Friday 11 April 1941

Tea and sandwiches from a mobile canteen, courtesy of the Ministry of Food. Coventry, England, 11 April 1941 (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images via Los Angeles Daily News).

Operation Marita/Operation 25: On 11 April 1941, Hungary sends its forces, the 3rd Army, across the Yugoslav border in the morning. Admiral Horthy did not invade during the initial German crossings because he claimed to feel bound by the fact that Yugoslavia also had signed the Tripartite Pact. However, once Croatian separations proclaimed a new state in Zagreb, he decided that Yugoslavian no longer existed, and thus the Pact no longer applied.

Italy also is advancing south. General Ambrosio's 2nd Italian Army makes progress from Trieste, both south along the coast and toward Ljubljana. One of Ambrosio's intentions is to link up with the Italian forces in Albania, but for some reason, the Yugoslav Army has committed some of its best formations in that theater, and the going is slow.

Sepp Dietrich's 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH) brigade is at the spearpoint of the German drive south from Vevi through the Klidi/Kleisoura Pass area (also known as the Kirli Derven). The defense is centered around the town of Kelli and the pass itself, and the German objective is the town of Kliki at the southern entrance to the pass.

"Panzer" Meyer's reconnaissance battalion ran into a mixed Greek /British /Australian /New Zealand force ("Mackay Force," named after Australian General Iven Mackay) on this drive south on the 10th, stopping it cold. The Germans regroup, and in the afternoon try to force their way down the main road. The hugely confident Germans drive their troops forward in lorries within sight of the defenders, which irks some on the Allied side. The Allied forces under Captain Gordon Laybourne Smith of the 2/3rd Field Regiment respond with accurate artillery fire, destroying five German trucks, which quickly forces the Germans to pull back.

The Germans again regroup and launch an attack in the evening. It then begins to snow. The Australians and New Zealanders have difficulties with their weapons and are exhausted from their quick march from their bivouacs on the Aliakmon Line, but they hold the line for the time being.

The German 30 Corps and Corps and XVIII Mountain Corps, and opposing British and Greek troops, continue to eye each other across the Aliakmon River just west of Thessaloniki. However, the Germans do not attempt to cross the river. Their basic strategy is to wait until the LSSAH and the rest of XL Corps advances to the west of the British line, then smash it between the two German formations. The British, meanwhile, are looking anxiously over their shoulders toward the advance of the LSSAH and related formations. They are shifting troops northwest to try and prevent this breakout.

The air war over Greece is going very well for the Germans at this point. The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 674-ton British cable ship Retriever off Phleva Island, Greece. There are 11 deaths, and 6 men become prisoners. There are 29 men who are rescued by the Allies.

British Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell meets with General Henry Maitland Wilson in Athens to discuss the situation. Among other things, they discuss a possible evacuation

The Greeks also are recognizing the likelihood of defeat. King George II requests permission to establish his government in Cyprus - but is told to stay in Athens.

"British troops use a bulldozer to pull down a fascist stone monument at Kismayu in Italian Somaliland, 11 April 1941." © IWM (E 2367).

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe bombs Bristol with 153 aircraft in "The Good Friday Raid." It is the sixth major raid of the city, the first having been on 24 November 1940 - and the last. More than 1400 people have been killed in the raids, and the town's medieval center has been destroyed.

The primary damage is to the dock area (including Prince Street, Canon’s Marsh and Queen Square ) and residential areas. The raid causes a lot of damage, but it more notable in a historical context from some odd facts. First, that the Germans lose seven Heinkel He 111 bombers to Hurricanes from RAF No. 151 Squadron. Second, St. Philip's Bridge is hit, which disrupts power to the tramways - which are scrapped as a result. Thus, this raid ends tram service in Bristol forever.

Another Luftwaffe raid by 18 Heinkels made is on Bridlington. There are two deaths amidst a lot of damage, including to Lloyd Hospital. One of the deaths is a two-year-old boy.

The RAF conducts Rhubarb operations over Occupied France with 20 planes.

Visiting Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies summarizes the air-war outlook presented at the day's War Cabinet meeting:

More bombing of aircraft factories in England. The Hun is becoming too accurate, and picking our factories off too regularly.

First Sea Lord John Tovey comments that the Luftwaffe has command over the skies in the Straits of Sicily, affording protection to the Italian convoys that supply the Afrika Korps.

East African Campaign: The Italians for all intents and purposes have been evicted from their ports in East Africa or have scuttled their ships in the few that remain. Accordingly, President Roosevelt quickly lifts his designation of the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden as a "combat zone." This means that US freighters are free to bring supplies directly to the British troops there.

Battle of the Atlantic: President Roosevelt informs Prime Minister Winston Churchill that he intends to shift the US Security Zone to 26 degrees west. He further intends to have US escorts for convoys to that point and requests that the Admiralty provide the US Navy with convoy information to accomplish this purpose. This is an astonishing request - anyone with that information holds the fate of Great Britain in his hands - but such is the trust between the two men that there is no question but that Churchill will supply the information. It just shows the depth of the relationship between England and the United States in this situation.

U-124 (Kptlt. Georg-Whilhelm Schulz), operating in the vicinity of the Cape Verde Islands, torpedoes and sinks 5285-ton Greek freighter Aegeon. There are four deaths.

