Showing posts with label Bardia. Show all posts

Thursday, April 11, 2019

January 6, 1942: US Army in Europe

Tuesday 6 January 1942

President Roosevelt gives his State of the Union speech, 6 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

President Roosevelt gives his State of the Union Address to a Joint Session of Congress on 6 January 1942.

Battle of the Pacific: Japanese pressure on Commonwealth troops defending the Slim River line continues on 6 January 1942. The Indian 11th Division has to defend both its north-facing main front on the western half of the Malay Peninsula and also its rear line of communications because Japanese forces have infiltrated behind it. The Indian 6/15 Brigade Group reaches the Batang Berjuntai area in an attempt to block one this flanking move. Here, south of the Selangor River, they dig in to oppose a Japanese advance from the west. Meanwhile, on the eastern side of the Malay Peninsula, the British Kuantan Force withdraws through Jerantut after dark and moves west toward Raub.

Artillery in action in North Africa, 6 January 1942.

In the Philippines, the Allied troops have withdrawn to a short line across the neck of the Bataan Peninsula. The Main Battle Line runs from Abucay to Mount Natib to Mauban. The Allies have a switch position south of Layac Junction, and Japanese attacks today take Dinalupihan after the Allies evacuate it. The Japanese have brought up artillery which is made more effective by their dominance in the air, where Japanese observers act as artillery spotters. During the day, Major Toyosaku Shimada brings his assault force of about 17 Type 97 medium tanks and 3 Type 95 Ha-Go Light Tanks forward. He requests permission for a night attack, which is unusual in the Japanese Army, and the local commander, Colonel Ando, approves the request. This will be a head-on assault, not a flanking attack and with no diversions, which also is unusual. The attack is planned for 03:30 on 7 January. Elsewhere, a week-long Japanese aerial campaign against the fortress island of Corregidor ends with little to show for it, as the island's extensive pre-war fortifications are mainly deep underground and remain undamaged.

In the Netherlands East Indies, a Japanese amphibious force lands at Brunei Bay, British Borneo. Seven Japanese flying boats attack Ambon Island's Laha Airfield during the night, scoring hits on two RAAF Hudson and a Brewster Buffalo.

Gene Tierney on the cover of Pic Magazine, 6 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Gene Tierney on the cover of Pic Magazine, 6 January 1942. She is promoting "The Shanghai Gesture" (1941), an early film about (among other things) addiction.

The Second Marine Brigade of the United States Marines under the command of General Henry L. Larsen has been ordered to transfer to Pago Pago, American Samoa. The Marines go aboard Matson Line passenger liners which recently have been used to evacuate non-essential military personnel and civilians from the Hawaiian Islands. The liners are SS Lurline, Matsonia, and Monterey, and they are accompanied by freighter USS Jupiter and ammunition ship Lassen. US Navy Task Force 17, which includes aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, heavy cruiser Louisville, light cruiser St. Louis, and three destroyers, serves as the Marines' escort.

German surrender of Bardia, 6 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"Bardia, Cyrenaica, Libya. 6 January 1942. An aerial view taken on the day that Bardia fell shows a long line of prisoners stretching down the road being rounded up by the Allied land forces and transported in the back of trucks." Australian War Memorial MED0280.

Japanese submarine I-7 remains lurking off Hawaii as it has since the war began. It sent its seaplane on a daring reconnaissance mission over Pearl Harbor on 18 December, and today it sends it on another mission over the US naval base after dark. The Americans never detect either flight and do not even know that they happened until after the war.

Religious service in Kharkov, 6 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Christmas service (January 6, 1942) in the monastery church in Kharkov (Herber, Federal Archive Bild 183-B16165).

Eastern Front: The Soviets have committed to a General Offensive beginning on 7 January, so 6 January is fairly quiet as they position their troops and plan their strategy. The German position outside Moscow is more tenuous than it appears on a map because it is composed of often isolated groupings connected by long stretches of vulnerable roads and railways. Fourth Army, for instance, relies on one good road - the Rollbahn - for virtually all of its supplies Yukhnov. The road runs parallel to the front and the Red Army is only a few miles away from it. The Fourth Army chief of staff already has noted to OKH operations chief General Franz Halder that "If the Russian thrust gets through to it, it will be deadly." It would only require an advance of a few miles there and elsewhere for the Red Army to cause the Wehrmacht extreme problems that could lead to catastrophic losses. However, the Soviet effort could come to little if the attacks are poorly made or in the wrong places, so the degree of success depends upon good execution and clever strategy.

Vice Admiral James Somerville, 6 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"Vice-Admiral Sir James Somerville, KCB, DSO, leaving HMS HERMIONE." This was following Somerville's Farewell Address on 6 January 1942. Somerville, commander of Force H, has been appointed Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Fleet with his flag in the battleship HMS Warspite. © IWM (A 6851).

Western Front: After dark, RAF Bomber Command sends another attack against the German warships at Cherbourg. The 31 Wellington bombers score a close miss on heavy cruiser Gneisenau that floods two compartments. A couple of the bombers bomb the port facilities. In other attacks, 11 Whitley bombers attack Stavanger Airfield in southern Norway and small groups of Hampden bombers attack a potpourri of German cities: five bomb Essen, three attack Munster, two each hit Cologne and Emden, and one each attack Aachen and Oldenburg.

US Army V Corps begins operation in Europe on 6 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"V Corps Operations in the ETO: 6 Jan. 1942 - 9 May 1945" by Lt. Col. Edgar Wilkerson et al chronicles the experiences of the first US Army troops deployed to Europe during World War II.

V Corps of the United States Army deploys the first American soldiers to the European Theater of Operations today. This force is known as the U.S. Army Northern Ireland Force or MAGNET. The V Corps troops are fated to be in the first wave on Omaha Beach on 6 June 1944.

