Friday 16 May 1941

"Children waving at a Valentine tank of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Tank Regiment (1st Polish Corps) on the move against the 'invaders' during a mock invasion exercise in Perthshire. Polish troops played the role of the defenders, while Scottish troops (probably the 51st Highland Division) took the part of the invaders." Captain W.T. Lockeyear, © IWM (H 9786).

Anglo/Iraq War: Special Force Junck (Sonderkommando Junck) on 16 May 1941 has assembled a squadron (Fliegerführer Irak) in Mosul composed of 12 Messerschmitt Bf 110s, 5 Heinkel He 111s, a communications flight equipped with light aircraft, a section of anti-aircraft guns, and 3 Junkers Ju 52s. The RAF No. 203 Squadron opens hostilities in the early morning hours by raiding Sonderkommando Junck's airfield at Mosul. They destroy a Heinkel bomber and 2 Bf 110s. Already, Sonderkommando Junck is being whittled down.

The Germans respond by sending three Heinkel He 111 bombers and six Bf 110s against the main British airfield at Habbaniya. The Germans kill numerous British ground personnel and destroy a Hawker Audax fighter-bomber and shoot down a Gloster Gladiator fighter, both obsolete biplanes but still useful in the theater. Debris from the exploding Gladiator disables one of the Heinkels' engines, causing it to crash-land on the way back to Mosul.

Oberst Werner Junck, leader of the German forces (Fliegerführer Irak), flies to Baghdad from Mosul in place of the deceased Major Axel von Blomberg, recently shot in his transport while approaching Baghdad. He meets with Rashid Ali, German representative Dr. Grobba, and other top Iraqi leaders. The group decides to interdict Kingcol, the British relief column currently at Fort Rutbah, and prevent it from relieving RAF Habbaniya. Sonderkommando Junck also is to assist Iraqi ground forces in taking Habbaniya.

Several German ships anchored at Bandari Shahpur are ordered to scuttle themselves in the Shatt al-Arab. The hope is that they will block the entrance to the refinery there.

The Soviet Union recognizes the Rashid Ali government in Iraq via an exchange of diplomatic notes in Ankara, Turkey.

An early Consolidated B-24 Liberator that arrives in the UK on 16 May 1941. This plane is slotted to be used for crew training in RAF No. 120 Squadron Coastal Command.

European Air Operations: There are two separate commonly discussed periods of war activity between the Reich and Great Britain that overlap: the Battle of Britain and the Blitz. It is easy to confuse them and think of the Blitz and the Battle of Britain as one period of time, but they are separate actions that involve different characteristics. While the Battle of Britain is said to have ended at the end of October 1940, the Blitz continues until 16 May 1941. It finally ends today - or, at least the first and most destructive part of the Blitz.

The Luftwaffe sends 111 aircraft to raid RAF airfields in Birmingham and the West Midlands. The Germans lose three planes. While not apparent at the moment, this is the final Luftwaffe night bomber raid on England during the May Blitz. The Luftwaffe is shifting massive forces east in preparation for Operation Barbarossa.

The Luftwaffe sends fighter-bombers (Jabo) to raid southeast England. While Jabos carry a small payload, they are more accurate than level bombers and incur fewer losses. They also engage in strafing missions and can battle defending RAF fighters on an equal basis.

RAF Bomber Command raids Cologne with 93 planes after dark, causing fires on both sides of the Rhine. The Atlantik rubber plant at Bramsfeld (in the Ruhr Valley) also is attacked, with some success. Diversionary attacks in France and Holland also are effective, and overall the RAF loses two planes.

Manchester Guardian, 16 May 1941.

East African Campaign: Following a renewed attack on his defenses at Amba Alagi, the Duke of Aosta has had enough. His troops are giving ground and his supplies are running out, a situation exacerbated by an artillery hit on an oil tank that contains the Italians' only supply of fresh water. In addition, British promises of self-determination for Eritrea have induced the Italians' Eritrean troops to desert and motivated partisans (Arbegnoch), who are said to be committing atrocities against Italians. The Duke sues for peace and institutes a ceasefire.

