulee Dam
March 23, 1941: Malta Under Siege
March 24, 1941: Afrika Korps Strikes!
March 25, 1941: Yugoslavia Joins The Party
March 26, 1941: Barchini Esplosivi
March 27, 1941: Belgrade Coup
March 28, 1941: Cape Matapan Battle
March 29, 1941: Lindbergh Rants
March 30, 1941: Commissar Order
March 31, 1941: Cookie Bombs

2020

Monday 17 March 1941

The Marit Maersk arrives at Piræus, Greece, on 17 March 1941.

Italian/Greek Campaign: There is a pause in operations on 17 March 1941, as the Italian high command regroups before resuming their failed Primavera Offensive. The Greeks use the time to bring forward reserves. They replace the battered 1st Division with the 17th. So far, Italian casualties have outpaced Greek losses by roughly 3-1 - but Greek losses have not been insignificant.

The British reinforcement of Greece, Operation Lustre, continues. The New Zealand 4th Infantry Brigade arrives at Athens today from Alexandria.

East African Campaign: The Italian counterattacks at Keren continue today. The British still occupy Fort Dologorodoc and the Pinnacle and Pimple formations to the right of the Dongolaas Gorge, but further advances are becoming difficult. The British 29th Brigade does capture Falestoh and Zeban near the fort, but bringing supplies over the exposed rock, with the Italians in the heights above raining fire down on everyone making the trip, proves too difficult. After dark today, the advanced British troops abandon Falestoh and Zeban. The Italians also launch rabid counterattacks against Fort Dologorodoc which the 5th Indian Division has difficulty fighting off.

On the left side of the gorge, things are even less satisfactory for the British. The 4th Indian Division has been attacking the Sanchil heights without progress. Finally, after dark tonight when the lack of light makes crossing the open areas less dangerous, the Indian troops retreat to their original jump-off positions. The Indian troops retain a few new areas, such as Hog's Back and Flat Top, but the Italian troops are counterattacking everywhere. The fighting is desperate and savage, often descending into hand-to-hand fighting with knives and whatever else is handy.

In central Abyssinia, Lt. General Cunningham's 23rd Nigerian Brigade of the British 1st African Division troops finally capture Jijiga after a long struggle. They only are able to do this because the strong Italian defensive forces in the town have abandoned it. The British troops now have advanced 1000 miles from Kenya, but Abyssinia still remains unsubdued. Jijiga is to become a British base until after the war.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe bombs Bristol again, continuing its pattern of hitting the same medium-sized city multiple times in a row. Tonight, 162 planes hit the Avonmouth district. RAF Bomber Command sends 58 bombers against Bremen and 21 against Wilhelmshaven, where they can waste their bombs against perpetual target Tirpitz.

Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke (8 March 1912 – 17 March 1941).

Battle of the Atlantic: Talk about highs and lows. The Kriegsmarine has just had one of the best days it will have during the entire war. Heavy cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst have devastated a convoy of shipping and escaped unscathed, while U-99 captain Otto Kretschmer has fired eight torpedoes and sunk five ships. It just doesn't get much better than that. However, now we get a lesson in how fickle the fortunes of war are, and how quickly victory can turn into a calamity.

Otto Kretschmer.

Kretschmer performed his stunning surface attack on Convoy HX 112 shortly before midnight on the 16th. Out of torpedoes, now the U-boat's only objective is to get out of town without being seen. Around midnight, though, his Watch Officer spots an escort destroyer (either HMS Vanoc or Walker) and orders a dive. This is contrary to standing orders, as once submerged, the U-boat can be detected on ASDIC. This in fact happens, and Kretschmer takes the U-boat deep to avoid the depth charges. However, one of the charges seriously damages the U-boat, forcing it to surface. On the surface, the two destroyers open fire with their guns, and Kretschmer, in a panic, signals:

CAPTAIN TO CAPTAIN. I AM SUNKING [sic] PLEASE RESCUE MY CREW.

Forty crew manage to escape and become POWs, including Kretschmer, while three crew (including the engineering officer who re-entered the sinking sub to scuttle it) perish. Captain Macintyre of the Walker takes credit for the sinking.

That is only the beginning of the Germans' bad night.

U-100 (Kptlt. Joachim Schepke) also has been drawn to Convoy by U-boat command (BdU). Captain Schepke approaches HX-112 from behind. Having to make up ground, he is on the surface by necessity, not a choice as in the case with Kretschmer. HMS Vanoc detects U-100 from about 1000 meters/yards with its Type 286 radar. This is the first such interception of a U-boat using radar - not a first that Schepke would want to be any part of. Vanoc hurries over as Schepke dives and manages to ram the U-boat before it can reach a safe depth. Schepke perishes along with 47 of his mates, while six men survive.