Bardia, North Africa, 6 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"Bardia, Cyrenaica, Libya. 6 January 1942. Aerial view of Bardia taken on the day that the town was re-captured by Allied forces. The town sits on the end of a high and long rocky outcrop." Australian War Memorial MED0281.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The final surrender of the isolated Axis garrison of Bardia in North Africa, already agreed to, concludes today. The last of about 7000 Axis troops march into captivity. Other Axis troops remain nearby in Halfaya Pass, but they have little hope of relief and are running out of basic necessities like food and water.

German POWs arrive at Greenock, 6 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"U-boat prisoners being landed from a tender. They are wearing clothing supplied by their captors." Greenock, 6 January 1942. © IWM (A 7073).

US/Chinese Relations: The recent Tulsa Incident in Rangoon, which badly strained Allied relations in the Far East, has been resolved to China's satisfaction. This has been due to US Secretary of State Cordell Hull intervening in a local dispute in which a British officer ordered the confiscation of US Lend-Lease supplies intended for China by declaring that they are Chinese property and not subject to confiscation. The US then nominated Nationalist Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek as the Supreme Commander of an Allied China Theater. To return the favor, Chiang requests that a senior US officer act as his chief of staff. Chiang remains very upset at the British for their attempt to take "his" supplies, so this is both a gesture of gratitude toward the Americans and a slap at the British, who actually maintain a vastly greater presence in the Theater.

Bf-109s of JG 77, 6 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Messerschmitt Bf 109Es of I.(J)/LG 2) of JG 77 at Kecskemét Airfield, Hungary 1941. The nearest plane is that of Hauptmann Herbert Ihlefeld, Gruppenkommandeur of this unit during the period 30 August 1940 – 6 January 1942, until the squadron was reorganized and he took over I./JG 77. Ihlefeld became an "ace in a day" on 30 August 1940. While Ihlefeld was in command of I./JG 77, the unit was credited with 323 enemy aircraft downed for the loss of only 17 Bf 109s. If you look closely, you can see the victory markings on the tail of Ihlefeld's plane.

US Government: President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers his annual State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress. He begins by noting the country's determination to win the war:

In fulfilling my duty to report upon the State of the Union, I am proud to say to you that the spirit of the American people was never higher than it is today—the Union was never more closely knit together—this country was never more deeply determined to face the solemn tasks before it.

This is the President's first speech to Congress since the war began, and he calls for massive new spending. The President's budget for the Fiscal Year 1943, which begins on October 1, 1942, is $59 billion. This will fund the construction of 45,000 aircraft, 45,000 tanks, 20,000 antiaircraft guns, and 8 million tons of new shipping. The figures are all unprecedented, but Roosevelt says they are necessary:

These figures and similar figures for a multitude of other implements of war will give the Japanese and Nazis a little idea of just what they accomplished.

Roosevelt's requests are certain to be passed, as his party has healthy majorities in both houses of Congress and the nation is gripped by a patriotic determination to win the war at any cost.

USS Wharton, 6 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

The U.S. Navy troop transport USS Wharton (AP-7) off the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California (USA), 6 January 1942. Photograph 19-N-26645 from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

American Homefront: The issue of what to do about Japanese-Americans remains a very hot topic on the West Coast of the United States. Congressman Leland Ford of California sends a telegram to US Secretary of State Cordell Hull requesting their internment, stating:

I do not believe that we could be any too strict in our consideration of the Japanese in the face of the treacherous way in which they do things.

Congressman Ford's feelings are shared by many who greatly fear attacks from Japan such as those experienced at Pearl Harbor.

Pan American Airways Boeing B-314A, MSN 2083, registered NC18609 and named "Pacific Clipper." arrives in New York City after making an unprecedented journey for a commercial flight. Having flown from the United States to Auckland, New Zealand before the war, the Pacific Clipper was directed to fly back across the Indian Ocean rather than return across the unsafe Pacific (which typically would include stops at Midway and Wake Islands). The plane's journey totals 31,500 miles via Australia, the East Indies, India, Africa, South America, and Trinidad.

French soprano Emma Calve passes away on 6 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Emma Calvé.

French Homefront: French soprano Emma Calvé (15 August 1858-6 January 1942), perhaps the most famous French female opera singer of the Belle Époque, passes away in a clinic in Montpelier, aged 83.

Ecran Magazine, Chile, 6 January 1942.

1942

January 1942

January 1, 1942: Declaration By United Nations
January 2, 1941: Manila Falls to Japan
January 3, 1942: ABDA Command Announced
January 4, 1942: MacArthur on His Own in the Philippines
January 5, 1942: Soviets Plan General Offensive
January 6, 1942: US Army in Europe
January 7, 1942: Soviet General Offensive Opens
January 8, 1942: Hitler Sacks Hoepner
January 9, 1942: Battle of Dražgoše
January 10, 1942: Building the Jeep
January 11, 1942: Japan Takes Kuala Lumpur
January 12, 1941: Rommel Plans Counterattack
January 13, 1942: First Ejection Seat Use
January 14, 1942: Operation Drumbeat First Sinking
January 15, 1942: U-Boat Off NYC
January 16, 1942: Carole Lombard Crash
January 17, 1942: British Take Halfaya Pass
January 18, 1942: Soviet Paratroopers in Action
January 19, 1942: FDR Approves Atomic Bomb
January 20, 1942: The Wannsee Conference
January 21, 1942: Parit Sulong Bridge Battle
January 22, 1942: Parit Sulong Massacre
January 23, 1942: Japan Takes Rabaul
January 24, 1942: Battle of Makassar Strait
January 25, 1942: Kholm Surrounded
January 26, 1942: GIs Land in Europe
January 27, 1942: Battle of Endau
January 28, 1942: Rommel Takes Benghazi
January 29, 1942: First US Coast Guard Ship Sunk
January 30, 1942: Singapore Isolated
January 31, 1942: Army Group South Averts Disaster

2020

Saturday, April 6, 2019

January 2, 1942: Manila Falls to Japan

Friday 2 January 1942

Japanese capture Manila, 2 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Japanese troops enter Manila in the Philippines on 2 January 1942.

