Tuesday 25 March 1941

Adolf Hitler and Prince Paul of Yugoslavia.

Italian/Greek Campaign: Things have quieted down on land in Albania on 25 March 1941. The Italians finally have given up on their Primavera Offensive, which accomplished nothing but rack up casualties. Overall, Italian casualties for the Primavera Offensive number 11,800 dead and wounded, while the Greeks suffer 1243 dead, 4016 wounded and 42 missing.

Operation Lustre, the British reinforcement of mainland Greece, continues. Convoy AG 8 departs Alexandria bound for Piraeus carrying troops and supplies, while Convoy AS 22 departs Piraeus bound for Alexandria. Norwegian 5062 ton freighter Hav departs from Piraeus bound for Alexandria.

"Goodwill visit to Brisbane by the American fleet in March 1941. This was the first visit to Brisbane during World War Two of an American Naval Squadron. At this time, the United States of America had not entered the war. Entry was a few months away after Pearl Harbour in December 1941." 25 March 1941. State Library of Queensland.

East African Campaign: The latest British 5th Indian Infantry Division attack on Keren continues today. Started late on the 24th, the attack quickly yields tactical successes. One objective of British General Heath is to capture the areas overlooking the Dongolaas Gorge that control access to Keren. Another is to neutralize Italian positions at the head of the gorge from which Italian troops can fire down on British sappers trying to clear the gorge of the obstacles placed there by Italian engineers.

As the day beings, the West Yorkshire and 3/5th Mahrattas advancing down the hill from Fort Dologorodoc to the right of the gorge seize some lower hills overlooking the gorge. The Italians resist fiercely, but the British occupy the entire southeastern side of the gorge by 07:30.

At 03:00, another attack is launched by the 2nd Highland Light Infantry and the 4/10th Baluch Regiment. They emerge from a railway tunnel that is to the left of the gorge in order to attack Italian troops at the head of the gorge. The British maintain heavy artillery fire on the Italian positions from the area around the Sanchil heights. Other troops (3/2nd Punjab Regiment) then enter the gorge itself to clear it. By 05:30, the entire gorge is cleared of Italian troops and the Italians can no longer fire down directly into it.

The Italians counterattack in the afternoon. Italian troops continue to hold out on Mount Sanchil on the left side of the gorge. The Indian troops use artillery to break up the Italian attempts to counterattack.

British engineers quickly begin clearing the Dongolaas Gorge of the obstacles placed there to prevent British vehicular traffic. On the surrounding rim, the Italians and British continue struggling for dominance. The British take 500 prisoners in the early morning hours.

European Air Operations: The RAF switches strategic targets. Rather than attack factories in and around cities, for the time being, RAF Bomber Command will attack Axis convoys. These include the iron ore shipments flowing down the Norwegian coast from Narvik to Hamburg, convoys from Hamburg to occupation forces along the North Sea and Channel coast, and oil shipments coming up from Spain. Initiating this strategy, the British bombers attack shipping off of Ameland in the north of Holland.

The Luftwaffe sends small raids against towns on the south coast. A fighter sweep over southern England with fighter-bombers (Jabos) produces few results.

Cable ship C.S. Faraday is lost on 25 March 1941 to Luftwaffe attack.

Battle of the Atlantic: While German cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau have made port at Brest, there remain many German raiders at sea. Today, they make their mark.

German raider Kormoran captures 11,309-ton Canadian tanker Canadolite midway between Africa and Brazil. The Germans put a prize crew on board and sent it to Brest.

German raider Thor remains a thorn in the Admiralty's side. Today, it torpedoes and sinks 8799-ton British liner Britannia in the mid-Atlantic about 750 miles west of Freetown, Sierra Leone, British West Africa. The Thor's captain hears British radio transmissions and assumes they mean that the Royal Navy is nearby. He departs the scene after rescuing only one man from the 203 crew and 281 passengers on board. The Britannia is carrying a large number of Royal Navy officers heading to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations.

While almost everyone on board the Britannia survives the initial sinking, many perish after the Thor leaves. The weather may be warming up a bit, but the seas remain cold. A Spanish freighter, the Bachi, rescues 51 men, another, the Cabo De Hornos, rescues 77, and British freighter Raranga rescues 67 men. Another 33 men reach Brazil in their lifeboat, but it takes them 23 days. Two men on the Britannia, Lieutenant I. S. McIntosh and Frank L. West RNVR (who writes a book about the incident) receive MBEs for their service on the ship, while four others receive commendations. The Thor's captain, Otto Kähler, acts correctly in terms of his legal wartime obligations; however, this is not the best moment of the Kriegsmarine.