Schepke's and Kretschmer's losses to the U-boat fleet, along with Guenther Prien's loss ten days ago, are devastating to the U-boat fleet. The German military is based on stars and supporting players - there are "experten" and everyone else. In other words, the quality of the services depends upon a broad but very thin layer of aces who excel far beyond others. Prien, Schepke, and Kretschmer are impossible to replace, not because the U-boat doesn't have other good captains - it does - but all three have that "something special" that can't be taught. Kretschmer, in particular, has been like a quarterback on a good football team, directing other U-boats in attacks even when his boat is out of torpedoes and simply observing. Some put today as the end of the first U-boat "Happy Time," when the going is good and U-boat losses are low.

Dutch freighter Tapanoeli, sunk today by U-106.

While it is a bad night for the Kriegsmarine and the entire German war effort, there are some bright spots. Far to the south, about 350 km off the coast of West Africa, U-106 (Kptlt. Jürgen Oesten) is having what is turning into a splendid second patrol. It attacks Convoy SL 68 and sinks two ships:

• 3082 ton British freighter Andalusian (all rescued)
• 7034 ton Dutch freighter Tapanoeli (all rescued)

Oesten also attacks two other ships but misses.

Having just completed perhaps the most complete convoy destruction to date on 15-16 March, Gneisenau and Scharnhorst head away from the scene of devastation. Admiral Lütjens plans to rendezvous with supply ships Uckermark and Ermland, then head for port Brest in France. The Royal Navy has Force H out of Gibraltar at sea looking for them.

Having obtained its seaplanes and stocked up with supplies at Kiel, the German battleship Bismarck departs from Kiel and makes port at Gdynia (Gotenhafen) today.

German raider Kormoran and U-124 now have sailed far enough southwest (1150 miles southwest of the Cape Verde Islands) to find somewhat calmer waters and affect their supply transfer with cruiser Admiral Scheer. U-124 has brought radar parts for the German cruiser, but the seas remain too rough for Kormoran to transfer its eight torpedoes to the U-boat.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks Royal Navy 597-ton anti-submarine yacht HMY Mollusc a few kilometers from Blyth Port War Signal Station. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 2848-ton British freighter Cormead off Southwold and 281-ton British pilot cutter Pioneer in the Thames Estuary.

Norwegian 1858-ton freighter Einar Jarl hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea off Wormiston, Scotland. There is one death.

The Royal Navy's 1st Minelaying Squadron sets out from Loch Alsh to lay minefield SN 69. Minelayer Teviotbank, back in service after being damaged by the Luftwaffe, lays minefield BS 51 off the English East Coast.

Convoy OG 56 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 115 departs from Halifax.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Dianthus (K 95, Lt. Commander Clement E. Bridgman) is commissioned, corvette HMCS Kamloops (K 176, Lt. James M. Gillison) is commissioned, and destroyer KNM Arendal (Hunt-class destroyer HMS Badsworth) and minesweeping trawler Orfsay are launched.

U-218 is laid down.

KNM Arendal (HMS Badsworth).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Lieutenant General Rommel's Afrika Korps continues to receive additions to its troop strength. Rommel is feeling increasingly confident, and today he sends a message to an Italian garrison at Giarabub in southeastern Libya. He tells the Italians not to surrender to the Free French because he will soon send troops to their rescue.

The RAF (Swordfish of Squadron No. 815) torpedo and sink Italian torpedo boat Andromeda in the Adriatic off Valona (Vlorë), Albania.

The Regia Aeronautica attacks Benghazi.

Convoy AG 6A departs from Alexandria bound for Piraeus, Convoy BN 20 departs from Aden bound for Suez.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Pinguin continues its replenishment operations in the Kerguelen Islands alongside supply ship Adjutant. The ship takes water from a waterfall to replenish its water tanks.

Convoy BM 5 departs from Bombay.

US/Australian Relations: With the visit to Australia by Rear Admiral John H. Newton, Commander Cruisers Scouting Force, approved for 20 March, the US sends a small detachment ahead to New Zealand. Captain Ellis S. Stone leads TG 9.2 to Auckland. They will remain there until Newton's main force makes the journey toward Sydney, at which point TG 9.2 will head to Tahiti.

German/Turkish Relations: Hitler meets with the Turkish ambassador. The Turks want nothing to do with this war, on either side, despite offers of all kinds of inducements.

A colorized photo of Grand Admiral Karl Donitz. The U-boat fleet was very close-knit, and losing two top commanders on one night in one action would have been deeply felt by Donitz and others in the service. There was nothing redeeming about the loss of Schepke and Kretschmer for anyone in the Kriegsmarine.

US Military: The US Navy Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics gives the go-ahead for research into jet propulsion. It creates a National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) board that will evaluate research into jet propulsion. The NACA goals for jet propulsion are quite modest at this stage in the United States, with useful applications being seen primarily in Jet Assisted TakeOff (JATO) areas, not jet-powered planes themselves. NACA, of course, is the direct antecedent of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

British Military: Air Vice-Marshal Richard Saul, Air Officer Commanding No. 12 Group (the successor to Trafford Leigh-Mallory) is made Companion of the Order of the Bath.

