Wednesday 9 April 1941

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

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

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

Deutschland Radio is more pithy, reporting:

Belgrade is still burning.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Smoke over Thessalonica, Greece, 9 April 1941.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks British launch Falcon at Harwich.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

April 1941

Wednesday 2 April 1941

Collier Fermain, sunk today by the Luftwaffe in the English Channel.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The British Operation Lustre has brought over large British Army troop concentrations by 2 April 1941, and more are arriving daily. Major General Sir Bernard Freyberg positions his New Zealand Division on the Aliakmon Line, which follows the river Aliakmon from the Aegean coast around Katerini westwards on the river's south bank. This is as far forward as the British feel may be defensible, but the Greeks prefer a line along the border with Bulgaria.

East African Campaign: The Italians at Massawa know that, with The Indian 5th Infantry Division moving quickly from Asmara toward Massawa, time is short. They send five destroyers (Battisti, Manin, Pantera, Sauro, and Tigre) on a one-way mission to attack Port Sudan and then scuttle themselves. The Royal Navy and RAF both have strong forces in the area, so the Italian destroyers face a daunting task in carrying out their mission.

Around this date, British Major General Lewis Heath, commander of the Indian 5th Infantry Division, gets on the telephone and calls Massawa. Italian commander Rear Admiral Mario Bonetti gets on the line and refuses an ultimatum to surrender. Heath also demands that Bonetti not block the harbor with sunken ships, else the British would not protect Italians from natives after the Italian troops are disarmed (which has become a problem recently for the Italians remaining behind in cities to be occupied by the British). Bonetti also refuses this obvious attempt at extortion.

The RAF bombs and sinks two Italian freighters near Dalac Island off Abyssinia: 7669 ton Giuseppe Mazzini and 7099 ton Urania. The British later will salvage these for their use.

A Gordon bomber over Iraq operating out of RAF Habbaniya, April 1941.

European Air Operations: The RAF continues attacking Axis shipping off the Dutch coast. In addition, the RAF flies Circus and Rhubarb missions over occupied France. The British are aware that the Luftwaffe is sending units east and wants to take advantage of their absence and perhaps force the Germans to bring some back.

RAF Bomber Command conducts one of its most famous missions. It is a propaganda flight over Holland during which it drops 75,000 bags of Dutch East Indies Tea. Each bag contains about 20 grams (10 oz) of high-quality tea. The bags have tags bearing the Dutch flag and the words, “The Netherlands will rise again. Greetings from the Free Netherlands East Indies. Chins Up.” The Dutch East Indies Teaplanters donated the tea for this purpose. The Dutch News Agency reports the event:

“Never have the Dutch people so gratefully received a gift from the Dutch East Indies, Especially as it is almost impossible to get an ounce of tea in the Dutch shops.”

While undoubtedly a propaganda coup, the tea-raid presents a couple of odd contradictions. One, the British love tea, but Lord Woolton has had to ration it due to its short supply - making a showy expenditure of so much fine tea a slap in the face of British tea drinkers. Second, the British have been adamantly opposed to any US humanitarian aid to Occupied Europe - and then they drop perfectly usable tea on it.

U-46 (Kptlt. Engelbert Endrass) torpedoes and sinks 7000-ton British tanker British Reliance southeast of Greenland. Everybody survives.

Operating in roughly the same region as U-46, U-48 (Kptlt. Herbert Schultze) torpedoes and sinks 9957-ton British refrigerated cargo ship Beaverdale. There are 21 deaths.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Tigris (Lt. Cdr. H.F. Bone) attacks and sinks 5486-ton German armed tanker Thorn about 75 miles (110 km) southwest of St. Nazaire in the Bay of Biscay. The attack is distinguished by the huge amount of effort that Bone puts into the attack: no less than seven torpedoes and gunfire. Tankers are always difficult to sink because of their construction, but that is an inordinate amount of munitions for one medium-sized ship.

The Luftwaffe attacks shipping off St. Abb's Head in Berwickshire, Scotland. The planes sink two Royal Navy minesweeping trawlers, 180 ton HMT Cramond Island and 259 ton HMT Fortuna. All 15 men on board the Fortuna perish, while two men perish and three are wounded on Cramond Island.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 759-ton British collier Fermain in the English Channel off Boulogne. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 873-ton British tanker Wild Rose about 12 miles (20 km) southeast of Tuskar Light House, County Wexford, Ireland. Towed to Rosslare Harbour and beached, the tanker is later refloated and taken to Dublin for repairs.

British 1908-ton freighter Melrose Abbey hits a mine and sinks north of Aberdeen in the River Ythan. It is later refloated and taken to Aberdeen for repairs.

British coaster Coombe Dingle runs aground at Carnalea, County Down and is written off.

Greek freighter Nestos runs aground in Liverpool Bay and is written off.

German battleship Bismarck is still receiving items for its planned sortie into the Atlantic. Today, it is supplied with two of the four Arado Ar 196 floatplanes that are to be housed in a hangar behind its main superstructure.

Royal Navy minelayer HMS Plover lays minefield ZME 27 in the Irish Sea. It is to lay multiple minefields in the ZME series over the next three weeks.

Convoy OB 305 departs from Liverpool.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Uproar (P 31, Lt. John Kershaw) is commissioned.