Thor later comes across 5047-ton Swedish freighter Trolleholm. This time, Thor takes all 31 men on board prisoner after scuttling the ship.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 627-ton British freighter Rossmore about a dozen miles from Godrevy Island in Bristol Channel. There are six deaths.

The Luftwaffe at 19:45 bombs and damages 5533-ton cable ship CS Faraday in the Bristol Channel. The Heinkel He 111 bombs and strafes the Faraday, causing a fire that forces the crew to abandon ship - after it shoots down the Heinkel. There are 8 deaths and 25 wounded. The blazing Faraday later grounds at St. Anne's Head, and the cable on board is mostly recovered. However, the remains of the ship, such as they are, remain there and in fact have become a favored diving location in shallow water at Hooper's Point, Pembrokeshire.

The Luftwaffe (I,/KG 40 Focke-Wulf Fw-200 Condors) bombs and sinks 9956-ton British tanker Beaverbrae in the Northwest Approaches. All 86 men on board survive. One of the destroyers picking up the men, HMS Gurkha, collides with a small wooden ship while returning to Pentland Firth outside Scapa Flow, but everyone is fine and the destroyer makes it back to base. However, the drifter sinks and nobody on it survives. The Gurkha has to go to Roslyn for repairs to its bow.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 347-ton Dutch freighter Escaut southwest of Hartland Point. After the crew abandons it, the ship drifts ashore near Bude but is later refloated and repaired at Appledore.

British 21-ton fishing boat Alaskan hits a mine and sinks northeast of Hartlepool. All five on board survive.

US 8013-ton tanker Cities Service Denver is under tow off the coast of North Carolina when an unexplained explosion occurs beneath the crew quarters. There are 19 deaths.

The Admiralty sends a troopship, HMS Circassia, from the Clyde to Iceland. It carries more personnel for the growing British presence there.

Convoy HG 57 departs from Gibraltar.

Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Hermione (Captain Geoffrey N. Oliver) is commissioned.

British liner Britannia, sunk on 25 March 1941 by German raider Thor.

Battle of the Mediterranean: It is fair to say that, at this stage of the war, the Italian military has not covered itself with glory. They have been forced back in Albania, East Africa, and North Africa, while the Italian fleet largely has stayed in port. However, there is one area of the military at which the Italians are ahead of everyone: small-scale attacks at sea which can produce big results. However, so far these operations have been canceled for various technical reasons.

That changes today. Italian destroyers Crispi and Sella each carry three 2-ton motor assault boats from Leros in the Dodecanese Islands. They head for the vicinity of the major British naval base at Suda Bay, Crete. The destroyers release the boats from about 10 miles (18 km) offshore at 23:30. The small boats proceed toward the large Royal Navy ships at anchor in the bay for an attack on the 26th. The prime target is heavy cruiser HMS York.

On land, the German Afrika Korps continues consolidating its recent acquisition of El Agheila. The British have withdrawn to Mersa Brega, which occupies a narrow point between the coast and the rocky interior where larger operations are impossible. The Germans also note that the British have abandoned Maaten Bescer, too, with British patrols in the area west of Mersa Brega vastly reduced.

Having completed their mission in Athens and Cairo, Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and CIGS John Dill begin their journey back to London. Today, they lay over at Malta around midnight on the 24th from Athens. The original plan was for them to continue on to Lisbon immediately, but the weather forces a layover, so they spend the day playing billiards and visiting various highly placed individuals on the island. It is a memorable day for Malta, which does not get many highly placed visitors who stick around for any length of time.

British submarine HMS Rorqual lays mines off Palermo west of Sicily.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Pinguin completes its refit at the uninhabited Kerguelen Islands and departs, along with supply ship Adjutant, for further operations. The crew has disguised Pinguin as Norwegian freighter Tamerlane.

British 11,092 ton transport Waimarama runs aground after departing Port Said bound for Alexandria. The ship is pulled off by two tugs, but the ship requires 2-3 months of repairs.

The Admiralty transfers aircraft carrier HMS Eagle's two squadrons of Swordfish bombers to Port Sudan.

