24 February 1941

Hitler at the Hofbrauhaus, Munich, 24 February 1941. Visible aside from Hitler are Martin Bormann, Heinrich Himmler, Rudolf Hess, Robert Ley, Julius Schaub.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The big conference between British and Greek leaders continues in Athens on 24 February 1941. The British promise to send 100,000 men, including three British divisions and an armored brigade.

Meanwhile, one of the most momentous decisions of the Greece campaign is being made a thousand miles away. At 17:00, the War Cabinet meets along with Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies, in London after his long flight from Melbourne. The minutes show that Eden and Dill (in Athens) and General Wavell (who, as noted, remains in Cairo):

had recommended that we should send armed forces to Greece to help the Greeks meet a German advance through Bulgaria.

Menzies is a little more doubtful. He says at the War Council meeting that he would like to be "reassured" about things such as tactics and the composition of the expedition. He says that he would rather not commit Australian troops to a "forlorn hope," in which case "it had better not be undertaken." Another complicating factor is that "Wild Bill" Donovan has told President Roosevelt about the proposed operation, and canceling it now "would have a bad effect in the United States." Menzies later comments in his diary that he is the only one to ask questions, and the whole thing "would have been finished in ten minutes, but for some queries raised by me regarding air support, problems of equipment, of shipping and of time." History shows that Menzies had quite valid concerns, but the room is full of Churchill supporters, and the outcome of the deliberation is certain.

After everyone speaks, the War Council votes. It unanimously approves "sending military assistance to Greece."
East African Campaign: The British are on the move, both along the Juba River and toward Mogadishu. Middle East Commander General Wavell, who is busy worrying about what troops to transfer to Greece, cables General Cunningham to press on to Harar and cut communications between Addis Ababa and Djibouti. The 12th African Division continues pressing north along the Juba, while the 11th Division continues toward Mogadishu against very light Italian resistance. It reaches Goluin, only about 50 miles from the important port.

West African troops capture Brava, a port 160 miles up the coast from Kismayu. Indian 7th Indian Brigade moves south of Cub Cub and takes Chelamet.

This Hawker Hind trainer (L7226) of RAF No. 501 Squadron crashes on 24 February 1941 at Balls Farm, Langford (Malcolm Handscombe Collection).

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command raids Brest with 60 bombers. While the damage is fairly average for such a raid, it is notable as being the first operation mission by the Avro Manchester 2-engine bomber. Half a dozen Manchester bombers of RAF No. 207 Squadron participate, and one crashes upon returning to RAF Waddington from undercarriage failure. Tactically, the raid is a failure because German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, the primary target, is not hit despite claims by the bomber crews that they bracketed it in dry dock. In addition, their Vulture engines display a tendency to overheat. These are Mark I Manchesters with the original triple tail fin, no dorsal turret and an inability to carry the 2000lb bombs that they partially had been designed to deliver. The crash today is an omen, for the Manchester will wind up with the highest combat-loss-to-sorties ratio and the highest accident rate in the RAF.

The Luftwaffe bombs Cambridge after dark. There is little damage and few or no casualties.

Battle of the Atlantic: The destruction of Convoy OB 288 by a large Wolf Pack continues today (see 23 February 1941 for more details). U-95 (Kptlt. Gerd Schreib) joins the action. Sunk today (sources vary, and all are British except as indicated):

• 8685-ton Dutch transport Grootekerk (U-123) 
• 1908-ton Norwegian freighter Svein Jarl (U-95 or U-96)
• 4542-ton Marslew (U-96)
• 5468-ton Sirikishna (U-96)
• 3385-ton Linaria (Italian submarine Bianchi)
• 4260-ton Waynegate (U-73)
• 3807-ton Cape Nelson (U-95)
• 4427-ton Temple Moat (U-95)
• 5360-ton HMS Manistee (U-107 and Bianchi, 140 deaths)

They join some of their fellow convoy members already on the bottom. The ordeal is not yet over for OB 288, though.