British freighter Rodney Star, sunk 16 May 1941 off Freetown by U-105.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-105 (Kptlt. Georg Schewe), on its lengthy second patrol out of Lorient, extends its string of successes around 420 miles off of Freetown. Schewe spots independent (unescorted) 11,803-ton refrigerated transport Rodney Star (master Samuel John Clement) during the early morning hours, and at 05:48 fires two torpedoes. One hits in the stern, disabling the Rodney Star. Schewe then fires another torpedo at 06:20, and a third at 07:46, but larger ships tend to be hard to sink, so Schewe finally surfaces and uses its deck gun. After pumping 91 high explosive shells and 22 incendiary rounds into the crippled freighter, the Rodney Star finally sinks by the stern.

The 83-man crew of the Rodney Star (everyone survives) spends six days in lifeboats before being rescued by HMS Batna and Boreas and taken to Takoradi. According to some accounts, U-105's deck gun blew up during a training exercise on 6 May, while other accounts state that it blew up while firing on the Rodney Star, injuring six crew.

British 2448-ton freighter Archangel is badly damaged by the Luftwaffe. The ship, 10 miles north of Aberdeen, is attacked by three Heinkel He 111 bombers around midnight on the 16th and badly damaged. The ship later sinks while under tow to Aberdeen (some accounts say it was beached and broke up onshore). There are 41 deaths and 42 wounded, all enlisted men out of 475 men on board (figures vary). The wounded suffer from burns.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 5673-ton British freighter Ethel Radcliffe at Great Yarmouth. The Ethel Radcliffe had been damaged by German S boats on 17 April.

The Luftwaffe bombs and badly damages 715-ton British freighter Joffre Rose off St. David's Head. The ship's master manages to beach the ship in Dale Bay, and, and further attacks by the Luftwaffe, the ship ultimately is refloated and repaired.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 811-ton British freighter Obsidian in St. George's Channel.

U-107 (Kptlt. Günter Hessler), also operating off Freetown, spots 8029-ton Dutch tanker Marisa in the distance and begins pursuit.

U-109 (Kptlt. Hans-Georg Fischer), on its first patrol out of Kiel, spots a large formation of US ships that includes battleships and several destroyers. Fischer, following orders, avoids contact.

Issues to the port-side crane of battleship Bismarck are resolved to Captain Lindemann's satisfaction. Admiral Lütjens reports the ship ready for action. Admiral Doenitz authorizes Operation Rheinübung, the planned sortie to the North Atlantic by Bismarck and cruiser Prinz Eugen, to begin on the evening of 19 May.

Royal Navy minelayers HMS Teviotbank and Plover lay minefield BS-56 in the English Channel.

Convoys HX 127 and BHX 127 depart from Halifax and Bermuda, respectively.

Royal Navy corvettes Jasmine (Lt.Cdr. (retired) Cecil Dick Bluett Coventry) and Lavender (Lt.Cdr. Jackson Whayman, RNR) are commissioned, frigate Exe is laid down at Paisley.

Canadian corvette HMCS Levis (Lt. Charles W. Gilding) is commissioned, and corvette Shawinigan is launched at Lauzon, Quebec.

U-385 and U-386 are laid down.

RAF ace Noël le Chevalier Agazarian, KIA 16 May 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Operation Brevity lives up to its codename as the British attack on Axis forces on the Egyptian/Libyan border, begun on the 15th and aimed at Sollum, stalls out. Berlin orders General Rommel - back in undisputed command of Afrika Korps following the departure of his General Staff "minder" General Friedrich Paulus on 8 May - to leave his Italian forces to guard Tobruk and block the British advance further south with his panzers of the 5th Panzer Regiment and 8th Panzer Regiment.

Lt. Colonel Hans Cramer, in command of the panzers, launches an aggressive attack against the British which succeeds. At the front, the British 22nd Guards Infantry Brigade withdraws from Fort Capuzzo and Sollum to Halfaya Pass, while the British 7th Armored Brigade withdraws from Sidi Aziz. The British Army forms a new line running from Sidi Omar to Sidi Suleiman to Sollum. This gives up all of the British gains from Operation Brevity aside from Halfaya Pass itself. The British are forced to retire because they have sustained heavy tank losses following the rapid Wehrmacht response to the attack.

Overhead, the RAF and Luftwaffe battle it out during Operation Brevity. RAF ace (seven victories) Noël le Chevalier Agazarian of 274 Squadron perishes when Fw. Franz Elles in a Messerschmitt Bf 109 of 2./JG 27 shoots his Hawker Hurricane near Gambut.