Battle of the Pacific: While the Allies declared Manila an open city in late December 1941, they have retained control of the capital city and all of its facilities and supplies. Until now, that is. On 2 January 1942, the Japanese actually enter the city and it ceases being "open." A battalion of the Japanese 1st Formosa Regiment and two of the 47th Infantry Regiment are the first units into the city. Other Japanese troops occupy the Cavite Naval Base, which the departing US troops and the Japanese Air Force's bombs have wrecked.

The Daily Times-News of Burlington, North Carolina trumpets the loss of Manila in its 2 January 1942 edition. Ordinary people may not know much about the Pacific region, but Manila is one place that pretty much everyone has heard of due to the huge US military presence there.

The Japanese are hardly satisfied by taking Manila. They have a very good idea where the Americans have gone and may eventually go. Japanese bombers begin the daily bombing of fortified Corregidor Island in Manila Bay, where the US Army has a vast underground military complex. American and Filipino army units complete their withdrawal through San Fernando, which the Allies abandon at 02:00. The Japanese to the east of San Fernando cross the Pampanga River and take the city occupy the city without opposition. The goal of the Allied troops now is to delay the Japanese troops on the ten-mile road from Porac to Guagua, and to do this, the Filipino 21st Division covers the west side of the road and the 11th Division covers the east side. During the day, the advancing Japanese attack the western side, forcing the 21st Division back from Porac.

Japanese troops celebrate their capture of Manila, the Philippines, on 2 January 1942.

The Allies have been quite successful in moving 80,000 troops and 26,000 civilian refugees into the Bataan Peninsula, but everyone is tired, supplies are short, there is little prepared infrastructure such as airfields and naval bases, and the troops already are on half rations. Perhaps as a gesture of defiance, the US Army headquarters in Bataan sends a message:

Manila, Cavite lost; MacArthur fights on, holding Corregidor.

However, wars are not won by losing cities and holding tiny islands.

Italian POW in London, 2 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

An Italian POW, still wearing his Afrika Korps cap, arrives in London on 2 January 1942 (AP Photo).

The fate of the Philippines is rising to the top of American concerns on 2 January 1942, and things do not look good. US and Filipino troops under Lieutenant General Douglas MacArthur are racing to secure the neck of the Bataan Peninsula before the Japanese can get there, and so far that is going reasonably well. However, the US Naval and US Army Air Force presence in the Philippines is dwindling fast, which gives the Japanese invaders a huge advantage. This is an unusual situation for World War II, where the Axis has aerial domination over the western Allies, and the imbalance cannot be rectified right away. In Australia, Major General George H. Brett, Commanding General-Designate of the U.S. Forces in Australia (USFIA), sends a dispiriting message to General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army in Washington, D.C. Brett indicates that reinforcing the Philippines is becoming critical, but it is impossible for the time being. Until a major airbase can be completed in Darwin, Australia, and a similar supply and repair depot constructed at Townsville, Queensland, effective relief is impossible. Of course, Brett also doesn't have much naval power to spare, either. The Philippines are beginning to look like a lost cause, but nobody wants to abandon them just yet.

USS President Hayes, 2 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

USS President Hayes (AP-39), shortly after launching at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, on 2 January 1942 (Photo No. 19-N-26565. Source: U.S. National Archives, RG-19-LCM).

In the Malay Peninsula, Indian III Corps is under increasing pressure along the Perak River, as Japanese troops cross the river and take Teluk Anson (Teluk Intan) near the west coast. The 1st Independent Company and Indian 3d Cavalry Squadron retreat from the area, while Indian 12th Brigade Group nearby barely hangs on to its position. The Japanese also attempt an ad hoc landing at Kuala Selangor late in the day, but Allied artillery prevents this. After dark, the troops in the area begin to withdraw to the Slim River. The silver lining for the Allies is that from this point onward, the Malay Peninsula narrows like a triangle reaching its apex until the peninsula reaches Singapore at the southern tip. This should favor the defense, and the Battle of Kampar which ends today is characterized as an Allied defensive victory due to the delays imposed on the Japanese. However, the inability of the Commonwealth troops to hold any defensive line for any length of time so far is a bad omen. The less ground that remains between the Japanese lines and Singapore makes Japanese air attacks easier, more effective, more often, and less costly. Eventually, the British could run out of the real estate to defend, though great hope is placed in "Fortress Singapore."

Alien Restrictions, 2 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

The Seattle Star on 2 January 1942 reports on "Alien Restrictions Tightened" as restrictions on foreign nationals from Axis countries increase.

In Thailand, the American Volunteer Group (AVG, or "Flying Tigers") have been battling Japanese raiders over Rangoon since 20 December 1941 as the Allies squabble below them. Today, they launch their first raid on Japanese forces, a strike on an airbase in Thailand. This makes the title of a US Army Air Forces video, "Flying Tigers Bite Back," real. The AVG squadron leader is John Van Kuren Newkirk of Westchester, New York. Identified publicly only as "Scarsdale Jack," Newkirk is a former Navy pilot. Flying with him in their separate P-40B Tomahawk aircraft is Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, a former US Marine Corps aviator who was such a good flyer that he served as an instructor at Pensacola. Both Newkirk and Boyington are "private contractors" who are employed by the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO), a front for covert US operations in Burma led by Claire "Old Leatherface" Chennault.