Convoy OB 289, which is following OB 288 fairly closely about 500 km northwest of Cape Wrath, Scotland, also comes under attack. U-boat U-97 (Kptlt. Udo Heilmann), on its first patrol out of Kiel, has an awesome start to its career. Heilmann makes repeated attacks and sinks three ships from the convoy and damages a fourth:

• 6894-ton British freighter British Gunner (sunk)
• 4973-ton British freighter  Johnathon Holt (sunk, 52 dead)
• 4894-ton British freighter Mansepool (sunk, two dead)
• 9718-ton Norwegian tanker G.C. Brøvig (damaged).

The tanker has its bow blown off, but the bulkheads hold and it makes port at Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides. It later is fully repaired. The convoy escorts are noticeably jittery due to all the recent U-boat attacks, and this manifests itself in an order by corvette HMS Petunia for the crew of the British Gunner to abandon ship despite the master's belief that the ship can be towed to port. A total of three ships of 16,761 tons are sunk.

U-48 (Kptlt. Herbert Schultze), one of the war's most successful submarines, adds to its total today. It finds a straggler to Convoy SLS 64 about 60 miles southwest of Fastnet. It is 4289-ton British freighter Nailsea Lass, which U-48 sends to the bottom. There are five deaths and two men become POWs. The other 29 manage to elude German capture and later are picked up by the British. SLS 64, incidentally, was the convoy that Admiral Hipper had attacked on the 12th, sinking seven ships, so this adds to that carnage.

The Luftwaffe strafes minesweeper HMS Blackpool off the northeast coast of Scotland. It suffers minimal damage.

Royal Navy 265-ton minesweeping trawler HMT Erimo hits a mine and is seriously damaged just off Swansea. It makes port.

Royal Navy destroyers HMS Impulsive and Intrepid lay minefield GT in the Channel.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Inconstant and minesweeper HMS Cromarty are launched.

U-512 is laid down.

"Anzac Conquerors," Life Magazine, 24 February 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Operation Abstention begins. This is a British commando operation to seize the strategically useful island of Kastellorizo from the Italians. By seizing it, the Royal Navy essentially could seal off the southeast Mediterranean from Italian shipping. The British remain preoccupied with the Greek islands throughout the war, perhaps a holdover from Winston Churchill's experiences during World War I and the failed Gallipoli campaign. About 200 commands at Suda Bay, Crete board destroyers HMS Decoy and Hereward, accompanied by 24 Royal Marines on gunboat HMS Ladybird. Another force sails from Cyprus. They plan to land on Kastellorizo at dawn on the 25th and wrest it from the Italians.

Advanced Afrika Korps troops skirmish again with advance British troops west of El Agheila. While there have been several claims of "first" in terms of firing between the Germans and British in Libya, this incident has a better claim than some others: it involves tanks, armored cars, and motorcycles. While the Germans ambush a British/Australian patrol, thereby unequivocally confirming their presence, the British in Cairo take little notice of this; instead, they remain bound and determined to take troops out of North Africa for the campaign in Greece. This, of course, is happening at precisely the wrong moment, with yet another convoy of German troops about to arrive in Tripoli.

Italian troopships Esperia, Conte Rosso, Marco Polo, and Victoria depart Naples. They are under heavy escort and bound for Tripoli. Several Royal Navy submarines are in the area, such as HMS Upright, which already has claimed an independent victim off the coast of Tunisia.

Three German Heinkel He 111 bombers continue the attacks on Tobruk Harbor which have forced most Royal Navy ships to flee eastward (and which sank monitor HMS Terror on the 23rd). Today, these bombers get another victim when they sink the destroyer HMS Dainty. There are 16 deaths and 140 survivors.

The Luftwaffe (II,/KG 26) torpedoes and sinks 3089-ton Free French freighter Louis Charles Schiaffino in the Gulf of Philippeville off East Collo, Algeria (some sources place this on the 25th).

Royal Navy submarine HMS Ursula (Lt. Ward) had attacked and damaged 5788-ton Italian freighter Sabbia on the Naples/Tripoli route on the 21st. Today, Sabbia either makes port in Tripoli or is sunk by Royal Navy submarine HMS Regent, depending on the source.

The Free French siege of El Tag fortress in Kufra continues. The French are raining artillery and mortar shells on the Italians, who have no weapons with which to respond.
Convoys BN 17 and BS 17 depart from Suez.

