As its nose art, this RAF bomber quotes Hermann Goering as saying "No enemy bomber will operate over the Reich territory" (Life).
German Government: On 9 August 1939, Hermann Goering (Göring), the head of the Luftwaffe, makes a prediction:
The Ruhr will not be subjected to a single bomb. If an enemy bomber reaches the Ruhr, my name is not Hermann Göring: you can call me Meyer!
The phrase "I want to be called Meyer if …." is a typical German idiom meant to imply that the thing mentioned is impossible. While some view Goering's use of the word Meyer (or Meier) as being an insult to Jews, that does not appear to have been the intent. In fact, Meyer (spelled in different ways) is the second most common surname in Germany.
The promise, of course, is quickly broken. Some Allied bomber crews even paint the phrase or a variation of it on the noses of their aircraft as a sort of impudent rebuke. By 1945, Berlin's air raid sirens become known to the city's residents as "Meier's trumpets," or "Meier's hunting horns." However, Goering himself remains popular with the people even during the last days of the Battle of Berlin.
At Berchtesgaden, Adolf Hitler holds a conference on the Danzig (Gdansk) situation with Albert Foster, the NSDAP Gauleiter for the city. The plan is for Foster to stage "agitations" for a German annexation of the city and prepare the way for the entry of German troops, many of whom will be arriving before the outbreak of hostilities in plain clothes. Hitler has a full slate of meetings scheduled for this week during which he announces his fateful plans for the outbreak of World War II.
Silent film actress Phyllis Gordon (1889 – 1964) window-shopping in Earls Court, London, on August 9, 1939. She is accompanied by her four-year-old cheetah, flown to Britain from Kenya.
Italian Government: The Mussolini government imposes fines on anyone moving from rural areas to cities with populations over 25,000 inhabitants. The intent is to keep people safe from possible bombing raids upon the cities. The Italian government is actively encouraging citizens to move out of citizens, and this new law is intended to further these internal migration patterns.
British Government: George VI conducts a fleet review of 133 ships at Weymouth Bay. Throughout the war, King George remains very close to military affairs.
US Government: Among a flurry of bills being finalized before its recess, Congress passes 31 USC 401. It authorizes the confiscation and forfeiture of vehicles, vessels, and aircraft being used to transport certain illegal items. This act is amended in 1950 to include a vast array of drug-related contraband among the items making a vehicle etc. subject to forfeiture.
The Fremont, Nebraska, Fremont Tribune for 9 August 1939 notes that 'Yankees Fret As Losses Continue," but today is the start of something big for them and one of their players.
American Homefront: In her nationally syndicated "My Day" column, Eleanor Roosevelt ponders the beginning of a long recess for Congress:
As I look over the last few weeks, I begin to think that some of the press is correct in thinking that the Republican minority with 20 to 25 percent of the minority Democrats are going to stand out primarily for their sporting disposition. These two minorities, which constitute a majority, have made two bets with the public. One is that there will be no war in Europe until they return in January. If they lose, it might be rather serious, for little influence could be brought to bear by the Executive to try to avert war.
Of course, nobody overseas is looking to Washington to have any influence on a coming European war. However, Roosevelt's comments always give some insight into how the highest echelons of the U.S. government are viewing world affairs, and the threat of war clearly is on her mind.
New York Yankees third baseman Red Rolfe begins an 18-game run-scoring streak that will never (as of this writing) be broken and only tied once in 2000. Rolfe's 139 runs scored in 1939 leads the league.
Future History: Claude Wilson Osteen is born in Caney Spring, Tennessee. He becomes a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1957 - 1975 and a three-time All-Star.
The Golden Gate International Exposition, a World's Fair held on Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay, declares 9 August 1939 "Matson Day" after the shipping company.
Battle of the Pacific: Thailand, on 25 January 1942, declares war on the Allies, and Britain, New Zealand, and South Africa reciprocate. While Thailand does not have a particularly imposing military, it does have an extremely useful location for Japanese troops invading Burma. General Archibald Wavell, Commander in Chief Australian-British- Dutch-American (ABDA) Command, South West Pacific, flies to Rangoon and finds the situation deteriorating rapidly. The battle line is west of the Salween River, opposite Moulmein, and Wavell orders Moulmein held. The Japanese are bringing up reinforcements via Thailand, however, and the unit tasked with holding Moulmein, the 16th Brigade, Indian 17th Division, is overmatched and at best can delay the Japanese.
On the Malay Peninsula, Lieutenant General Arthur Percival meets with Generals Bennett and Heath. They decide to order a withdrawal by the troops at Buta Pahat back to Singapore. The British in any event are unable to hold Batu Pahat after furious battles during the day, including attempts to reinforce the garrison with the British 53rd Brigade Group. Indian 3 Corps begins pulling out of the area after dark. The Japanese focus their attack in the western portion of the line, and the 2/20th AIF Battalion evacuates Mersing to Jemaluang Crossroads.
"Malaya. AIF artillerymen firing a 25 pounder gun from beside a rubber plantation." January 1942. Australian War Memorial 011303/30.
In Borneo, the Japanese expand their hold at Balikpapan, where they already are in possession of the critical refinery. Their advance southward is slow because the Dutch garrison has destroyed the bridges on the main coastal road. Late in the day, the Japanese reach Balikpapan City, which the Dutch have abandoned. The Japanese send their Surprise Attack Unit south of the Reservoir and head upriver toward the village of Banoeabaroe. The remaining Dutch troops in the area attempt to withdraw via the coast road, but the Surprise Attack Unit cuts them off. After that, the Surprise Attack returns to Balikpapan City and helps to complete its occupation.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch for 25 January 1942 has timely news about the Battle of the Makassar Strait, an American victory.
