Thursday 20 March 1941

"Their Majesties being greeted by the C in C, Admiral Sir Martin E Dunbar-Nasmith, VC, KCB." This is at Plymouth on 20 March 1940. © IWM (A 3481).

Italian/Greek Campaign: The desultory Italian Primavera Offensive continues today without any progress on 20 March 1941. Italian 11th Army attacks the Greek Epirus Army near Klisura. Meanwhile, Operation Lustre, the British reinforcement of Greece to oppose an expected German invasion, continues. The Tommies take up positions on the Aliakmon Line facing Bulgaria.

East African Campaign: The British at Keren make one last attempt to clear the Dongolaas Gorge in order to ram a column through it despite strong Italian defensive positions. The attempt fails, with the British taking 19 casualties, and a later attempt with two I tanks also fails. After this, the British spend their time repositioning their forces for flank attacks on the gorge, so ground activity is light. However, RAF and South African RAF planes bomb the Italian positions in the hills that overlook the key Dongolaas Gorge.

British forces to the south are proceeding practically unimpeded. The British troops that landed at Berbera make more good ground and link up with the 11th African Division at Hargeisa. That said... the ground being occupied in this region is largely worthless - only the ports and major cities have any strategic value, and that only slight.

"On his arrival at Flags Staff steps His Majesty was greeted by his cousin, Captain the Lord Louis Mountbatten, GCVO, DSO. His personal ADC." This is at Plymouth on 20 March 1940. © IWM (A 3485).

European Air Operations: The King and Queen have been on a tour of Wales and southern England to boost morale. Yesterday, they were at Swansea, and today the royals visit Plymouth. It is a standard visit, and around dusk, the King and Queen depart at 18:00 on their private train. As they are at the station, the air raid sirens sound. The royals continue on to their next destination without incident, but many other important personages remain behind. The actual raid by 125 bombers begins around 20:30, and the VIPs adjourn to basements. It is an unusually heavy raid, destroying the center of town and sinking:

• 338-ton Royal Navy tug HMT Sir Bevois
• 35-ton Royal Navy fishing vessel HMT Dox
• Hulk Mackay-Bennet (an old cable layer involved in the aftermath of the RMS Titanic sinking, later refloated and repaired)
• Tug Elan II (later refloated and repaired)
• 5248-ton British freighter Lindenhall (sunk at Victoria Dock, later refloated and repaired)
• 1395-ton British freighter Mari II (later refloated and repaired)

The colorful Lady Nancy Astor is unhurt and makes some inspirational comments to the press.

Some Luftwaffe bombers hit Bristol during the night, where visiting Australian Prime Minister Menzies is spending the night. He makes an interesting comment in his diary about how the RAF now can predict the location of attacks before they occur:

Air raid warnings from London. They study beams from Germany, and where they cross is the place. Loud noises from the city after dinner, but we talk, as usual, until midnight.

A small force of three Manchester bombers attacks the U-boat pens at Lorient. One of the bombers has an engine fire which quickly consumes the aircraft. The pilot and crewman Charles Leonard Wheatley try to bring the plane home, but it hits a tree and crashes. Wheatley survives the crash and, knowing that the fire might set off the plane's bombs, successfully fights the fire at close range. He will receive the George Medal for this. RAF Bomber Command also sends 42 aircraft on minelaying operations along routes used by U-boats to and from bases in the Bay of Biscay (Brest, Lorient, and St. Nazaire).

"HM The King inspecting an Indian contingent paraded in the grounds of Admiralty House." This is at Plymouth, 20 March 1941. © IWM (A 3497).

Battle of the Atlantic: German heavy cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst are on their way to Brest at 23 knots. The British have numerous ships out looking for them, and they succeed: the ships are spotted by an airplane flying from HMS Ark Royal, which is part of Force H out of Gibraltar. Admiral Lütjens on board the Gneisenau is apprised of the RAF plane and alters course slightly to the north. During the day, the two Operation Berlin cruisers pass Norwegian tanker Polykarb, which Gneisenau captured on 15 March and is heading for the Gironde estuary with a prize crew.

While the Polykarb continues on its way unmolested, tankers Bianca (5688 tons) and San Casimiro (8046 tons), also captured by Gneisenau on the 15th, are not so lucky. The same aircraft that spots the cruisers also spots those two ships which are heading for France. Royal Navy battleship HMS Renown approaches the tankers, whose crews scuttle them. There are 46 Germans on the two ships taken as prisoners.

