Monday 17 April 1941

Italian Bersaglieri (Marksmen) march through the city streets of Dubrovnik as crowds watch on following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia following the Yugoslav capitulation of 17 April 1941.

Operation Marita/Operation 25: Yugoslavia unconditionally surrenders to Germany and Italy on 17 April 1941. Or, rather, the Yugoslav Army surrenders, effective at noon on 18 April, which amounts in practice to the same thing. In addition, Yugoslav Foreign Minister Cincar-Marcovic signs surrender documents to Italy and Germany on behalf of the Yugoslav government - but he does not have the authority to do so. While Hungary has invaded Yugoslavia, it decides that it is not "at war" with Yugoslavia and thus does not have to sign any peace treaties with it. And what about Bulgaria? And the new Independent State of Croatia? In fact, it's not clear what the heck actually happened today.

The situation may be legally muddled, but the inescapable conclusion is that Yugoslavia is now out of the war.

Yugoslav assistant to Commander General Danil Kalafatovic, Lieutenant General Mihailo Bodi, and German Colonel General Maximilian Freiherr von Weichs sign an armistice in the building of the Czechoslovak ministry in Belgrade. Separately, the Ban and National Assembly of Slovenia surrender to the Italians. The Yugoslavs resisted for twelve days.

Virtually the entire Yugoslav government, including King Peter II, already has fled to Athens via RAF Flying boat flying from the island of Kotor. The military situation clearly is hopeless for the Yugoslavs and has been for several days. All that remains is for them to see how the Axis powers will divide up the country. The Germans have very definite ideas on that, and they revolve around a complete abnegation of the treaties signed after World War I.

Others in Yugoslavia are not so fortunate as King Peter and Prime Minister Simovic. Around 6,000 Yugoslav officers and 335,000 troops are put in POW camps. The dispersal of Yugoslav units along the frontier and in remote areas where they have not been captured, though, provide the seeds for a partisan campaign.

Greece is still fighting alongside their British allies. However, it is plain to see how things are going. Prime Minister Winston Churchill reads the contents of a telegram from Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell. In it, Wavell recounts discussions held in Athens between local British commander General Henry Maitland Wilson and Greek Commander in Chief General Alexander Papagos. While agreeing to the British withdrawal down the waist of Greece, Papagos noted (according to Wavell's message):

as things might become critical in future, he [Wilson] should re-embark British troops and save Greece devastation.

The War Cabinet minutes note that "arrangements to this end [the British evacuation from the mainland] were being made."

Jermyn Street looking towards St. James's Street, 17 April 1941 (Copyright Westminster City Archives).

However, that is not the extent of Papagos' requests:

In this telegram [from General Wilson], General Wavell had also been informed that Crete must be held in force, and that it was important that strong elements of the Greek Army should establish themselves in Crete, together with the King and Government.

The War Cabinet Minutes again state that the members "expressed their agreement with the line taken in this telegram."

In the field, British troops in Greece continue moving back to the line Thermopylae-Corinth that Papagos has approved. This requires a retrograde move of at least 100 miles for most units. The New Zealand 21st Battalion, which delayed the panzers at the Platamon railway tunnel yesterday, continue performing delaying maneuvers at the Tempe and Pinios Gorges.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 1196 ton Greek freighter Damaskini in Oreos Channel near Euboea.

The Luftwaffe bombs and badly damages 7020 ton Greek freighter Petrakis Nomikos at Piraeus. The skipper beaches the ship quickly, which saves it from sinking but also makes it an attractive target for further attacks.

The Yugoslavs scuttle destroyer Zagreb in Cattaro Harbor. There are four deaths. The Germans, however, capture largely intact destroyers Beograd and Dubrovnik and damaged destroyer Ljubjana.

The remaining 18 planes of the Yugoslav Air Force fly to Greece, ending their operations in Yugoslavia.

Hayling Island, with the decoy site marked with an arrow (Natural History Museum in Cumberland House Portsmouth, via Portsdown Tunnels).

European Air Operations: The Wehrmacht High Command issues a statement:

In retaliation for the British air raid on the residential and cultural center of the German capital on the night of 9th-10th April, the German Luftwaffe last night carried out a grand assault on the British capital.... In future, any British air raid on residential quarters of Germany will be answered by increased retaliation.

Needless to say, perhaps, but the Luftwaffe has been pounding British "residential quarters" relentlessly since September 1940. Also, note the reference to a "cultural" center - meaning, don't bomb the Berlin Opera House again.

Visiting Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies must drive through the London devastation to reach 10 Downing Street. He notes in his diary:

It takes a long time to reach Downing Street. All round Victoria there is damage and confusion. The Admiralty has a great chunk cut out of it. Charing Cross Station is ablaze, and the Halifax Building in the Strand also. Shell-Mex building has a great unexploded bomb, and is evacuated. Two bombs fell on either side of the street from Australia House. In Middle London, every street shows the marks. There are at least 1000 dead and 2000 seriously injured.

Among many, many others, Lord and Lady Stamp are killed. Lord Stamp was the Government adviser on Economic Coordination.

RAF Bomber Command replies to the Luftwaffe's massive raid on London last night with another large raid of their own on Berlin. About 118 bombers, the largest raid so far, including for the first time in operations heavy Stirling bombers, hit the German capital. The RAF loses a Wellington, two Hampdens, five Whitleys, and a Stirling. There also are diversionary raids by 35 planes against Cherbourg and 13 planes against Rotterdam. One RAF bomber can't make it to Berlin because of thick haze and cloud cover and drops its stick on Cologne or a nearby area instead. This factor also makes the entire raid inaccurate.