In the Philippines, the eastern half of the Allied line controlled by II Corps pulls back under pressure. I Corps, in control of the western half of the line, also pulls back and abandons its defenses at Mauban south of Moron (Morong). The Japanese roadblock on West Road behind the main front line continues to be a thorn in the I Corps side, and the US command has to divert additional troops to it from the west. The small Japanese bridgehead far to the south at Quinauan and Longoskawayan Points also holds out against fierce Allied attacks, though it is being forced back against some cliffs. It is a bitter battle, with heavy casualties on both sides. The retreat down the Bataan Peninsula has progressed so far now that the southern beach areas now shift from the control of the Service Command Area to the military commanders of I and II Corps.
"Warangoi River, New Britain. 1942-01. The Adler River, in the Bainings Mountains on the eastern side of the Gazelle Peninsula, an obstacle to the Australian troops retreating from Rabaul after the successful attack by Japanese forces. This is the point where at least two parties of retreating Australian troops crossed the Adler River. The first party of twenty-one men from the Anti-aircraft Battery Rabaul and the 17th Anti-tank Battery crossed here on 1942-01-26 securing a lawyer vine rope to cross the river. This image was taken in late January 1942 and shows some of the men of Sergeant L. I. H. (Les) Robbins' party fording the river as they make their way south toward Palmalmal Plantation and rescue in April 1942." The Japanese are in firm control of the port of Rabaul on 25 January 1942, but their grip on the rest of New Britain is tenuous. The retreating Australian troops have nowhere to go and little hope of rescue, but they can hide out in the jungles for as long as they can find food and water. Australian War Memorial P02395.012.
Sailors in the Japanese Navy continue to feel invulnerable and use their submarines to take potshots at US military installations. on 25 January 1942, Japanese submarine I-73 shells the US base on Midway Island. Meanwhile, I-59 enters Sabang Roads, Sumatra (Indonesia) and sinks a freighter and captures part of the crew.
Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel on an inspection tour of the front, January 1942 (Gemini, Ernst A., Federal Archive Figure 183-H26262).
Battle of the Mediterranean: Panzer Group Africa continues its offensive and takes Msus. British 1st Armoured Division, 13 Corps, falls back on Mechili. Indian 4th Division evacuates Benghazi and Barce, protected by a small detachment of tanks from the 1st Armoured Division. British General Neal Ritchie, General Officer Commanding Eighth Army, then orders the Indian 4th Division and 1st Armoured Division to prepare a counterattack.
U-123 (Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen, shown here in January/February 1942, was the first U-boat operating off the east coast of the United States as part of Operation Drumbeat. On 25 January 1942, it sinks British freighter Culebra.
Battle of the Atlantic: Operation Paukenschlag (Drumbeat), the U-boat offensive off the east coast of the United States, continues claiming victims. U-125 (Kptlt. Ulrich Folkers) is on its third patrol out of Lorient attacks 7294-ton US tanker Olney off Cape Lookout, North Carolina. Attempting to escape, Olney's captain grounds the tanker. Olney later proceeds to port, its minor damage is repaired, and returns to service.
U-130 (KrvKpt. Ernst Kals) is on its second patrol out of Lorient. Today, it is operating off the coast of New Jersey and torpedoes and sinks 9305-ton Norwegian tanker Varanger. Everyone is rescued.
British freighter Culebra, sunk by U-123 on 25 January 1942.
U-123 (Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen) is on its seventh patrol out of Lorient. It was the first U-boat to reach the US east coast and now is on its way back to France. Today, in the mid-Atlantic, it uses its deck gun to attack and sink 3044-ton British freighter Culebra, which was dispersed from Convoy ON-53 and is en route from London/Loch Ewe to Bermuda/Jamaica. There are no survivors. Captain Hardegan praises the crew of the Culebra in his log, noting their "astonishing cold-bloodedness" as the Culebra's crew puts up a heroic fight with its deck gun.
U-754 (Kptlt. Hans Oestermann) is on its first patrol out of Kiel. Today, it torpedoes and sinks 3876-ton Greek collier Mount Kitheron about two miles off St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. There are 12 deaths and 24 survivors.
German soldiers on the march in southern USSR, January 1942 (Grunewald, Federal Archive Picture 101I-539-0393-26A).
Eastern Front: The Red Army advance west of Moscow continues on 25 January 1942. The advancing Soviets encircle Kholm (south of Lake Ilmen). Isolated in the pocket are about 5500 German troops under the command of General Theodor Scherer, primarily of the 218th Infantry Division and the 553rd Regiment of the 329th Division, but with many other men from other units, too. Unlike in the larger Demyansk pocket nearby, there is not enough land for an airstrip, so all supplies must be air-dropped - which is hazardous for both the planes and the German soldiers who sometimes are enticed into going dangerously close to Soviet outposts to get the containers.
Greek freighter Mount Kitheron, torpedoed off St. John's, Newfoundland, on 25 January 1942.
The Soviet troops are occupying vast swathes of territory during the Moscow counteroffensive, but it is not easy. They are struggling through snowdrifts and over icy roads, and the fact that they are encountering little opposition from the Wehrmacht, which is, for the most part, sitting tight in fortified towns, is cold comfort. Due to necessity, the Germans have adopted a strong-point strategy (also called a hedgehog defense) wherein they occupy isolated fortified towns and villages while basically conceding everywhere else to the Soviets. This has been put in motion not out of some kind of well-thought strategy, but because Hitler has ordered the troops to hold towns without regard to being surrounded. The hedgehog defense actually is very effective (it is "invented" by NATO in the 1970s), but flies in the face of 1942 military doctrine.