Greenland: The United States South Greenland Survey Expedition leaves Boston, Massachusetts today aboard US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Cayuga. The objective is to map Greenland for sites for things like airstrips and meteorological stations. Having declared itself a self-governing territory in 1940, Greenland currently is under United States protection.

Channel Islands: The occupation of the Channel Islands by the Germans has been, for the most part, a smooth affair. However, the island is indeed occupied and the Germans are authorized to apply harsh punishments in the Channel Islands just like anywhere else. Today, Frenchman Francois Scornet, 22, of Brittany is executed in Jersey. Scornet is a French Army Cadet who fled to the Channel Islands upon the Fall of France. In fact, he had intended to reach England but got lost in a storm. Scornet, who the Germans describe as the "ringleader" of a group of 16 such refugees, is shot as a symbolic act, as a way to "send a message" to others thinking of fleeing German occupation. Scornet will be the only civilian executed by firing squad in Jersey during the war.

China: The Japanese attack the Chinese lines in the Battle of Shanggao in the direction of Haulintsai and Shangfutsun. The Chinese are well dug-in, though, and the Japanese take heavy casualties. The day ends with the lines little changed, but many dead and dying on both sides.

The military situation in Europe and the Mediterranean in early 1941, from Life magazine, March 17, 1941. Interestingly, the map includes the notation for North Africa, "German troops and tanks stiffen Italian resistance." Life notices this, but the British high command does not give this much importance.

British Homefront: The British already have rationed things like tea, and completely eliminated bananas. Now, they add some more quintessentially British foodstuffs to the ration list with jam and marmalade, which is limited to 8 oz. (225) per person per month. While that might seem perfectly adequate and even generous... the British love their marmalade and jam on scones.

Prime Minister Robert Menzies, in England for a few months, visits the Rolls Royce plant at Derby. He notes that there are "Many women employed on hard work. Music half an hour morning & afternoon. Everyone likes it 'except a few old fogies.'"

German Homefront: The German government maintains close tabs on trends in public sentiment as reflected in things like currently popular jokes and commodities. The reports now indicate that foreign-language prophecies are popular in churches that describe this as the time in Germany of a "dreadful warrior" who will be called the "Antichrist." As is often the case with these reports, the meaning of the jibe is open to interpretation - the fact that other nations call the German leader names may mean he is threatening them while helping Germany. On the other hand, taken literally, the suddenly popular prophecy may mean that people everywhere - and including Germany - are starting to view Hitler extremely negatively. Overall, it does not seem like a positive thing for the government that words like "Antichrist" are being thrown around about Germany's leader.

American Homefront: President Roosevelt dedicates the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Future History: Paul Lorin Kantner is born in San Francisco, California. As a teenager, Kantner becomes a protest folk singer. He drops out of school and begins performing full time. In 1965, he meets Marty Balin, and together they form a band called Jefferson Airplane. Kantner writes many of the band's songs as well as playing rhythm guitar and singing. Jefferson Airplane has many hits in the '60s and is the main attraction at festivals at Monterey, Altamont, and Woodstock. He begins collaborating in more ways than one with fellow bandmate Grace Slick, and together have daughter China Wing Kantner in 1971. The band continues into the 1980s, at which it has the first of many name changes, to Jefferson Starship. Kantner, the last founding member of Jefferson still left with the band, leaves in 1984, forcing the name change. Kantner and his Jefferson Airplane bandmates are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Paul Kantner passed away on 28 January 2016.

Henry Ford on the cover of Time Magazine, March 17, 1941, | Vol. XXXVII No. 11. Cover Credit: ERNEST HAMLIN BAKER. Ford will be a key player during the war, as his production plants will be the core of the United States as the "Arsenal of Democracy."

March 1941

March 1, 1941: Rettungsboje
March 2, 1941: Oath of Kufra
March 3, 1941: Germans in Bulgaria
March 4, 1941: Lofoten Islands Raid
March 5, 1941: Cooperation With Japan
March 6, 1941: Battle of Atlantic
March 7, 1941: Prien Goes Under
March 8, 1941: Cafe de Paris
March 9, 1941: Italian Spring Offensive
March 10, 1941: Humanitarian Aid
March 11, 1941: Lend Lease Become Law
March 12, 1941: A New Magna Carta
March 13, 1941: Clydeside Wrecked
March 14, 1941: Leeds Blitz
March 15, 1941: Cruisers Strike!
March 16, 1941: Kretschmer Attacks
March 17, 1941: Happy Time Ends
March 18, 1941: Woolton Pie
March 19, 1941: London Hit Hard
March 20, 1941: Romeo and Juliet
March 21, 1941: Plymouth Blitz
March 22, 1941: Grand Coulee Dam
March 23, 1941: Malta Under Siege
March 24, 1941: Afrika Korps Strikes!
March 25, 1941: Yugoslavia Joins The Party
March 26, 1941: Barchini Esplosivi
March 27, 1941: Belgrade Coup
March 28, 1941: Cape Matapan Battle
March 29, 1941: Lindbergh Rants
March 30, 1941: Commissar Order
March 31, 1941: Cookie Bombs

2020