U-106 (Kptlt. Jürgen Oesten) continues operating in the area north of the Cape Verde Islands and west of the African coast where it has been stalking Convoy SL-68. Today, late in the say at 23:23, U-106 launches two stern torpedoes at the convoy - basically potshots taken in poor light. One torpedo hits 31,100-ton Royal Navy battleship HMS Malaya on its port side, causing extensive damage and a list of 7 degrees. Malaya makes it to Trinidad, and then to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Malaya thus beats damaged aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious to become the first Royal Navy ship repaired in a US shipyard during the war.

The other U-106 torpedo hist 7995-ton Dutch freighter Meerkerk. The Meerkerk also is damaged, but much less than Malaya. It sails back to Freetown, where it is under repair until late April 1941.

Royal Navy heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk returns to service after repairs to its damage from its April 1940 bombing. However, it still has some engine issues that need attention.

In a striking coincidence which may not actually be so coincidental - let's call it serendipitous instead - Royal Navy Minesweeping trawlers HMS Juliet and Romeo are commissioned and launched, respectively, while HMCS Truro and Digby are laid down.

The Luftwaffe sinks 21-ton Royal Navy fishing boat HMT Gloaming and 25-ton fishing boat Joan Margaret off the Humber. There are five deaths.

The Luftwaffe sinks 1386-ton Polish freighter Cieszyn a few miles off Manacle Point. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe indirectly sinks 174-ton British trawler Bianca in the Irish Sea (this Bianca is different than tanker Biance that is scuttled today in the Bay of Biscay). Bianca is dragging its net as usual when it has an unwelcome catch - a Luftwaffe bomb or aerial mine. There are five deaths.

Royal Navy 72-ton drifter HMT Soizic is lost in action, perhaps due to a mine or Luftwaffe attack.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 40-ton tug Charlight at Milwall.

RAF Coastal Command bombs and sinks 7500-ton Sperrbrecher-12 (minesweeper) Stolzenfels in the North Sea off Ameland, Friesland.

Convoy OB 300 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SC 26 departs from Halifax.

Three Royal Navy destroyers (HMS Intrepid, Icarus and Impulsive) lay minefield GU in the English Channel.

U-562 (Oberleutnant zur See Herwig Collmann) is commissioned.

HMS Malaya (Maritime Quest).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Troops continue to arrive in Tripoli. Among the men arriving today are members of a medium tank battalion of the Ariete Division. The local commanders send OKH (the German army command) an assessment of the strategic situation late in the day which places the German line as follow:

Forward forces still southwest of Agedabia. Defensive line Mersa el Brega (security patrols at Bescer) – southern tip Sebeha es Seghira and mobile tank security at Uadi Faregh from Bettafal to Ain en Naga, security in Haselat, reserves around Bilal, Gtafia.

Tentatively, the Germans plan to launch an offensive to take Mersa el Brega and then Gialo with battalion troops stationed at Marada (Major Appel commanding). The Germans request that the Italian Commando Supremo set aside troops to guard the rear, flanks, and gaps of any offensives.

The Royal Navy has begun another elaborate supply operation to Malta. The Admiralty instructs Admiral Cunningham, Commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, to assist aircraft carrier HMS Argus to deliver a dozen Hurricanes and two Skuas to the embattled island. As per standard practice, the Hurricanes will fly off in two groups, each group led by a Skua.

Operation Compass was a phenomenal success for the British. However, it is still easy to overstate this success. While the British removed the Italians from Egypt and took several key Italian ports and bases, they still only occupied a thin coastal slice of Libya. On 20 March 1941, Australian 2/9th soldiers begin trying to expand this strip of occupied land to the south, attacking Giarabub (Jarabub) Oasis, located about 225 km (140 miles) to the south of Bardia. The Germans set aside two Junkers Ju 88 bombers for support against the attacks.

Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel becomes the 10th person in the Wehrmacht to receive the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross.

There is a resumption of invasion jitters on Malta. "Sources" suggest that Germans are accumulating flat-bottomed landing craft in Sicily. However, this time the rumors have a unique twist: rather than the main island of Malta, the target is said to be Gozo, the second-largest island in the group just to the northwest. The Royal Army begins preparing defenses on Gozo, which apparently has been undefended until now.

Convoy BN 22 departs from Bombay bound for Suez.

"HM The Queen talking to girls who work in the dockyard." This is at Plymouth on 20 March 1941. © IWM (A 3484).