WQXR News Commentator Lisa Sergio, April 2, 1941. WQXR broadcasts in FM, which is still somewhat exotic, and Lisa Sergio is a pioneer female radio news commentator (NYWT&S Collection, Library of Congress).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Afrika Korps maintains its momentum. When the Germans spot the British heading east around noontime, Lieutenant General Rommel at 13:00 orders the 5th Light Division panzers take Agedabia (Ajdabiya). Rommel also sends one column apiece toward Derna and Tobruk. Tellingly, Rommel only issues these orders verbally, knowing that they are contrary to standing orders not to attack.

After putting up a defense in the morning, the British 2nd Armoured Division withdraw under orders to Antelat about 35 miles (56 km) to the northeast. This leaves Benghazi open to attack.

Despite the stunning Afrika Korps advance, perhaps the most interesting thing that happens during the day is Italian Commander General Gariboldi's reaction to it. Gariboldi previously has forbidden further advances until more Wehrmacht and Italian troops arrive. Late in the day, Rommel receives a message from the Commando Supremo:

From messages I have received I take it that your advance continues. This is contrary to what I have ordered. I politely request that you wait for me before you continue the advance.

This rather perfectly encapsulates the state of Italian generalship during World War II.

At sea, Operation Winch begins. This is a resupply of Malta, including a flight of a dozen Hurricanes to be flown off HMS Ark Royal. The Ark Royal is accompanied by battlecruiser Renown and light cruiser Sheffield.

The Luftwaffe attacks Convoy AS 23 in the Aegean off Gavdo Island. The German planes sink 4914-ton Greek freighter Coulouras Xenos and badly damage 5324-ton British freighter Homefield. The Royal Navy escorts later sink the Homefield. Greek 2747 ton freighter also is damaged by near misses, but makes it to port in Crete. The German planes also damage 6054-ton British freighter Devis of Convoy ANF 24 in the same area.

Two Yugoslavian freighters hit mines and sink off Croatian city Šibenik: 1293-ton freighter Karadjordje and 1726-ton freighter Prestolonaslednik Petar (Star). Everybody on both ships survives.

A convoy of five freighters departs from Naples bound for Tripoli.

A 1941 Chrysler Royal 4-Door Sedan. This one survives in Indonesia.

Indian/German Relations: Subhash Chandra Bose, having fled British custody in India, finally reaches Berlin after a circuitous route.

Japanese/Italian/Papal Relations: Visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Matsuoka visits with Mussolini that the US was trying to initiate a conflict. Matsuoka then visits with Pope Pius XII, and Matsuoka reports to Tokyo:

The Pope took an utterly detached attitude, free of any favoritism regarding the European war, and approached the question from the point of view of a general peace throughout the world.

Propaganda: Lord Haw-Haw, the German radio propagandist who speaks in curiously cultured tones, identifies himself on-air as William Joyce.

The Shop Motor Repair building at Fort Ord, California, completed 2 April 1941 (Fort Ord Buildings, Completion Report Pictures.

US Military: Cruiser USS Astoria departs Hawaii for Long Beach, California. It is to be upgraded with quadruple-mount 1.1 in (28 mm)/75 cal anti-aircraft guns and preparations for air-search radar.

German Military: Some sources place the first flight of the Heinkel He 280 jet fighter under its own power today. However, other sources place it on 30 March, where we have put it.

Hungarian Government: Prime Minister Pal Count Teleki de Szek learns that Chief of the General Staff General Werth secretly has agreed to allow Wehrmacht troops into Hungary. Teleki denounces Werth as a traitor and then commits suicide because of his abhorrence of working with Hitler. The new Prime Minister is Foreign Minister Laszlo Bardossy, known to be extremely sympathetic to Germany.

Yugoslavia: The German government basically closes its embassy in Belgrade, reducing it to a skeleton staff and destroying all documents. Its counselor, Gerhard Feine, reports that the Yugoslavs are having second thoughts about opposing Germany and even about the coup itself. Feine is told to warn members of friendly embassies to seek safety elsewhere.

The Yugoslavian military attaché reports to Prime Minister Simovic that the Germans are to invade on the 6th. Simovic continues to refuse to contemplate military coordination with Great Britain.

Iraq: Rashid Ali consolidates power in Baghdad after his successful coup. British ambassador Sir. Kinahan Cornwallis arrives in a situation vastly changed from when he set out from London.

China: The Japanese 11th Army continues its gradual withdrawal to its bases after the Battle of Shanggkao. The Chinese continue to pressure the Japanese and recover Hsishan, Wanshoukung, and Shihchachieh.

Hattie McDaniel (Mrs. Donald Crawford) caught by photographers at the exhibit of the Press Photographers Exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in New York City. 2 April 1941 (© Bettmann/CORBIS).

American Homefront: Harlan County, Kentucky has been the scene of violent Union confrontations throughout the past decade. Today, it explodes into violence once again. On 1 April, miners went on strike due to the expiration of a Union contract. Union pickets (United Mine Workers Association) enter the Crummies Creek Company Store at 10:00 today and attempt to purchase a Coca-Cola using cash. The store's manager refuses, citing company policy that only company script is accepted there. There are few other places in mining towns to buy supplies, which is a key element of company control. The Union men refuse to leave without their soft drink, and an altercation ensues (with the particulars disputed by both sides). The store has a machine gun hidden under a butcher's apron, mounted on a meat block, and an employee runs to it and opens fire.