The Luftwaffe also is active after dark. It raids one of its favorite targets, Portsmouth. The raid, however, is very unusual. The large force of Luftwaffe bombers drops their 170 tons of high explosives and 5400 incendiaries on a brightly lit target that they assume to be the city of Portsmouth. In fact, it is a "Q" decoy site set up in Farlington Marshes on Hayling Island just to the south of Portsmouth in Hampshire. The decoy involves a number of decoy fires that burn for four hours, attracting the bomber navigators away from the city. The bombs destroy a Heavy Anti-aircraft Artillery battery at Southwest Hayling, killing the soldiers there, along with some pillboxes and other military installations. Portsmouth itself largely is spared. The residents of Hayling Island, though, are not, and they are somewhat annoyed at having the decoy site set up in their own backyards.

Churchill sends Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal a strongly worded "Action this Day" memorandum criticizing the RAF's failure to "hit the enemy cruiser in Brest." In fact, the RAF has hit Gneisenau, but apparently the British do not know this yet. Churchill chastises the Air Ministry for "neglecting the dive-bomber type of aircraft," which of course is exemplified by the Luftwaffe's Junkers Ju 87 Stuka.

Lt. Ernest Oliver Gidden, RNVR, earns the George Cross for defusing a bomb on Hungerford Bridge.

South Hayling antiaircraft battery, destroyed as the result of a British Q decoy operation that spared Plymouth.

East African Campaign: The South African 1st Infantry Brigade skirmishes with Italian forces near Cambolcia Pass in Abyssinia.

Battle of the Atlantic: German raider Atlantis is operating in the south Atlantic when lookouts spot 8,299-ton Egyptian liner Zamzam in the pre-dawn hours. Captain Rogge mistakes the liner for a British liner being used as a troop transport. He orders his crew to open fire at a range of 5 miles (8 km). The Atlantis quickly destroys the Zamzam's radio and takes aboard 202 passengers as prisoners. Among those on board are 138 Americans, including Fortune magazine editor Charles J.V. Murphy. Rogge puts the neutrals on German supply ship Dresden for transport to Portugal.

One of the passengers is Life magazine photographer David E. Scherman, who takes some pictures of the ship. Rather than surrender the film to the Germans as they demand, he puts them in tubes of toothpaste and shaving cream and smuggles them out for publication in his magazine in the 23 June 1941 issue.

This is German raider Atlantis at dawn on April 17, 1941. This was taken by Life photographer David Scherman from a lifeboat shortly after the attack. He then successfully smuggled the film out past German guards.

Much farther north, off the coast of England, the Kriegsmarine sends its 2nd MTB Flotilla against Convoy FS 464 near Great Yarmouth. They hit:

• 1446-ton British freighter Effra (sunk, two dead)
• 1298-ton Dutch freighter Nereus (sunk, all survive)
• 5673-ton British freighter Ethel Radcliffe (towed to Yarmouth)

The Luftwaffe attacks the city of Rochester and, in the process, sinks 623-ton British coaster Montalto. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 394-ton Danish trawler Naeraberg between the Faroes and its destination of Fleetwood. Everyone survives.

British 1578-ton collier Parnu sinks following its collision on the 16th with freighter Fluor about a dozen miles off Cape Wrath.

U-123 (Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Moehle), on its fourth patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 6991-ton Swedish tanker Venezuela. This is an inefficient attack, requiring five torpedoes, which can be quite frustrating for a U-boat commander. Reportedly, the crew of 49 takes to the lifeboats, but there are no survivors... which may not be a coincidence with the difficulty of the sinking.

Norwegian 1608-ton freighter Profit hits a mine and sinks while en route from London to Hull. There are 12 deaths.

Convoy SL 72 departs from Freetown.

U-566 is commissioned.

Jermyn Street, Westminster, 17 April 1941 (Copyright Westminster City Archives).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The British in Libya mount an attempt to retake Fort Capuzzo in the morning, losing four tanks. The German troops in Gruppe Schwerin also launch an attack against the northeast section of the Tobruk perimeter but also are repulsed.

Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel personally supervises an attack on Tobruk by two companies of motorcycle troops, reinforced by artillery, at Ras Mdaauar. This attack makes progress close to the barbed wire, which is held as a jump-off point for future operations. Rommel decides to wait for reinforcements - which were supposed to arrive on the recent convoy that the Royal Navy destroyed off Tripoli - before launching a set-piece attack on Tobruk.

Both sides use their planes to harass the other. The Luftwaffe sends 41 Junkers Ju 87 Stukas against key points within the Tobruk perimeter, while the RAF bombs the investing German and Italian troops.

The Royal Navy has another success with its patrols off Libya. Submarine HMS Truant torpedoes and sinks the 279-ton Italian ammunition barge Vanna off Appolonia. The Truant also attacks 2576 ton German freighter Samos near Benghazi but misses. Some accounts state that the Samos sinks today due to a mine, but other accounts state that happens on 19 April.

Royal Navy destroyers HMS Greyhound and Voyager shells and sinks Italian bark Romagna in the Mediterranean off Libya.

A British flotilla of torpedo boats, the 3rd Motor Launch, arrives in Gibraltar. It is composed of seven launches.

The Luftwaffe bombs Malta with 15 aircraft at 20:47. They hit the St. Paul's Bay area.

Anglo/US Relations: The US turns over four newly completed fast freighters to the British under Lend-Lease.