US/Australian Relations: The cruiser squadron (USS Chicago and Portland) under the command of Vice-Admiral John H Newton, Jr, Commander, Cruisers, Scouting Force, Pacific Fleet, arrives in Sydney Harbor. The government in Canberra has adjourned so that the ministers can watch the arrival and subsequent parade. While little-noted on the US side, the arrival is feted by the Australian press and it is a watershed moment in US/Australian relations. An estimated half-million Australians watch the fleet arrive. Tellingly, the event completely overshadows the arrival of the first Japanese ambassador, Tatsuo Kawai, to Australia on the 19th. The fleet's arrival is recounted in an official government summary:

Owing to misty rain the entry of the detachment into the harbour, originally scheduled for 8 a.m., was delayed until about 8:45 a.m. A salute of 21 guns was accorded to the ships as they passed the Heads, and public enthusiasm expressed itself in the hooting of sirens and motor horns and the cheering of the dense crowds lining the foreshore as the detachment proceeded up the Harbour.

"Visit of United States Naval Detachment to Sydney and Brisbane - March 1941," National Archives of Australia: A981, War S23.

After the parade, there is a luncheon for the US sailors at the Sydney Town Hall. Later, there is a dinner at which Acting Prime Minister Arthur Fadden toasts "our guests" and noted that this visit "signified a new and higher plane of friendship" between the two countries."

US/New Zealand Relations: Captain Ellis S. Stone and his TG 9.2 cruiser squadron departs from Auckland, New Zealand after a three-day visit. They proceed toward Tahiti.

An infantryman with a No.18 wireless set, Royal School of Signals. Catterick, 20 March 1941 (IWM COM 1126).

US/Soviet Relations: Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles meets privately with Soviet Ambassador Konstantin Umansky and reiterates his previous statements that Germany is planning to invade the USSR. Welles' source, which he cannot reveal, is top secret decrypts of Japanese coded transmissions to and from Baron Oshima, the Japanese ambassador to Germany. It is unclear if the Americans decoded these, or the British - for the British cracked the Japanese diplomatic code some time ago. See below for the beginnings of Japanese recognition that at least some of their codes have been broken.

US/Anglo Relations: The United States quickly takes up Winston Churchill's suggestion that interned Italian and German vessels in US ports be put to some kind of use. The US Coast Guard begins surveying these ships and finds some evidence of sabotage on an Italian ship being held at Wilmington, North Carolina. For the record, there are 28 Italian, 2 German and 35 Danish such vessels available. The US does not yet requisition these vessels, but the idea of doing so is being bruited about in the highest levels of the US government.

US/Japanese Relations: Japanese passenger ship Tatsuta Maru arrives at the port of San Francisco carrying Colonel Hideo Iwakuru. He is on a special mission from Prime Minister Hideki Tojo to repair diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Spy Stuff: The British have been reading the Japanese diplomatic codes, and the Americans also have broken some of their codes. Japanese Ambassador to the US Admiral Nomura Kichisaburo sends a message to the Foreign Ministry:

Though I do not know which ones, I have discovered that the United States is reading some of our codes. As for how I got the intelligence, I will inform you by courier or another safe way.

Yugoslavia: Prince Paul meets with the Royal Council to discuss Adolf Hitler's ultimatum that Yugoslavia either joins the Tripartite Pact within the next few days or face the consequences. Prince Paul is ready to sign on the dotted line and gets a vote of 16-3 in favor of signing. However, there is extreme disagreement within the government and military about this path. In fact, disagreement about allying with the Germans within the Royal Council (and perhaps over Prince Paul's strongarm tactics in getting the outcome that he desires) causes four ministers to resign.

Prince Paul takes some direct action, too. In a murky incident, he hands over Premier Milan Stoyadinovich to the British, who will keep him in Cairo "for safekeeping." Stoyadinovich apparently has attempted to regain power with a much more pro-Axis agenda than Prince Paul. Some accounts state that British agents kidnap Stoyadinovich, but press reports at the time suggest this was a voluntary move by the legitimate Yugoslav government.

"4.5-inch anti-aircraft gun, Leeds, 20 March 1941." © IWM (H 8263).

US Military: Admiral Bloch, the commandant of the Fourteenth Naval District, replies to a 15 February 1941 letter from Admiral Stark concerning defenses at Pearl Harbor. Bloch notes that the depth of Pearl Harbor is 45 feet, which is far less than the minimum depth of 75 feet required for air-launched torpedoes. He agrees with Admiral Kimmel's previously expressed view that, for this reason, anti-torpedo baffles (nets) are unnecessary there. The Japanese, meanwhile, are well aware of the mechanics of air-launched torpedoes and are studying if these minimum depths can be made compatible with an attack on the US Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor.