There are four dead and four seriously wounded Union workers, along with a wounded African American bystander and a lightly wounded company worker. The Union charges that the company men opened fire "from the bushes." The Company, meanwhile states that the shooting occurred only after the Union men roughed up the store manager and tried to force him to sign Union "check-off" slips. He also alleges that the striking Union men had .45 pistols and "started trouble." There also are reports of various other assaults on journalists and company men.

Future History: Barret Eugene Hansen is born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Barry, as he becomes known, hangs out with rock band Spirit after earning his master's degree in the '60s, then catches on as an A&R man for Specialty Records. This leads to a radio show for Specialty, which leads to a job with Warner Bros. Records. Barry also writes extensively on the rock scene and does liner notes and other rock-associated tasks. His real love is radio, however, and he develops an on-air persona known as Dr. Demento who plays novelty records. The Dr. Demento Show becomes wildly popular playing offbeat tunes by artists such as Judy Tenuta, Emo Philips. Barnes & Barnes and "Weird Al" Yankovic. Dr. Demento remains on the radio and was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in November 2009 and the Comedy Hall of Fame in June 2005.

Canadian Railways train 3665, oil-fired with a wood pilot and stack exhaust deflector. Salmon Arm, April 2, 1941 (Bud Laws Collection).

April 1941


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

2020

Tuesday 18 March 1941

"Police and Army bomb disposal officers with a defused German 1000kg 'Luftmine' (parachute mine) in Glasgow, 18 March 1941." © IWM (H 8281).

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Italian Primavera Offensive has been officially suspended on 18 March 1941. However, local Italian commanders, full of spirit and wishing to impress Mussolini no doubt, launch a number of attacks south of the Vojussa River anyway. As with offensives launched before the suspension, these attacks do not succeed, but they do get a lot of soldiers on both sides killed.

The main activity is in the air, with the Allies bombing Italian installations at the ports of Valona and Durazzo. They sink Italian torpedo boat Aldebaran.

East African Campaign: In east-central Abyssinia, the Italian defenses are oriented around Debre Marqos (Mankorar). It is a major Italian fortification. Naturally, that makes it a prime target for the British. Gideon Force and Ethiopian Arbegnoch (Resistance Fighters), spurred on by the presence relatively nearby of Emperor Haile Selassie, approach the town to isolate it. This is an old hat for the native troops, who previously besieged the town in 1938. Only determined counterattacks by General Ugo Cavallero, supported by 60,000 troops, tanks and planes had crushed the native uprising.

At Keren in Italian Eritrea, the British basically are stymied again. They have taken some ground on both sides of the strategic Dongolaas Gorge, including the important Fort Dologorodoc to the right of the gorge. However, the Italians still occupy the high ground overlooking all of the British positions and are counter-attacking furiously. Major-General Lewis Heath, commander of the Indian 5th Infantry Division that now is in possession of Fort Dologorodoc, now feels that another attempt should be made to force the gorge, that is, simply attack straight up the gut in the hope that the Italians may have neglected their defenses there.

Accordingly, the British begin surveying the gorge itself. Heath has his troops escort engineers into the gorge. They find that the Italians have dumped rocks and debris into it, blocking the way. The engineers make a start to clearing the way. However, the small parties come under heavy Italian defensive, and the effort must be abandoned.

Heath, though, has learned something from the attempt. He sees that the most effective Italian fire is coming from two features called the "Railway bumps" which overlook the gorge. This area is accessible from Cameron Ridge on the left of the gorge by following a railway line that goes through a tunnel beneath the ridge. General Platt and Heath decide to discontinue the current attacks, simply hold what has been achieved so far, and prepare an attack on the Railway bumps. This, the theory goes, would give the engineers enough time to clear the gorge and make it possible for British forces to get through it.

The Italians indeed are counterattacking furiously. One attack to retake Fort Dologorodoc is led personally by General Raimondo Lorenzini. Lorenzini is the tactical commander for the most important sector of the Italian defenses. Lorenzini, considered one of the best and brightest of the new generation of colonial commanders, perishes in the attack.

Douglas Bader at RAF Tangmere (Tangmere Military Aviation Museum).

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe switches its target from Bristol. It bombs several cities lightly. The night's major raid, though, is Hull, which is hit with 378 bombers. The weekly Home Security Situation Report states:

On the 18th/19th March: Hull suffered most, but other places in the East Riding were involved, noticeably Scarborough, which was bombed intermittently for four hours. This seems incongruous in comparison with the value of other objectives in the district. Some bombing took place in the North Midlands, Eastern Regions, London, the South and South-East Counties and Folkestone.

RAF Bombing Command puts 99 bombers over Kiel, 44 over Wilhelmshaven and 19 over Rotterdam.

Visiting Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies continues his tour of northern England. He visits the recently bombed Old Trafford Cricket Grounds and notes, "Hole in pitch. Stands ruined." He also notes, "In Manchester, as much as 3 blocks adjoining completely destroyed."

