Tuesday 18 March 1941

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An aerial mine in Liverpool, 1941.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Rothesay and submarine Thorn are launched.

US destroyers USS Cowie and Knight are laid down.

U-464 is laid down.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Convoy BS 20 departs from Suez.

The future Queen Elizabeth II, 1941.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

March 1941

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

2020

Friday 14 March 1941

Damage to Clydebank from the Luftwaffe bombing of 13/14 March 1941.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Italian Primavera Offensive of the 11th Army continues on 14 March 1941 without achieving anything. The tough Julia Division assaults the heights south of the Vojussa river - and fails, with horrendous casualties. The Pusteria Division also tries to advance, with the same result. Italian casualties for the offensive are in the low five figures and rising fast.

Mussolini, watching the activity from a mountain with a good view of Monastery Hill in the center of the line, is frustrated. However, things could be much worse for him than simply feeling bad about his troops' difficulties. Two Allied airplanes suddenly strafe the mountain that he is standing on. Everyone rushes to the shelter - and leave Mussolini behind to enter last. It is both a lucky escape and a commentary on the people surrounding him and their view of their leader.

Italian Chief of the Supreme Command General Ugo Cavallero has seen enough. He urges Mussolini to end the offensive and go over to the defensive. Mussolini, however, urgently wants to have some sort of Italian victory before the start of the German offensive from Bulgaria.

Air battles over the ground fighting are intense. The Italians are making a major effort to support the ground troops, and the RAF joins the party. The RAF claims eight Italian aircraft downed.

A handful of British Swordfish torpedo planes of RAF No. 815 Squadron based in Paramythia, Greece attack Valona (Vlorë), Albania. They sink an Italian hospital ship, the Po, and 3539-ton freighter Santa Maria at the cost of one aircraft (the Santa Maria is later raised and repaired). Needless to say, hospital ships are off-limits to attacks. Technically, this is a war crime. However, like many other such incidents throughout the war (on both sides), nothing comes of it. The British lose a plane, and the three airmen become POWs.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill asks Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden to stay in Cairo until there is more clarity. Given that the British (and, unknown to the British, the Germans) are preparing radical departures in their activities in the region, this may be some time.

East African Campaign: Lieutenant-General William Platt has been stymied in front of Keren and its narrow entrance, the Dongolaas Gorge, for over a month. He has used that time to prepare his troops and wait for other British forces to put pressure on the entire Italian position in East Africa. Now, he is ready to attack on the 15th in a classic set-piece sequence of battles that focus on the Italian weak spots. He meets with his commanders on the 14th and warns them that it is going to be a bitter battle:

Do not let anybody think this is going to be a walkover. It is not. It is going to be a bloody battle: a bloody battle against both enemy and ground. It will be won by the side which lasts longest. I know you will last longer than they do. And I promise you I will last longer than my opposite number.

This is a standard inspirational speech. However, for those who like to cast everything that Adolf Hitler ever did as eccentric and weird and revealing of his mental deterioration and so forth, compare its language to speeches Hitler makes around the time of the Ardennes Offensive in late 1944 and early 1945. He easily could have said those words. In fact, he actually did say some of them, such as the bit about lasting longer than his opposite number. This is simply how commanders under stress talk, whether they are winning or losing.

Some patrol actions take place around Mount Gegghiro. Two companies of the 4/16 Punjab climb 5000 feet up the mountain and displace some Italians who also are patrolling in the area. Punjab troops occupy the heights and install artillery, which can reach Engiahat.

The Italians are testing their Reggiane Re 2001, which among other advances uses the same engine, the DB 601, as the German Bf 109. This is the remains of the 14th test flight today. The second prototype, MM408, crashes and kills the test pilot, Pietro Scapinelli. The crash is ascribed to a faulty airscrew pitch. Alfa Romeo is judged guilty and must pay a large fine. These "second-generation" fighters of the Regia Aeronautica hold great promise and are a major upgrade for the Italian air force.

European Air Operations: The weather has improved enough for the Luftwaffe, after a two-month absence, to resume major bombing raids. The Germans put 451 bombers in the sky over Great Britain, and they cause tremendous damage to several locations.

The Luftwaffe, as is its tendency, returns to the same city that it creamed on the previous night. Having devastated Glasgow and the surrounding area on the night of the 13th, the Luftwaffe returns tonight. Just over 200 bombers attack Glasgow and Clydebank again, dropping 231 tons of high explosives. Further damage results to the shipyards and to the Rolls Royce engine factory there. This is known as the second night of the Clydebank Blitz.