German soldiers use sleds to unload a Junkers Ju 52 transport in the Demyansk pocket south of Lake Ilmen, January 1942 (Ullrich, Gerhard, Federal Archive Bild 101I-003-3446-21).
On the Crimea Peninsula, Soviet General Kozlov continues sending reinforcements by sea to his small bridgehead at Sudak, which is far behind the mainline. Kozlov is convinced that the Germans don't have the strength to eliminate the bridgehead, but German General Fretter-Pico already is diverting troops from 30 Corps which will soon be in a position to attack with devastating superiority.
Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering and Italian leader Benito Mussolini watch a demonstration of aircraft prototypes at Furbara Airfield, January 1942 (Federal Archive Picture 146-1979-155-22).
Australian Government: The Australian War Cabinet calls up for military service "all able-bodied white male British subjects" between the ages of 18 and 45 years old.
General Erwin Rommel, leader of Panzer Group Africa, with General Ludwig Cruwell, commander of Afrika Korps, near El Agheila on 12 January 1942. They are meeting with leaders of Italian Division "Pavia." Rommel begins planning a counteroffensive today (Gemini, Ernst A., Federal Archive Picture 183-1982-0927-503).
Battle of the Mediterranean: The 2nd South African Division forces the surrender of the German/Italian stronghold at Sollum on the Egyptian border early on 12 January 1942. The Sollum fortress provided an outlet to the sea for the 5,000 Italian troops holding out at Halfaya Pass, so now they are completely isolated (though the sea routes weren't very useful anyway due to Royal Navy control of the sea). The Italian defenders of the Halfaya position are dug in and determined to hold out, but they are running out of food and water and their position is hopeless. Hopeless, that is, unless Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel pulls off a miracle and stages a counteroffensive to relieve them. Such is the growing legend of Rommel that the Italians are willing to suffer extreme privations in the belief that miracles do happen and the panzers will suddenly appear on the horizon. Unbeknownst to the Italian defenders, Rommel does begin planning just such a counteroffensive today. Rommel, as is his common practice, does not inform either the Italian or German high commands. This prevents Allied codebreakers from learning of the plans. Whether the hard-pressed Italians at Halfaya can hold out until the Germans counterattack is doubtful.
German 1840-ton freighter Turkheim torpedoed and sunk by Soviet submarine S-102 on 12 January 1942. The Turkheim was sunk near Hamningberg - Vardø in northern Norway.
Just east of Cape Spartivento, Italy, British submarine HMS Unbeaten (Cdr Edward "Teddy" Woodward) spots U-374 (Oblt.z.S. Unno von Fischel) on the surface. Damaged on 10 January 1942 by Royal Navy destroyer HMS Legion and Dutch destroyer Isaac Sweers, U-374 is unable to submerge. Commander Woodward torpedoes U-374, sinking it and killing 42 men. There is one survivor that Unbeaten takes prisoner.
In this photo taken on 12 January 1942, the German battleship Tirpitz leaves Kiel and sails through the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal to return to Wilhelmshaven. The Germans are making big decisions about their big ships today
Battle of the Atlantic: Adolf Hitler is losing confidence in the ability of the Kriegsmarine to operate surface ships in the Atlantic. They also are not safe in their anchorage at Brest, France, because of massive RAF bombing raids which already have caused the ships some damage. Hitler, however, sees continued use for the surface ships in the far north of Norway to intercept Allied convoys to Russia and to aid in coastal defense. For them to operate in Norway, though, the ships first need to return past England to the Baltic. This can be done in either of two ways, either in a large, dangerous loop to the west of Great Britain or an even more dangerous, but much quicker, journey straight up the narrow English Channel. Hitler chooses the latter.
German battleship Tirpitz sails through the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal during its return to Wilhelmshaven on 12 January 1942.
Hitler orders Admiral Raeder to prepare plans for a "surprise break up the Channel" by the cruisers to reach the German Atlantic port of Wilhelmshaven. Raeder today opposes the plan, at least if it uses the channel route, but agrees to prepare and execute the operation as long as Hitler himself gives the final order to execute it. The Luftwaffe also opposes the plan but agrees to execute it as Unternehmen Donnerkeil (Operation Thunderbolt). It is planned for right before a new moon in early February 1942. The entire Channel Dash is given the codename Operation Cerberus, apparently because Cerberus in mythology is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld, and several German heavy cruisers (Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Prinz Eugen) are to make the journey.
German battleship Tirpitz sails through the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal during its return to Wilhelmshaven on 12 January 1942.
Battle of the Pacific: US Navy Task Force 8.6, led by heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35) and light cruisers Detroit (CL-8) and Raleigh (CL-7), escorts Amulet Force to a successful landing on Amchitka Island. This is 2,000 men under the command of Brigadier General Lloyd E. Jones. During the landing, a fierce storm hits which, along with a tricky current, causes destroyer Worden to hit a submerged rock. The destroyer loses power and it eventually drifts ashore and is broken up. There are fourteen dead, but its commanding officer, Cdr William G. Pogue, is hauled out of the water unconscious but alive.
Tugs assisting German battleship Tirpitz as it sails through the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal during its return to Wilhelmshaven on 12 January 1942.
With the Japanese seizing control of a large portion of the southwest Pacific, the US Army Air Force establishes a new southern route from Hawaii to Australia south of the Philippines. Three USAAF B-17 bombers complete the first flight from Hawaii to Australia today. The Combined Chiefs of Staff approve plans to garrison a chain of islands along this route that will include American Samoa, Bora Bora, Canton Island, Christmas Island, the Fiji Islands, and Palmyra Island.
Life magazine on 12 January 1942 features "Pacific Coast Defense."