Another photo of the Hawker Hind that crashed today, 24 February 1941 (All photos: Malcolm Handscombe Collection).

Spy Stuff: Japanese Vice-Consul (acting Consul General) Ojiro Okuda in Hawaii has been spying for the Japanese on the US fleet docked in Pearl Harbor. Okuda picks out quiet spots overlooking the harbor and uses his binoculars to see what ships are in port. Armed with a copy of "Jane's Fighting Ships," he provides detailed information on ship movements and locations. Today he sends another message to Tokyo, which reads in part:

The Enterprise came into port from the continent on the 21st, having transported 31 Army pursuit planes of the Curtiss-Hawk P36 classification. She immediately returned to the continent; (there is a rumor that she went on to Manila). I have observed the following ships in Pearl Harbor:
6 battleships, two of the New Mexico, two of the Pennsylvania, one of the Oklahoma, and one of the California type.
4 heavy cruisers, two of the New Orleans, and two of the Portland class.
7 light cruisers, three of the Honolulu and four of the Omaha type.
The aircraft carrier Yorktown.

Naturally, if the Americans knew that Okuda was spying, he would be expelled from the country instantly and a major diplomatic row would ensue. However, ignorance is bliss, and the US military is unaware that the most obvious spies of all are openly traveling around the island scouting out US Navy assets.

Anglo/Japanese Relations: The British, who have been monitoring secret Japanese communications via decrypts and thus have a very good idea of Japanese intentions, deliver a diplomatic reply to the Japanese Ambassador about his offer of mediation in the European conflict. It notes in passing that "All the preparations which are being made in oriental regions by Great Britain and the United States are of a purely defensive character." The British government rejects the offer of mediation because:

[I]n a cause of this kind, not in any way concerned with territory, trade or material gains, but affecting the whole future of humanity, there can be no question of compromise or parley.

This reply bears the unmistakable hand of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Many in Great Britain, including some highly placed personages, feel that negotiations with Germany should at least be tried. However, Churchill is absolutely adamant that no talks of any kind should occur.

A Brewster Model 339 Buffalo Mk I (AS426) at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, 24 February 1941. © IWM (E(MOS) 218). This is from a Belgian contract taken over by the British Government. The RAF finds the American planes inadequate and passes them off to the Fleet Air Arm.

US Military: Lieutenant Colonel Omar Nelson Bradley, an assistant to US Army Chief of Staff George Marshall, is promoted to a wartime temporary rank of brigadier general. This is done to enable him to become the commandant at the US Army Infantry Training School at Fort Benning, Georgia.

British Military: Respective county divisional headquarters form for new units in Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Dorchester.

Bulgarian Government: In a speech at the opening of the National Assembly (Naradno Subranie), Tsar (King) Boris III vows not to change the country's official posture of neutrality. The British mission in the country packs its bags and leaves Sofia, a sure sign that an end to diplomatic relations is in the offing.

Vichy France: Admiral Darlan, the new Vice Premier, names his cabinet. General Huntziger becomes Minister of War. Darlan himself takes the key spots of minister for foreign affairs, defense, and the interior. As Marshal Petain's hand-picked successor, Darlan basically will run the government - as long as he does not personally offend Petain like Laval.

A map to accompany Sir David Owen's report on Hong Kong development, dated 24 February 1941.

Hong Kong: Sir David J. Owen submits a report of this date entitled "Future Control and Development of the Port Of Hong Kong." It is considered a seminal work on the port's evolution. In the short term, Hong Kong's development will be drastically affected by events of which Sir Owen can have no inkling at the time.

Antarctica: US icebreaker Bear meets Interior Department vessel North Star off Adelaide Island. Their mission is to evacuate East Base from Antarctica. They are unable to penetrate the ice and retreat to Dallman Bay. North Star then travels to Punta Arenas, Chile for supplies while Bear searches for a way through the pack ice. It is troubling to those on the ships that they are having difficulty reaching the base despite the fact that it is high summer in the Antarctic.