It also is the night of the largest Luftwaffe attack of the war on Leeds. Tonight's raid begins at 21:00 when about 40 bombers attack the city and drop about 25 tons of bombs on it. The bombers aim for the city center, destroying about 100 houses and damaging 4600 others. In all, about 65 people are killed. Many historical buildings are destroyed or damaged, and you can see some bomb damage to this day in various structures. The antiaircraft defenders in the region down about five Junkers Ju 88 and Dornier Do-17 bombers, but it is unclear if they are involved in the Leeds raid, which is known as the Leeds Blitz.

The bombers also target surrounding towns, which likewise take a beating. This includes Huddersfield, near the site of a David Brown factory making Supermarine Spitfire parts, and Castleford. Sheffield receives special attention, with 117 bombers dropping 83 tons of high explosives and 328 incendiary bombs. This raid receives a blackout in the British media and is usually referenced as a "North East Inland Town."

RAF Bomber Command attacks oil installations at Gelsenkirchen with 101 bombers. Oil production in the city is interrupted temporarily. Also attacked by 24 bombers is Dusseldorf.

Battle of the Atlantic: Heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper has been at Brest, France for a month. It has had to be repaired after hitting some submerged objects in the harbor. It also needs a major refit which can only be done in Germany. In any event, Brest is becoming too "hot" for it to remain there indefinitely. The Germans ready it today for a return voyage to Germany via the Denmark Strait for a departure on the 15th.

German battleship Bismarck is preparing for its own sortie into the Atlantic. Tied up at Scheerhafen, Kiel, the warship is taking on supplies.

German S-boats have been active recently off the English coast. Today, they attack local Convoy FS 35, but destroyers HMS Vanessa and Holderness fight them off.

Italian submarine Emo torpedoes and sinks 5759-ton British freighter Western Chief in the Atlantic. Western Chief is a straggler from Convoy SC-24. There are 22 deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 1802-ton British freighter Stanleigh in the Mersey near the Bar Light Vessel. There are 17 deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 6507-ton British freighter Artemisia off Mundesley.  There are two deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 94-ton British drifter Peaceful Star east of the Rockabill Lighthouse. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks British drifter Peaceful Star in the Irish Sea southeast of Rockabill, County Dublin. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe attack on Liverpool damages several British ships: 179-ton tug Minegarth, 7006-ton freighter Scottish Chief, and 5691-ton freighter Empire Simba.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 4265-ton Norwegian freighter Tyr in the Humber near the Humber Light Vessel. The ship has to be towed to Immingham.

The Luftwaffe bombs Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Franklin in the North Sea. Four near misses damage it.

The RAF (Handley Page bomber) bombs and sinks 2365-ton Finnish freighter Wirma, recently renamed Rainer, off the German North Sea Coast. Its location is northeast of Norderney Island, between Cuxhaven and Emden. All 23 aboard survive, rescued by Swedish freighter Arete. Because of the ship's different names and other factors, this sinking tends to get cited separately as two (or more) sinkings. It had left Emden bound for Stockholm.

Brazilian freighter Santa Clara sinks in the Atlantic. It is believed to have been sunk by a submarine. Nobody survives.

Royal Navy 95-ton drifter HMS Jeannie Leasik hits a mine off Clacton-on-Sea. The captain beaches the ship at Brightlingsea Harbour. It ultimately is refloated and repaired.

British 2653-ton freighter Herport hits a mine and sinks off Cromer in the North Sea. There are four deaths.

Convoy HG 56 departs from Gibraltar.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Trusty and minesweeper HMAS Mildura are launched, and destroyer HMS Rocket is laid down.

US destroyer USS Monssen (DD 436, Lt. Commander Roland N. Smoot) is commissioned.

Brazilian freighter Santa Clara. A mystery ship, nobody survives its sinking on 14 March 1941. Perhaps sunk by a U-boat.

Battle of the Mediterranean: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill has been zealously guarding the information received from the Ultra decryption service. However, he allows Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell to share in this intelligence beginning today.

The British are considering multiple courses of action in the Mediterranean basin - but none of them involve looking to the west. The obsession with the Wehrmacht forces in Bulgaria is at a fever pitch. The latest issue is whether or not to bomb infrastructure in Bulgaria. While a legitimate target due to the presence of German troops there, Bulgaria isn't at war with anyone. However, nobody is really too concerned about the rights of neutrals at this stage of the war.