The limits of British air defenses in Singapore are amply demonstrated today when a flight of 27 Japanese bombers is chased by RAAF Brewster Buffaloes after completing a mission over the island. The Japanese pilots manage to outrun the obsolete fighters, causing a RAAF pilot to comment, ""Bombers outpacing fighters. You've got to bloody-well laugh." On land, the Japanese forces stream through Kuala Lumpur and head toward Johore, where the British are planning their last stand on the Malay Peninsula.
Time magazine for 12 January 1942 features Sir Henry Pownall, "Trustee of Singapore." Pownall was the commander-in-chief of the British Far East Command in South East Asia until January 942 when it was succeeded by the short-lived ABDACOM. He is currently chief of staff to General Sir Archibald Wavell. (Ernest Hamlin Baker).
In the Philippines, the Japanese have closed up to the Allied outpost line across the neck of the Bataan Peninsula and begin major attacks. Allied forces are divided into two Corps, I Corps in the west and II Corps in the east, with II Corps being slightly more powerful because it represents the "short route" for the Japanese forces coming from the east. The Japanese make gains against the Filipino 51st Division in the western portion of the II Corps area and the Filipino 41st Division in the center of the II Corps line. In the east portion of the II Corps line, the Japanese cross the Calaguiman River and establish bridgeheads on the south bank. In the I Corps area, the Japanese use boats to seize undefended Grande Island in Manila Bay.
At Tarakan, a triangle-shaped island less than three miles off the Borneo coast, the Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger (Royal Netherlands East Indies Army, or KNIL) garrison surrenders in the morning of 12 January. The triumphant Sakaguchi Detachment and 2nd Kure Special Naval Landing Force drown 219 POWs as retaliation for losses they suffered during the Battle of Tarakan. Most of the Dutch ships based at Tarakan manage to escape, but Japanese destroyer Yamakaze and patrol boat P-38 sink Dutch minelayer Prins van Oranje as it attempts a run for safety.
U-43 (Kptlt. Wolfgang Lüth) torpedoes and sinks 5246-ton Swedish freighter Yngaren about 600 miles west of Ireland on 12 January 1942. The Yngaren was carrying a cargo of 4696 tons copra, 3000 tons manganese ore, and 80 tons trucks and 8 aircraft. There are 38 deaths and 2 survivors.
On Celebes (Sulawesi), the Battle of Manado ends in a Japanese victory. Japanese paratroopers are dropped at the airfield at Longoan. They suffer heavy casualties but secure the field. The local Dutch commander, Captain W.C. van den Berg, retreats with his forces inland and prepares to begin a guerilla campaign. Van den Berg's men are almost all retired men who are long past normal military age. There are a few more isolated Dutch outposts left to capture and the guerilla campaign poses some problems for the Japanese, but, for all intents and purposes, the battle for Celebes is over. The Japanese always have an ace card in these situations because they effectively hold civilians hostage (including women) and have no compunctions about executing them in retaliation for Allied raids.
Oberleutnant Erbo Graf von Kageneck, a holder of the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and Staffelkapitän of the 9./JG 27 fighter unit. He dies of wounds suffered in North Africa at a Naples, Italy, hospital on 12 January 1942. Kageneck is posthumously promoted to Hauptmann and finishes with 67 victories. It is believed that Australian ace Clive Caldwell shot him down.
Eastern Front: The Soviet 51st Division on the Crimea deploys its two regiments along the new line that runs from north to south on the Parpach Narrows. The Germans have assembled four divisions for an attack on the Red Army's 51st and 44th Divisions and to recapture Feodosiya, the key port in the south. The Luftwaffe also is building up its forces to help the attack under newly formed Special Staff Crimea. It is commanded by General Robert Ritter von Greim.
The Soviet advance toward Sychevka, a train stop on the critical rail line between Vyazma and Rzhev, becomes a critical problem as the day wears on. The Germans holding the town can distinctly hear the fighting just to the east. The large German presence anchored at Rzhev would become untenable if the railway line is cut, so holding Sychevka is critical. Ninth Army commander General Adolf Strauss has his headquarters at Sychevka and remains in the town. However, all telephone and telegraph lines have been cut, so the Germans in Sychevka are out of communication with the army's own units. The Soviets have broken through on both sides, but the German hope is that by holding Sychevka itself, the railway line can be secured. The railway line already is basically out of commission at this point anyway because of snowdrifts and the disappearance of the Soviet civilians who have been operating the Soviet locomotives.
Reinhard Heydrich speaking with Hermann Goering at Goering's birthday celebration, Jan. 12, 1942.
German Homefront: It is Hermann Goering's birthday, an event that is celebrated each year throughout the Reich. Among others, Reinhard Heydrich visits Goering at Karinhall, Goering's estate near Berlin.
American Homefront: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9017 establishing the National War Labor Board (NWLB). William Hammatt Davis is its first chairman. Its purpose is to prevent labor problems from interfering with the war effort. The NWLB sets wage controls for industries deemed vital to the war effort, including automobiles, shipping, railways, airlines, telegraph lines, and mining. The NWLB supersedes the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) established in 1935. The NLRB remains in existence for matters deemed less important to the war effort and eventually resumes its original mission after the NWLB is discontinued in 1945.
The US Office of Price Administration decrees that hot dogs from now on must be made from a mixture of meat and soy meal. These are to be called "victory sausages."
Having enlisted on 10 January, the day after his recent title fight against Buddy Baer, boxer Joe Louis reports for duty at Camp Upton amid a media blitz.
Children emptying their piggy banks to buy war stamps. The Times of Munster, Indiana, 12 January 1942.
Adolf Hitler and cronies during his speech at the Kroll Opera House on 11 December 1941.