Douglas Bader receives a promotion to Acting Wing Commander. He commands RAF Nos. 145, 610, and 616 Squadrons at Tangmere.

An aerial mine in Liverpool, 1941.

Battle of the Atlantic: German cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau meet in the mid-Atlantic as planned to refuel from supply ships Uckermark and Ermland. They also transfer hundreds of prisoners to the supply ships. Admiral Lütjens intends to follow orders and make for the French port of Brest in the morning.

The seas quiet down, so German raider Kormoran finally has a chance to transfer the seven torpedoes that it has been carrying to U-124.

German battleship Bismarck departs from Gotenhafen (Gdynia), where it just arrived yesterday, to conduct sea trials in the Baltic.

The German 1st S-boat Flotilla sends half a dozen motor torpedo boats to attack shipping off the English east coast. S-102 badly damages 1970 ton British freighter Daphne II off the Humber Estuary near Buoy 59. The captain quickly beaches the ship near the Bull Lightship, but it eventually breaks up and is lost.

U-105 (Kapitänleutnant Georg Schewe) stalks Convoy SL-68 off the Cape Verde Islands. It sinks 4380-ton British freighter Medjerda.

Italian submarine Emo launches a torpedo at 4500-ton British freighter Clan MacIver southwest of Iceland but misses.

German 51,731-ton liner Bremen, which caught fire yesterday apparently due to an arsonist cabin boy, explodes and is lost. The hulk will remain where it is throughout the war.

The RAF drops an aerial torpedo on 5972-ton German freighter Widar and sinks it.

Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Rothesay and submarine Thorn are launched.

US destroyers USS Cowie and Knight are laid down.

U-464 is laid down.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Afrika Korps commander General Erwin Rommel once again flies from Tripoli to meet with Hitler. They are to plan offensive operations for the growing German presence in North Africa. Hitler tells Rommel to wait for reinforcements before attacking.

RAF Swordfish torpedo bombers of No. 830 Squadron based in Malta (since the attacks on HMS Illustrious) attack Tripoli Harbor. The British lose one plane, while its crew becomes POWs.

RAF Albacore torpedo planes from HMS Formidable, RAF No. 826 Squadron, torpedo 510-ton Italian freighter Labor and destroy two Italian lighters at Buerat el Hsur. The Labor makes it to Tripoli despite the damage. The British lose one of the Albacores, and the crew perishes.

Royal Navy 1552 ton armed boarding vessel HMS Rosaura hits a mine and sinks near Mersa Tobruk. There are 14 crew deaths, five military guard deaths, and 59 Italian POW deaths.

Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Gloucester departs from Alexandria bound for Piraeus. It carries 1087 Australian troops and General Blamey, Commander of the Australian Corps.

Convoy AG 7 departs from Alexandria bound for Piraeus. It has seven ships escorted by a light cruiser (HMS Carlisle) and two destroyers (Voyager sand Wryneck). It will be joined by a troopship (Ulster Prince) departing from Tobruk. Convoy AN 21's 13 ships depart from Alexandria bound for Piraeus. Convoy AS 20 of six ships departs from Piraeus bound for Alexandria and then Port Said.

Convoy BS 20 departs from Suez.

The future Queen Elizabeth II, 1941.

Anglo/Turkish Relations: Everyone on both sides know that Turkey potentially holds the balance of power in the Balkans and the Middle East. So far, neither side has made much headway in convincing the Turks to repeat their error of World War I and enter the conflict. However, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill does not like taking "no" for an answer, so today he had Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden meet Turkish Prime Minister Sukru Saracoglu in Cyprus.

Anglo/Free French Relations: The Free French establish their own bank in London.

US/Canadian Relations: The US military and Canadian military have been coordinating defense efforts. Today, they make it official with a joint defense pact. This includes enhanced efforts at cooperation in shipbuilding on the Great Lakes.

British Government: The Pilgrims Society, an organization designed to promote Anglo/US relations, has a major luncheon at London's Savoy Hotel. Attending are all the bigwigs of London wartime society: Prime Minister Winston Churchill, US Ambassador John Winant, and many ministers. One of those ministers is Lord Woolton, the Minister of Food. Woolton has a surprise for the guests: Woolton Pie. This is a brand new culinary creation that Woolton has asked the hotel's chef to create. Basically, it is a vegetarian pie composed of potato, cauliflower, swedes, carrots, spring onions seasoned with a teaspoonful of vegetable extract. Churchill hates it and tells the waiter to bring him some beef.

German Government: Adolf Hitler meets with his senior military staff to discuss high-level strategy. Admiral Raeder asks Hitler to recommend to the Japanese that they attack Singapore and to reveal to them plans for Operation Barbarossa so the two countries can coordinate attacks.

The Germans reorganize coal mining and distribution. The German railway system, upon which all major Wehrmacht movements depend, relies on coal. It is the only energy source that is in relatively plentiful supply in wartime Germany.

USS Matagorda (AVP-22) at the Boston Navy Yard. "The U.S. Navy seaplane tender USS Matagorda (AVP-22) just after her launching at the Boston Navy Yard, Massachusetts (USA), on 18 March 1941. The stern of her sister ship, USS Humboldt (AVP-21), launched a day earlier, is visible to the left." Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives and Naval History and Heritage Command.