German Homefront: Adolf Hitler delivers a speech in Munich at the Hofbrauhaus to commemorate the date in 1920 when he joined the NSDAP (he does not mention the Party already was in existence, and he had joined as a member of military intelligence to infiltrate suspected terrorists). He reports that "just two hours ago" he received a report that "a single convoy of 125,000 tons" had been "destroyed yesterday." The convoy in question, OB-288, in fact, has suffered tremendous losses, but nowhere near the amount, he claims. His other numbers of Allied shipping losses also are gross exaggerations. He does make vague references to an increased U-boat offensive in the offing but without any specifics.

Continuing a theme extended by Mussolini in a speech in Rome on the 23rd, Hitler assumes a typical defensive tone at some points.

My opponents may believe that they can terrify me with the threat of time, but I have learned to wait, and I have never been idle while waiting... It is for this reason that such threats do not frighten us.

He also adopts an offended attitude about the Allies' rejections of his previous half-hearted peace overtures:

I have made proposal after proposal to Britain; likewise to France. These proposals were always ridiculed-rejected with scorn. However, when I saw that the other side intended to fight, I naturally did that which as a National Socialist of the early days, I did once before: I forged a powerful weapon of defense.

Thus, despite his repeated decisions to invade other countries, Hitler portrays himself (and presumably Germany, though the speech is all about him and his decisions) as the victim of bullies.

Another oddity in hindsight is when he catalogs a list of reasons offered by his enemies why his rule would collapse quickly. Among them is the following:

Then they said: "Winter, General Winter is coming, and he will force Germany to her knees." But, unfortunately, the German people are "winter-proof." German history has passed through I do not know how many tens of thousands of winters. We will get through this one, too.

This, of course, is not a claim he would be able to make at the next anniversary.

Dutch Homefront: A group of anti-fascist organizations meets in the Noordemarkt. They decide to start a nationwide strike. The Communist Party of the Netherlands, previously outlawed, is an enthusiastic participant/organizer and plans to print up placards and flyers announcing the strike, which is to begin on the 25th.

American Homefront: Another Gallup poll is released, this one regarding attitudes toward Japan. There are two major questions.

Question 1: "Do you think the United States should try to keep Japan from seizing the Dutch East Indies and Singapore?"

Yes: 56%
No; 24%
No Opinion: 20%

Question 2: "Do you think the United States should risk war with Japan, if necessary, in order to keep Japan from taking the Dutch East Indies and Singapore?"

Yes: 39%
No. 46%
No Opinion: 15%.

The results are interesting in that they appear to support President Roosevelt's policy of economic, but not military, warfare against Japan.

HMS Dainty, sunk today by Luftwaffe bombers off Tobruk.

February 1941

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

2020

Monday 13 January 1941

Charles Church, Plymouth after the blitz of 1941 (derektait, Flickr).

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greek government announces the victory at Klisura Pass on 13 January 1941 around noontime. It becomes a day of national celebration, with Premier Metaxas and King George appearing on a balcony together.

The Greeks continue to press forward through the snow and howling winds. The Tuscano division is retreating in disarray, with one of these battalions surrounded and on or about this date surrendering. The gateway appears open to the key port of Valona, and taking it would go a long way toward ending the war and completing the conquest of Albania - if the Italians can't find a way to bar the Greek advance.

While in public everything appears to be going wonderfully for the Greeks, behind the scenes there are growing worries in England and Athens. The Germans are known to be massing in Romania, and they easily could slip through Bulgaria to invade Greece from the northeast. General Papagos, the Greek Commander-in-chief, informs British Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell that Greece would need substantial reinforcements to deter the Wehrmacht. The British Chiefs of Staff already have made the decision to send troops to Greece, but Wavell does not have nine divisions in his entire theater of operations.

The Italians, of course, are in worse shape than the Greeks at the moment. Mussolini arrives in Albania for talks with the prime minister there. He has Chief of the Defense Staff Ugo Cavallero take over from General Ubaldo Soddu, who is relieved of command in Albania and thus has more time for his real passion, composing soundtracks to movies.