German Government: Reichsfuhrer SS Heinrich Himmler meets with his top cronies - including Rudolf Heß, Fritz Todt, and Reinhard Heydrich - and discusses plans for the future of soon-to-be-invaded eastern Europe. Along with this meeting, racial theorist Alfred Rosenberg becomes "Delegate for Central Planning for Questions of the Eastern European Area." Rosenberg has definite ideas about how captured territories in the East - those to be acquired during Operation Barbarossa - should be organized. This will involve organizational units called Reichskommissariats. This is not an original idea - Reichskommissariats are used in Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France - but the ones in the East will cover vast tracts of land and be notorious for their exploitative agendas.

China: The Battle of Shanggao continues, but there is a lull in the battle. The Japanese retain a penetration into the first of three Chinese defensive lines. Both sides are bringing up reinforcements. There are some Japanese attacks near the Chin River at Szehsi and Kuanchiao.

German Homefront: The Propaganda Ministry's Reich Press Chief instructs his media outlets to highlight recent comments by Charles Lindbergh that the USAAC produces as many combat-ready planes as Germany produces every week. This actually is roughly true... now.

"Spotter and predictor operators at a 4.5-inch anti-aircraft gun site in Leeds, 20 March 1941." © IWM (H 8271).

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

Thursday 13 March 1941

"Soldiers demonstrate various styles of camouflage clothing, at Langford near Redlynch in Somerset, 13 March 1941." © IWM (H 8059).

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Italian Primavera Offensive is getting nowhere on 13 March 1941. At best, it has forestalled Greek attacks and at least (unlike earlier Italian offensives) has not lost ground. Mussolini continues to monitor the fighting from his headquarters in Tirana. He orders renewal of the attacks on the 15th despite their lack of success to date. Monastery Hill in the center of the Italian attacks continues to remain solidly in Greek hands. The defeated Puglie Division has been pulled in favor of the elite Bari Division, but the latter's attacks prosper no more than the former's had done. The Bari men do reach the peak of Monastery Hill with heavy air support, but they have no staying power and are quickly driven off it again.

East African Campaign: Lieutenant-General William Platt continues preparing for his next assault on the small gorge that controls entry to the strategic crossroads of Keren. There are British patrols which sometimes have fierce firefights with Italian outposts. One such fight occurs in the early morning hours. British troops of the 4/16 Punjab attack an Italian observation post on Mount Gegghiro, and the entire British force is killed or captured. Another patrol by the 1st Royal Sussex on a ridge known as Pt. 2084 runs into Italians and is turned back. Effectively, this blocks British attempts to infiltrate in that direction, but there are other routes to take.

In Abyssinia, deposed Emperor Haile Selassie enters Burye. He is escorted by Orde Wingate and his Gideon Force.

European Air Operations: The RAF staged major raids on the night of the 12th, and tonight the Luftwaffe begins repaying the deed. Glasgow is hit, with devastating power. Shipbuilding center Clydeside in the Central Belt of Scotland is devastated by 59,400 incendiary bombs and 272 tons of high explosives dropped by 236 bombers. Out of 47,000 inhabitants, 35,000 are left homeless. By one reckoning, only seven houses in the entire city are left untouched. Estimates of the dead vary wildly but apparently are between 500-1000 people. Subsidiary targets include Merseyside again and Cardiff, where a hospital is damaged. The main RAF defenses are oriented in the south to protect London, so northern cities are particularly vulnerable.

Among the British ships damaged during the Glasgow/Merseyside raid:

• Freighter Clermiston (1448 tons, sunk but refloated and repaired)
• Destroyer HMS Goathland (damaged, under construction)
• Destroyer HMS Haldon (damaged, under construction)
• Freighter Trevarrack (5270 tons, refloated and repaired)
• Collier Belhaven (1498 tons, sunk)

The raid on Clydeside provides evidence for one part of an enduring question throughout the war: is it better to damage a great city, or wipe out a small one? Clydeside is destroyed in only one night, whereas Liverpool and London stand up against many nights of massive raids. There is no easy answer to that question, but both sides must address it.

The Luftwaffe also launches secondary attacks against Liverpool with 65 bombers, causing more damage and casualties to the already battered city. A bomb hits a shelter on Adlington Street, killing 65 people. However, Liverpool is a large city and can sustain numerous bombings while continuing to function. Damaged are British freighters Wearwood (4597 tons), Mountstewart (1099 tons) and Myrmidon (6278 tons). Hull also is hit with 78 bombers.