Canadian/US Relations: Canadian leader Mackenzie King continues his meetings with President Roosevelt. Among other things, they discuss defense production cooperation.

Igor Sikorsky, Homburg securely in place, flying his VS-300 helicopter with pontoons, 17 April 1941 (Sikorsky Historical Archives).

US Military: Igor Sikorsky slaps some "auxiliary floats" (pontoons) his VS-300 helicopter with which he recently set a US duration record. By lifting the helicopter, thus equipped, above the water near his Stratford, Connecticut plant, Sikorsky sets another first. He lands the helicopter both on land and water, making it a truly amphibious aircraft.

US Government: William S. Knudsen, director of the Office of Production Management (OPM), announces that automakers and motor truck manufacturers agree to cut production by 20% beginning on 1 August 1941. He states that this is expected to cut the production of such civilian vehicles by about 1 million over the first year. The purpose is to switch resources to war production. The automakers agree to the cuts for a variety of reasons, not least of which is the likelihood that cut would be imposed upon them if they did not do so voluntarily.

OPM also is in discussions with manufacturers of tin cans to reduce the amount of tin being used. They are arguing with the manufacturers about the percentage, 10% less tin versus 17%. The savings are expected to amount to 5000-7500 tons of tin for a 10% cut.

Duke Street looking toward Piccadilly, 17 April 1941 (Copyright Westminster City Archives).

Iraq: The situation in Iraq is tense. The British remain holed up in Habbaniyah Airfield near Baghdad, while new Iraqi leader Rashid Ali applies to Germany for military assistance to evict the British. The British have a convoy on the way by the sea which is expected very shortly - some sources say the 1st Battalion King's Own Royal Regiment arrives today at Basra. Iraqi forces surround the British airbase but make no provocative moves at this time.

Holocaust: At the direction of SS-Untersturmfuehrer Maximilian Grabner, Auschwitz Concentration Camp ceases sending Polish relatives the ashes of now-deceased political prisoners after they have been cremated.

British Homefront: Popular singer Al Bowlly, who reached his peak in the late 1920s and early 1930s but since has faded badly in popularity, is killed during the Luftwaffe raid on London that lasts throughout the night of 16-17 April 1941. Bowlly had taken the last train home the night before from a performance at the Rex Cinema in Oxford Street, High Wycombe, despite being offered a place to stay there overnight. A Luftwaffe parachute mine explodes just outside his flat at 32 Duke Street, Duke's Court, St James, London, at 03:10 and blows the bedroom door off its hinges - it strikes Bowlly in the head, killing him instantly. There is a blue commemorative plaque in his honor at Charing Cross Mansion, 26 Charing Cross Road, a previous residence which the plaque describes as "his home at the pinnacle of his career."

American Homefront: Charles Lindbergh at 20:00 speaks to an overflow crowd of 10,000 at the Chicago Arena, with an additional 4,000 outside the arena, on behalf of the America First Committee. By one count, he is interrupted by applause 31 times while giving an address of only about 2,000 words. His main points:

• The US is being led into war by a minority of war-mongers;
• That 80% of the public opposes joining the war;
• The US is unable at this time to defeat Germany.

Among issues favored by the America First Committee is an anti-convoy bill. Isolationists believe that participating in convoys inevitably would lead to war.

The front-page cartoon on the Chicago Daily Tribune, 17 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

Thursday 13 February 1941

"Two members of the 'Shitfa' - Abyssinian patriots - with rifles, Kenya, 13 February 1941." © IWM (E 1959).

Italian/Greek Campaign: While the front is quiet on 13 February 1941, the Italians are preparing a major effort in the Klisura Pass region for the 14th. This has become the focal point for the entire campaign, as the Greeks, despite some successes, have been unable to advance beyond it to take the vital Italian port of Valona. The RAF raids airfields at Durazzo and Tirana.

The Greek I and II Corps are combined into Epirus Army. Western Macedonia Army controls units to the north.

Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies, having broken his journey from Melbourne to London in Cairo, meets with British Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell. Menzies observes (in his diary) that the general is "clearly contemplating the possibility of a Salonika (Greece) expedition." This seems to be news to Menzies of at most casual interest as if Wavell has mentioned it only as side operation, not a major strategic initiative.

The implication is that Menzies - the national leader of the Australian troops now carrying the brunt of the fighting during Operation Compass - has been kept "out of the loop" on the wrangling about whether to send Middle East troops to Greece. Such moves are imminent, and RAF units already are being switched to Athens. This seems like something that the Prime Minister of Australia should be kept informed about, given that his troops are directly affected. However, it is the only reference in Menzies' entire diary about discussions with Wavell regarding any such "expedition."

East African Campaign: Operation Composition begins. Fourteen Fairey Albacore from HMS Formidable sink 5723-ton Italian freighter Monacalieri at Massawa in Italian East Africa. They also cause minor damage to several other ships. The RAF loses two Albacores, the six aircrew becoming POWs.

This is the first of several raids, the second on 21 February and the third on 1 March, all usually lumped under the "Operation Composition" codename (which technically only applies to this raid). HMS Formidable is en route from Vice Admiral R. Leatham's East Indies Fleet to Alexandria to replace the damaged HMS Illustrious, but the crew has time on its hands because the Suez Canal remains closed due to Luftwaffe mining.