US Government: "Wild Bill" Donovan returns to the United States after his lengthy "fact-finding" mission to Europe.

American Samoa: The US Marine Corps 7th Defense Battalion arrives. Rear Admiral Newton's cruiser force there prepares to depart for its visit to Sydney, Australia.

Spain: Spain officially annexes the international zone of Tangier, on the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar. Officially, Tangier is a condominium jointly governed by France, the UK, and Spain, but during wartime, nobody wishes to complain. In a way, this benefits the Allies, as the annexation essentially takes the strategically useful territory, which otherwise is basically surrounded by French territory, out of play. This will be reversed immediately after the war when nobody cares any longer about offending Franco.

India: Subhas Chandra Bose, having escaped from India, is traveling under an assumed name as an Italian Embassy official. He is in Afghanistan and departs from Kabul today. He is seeking sanctuary in the Soviet Union and, ultimately, Europe.

China: At the continuing Battle of Shanggao, the Japanese breach the Chinese first line of defenses after vicious fighting. The Chinese 19th Army Group's 9th War Area holds against further Japanese penetrations by the Japanese 11th Army around Kuchuao and Huamento. After that, the fighting dies down as both sides recover and bury their dead.

British Homefront: After lunch, Lord Woolton appears before the House of Commons and gives a speech about the challenges facing the country in his domain of the food supply. He focuses on the milk trade, praising their dedication in maintaining milk supplies in the face of many obstacles. He notes, though, that "certain other difficulties arising from the war" necessitate a "a policy governing the consumption of milk as well as its production." Finally getting to the point, he states:

I have decided to restrict the consumption of milk by the ordinary man and woman who do not come under the categories I have already described (such as expectant and nursing mothers and children). I am asking dairymen, from the middle of April, to reduce their domestic sales by approximately one-seventh.... I appeal to the public to support the milk man in carrying out these instructions.

He also announces other economies, such as requiring bakers to forego the use of milk and a continuance of the ban on the use of fresh cream.

Future History: Wilson Pickett is born in Prattville, Alabama. As a child, he sings in the church choir, then moves to Detroit to live with his father. In 1955, Wilson joins gospel group the Violinaires, and in 1959 records "Let Me Be Your Boy" with Florence Ballard and the Primettes. It ultimately is released in 1963 as the B-side of "My Heart Belongs to You." He continues recording, occasionally hitting the R&B charts, then hits the big time with Atlantic in the mid-1960s. His big hit is "In the Midnight Hour" in 1965, which sells over a million copies. He later records at Stax and has more hits, but records only sporadically, especially after RCA drops him in 1975. Aside from his singles, he is perhaps best remembered for his appearance in "Blues Brothers 2000," singing "634-5789." Wilson Pickett passes away on 19 January 2006 in Reston, Virginia.

"The U.S. Navy seaplane tender USS Matagorda (AVP-22) during her launching at the Boston Navy Yard, Massachusetts (USA), on 18 March 1941." Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives and Naval History and Heritage Command.

March 1941

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

2020

Friday 31 January 1941

"Air raid damage to the Naval Gallery at the Imperial War Museum, London, 31 January 1941." © IWM (MH 127).

Italian/Greek Campaign: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on 31 January 1941 continues to place greater priority on the Greece/Turkey region than on the current campaign in North Africa. He sends a memo today to the Chiefs of Staff Committee in which he reiterates that "only Forces which do not conflict with European [i.e., Greek and Turkish] needs can be employed" in any advance to Benghazi in Libya. He emphasizes that "this should be impressed upon General Wavell."

The Greeks and Italians continue to fight for supremacy of the Trebeshinë massif. The heights are held by two battalions of Italian Blackshirts, and they are fighting as hard as any Italian troops anywhere. The Greeks want the range in order to secure their flank for an advance on Salona. At this point, in light of later events, all the Italians have to do is prolong the battles as long as possible and wait for the Germans.

Greek women pitching into the war effort by digging ditches, 31 January 1941 (AP Photo). This photo receives a lot of press at the time, and an original caption to this photo states that they carry 80-pound packs up mountains.

East African Campaign: A seesaw battle in Eritrea ends today in a decisive British victory. It is between the British 4th Indian Division and five Italian colonial battalions under the command of Colonel Luziani west of Agordat. The Italians, using a mountain range for defensive purposes, have taken Mount Cochen (the peak is about 2,000 ft (610 m) above the plain) and control the pass between it and nearby Mount Laquatat. Today, the British Indian troops launch a major effort and take back the Cochen heights. Major-General Noel Beresford-Peirse then orders  Indian troops to take the road in the pass between Mount Cochen and Mount Laquatat. He also has them take Mount Laquatat, still in Italian hands. All of these missions succeed.

The pass between Mount Cochen and Mount Laquatat is the last good defensive position ahead of the Agordat plain, where the advance should be easier because it is a good tank ground. While the Italians fight hard, the British Matilda tanks are almost invulnerable to the light Italian arms and overpower the Italian armor. By 14:00, the battle is over, and the Matildas have destroyed eleven M11/39 tanks and Fiat L3 Tankettes. Italian cavalry counterattacks beyond the pass, however, fail, and the Italian troops retreat in a panic to Keren, bypassing Agordat (which is still fortified by the Italians). The pathway to Agordat now is wide open with nothing to stop the Allies.