The RAF conducts Circus Operations during the day over Calais. This is half a dozen Blenheim bombers with a heavy fighter escort. Kommodore Major Werner Mölders of JG 51 gets another victory, shooting down British ace Squadron Leader Aeneas ‘Donald’ MacDonald of RAF No. 64 Squadron.

RAF Bomber Command raids Hamburg oil installations with 139 bombers. Luftwaffe night fighter pilot Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld is flying a Bf 110 D-2 (Werknummer 3376 – factory number) of the 4./NJG 1 when it is hit by antiaircraft fire. He is wounded but manages to make an emergency landing at Bergen. His wounds are not serious, and he is soon back in action.

Coastal Command is active off Jutland. It claims several successes that are unverified.

Damage to Clydeside from the Luftwaffe attacks of March 1941 (www.educationscotland.gov.uk).

Battle of the Atlantic: Many of the Norwegian whalers seized by German raider Pinguin on 15 January are nearing French ports. This is their point of maximum danger, as the Royal Navy maintains patrols off the French coast. Today, Royal Navy sloop HMS Scarborough approaches Norwegian whalers Star XIX and Star XXIV about 400 miles north of the Azores. Their crews scuttle their ships rather than have them captured by the British. The other whalers continue on to port in Occupied France.

The German S-boats have been active recently, and they attack again during the night. However, escort destroyer HMS Worcester of Convoy FS 34 prevents them from doing any damage.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 1307-ton Norwegian freighter Perseus north of Bardsey Island. Everyone on board survives.

British 4738-ton freighter Tacoma city hits a mine and sinks near Rock Ferry Light in the Mersey. There are four deaths.

British 4891-ton freighter Ullapool hits a mine and sinks off Princess Stage, Mersey. There are 15 deaths.

British 270-ton tug Bullger hits a mine and sinks about 20 km north of the Tyne. Everyone survives.

Norwegian 842-ton freighter Samlanes hits a mine and sinks just off the Lizard. Everyone perishes.

British 523-ton freighter Ngatira hits a mine and is damaged in Bristol Channel. The captain beaches it. Ngatira later is refloated and repaired.

The Luftwaffe bombs British 17-ton smack Two Brothers at its dock in Kings Lynn (in Norfolk about 100 miles north of London). The ship later is refloated and beached as permanent storage.

Convoy SL 68 departs from Freetown.

US destroyer USS Ericsson (DD 440, Lt. Commander Geoffrey E. Sage) is commissioned.

U-79 and U-561 are commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean: General Erwin Rommel has returned from Berlin with orders to attack the British as soon as his forces can be brought over from Italy and assembled. He already has sent many units of the 5th Light Division forward to a line built west of El Agheila, the westernmost British outpost. Today at 14:00, Rommel himself moves to a new forward headquarters at Sirte, but the flight is grounded at Melaha. Rommel continues to Sirte by car. During the day, Rommel orders his men to occupy Mirada, which is about 100 km south of El Agheila.

Another Italian troop convoy carrying German and Italian troops arrives in Tripoli without incident.

The Luftwaffe bombs El Adem with fifteen Junkers Ju 87 Stukas and nine Junkers Ju 88 bombers.

At Malta, a curfew on lights has been imposed for the military. They are to be off by 23:00 and not turned on again until daylight. This is due to recent Luftwaffe attacks on power stations. There also has been looting following Luftwaffe raids which the government is taking measures against.

Sergeant Harry Howell. He perishes today, 13 March 1941, during a raid with RAF No. 50 Squadron. He is buried at the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Pinguin, with captured converted minelayer Adjutant, enter the Kerguelen Islands. They anchor at Port Couvreux along with raider Komet. Supply ship Alstertor is there to transfer supplies to Pinguin, including an Arado Ar-196 seaplane. Alsterstor also will be used to lay mines. The Pinguin's crew is put to work scraping the hull free of barnacles and doing the usual things that are necessary for ships that are at sea for long periods.

US/Hungarian Relations: Continuing his aggressive posture toward neutral nations that definitely are leaning away from Great Britain, President Roosevelt freezes Hungarian assets.

US/Australian Relations: Rear Admiral John H. Newton has taken a flotilla led by two cruisers, USS Chicago and Portland, to Samoa on an exercise. The voyage, while undoubtedly useful for training and "show the flag" purposes, has no discernible purpose. However, today it gets one. An adviser to the US Department of State, Stanley Hornbeck, asks Australian Minister to the United States R.G. Casey - who is Australia's first minister to a foreign country - a question: whether Australia would agree to an informal visit by Newton's force. Hornbeck proposes that the cruiser force arrives at Sydney on 20 March 1941 and Brisbane on 25 March 1941. Australian approval is quickly granted.