Italian armored personnel carrier, 2 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Italian WWII Fiat 665NM protetto (protected) or scudato (shielded) armored personnel carrier,. This photo was taken on 2 January 1942. This is an early model, perhaps a prototype, as these were developed in 1942 at the Arsenale Regio Esercito di Torino in collaboration with the Fiat Veicoli Industriali following the request of the Italian Military Staff.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The South African 2nd Division and British 1st Armoured Brigade (30 Corps, British Eighth Army) take Bardia southeast of Tobruk. A total of 2,200 German and 4,400 Italian troops who have been trapped in Bardia since the beginning of Operation Crusader in late November surrender on 2 January 1942. Other Axis troops continue to hold out near Halfaya Pass, but their situation also is hopeless and, unless Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel can stage a successful counteroffensive soon, they will be forced to surrender. While their defensive positions are good, the Axis troops in the area are running out of food and water and aerial supply by the Luftwaffe is not coming close to meeting their daily needs.

On Malta, a Bomb Disposal Officer reports finding a unique bomb with tail fins made of a blue alloy. There are other odd aspects to this weapon and how it is found. The officer reports it as a "seemingly rocket-propelled" type of bomb. If so, it is the first use of such a weapon. The trail grows cold here and it is unclear how this turns out.

A destroyed German train carrying tanks, 2 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

A destroyed German train station in Maloyaroslavets, Russia, 2 January 1942. Soviet bombers destroyed this train. In the foreground is a German tank Pz.Kpfw.IV. On the second platform, a destroyed light tank Pz.Kpfw.II. Propaganda photo by Ivan Shagin.

Eastern Front: The Red Army continues to make gains around Moscow. Soviet 43rd Army opens a ten-mile gap between Borovsk and Maloyaroslavets, thereby cutting the German Fourth Army (General Ludwig Kuebler) off from its neighbor to the south. The commander of Fourth Panzer Army, General Erich Hoepner, requests permission to withdraw to reestablish contact with Fourth Army and is given a "categorical" no. Instead, Army Group Center commander Field Marshal Guenther von Kluge simply transfers a Fourth Army corps that had been cut off on the Fourth Panzer Army side to Hoepner. This helps the stranded corps receive supplies from Fourth Panzer Army but also removes any incentive for Kuebler or Hoepner to close the gap between their armies - so it grows wider. This is a pattern that will reassert itself repeatedly throughout the war on the Eastern Front, as Soviet attacks between armies split the German front because the German army commanders are more concerned with preserving their own units and less with their contact with neighboring units.

Hawker Hurricanes at Duxford, 2 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"Pilots and Hurricanes of No 56 'Punjab' Squadron at Duxford, 2 January 1942. The official caption reads: 'Fighter aircraft donated by the Province of Punjab have been in action and have scored numerous victories over the Hun'." © IWM (CH 4547).

In the Crimea, the opposing Soviet and German forces begin to dig in just west of the port of Feodosia. Soviet 44th Army's offensive from its bridgehead at Feodosia has stalled after German 42 Corps finally sorted out its units and got them into position facing the Red Army thrust. The Soviet success in recapturing the Kerch Peninsula has not come cheap, as they have lost 41,935 men, including 32,453 killed or captured and 9482 wounded or suffering from frostbite and other maladies. They also have not succeeded in their ultimate objective of relieving Sevastopol, which was never a realistic goal due to the large German 11th Army forces surrounding the port. However, the Red Army has taken a great deal of pressure off of Sevastopol and caused General Erich von Manstein a huge problem in maintaining two separate fronts, one facing west toward Sevastopol and the other facing east against the Soviet forces which landed at Feodosia. The Red Army does have other units of the 51st Army heading west from Kerch, but they are moving slowly and the Germans also are building their line with units taken from the siege of Sevastopol.

US Military: US Army Air Force Eighth Air Force is activated on 2 January 1942 at Savannah Air Base, Georgia.

German Homefront: Heinrich Himmler writes to Reinhard Heydrich asking him to suppress the Swing Kids (Swingjugend). The Swing movement of Hamburg, Himmler complains, is detrimental to the war effort. Himmler suggests that some time in concentration camps might improve the Swing Kids' attitudes.

Dr. Seuss cartoon, 2 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Image from "Dr. Seuss Went to War" (Mandeville Special Collections Library, UC San Diego).

Friday, April 5, 2019

January 1, 1942: Declaration By United Nations

Thursday 1 January 1942

Declaration of United Nations, 1 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

President Franklin Roosevelt, second from left seated at the table, signing the "Declaration of United Nations" on 1 January 1942 (United Nations).

Allied Relations: With British Prime Minister Winston Churchill returning by train from Ottawa to Washington, D.C., the main Allied powers sign the Declaration by United Nations on 1 January 1941. The United States, Great Britain, China, and the Soviet Union sign the document, which states in relevant part:

(1) Each Government pledges itself to employ its full resources, military or economic, against those members of the Tripartite Pact and its adherents with which such government is at war.
(2) Each Government pledges itself to cooperate with the Governments signatory hereto and not to make a separate armistice or peace with the enemies.
The foregoing declaration may be adhered to by other nations which are, or which may be, rendering material assistance and contributions in the struggle for victory over Hitlerism.

The "Declaration by United Nations" becomes the counterpart to the Tripartite Pact by the Axis powers, with more signatories signing after the main powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan in the Tripartite Pact) do. Another 22 nations sign on 2 January 1942. While the United Nations per se is not yet in existence, the organization considers 1 January 1942 the day on which its name is coined. President Roosevelt is credited with coming up with the name "United Nations."