As for the Germans, they indeed are assembling a striking force in Romania. Where and when it will be used is in doubt. Speculation worldwide is that Hitler will invade Bulgaria, and then funnel the Wehrmacht across its border to Greece in order to bail out Mussolini. Hitler, however, does not want to invade Bulgaria, which the Soviet Union clearly and unequivocally has warned him is part of its "security zone." Thus, Hitler is exerting pressure on King Boris of Bulgaria to sign the Tripartite Pact. German troops already are infiltrating into Bulgaria, clad in civilian clothes, to prepare for the attack on Greece.

Newsweek, 13 January 1941: "London Scene: Fire Bomb Grows as a War Menace."

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command targets Lorient, home of the U-boat fleet, during the night. It also sends Wellingtons of RAF No. 57 Squadron to bomb Ostend, Belgium and Boulogne, France.

A Halifax bomber carrying out flight tests experiences engine failure and crashes near Baldersby St. James, killing all six onboard.

The Luftwaffe returns to Plymouth again, and this follow-up raid causes more problems than the initial ones did. About 50 bombers drop incendiaries during the night, killing 26 people and injuring 117. Two men, Cyril Lidstone and George Wright are awarded George Medals for extinguishing an oil fire. Because the gas works at Coxside are hit, Plymouth is without gas for three weeks - which is a major issue in the middle of winter. An electrical plant at Prince Rock also is hit, stopping electricity for a day.

Picnicking at the beach, January 1941. Sarasota, Florida. Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott.

Battle of the Atlantic: It is a quiet day at sea. The Luftwaffe attack on Plymouth damages 507-ton British freighter Wooler at Victoria's Wharf. The freighter is then towed to Southampton for repairs.

Convoy FS 387 departs from Methil.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Petunia is commissioned.

U-597 is laid down.

Destroyers USS Laffey and Woolworth are laid down.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The perimeter at Tobruk is quiet, with the Australian 6th Infantry Division methodically preparing for its next assault on an Italian fortress, and the British 7th Armoured Division repairing its tanks and getting is supplies in order. General Wavell takes this lull to fly to Athens, where he pays a courtesy call on King George II and Prime Minister General John Metaxas. They do not discuss business today, but will tomorrow.

In Malta, there are two air raid alerts. One of them involves Junkers Ju 88s which apparently are on a get-acquainted flight, as they fly over the island in perfect formation but do not attack. This is an omen of things to come, as Fliegerkorps X based at Catania, Sicily now has more than just Stukas with which to attack.

Royal Navy light cruisers HMS Orion and HMAS Perth take on passengers deposited there during the Excess Convoy. They then depart with them for Malta.

Soviet Military: Ivan Konev becomes Commander-in-chief of the North Caucasus Military District, while Andrey Yeryomenko (Eremenko) takes over as commander of the prestigious 1st Red Banner Far Eastern Army based in eastern Siberia.

Jesse Jones on the cover of Time Magazine, 13 January 1941. Jones has been head of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and also currently is the US Secretary of Commerce. Much of mid-century Houston's skyline was a result of Jones.

US Military: The federal government inducts seven Nation Guard units from Iowa, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina into the US Army.

German Government: Adolf Hitler begins another round of diplomatic events. These will take place from 13-20 January 1941 and include visits from Mussolini, General Antonescu of Romania, and others. The first to visit is King Boris III of Bulgaria. Hitler asks the king to join the Tripartite Pact and permit passage of German troops through Bulgarian territory into Greece. Hitler's overarching objective, however, is to get Bulgaria to declare war on Great Britain. King Boris demurs and makes no promises at this time.

US Government: The US government extends US citizenship by birth to all residents born in Puerto Rico.

French Indochina: The French begin preparing a naval action against the invading Thai forces.

China: The attacks continue by the Nationalist Chinese 3rd War Area against the encircled portions of the Chinese Communist New 4th Army near Maolin on the Yangtze River.

Swiss Homefront: James Augustine Aloysius Joyce, one of the truly towering avant-garde writers, creator of the literary stream of consciousness technique and author of classics such as "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Many," "Ulysses," and "Finnegan's Wake," passes away in Zurich, aged 58. The cause of death is a perforated ulcer. Joyce had moved there in 1940 to avoid the German occupation of France, but had lived on-and-off in Zurich (and other continental cities) since 1915. James Joyce is buried at Fluntern Cemetery near Zurich Zoo.

Life Magazine, 13 January 1941.