Royal Navy 201-ton boom defense vessel HMS Othello and 56-ton boom tender HMS Yorkshire Belle, apparently operating very closely together, hit a mine and sink together at the entrance to the Humber. There are 11 deaths on the Othello and four on Yorkshire Belle.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Blankney (L-30, Lt. Commander Philip F. Powlett) is commissioned.

Associate Justice to the US Supreme Court Hugo. L. Black pens a note to legal scholar and author Beryl H. Levy, 11 April 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Afrika Korps has surrounded Tobruk on the landward side with the 5th Light Division and the Brescia Division, but of course the British supply route from Alexandria remains intact through the port. A sandstorm hits the perimeter during the afternoon, and the Germans use that as cover for an attack. However, the Australian/British troops focus their artillery on the trucks that have brought the Germans close to the perimeter, destroying many. The German attacks make no progress.

To the south, the British send a group of 14 tanks to relieve the port. Panzerjäger-Abteilung (Sfl.) 605 is waiting for them, however, and knocks out half a dozen of the tanks. This sends the British at El Adem into further retreat, so Lieutenant General Rommel sends his own panzers in pursuit of Bardia. They set off at once, not waiting for daybreak, reflecting the excellent morale in the Afrika Korps. Rommel also orders Forward Detachment Knabe (Gustav Georg Knabe) to join the pursuit toward Sollum in the morning.

Royal Navy gunboats HMS Aphis and Gnat continue their bombardment of the Libyan coast that they began last night. Tonight, they bombard Bomba and the Gazala airfield. A squadron led by light cruiser HMS Orion begins a two-day sweep along the Cyrenaican coast in Operation MBD 3.

British 6372 ton freighter Thurland Castle delivers a load of (apparently Italian) captured tanks from Tobruk to Alexandria. The two escorting destroyers, HMS Vendetta and Waterhen, then immediately turn around and escort another freighter back to Tobruk on a similar mission.

The Luftwaffe bombs and badly damages 2018 ton British freighter Draco in Tobruk Harbor. The captain quickly beaches the ship, where it makes a tempting immobile target for further raids. There is one death, a gunner.

The Royal Navy is determined to interdict the Italian convoys running from Naples to Tripoli, so they send out four destroyers from Suda Bay, Crete to Malta. Their mission is to operate between Lampione Island and Kerkenah Bank and sink the convoy. However, they find nothing and return to port at Malta. It is unclear as of this date if the flotilla will remain in Malta to conduct further attacks. The RAF also is trying to interdict the convoys from Malta with Wellington bombers and Beauforts.

The Luftwaffe continues to have success flying out of Italian airfields. 7,/JG 26 is based at Gela, Sicily, and has many opportunities due to the heightened British concern about the convoys to Tripoli that are supplying General Rommel's Afrika Korps. Oblt. Müncheberg and Oblt. Mietusch of JG 26 shoot down Hurricanes of RAF No. 261 Squadron today among three total scored by the Staffel. I,/JG 27 is scheduled to proceed to North Africa to support the Afrika Korps, and they will be among the first to receive the newest version of the premiere Luftwaffe fighter, Bf 109Fs.

Wirth's circus, Sydney, Australia, April 11, 1941 (National Film & Sound Archive).

Battle of the Indian Ocean: There is a lot of convoy activity in the Indian Ocean. This reflects the importance of Australian and New Zealand troops to the Allied war effort in both Greece and North Africa, and also the fact that the Empire's war machine is shifting into high gear.

Troop Convoy US 10 is forming up in Australia and New Zealand. Today, 81,235-ton converted liner Queen Mary joins the convoy at Sydney. The Queen Mary isn't even the largest ship in the convoy, that honor goes to 83,673-ton Queen Elizabeth. There are several other large converted liners in Convoy US 10: 43,450-ton Ile De France, 35,739-ton Mauretania, and 36,287-ton Nieuw Amsterdam. These ships will disperse toward their own destinations with the Nieuw Amsterdam, for instance, going to Singapore and the others going to Colombo and thence Suez. Another convoy departs Madras today heading for Singapore, and a third, Convoy BM6, departs from Madras bound for Malaya.

Manufacturing Bofors antiaircraft guns, Hamilton, Ontario, 11 April 1941 (Gordon W. Powley, Reference Code: C 109-2-0-18 Archives of Ontario, I0008800).

German/Italian Relations: Hitler and Mussolini wind up a meeting in Salzburg. Mussolini is getting cold feet about the war (as well he might, considering his military's performance to date), but Hitler remonstrates with him to keep fighting.

Italian/Croatian Relations: Now that he is the leader of an independent state and not just a loudmouth in exile, Ante Pavelić has the standing to meet with Mussolini. Previously Mussolini went many months without deigning to meet with Pavelic, who was camped out in Florence. Now, the two men meet as leaders and discuss Italian recognition of Croatia.

Soviet/Chinese Relations: Soviet Ambassador to the Chungking government Panyushkin meets with Chiang Kai-shek and affirms that the USSR is not supporting Japan.

Anglo/US Relations: A RAF B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number AN-531) departs Seattle, Washington bound for England via Canada. Manned by a British crew, it is one of the lesser-known elements of Lend-Lease.