German/US Relations: On 11 December 1941, Adolf Hitler instructs Reich Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop to deliver a formal declaration of war to United States Chargé d'Affaires in Berlin Leland B. Morris. The primary reason for this, as stated in the text of the declaration, is the order given by President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt on 11 September 1941 for US warships to "fire upon" Kriegsmarine war vessels "on sight." The United States Congress then votes to declare war on Germany within hours, passing the:
Joint Resolution Declaring That a State of War Exists Between The Government of Germany and the Government and the People of the United States and Making Provisions To Prosecute The Same.
Adolf Hitler gives a long speech to the Reichstag at the Kroll Opera House explaining this decision. President Roosevelt, however, merely sends down a written request to Congress asking for a declaration of war.
The Reich's declaration of war against the United States is considered Hitler's worst blunder of the war, topped only, perhaps, by his invasion of the Soviet Union. The reasons for Hitler's decision are debated, but his previous speeches indicate a deep resentment about the United States for flouting the international rules of warfare in support of Great Britain. Another possible motivation is to draw attention away from the Eastern Front, where the Wehrmacht is reeling due to the Red Army counteroffensive at Moscow. Hitler also is a creature of the Great War, and many of his strategies mirror those taken by the German Empire in that conflict. In this instance, Hitler adopts the thinking of the German high command in 1917 that unrestricted submarine warfare could finally isolate England and cause its eventual starvation and surrender. This would prevent United States intervention on the Continent and free the Reich's military to finally subdue the USSR. The strategy did not work in World War I, but perhaps Hitler thinks that the United States Navy is inadequate to fight a two-ocean war. In any event, the Reich is not bound by a treaty to support the Empire of Japan. While the Japanese Ambassador has sought such written assurance, the Reich has not provided them. In any event, Hitler never shows much deference to treaties regardless of how applicable they may be. This is Hitler's decision alone, made after four days of consideration, and stands as his only formal declaration of war.
President Roosevelt signs the declaration of war against Germany, 11 December 1941.
Axis Relations: In Italy, Benito Mussolini issues a statement declaring war on the United States. Germany, Italy, and Japan, the original signatories of the Tripartite Pact, sign a new agreement that bars any of them from making a separate peace with either the United States or Great Britain. Various other countries declare war on one side or the other in the coming days, but the main battle lines now are drawn.
The New York Times continues lacing real news with not-so-real news in its headlines. The United States has not even seen any of Japan's battleships or aircraft carriers yet, much less damaged them. While two Japanese destroyers are sunk off Wake Island today, that is merely a happy coincidence of which the Times reporters are completely unaware. As for stopping the Japanese on land, that also sort of is true on Wake Island, but not anywhere else - particularly on Guam, where the US garrison already has surrendered.
Battle of the Pacific: Four days have gone by at Pearl Harbor, and still the military in the Hawaiian Islands has no idea where the attackers of 7 December 1941 came from or where they went. The priority since the attack has been recovery and self-preservation, but no countermeasures. Today, the US Army Air Force finally attempts to find out, sending six Douglas B-18 Bolos to investigate the waters offshore. They find nothing: the Imperial Japanese Navy's main striking force, Kido Butai, is long gone.
Destruction at Wheeler Field in Hawaii, as photographed on 11 December 1941.
The war in the Pacific proceeds much as it has since the first Japanese attacks, with steady Japanese gains and only occasional flashes of success by the Allies. Hong Kong's defenses are under artillery fire and aerial attack, and the British defenses on Kowloon and the New Territories already are crumbling. The British begin to evacuate all forces to Hong Kong Island, with no assurance that it can be held, either. In the Philippines, the Japanese already are on Luzon and heading south on Route 5 toward Tuguegarao and Laoag. They also embark 2500 men of the 16th Division for landings in southern Luzon to take place early on the 12th. On the Malay Peninsula, the Indian 9th Division of Indian III Corps begins pulling out of Kelantan, retreating from the airfields at Gong Kedah and Machang which the Japanese are now happy to use. The Japanese harass the retreating Indian troops as they head south.
While driving to the Kroll Opera House to give his speech to the Reichstag, Adolf Hitler's Mercedes passes by the Foreign Ministry. Note that everyone except the soldiers on duty offer Hitler the "Hitler greeting" (Hitlergruß) (AP Photo).
At Wake Island, however, things are a bit brighter for the Americans, as the 1st Defense Battalion defeats attempted landings by the South Seas Force and even manages to sink destroyer Hayate (one survivor) using six 5-inch coastal defense guns. US Navy F4F-3 Wildcats, flown in less than a week ago, also bomb and sink destroyer Kisaragi (no survivors). The Japanese are forced to withdraw. US reporters, hungry for any positive news, make up a legend that the US commander on the island, naval aviator Commander Winfield S. Cunningham, USN, sends his superiors the cheeky message "Send us more [Japanese]" when asked what he needs. This charming invention makes headlines around the world, but it does sum up the feelings of many following the first United States success against the Empire of Japan. The Japanese, however, are not happy to lose two destroyers and hand the enemy a propaganda victory, so they immediately divert aircraft carriers Sōryū and Hiryū from Kido Butai (which is in the vicinity following its successful strike against Pearl Harbor) to help take Wake Island. The US Navy, meanwhile, is still unable to send any aid to the embattled US Marines and hundreds of civilian construction workers on the island.
Judy Garland and Lana Turner on the set of "Ziegfeld Girl," 11 December 1941 (Clarence Sinclair Bull, via The Judy Garland Experience).