American Homefront: The behind-the-scenes battles between William Randolph Hearst and RKO Studios over Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane," nearing its premiere, continue. Today, the Hollywood Reporter has a front-page story describing how the Hearst chain of newspapers is applying pressure on all of Hollywood - and not just RKO - to get  RKO Pictures studio head George J. Schaefer to quash the film. The strategy, the Hollywood Reporter states, will be for the Hearst newspapers to run a series of pieces decrying Hollywood's practice of hiring immigrants and refugees to do jobs that could be filled by Americans.

Many of these immigrants, of course, are world-famous specialists such as Marlene Dietrich who are busy becoming US citizens as quickly as they can (she already has, as has Albert Einstein). A goodly proportion also is Jewish and fled Europe due to fear of Hitlerism. Einstein fled Europe when he learned that his home had been confiscated for use as a Hitler Youth camp. For them to return now would be tantamount to a death sentence.

Hearst gossip columnist Louella Parsons, still smarting from being scooped by former protégé Hedda Hopper, indeed has been calling the studios and making these threats. The other studio bosses - including Louis B. Mayer and Nicholas Schrenck, the boss at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's parent company - are considering how to respond in some kind of unified fashion.

Separately, the US Supreme Court decides Sibbach v. Wilson & Co., 312 U.S. 1 (1941). This is a civil procedure decision regarding the proper jurisdiction of state versus federal laws in diversity jurisdiction cases.

In this case, which involves a car accident in Indiana, the appellant had appealed lower court rulings that held she was required to submit to a physical examination pursuant to FRCP 35(a). The court has diversity jurisdiction, meaning, the case is in federal court because the appellant and respondent reside in different states.

Appellant's argument is that Indiana state law does not require her to undergo a physical examination and that state law controls on such a substantive issue rather than federal law. Thus, the appellant claims she should not be required to undergo the exam. The respondent wants the uniform federal civil procedure rules applied in every federal court case regardless of how the plaintiff originally obtained federal jurisdiction.

The Court holds that in diversity proceedings, the determining factor as to whether to apply uniform federal rules or state laws is whether the rule in question is substantive in nature, or merely procedural. Procedural rules are those that simply address the manner or means through which substantive law may be adjudicated. Substantive rules to be applied are those of the state in which the court is based, while procedural rules to be applied are those contained in the uniform federal statutes.

In this particular case, the Supreme Court holds that state law controls the issue of a physical examination because that involves a substantive matter and not just how the case should be tried. Thus, the appellant does not have to submit to the physical examination because Indiana law does not require one.

Finally, the Modernaires vocal group joins the Glenn Miller Orchestra on a permanent basis today.

Lou Salica and Tommy Forte in their bantamweight title fight held in Philadelphia Arena, 13 January 1941. Salica successfully defended his title in a close and controversial decision.

January 1941

January 1, 1941: Muselier Arrested
January 2, 1941: Camp Categories
January 3, 1941: Liberty Ships
January 4, 1941: Aussies Take Bardia
January 5, 1941: Amy Johnson Perishes
January 6, 1941: Four Freedoms
January 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor Plans
January 8, 1941: Billions For Defense
January 9, 1941: Lancasters
January 10, 1941: Malta Convoy Devastation
January 11, 1941: Murzuk Raid
January 12, 1941: Operation Rhubarb
January 13, 1941: Plymouth Blitzed
January 14, 1941: V for Victory
January 15, 1941: Haile Selassie Returns
January 16, 1941: Illustrious Blitz
January 17, 1941: Koh Chang Battle
January 18, 1941: Luftwaffe Pounds Malta
January 19, 1941: East African Campaign Begins
January 20, 1941: Roosevelt 3rd Term
January 21, 1941: Attack on Tobruk
January 22, 1941: Tobruk Falls
January 23, 1941: Pogrom in Bucharest
January 24, 1941: Tank Battle in Libya
January 25, 1941: Panjiayu Tragedy
January 26, 1941: Churchill Working Hard
January 27, 1941: Grew's Warning
January 28, 1941: Ho Chi Minh Returns
January 29, 1941: US Military Parley With Great Britain
January 30, 1941: Derna Taken
January 31, 1941: LRDG Battered

2020

Thursday 26 December 1940

Admiral Scheer (Captain Theodor Krancke) visiting with German raider Thor, somewhere west of St. Helena, 26 December 1940. The boat is perhaps bringing over meat and eggs from captured refrigerated ship Duquesa (not shown). This photo may have been taken from supply ship Nordmark, also present to stock up from the Duquesa.