Special Forces: Royal Norwegian Navy destroyer HNoMS Mansfield (G 76 - on loan from the Royal Navy) parks offshore Øksfjord in the far north of Norway (north Alta Fjord). It destroys the Øksfjord fish oil factory, the British believing that fish oil is an important part of the German diet (and it also can be used to manufacture weapons). The Mansfield lands a crew of commandos who complete the factory's destruction. The mission is a success.
POWs: French officer Alain Le Ray, a company commander with the French Chasseurs Alpins (mountain troops), escapes from Colditz Castle. He is the first escapee from the prison, that is, the first to get out of prison (eventually he is recaptured). Le Ray already has escaped from a different camp and was brought to Colditz because the Germans feel it is exceptionally secure. He escapes, not through a tunnel dug from the clock tower that he has been helping to build, but on his own. Le Ray notices a deserted house near an exercise yard that the prisoners are allowed to use, and today he slips into it, waits for everyone to return to the castle, and then climbs a wall and is gone.

Manufacturing a Bofors antiaircraft gun in Hamilton, Ontario, 11 April 1941 (Gordon W. Powley, Reference code C-109-2-0-18, Archives of Ontario, 10008802).

War Crimes: The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 2561 ton Greek hospital ship Attiki in Doro Channel (between Euboea and Andros). There are 28 crew deaths. Hospital ships are clearly marked and intended to be left alone. It always is a fuzzy area whether such incidents can be prosecuted based on intent, accidents, mistaken identity and the like. However, make no mistake, sinking hospital ships is frowned upon by both sides.

US Military: The US Army Air Corps publishes a request asking for bids for a bomber meet the following specification:

• 450 mph/720 km/h top speed
• 275 mph/443 km/h cruising speed
• a service ceiling of 45,000 ft/14,000 m
• range of 12,000 miles (19,000 km) at 25,000 ft/7600m

These are extraordinary specifications that exceed anything in the air. In fact, there are no operational fighters in the world that can achieve that top speed, let alone bombers. US aircraft designers are left scratching their heads at this wish list. This tender, however, is the genesis, after a mid-course correction on the requirements, of post-war bombers such as the Northrop B-35 and the Convair B-36.

General George S. Patton, Jr. formally takes over command of the 2nd Armored Division. This involves promotion to Major General. Patton is one of the premier tank experts in the world, having directed tank operations during World War I. Like Rommel, Patton likes to fly above his units to see exactly what they are capable of doing.

A single panel from a U.S. comic strip, 11 April 1941.

US Government: President Roosevelt creates the Office of Price Administration via Executive Order. Leon Henderson is charged with controlling prices and profits for the good of the war effort. This office will be in charge of rationing if and when it should occur.

British Government: Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and CIGS John Dill have returned from their diplomatic efforts in the Balkans. They give a presentation to the War Cabinet about the situation in the Mediterranean, which visiting Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies summarizes in his diary:

Libya represents a gross underestimate of German capacity. Tobruk is a poor place to defend, with an extended perimeter, but Dill thinks the supply of anti-tank guns and field artillery quite good.

On the larger question of overall armored strength between the two sides, Dill is reassuring. He states that Germany only has 15 armored divisions out of its 200 total divisions, while Britain is forming "as many armored divisions as humanly possible" - though he does not place a number on them.

The stamp portraying Hitler's likeness at left is first issued 11 April 1941. It is an early commemoration of his 52nd birthday (20 April 1941).

German Government: Adolf Hitler is on the way in his train to his forward headquarters at Mönichkirchen. Armored train Atlas arrives in the town's station just to show how serious the occasion is.

Holocaust: The German Ministry of Propaganda publishes a one-page document called “Joodsche Weekblad” (Jewish Weekly) in Amsterdam. Ostensibly produced by the "Jewish Council of Amsterdam," it portrays Jewish life in Occupied Europe as proceeding in a fairly normal way - as opposed to the reality of the Ghettos and concentration camps.

American Homefront: The strike at the Ford Motor Company Rouge Plant ends after ten days. While both sides make concessions, the strike is a turning point in labor relations in the automobile industry because Ford becomes the last of the Big Three automakers to recognize the United Auto Workers (UAW).

Paramount Pictures releases "The Road to Zanzibar," the second "Road" comedy featuring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour. The picture is written by the same writers as 1940's "The Road to Singapore," is extremely similar in terms of structure and plot - and also is similar in the huge success the film enjoys, becoming the eighth highest-grossing picture of 1941. "The Road to Zanzibar" ensures that the "Road" pictures will become a continuing series.

Starlet Deanna Durbin files papers to wed Vaughn Paul. Durbin is considered a competitor of Judy Garland, and her films reportedly saved Universal Pictures from bankruptcy. Paul is an assistant director

Deanna Durbin marries Vaughn Paul.

Tonight's episode of "Mandrake the Magician" is "Tommy Has Found Princess." The series features 15-minute programs featured on the Mutual Broadcasting System and airs five days a week. Raymond Edward Johnson voices Mandrake, who is based on the syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk.

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

Thursday 3 April 1941

Hitler and Count Teleki - both would commit suicide, Teleki today.

Italian/Greek Campaign: Hitler has made up his mind by 3 April 1941 to attack both Yugoslavia and Greece, and soon, despite many other alternative pathways that might be better in the long run (such as taking up Yugoslavia's apparent willingness to adhere to the Tripartite Pact terms after all). Fuhrer Directive No. 26, issued barely a week after the previous one, is entitled "Cooperation With Out Allies In The Balkans." It sets forth how the newly conquered territories in the Balkans - well, those about to be conquered - will be divvied up amongst Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and, of course, Germany. The directive is not very sexy, focusing on such mundane matters as chains of command and the like. So sure of victory is Hitler that he concludes the directive with a dismissive nod to "the occupation duties of the various countries," as if the campaign itself is but a trifle, a mere bag of shells.