Separately from the German attacks, Italian troops launch an unexpected attack on Tobruk. Sappers clear barbed wire and clear mines. The Italian infantry then moves forward and takes some bunkers.

Clearly worried about the staunch Axis defense on the Libyan frontier, Winston Churchill cables Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell and asks if it would be okay to repeat the recent Tiger Convoy, which sent hundreds of tanks directly through the Mediterranean to Alexandria. Churchill notes, "in view of the heavy loss of I tanks on 15th May, victory may depend upon the last hundred."

In a message to South African leader Jan Smuts, Churchill notes that "President Roosevelt is pushing United States supplies towards Suez to the utmost." Churchill also states "I have good hopes that we shall win the campaign in the Eastern Mediterranean this summer."

The British use Australian destroyer HMAS Vampire to reinforce Tobruk during the night.

Light cruisers HMS Fiji and Gloucester land troops at Heraklion, Crete and then join the Royal Navy forces operating in large numbers near Crete. The Luftwaffe continues its attacks on the British base at Suda Bay, damaging 5993-ton freighter Logician and 6397-ton Greek freighter Nicolaou Ourania (beached and repaired by the Germans) and sinking 1070-ton Greek freighter Kythera. The RAF loses two Hurricanes of No. 33 Squadron based at Maleme.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Unbeaten fires at Axis transports off Tripoli but misses.

Winston Churchill sends Malta Governor Dobbie a message saying that he is sending Donald Parker Stevenson, DSO, to be his new air commander because "He embodies the offensive spirit." The Luftwaffe raids continue against the island, and today they damage destroyer HMS Encounter and sink freighter Araybank.

A minesweeper, HMS Gloxinia, is damaged by a mine near Malta, and minesweeper Widnes is damaged by a bombing near-miss in the eastern Mediterranean, adding to the numerous minesweepers in the Mediterranean that have been put out of action. The island's government releases figures today providing data on the effects of the air attacks to date:

• 2087 houses destroyed
• 11,679 homeless

The damage extends throughout the island, with areas populated by refugees also suffering along with Valetta. Wing Commander J. Warfield is named commanding officer of RAF Station Takali in Malta.

USS Monssen (DD-436) at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, 16 May 1941 (Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.).

Anglo/US Relations: Churchill sends President Roosevelt a lengthy cable. This message summarizes what has been learned from Rudolf Hess. The gist of the cable is that the Hess flight has brought valuable intelligence, but otherwise cannot be taken seriously.

Churchill writes that Hess has made "proposals for settlement." Churchill continues:

Hess said that the Fuehrer had never entertained any designs against the British Empire, which would be left intact save for the return of former German colonies, in exchange for a free hand for him in Europe. But condition was attached that Hitler would not negotiate with present Government in England.

Churchill notes that Hess has denied that Germany is making plans to attack Russia, but that the Reich does have plans in Asia. These include the removal of British forces from Iraq. Hess also makes "rather disparaging remarks" about the United States and its "aircraft types and production."

Churchill concludes that if Hess "is honest and if he is sane this is an encouraging sign of ineptitude of German Intelligence service" for thinking that there is a strong peace faction in Great Britain which he hoped to stimulate. Regarding that last point, Churchill later notes that "Hess seems in good health and not excited and no ordinary signs of insanity can be detected."

US/Chinese Relations: President Roosevelt states that the US has a vital interest in the defense of China.

Wake Island, May 1941(U.S. National Archives Photo 80-G-451195 from the U.S. National Park Service website A MAGNIFICENT FIGHT: Marines in the Battle for Wake Island).

Spy Stuff: German envoys in Stockholm overhear the Russian envoy claiming that at no time in Russian history have more powerful troop contingents been massed in the west. This jibes with other warnings being received in Berlin from Antonescu in Romania that Soviet troops are massing around Kyiv. In fact, the Soviets are indeed moving two armies to the area around Kyiv pursuant to the Zhukov Plan of 15 May.

Winston Churchill, in his message today to Jan Smuts, notes that "It looks as if Hitler is massing against Russia." He continues regarding Operation Barbarossa, still a full month away:

A ceaseless movement of troops, armoured forces and aircraft northwards from the Balkans and eastward from France and Germany is in progress. I should myself suppose his [Hitler's] best chance was to attack the Ukraine and Caucasus thus making sure of corn and oil.