Italian/Greek Campaign: Greek I Corps throw an attack at the Italians defending Leskoviki in southern Albania on 26 December 1940. The Italians give ground along the line of the Chimara River.

European Air Operations: After a lull for Christmas, bombing resumes during the day. RAF Bomber Command launches day raids on Brittany airfields and shipping at Le Treport. It sends a night raid against Bordeaux. With all this recent attention being paid to the French coast, it is tempting to assume that the British know of Hitler's visit (see below) and aim to make things a bit hotter for him. The Luftwaffe sends one bomber on a raid against the Isle of Sheppey (in the Thames Estuary) during the day, but stays on the ground after dark.

RAF bomber crew celebrating Boxing Day, 26 December 1940 (Photo by Arthur Tanner/Fox Photos/Getty Images).

Battle of the Atlantic: U-95 (Kptlt. Gerd Schreiber) is operating about 250 km northwest of Rockall when it torpedoes and badly damages 12,823-ton armed merchantman (refrigerated cargo ship) Waiotira. The Waiotira is in bad shape and the crew abandons ship, leaving it a floating derelict, but U-95 has to leave the area due to the presence of three Royal Navy destroyers. There is one death, 90 survivors.

Royal Navy minesweeper MAC 5 hits a mine northeast of Gunfleet, Essex, and sinks. There are 4-5 deaths.

Italian submarine Calvi claims to have sunk a British freighter today, but there is no confirmation of this in the British records.

British 92 ton drifter True Accord collides with 316-ton armed trawler HMT Saronta at Yarmouth. True Accord sinks, but apparently, there are no casualties.

Royal Navy sloop HMS Pelican collides with anti-submarine trawler HMT Cape Portland. The damage is not severe but will require some repairs in London when time permits.

Royal Navy boarding vessel HMS Maron seizes 928 ton Vichy French trawler Joseph Duhamel near Casablanca and takes it to Gibraltar.

Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Bonaventure intercepts 8803-ton German freighter Baden between Tenerife, Canary Islands, and France. The German crew of the Baden scuttles the ship.

Admiral Wilhelm Meisel on board the Admiral Hipper continues sailing back to Brest after the abortive Christmas attack on Convoy WS 5.

The crew of Admiral Scheer has a happy rendezvous with German raider Thor shortly after breakfast. It takes place several hundred miles west of St. Helena in the mid-Atlantic at point "Andalusien" 15°S 18°W. It is a very merry gathering for the Kriegsmarine, with half the British fleet out looking for the German ships to no avail. Thor is operating as Yugoslav freighter "Vir" since its victory over British armed merchant cruiser Carnarvon Castle on 5 December. The Scheer has the captured refrigerator ship Duquesa nearby, stocked with huge quantities of eggs and fresh meat. This stockpile makes meals during this voyage a great pleasure for the men of the Scheer and, now, the Thor. Tanker Eurofeld also joins the party at some point, which apparently lasts for several days.

There is some disagreement in the sources about exactly which ships show appear which dates for this meeting with Admiral Scheer. However, there is no question that Admiral Scheer, the Thor, the Duquesa, the Nordmark, and the Eurofeld are all present at some point, and all present together at some point. Some sources confuse this meeting with another meeting involving German raider Pinguin and its captured Norwegian whaling fleet, but that takes place in early 1941 (though already on this date the Pinguin's crew is plotting their interception of those ships).

Convoy OB 265 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 99 departs from Halifax, Convoy AN 11 departs from Port Said, Convoy BN 11A departs from Port Sudan.

Light cruiser USS Denver laid down at New York Shipbuilding Corp. of Camden, New Jersey. It is the second naval ship named for Denver.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Activity is light in North Africa as the British bring up Australian troops for the next phase of operations.