Thirty-six-year-old former German Heavyweight Boxer Max Schmeling now is a Fallschirmjäger. Here he is on 13 March 1941 at Wolfenbüttel, Niedersachsen, Germany. While this obviously is a posed picture in the doorway of a Junkers Ju 52 transport (named "Tante"), in real life Gefreiter (Corporal) Schmelling indeed is training and taking practice jumps. Nobody knows this yet... but before long he is heading to Crete along with his comrades (Photographer unknown).

British Military: Visiting Australian Prime Menzies Robert Menzies flies to an airfield in the northwest to view new aircraft which are new to service or about to enter operational units: the Tornado, Typhoon, Halifax, Manchester, and Stirling.

German Government: Alfred Rosenberg becomes head of the Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories (Reichsministerium für die besetzten Ostgebiete). Rosenberg is a proponent of the reorganization of eastern territories to new distinct German districts - those that wait to be captured from the Soviet Union, that is. These areas are to be divided into Reichskommissariats. His appointment shows that Hitler basically approves of these plans. In addition, Rosenberg is a notorious racist who views Russians as subhuman - which is another tip-off of where the war is heading. While his theories attract favor, however, Rosenberg's actual sphere of control is to be limited to territories already conquered to date.

China: The Western Hupei Offensive continues to peter out and basically ends. The Japanese have achieved their objective, pushing the main Chinese forces back on Chunking and then devastating that occupied area. This is intended to create a lifeless buffer zone between the Chinese and Japanese. Satisfied with the results of the operation, the Japanese forces have returned to the main base/airfield at Ichang along the Yangtze.

The Chinese Nationalist (Kuomintang) forces re-occupying the lost ground without opposition claim a great victory. Naturally, who achieved what from the operation is a matter of both interpretation and national(ist) pride. However, it appears clear that the Japanese are not defeated in pitched battles, though there is an argument to be made that they retreat due to fear of being outflanked and infiltrated.

Belgian Homefront: Alfonso Bougne begins the Amis du Grand Reich Allemand (Friends of the Greater German Reich). This is a collaborator bank which is run in part by the Belgian version of the Gestapo (the euphemistically named Service d’Information Politique (Political Information Service).

Dutch Homefront: The German authorities continue clamping down following the abortive General Strike of February 1941. All Dutch radio societies are closed down. In addition, the Germans execute 15 members of the Dutch resistance, members of the outlawed De Geuzen communist organization, at Scheveningen (actually Waalsdorpervlakte, a nearby beach). At the last minute, the youngest three men are spared and sent back to prison.

American Homefront: Ginger Rogers, who just won an Academy Award for Best Actress, divorces Lew Ayres after a brief marriage.

Ginger Rogers and Lew Ayres in happier times.

Monday 3 March 1941

British commando training during World War II.

Western Front: British commandos are at sea en route to the Lofoten Islands on 3 March 1941. This is Operation Claymore, an attack on fish-oil plants at these islands in northern Norway. The Royal Navy task force is Operation Rebel. The British ships have not been spotted and are heading into the islands from the west.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Italians continue their aggressive operations in Greece, bombing Larissa north of Athens. The RAF shoots five of the bombers down. This attack adds insult to injury, as Larissa has been devastated by earthquakes recently.

The Greeks are looking forward to the British expeditionary force. However, issues of strategy continue. There are multiple proposed lines, with the Metaxas Line on the Bulgarian border, the Aliakhmon Line behind the Metaxas, and the Nestos Line. The Greeks refuse to contemplate any territorial losses, so they want to try to hold the most advanced lines, while the British are more realistic and believe only lines further back have any likelihood of holding.

To try to reach some kind of resolution to this disagreement, both Middle East Commander General Wavell and Lustreforce commander Henry Maitland Wilson fly into Tatoi airfield. They will meet with Anthony Eden and CIGS John Dill, who remain in Athens to address just this kind of issue. However, no agreement is possible, because the two allies have different priorities. In any event, the first convoy for Lustreforce is scheduled to leave Alexandria tomorrow.

East African Campaign: The British at Mescelit Pass make some tentative moves forward. The 1st Royal Sussex advance across the Anseba Road and reach the vicinity of Mendad. Other troops head toward Massawa. There is only scattered Italian opposition on the road to Massawa.

The Italians at the port of Massawa see the British approaching and know what that invariably means - the same thing that happened at Kismayu and Mogadishu. So, the captains of three Italian submarines - Archimede, Guglielmotti, and Ferraris - set out to run the British blockade into the Indian Ocean.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command sends 71 bombers against Cologne (Koln) during the night. The Luftwaffe bombs Cardiff again with 47 bombers.