Separately, aircraft from HMS Eagle torpedoed and damaged 590-ton German freighter Askari, one of the ships fleeing from the advancing British in Italian Somaliland, on the 12th. The crew managed to get the Askari back to Kismayo and beach it today, but the ship is written off. The Eagle's aircraft also combine with heavy cruiser HMS Hawkins and HMS Shropshire to sink 6268-ton Italian freighter Pensilvania. Just like Askari, Pensilvania is hit off Mogadishu, beached, and declared a total loss and broken up. Italian freighters Erminia Mazzella, Manon and Savoia, other refugees from Kismayu, also are captured.

At Keren, Eritrea, Lieutenant-General William Platt decides to pause his Indian troops' attacks on the Italian troops defending Dongolaas Gorge. He reduces his troop count in order to ease the supply situation by sending the 5th Indian Division back to the railhead at Kessala. The British begin assembling troops on all sides of Keren. It will take some time, however, for other forces to assemble and threaten Keren from the rear. Undeniably this has been an Italian defensive victory, but all it promises to do is buy some time, not stop the British offensive rolling through East Africa.

British advances continue elsewhere without too much hindrance from the Italians. Bulo Erillo, Somalia (south of Mogadishu) falls to the Gold Coast 24th Infantry Brigade.

"Soldiers of the King's African Rifles (KAR) during the British advance into Italian Somaliland, 13 February 1941." © IWM (E 1968).

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe mounts its first major raid in weeks, attacking London after dark. The attacks in residential districts cause heavy casualties, as many people have been lulled into a false sense of security by the recent quiet period and have returned to their homes at night. During the day, Bf 109s again have some fun with the Dover barrage balloons, and one Messerschmitt is damaged by a Spitfire while doing so.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-96 (Kptlt. Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock) is stalking Convoy HX 106 and spots a straggler. Lehmann-Willenbrock torpedoes 7987-ton British freighter Clea at about 15:00. A single torpedo snaps the freighter in two, but they remain afloat. U-96 surfaces and gets in some artillery practice on the two hulks, sinking them.

U-103 (Kptlt. Viktor Schütze) also finds a straggler of Convoy HX 106 in the shipping lanes south of Iceland. It is 10,516-ton tanker Arthur F. Corwin, and Schütze puts some torpedoes into it. Tankers, however, are difficult to sink due to their compartmentalized construction and does not sink. However, it is on fire and trailing heavy plumes of smoke.

U-96, perhaps attracted by the smoke from the burning tanker, comes across the Corwin later in the day. The tanker is still under power, but has fallen further behind its convoy. Lehmann-Willenbrock puts two more torpedoes into the tanker, which is a burning wreck. This does the trick, sending the ship to the bottom. All 59 men on board perish. The HX 106 convoy escorts come back to investigate and spot U-96 later, attacking it without success.

The Luftwaffe (I,/KG 40) bombs and sinks 320-ton anti-submarine trawler HMT Rubens. Rubens is an escort of convoy OG 52, but through a misunderstood signal has separated from the convoy. All 21 onboard perish.

The Luftwaffe attacks Glasgow. Along with shoreside damage, the destroyer HMS Anthony receives some minor splinter damage from exploding bombs on the docks.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 1900-ton British freighter Westcliffe Hall near the Whitby High Light. The ship's steering gear is damaged, but the crew manages to get the ship to the River Tees.

The Luftwaffe damages 4512-ton British freighter Cape Rodney off Girdle Ness, Aberdeen.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Ripley collides with the fellow destroyer HMS Burwell and anti-submarine trawler HMS Notre Dame de France while they are at sea-trials. These are all destroyers acquired under the destroyers-for-bases deal of September 1940. The damage is moderate, and Ripley sets off for three weeks of repair at Devonport.

Convoy OB 286 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 109 departs from Halifax.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Alisma (K 185, Lt. Commander Maurice G. Rose) is commissioned and boom defense vessel HMS Barrymore is launched.

U-557 (Oberleutnant zur See Ottokar Paulshen) is commissioned and is assigned to U-boat Flo1, based at Kiel.

Pan American Airways Boeing 314 Flying Boat NC18603 c/n 1990. The plane, named "Yankee Clipper," is sold to the US Navy on 13 February 1941 as bureau number 48224 (crashes in the River Tagus, Portugal, 22 February 1943).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The second convoy of ships bringing the Afrika Corps to Tripoli arrives. The German 5th Light Division and the Italian Ariete Division are assembling in Tripolitania. While the overwhelming mass of the Italian military is under-equipped and lacks motivation, the units attached to the Afrika Korps will continually fight at a very high level.

The Luftwaffe continues planting magnetic mines in Benghazi harbor. The Royal Navy, however, has opened the port for convoys despite numerous sinkings at Tobruk from such mines.

Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Charles Portal telegrams Commander-in-Chief Arthur Longmore of the RAF's Middle East Command. Portal directs Longmore to render "such immediate help as [he is] able." Portal specifically mentions transferring a Wellington bomber unit, RAF No. 33 Squadron, to Athens. Longmore is unenthusiastic about sending units to Greece, and in fact, believes that more RAF units are needed in Egypt and Libya. However, Prime Minister Winston Churchill is adamant about transferring units to Greece as soon as possible. Portal is courteous, but he makes it plain that Longmore had better not drag his feet, saying that he would be "glad to hear...what immediate help [you can] send."

Many in the British Middle East Command are quite upset about the halt of operations imposed by Whitehall on the 12th. Admiral Cunningham notes that he is "most bitterly disappointed at the turn this Libya campaign has taken." He takes some comfort from the fact that "I know it was not due to any naval shortcomings (we had just landed just landed 2,500 tons of petrol and over 3,000 tons of other stores at Benghazi and had doubled the amount we had guaranteed to land daily at Tobruk)." In light of later events, it is instructive to see that commanders at the time viewed the diversion of resources away from a continuing victorious campaign in Libya as questionable. It is fair to point out that the British military leadership in both London and Egypt uniformly wish to continue Operation Compass all the way to Tripoli.