The Reich's Declaration of War upon the United States:
MR. CHARGE D'AFFAIRES: The Government of the United States having violated in the most flagrant manner and in ever increasing measure all rules of neutrality in favor of the adversaries of Germany and having continually been guilty of the most severe provocations toward Germany ever since the outbreak of the European war, provoked by the British declaration of war against Germany on September 3, 1939, has finally resorted to open military acts of aggression. On September 11, 1941, the President of the United States publicly declared that he had ordered the American Navy and Air Force to shoot on sight at any German war vessel. In his speech of October 27, 1941, he once more expressly affirmed that this order was in force. Acting under this order, vessels of the American Navy, since early September 1941, have systematically attacked German naval forces. Thus, American destroyers, as for instance the Greer, the Kearney and the Reuben James, have opened fire on German submarines according to plan. The Secretary of the American Navy, Mr. Knox, himself confirmed that-American destroyers attacked German submarines. Furthermore, the naval forces of the United States, under order of their Government and contrary to international law have treated and seized German merchant vessels on the high seas as enemy ships. The German Government therefore establishes the following facts: Although Germany on her part has strictly adhered to the rules of international law in her relations with the United States during every period of the present war, the Government of the United States from initial violations of neutrality has finally proceeded to open acts of war against Germany. The Government of the United States has thereby virtually created a state of war. The German Government, consequently, discontinues diplomatic relations with the United States of America and declares that under these circumstances brought about by President Roosevelt Germany too, as from today, considers herself as being in a state of war with the United States of America. Accept, Mr. Charge d'Affaires, the expression of my high consideration. December 11, 1941. RIBBENTROP
Hermann Goering, upper left, presides over the Reichstag as Adolf Hitler declares war upon the United States.
A dead child in Clydebank. This picture of the aftermath of the Clydebank Blitz was censored during the war. On or about 15 March 1941.
Italian/Greek Campaign: The first phase of the Italian Primavera Offensive ends today, 15 March 1941. At Mussolini's insistence, ground attacks continue, but the main effort now is Italian artillery barrages. The offensive is a failure, but at least it is not a catastrophe like the opening offensive of the war in October, when the Italians not only failed to advance but were forced to retreat ("We are advancing to the rear!"). The Italian lines hold while the Generals bring up reinforcements and plan new attacks. Responding to recent strong Regia Aeronautica activity, the RAF attacks Italian airfields at Berat and Valona.
Mussolini knows by this point that he cannot lose this war because the Wehrmacht is just over the horizon and the weather is improving. However, if he is to regain any semblance of equality with Hitler, Mussolini must pull off some kind of military achievement in the few weeks that remain before the German tide washes over the battlefield. Thus, he has every incentive to throw his men into further pointless battles that wash the mountain crags and gullies with their blood, in the vague hope that suddenly his troops will find some weakness in the Greek lines and turn a disaster into an honorable campaign.
East African Campaign: Lieutenant-General William Platt finally has his forces arranged to attack the Italian strong point of Keren again. At 07:00, the 4th Indian Infantry Division begins attacking from Cameron Ridge, on the left side of Dongolaas Gorge. Their objectives are Sanchil, Brig's Peak, Hog's Back and the three peaks of Mount Sammana - essentially, the heights overlooking the gorge. The main problem for the Indian troops is that there is no cover - they are exposed to Italian fire from above, and often from all sides. Both sides take heavy casualties in this attack. The RAF sends Blenheim and Wellesley bombers over the battlefield, but bombs do little against the rocks and gravel.
On the right side of the Dongolaas Gorge, the 5th Indian Infantry and 2nd Highland Light Infantry also attack. As on the left, the problem for the British is the fact that the Italians have the high ground and can shoot down on soldiers advancing over bare rock. The British forces make little progress on this site, either. However, after dark, the 9th Brigade makes progress and attacks the Pimple and Pinnacle features. After a vicious battle, the Indian troops take the Pinnacle. However, the Italian forces at Fort Dologorodoc remain intact and plan a counterattack in the morning.
While Platt attacks the strong Italian defenses at Keren, he also wants to flank the strong point and cut its lines of communications. The Indian troops of 4/16 Punjab probe the Italian defenses on Engiahat and find them to be very strong. The British bring up artillery for an assault on Engiahat, while a Foreign Legion battalion moves up to occupy Mount Gegghiro and free troops for the assault on Engiahat.
The Glasgow Herald reported on the recent heavy Luftwaffe raids on Glasgow and Clydebank, 15 March 1941.
European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command puts 21 bombers over Dusseldorf. Another 37 aircraft attack the U-boat pens at Lorient.
The Luftwaffe attacks London with 101 bombers, losing two Heinkel He 111s.
Glasgow and Clydebank begin recovering from the Clydebank Blitz of 13-15 March. The authorities later calculate that 528 people have been killed and 617 seriously injured in Clydebank, and 1200 killed and 1100 seriously injured in all of Clydeside. Glasgow is calculated as having about 650 people killed. The massive number of people made homeless in Clydebank are dispersed to surrounding localities.
"Distribution of people made homeless by the raids who were evacuated from Clydebank, 17 March 1941." National Records of Scotland, ED31/528.
Battle of the Atlantic: Operating in the Atlantic shipping lanes near the Cape Verde Islands, German heavy cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst only have a few days left to find targets. Scheduled to head to Brest on the 18th, they have little time to find more victims. Normally, a few days at sea in the vast Atlantic would pass without incident, and the ships would make a quick run to the coast. However, Admiral Lütjens gets lucky. With his two tankers trailing him, Lütjens spots a dispersed convoy and decides to go to work.
The bait is tankers and other merchant shipping without an escort. They have been dispersed from Convoy OB 294. Gneisenau captures three and sinks a fourth, while Scharnhorst sinks some ships, too:
5688-ton Norwegian tanker Bianca (captured, all survive)
8046-ton British tanker San Casmiro (captured, two crew are taken POW on Gneisenau)
6405-ton Norwegian tanker Polykarp (captured)
4388-ton British freighter Royal Crown (sunk, all survive)
4564-ton British freighter Myson (sunk, all survive)
4507-ton British freighter Rio Dorado (sunk, all perish)
7139-ton British tanker British Strength (sunk, two dead, rest POWs)
6554-ton British tanker Athelfoam (two dead, rest POWs)
6197-ton British tanker Simnia (sunk, three dead, rest POWs).