German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop also is busy preparing for the post-invasion world in the Balkans. He sends Edmund Veesenmayer of the shadowy Dienststelle Ribbentrop - sort of a private Foreign Ministry which Ribbentrop used as a back-door channel during times of turmoil -  to Zagreb. Veesenmayer is there to meet with General Slavko Kvaternik of the Ustaša to sort out who will be doing what after the pesky matter of the Yugoslavian military is brushed aside. The plan is to have Ante Pavelić and the Ustaša rule Croatia after things settle down. Veesenmayer himself is focused on the Balkans and becomes instrumental in persecuting Croatian and Serbian Jewry.

Throughout the Balkans, it is every man for himself. Nobody has a coherent plan, and the overwhelming sentiment is that the German wave is about to come crashing down on everyone. Croatian pilot Captain Vladimir Kren of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force defects to the Germans, telling all he knows so that the Luftwaffe will know how to best coordinate its opening strikes.

Operation Lustre, the British reinforcement of Greece, continues. Convoy ANF-24 from is in the Antikythera Straits when the Luftwaffe spots it. They bomb and sink 10,917-ton munitions ship HMS Northern Prince. Everyone survives, but the cargo is badly needed in Greece. Australian 19th Infantry Brigade arrives at Piraeus.

Yugoslavian General Jankovic meets with Greek General Papagos and British General Wilson in Athens to coordinate strategy.

East African Campaign: Italian Admiral Bonetti at Massawa plans to use his remaining destroyers to bombard Port Sudan in a virtual suicide mission. However, it does not go so well. En route, destroyer Cesare Battisti breaks down. The accompanying Italian destroyers scuttle it. As the Italian ships approach the port, the RAF sends up Swordfish of RAF No. 813 and 824 Squadrons from the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, which happens to be in the harbor. The Swordfish sink destroyers Daniele Manin and Nazario Sauro, while destroyers Tigre and Pantera are disabled by the air attacks and later sunk by HMS Kingston. The incident is notable in another way because, during the night, sloop HMAS Parramatta passes the Italian destroyers (before they are sunk) at close range, but nobody on either side sees the other. That's the reality of war, weird things happen.

On land, the British tighten their grip on Asmara as advanced troops continue down the road toward Massawa.

Italian freighter Urania attempts to escape in the Red Sea from advancing British troops. However, RAF planes disable it, and the crew scuttles the ship off Dahlak Kebir, Eritrea to avoid capture. After the war, the ship is raised for scrap. The RAF also damages Italian patrol boat Acerbi in the Massawa harbor.

Italian authorities in Addis Ababa see the end approaching. The Duke of Aosta opens negotiations.

"All the Brothers Were Valiant." If it seems as if you see the name "Cunningham" a lot in histories of World War II, you are: the brothers Cunningham led the war at sea and on land in Africa during 1941 (by Strube, 'The Daily Express', April 3, 1941).

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe, perhaps to emphasize that it is still not there and not completely flown off to Bulgaria, attacks Bristol in its first big raid in many days. It sends 94 bombers, of which 76 (some accounts say 86) arrive to make bombing runs. The bombers are from KG 1, KG 26, KG 76, KG 27, KG 54 and KGr 806. The bombers are led to the target by fourteen Heinkel He 111s which are specially equipped with X-Verfahren guided radar. Another group of nine Luftwaffe bombers hit Hull. In both cities, the priorities are docks and factories, and while much damage is done, it is contained and does not cause as many casualties as some raids earlier in the Blitz.

RAF Bomber Command, meanwhile, attacks Brest, where German cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst are in dry dock. The bombers miss the two ships but hit the Continental Hotel - where many sailors are quartered. Many are killed by the "lucky hit." The RAF also does some minelaying in the Bay of Biscay during the night with 15 planes.

Swedish freighter Daphne was en route from Newport News to Petsamo carrying coal when U-76 torpedoed and sank it on 3 April 1941.

Battle of the Atlantic: A wolfpack has gathered around Convoy SC 26 in the mid-Atlantic south of Iceland. The U-boats go to work. This is one of those classics of the Battle of the Atlantic, with ships burning left and right, men in the water, U-boats everywhere, and everyone fighting for their lives.

U-73 (Kptlt. Helmut Rosenbaum) torpedoes and sinks three ships:

• 4313-ton British freighter Alderpool (after being damaged by U-46)
• 6875-ton British tanker British Viscount
• 5724-ton British freighter Westpool (35 dead and 8 survivors, sinks quickly because it is carrying scrap iron)
• 5409-ton Belgian tanker Indier (some claim U-74 sank this, 42 dead).

U-74 (Kptlt. Eitel-Fredrich Kentrat), on its first patrol, sinks two ships and damages a third nearby:

• 4274 ton Greek freighter Leonidas Z. Cambanis (sunk, 2 dead)
• 11,402 ton Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser HMS Worcestshire (damaged, 28 dead)

The Worcestershire only gets away due to luck - Kptlt. Kentrat runs out of torpedoes.

U-76 (Kptlt. Friedrich von Hippel), in the same vicinity, torpedoes and sinks 1939 ton Finnish collier Daphne, though it apparently is not part of Convoy SC-26 - it just crossed paths with the convoy at the wrong time. During the night, U-76 also sinks 5414-ton British freighter Harbledown (three dead) which most definitely is part of SC-26.