The Luftwaffe attacks Malta multiple times throughout the day. The attacks are spread out across the island. A Wellington and a Whitley bomber are damaged during the attacks, and three bombs apparently intended for Ta Qali airfield fall on Imtarfa Hospital, killing three patients, seriously wounding six, and lightly wounding another six. Many of the patients are military personnel.

Battle of the Pacific: The Marine 3rd Defense Battalion completes its move to Midway Island aboard three cruisers and a store issue ship.

Vichy French/Spanish Relations: After winding up his talks with Mussolini (Italy), General Franco (Spain) meets Petain (Vichy France) at Montpellier. The three nations basically have nothing whatsoever in common, but Hitler has high hopes that the three dictators will find some kind of common ground in fighting the British.

German/Vichy French Relations: The Germans have gotten wind of Marshal Petain's backdoor negotiations with the British. In no uncertain terms, the Germans tell the French to stop it.

German/Italian Relations: Grand Admiral Erich Raeder meets with his Italian counterpart, Admiral Arturo Riccardi, at Merano. They discuss naval cooperation in the Mediterranean, a matter of urgency due to the new Afrika Korps in Libya. Shipping from Naples to Tripoli will be a major determinant in the limits of General Erwin Rommel's success in North Africa.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the porch at Top Cottage in Hyde Park, NY, February 1941. With him is Ruthie Bie and Fala (FDR Presidential Library & Museum photograph by Margaret "Daisy" Suckley).

Anglo/US Relations: Churchill intervenes directly with Secretary of State for War David Margesson regarding Kermit Roosevelt, President Theodore Roosevelt's son and President Franklin Roosevelt's fifth cousin, once removed. In 1939, Kermit enlisted in the British Army as a Second Lieutenant in the Middlesex Regiment, but the doctors have indicated that he should be disqualified from serving on health grounds. Churchill writes that his case is a "matter of political consequence" and "if he wishes to go on with us he should be allowed to do so." The issue of Presidential relatives serving in the military will recur at several points throughout the war, and anything having to do with the Roosevelt name is of extreme sensitivity. Kermit does, in fact, have serious health problems, but they relate to depression as much as anything physical.

Anglo/Bulgarian Relations: The British recently have broken off relations with Romania due to the presence of German troops there. Today, the British warn the Bulgarians that the same could happen to them if the same circumstances arise. The British minister in Sofia, George Rendel, states:

If the Germans occupy Bulgaria and make it a base against our ally, obviously we shall have to break off relations with Bulgaria and take whatever measures the situation requires.

British Military: Continuing his extreme skepticism about the necessity to maintain a large force in North Africa, Churchill memos General Ismay about a convoy being formed, of whose composition he writes "I do not approve." This is a continuation of Churchill's outspoken concern about the "tooth to tail" ratio in the Middle East Command, which he implies repeatedly at this stage of the war is full of unnecessary useless mouths. He points out specific units being carried in the convoy (apparently a Winston Special convoy, though it is not identified in the memo) that he views as "non-combatants" due to lack of equipment and thus dead weight. Churchill proposes sending fewer troops in such convoys and more equipment, given that there are troops already on the ground in Egypt that are at loose ends due to lack of equipment.

Soviet Military: General Nikolai Vatutin becomes Deputy Chief of the General Staff (Stavka).

US Military: American Samoa Governor Captain Laurence Wild recommends:

the establishment of a Native Insular Force separate and distinct from the Fita Fita Guard, which was to function under and to be paid by the Government of American Samoa.

The issue of US commitment to overseas bases in the Pacific is quite controversial in congress. Some feel that they should be built up, others that they are indefensible. In this case, the suggestions lead to the establishment of the First Samoan Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

Construction on the approaches to Rainbow Bridge on Highway 420 near Niagara Falls, 13 February 1941. The bridge is the second level crossing between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, connecting the US and Canada above Niagara River (the first bridge collapsed in 1938). This section connects the bridge to the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW).

British Government: Minister of Labour and National Service Ernest Bevins has been trying to make the shipbuilding process more efficient. British merchant shipping losses have been horrendous, and yesterday's sinking of seven merchant ships by German cruiser Admiral Hipper is symptomatic of the challenges facing the convoys. Today, Bevins receives a proposal to decasualize the ports in order to make them work more efficiently. However, as with Bevins' other attempts at reform, this proposal is resisted and gets nowhere. This leaves shipping, Britain's lifeblood, dependent upon US ships and shipping production.

Indochina: The Japanese "show the flag" operation (Operation S) continues. Having visited Bangkok, heavy cruisers IJN Suzuya, IJN Mikuma, IJN Mogami, and IJN Kumano visit Saigon. The Japanese are currently mediating talks between the French and Thais to close out their border war, and this show of force is designed to move the French toward making concessions.

Italian Homefront: The Italians have worked extremely quickly to repair the damage to the aqueduct on the Tragino River caused during Operation Colossus on 11 February. Today, the aqueduct goes back in service. Throughout World War II, the British will obsess about attacking dams and other water infrastructure, with extremely mixed results.

Dutch Homefront: Unrest in Amsterdam continues. The German occupation forces in Amsterdam complete their closure of the Jewish Quarter with barbed wire, barring it to all gentiles. Checkpoints are in place so that nobody goes in or out without permission.