At Barentu, the other prong of the British invasion, the battle between the 5th Indian Division and the Italian 2nd Colonial Division continues to a conclusion. The Italians have been fighting hard there, too, continuing with counterattacks. However, they have their eye on Agordat, where the roads to the coast join. If it falls due to the advance of the 4th Indian Division near Mount Cochen, their own rear will be threatened and further defense impossible. Once in possession of Agordat, the 4th Indian Division could attack them from behind and essentially surround them. During the night, the Italians, no doubt hearing of events at Mount Cochen, decide to retreat toward Tole and Arresa. The Indians prod them along by sending a motorized machine-gun unit behind them, but the Italians have no desire to fight. In fact, they are abandoning the roads and heading for safety on foot over rough ground where they can't be pursued.

The collapse of this prime defensive position opens up the road to Agordat for the 5th Indian Division as well, which is garrisoned by only a small force (which the other Italian troops are leaving to their fate). The Italians are hampered by shortages of everything except men (mostly natives), including planes, supplies, vehicles, and fuel.

Elsewhere, the Italians retreat from their base at Gallabat under light pressure from the Indian 9th Infantry Brigade. The South African 2nd Infantry Brigade and 5th Infantry Brigade advance from Kenya into Ethiopia (Abyssinia).

More debris from the 31 January 1941 LRDG action in southwest Libya.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe continues its random raids by fighter-bombers (Jabos). Today, the Jabos score hits on three London hospitals, apparently as a fluke. They also damage the Naval Gallery at the Imperial War Museum. RAF Bomber Command stays on the ground, and there are no attacks by either side after dark.

Battle of the Atlantic: The weather remains rough in the North Atlantic. It is so rough that German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, on Operation Berlin, remain unable to refuel from the tanker with which they have rendezvoused near Bear Island, delaying their breakout into the Atlantic through the Denmark Strait.

Italian submarine Dandolo torpedoes and sinks 1367 ton British freighter Pizzaro about 1200 km off Cape Finisterre, Spain. There are six survivors and 23 deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 5159-ton British freighter Rowanbank, a member of Convoy SL-62, in the Northwest Approaches several hundred miles from Ireland.

The Luftwaffe also bombs and sinks 5035-ton Belgian freighter Olympier about 220 km northwest of Tory Island. There are 8 deaths and 19 survivors.

British mines claim two Allied ships north of North Rona Island, Scotland. They are 3091 ton Royal Navy collier HMS Botusk aka Molton and 5436-ton Dutch freighter Emmaplein, both members of Convoy HX 103. There are four deaths on Botusk, but all 31 men on the Emmaplein survive. At first, a U-boat is suspected, which leads to a major search in the area, but eventually, someone figures out the real cause.

A mine also strikes 200-ton Dutch balloon barrage vessel Saturnus off Maughold Head on the Isle of Man. The ship is abandoned, but salvagers later refloat it and bring it to the port of Douglas.

Danish freighter Maja hits a mine and sinks in the Elbe.

Convoy OB 280 departs from Liverpool, convoy FN 396 sails from Southend, Convoy FN 397 is held in the port, Convoys FS 400 and FS 401 depart from Methil, Convoy SC 21 departs from Halifax.

US destroyer USS Edison (Lt. Commander Albert C. Murdaugh) and submarine USS Finback commissioned, USS Grayback launched.

U-751 (Kapitänleutnant Gerhard Bigalk) is commissioned.

Allied Shipping Losses for January 1941:

74 Allied ships of 309,942 tons in Atlantic
2 Allied ships of 13,478 tons in other areas

There are:

• 126,782 tons sunk by U-boats
• 78,597 ton sunk by aircraft
• 80,796 tons sunk by warship/raider
• 17,107 tons sunk by mines

All figures are approximations only, as judging tonnage lost becomes art at the fringes (e.g., is a ship that is beached due to war damage part of the tonnage lost?). U-boat sinkings are down by almost half due to the weather, as are losses by mines. Losses due to aircraft, however, increase substantially from December 1940, as KG 40's Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condors are operating with great efficiency. Kriegsmarine surface warships also increase, as Admiral Scheer remains on the loose and the raiders scored some major successes (such as the capture of the Norwegian whaling fleet).

The Axis loses 8 ships of 23,129 tons, all in the Mediterranean. The Kriegsmarine loses no U-boats. There are 22 U-boats operational at the end of the month, of which typically 1/3 are on patrol (1/3 are in port and 1/3 transiting to/from patrol).

Africa, Libya, Fezzan. Remains of an LRDG Chevrolet trucks in a valley of the Gebel Sherif mountains southwest of Kufra. This is a remnant of the battle on January 31, 1941. The Long Range Desert Group was attacked by the Italian Compagnie Sahariane, and the battle debris apparently still sits where it came to rest that day.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The British troops, in possession of Derna, continue pursuing the retreating Italians along the Via Balbia. The Australian infantry approaches the next town, Giovanni Berta, today. However, it is at best a half-hearted pursuit, as the troops do not have clear instructions to carry Operation Compass further north and west.