U-98 (Kptlt. Robert Gysae), on its first patrol, torpedoes and sinks:

• 2467-ton Norwegian freighter Helle (all survive)
• 5122-ton British freighter Wellcombe (15 dead)

The action surrounding the Convoy SC-26 is confused. Some ships are hit multiple times by different U-boats, and exactly when some sinks and by whom is a matter of guesswork, as few in the water struggling for their lives kept a close eye on their watches. In other words, it is a typical Wolfpack attack.

Combined with other attacks in the surrounding days, such as by U-46 on the 2nd, Convoy SC-26 is devastated. The convoy scatters, then reforms later in the day. But the U-boats continue to prowl.

Belgian tanker Indier, sunk with other ships of Convoy SC-26 on 3 April 1941.

The Royal Navy does get one back. British submarine HMS Tigris torpedoes and sinks 5436-ton German tanker Thorn about 100 miles southwest of St. Nazaire in the Bay of Biscay. Thorn has been part of the German supply network in the Atlantic, which so far has operated with little interference. The Royal Navy knows that the German ships and U-boats traverse the Bay of Biscay and lie in wait. Far to the south, German raider Kormoran meets up with another supply ship, the Rudolf Albrecht. The German network of supply ships is the key to successful Kriegsmarine surface operations at sea but also is their Achilles Heel.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 250-ton British freighter Cairnie southwest of Tod Head. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 6903-ton British freighter Geddington Court off St. Andrews.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks Royal Navy patrol boat HMS Fortuna in the Irish Sea.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 499-ton British freighter Assuan off Montrose, Scotland. The captain manages to beach the Assuan near Scurdy Ness. The ship later is refloated and taken to Montrose.

British 748-ton coaster Greenawn sinks from unknown causes in the North Sea off Montrose, Scotland. There are Luftwaffe attacks in the area during the day, but also many mines laid by both sides.

Royal Navy patrol boat HMS Bahram sinks when it hits a Luftwaffe IX Air Corps mine in the Humber Estuary. There are 8 deaths and only one survivor.

Royal Navy mine destructor vessel HMS Bushwood gets involved in a collision in the Bristol Channel. Taken to Cardiff, it is back in service by 7 May 1941.

Convoy OB 306 departs from Liverpool.

U-boats U-564 (Kptlt. Reinhard 'Teddy' Suhren) and U-652 (Oberleutnant zur See Georg-Werner Fraatz) are commissioned. U-564 will be the subject of a well-known film showing how U-boats can be resupplied with torpedoes while at sea - it isn't that easy.

El Rancho Vegas, the first hotel resort on what would become the Las Vegas Strip, is completed on 3 April 1941. At this time, Las Vegas is just a stop on the Union Pacific Railroad (visible in the distance). You are looking at some mighty pricey real estate - in about 50 years. And, no, Bugsy Siegel did not build it. The hotel will burn to the ground in 1960. Most of this property remains a dirt lot today, with a portion taken up by the Hilton Grand Vacation Club. This is the future corner of Las Vegas Blvd, aka “The Strip,” and Sahara Ave.

Battle of the Mediterranean: With the British 2nd Armored Division reeling due to its orders to avoid pitched battles, British Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell "goes to the well" again. At the behest of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Wavell sends newly decorated Lieutenant-General Richard O'Connor, the hero of Operation Compass to the headquarters of General Officer Commanding & Military Governor of Cyrenaica Lieutenant General Sir Philip Neame. O'Connor, who is still recovering from earlier experiences in a Cairo hotel, is there to advise Neame, but not take over. He finds a chaotic situation where nobody knows where the Afrika Korps is at any point in time and his own armored forces are in a full retreat.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel in command of the Afrika Korps and flying about from point to point in his handy Fieseler Storch, can't believe his good fortune. The Luftwaffe, scouting ahead, reports that the Via Balbia is desolate for 60 km past Agedabia, with a few British tanks here and there in the desert after they broke down or ran out of fuel. With the British in astonishing flight to the north and northeast, Rommel orders an attack on the British southern flank. He orders the 5th Light Division to move out of Marada and join the advance, sending Italian forces to garrison it.

The Luftwaffe's Junkers Ju 87s mount a successful attack on a retreating British column around Antelat/Solluch, losing a Stuka and an escorting Bf 110. Rommel orders Lt. Colonel Gerhard von Schwerin, commanding Special Purposes Regiment No. 200, to lead a spearhead to Ben Gania, and he sets off in the evening. There is enthusiasm and dash in the Afrika Korps that for some reason is sadly lacking at this time on the other side.

Late in the day, Rommel drives to the front and orders reconnaissance troops to make a lightning occupation of Benghazi. Informal intelligence - an Italian priest - is that the British have fled Benghazi. Rommel has every vehicle that isn't actively fighting drive to a supply depot in the rear to get the necessary fuel.

Italian General Gariboldi, supposedly in charge of all Axis forces in North Africa, is nonplussed. He stumbles into the Afrika Korps headquarters at 21:00 demanding to be told what is going on. He remonstrates until midnight with Rommel, demanding to be allowed to give the orders to attack or not. Rommel counters that supplies are in good order and the situation is too fluid to go up the chain of command for every decision. OKW (the German military command) gets wind of the situation and quickly sends Rommel a message authorizing the offensive. While technically the OKW itself doesn't have the authority to do this, the message effectively takes the heavy burden of command off Gariboldi's shoulders. From this point forward, Rommel basically does what he wants and tells Gariboldi about it whenever he gets the chance. Since Gariboldi can now, unlike almost all of his peers, go to Mussolini with victories, it is a happy arrangement for everyone.