A train (569 Armstrong) in British Columbia, 13 February 1941.

February 1941

February 1, 1941: US Military Reorganization
February 2, 1941: Wehrmacht Supermen
February 3, 1941: World Will Hold Its Breath
February 4, 1941: USO Forms
February 5, 1941: Hitler Thanks Irish Woman
February 6, 1941: Operation Sunflower
February 7, 1941: Fox Killed in the Open
February 8, 1941: Lend Lease Passes House
February 9, 1941: Give Us The Tools
February 10, 1941: Operation Colossus
February 11, 1941: Afrika Korps
February 12, 1941: Rommel in Africa
February 13, 1941: Operation Composition
February 14, 1941: Nomura in Washington
February 15, 1941: Churchill's Warning
February 16, 1941: Operation Adolphus
February 17, 1941: Invade Ireland?
February 18, 1941: Panzerwaffe Upgrade
February 19, 1941: Three Nights Blitz
February 20, 1941: Prien's Farewell
February 21, 1941: Swansea Blitz Ends
February 22, 1941: Amsterdam Pogrom
February 23, 1941: OB-288 Convoy Destruction
February 24, 1941: Okuda Spies
February 25, 1941: Mogadishu Taken
February 26, 1941: OB-290 Convoy Destruction
February 27, 1941: Operation Abstention
February 28, 1941: Ariets Warns Stalin

2020

Friday 25 October 1940

This picture is from Holborn, London on 25 October 1940. The London bus system takes a beating throughout the Blitz, not just from bombs falling on them, but from drivers not seeing fresh bomb craters in the dark. (Imperial War Museum).

Battle of Britain: After an extended period of poor flying weather, on 25 October 1940 the skies clear and the Luftwaffe gets back into action. It is a busy day, with raids throughout and a return to large numbers of planes lost. As has been the case for a couple of weeks, the Luftwaffe emphasizes daylight fighter-bomber (Jabo) attacks, which are particularly difficult to prevent because the Jabos fly high and fast. The RAF, meanwhile, now has standing patrols over key sectors which make interception quicker and more effective.

The Luftwaffe fighter squadrons all fly three (or more) missions during the day, as is usually the case on days of maximum effort. The ratio of Jabos to fighters is usually 2 bomb-less Bf 109s per Jabo (which also, of course, are often Bf 109s).

The raids begin around 09:00, when JG 26 and JG 51, the two premier formations on the Channel coast, head for the South London area. Other Luftwaffe formations head toward Hastings and Dungeness, still others toward Central London. RAF Biggin Hill takes a beating despite fierce defense. The RAF fighters take a beating over Madstone, losing three fighters to one Bf 109.

Another large effort takes place around noontime. Once again, it heads for Maidstone and RAF Biggin Hill/Hornchurch. This is a large raid of over 100 planes crossing at Dover. As it flies inland, the formation breaks up to attack different targets. No. 12 Group has three squadrons in the air on patrol which lie in wait around London. The Jabos drop their bombs more or less over their targets, and then both sides take losses.

Another large formation crosses at around 13:00. This time, RAF Fighter Command has planes ready to confront the attackers near the coast. The Luftwaffe formation splits up, some remaining to tangle with the RAF fighters and the others heading west for Westminster, Blackfriars Road and areas nearby. This raid causes casualties at the Air Provost Marshal's department at Westminster (four dead, 8 others wounded). Both sides take losses as the Jabos fight their way through to their targets.

The next large raid is around 15:00, and once again the main target is London and nearby areas. Fighter Command is late off the mark and makes few interceptions and the few RAF fighters that do take a beating. Two Hurricanes collide, killing one of the pilots.

Around dusk, RAF Montrose in Scotland suffers a rare raid from KG 26 Heinkel He 111s based in Norway. Five men are killed and 21 wounded in this raid, which is completely unexpected and causes a lot of damage. Perhaps as a result of poor bombing accuracy, nearby towns also suffer damage.

A 20-plane Luftwaffe formation attacks a convoy off North Foreland around 17:45. This results in one ship sunk.

After dark, the population centers of London, the Midlands, South Wales, Pembroke, Cardiff, and Liverpool are the primary targets. Airfields at Wittering and Middle Wallop also suffer damage. London is hit by about 150 bombers. The Luftwaffe continues its extensive recent mining operations (see below), dropping mines off Aberdeen, Liverpool, East Anglia and along the northeast coastline.

Overall, it is a day of moderate losses for both sides. The Luftwaffe loses roughly 15 planes while the RAF about 10. RAF No. 610 Squadron also loses two Hurricanes in a mid-air collision during training off Exmouth around 15:00 (this is in addition to the collision described above).

Maj. Werner Mölders of JG 51 downs a Spitfire off Dover for his 51st victory.

The British Air Ministry issues a statement noting that airmen from numerous countries are contributing to the defense of Great Britain, including the United States, Poland, France, Belgium, Holland, and Czechoslovakia. The US pilots are part of the Eagle Squadron of volunteers.

Shown is Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 (W.Nr. 1988) ‘Black 7’ of 5./JG54. It crash-landed at Broom Hill, near Lydd, Kent at 09:30 on 25 October 1940. Pilot Oberleutnant Schypek was captured.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command focuses on the coast today. Targets include the coastal guns at Hellfire Corner and the Kriegsmarine ports, such as Kiel, Bremen, Hamburg, Cuxhaven, Amsterdam, Den Helder, and Ostend. Some of the raids target oil installations in northern Germany. Berlin and Hamburg are recovering after the massive raid on the night of 24/25 October.