On Malta, Lt. General William Dobbie, the island's governor and commander in chief, is knighted.  He is now Lt. General Sir William Dobbie.

Convoy ANF 20 departs from Alexandria, Convoy AS 19 departs from Piraeus.

An Axis convoy of three freighters and three Italian destroyers departs from Tripoli bound for Naples. A five-transport convoy also departs from Naples bound for Tripoli.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: The Axis ships in East Africa have been fleeing for safety as British troops approach. It has been an infallible signal of Italian-held ports about to fall. Today, 9000-ton German freighter Coburg, which had been at anchor in the port of Massawa, is intercepted off the island of Mauritius. The crewmen scuttle the ship and are taken as prisoners.

German raider Komet, which has been meeting with fellow raider Pinguin in the Kerguelen Islands, departs today. Pinguin remains in the islands to receive supplies and to have its crew scrape barnacles from the hull and the like.

US/Japanese Relations: The new Japanese Consul General to Hawaii, Kita Nagao, arrives in Honolulu aboard the freighter Tatsuta Maru. He replaces Acting Consul General Ojiro Okuda, who has been spying on the US Fleet at Pearl Harbor.

Royal Navy battleship HMS Vanguard is ordered today from John Brown & Company. While it is launched on 30 November 1944, it is not commissioned until 12 May 1946. Incidentally, yes, this picture is taken from a Royal Navy aircraft carrier, but it is unknown which carrier it is.

US Military: Future ace Francis S. 'Gabby' Grabreski graduates from flight school.

Soviet Military: General Rodion Malinovsky becomes commander of Soviet 48th Rifle Corps.

China: The Battle of Shanggao (a county in the northwest of Jiangxi province) begins today when the Japanese 11th Army attacks the headquarters of the Chinese 19th Army.

Japanese Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" fighters have been dominant over China. Today, they score another major success. Chinese ace pilot (seven victories) Major Wong Sun-Sui is flying a Soviet-built I-15III fighter over the southern area of Chengdu, Sichuan Province when a Zero shoots him down. He makes it to a hospital in Sumatou District of Chengdu but perishes from a head wound.

That isn't all. In addition, ace pilot Cen Zeliu (five victories), also flying an I-15III fighter, is shot down apparently in the same engagement, also by a Zero. Cen is remembered as someone who did not pursue medals but was a fine combat pilot (and also deputy commanding officer of the 5th Pursuit Group). The Chinese have great difficulties in the air against the Japanese, and these victories cement the superiority of the Zero over the second-rate import fighters the Chinese use.

American Homefront: The Gallup Organization has been tracking public opinion about the war throughout the conflict. While polling techniques are primitive, the data does provide some information about feelings among ordinary Americans about the distant wars in places many couldn't even locate on a map. Today, in Public Opinion New Service, 14 March 1941, Gallup finds that a small majority of voters with an opinion feel that preventing the Japanese from occupying Singapore and the Dutch East Indies is worth a potential US war.

"Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)" enters the Billboard singles chart. It will be a No. 1 hit for teen weeks.

Future History: Wolfgang Petersen is born in Emden, Germany. He studies theater, then works for West German television. After making his first theatrical film in 1974, Peterson makes a controversial film, "Die Konsequenz," then makes the film he is most remembered for, "Das Boot" (1982). It stars an old friend, Jürgen Prochnow, and tells the tale of a German U-boat. Having made his international reputation off "Das Boot," Peterson goes on to a major film career and still makes films occasionally.

Norma Jeanne Baker aka Marilyn Monroe with Ana Lower's nephew, March 1941. They are standing at the southwest corner of Nebraska and Corinth Avenue in West Los Angeles. The scene looks remarkably similar today (without Marilyn and her friend), as the building behind them, the Nora Sterry (Sawtelle Boulevard school) school Auditorium, is still there. Norma Jeanne attended it in 1938. At the time of this picture, Norma Jeanne is a few months away from graduating from Emerson Junior High School. She is 14 years old.

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

Saturday 14 September 1940

A Japanese bomber (I am guessing a Mitsubishi G3M Nell) attacks Chungking (now Chongqing), China at a bend in the Yangtze River, The light little puffs below it are from exploding bombs. 14 September 1940.

German Military: Adolf Hitler meets with his top cronies from the three services on 14 September 1940. After much blather, he postpones the date of Operation Sealion again. This is typical, as Hitler tends to postpone invasion decisions multiple times until he feels the time is just right. This has worked - so far.