Malta is relieved when a dozen Hurricanes are successfully flown off of aircraft carriers HMS Ark Royal and Argus and make it to the island as part of Operation Winch. However, one Hurricane crashes on landing and is lightly damaged. Off Malta, the Luftwaffe catches Royal Navy minesweeper/high-speed launch HMS Abingdon, which has been sent to loiter 40 miles off the coast in case planes have to ditch (as happened on some previous convoys). They hit the Abingdon, but the ship makes it back to port, along with its fellow minesweeper Jade.

Convoy HG 58 departs from Gibraltar, bound for Freetown.

Count Teleki's suicide note.

Anglo/German/Hungarian Relations: Following the suicide of pro-English Hungarian Prime Minister Count Pál János Ede Teleki de Szék during the night and his replacement with the pro-German László Bárdossy, Great Britain severs diplomatic relations. Count Teleki's suicide note says in part:

We broke our word, – out of cowardice [...] The nation feels it, and we have thrown away its honor. We have allied ourselves to scoundrels [...] We will become body-snatchers! A nation of trash. I did not hold you back. I am guilty.

The breaking point for Count Teleki apparently was learning that others in the government had secretly permitted German troops to enter the country. There was little that Count Teleki could do, unlike Yugoslavia, the government and military in Hungary are solidly pro-German. Bárdossy, meanwhile, now combines his job of the foreign minister with that of prime minister.

There is wild speculation in the British media that Teleki was murdered for opposing Hitler. There is no evidence of that, and the suicide note would seem to contradict that conspiracy theory.

Meanwhile, Wehrmacht troops are pouring across the Hungarian border to take up positions for a move south.

German/Yugoslav Relations: Despite definite indications from the new Yugoslavian government that it is willing to deal with Hitler, the German legation, for the most part, leaves Belgrade under orders from Foreign Minister Ribbentrop.

Anglo/Soviet Relations: Sir Stafford Cripps, an avowed Socialist who is viewed as a specialist in dealings with the USSR, warns Joseph Stalin (at the behest of Churchill) about Wehrmacht troop movements in Poland that appear oriented toward the Soviet Union.

Ford Motor Company's security forces at the River Rouge plant beating up a striking employee on April 3, 1941. The strike protests the firings of other employees for union organizing. This is how you win a Pulitzer, Detroit News photographer Milton Brooks did (the first Pulitzer Prize for photography). Ford finally will have to recognize the UAW after this strike.

US Military: Rear Admiral John H. Newton departs from Suva, Fiji with his cruiser force and heads for Pearl Harbor. It has been a fantastically successful "show the flag" operation put together at the very last minute, cementing relations with Australia at just the right moment in history and providing a jolt of confidence to a country that feels increasingly threatened and isolated.

In Washington, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold Stark pens and sends out a memorandum to his three fleets (Pacific, Asiatic and Atlantic) expressing confidence in keeping the US fleet at Pearl Harbor. He feels its presence there has a calming effect on Asia.

Iraq: Rashid Ali continues tightening his hold on the government. He has assurances from pro-German Vichy French officials in Syria that they will permit passage of Luftwaffe aircraft to Iraq to support him. These aircraft also could bomb British positions in Iran. However, there remains a large British garrison and RAF contingent at Habbaniyah Field just outside Baghdad that remains to be subdued.

Future History: Hans-Jörg Gudegast is born in Bredenbek, Germany. He emigrates to the USA "with only the money in my pocket" and attends the University of Montana at Missoula. Under the stage name of Eric Braeden, Gudegast enters the acting field and plays a variety of roles, usually as a Wehrmacht soldier (as in television series "Combat!") or ominous secret agent (as in "The Man From U.N.C.L.E."). However, Braeden is perhaps best remembered for playing the fictional German Hauptmann (Captain) Hans Dietrich on the TV series "The Rat Patrol" (1966–1968) - a character that would have been active in the desert on the day that he was born. Eric Braeden appears to be semi-retired from acting as of this writing, but he remains active; Braeden published his autobiography, "I'll Be Damned," with Harper Collins in 2017.

El Rancho Vegas, the first resort hotel (complete with gambling) on what will become the Las Vegas Strip, opens today. After it burns down in 1960, Howard Hughes will buy the property but do nothing with it. While it is the site of the first hotel on the Strip, and you would think somewhat important and remarkable in Las Vegas history, it now somewhat incongruously stands almost completely vacant, as if nothing at all important ever sat there at all.
And now, a little swing music from Berlin on 3 April 1941.


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

Monday 17 March 1941

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Otto Kretschmer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dutch freighter Tapanoeli, sunk today by U-106.

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

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

Oesten also attacks two other ships but misses.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

U-218 is laid down.

KNM Arendal (HMS Badsworth).

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

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

The Regia Aeronautica attacks Benghazi.

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

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

Convoy BM 5 departs from Bombay.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

March 1941

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

2020

Sunday 16 March 1941

Chilean Reefer goes under. Chilean Reefer is the final victim of the Operation Berlin engagement of 15-16 March 1941 in the Atlantic by German cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst. The photo was taken by the radioman on the Gneisenau (uboatphotos.net).