Cartoon of Winston Churchill, 1 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Cartoon by Munro in the Civil & Military Gazette, Lahore, 1 January 1942. Churchill is in the dining car of his train from Canada to Washington, D.C. when the new year begins.

Battle of the Pacific: In the Philippines, the Allied forces continue withdrawing from Manila to Bataan on 1 January 1942. South Luzon Force completes its withdrawal behind the Pampanga River at Calumpit by dawn. The Philippine Scout engineers then blow the bridges, something the Japanese generals had hoped their own airplanes could have done before the Americans crossed them. It then disbands into its separate units, which all head to different defensive positions in the Bataan Peninsula. The Filipino 71st and 91st Divisions pull back toward San Fernando, while the Filipino 11th and 21st Divisions hold open the road from San Fernando to Dinaluphihan at the neck of the Bataan Peninsula. The US Provisional Tank Group takes heavy losses of its M3 Stuart tanks of the 194th Tank Battalion but holds off the Japanese. US Army Air Force units also continue their withdrawals, with headquarters of the 24th Pursuit Group abandoning Clark Field for Mainveles, Luzon, Philippines, and the remaining ground troops of the 14th Bombardment Squadron leaving Clark Field for Bugo, Mindanao.

On the Malay Peninsula, the Japanese continue to exert extreme pressure on the Commonwealth troops defending the Kampar line in the west. Japanese planes raid Tengah airfield in Singapore, causing extensive damage.

British Crusader tank in North Africa, 1 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

A British Crusader tank in North Africa, 1 January 1942.

Eastern Front: The Soviet Stavka extends its general offensive against the Axis into the extreme northern end of the front. Six Red Army divisions (71st, 186th, 263th, 289th, 313th, and 367th) supported by a ski brigade and three Marine brigades (61st, 65th, 66th) attack between Lake Onega and the White Sea toward the town of Karhumaki (Medvezhjegorsk). Finnish II Corps defends in this area with two divisions. It gives ground near Krivi, but there are no major objectives nearby and the Finnish troops continue to display their excellence at both winter and forest fighting.

Rosyth, 1 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"The crew clearing up decks at the end of the day as a destroyer steams away on patrol." This photo was taken on board HNMS Alcmaria at Port Edgar, Rosyth, 1 January 1942. © IWM (A 6939).

The Red Army consolidates its recapture of the Kerch Peninsula in the Crimea while General Erich von Manstein, commander of 11th Army, assembles forces for a counterattack. German 42nd Army Corps, which is composed of only one division, has established a tenuous defensive line about 20 km west of Feodosia. Manstein brings up Gruppe Hitzfeld (Colonel Otto Hitzfeld), composed of Infantry Regiment 213 of the 73rd Infantry Division reinforced with an artillery battalion, an anti-tank gun battalion (Panzerjäger-Abteilung 173), four StuG III assault guns and an anti-aircraft detachment. Soviet 44th Army uses its 23,000 soldiers to try to break through the German line, but a Soviet armored attack on German 42nd Corps headquarters at Islam-Terek fails. The Soviets lose 16 T-26 tanks and suspend their attempt to proceed further west to relieve Sevastopol. The Red Army has more troops further east in the Kerch Peninsula, but the 51st Army shows no sense of urgency in assisting the 44th Army.

HMS Queen Elizabeth in Alexandria Harbor, 1 January 1942.

Battle of the Mediterranean: A large German force of 7,000 men continues to hold out at Bardia. It is now far behind British lines and has no hope of relief, but morale remains high and they defend vigorously. The 2nd South African Division of British 30 Corps of Eighth Army attacks after sunset with overwhelming strength and quickly gains ground on the main road. The Germans and Italians continue to hold a very large area around Halfaya, but they cannot be supplied except by inadequate Luftwaffe airdrops and are short of food and water.

Esquire magazine, 1 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"Man the Kitchenette," an Esquire Magazine article from 1 January 1942. Among other things, it recommends the $2 cold buffet at the "Alibi Bar" in Palm Beach.

US/Philippine Relations: The United States freezes all Philippine funds due to the war situation. The US Treasury order states that this is done "in view of the situation created by the temporary enemy occupation of important parts of the Philippine Islands."

British Government: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is returning to Washington, D.C., after his quick trip to Ottaway as the day begins. He calls reporters into the dining car of his train and makes a brief statement:

Here’s to 1942, here’s to a year of toil—a year of struggle and peril, and a long step forward towards victory. May we all come through safe and with honor.

This quote is from Churchill by Himself page 498, the predictions chapter entitled “Churchill Clairvoyant.” The first published reference is in Churchill’s speech volume, The End of the Beginning (London: Cassell, 1943, page 3).

1942 Packard Clipper and DC-3, 1 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

1942 Packard Clipper Club Sedan with DC-3. There were 34,046 Packard Clippers built in the 1942 model, so they are not much rarer than the 1940 and 1941 models. Some were built while chrome plating was still allowed. Pre-war Packards are considered top-grade collector's items because of their quality manufacture and distinctive styling.

American Homefront: The U.S. Office of Production Management bans the sale of civilian cars and trucks. The major automakers including Ford, Studebaker, Packard, and General Motors begin converting their assembly lines to war production. However, a small number of cars still come off the assembly lines in January and the first four days of February 1942. Those cars built during 1942 (and not 1942 models built in late 1941) are distinguished by a lack of chrome (which already had been banned) and have painted exterior trim. These cars naturally become collector's items due to their scarcity and become known as "blackout" or "victory" models. These blackout models are difficult to sell because sales of new vehicles are rationed (as are tires and gasoline and other necessary auto needs) and many spend months or years on car lots before being sold. The final figures for 1941 automobile production are 3.6 million.