Whatever his sources, most likely Ultra decrypts, Churchill is deadly accurate in this summary to Smuts. His strategic analysis also jibes closely with Hitler's own views, which are opposed by many generals and the OKW, who favor focusing on Moscow.

Churchill authorizes the movement of Rudolf Hess, still in a Glasgow military hospital, to the Tower of London "by tonight pending his place of confinement being prepared at Aldershot." Once again, Churchill emphasizes that "he must be kept in the strictest seclusion."

US Military: First delivers are made to the US Army Air Corps of the P-43 Lancer fighter. Separately, General Walter Krueger takes command of the US Third Army.

British Government: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sends a memo to Sir Kingsley Wood, Chancellor of the Exchequer, arguing that the survivors of soldiers killed while on leave should receive the same compensation as those actually killed in action. Heretofore, survivors have been given much smaller amounts. He writes that soldiers:

have a right to be considered when on leave as enjoying the same privileges in regard to pensions for their widows etc. as when they are with their Units.

Wood has resisted making the change because of cost, so Churchill asks for the figures.

German Government: The Gestapo arrests Karl Haushofer, a friend (former employer) of Rudolf Hess. Haushofer is one of many German philosophers who have argued that Germany should expand. As a former major general from World War I, he enjoys some status within the Reich and respect by Hitler. Haushofer's wife is Jewish, or rather a "half-Jew" according to Reich racial laws, and to date, Hess has protected her - but that protection now is gone. While paternity of the word "Lebensraum" and its significance within the Third Reich generally is assigned to Hitler in "Mein Kampf," some attribute the concept as used by the Reich as belonging to Haushofer.

Polikarpov I-16 Type 24 aircraft of the 178 IAP-PVO based south of Moscow, 16 May 1941 (TASS). This is a still taken from a Soviet propaganda film entitled "The Soviet Red Army Air Force Guards the Frontiers of the Motherland." These are show planes - normal military planes are not this shiny.

Soviet Government: Vsevolod Merkulov, Deputy People's Commissar of the NKVD and head of the NKGB (a unit of the NKVD), updates Joseph Stalin on plans to deport influential natives (politicians, military leaders) from the Baltic States. Merkulov urges that the people be rounded up be given 8-year sentences in labor camps, with exile for their families to Siberia.

Martinique: Churchill inquires to General Ismay about the status of Martinique and says that "I have it in mind that the United States might take over Martinique to safeguard it from being used as a base for U-boats in view of Vichy collaboration." Great Britain, of course, has no control over either Vichy France or the United States, so Churchill cannot compel anything to happen regarding the government of the island, but, of course, Churchill has an opinion on everything and a lot of influence with President Roosevelt.

Iceland: The Althing (Icelandic Parliament) adopts four constitutional amendments intended to complete de facto independence from Denmark, which is effectively occupied by the Reich even if its government has been allowed to remain in place and theoretically retains freedom of decision. However, the Icelandic-Danish Act of Union remains in place for the time being (until February 1944). The Danish ambassador in Washington, D.C., who is not encumbered by coercion by the Reich, has been making decisions and representations on behalf of Iceland favorable to the Allies whose legality is questionable, and this action by the Althing does nothing to resolve that. Iceland itself is occupied by British troops, which the Icelandic government has protested against without result.

It is fair to say that the status of Iceland remains a giant unfinished puzzle, though its territory without question is greatly aiding the Allies. In any event, Iceland is going its own way regardless of legalities.

Malaya: General Percival, who has recently arrived by plane from Great Britain, assumes his post as General Officer Commanding, Malaya.

China: Japanese bombers raid Nationalist capital Chungking.

The 1st Armored Division M2A4 light tanks and medium tank parade for a Congressional Committee visiting Ft. Knox, KY, 16 May 1941.