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Italians suspend offensive operations on 16 March 1941. The main effect of the Italian attacks so far have been to force the Greeks to keep their troops in Albania rather than transfer them to the Bulgarian frontier, with no ground gained. However, the Italians have not given up their plans, and the silver lining is that the Primavera Offensive at least has stopped the erosion of the front in the center of the line. The Italian attacks at the Trebeshinë heights have made local gains but nothing of strategic value. The Italians regroup and prepare to launch additional attacks in the coming days. So far, Italian casualties are 11,800+, while Greek casualties are 1,243 dead and 4016 wounded, with 42 missing in action.

The Paris Opera House, March 1941 (Ang, Federal Archive).

East African Campaign: The British continue attacking the Italian defenses at Keren, but the Italian defenses are very strong. Having occupied key features to the right of the Dongolaas Gorge that determines access to the city (the Pinnacle and Pimple), the Indian troops there face a furious counterattack from Fort Dologorodoc. The Italian attack proceeds fairly well, but other British troops (the 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment) move in behind them and occupy their fort at 06:30.

The rest of the day consists of furious Italian counterattacks to recover the fort that gets nowhere, while renewed British attacks to advance beyond the fort also achieve nothing. The valiant attacks by the Alpini, Bersaglieri, and Grenadiers battalions cost the Italians thousands of casualties that they cannot afford.

At Engiahat, two companies of 4/16 Punjab attack the Italian defenders at 13:00, supported by artillery fire. The attack fails when the Indian troops run out of ammunition. Nearby, the 1st Royal Sussex also fails to make any progress with an attack. Engiahat is very well defended with fortifications. The British now suspend operations on the mountain.

Two battalions of Indian troops leave Aden and land at Berbera in British Somaliland, brought by Royal Navy light cruisers HMS Glasgow and Caledon, destroyers Kandahar and Kingston, and armed boarding vessels Chakdina and Chantala. They capture the port from a 60-man Italian garrison of the 70th Colonial Brigade which is not interested in fighting. They take hundreds of prisoners of Italian support personnel. This is Operation Appearance.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe shifts its attention from Glasgow in the north to favored target Bristol in the south. It puts 162 bombers over the city, with the heaviest attacks hitting the center of town and Avonmouth docks. A bomb hits a shelter, causing extensive casualties, and there is great damage throughout the city. An estimated 257 perish and 391 are seriously wounded.

Clydeside is still assessing the damage from the recent Luftwaffe attacks. These tenements will have to be razed, but much rebuilding will wait until after the war. March 1941.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-106 (Kptlt. Jürgen Oesten) spots independent 6810-ton Dutch freighter Almkerk about 220 miles off French West Africa (Gambia) while chasing Convoy SL-68. Oesten pumps two torpedoes into the freighter, which sinks within 15 minutes. Everyone survives the sinking (after a perilous journey to Africa). The attack alerts the nearby convoy to its danger.

U-110 (Kptlt. Fritz-Julius Lemp) is operating south of Iceland and has been shadowing Convoy HX-223. Lemp finally gets into position to attack and torpedoes 6207-ton British tanker Erodana. U-110's torpedo damages the Erodana, but tankers are difficult to sink and the ship gets away (the crew first abandons ship, but it then is towed to Edisvik near Reykjavik). There are 36 deaths.

The tanker's escape is aided by the convoy's escorts, which spot the U-boat on the surface and attack. Lemp escapes the depth charge attack and continues shadowing the convoy. Lemp radios its position to U-boat command (BdU), which vectors in other U-boats.

Meanwhile, Convoys OB 293 and HX 112, heading in opposite directions, are passing each other and essentially have merged for the time being.  One of the U-boats that responds to BdU's signal is U-99 (Otto Kretschmer). Arriving well after dark, Kretschmer initiates one of his classic surface attacks from the middle of the convoy at about 22:00. Firing all eight of his remaining torpedoes at the targets all around him, Kretschmer hits six ships and sinks five:

• 8136-ton Norwegian freighter Beduin (sunk, Convoy HX 112, four men perish)
• 6593-ton Norwegian tanker Ferm (sunk, convoy HX 112, everyone survives, the tanker breaks in two and the two halves are later sunk by gunfire)
• 7375-ton Canadian freighter J.B. White (sunk, two dead)
• 6673-ton Swedish freighter Korshamn (sunk, Convoy HX 112, 26 dead)
• 5278-ton British freighter Venetia (sunk, Convoy OB 293, everyone survives)
• 9314-ton British freighter Franche-Comté (damaged, Convoy HX 112, makes it to Rothesay Bay)

U-99's attack of 16 March 1941 is one of the classics of U-boat history, and also one of the most successful. However, as soon as he fires the last of his torpedos, Kretschmer is informed by his Watch Officer that an escort is nearby. The Watch Officer, contrary to standing orders, immediately orders the U-boat to dive. This enables the escorts to locate the U-boat using their ASDIC and close for an attack after midnight.

U-100 (Kptlt. Joachim Schepke) also answers BdU's call to close on the convoy. Schepke closes on the convoy on the surface from its rear and is almost in a position to attack as the day ends.

German cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst continue their attack on the undefended British convoy they have stumbled upon. At 01:00, the two tankers accompanying the cruisers, Ermland and Uckermark, signal that they have spotted another group of ships headed their way. All the Germans have to do is wait for them. The renewed slaughter begins at dawn:

• 4500-ton British passenger/cargo ship Rio Dorado
• 3648-ton British freighter Empire Industry
• 1577-ton Norwegian passenger/cargo ship Granli
• 4564-ton French passenger/cargo ship Myson
• 4364-ton British passenger/cargo ship Royal Crown
• 1831-ton Danish freighter Chilean Reefer

Scharnhorst adds to the total:

• 8298-ton Dutch freighter Mangkai (some survivors, become POWs)
• 4347-ton British freighter Silver Fir (one dead, others POWs)
• 5251-ton British freighter Demeterton (entire crew taken as POWs) 
• 3491-ton British passenger/cargo ship Sardinian Prince (crew becomes POWs).