The Rose Bowl is held in Durham, North Carolina, due to the war situation. The Oregon State Beavers beat the home-field Duke Blue Devils 20-16 anyway. In the Sugar Bowl, the Fordham Rams beat the Missouri Tigers, 2-0, the Alabama Crimson Tide beats the Texas A&M Aggies 29-21 in the Cotton Bowl, and the Georgia Bulldogs beat the TCU Horned Frogs in the Orange Bown, 40-26.

"The Man Who Came to Dinner" premieres at the Strand Theater in New York City. It stars Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, and Monty Woolley and is directed by William Keighley. Also appearing are Jimmy Durante and Billie Burke. Woolley, who had created his role on the Broadway stage but was not very well known as a film actor, later is nominated for a New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Willys Americar Coupe, 1 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

1942 Willys Americar Coupe. You could buy this for as little as $634 (up to $978) in one of three variations: Speedway, DeLuxe, and Plainsman. However, only 7000 were built, and for the next four years, Willys built the military Jeep.

December 1941

December 1, 1941: Hitler Fires von Rundstedt
December 2, 1941: Climb Mount Niitaka
December 3, 1941: Hints of Trouble in the Pacific
December 4, 1941: Soviets Plan Counteroffensive
December 5, 1941: Soviets Counterattack at Kalinin
December 6, 1941: Soviet Counterattack at Moscow Broadens
December 7, 1941: Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
December 8, 1941: US Enters World War II
December 9, 1941: German Retreat At Moscow
December 10, 1941: HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse Sunk
December 11, 1941: Hitler Declares War on US
December 12, 1941: Japanese in Burma
December 13, 1941: Battle of Cape Bon
December 14, 1941: Hitler Forbids Withdrawals
December 15, 1941: The Liepaja Massacre
December 16, 1941: Japan Invades Borneo
December 17, 1941: US Military Shakeup
December 18, 1941: Hitler Lays Down the Law
December 19, 1941: Brauchitsch Goes Home
December 20, 1941: Flying Tigers in Action
December 21, 1941: The Bogdanovka Massacre
December 22, 1941: Major Japanese Landings North of Manila
December 23, 1941: Wake Island Falls to Japan
December 24, 1941: Atrocities in Hong Kong
December 25, 1941: Japan Takes Hong Kong
December 26, 1941: Soviets Land in the Crimea
December 27, 1941: Commandos Raid Norway
December 28, 1941: Operation Anthropoid Begins
December 29, 1941: Soviet Landings at Feodosia
December 30, 1941: Race for Bataan
December 31, 1941: Nimitz in Charge

1942

January 1942

January 1, 1942: Declaration By United Nations
January 2, 1941: Manila Falls to Japan
January 3, 1942: ABDA Command Announced
January 4, 1942: MacArthur on His Own in the Philippines
January 5, 1942: Soviets Plan General Offensive
January 6, 1942: US Army in Europe
January 7, 1942: Soviet General Offensive Opens
January 8, 1942: Hitler Sacks Hoepner
January 9, 1942: Battle of Dražgoše
January 10, 1942: Building the Jeep
January 11, 1942: Japan Takes Kuala Lumpur
January 12, 1941: Rommel Plans Counterattack
January 13, 1942: First Ejection Seat Use
January 14, 1942: Operation Drumbeat First Sinking
January 15, 1942: U-Boat Off NYC
January 16, 1942: Carole Lombard Crash
January 17, 1942: British Take Halfaya Pass
January 18, 1942: Soviet Paratroopers in Action
January 19, 1942: FDR Approves Atomic Bomb
January 20, 1942: The Wannsee Conference
January 21, 1942: Parit Sulong Bridge Battle
January 22, 1942: Parit Sulong Massacre
January 23, 1942: Japan Takes Rabaul
January 24, 1942: Battle of Makassar Strait
January 25, 1942: Kholm Surrounded
January 26, 1942: GIs Land in Europe
January 27, 1942: Battle of Endau
January 28, 1942: Rommel Takes Benghazi
January 29, 1942: First US Coast Guard Ship Sunk
January 30, 1942: Singapore Isolated
January 31, 1942: Army Group South Averts Disaster

2020

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

April 12, 1941: Belgrade and Bardia Fall

Saturday 12 April 1941

12 April 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com 2nd SS Division Das Reich

Soldiers of SS-Hauptsturmführer Fritz Klingenberg's 2nd SS Division Das Reich enter Belgrade, 12 April 1941.

Operation Marita/Operation 25: In an event of international consequence that happens with little fanfare, the Germans of the XLVI Panzer Corps and their allies occupy Belgrade on 12 April 1941. The garrison surrenders at the first opportunity. Before the main body of German troops arrives, SS-Obersturmfuhrer Fritz Klingenberg, commanding the 2nd SS Division Das Reich, sends men across the Danube in rafts to accept the Yugoslav surrender. The Swastika flag flies over what remains of the German legation by 17:00. At 19:00, the mayor of Belgrade hurries over and issues Klingenberg a formal surrender.

Belgrade will become the seat of the puppet Nedić regime, headed by General Milan Nedić. Due to its quick surrender, Belgrade is spared the savagery of artillery bombardment that accounts for the preponderance of devastation of European cities on the Continent throughout the war even in the presence of terror bombing.

Hungarian troops (3rd Army) join the invasion of Yugoslavia.

While the occupation of Belgrade, of course, is a matter of great significance, its fall has been a foregone conclusion. The real issue of decision is playing out far to the south. Sepp Dietrich's 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH), still of brigade-size at this time, begins the day being held up in the Klidi Pass. This is the key route for the Wehrmacht LX Corps (Lieutenant-General George Stumme) heading south from Yugoslavia into the Greek interior. This battle effectively decides the campaign in Greece, though much fighting remains to be done.