May 1941

May 1, 1941: British Hold Tobruk
May 2, 1941: Anglo-Iraq War
May 3, 1941: Liverpool Hammered
May 4, 1941: Hitler Victory Speech
May 5, 1941: Patriots Day
May 6, 1941: Stalin In Command
May 7, 1941: May Blitz
May 8, 1941: Pinguin Sunk
May 9, 1941: U-110 Captured
May 10, 1941: Hess Flies Into History
May 11, 1941: The Hess Peace Plan
May 12, 1941: Tiger Arrives Safely
May 13, 1941: Keitel's Illegal Order
May 14, 1941: Holocaust in Paris
May 15, 1941: Operation Brevity
May 16, 1941: Blitz Ends
May 17, 1941: Habbaniya Relieved
May 18, 1941: Croatia Partitioned
May 19, 1941: Bismarck at Sea
May 20, 1941: Invasion of Crete
May 21, 1941: Robin Moore Sinking
May 22, 1941: Royal Navy Destruction Off Crete
May 23, 1941: Crete Must Be Won
May 24, 1941: Bismarck Sinks Hood
May 25, 1941: Lütjens' Brilliant Maneuver
May 26, 1941: Bismarck Stopped
May 27, 1941: Bismarck Sunk
May 28, 1941: Crete Lost
May 29, 1941: Royal Navy Mauled Off Crete
May 30, 1941: Sorge Warns, Stalin Ignores
May 31, 1941: British Take Baghdad

2020

Friday 14 January 1941

Thai coastal defense ship Thonburi, sunk (later refloated) at the Battle of Koh Chang, 17 January 1941.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greeks continue consolidating their hold on the key strategic pass on 17 January 1941. They are not yet able to advance beyond the pass toward the key port of Savona, however, as the Italians are making its defense a top priority. While the Greeks have made significant gains all along the front, they have not broken through to the coast anywhere except by pushing forward on the coast itself.

The British plan a raid (Operation Blunt) by men of No. 50 (Middle East) Commando (based on Crete) on the Italian base at the island of Kásos, southeastern  Aegean. However, the operation is postponed for obscure reasons, and ultimately never takes place. The proposed operation is not a sham or decoy, as several important Royal Navy ships are held in readiness for the operation.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe attacks Swansea, raining 32,000 incendiaries on it. The St. Thomas neighborhood is badly damaged. There are 97 casualties and 55 deaths.

The RAF raids shipping off the Dutch coast, with some small-scale attacks made on Brest, Cherbourg, and some French airfields.

On a cold, winter's day, a German Heinkel He 111 reconnaissance plane from Oldenburg near Bremen crashes near Vaasetter, Fair Isle, Shetland. The Heinkel, piloted by Leutnant Karl Heinz Thurz (who survives) is shot down by two Hurricane Mk 1 pilots, Pilot Officer Eddie Berry (RNZAF) and Flight Officer R Watson (RCAF) from RAF No. 3 Squadron based at Sumburgh in the Shetland Isles. Three crew members survive (two perish) and are placed under citizen's arrest by some of the locals. Everyone calmly awaits the arrival of the Royal Navy to take care of them.

This incident made quite an impression and has been extensively researched for some reason, such as here and here. Pieces of the plane can still be seen on the island, scattered all about. Thurz returned for a visit in the 1980s and passed away in 2006.

While air action has died down considerably, there still are the occasional interceptions. Hauptmann (Captain) Herbert Ihlefeld of Stab I./LG 2 shoots down a Spitfire at 16:00 for his 26th claim.

French Light cruiser La Motte-Picquet (1939). Its 155 mm guns are hidden by the typical awnings used in peacetime, especially in the tropics.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-96 (Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock), on its second patrol out of Lorient, is chasing another freighter (unknown, and a very lucky escape) when it happens upon an "independent," 14,936-ton British liner Almeda Star (Commodore Harry Cecil Howard of the Blue Star Line), in the shipping lanes south of Iceland (about 35 miles northeast of Rockall). Liners don't like to participate in convoys because they figure that speed will protect them more than crossing as part of a group. This time, the reasoning proves faulty, as U-96 puts a torpedo into the liner at 07:45. While the liner stops, it does not sink, so Lehmann-Willenbrock puts another torpedo into it - but it remains afloat. Finally, after putting two more torpedoes into the stricken liner and hitting it with 15 of 28 incendiary shells, the Almeda Star sinks at 13:59.

With no other ships around - one of those hidden values of being in a convoy is having rescue ships nearby - the 359 people on board (including 177 Royal Navy personnel traveling as passengers) have little chance. Lehmann-Willenbrock sees four lifeboats, but the seas are rough and the weather is brutal. They all perish and no trace of them is ever found.

The Almeda Star sinking results in one of the largest losses of life with no survivors - perhaps the largest - on the North Atlantic run. Rescue efforts are hampered by the nearest ships having fuel issues, which delays anyone arriving on the scene. Hours count when the weather is below freezing and you are in an open boat. The Royal Navy sends ships to try to track down the U-boat, but they have no luck.