Everything goes fairly routinely except for Gneisenau's destruction of the Chilean Reefer. The Danish ship wires the Admiralty its position and uses its deck gun against the vastly superior warship. Captain Fein on the Gneisenau, worried about why a tiny freighter would fight back, takes additional time to stand far off and sink the vessel at long range. This requires 73 rounds of 11-inch and other ammunition. As the freighter sinks, Royal Navy battleship HMS Rodney appears on the horizon. Gneisenau and Scharnhorst quickly leave the scene at high speed as Rodney stops to pick up survivors.

German 408-ton patrol boat (former trawler) V-1106 collides with and sinks 2228-ton Norwegian freighter Varangnes in the North Sea off Esbjerg, Denmark.

The Luftwaffe attacks shipping 150 miles southwest of Bloody Foreland. The planes sin 581-ton Royal Navy anti-submarine trawler Lady Lilian and damage 531-ton anti-submarine trawler Angle.  The latter makes it to Belfast in tow.

Norwegian 1174-ton freighter Elna E. hits a mine and sinks about 30 km south of Lundy Island. There is one death.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Aubretta collides with 238-ton British trawler Goosander. The corvette is out of action until the end of the first week of April.

German liner Bremen catches fire at Bremerhaven. The ship is ruined and must be scrapped. The ultimate conclusion is that the fire was set by a cabin boy who had been disciplined.

Convoy OB 298 departs from Liverpool.

A memorial plaque at Tower Hill to some of the crew of the Chilean Reefer, sunk on 16 March 1941 by Gneisenau.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Regia Aeronautica is active about 30 miles (50 km) west of Crete. They claim hits on two capital ships. When the Germans hear of this, they ask the Italian fleet to sortie in that direction to take advantage of the Royal Navy weakness there. In fact, the Italian pilots missed the ships and did not hit anything.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Parthian (Lt. Commander Rimington) torpedoes and sinks 3141-ton Italian freighter Giovanni Boccaccio near Palmi, Italy.

An Axis convoy departs from Naples bound for Tripoli. There are five troopships/freighters with a heavy escort.

Pte RF Russell Dorset Regt, 16 March 1941 (Copyright Airborne Forces Archive 2007 by Airborne Forces administrator).

Anglo/US Relations: In discussing how he would like to communicate with the US government, Churchill tells Ambassador to the US Lord Halifax that he feels it inappropriate to communicate with any of Roosevelt's underlings - that is for his ambassador. He refers to the Gallup polls showing that aid to Britain is boosting Roosevelt's popularity and notes that "although they may not all realize it, their lives are now in this business too."

Spy Stuff: Winston Churchill sends a memo to Permanent Secretary to the Treasury Sir Horace Wilson that Ministers should not be "conversing freely" with the Irish De Valera government. This is because "It must be remembered that the German Legation in Dublin is in close touch with several of the Southern Irish Ministers." In essence, Churchill is accusing the Irish government of being nothing but a nest of spies.

US Military: The US Navy begins escorting convoys bound for Great Britain. The convoys will be met at a midway location and then escorted by the Royal Navy.

German Government: Adolf Hitler gives a major Heldengedenktag (Memorial Day) address at the Zeughaus in Berlin. He asserts that the war was "forced on" Germany by the Allied powers and calls British Prime Minister Winston Churchill "guilty." He accurately states that Germany beat Britain to the invasion of Norway "with just a few hours to spare," and calls the troops that invaded France "defense forces." He concludes that "The German Army is now the strongest military instrument in our history," and that in 1941 it will "end what started the year before."

China: At the continuing Battle of Shanggao, the Chinese are busy building defensive lines. The Japanese 11th Army prepares to attack on the 17th.

Chinese air ace Wong Sun-Sui passes away in a hospital from injuries that he sustained during an aerial engagement two days prior to that above Sumatou District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.

Future History: Charles Herbert Woolery is born in Ashland, Kentucky. After a tour in the US Navy, Woolery joins a musical group called The Bordermen, and also a singing duo called The Avant-Garde. With the latter group, Woolery gets a Top 40 hit with "Naturally Stoned" in 1968. Later, Woolery goes solo, with no success. After an unsuccessful stint acting, Woolery goes back to singing in the country music genre and hits the charts in the late 1970s. Around this time, he begins hosting Wheel of Fortune at the behest of show creator Merv Griffin. After a salary dispute, Woolery effectively is fired and replaced by Pat Sajak. Woolery then hosts a series of other shows and has some personal tragedies. Chuck Woolery remains active in the entertainment industry, and, as of this writing, co-hosts a long-form podcast, "Blunt Force Truth," with Mark Young.

Graziella Granata is born in Rome, Lazio, Italy. In the late 1950s, she becomes an actress in Italian films and Spaghetti Westerns. She is most famous for appearing as the vampire's victim in "Slaughter of the Vampires" (1962). She currently is retired from acting.

Italian actress Graziella Granata, October 1968 (Italian magazine Radiocorriere).

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