Snow fell during the night. At 09:00, the Germans, after being frustrated on the 11th by the British, Australian and Greek troops ("Mackay Force") that had hurriedly been redirected to the Pass from the Aliakmon Line to the east, resumes its attack. The LSSAH first takes a hill off their left flank, Hill 997, taking it by 11:00 and wiping out all but 6 of the Australian defenders. These Germans, the 1st Company of LSSAH, then take another hill nearby. The Australians troops begin to withdraw around mid-day, though the Greek troops nearby stay put - though sources are mixed on exactly who did what.

The Germans then bring up assault guns and Panzerjäger vehicles and continue their assault from the two hills they have taken. By 14:00, the Greek troops also are ordered to retreat by General Iven Mackay, and Obersturmbannfuhrer "Panzer" Meyer leads his assault guns forward into hills that had been thought inaccessible. By 16:00, the Germans take Klidi at the southern end of the pass, then spread out quickly to take nearby towns Kelli and Petra. By 20:00, the German armor (six StuG and nine PzJg I) are through the pass and harassing a retreating Greek column, forcing the British to riposte with about 25 tanks of their own. By 22:30, after a very hard day of fighting, the Germans have secured the entire pass, inflicting severe casualties on the defending Australians.

Allied histories cast a favorable light on the battle of Klidi Pass. The defense "bought time for the retreat" of Allied forces on the Aliakmon Line. However, when the battle began, there was no thought of retreating anywhere, and the battle only held the Germans up for two days. Many Greek troops are given the order to retreat too late, and they wind up essentially surrounded by the advancing Germans. The Allied withdrawal is pell-mell, with units intermixed, leading to confusion that remains throughout the campaign. The Allies attempt to form a new defensive line to the south at Kleisoura and begin pulling back their troops in northern Greece toward Mount Olympus.

General Iven Mackay renames his troops from 1 Australian Corps to Anzac Corps to honor the New Zealanders taking part.

The powerful Greek Western Macedonia Army formations in Albania to the west are seeing their lines of communication cut by the German LX Corps advance, but are reluctant to retreat. General Stumme's forces also attempt to broaden their gains to the west. With this German breakthrough, their position is even less secure. However, it is a matter of Greek pride to give no ground to the Italians, so today they only grudgingly begin heading south, blowing up the roads as they leave to slow the Italian advance. The Italians, meanwhile, watch them go without pursuing them today.

The British reinforcement of mainland Greece, Operation Lustre, continues despite the reversals to the north. The Australian 17th Infantry Brigade arrives today at Athens.

The Luftwaffe attacks Piraeus again, bombing and sinking 8271-ton British tanker Marie Maersk. The Italians later re-float and repair her, putting her in use as the Luisa. This sinking continues the devastation wrought on the Danish Mærsk shipping line, which began the wars with a total of 46 ships but dwindles to 7 by war's end, with an additional 14 under control of the US shipping board until 1946. Denmark, of course, is a non-combatant that is occupied by Germany.

The Luftwaffe raids Kozani, the Germans' first major objective on the push south. The RAF is caught flat-footed, putting up no opposition, and there is widespread damage to the town.

The Luftwaffe raids Yugoslav shipping on the Danube and sinks river monitor Drava. There are 54 deaths and 13 survivors.

For his successes in Yugoslavia and Greece, Lieutenant General Alexander Löhr, commander of Luftwaffe IV in Austria, receives a highly coveted mention in the evening's Wehrmachtbericht radio despatches. The Yugoslavs consider the bombing of Belgrade to be a war crime, and they have long memories.

One of the common themes of April 1941 is a large number of ships scuttled to avoid enemy capture. Up to now, those have been primarily Italian freighters in the Red Sea. Today, the shoe is on the other foot as the Yugoslavs scuttle three monitors at the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers near Belgrade to avoid capture: Morava, Sava, and Vardar. The captains decide to sink the ships because the water levels are too high (spring flood) and nearby bridges too low to prevent departure. As the crews are taken off by a tugboat, they pass under a railway bridge rigged for demolition and set off the charges accidentally. This causes the bridge to collapse on the tug, killing 95 of the 110 crew from the three ships. The Independent State of Croatia will raise and repair two of the ships (Sava and Morava), putting them back into service.

12 April 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Todd-Bath East Yard

The Todd-Bath East Yard, site of the construction of Liberty Ships, 12 April 1941.

European Air Operations: With Operations Order 17, the RAF expands its anti-shipping priority to include the area from Norway to Bordeaux. During the day, 20 RAF planes attack Dusseldorf and Gelsenkirchen and also conducts Rhubarb operations over France. After dark, RAF Bomber Command attacks Brest with 66 aircraft and Bordeaux's airfield with 24 aircraft.

Visiting Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies, in Bristol to receive an honorary degree, comments on the devastation of last night's Luftwaffe raid:

Bristol is a sad sight - churches blazing and streets of houses in ruins but St. Mary Radcliffe, the "fairest church in Christendom" of Elizabeth, stands untouched among the ruins. So I must say, seemed also the spirit of the university, where many a gown was worn over working uniform, and many learned participants had been up fire-fighting all night.

12 April 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com St. Helena freighter

St. Helena, sunk today by U-124.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-124 (Kptlt. Georg-Whilhelm Schulz) continues its very successful patrol north of the Cape Verde Islands. It torpedoes and sinks unescorted 4313-ton British freighter St. Helena, which is carrying 7600 tons of canned meat and also grain, rice, cotton, and other goods. It is en route from Montevideo and Bahia bound for Hull. All 38 crew survive.