"The railings being dismantled in Berkeley Square, Mayfair on 3 March 1941." © IWM (HU 57684).

Battle of the Atlantic: German heavy cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst reach the vicinity of the Cape Verde Islands. Admiral Lütjens plans to intercept British convoys en route to and from Freetown. This is a major convoy route, with supplies for England flowing north and troop convoys heading south.

U-97 (Kptlt. Udo Heilmann) loses a man (Bootsmannsmaat, or Petty Officer, Artur Mei) overboard in the Bay of Biscay. Such incidents are very disheartening to the confined crews in U-boats.

U-124 (Kptlt. Georg-Wilhelm Schulz) is operating around the Canary Islands. Today, it refuels from German tanker Charlotte Schliemann. It will work in loose conjunction with Gneisenau and Scharnhorst, which now are in the same general area.

Royal Navy T-class submarine HMS Taku (Lt. John Frederick Beaufoy Brown, RN), on a passage from Holy Loch to Halifax, has been in trouble since 27 February due to weather damage. The aft hydroplanes have become locked in the vertical position due to wave damage, leaving the submarine immobile. Today, three Royal Navy ships (HMS Enchantress, Gladiolus and HMRT Salvonia) arrive. Salvonia after great difficulty takes the damaged submarine in tow to Londonderry.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 275-ton Royal Navy trawler HMT Cobbers off Lowestoft. There are 9-11 deaths, including Skipper L. Turner RNR, of her 15-man crew.

The Luftwaffe (KG 27 Heinkel He 111) bombs and disables 866-ton British freighter Port Townsville in St. George's Channel. There are two deaths, and the Port Townsville eventually sinks.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks Royal Navy 5 ton auxiliary yacht HMY Tiny while at the dock at Sutherland.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Burnham collides with its fellow destroyer HMS Malcolm in the Northwest Approaches. Both destroyers proceed to Liverpool for repairs lasting into April.

British mine destructor ship HMS Corfield collides with British freighter Cormead in the Thames Estuary. The Corfield is lightly damaged and goes to Blackwell for repairs lasting until mid-March.

Royal Navy gunboat MGB 13 hits a mine off Milford Haven. It eventually sinks.

Convoy HG 55 departs from Gibraltar.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Begonia (K 66, Lt. Thomas A. R. Muir) and the escort destroyer HMS Liddesdale (L100) are commissioned, minesweeping trawler HMS Inchcolm and corvette Alysse are launched, and destroyer HMS Holcombe is laid down.

U-125 (Kapitänleutnant Günther Kuhnke) is commissioned.

The Port Townsville ablaze in St. George's Channel, 3 March 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: General Rommel, commander of the growing Afrika Korps, only has the 5th Light Division at his disposal (and allied Italian troops). Nevertheless, he moves more troops forward, adopting an aggressive posture. Rommel's most advanced troops now are in the vicinity of El Agheila, where they begin forming a defensive line based around a narrow pass 17 miles (30 km) west of the British lines. He also forms blocking lines to the south so that the British cannot just bypass his main defensive positions, as they have done repeatedly to the Italians.

Another supply convoy for Rommel's Afrika Korps departs from Naples bound for Tripoli. It has four freighters and is escorted by two destroyers and a torpedo boat.

British 1553-ton freighter Knight of Malta runs aground near Ras Azzaz, Libya (north of Bardia). Everybody survives. The cargo is salvaged, but the ship is written off due to air attacks.

At Malta, the conscription recently ordered by Governor Dobbie begins. Men line up at Birkirkara School to be processed. In addition, Police Constable Carmel Camilleri is awarded the George Medal for actions he took on 4 November 1940. On that date, Camilleri rescued an RAF pilot from a cliff into which his plane had crashed.

Battle of the Pacific: Convoy AP 14 departs from Wellington, New Zealand.

Panzer III in Bulgaria, March 1941.

Soviet/Bulgarian Relations: The Soviet Union considers Bulgaria within its sphere of control, and it is not amused that has Bulgaria joined Germany's Tripartite Pact. Foreign Minister Molotov denounces the signing, saying that a German presence there will only lead to problems.

Turkish/Bulgarian Relations: Turkey also reacts to the Bulgarian signing of the Tripartite Pact. It abrogates the non-aggression pact that it signed with Bulgaria in February.