Italian submarine Marcello continues a recent streak of Italian aggressiveness in the Atlantic, spotting a convoy near the Outer Hebrides and moving in for the attack. However, the escorts spot the submarine and attack, damaging the submarine with five depth charges. This forces the Marcello to return to base.

German cruiser Admiral Scheer (Captain Krancke) remains on the loose in the South Atlantic, defying Royal Navy attempts to track it down. On or about this date (some sources say the 18th), it captures 8038-ton Norwegian oil tanker Sandefjord (Torger S. Torgersen). The Sandefjord carries 11,000 tons of crude oil and eventually is sent to the Gironde inlet, France, which it reaches safely.

The Luftwaffe is active against shipping during the day. It damages 2671-ton Norwegian freighter Thoroy at Avonmouth and both 9555-ton Panamanian tanker Norvik and 3204-ton Norwegian freighter Novasli at Swansea.

In a sinking redolent with history, the Royal Navy sinks tender Ingénieur Reibell. She had been sunk intentionally as a blockship at Cherbourg during the German invasion of France, but subsequently raised. The Germans turned her into an armed coastal vessel. Not much is known about this incident, including her location. Oh, the historical connection? Her original name was the SS Traffic, and she was built by the White Star Line to ferry passengers to large luxury liners. She took some of the third class passengers to board RMS Titanic in 1912. This is one of several direct connections to the Titanic during World War II, including Titanic officer Charles Lightoller's famous participation in the Dunkirk evacuation.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Rhododendron hits a mine in Liverpool Harbour and is damaged. It will spend three months there being repaired.

British 8966-ton tanker Athelduke hits a mine in Bristol Channel - one of the numerous vessels to hit mines there in recent weeks - and the crew manages to beach the ship at Whitmore Bay.

Some sources place the sinking of 10,578-ton British freighter/passenger ship Zealandic by U-106 today, but others put it on the 16th, where we discuss it more completely.

Convoy FN 386 departs from Southend. Convoy FS 390 departs from Methil, Convoy HG 51 departs from Gibraltar, Convoy BN 13 departs from Aden.

Prime Minister Churchill and wife boarding battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth at Rosyth, Harry Hopkins already aboard, 17 January 1941. Clementine always knew how to dress, as did Winston, for that matter. © IWM (A 2733)

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Australians and British continue preparing for the next stage of Operation Compass, the capture of Tobruk. A bad sandstorm sets back preparations. General O'Connor, commander of XIII Corps, minding the store with General Wavell in Greece, is anxious to begin the attack before the Italians land reinforcements at Tripoli. He also fears that the Chiefs of Staff will divert some of his forces to Greece, crimping his attack plans. In Operation IS 1, monitor HMS Terror and gunboat HMS Aphis set out from Alexandria to prepare to bombard Tobruk in preparation for the attack. They will be joined there by assorted other naval forces.

British Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell concludes his meetings in Athens and briefly visits with local commanders on Crete before continuing on to Cairo. Wavell lands there with a strong sense of relief, later commenting on the Greek refusal of British ground forces:

If that offer had been accepted, I should have had to stop my advance at Tobruk; I could not have gone on any further.

The attack is affected by Wavell's temporary absence. General O'Connor has been taking instructions from Wavell, which orders at times have not precisely mirrored those received by Wavell himself from Churchill and Whitehall. With Wavell absent, O'Connor has been communicating directly with Wavell's superiors, and thus there is a subtle change in tone. The Headquarters, British Troops in Egypt, instructs him that there is no plan to advance on Benghazi after taking Tobruk and none should be instituted. With Wavell's return, however, the advance on Benghazi is back "on" - at least as far as Wavell and O'Connor are concerned. O'Connor complains about "serving two masters," but history shows that Wavell is the better judge of the tactical possibilities, not London.

The Luftwaffe sends planes against the Suez Canal for the first time, apparently from Sicily. They do not reach the target.

It is a quiet day on Malta (only some reconnaissance planes spotted) as both sides size up the results of the Illustrious Blitz of 16 January. Rescue efforts continue on the island, but the Director of the Public Works Department admits that he simply has too few men for the job, saying:

The number of men available was insufficient to cope with the occasion.... When the men worked long and strenuously during daytime... they could not reasonably be expected to protect their neighbors into the night.