German raider Kormoran sinks 5486-ton Greek freighter Nicolaos D. L. midway between the closest points of Africa and Brazil. All aboard are taken as prisoners.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 901-ton Belgian freighter Arbel just northwest of Land's End, Cornwall. There are three deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 3815-ton Swedish freighter Kexholm south of the Faroe Islands. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe sinks grain elevator Chicago at Millwall Dock, London. There apparently is nobody on board.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 4093-ton British freighter Dartford just south of Mumbles Lighthouse south of Swansea. The freighter is towed back to port.

Royal Navy 31-ton drifter HMT Rypa, manned by a Norwegian crew, sinks in Loch Ewe in stormy weather.

German raider Thor refuels from tanker Ill. It now heads back to Germany.

Convoy OB 309 departs from Liverpool.

12 April 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Liberty magazine

Liberty Magazine (Canada) Easter 1941: April 12, 1941, Vol, 18, No. 15.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Germans take Bardia in the morning without a fight. Afrika Korps Detachment Graf Schwerin closes the German landward envelopment of Tobruk. Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel somewhat hopefully orders the occupation of Tobruk as well. A force composed of the 5th Light Division, 5th Panzer Regiment and Trento Division attacks the Tobruk perimeter but is stopped at an anti-tank ditch constructed by the Italians and has to retreat. This becomes known as the beginning of the First Siege of Tobruk (which ignores the fact that Tobruk already has been put under siege by the British in January, but that's history for you).

The Germans wish to move quickly against Tobruk, and they have an excellent source of intelligence about the fortress: the Italians who built it. However, the Italians are very slow to provide detailed information, forcing the Germans to rely on 1:400,000 maps which provide no worthwhile details. General Rommel moves his command post to about 4 km west of the Via Balbia that runs parallel to Tobruk. At this time, his intelligence sources are unclear about the amount of opposition that he faces in Tobruk. While he thinks that there are few troops holding the fortress, in fact, the British have accumulated about 30,000 men there. The Luftwaffe attacks Tobruk and loses three Junkers Ju 87 Stukas.

While the British are determined to hold Tobruk, considered virtually impregnable (but the Italians thought so in January), they fortify Halfaya Pass and the coastal strip nearby to prevent an Afrika Korps eruption into Egypt. There are some minor skirmishes in that area, with the RAF bombing and strafing German columns and the Germans claiming to knock out some British tanks.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Tetrarch torpedoes and sinks Italian tanker Persiano about 30 miles (56 km) northeast of Tripoli. It goes down with 2200 cubic meters of gasoline headed to the Afrika Korps tanks.

A flotilla of four destroyers now based on Malta leaves port to intercept a southbound convoy from Naples to Tripoli. However, the destroyers find no sign of the convoy. The RAF also sends patrols out from St. Angelo on Malta to find the convoy, and they do - but they score no hits while losing a plane and four men from No. 803 Squadron. The four airmen wind up interned by the French.

Four Royal Navy destroyers conduct a patrol off Cyrenaica in Operation MBD 3. However, they find no sign of Axis shipping.

British evacuations begin again, this time in Greece. Four ships, including troopship HMS Glenroy, evacuate an entire battalion of troops, forty army vehicles, and 1000+ tons of stores from Moudros on the northern Aegean island of Lemnos.

The British beef up their naval forces in Gibraltar. Among the ships arriving is battlecruiser HMS Repulse and light cruiser Fiji. Submarine HMS Olympus arrives at Malta, but is in poor repair and quickly is sent back to Gibraltar.

Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser HMS Dunnottar castle, cruising off of Mauretania, seizes Vichy French freighter Banfora off Port Etienne (Nouadhibou). The Banfora is taken to Freetown.

In Malta, air attacks continue. Just before midnight, nine Luftwaffe planes strafe the airbase at Kalafrana and drop bombs on the St. Paul's Bay area. Another raid causes damage to the Ta Qali airfield area.

12 April 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com The New Yorker

The New Yorker, 12 April 1941.

Anglo/US Relations: Demonstrating once again his political savvy, Prime Minister Winston Churchill confers honorary LL.D degrees from Bristol University (where he is chancellor) on several high-profile visitors. These include visiting Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies, US Ambassador John Gilbert Winant, and Dr. J.B. Conant. The ceremony in Bristol is marred somewhat due to the fact that the Luftwaffe conducted a major raid on it last night.

US Army Air Corp General Henry "Hap" Arnold arrives in London for talks with the British leadership about cooperation with the RAF.

US/Greenland Relations: With an agreement in hand to establish bases in Greenland, the US sends three coast guard cutters and some US Marines to Greenland. The German government and (occupied) Danish government protest, but the US government ignores them.

HNoMS Mansfield.

Special Forces: Norwegian-manned HNoMS Mansfield completes its destruction of the Øksfjord fish oil factory near Alta Fjord. Commandos landed at the factory completely the demolition caused by the destroyer's guns. However, they fail to locate the local Quisling leader for capture.

Soviet Military: Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin has been receiving a wave of warnings from numerous sources about a possible German invasion to commence as soon as 15 May. While he dismisses the warnings, he hedges his bets by issuing a secret directive to construct fixed defenses on the western frontiers.

12 April 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com African soldier

US Military: The US Army Air Corps makes operational the 8th airfield in the Panama Canal Zone.

German Government: Adolf Hitler arrives at his forward headquarters of Mönichkirchen on his train "Amerika." He is just in time to be portrayed in the media as leading his troops to victory at Belgrade.

American Homefront: "Life of Riley" begins its run on the CBS Radio Network. This series stars Lionel Stander as J. Riley Farnsworth. It has no relation to the more famous "The Life of Riley" radio show that begins on 16 January 1944 starring William Bendix.

The Boston Bruins beat the Detroit Red Wings, 3-1, to win the Stanley Cup in a four-game sweep.

12 April 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Saturday Evening Post

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

World War Two Daily

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