Battle of the Atlantic: The U-boats that have been on patrol in the Atlantic, having gorged on Convoys SC 7 and HX 79 earlier in the week, make port in France to re-stock their torpedoes and other supplies. This period thus marks a lull in U-boat successes, but the Germans have other ways to keep the pressure on Allied shipping. These make their mark today in the form of mines and the Luftwaffe.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks the South Goodwin Lightship off St. Margaret's Bay, Kent.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 89-ton Royal Navy trawler HMT Duthies at Montrose, Angus. Everybody aboard survives.

In the same attack at Montrose, the Luftwaffe damages 25-ton fishing boat Janet.

Royal Navy 338 ton trawler HMT Lord Inchcape hits a mine and sinks near Plymouth, Devon. The ship sinks in shallow water and is later salvaged.

British 45 ton trawler Encourage also hits a mine and sinks off  Plymouth. All four men on board perish.

British coaster Buoyant hits a mine and blows up at the mouth of the Humber.

British 207 ton trawler Carlton also hits a mine at the mouth of the Humber and sinks. There are seven survivors and three men perish.

British 222 ton fishing boat Windsor also hits a mine in the Humber, just south of Spurn Point, Yorkshire. One crew member perishes.

British freighter Kyle Skye runs aground on the Isle of Arran, Bute. The ship is lost, but the crew survives.

British freighter Blairsprey, part of Convoy SC 7 and torpedoed on the 18th by U-101 and on the 19th by U-100, makes it under tow to the Clyde in Scotland, where it is beached. The ship will be repaired.

U-46 (Kptlt. Engelbert Endrass), still on patrol in the Atlantic after its numerous victories against the convoys earlier in the week, is attacked by three RAF Lockheed Hudson bombers. The submarine gets away, but one crew member (Matrosengefreiter (Able Seaman) Plaep) perishes from his wounds on the 26th.

Convoy OL 9 departs from Liverpool, Convoy Fn 319 departs from Southend, Convoy SLS 53 departs from Freetown, Convoy BN 8 departs from Bombay bound for Suez.

Avro Lancaster B Mk.I. The second production Lancaster is delivered on 25 October 1940 to No. 207 Squadron at Waddington (Wing Commander Hyde). Production has been slow due to numerous modifications to the original design. The Squadron will receive 20 machines by the end of the year.

Battle of the Mediterranean: A large portion of the British Mediterranean fleet, led by the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, departs from Alexandria to launch raids against Italian bases. It intends to patrol as far north as the Dardanelles.

British gunboat HMS Aphis bombards Italian troop positions 15 miles east of Sidi Barrani. The RAF bombs Tobruk.

The war on Malta is causing serious morale problems that result from safety measures. One of these today is the closing of a cemetery, Addolorata Cemetery, which lies on a direct path between Grand Harbour and Luqa Airfield. The cemetery has become a hot spot for bombs, so public access is restricted. While this in normal times might seem a minor inconvenience, local citizens have paid an unusual amount of attention to gravesites of their ancestors since the start of the war - perhaps because they know they might soon be joining them. Also, a new bomb disposal course concludes, the first one for men on the island.

German/Italian Relations: Ribbentrop's rushed letter to Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano, completed from start in France to hand delivery in Rome in about 18 hours, is greeted with joy by Ciano when ambassador Mackensen hands it to him around noontime. Ciano sees it as a tacit agreement by Germany that Italy is entitled to additional territory in southern France - which is not the intent behind the letter. Ciano off-handedly proposes a date of 3 or 4 November for the meeting between Mussolini and Hitler that Ribbentrop proposes in it. Ribbentrop calls immediately after German ambassador Mackensen has left and proposes an even earlier date. They agree on 28 October - only three days hence - for the meeting, to be held in Florence. Hitler redirects his train "Amerika" from its scheduled return to Berlin to go over the Alps for the meeting. It all fits perfectly into his schedule.

The timing of all this frantic activity has become a matter of historical debate. The 28th also just so happens to be the planned start date for Mussolini's invasion of Greece. The theory is that Hitler suddenly changes his plans and hurries down to Italy to try to stop the invasion of Greece. However, there is doubt whether the Italians have actually told the Germans the actual start date of the invasion, which Ciano previously has indicated would be 23 October but obviously has been postponed. The better view appears to be that Hitler was not planning to interfere with the Italian attack at all - he had not when informed of it previously - but instead decides to visit with Mussolini in Florence simply to smooth things over after the agitation caused by his visits to Spain and France. In other words, Hitler did not suddenly rocket down to Italy in a panic to try to stop the Italian offensive, but instead as a quick show of support to Mussolini and the alliance with Italy.

Hitler's quick schedule change also may fit into some broader themes. For security purposes, he likes to vary his itinerary on the fly. This, in fact, already has saved his life at least once (at the Braun Haus in Munich in late 1939). His visit to Paris in June also was unplanned. One never knows when the RAF or some lone wolf terrorist might want to try to bomb his train (and an awful lot of people know his general itinerary by this point).

Hitler also likes to take care of diplomatic visits all at once, in quick succession. An example of this is on D-Day, 6 June 1944, when he spends the day with such visits rather than reviewing the dire war situation. Since Hitler already is on his train, with all of his necessary staff close at hand, it makes sense to just do a quick jog over the mountains rather than disrupt his entire schedule to get his train ready at some future point. He also has the Molotov visit approaching, and it would be better to get his own house in order before making big decisions with the USSR. Finally, winter is approaching, and better to get this kind of travel over the Alps out of way now.