This cessation of activities is particularly regrettable because many people remain buried alive in the rubble throughout the night and into the next day. It sometimes takes hours by gangs to rescue a single person or a small group of people. In one such case, Reverend Canon John Theuma, a professor at the University of Malta, is said to be buried at his home on Victory Street. After digging for hours, however, the rescuers find him and his family dead. Theuma is emblematic of another tragic issue occurrence here and in England: he and his family had moved back to his home in the city, thinking that the ineffective Italian air raids were nothing to fear.

"The Prime Minister addressing ships' company and dockyard workers onboard HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH." Rosyth, 17 January 1941. © IWM (A 2737).

Anglo/US Relations: Senator James F. Byrnes of South Carolina gives a national radio address regarding the US posture towards the European war. While a fairly lengthy speech, the thesis is full contained in the opening paragraph:

There is nothing altruistic about the determination of the United States to aid those nations now defending themselves against the forces of aggression. We are moved by reasons more impelling. We know that our own Democracy is menaced by the forces that now seek to destroy those Democracies across the Atlantic. One conquest only whets the dictators' desire for more power. If Great Britain falls, the United States will stand practically alone on the brink of the precipice.

While making clear who he supports, later in the address Byrnes bows to public sentiment that, by some measures, opposes a quick declaration of war:

The blood of heroic Americans need not be shed. Humming machines in American factories can and will enable Britain to hold the enemy and give us time to arm.

This speech nicely encapsulates the fine line that the administration is walking, actively opposing Hitler but not actually entering the fighting.

Coincidentally (perhaps), in Glasgow, Churchill makes a speech in the presence of Roosevelt crony Harry Hopkins present which essentially makes the same point. He says, "We don't require in 1941 large armies from overseas." However, Churchill adds that Great Britain needs "far more" US weapons, airplanes, and tanks. He concludes:

Whatever the suffering, we shall not fail mankind at this turning point of its fortunes! 

He further adds a tacit plea for passage of the US Lend-Lease bill, noting, "All that we can pay for we will pay for, but we will require far more than we shall be able to pay for."

"The Prime Minister being welcomed by the Captain of the battleship HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, Captain C B Barry, DSO." Rosyth, 17 January 1941. © IWM (A 2734).

Soviet/German Relations: Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov calls German Ambassador E.W. Graf von Schulenburg in to remind him that the Soviet Union considers Bulgaria within its security zone. Molotov also is curious why he hasn't had a reply to his 25 November 1940 offer to join the Tripartite Pact, and Schulenburg prevaricates, saying that Japan and Italy are the holdups.

Spy Stuff: There is an enduring rumor that at some point during World War II, the Germans built a dummy Luftwaffe base in Normandy with planes made of wood as a decoy. Displaying a somewhat sardonic sense of humor, the RAF then obligingly bombed it the next night - with wooden bombs. Since one account places that incident as happening today, might as well handle it here: while there are some German and journalistic "witnesses" to such an event (on various dates, and including a diary entry by William Shirer), there is absolutely no evidence on the Allied side that this ever happened. It may have happened, as anything is possible; there simply is no confirmation because it likely is a complete myth.

German Government: Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering gives a speech in which he downplays the effect of RAF bombing raids. He notes that "Throughout the Reich, armament factories are undisturbed." Characteristically, though, he does not mention anything about homes, other businesses, or civilian bomb casualties. What matters is armaments production!

US Military: The prototype Consolidated LB-30A bomber, a variant of the XB-24, makes its maiden flight. Only six are made. The aircraft has been in design since 1938 as an improvement on the B-17 Flying Fortress. This is a pre-production prototype bomber destined for the RAF, though originally ordered by the French. The British find the design lacking (no self-sealing fuel tanks, among other things) and never use them in combat. Later, the main variant of this craft becomes the B-24.

The US 38th Division is formed using National Guard divisions from Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

Rear Admiral Thomas Withers takes over as Commander Submarines Scouting Force, based at Pearl Harbor, from Rear Admiral Wilhelm L. Friedell.

Prime Minister visiting the ill-fated HMS Hood at Rosyth with Harry Hopkins, 17 January 1941. © IWM (A 2728).