US/Bulgarian Relations: The United States also reacts negatively to the Bulgarian signing of the Tripartite Pact. President Roosevelt immediately freezes all Bulgarian assets in the US. There, in fact, are very few Bulgarian assets in the US, but this is another instance of Roosevelt using his economic powers as a means of punishment.

US/Vichy French Relations: Vichy France agrees not to supply the German war machine with oil from French North Africa.

US Military: Rear Admiral John H. Newton, Commander Cruisers Scouting Forces, leads a flotilla of cruisers and destroyers on a training/scouting mission from Pearl Harbor to the US Naval base at Samoa. However, this mission also has other possible destinations that have not yet been finalized.

Australian Government: Prime Minister Robert Menzies, visiting London, gives an address to the Foreign Press Association on diplomatic relations in the Pacific region. As he puts it in his diary, the solution is:

Policy vis a vis Japan is not appeasement in the sense of offering sops to Cerberus, but a proper blend of friendliness & a plan statement that we can and will defend ourselves and our vital interests.

Churchill is sick with a cold and absent from Whitehall. Menzies notes that the British War Cabinet refuses to take any major decisions in his absence, and vows to find "the secret of having my cabinet unwilling to decide any important questions in my absence."

There are persistent theories that, around this time, several highly placed individuals in the British government are considering replacing Churchill with Menzies. Churchill is seen as a ruthless autocrat, while Menzies is far more amenable (and quite level-headed). However, this is a highly debatable theory based on scant evidence, though there is little question that Menzies is making a smashing impression in London. His absence from Melbourne, though, is gradually causing his highly placed political supporters there to look elsewhere. This is a fairly typical and recurrent political scenario, where a domestic leader becomes more popular abroad than at home (a more modern example is Mikhail Gorbachev in Russia).

Wehrmacht marching, Karnobat, Bulgaria, March 1941. Military marching band parades are a standard tactic the Germans use after occupying a city to show ownership and also provide some entertainment and show the locals it isn't all bad.

Dutch Homefront: Anton Mussert, leader of the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands (NSB), visits German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels in Berlin. Mussert has been busy forming the 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division "Nederland," but this visit probably concerns the recent General Strike centered in Amsterdam that the SS brutally put down.

The Germans execute Ernst Cahn. Cahn is one of the owners of the Koco ice cream joint, held by rebels, which the Germans stormed in February. The German forces incurred several casualties during that raid, which led to the General Strike, which led to the Germans killing literally dozens of people for protesting. This reportedly is the first execution of a civilian in cold blood in Holland (other than during incidents like the Koco battle), but it won't be the last.

The famous "Crying Man" or "Weeping Frenchman" shot, published on 3 March 1941 in Life Magazine on page 29. This is from newsreel footage used in the the Frank Capra film "Why We Fight - Chapter III - Divide and Conquer." The footage was taken long after the French surrender as fleeing Frenchmen were leaving a southern port.

French Homefront: The famous "Crying Man" image that is universally mistaken as happening during the fall of Paris, but actually happened much later in Marseille, is published in Life Magazine. This becomes the start of the picture's (it is a frame from a film) gradual elevation to iconic status. While the exact details are a subject of scholarship, according to "Marseille sous l'occupation" by Lucien Gaillard, this is a shot of Monsieur Jerôme Barzetti, taken in Marseilles on February 20, 1941. Other sources place this in September 1940 (the date being in 1940 makes sense, since it occurred during the transfer of the French flags to North Africa which happened then, but as I noted, this is a matter of scholarly research). There is no further information on the further history of Monsieur Barzetti.

American Homefront: The US Supreme Court issues its decision in Railroad Commission v. Pullman Co., 312 U.S. 496 (1941). This case introduces what is known as "Pullman Abstention," wherein federal courts abstain from hearing cases that involve questions of sensitive application of US Constitutional claims to state policy. In short, when state social policy is at issue, the proper court to decide a case is the state court in the state in question despite the presence of questions relating to the US Constitution. If deciding the state law ground for relief could obviate the need to adjudicate the federal issue, then the state court should be the proper court to hear the case. This Pullman Abstention doctrine leads to decades of refinement and a clear set of rules for deciding the issue, and the general result is that the state court hears the case first, and if the application of state law does not determine the outcome, then a federal court can hear the claims based on the US Constitution.

Australians about to ship out to Greece muster to lifeboat stations during a drill, 3 March 1941 (Australian War Memorial).

Below is the 1943 Frank Capra film which contains the newsreel footage from which the "Weeping Frenchman" shot is taken. The Weeping Frenchman appears at 54:50 (this clip is only a few minutes long, it is toward the end).