Hitler is enthusiastic about Operation Sealion. However, he decides that the Luftwaffe just needs another four or five days of good weather to finish off the RAF. Thus, he gives Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering carte blanche to act as necessary to eliminate the RAF as a bar to the operation. However, time also is limited because the tides will be best only on the 27th, and the invasion forces need 10 days to prepare. Unless Hitler is willing to risk beginning the operation deep in autumn, September 17, 1940, will be the drop-dead date for Operation Sealion.

There are two main problems:

1. Winter is approaching;
2. The Luftwaffe has not achieved air superiority.

In a sense, the two problems are related. The weather has been miserable all summer long, and the Luftwaffe's equipment requires good weather to achieve its objectives. Obviously, nobody can blame the weather alone for the Luftwaffe's issues, but this shows that the state of the art of airpower - at least in the Luftwaffe, but everywhere else as well - is not advanced enough to achieve the German objectives with the tactics that the Luftwaffe has adopted.

The only time the Luftwaffe seemed to be making progress was when it was attacking RAF airfields and infrastructure exclusively in early September. Hitler and Goering, however, ruined the momentum with the switch to bombing London on 7 September. Now that Hitler has given Goering freedom of action, he may have one last chance to vanquish the RAF, but only by learning from experience and returning to the earlier tactics.

Looking at this incident in retrospect, it is easy to be cynical. Hitler appears to be putting on an act for his own hidden purposes. While he in effect gives the service chiefs a pep talk, in fact, he is not enthusiastic about the invasion at all (as we know from subsequent events). It is impossible to read motivations based on the thin evidence and at this distance, but one can always make some guesses. Hitler may be "playing" Goering and the other commanders to get one last good effort from them before he shelves Sealion for good - at which point they will almost certainly slack off. However, he has a few more days before he has to decide anything.

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), accompanied by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, tour the grounds of Buckingham Palace on September 14, 1940.

Battle of Britain: The weather remains poor, with rain and clouds. However, there are openings in the clouds here and there that permit operations.

The morning sees only a few reconnaissance and weather flights, the norm since the change in strategy on 7 September. Finally, at about 15:30, the Luftwaffe mounts a major operation. About 150 Luftwaffe planes cross the coast near Deal, heading toward London. Another 100 aircraft follow and also attack the center of London. At this point, the center of the capital is ringed by artillery in what is known as the Inner Artillery Zone, and the anti-aircraft fire is intense. However, the RAF remains the main defensive force.

Fierce air battles develop over the Thames Estuary. The bomber escort is especially thick, and the Bf 109s have a good day. RAF No. 73 Squadron, on the other hand, loses three aircraft and has four others badly damaged. The Luftwaffe pilots put in 25 claims, but actual RAF losses are 12 fighters lost and another 9 damaged.

The damage to the city is concentrated in Battersea, Lambeth, and Camberwell. Burst water main in Lambeth stops traffic, and other underground infrastructure takes a beating. There is minor damage to power stations and the Southern Railway Bridge.

At 18:10, the Luftwaffe sends another large force across Dover. This catches the RAF fighters on the ground, but they get up quickly and frighten off many of the bombers. Only a few bombers reach London and they don't cause much damage.

After dark, the Luftwaffe sends over a few raids which are not very successful. They hit various widely dispersed targets in the North Midlands, Essex, and throughout southern England. Kingston, Wimbledon, Brighton, Eastbourne, Ipswich and in Northwestern England all take damage, but usually only randomly dropped bombs that miss anything vital.

Overall, despite the weather, it is a very good day for the Luftwaffe. Losses are even at 14 apiece. The pilots return to base full of enthusiasm about the apparent weakness of Fighter Command.

The Experten of elite fighter formation JG 26 have a great day. Adolf Galland of JG26 gets his 31st victory, a Hurricane over London. Oblt. Joachim Müncheberg of 7./JG 26 gets his 20th victory - entitling him to the Ritterkreuz. Hptm. Rolf Pingel of Stab 1,/JG 26 gets his 15th victory and also is awarded the Ritterkreuz, perhaps in sympathy with all the successes elsewhere in the squadron.

Other top pilots also have a good day. Kommodore of JG 51 Major Werner Mölders gets his 37th victory, a Spitfire over London. Walter Oesau of Stab III./JG 51, meanwhile, shoots down two Spitfires to reach 26 victories.