Indochina: The Far East takes the spotlight today. A small French naval squadron, alternately called Groupe Occasionnel and Task Force 7, approaches the Thai fleet's anchorage off Koh Chang island at 05:30. Composed of light cruiser La Motte-Picquet, the modern avisos (patrol boat) Dumont d'Urville and Amiral Charner, and the older avisos Tahure and Marne, the force splits into three groups. Aerial reconnaissance reports the presence of Thai torpedo boats. This flight, however, removes the element of surprise - not that that will matter.

The French cruiser quickly sinks three Thai torpedo boats (Chonburi, Trad, and Songkhla) and destroys a shore observation post. The Thais bring up a coastal defense ship, HTMS Thonburi, and the French cruiser destroys it as well (it later sinks, and then is refloated) using both guns and torpedoes. The Thais then send aircraft to attack, getting a hit on the French cruiser, but the bomb is a dud and causes no damage. After damaging two other coastal defense ships, Sri Ayuthia (beached in the River Chantaboum) and Donburi, the French then withdraw, sustaining virtually no damage and having destroyed the entire Thai fleet. The French only lose 11 men.

It is a complete and total French victory (though the Thais later claim more damage caused to the French cruiser than the French or any other sources reveal). The Thais seem to recall this battle with some pride. The Japanese, seeing their tacit and informal ally Thailand in difficulty, quickly step in to arrange a settlement before the French return and start bombarding Bangkok. The French, having great difficulty on land, accept this offer of mediation, and ultimately the Thais acquire all of the lands they originally sought but the French manage to keep the rest (for now). However, there is no doubt left in anyone's mind after the battle of Koh Chang that the French can still take care of themselves in Indochina.

China: Chinese Nationalist (Kuomintang) leader Chiang Kai-shek orders his troops to continue eliminating the Communist New Fourth Army, which he declares "disbanded."

British Homefront: Sir Fitzroy Maclean, a Scottish member of the diplomatic service who resigned and enlisted as a private in the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders., is commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant. Maclean is considered a likely model used by Ian Fleming for the character of James Bond. He also is a close associate of Ralph Bagnold, the leader of the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG).

American Homefront: Fritzie Zivic successfully defends his world welterweight boxing title against Henry Armstrong before a crowd of 23,190 at Madison Square Garden. The crowd remains an all-time record for the venue.

"Caught in the Act," directed by Jean Yarbrough and starring Henry Armetta and Iris Meredith, is released. There is absolutely nothing special about this film, but I include it just to show that not all films back in the day were classics whose name or stars we all remember (and which then get listed on pages like this, making it seem like every film released back then was another "Citizen Kane"). And... I simply like truly obscure films with the atmosphere. "Caught in the Act" is a typical mistaken-identity gangster comedy film full of Italian stereotypes, a blond gangster moll, everyone chasing some dumb rube at the center of it all who somehow foils everyone - you get the picture.

"The Prime Minister, Mrs. Churchill, and Mr. Hopkins being welcomed by dockyard workers on board the battleship HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH." Rosyth, 17 January 1941. © IWM (A 2736).

January 1941

January 1, 1941: Muselier Arrested
January 2, 1941: Camp Categories
January 3, 1941: Liberty Ships
January 4, 1941: Aussies Take Bardia
January 5, 1941: Amy Johnson Perishes
January 6, 1941: Four Freedoms
January 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor Plans
January 8, 1941: Billions For Defense
January 9, 1941: Lancasters
January 10, 1941: Malta Convoy Devastation
January 11, 1941: Murzuk Raid
January 12, 1941: Operation Rhubarb
January 13, 1941: Plymouth Blitzed
January 14, 1941: V for Victory
January 15, 1941: Haile Selassie Returns
January 16, 1941: Illustrious Blitz
January 17, 1941: Koh Chang Battle
January 18, 1941: Luftwaffe Pounds Malta
January 19, 1941: East African Campaign Begins
January 20, 1941: Roosevelt 3rd Term
January 21, 1941: Attack on Tobruk
January 22, 1941: Tobruk Falls
January 23, 1941: Pogrom in Bucharest
January 24, 1941: Tank Battle in Libya
January 25, 1941: Panjiayu Tragedy
January 26, 1941: Churchill Working Hard
January 27, 1941: Grew's Warning
January 28, 1941: Ho Chi Minh Returns
January 29, 1941: US Military Parley With Great Britain
January 30, 1941: Derna Taken
January 31, 1941: LRDG Battered

2020