General O'Connor wishes to send his armor and wheeled vehicles from Derna south of the Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountain) to head the Italians off further west (the Australian infantry is advancing north of the mountain). However, Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell remains in Nairobi overseeing the advance in Abyssinia and has not approved that operation. Truth be told, the British armor can probably use a few days to bring up more fuel and other supplies and undergo routine maintenance. On the other hand, the chances of cutting off a fleeing enemy diminish with each day of delay.

Free French Forces and the British Long Range Desert Group (LRDG), which recently combined for an attack on the Italian forces based at Murzuk, plan to launch another attack together. This one is against Kufra, in the same general area in southwest Libya. Colonel Philippe Leclerc commands about 400 men in 60 trucks and 8 armored vehicles. Kufra is a well-defended Italian fort, and the Italians have their guard up due to the successful LRDG attack on Murzuk.

Today, while part of the LRDG is on patrol, an Italian plane spots that part of the LRDG force at Gebel Sherif, which leads to a battle with the Italian Sahara patrol. Major Pat Clayton commands G Guard (Brigade of Guard) and T Patrol (New Zealand patrols) of LRDG, a total of 76 men in 26 vehicles. The Italians overpower the T Patrol of LRDG and destroy four (of 11) British trucks. They also capture Major Clayton and several others, along with Clayton's plans for the Kufra raid. One British and two Libyan (Italian) soldiers are killed. This action forces most of the LRDG to withdraw to Egypt to refit and regroup - in fact, some walk back to Egypt. However, Leclerc continues with his plan to attack Kufra sometime in February.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Huntley is attacked and sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft (apparently Fliegerkorps X based on Sicily) about 30 nautical miles northwest of Mersa Matruh, Egypt. There are 18 deaths, including Captain Cotsell who perishes from his injuries later, while 26 crew survive but are wounded.

Force H departs from Gibraltar toward Italy. It is to launch attacks on a dam at Tirso (Operation Picket) and on Genoa (operation Result). The fleet is divided into four groups: Group 1 led by battleship HMS Malaya, aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, battlecruiser HMS Renown and light cruiser HMS Sheffield, the other three groups composed of destroyers and support ships.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Rorqual spots 407-ton Italian tug Ursus in the Adriatic near the island of Curzola (Korčula) and attacks it with its deck gun. The tug sinks and the barge the tug is towing also suffer damage but is later towed into Dubrovnik.

Italian S boats Lupo and Libra operating off Crete damage 8120-ton British tanker Desmoulea. Destroyer HMS Dainty tows it to Suda Bay, and eventually, it is taken to Mumbai, where it serves as a store ship rather than be completely repaired.

The Luftwaffe (apparently Heinkel He 111s of II,/KG 26) bombs and damages 1290 ton Egyptian freighter Sollum near Sidi Barrani. (Some accounts say the captain saves the ship by beaching it.) The Sollum is transporting 250 Italian POWs.

The RAF bombs Tripoli during the night and causes harbor damage.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Greyhound collides with battleship HMS Warspite at Alexandria. Both ships are lightly damaged and require minor repairs.

More battle debris from the 31 January 1941 LRDG action in Libya.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Atlantis seizes 5150-ton British freighter Speybank off the eastern coast of Africa. It later puts a prize crew on board and sends the undamaged ship to Bordeaux for conversion into an auxiliary minelayer.

A German supply ship, Tannenfels, departs from Kismayu in Italian Somaliland to service German raiders.

War Crimes: The Luftwaffe (apparently KG 26) hits and damages 9717 ton Royal Navy hospital ship HMS Dorsetshire in the Gulf of Sollum. Naturally, attacking hospital ships is against international law, and such ships always are clearly marked. Such attacks usually are the product of frustration imbued with sheer malevolence and is always (presumably) against orders. That this ship is hit again on 1 February suggests that this attack was not an accident.

Anglo/Turkish Relations: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sends a lengthy letter to Turkish President İsmet İnönü. In light of the "rapidly growing danger to Turkey," Churchill writes, he would like to base "at least ten Squadrons of Fighter and Bomber aircraft" there. These would be followed by another five squadrons should Greece surrender to the Axis. One of the purposes of this would be to "bombard the Roumanian oilfields" - which is precisely what Hitler fears and perhaps the overriding reason why he is sending troops to the area at all. Another advantage, Churchill writes, would be to "restrain Russia from aiding Germany."

Hitler also is extremely interested in gaining favor with Turkey. However, the country remains steadfastly neutral, with its leaders knowing that it is in an extremely strategic, but also quite vulnerable, position - like Spain at the other end of the Mediterranean.

More battle debris from the 31 January 1941 LRDG action in southwest Libya. That appears to be part of a Chevy truck.

US Military: Vice Admiral William S. Pye takes over as Commander Battle Force, and Vice Admiral Walter S. Anderson takes over as Commander Battleships Battle Force.

British Government: Churchill continues to obsess over the regular radio broadcasts by socialist J.B. Priestley on the BBC. He sends a memo to Alfred Duff Cooper in which he demands that no payment be made for such "hampering criticism" and calls for equal time to be given to "Conservative opinion." Churchill also sends another memo to Duff Cooper in which he expresses a desire for a "malicious lie" being told about him by isolationist sources - that Churchill supposedly once said that America should have stayed out of World War I - that should be countered by repudiations "as often as possible on the American radio."