Douglas Bader of Group 12 is awarded the D.S.O. RAF No. 302 "Polish" Squadron moves to Duxford to join Bader's "Big Wing."

Luftwaffe pilot Oberstlt. Walter Grabmann receives the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

One obscure incident illustrates what is going on with the RAF. A Hurricane of No. 43 Squadron crashes on landing because the pilot, C.K. Gray, is flying with injuries to his arm sustained on 26 August. The RAF remains strained, and cold figures on force tables cannot capture the wear and tear on the front-line men.

RAF Bomber Command attacks the German coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez, without success.

Hurricane fighter planes take off from Gravesend after being refueled and rearmed during the cloudy afternoon to take on the next wave of bombers. 14 September 1940.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command continues its attacks on the northwest European ports harboring invasion barges and airfields. In addition, it bombs various points along the supply chain to those ports, including Osnabruck, Mannheim, Aachen, Hamm, Krefeld, and Brussels. The major British theme of attacking railway installations continues, with stations attacked at Rheine, Ahaus, Sundern, Husten, and West-Hofen. It launches a particularly heavy attack on Antwerp, where German re-supply efforts would originate.

Battle of the Atlantic: Italian submarine Emo (Captain Carlo Liannazza), which has passed through the Straits of Gibraltar en route to the new BETASOM base at Bordeaux, is north of the Azores when it torpedoes and sinks 5199-ton British cargo ship (former tanker) Saint Agnes. Saint Agnes is part of Convoy SL 46. Everybody aboard survives.

British submarine HMS Tuna torpedoes and sinks 1281 ton merchant catapult seaplane tender Ostmark (two seaplanes) southwest of St. Nazaire. It is torpedoed at 05:42 and sinks at 08:10. There is one death.

Vichy French ocean liner Flandre hits a mine and sinks south of La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, in the Bay of Biscay. It splits in two and sinks quickly.

Kriegsmarine trawler NM 11 sinks from fire at its anchorage at Kristiansund, Møre og Romsdal, Norway. There are four deaths.

Two of the three Vichy French cruisers of Force Y make port at Dakar. The third cruiser, Gloire, experiences engine issues and falls behind. It is intercepted by British cruiser Australia which orders it return to Casablanca. The British fleet chasing the cruisers does not know where they are, but it gives up the pursuit anyway and heads to Freetown, West Africa.

At Freetown, the British fleet, led by battleships HMS Barham and Resolution and including French sloops Commandant Domine and Commandant Duboc, prepares for Operation Menace, the attack on Dakar. Offshore, aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and other ships continue to patrol off Dakar, not realizing that the Vichy French cruisers are already there.

U-96 (Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock) is commissioned.

British corvette HMS Honeysuckle (K 27, Lt. George W. Gregorie) is commissioned.

Sgt George CC "Titch" Palliser reported to No 249 Squadron RAF at RAF North Weald on 14 September 1940.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Italian units in Halfaya Pass descend down to meet the Italians advancing along the coast. The British (11th Hussar squadron, the 2nd Rifle Brigade and cruiser tanks of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment (1st RTR)) delay the Italians as much as possible. The Italians on the coast make progress, pushing the British back to Buq Buq, where the British get reinforcements. The British establish a major fallback position at the railhead of Mersa Matruh, which is a major destination for both sides throughout World War II (during fluid battles, a standing joke amongst the British is that the latest "Mersa Matruh stakes" is on). Halfaya Pass, too, we will be reading more about.

At Malta, there is an air raid alert around 2030. However, the bomber over Grand Harbour drops its bombs in the water and fleets, while scattered bombs drop in the north. Meanwhile, the army has been installing beach obstacles to deter invasion. They are concrete pyramid blocks set at the one-fathom mark in two staggered rows. However, there now is a shortage of concrete, and the weather is making installation difficult.

Japanese/Vichy French Relations: With the French stalling negotiations in protest at Japanese incursions into French Indochina, the Japanese decide to take advantage of Vichy French weakness. The Imperial General Headquarters issues orders for troops to move into French Indochina beginning on 22 September.

Hungarian troops in Zalău, near Ip, 9 September 1940.