It is a nice, easy bag of shipping. The accounts of what happened on which day, the 15th or the 16th, are often muddled. However, these apparently are the ships sunk on the 15th. After putting prize crews on the three tankers and sending them to Bordeaux, the two cruisers of Operation Berlin continue with their attacks on the 16th. The Royal Navy quickly hears about the incident and begins diverting its own ships to the area.
German cruiser Admiral Hipper, meanwhile, has been at Brest for a month. It requires a major overhaul in Germany. Taking advantage of the attention drawn by Operation Berlin to the south, the Germans send it on its way during the day. It is bound for the Denmark Strait, then Norway. The British are completely aware of its departure.
German battleship Bismarck continues receiving supplies for its highly anticipated Atlantic raiding expedition. Today, it takes on board its two Arado Ar-196 scout planes at Scheerhafen, Kiel.
The German supply network in the Atlantic remains functional and highly useful for operations. Today, U-124 (Kptlt. Georg-Whilhelm Schulz), operating about 1000 km southwest of the Cape Verde Islands, meets German raider and supply ship Kormoran. The ship wants to give U-124 seven torpedoes and other supplies such as food and fuel. This will enable U-124 to remain at sea when otherwise it would have to return to port. These lengthened voyages are a boon to the U-boat fleet, greatly magnifying its effectiveness. This particular exchange, though, is prevented for the time being by rough seas, so the ships head south looking for tranquility.
U-110 (Kptlt. Fritz-Julius Lemp) spots a convoy south of Iceland. It is Convoy HX-112. Lemp alerts U-boat command, BdU, which begins assembling a Wolf Pack.
The Luftwaffe bombs Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Britomart at Rye Harbour. The ship is only damaged and is towed to Portsmouth, but there are two dead, including skipper Lt. Commander J.M.S. Cox, DSC.
The Luftwaffe bombs Royal Navy monitor HMS Marshall Soult in Portsmouth Harbour. The damage, however, is slight and does not require time out of service.
British 500 ton freighter Eminent hits a mine and sinks in St. George's Channel off Ballywater. Everyone survives.
British 249 ton tug Warrior hits a mine and is damaged at the mouth of the River Cart in the Clyde. The captain beaches the tug at Renfrew. It is later taken to Glasgow for repairs. The incident is a little tricky because the Warrior is towing Norwegian tanker Ferncourt at the time, but Ferncourt is not damaged further.
Royal Navy corvette HMS Bryony, submarine Umbra, minesweeper Sidmouth, anti-submarine trawler Quadrille and minesweeping trawler Rysa are launched, while minesweepers Alarm and Algerine are laid down.
Convoy HG 56 departs from Gibraltar.
U-371 (Oberleutnant zur See Heinrich Driver) is commissioned, U-82, U-433 and U-434 are launched, U-168, U-181, and U-210 are laid down.
German heavy cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau together, summer 1939.
Battle of the Mediterranean: The Vichy French government considers its North African possessions to be solid. In fact, today they announce plans to finish train tracks between Algeria and Dakar.
Convoy GA.5 departs from Piraeus bound for Alexandria. It has five British and three Greek ships.
The Luftwaffe continues raiding Malta. Most of the attacks are by lone bombers and fighter sweeps. In one of these fighter sweeps, the Bf 109s of 7,/JG 26 shoot down a Wellington bomber arriving from England. In addition, a Hurricane that is scrambled is damaged. The victory is by Staffel leader Oblt. Muncheberg. Battle of the Indian Ocean: Tug Chabool departs Aden bound for Berbera. It is never seen again. No survivors.
Battle of the Pacific: Convoy ZK-1 departs from Brisbane carrying Australian troops to serve at Port Moresby and Rabaul.
Spy Stuff: At 07:00, the Gestapo arrests journalist Richard C. Hottelet on suspicion of spying in Berlin. The Gestapo takes him to Alexanderplatz as a "guest." As a "guest," he is treated with friendliness and courtesy, but still is fingerprinted, photographed and locked up. He is not told why he has been detained. Hottelet, son of German immigrants to Brooklyn, in fact, is not a spy - at least as far as we know.
Operation Savanna begins. An RAF Whitley bomber drops five SOE-trained Free French paratroopers about eight miles east of Vannes, France. Their mission is to ambush and kill personnel of German Pathfinder formation KG 100. This formation is based at Meucon airfield and, as far as the paratroopers know, commutes by bus from Vannes (where they are billeted) to Meucon. The idea is to destroy the bus and everyone in it. However, the mission is another special-forces fiasco, as the paratroopers find that the Luftwaffe men no longer ride a bus to work, but instead drive there individually. They disperse and make for the coast for pickup.
Gneisenau sinks the Simnia during Operation Berlin, 15 March 1941. This photo is from the personal album of the radioman on the Gneisenau. Uboatphotos.net.
Anglo/French Relations: Prime Minister Winston Churchill writes a memo to the Foreign Office in which he says of Vichy France's No.2 man, "Darlan is a bad man, with a narrow outlook and a shifty eye. A naval crook is usually a bad kind of crook." Anglo/US Relations: President Roosevelt's latest personal representative to England, Averell Harriman, arrives in London (via Lisbon) and greets Churchill. Harriman knows Churchill since 1927, and they also met at the New York Stock Exchange during the Wall Street Crash of 1929 when Churchill was on a tour of the United States and Canada (Churchill lost a relatively small sum of money in the crash). Harriman tells Churchill that requested war supplies might not necessarily be forthcoming "unless our military chiefs were persuaded that Britain could make better use of the material" than the US military. Thus, "Washington would need a lot more information about Britain's war plans and prospects" because assistance could see a "large increase."