According to the diary of Minister of Information Sir John Reith, a fierce critic of Churchill, he has dinner today with Chief of the Imperial General Staff General John Dill. According to Reith, Dill is extremely uncomplimentary toward Churchill, claiming that the Prime Minister is "often unable to appreciate or understand major issues." Churchill, according to Dill, wastes much time by forcing ministers to deal with "silly minutes from the PM" (a claim to some extent supported by the record, though of course one man's "silly minutes" are another man's vital communications of national importance).

Dill, according to Reith, equivocates when asked whether Churchill does more harm or good to the war effort in his present position. Needless to say, both men's careers would be at hazard if Churchill ever found out about such opinions, but the two men obviously feel a kinship in their distaste for Churchill and his methods and safety in their mutual vulnerability to his potential wrath.

Romanian/Hungarian Relations: Details of the transfer of much of northern Romania to Hungary continue to be determined via Arbitrage in Vienna. Today, 191,000 Jewish residents in Transylvania are transferred from Romanian to Hungarian control. By one estimate, 58,000 of them survive the war.

Occupied Luxemburg: The occupying authorities issue an order requiring citizens to change their first and last names to Germanic variations, else the names will be changed for them.

The Baltimore News-Post, 31 January 1941. Congress continues to debate the Lend-Lease Bill.

Occupied Belgium: Kriegsverwaltungsrat Tidemann Ulrich Lemberg, Kommissar für die Diamant-Wirtschaft in Belgien, takes a key step in an obscure turf war within the occupying authorities. Lemberg is in charge of overseeing the diamond markets centered in Antwerp. His official goal is to try to restore the diamond markets, completely disrupted by the invasion and occupation, to some semblance of normal. The Devisenschutzkommando (Foreign Currency Control Unit) - a subsidiary of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt - has been hindering Lemberg's goal by basically stealing any diamonds they can find (for the Reich, of course). This, of course, is no secret and sends all the diamonds in private hands into basements and attics.

Today or around this date, Lemberg manages to make it a punishable offense for any German units to loot diamonds, with any violators prosecuted. The Germans in general, of course, plunder with glee. However, exactly who gets to plunder is a very, very sensitive issue, and sometimes, such as with issues like this, the German government concludes that plundering may be counterproductive to larger goals. Throughout the war, German officers who loot, but aren't supposed to loot, are prosecuted. Others who are allowed to loot do so with impunity and even official assistance. Lemberg has powerful patrons within the Third Reich hierarchy, as Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering has a deep interest in the diamond and art markets centered in Holland and Belgium. So Lemberg can loot even as others are prosecuted for doing the same thing or even much less.

Afghanistan: Subhas Chandra Bose, fleeing from the British in India, arrives in Kabul. His destination is Germany.

Iran: Prime Minister Rashid Ali is succeeded by Taha al-Hashimi.

Indochina: Aboard Japanese cruiser Natori, the Vichy French and Thais sign an agreement ending their border war. The cease-fire is made permanent and - for some reason - is made retroactive to the 28th, when the last Thai bombing operation took place. The Thais get all of the territories that they sought in the Mekong Delta area.

Australia: Prime Minister Robert Menzies continues his epic journey from Australia to London, flying out of Calcutta across India to Karachi.

Antarctica: West Base, home of the famous Snow Cat, officially is closed by the US Antarctic Service.

Holocaust: The German authorities uproot 3,000 Jews from villages and send them to the Warsaw ghetto. They are the first of 70,000 Jews to face this fate within the next two months. The Warsaw ghetto is overcrowded and inadequately provisioned already.

Martha Gellhorn and Ernest Hemingway en route to China, January 31, 1941.

British Homefront: Churchill tours bomb damage at Southampton and gives a speech in which he summarizes the war situation, noting that the "offensive in the Middle East has succeeded beyond our dreams" and that "My one aim is to extirpate Hitlerism from Europe."

American Homefront: Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis retains his title against Red Burman with a fifth-round knockout at Madison Square Garden.

The first picture to star radio stars and comedy team Abbott and Costello, "Buck Privates," is released. This is the beginning of a terrific film career for the two comedians. A big hit for Universal, "Buck Privates" later is remembered for the Andrews Sisters' classic (and much imitated) rendition of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" which some might consider being the first true music video (admittedly, there are many, many contenders for that title). The song, incidentally, is later nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, but in one of the worst decisions in Academy history loses to "The Last Time I Saw Paris." The Japanese, who apparently do not understand American humor very well, will use this film to deride the competence of US soldiers. Shemp Howard of the Three Stooges makes a brief appearance during his "solo career."

Future History: Richard Andrew Gephardt is born in St. Louis, Missouri. As Dick Gephardt, he later becomes the Democratic Party House Majority (and Minority) Leader in the 1990s and a Presidential contender.

Jessica Walter is born in Brooklyn, New York. The daughter of a musician who works for NBC, Jessica early on develops an interest in the theater, which flowers into a distinguished film and television career. Among her many, many career highlights are a starring role in Clint Eastwood's first directorial project, "Play Misty For Me." Jessica Walters continues to act in films and on Television, recently voicing spymistress Malory Archer on FX's "Archer."

Below, some jazz from Alix Combelle in Occupied Paris.

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