War Crimes: In Northern Transylvania, the Hungarians have completed their occupation of the territory ceded by Romania. At the village of Ip, Sălaj, Hungarian troops kill 55 civilians in the forest at Felsőkaznacs and Szilágcseres (present-day Cosniciu de Sus and Cerișa). The reason given is reprisals for guerrilla attacks on the occupying troops. Reports indicate that, in addition to the specific instances such as this one at Ip, the Hungarian soldiers simply march through towns killing people indiscriminately - and they do indeed find some guerillas, though only a fraction of the people killed. The number of people murdered will never be known, but it is assumed to be in the mid-hundreds. While there are killings throughout the region, this is generically known as the Ip Massacre.

This is one of a string of incidents in the region that inflame tensions between the Romanian inhabitants and the occupying force. Reports suggest that the troops are supported by local "vigilante groups" settling old scores with the Romanians who remain. This is a common theme throughout World War II, and not just in this region, with changes in control unleashing buried hatreds and resentments.

Posted to No 249 Squadron RAF on 14 September 1940, P/O Albert G "Zulu" Lewis (left) of No 249 Squadron RAF enjoys a game of L'Attaque at RAF North Weald.

Romania: Ion Antonescu proclaims the new National Legionary State. This transforms the Iron Guard into the country's only official political party. Antonescu officially becomes Premier and Conducător, while Horia Sima becomes Deputy Premier and remains the leader of the Guard. Antonescu orders all imprisoned Iron Guard members released.

Free France: General de Gaulle receives more potential followers when the Ex-Servicemen’s General Assembly of Saint Pierre and Miquelon - two small islands off Newfoundland that contain French bases - pledge their support. However, the local Vichy authorities quickly crush the group. The islands remain outposts of Vichy France in the Western Hemisphere, along with bases in the Caribbean.

Australia: Troop Convoy US 5 departs for the Middle East.

US Military: General Jonathan Mayhew "Skinny" Wainwright IV, just promoted to Major General (temporary) departs New York City aboard US Army Transport Grant for the Philippines. He is taking up his new command there as the commander of the Philippine Detachment. He is or becomes one of General MacArthur's favorite Generals, and, while MacArthur at this time is in retirement, he is a Field Marshal in the Philippine Army and his opinion matters.

American Homefront: The draft is reinstated as President Roosevelt signs the Selective Service Act. For the first time in US history during peacetime, there is a draft - and it is very unpopular. All men between the ages of 21 and 35 must register with local draft boards pursuant to the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, also known as the Burke-Wadsworth Act.

One of the little-remembered portions of the Selective Service Act of 1940 is that, for the first time, African Americans are permitted to join any branch of the military. This is a key and little-noted moment in civil rights history and has widespread and unexpected effects on society. It arguably begins the Civil Rights movement.

Future History: Larry Brown is born in Brooklyn, New York. He becomes a professional basketball player in the 1960s, then a very successful college and professional coach. Brown becomes famous/notorious for numerous job changes and a high career winning percentage. He resigned his most recent job as the coach at SMU in July 2016 after the NCAA imposed sanctions on the program for alleged violations, and it is unclear if he has retired.

On 14 September 1940, refugees with their salvaged furniture and belongings linger in front of their damaged homes in the London area (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images).

September 1940

September 1, 1940: RAF's Horrible Weekend
September 2, 1940: German Troopship Sunk
September 3, 1940: Destroyers for Bases
September 4, 1940: Enter Antonescu
September 5, 1940: Stukas Over Malta
September 6, 1940: The Luftwaffe Peaks
September 7, 1940: The Blitz Begins
September 8, 1940: Codeword Cromwell
September 9, 1940: Italians Attack Egypt
September 10, 1940: Hitler Postpones Sealion
September 11, 1940: British Confusion at Gibraltar
September 12, 1940: Warsaw Ghetto Approved
September 13, 1940: Zeros Attack!
September 14, 1940: The Draft Is Back
September 15, 1940: Battle of Britain Day
September 16, 1940: italians Take Sidi Barrani
September 17, 1940: Sealion Kaputt
September 18, 1940: City of Benares Incident
September 19, 1940: Disperse the Barges
September 20, 1940: A Wolfpack Gathers
September 21, 1940: Wolfpack Strikes Convoy HX-72
September 22, 1940: Vietnam War Begins
September 23, 1940: Operation Menace Begins
September 24, 1940: Dakar Fights Back
September 25, 1940: Filton Raid
September 26, 1940: Axis Time
September 27, 1940: Graveney Marsh Battle
September 28, 1940: Radio Belgique Begins
September 29, 1940: Brocklesby Collision
September 30, 1940: Operation Lena

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