On 25 October 1940, acting F/L Charles BF "Brian" Kingcome is awarded the DFC, the citation attesting him leadership "with judgment, skill, and keenness," for his command of No 92 Squadron RAF. Between 20 September and 2 October, the 23-year-old pilot often ignored the controller's instructions, instead of gaining height by turning north before heading south. Pouncing in a vertical dive from head-on often split up a portion of the bombers before the fighter escort could interfere.

Anglo/French Relations: While Hitler is gallivanting across Europe meeting foreign leaders to little purpose, Marshal Petain in Paris is reaching across the Channel. His man Louis Rougier is in London meeting with Churchill and Foreign Minister Lord Halifax. Halifax, always a dove in such matters, is sympathetic, but Churchill, an adamant war hawk, is suspicious about Petain's motives in light of his recent meeting at Montoire with Hitler. Churchill says vaguely that he would support an anti-German regime in North Africa under overall French auspices, which Petain takes as a willingness to ally with Vichy France - which is a bit further than what Churchill intends. Anglo/French relations remain murky.

German Military: General Johannes Blaskowitz is appointed commander of the German 1st Army. He takes over from Generalfeldmarschall Erwin von Witzleben, who remains in good standing but is a silent opponent to the regime. Von Witzleben will receive future appointments of significance, but for now, it is on to the reserve rolls for him.

British Military: Air Marshal Charles Portal officially takes over as RAF Chief of Staff. He takes the temporary rank of air chief marshal. Issues confronting him include a desire by the Royal Navy to absorb RAF Coastal Command and the wishes of the British Army to form its own air force. Air Chief Marshal Richard Peirse remains in charge of Bomber Command, but there is some grumbling that bombing operations should be more aggressive.

The War Cabinet decides to continue the battleship construction program due to concerns about developments in the Far East.

Italian Military: Commando Supremo forms the Forza Navale Speciale (FNS). The first commander is Vice Admiral Vittorio Tur.

General Davis in August 1944.

US Military: Benjamin O. Davis becomes the first African-American in the US Army, becoming a Brigadier General.

Light cruiser USS St. Louis leaves Hamilton, Bermuda for Norfolk, Virginia. It carries the Greenslade Board, which is inspecting bases acquired in the destroyers-for-bases deal with the UK.

Indochina: The Japanese 5th Infantry Division is withdrawing in northern Indochina, and the French re-occupy the territory around Lang Son. The French also launch operations against nationalists who have been taking over local governments in the area.

China: The Japanese (13th Kokutai) bomb Chungking again, which they have been doing regularly for months. This raid is different because the bombs fall close to US Navy gunboat Tutuila and the US embassy. The bombs fall within 300 yards of the US assets. The Japanese later blame the incident on faulty bomb-release mechanisms.

American Homefront: The US Presidential campaign is in the home stretch. Republican candidate Wendell Willkie campaigns today in Lackawanna Station.

Future History: Robert Montgomery Knight is born in Massillon, Ohio. Knight plays on the 1960 Ohio State NCAA Championship team (and also the team that played in the Championship game in 1961), then begins coaching JV basketball at Cuyahoga Falls High School. After joining the US Army, he becomes an assistant coach with the Army Black Knights team at West Point. One of his players is Mike Krzyzewski. In 1971, he joins Indiana State as head coach. He coaches some of the best college basketball teams of all time, including going the entire 1975-76 season without a single loss - the only time in history that has happened. Known as "Bobby Knight" for much of his career, he later indicates a preference for Bob Knight or, in most circumstances, Coach Knight. Bob Knight remains active to this day as both a coach and a broadcaster and dabbled in politics in 2016.

Wendell Willkie speaks to a huge crowd at the Lackawanna Station on October 25, 1940. Present are Mrs. Willkie, Supreme Court Justice George W Maxey, Mrs. Joseph F. Gunster, wife of the Republican nominee for congress. J. Russell Phillips, GOP candidate for representative in the Second Legislative district is standing at the extreme left of the photograph. (Times-Tribune Archives).

October 1940
October 2, 1940: Hitler's Polish Plans
October 3, 1940: British Cabinet Shakeup
October 4, 1940: Brenner Pass Meeting
October 5, 1940: Mussolini Alters Strategy
October 6, 1940: Iron Guard Marches
October 7, 1940: McCollum Memo
October 8, 1940: Germans in Romania
October 9, 1940: John Lennon Arrives
October 10, 1940: Führer-Sofortprogramm
October 11, 1940: E-Boats Attack!
October 12, 1940: Sealion Cancelled
October 13, 1940: New World Order
October 14, 1940: Balham Tragedy
October 15, 1940: Mussolini Targets Greece
October 16, 1940: Japanese Seek Oil
October 17, 1940: RAF Shakeup
October 18, 1940: Convoy SC-7 Catastrophe
October 19, 1940: Convoy HX-79 Catastrophe
October 20, 1940: Convoy OB-229 Disaster
October 21, 1940: This Evil Man Hitler
October 22, 1940: Aktion Wagner-Burckel
October 23, 1940: Hitler at Hendaye
October 24, 1940: Hitler and Petain
October 25, 1940: Petain Woos Churchill
October 26, 1940: Empress of Britain Attack
October 27, 1940: Greece Rejects Italian Demands
October 28, 1940: Oxi Day
October 29, 1940: US Draft Begins
October 30, 1940: RAF Area Bombing Authorized
October 31, 1940: End of Battle of Britain

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