Australian destroyer HMAS Waterhen seizes Italian schooner Tireremo Diritto as it makes its way from Tobruk to Bardia. The Australians disembark the crew, then scuttle the schooner.
There is a revolt against Italian rule in Southern Abyssinia (Ethiopia).

British soldiers enjoying Boxing Day, 26 December 1940 (Photo by David Parker/Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images).

German Government: Hitler winds up his meandering journeys along the French coast. Having spent the night in his train parked within a tunnel near Metz, he visits the city and spends some time with the SS based there. After lunch, he re-boards the train and proceeds to Sarrebourg, then back to Germany.

British Government: Winston Churchill resumes his attention to the Ministry of Supply. He instructs the Minister, Sir Andrew Duncan, to increase ammunition stocks for antitank rifles, 2-inch mortars, and 3-inch mortars. He also sends a memo to the Admiralty, telling Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound to mine "the Leads," through which German ore traffic from Narvik passes.

Captain David Margesson is sworn in as the new Secretary of State for War, succeeding Anthony Eden.

A German soldier posted to Ameland in the West Frisian Islands in northern Holland celebrating the holiday, 26 December 1940.

Bulgaria: In a show of defiance at Hitler, the Bulgarian assembly fails to pass a resolution asking King Boris to join the Tripartite Pact.

Philippines: Brigadier General Leonard T. Gerow, acting chief of the US War Plans Division and an old China hand, recommends that troop strength in the Philippines be roughly doubled in size and $1.25 million in new military construction there be authorized. This is not a universally accepted proposal. The problem is that the United States has neglected not only the Philippines but also bases ranging from Alaska down to Panama. Naval planners worry that sending too large a force to the Philippines could leave the United States itself in danger, especially if the British were to continue weakening in the Pacific Theater. Gerow's proposal is a reflection of a debate raging between the naval and army war planners about whether the US should adopt a purely defensive posture in the Pacific (favored by the Navy), or a more aggressive stance (favored by the army). The recent Rainbow 3 plan filed by the Navy is being revised by a joint committee of navy and army planners to see if they can agree on some middle ground. Gerow clearly is on the side of the army and wants a stronger US military presence deep in the Pacific.

American Homefront: "The Philadelphia Story" opens in New York, premiering at Radio City Music Hall. James Stewart, Cary Grant, and Katharine Hepburn lead the cast in this well-received George Cukor film.

"My Sister Eileen," a play by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, premieres at the Biltmore Theatre on Broadway.

Looking more like an unemployment queue than anything, this actually is a long line of people - mostly men, apparently - outside the Marble Arch Pavilion in London. They are getting out of the house for a bit to see Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator," which obviously is still drawing crowds. (Photo by Planet News Archive/SSPL/Getty Images).

December 1940

December 1, 1940: Wiking Division Forms
December 2, 1940: Convoy HX 90 Destruction
December 3, 1940: Greeks Advancing
December 4, 1940: Italian Command Shakeup
December 5, 1940: Thor Strikes Hard
December 6, 1940: Hitler's Cousin Gassed
December 7, 1940: Storms At Sea
December 8, 1940: Freighter Idarwald Seized
December 9, 1940: Operation Compass Begins
December 10, 1940: Operation Attila Planned
December 11, 1940: Rhein Wrecked
December 12, 1940: Operation Fritz
December 13, 1940: Operation Marita Planned
December 14, 1940: Plutonium Discovered
December 15, 1940: Napoleon II Returns
December 16, 1940: Operation Abigail Rachel
December 17, 1940: Garden Hoses and War
December 18, 1940: Barbarossa Directive
December 19, 1940: Risto Ryti Takes Over
December 20, 1940: Liverpool Blitz, Captain America
December 21, 1940: Moral Aggression
December 22, 1940: Manchester Blitz
December 23, 1940: Hitler at Cap Gris Nez
December 24, 1940: Hitler at Abbeville
December 25, 1940: Hipper's Great Escape
December 26, 1940: Scheer's Happy Rendezvous
December 27, 1940: Komet Shells Nauru
December 28, 1940: Sorge Spills
December 29, 1940: Arsenal of Democracy
December 30, 1940: London Devastated
December 31 1940: Roosevelt's Decent Proposal

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