US/Australian Relations: The British and Australian governments agree to a visit to Australia by the cruiser squadron being led by Rear Admiral John H. Newton in USS Chicago. The US cruisers will arrive at Sydney on 20 March 1941.
German Military: As part of the command shuffle before Operation Barbarossa, Field Marshal von Witzleben replace Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt as OB West. Von Rundstedt, highly respected by Hitler, is set to command the southern thrust of the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
US Military: Benjamin Kelsey is promoted to major.
German Government: Adolf Hitler has sent Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering to the west for the time being. There is a minor strategic reason for this: Hitler wants the Reichsmarschall's presence there to reinforce among the British the impression that the Wehrmacht still is planning an invasion - when, in fact, Hitler's eyes have drifted in the opposite direction entirely. The Allies will use the same technique in 1944 when they use General George Patton, Jr. as a decoy for the Normandy landings.
Goering has no problem with serving as a decoy. In fact, he revels in it. Going spends his time in Paris, The Hague, and Amsterdam, essentially doing nothing of importance to the war effort. He is not particularly interested in his command, the Luftwaffe, which actually is benefiting from his absence and making some progress in the Blitz with massive raids against smaller cities. Instead, Goering whiles away his days in art galleries, buying marked-down art from Jews nervously looking over their shoulders and hoping that their "assistance" to the Reichsmarschall can get them exit visas to neutral Switzerland.
US Government: President Roosevelt gives a speech to the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner. It is his first speech at the event, which usually is lighthearted and fun. This speech, however, is serious, almost somber. He states:
We know that although Prussian autocracy was bad enough, Hitlerism is far worse. German forces are not seeking mere modifications in colonial maps or in minor European boundaries. They openly seek the destruction of all elective systems of government on every continent-including our own; they seek to establish systems of government based on the regimentation of all human beings by a handful of individual rulers who have seized power by force.
He promises, among other things, that the British and Chinese will get what they need to fight aggression, that is, "aid until victory" with no compromise. It is quite a bellicose speech for the leader of a nation that is not at war - at least militarily. The speech is recorded for rebroadcast by the BBC and ultimately is translated into over a dozen languages. He promises "total victory."
Belgium: In Liege, local politicians meet to form the Independence Front resistance group.
Bomb damage in Birkenhead, Cheshire, 15 March 1941.
Australia: Australian troops sail from Brisbane toward points north of Queensland. The Australians will garrison Port Moresby, New Guinea, Rabaul, New Britain Island, and Thursday Island off the north coast of Australia.
Wirraway A20-132 of 12 Squadron RAAF crashes and bursts into flames at the Adelaide River Railway Station. There are two deaths. The cause of the crash is unexplained, or, as the Australian review board puts it, "obscure." The remains of the crash are on display at the Adelaide River Railway Station Museum.
Portugal: Lisbon has become the clearinghouse of Europe. As referenced in the classic Humphrey Bogart movie "Casablanca," it is the neutral waystation for travel between Occupied Europe and Great Britain or the Americas. Lisbon is a place packed with agents from both sides, one of the few places that German officials and British agents can watch each other directly. While there are other routes out of Europe, Lisbon is the main embarkation point, both by ship and plane. As such, it is a highly desired destination for people hoping to book travel to far-off climes, either permanently or for business or other personal purposes. This demand is putting a tremendous strain on the city's infrastructure, with refugees having to wait long time periods for tickets out or even to find primitive lodgings while they wait.
Today, American Export Lines, one of the main shipping lines able to pass through the blockade being imposed by both sides, announces that it is fully booked for the foreseeable future. It will no longer take reservations.
China: The Japanese have begun a new offensive toward Shanggao, Jiangxi Province, China. Today, the Japanese 11th Army attacks and takes the headquarters of the Chinese 19th Army, occupying Fengshin and heading toward Tucheng and Kaoan. The Chinese launch a vicious airstrike against the Japanese, destroying their supplies of food and ammunition. This slows the Japanese down and gives the Chinese defenders time to dig trenches, build concrete bunkers and form a solid new defensive line. There now are 65,000 Japanese troops facing 100,000 Chinese.
British Homefront: British actress Doris Hare marries Dr. J. Alexander Fraser Roberts at St. Paul's Church, Convent Gardens.
American Homefront: A blizzard hits North Dakota and Minnesota after a day of mild temperatures. It results in about 68 deaths. The storm comes under the category of "Alberta Clippers," which are fast-moving storms of brief duration.
Glenn Miller and his Orchestra continue their dominance of the brand new Billboard singles chart. "The Song of the Volga Boatmen" hits No. 1 and becomes one of the year's top ten singles.
Future History: Michael Edward Love is born in Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles, California. Mike begins playing the saxophone. He and some neighborhood boys form the Pendletones, playing in their garages. The group switches lead vocals, but Mike Love is the central go-to singer. Love also begins writing songs for the group to sing. The group eventually changes its name to the Beach Boys, and they embark on a string of classic pop tunes. The Beach Boys hit what many consider to be their peak in the mid-sixties with "Pet Sounds" and "Smile," but their career spans many decades and continues to this day. Mike Love continues to make music, much of it unreleased, and he has said (in 2013) "I've stockpiled these things for decades now, but we finally have a team to get my music out." Mike Love published his autobiography, "Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy," on 13 September 2016.
A casualty of the 15 March 1941 blizzard. Many deaths were caused by cars becoming immobilized, like this one, and the occupants abandoning them to try to walk to town or home.