Spy Stuff: The British learn through their decoding operations and spy network, along with "hard" intelligence such as observed Luftwaffe reconnaissance missions, that the Italians are planning a major operation at sea.

U.S. Navy cruiser Chicago makes port at Brisbane, Australia, 25 March 1941. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 77816.

German/Yugoslavian Relations: Despite fierce opposition even within his own cabinet, regent Prince Paul authorizes signing of the Tripartite Pact. In Vienna's Belvedere Palace, Yugoslavia Prime Minister Dragiša Cvetković signs the Pact, adding his name to those from Japan, Romania, Italy, and other nations. Hitler and German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop are in attendance, signifying the importance they place on this event.

By joining the Axis, Yugoslavia allows German troops to cross its territory but does not have to fight - at least according to the secret terms promised by Hitler. There is immediate disagreement with Prince Paul's decision throughout the country, but particularly within certain sections of the military. There also is a division along ethnic lines that foreshadow events decades later, with Serbs favoring the British and Croats favoring the Germans.

The Germans are ecstatic about Yugoslavia signing the agreement. The Propaganda Ministry orders its outlets to describe this as another step toward a New World Order.

German/Soviet Relations: One of the remaining sticking points between Germany and the USSR is removed today. Ethnic Germans from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia complete their resettlement to Germany, while ethnic Lithuanians, Russians, and White Russians are resettled in the USSR. That many of these people, such as the White Russians, may not particularly want to make the move is irrelevant. These mass dislocations of people (an estimated 60,000 people head west while 20,000 head east) is a common and continuing feature of World War II. Of course, the people heading east will see the Germans again before too long, but nobody outside of the top German government and military circles is supposed to know that. The people brought in from the east are housed for the most part in camps to await properties the Germans plan on seizing or otherwise acquiring soon from others.

German/Japanese Relations: Japanese Foreign Minister Yōsuke Matsuoka is visiting Berlin and says:

The Japanese nation is with you in joy or sorrow...to arrange the world on the basis of the new order.

Matsuoka is visiting both Berlin and Moscow, and his trip will have repercussions that reverberate for years. He is a proponent of Japan attacking the USSR in concert with Germany, but that view is not shared within the higher levels of the Japanese government and military.

German/Greenland Relations: Greenland long ago declared its independence from mother country Denmark due to German domination there. However, Greenland never declared war on Germany. Today, Germany declares that it will observe only a three-mile territorial limit around Greenland.

Australians greet visiting American sailors, Brisbane, Queensland, 25 March 1941. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 104176.

US/Australian Relations: Rear Admiral John Newton takes his cruiser squadron (USS Chicago and Portland, along with five destroyers) to Brisbane for a three-day visit. This follows an extremely successful visit to Sydney.

In the same vein, Captain Ellis S. Stone brings his light cruiser squadron (USS Brooklyn and Savannah, along with three destroyers) to Tahiti.

Italian Military: Following the disaster of the British Operation Compass, Marshal Rodolfo Graziani is formally replaced by General Italo Gariboldi as Commander-in-chief of Italian North Africa and as Governor-General of Libya. Despite his lack of success on the battlefield, Graziani remains good friends with Benito Mussolini, traveling with him and acting as a military confidante. This is not the end of his military career, either, but Graziani will remain inactive for the time being.

Japanese Military: Captain Kiichi Hasegawa takes command of aircraft carrier Akagi.

Romanian Military: Petre Dumitrescu takes command of the Romanian Third Army. This formation is oriented toward northern Bukovina, which the Soviets occupied in June 1940.

British Government: The Admiralty holds a conference on shipping and shipbuilding. Visiting Australian Prime Minister Menzies, who has been visiting ports around the country, shares his thoughts. He decries the control being exercised by the Admiralty over shipyards. In Menzies' view, private industry would be much more efficient. Somewhat unusually, since he views many in the Churchill government as "Yes men," Menzies notes with satisfaction in his diary that he gains support from others at the meeting.

Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding is in the United States inspecting aircraft factories. He has made some public statements with which British Ambassador Lord Halifax disagrees. Halifax requests Dowding's recall.

China: At the Battle of Shonggao, the Japanese 11th Army has given the Chinese 19th Army Group of the Chinese 9th War Area its best shot - and come up short. Having used all of its resources to try to punch through the Chinese lines, the army gives up the fight as pointless given the high cost. The lines remain where they are for the time being, but the Japanese launch no more attacks. The city of Shangkao, though, is destroyed. This has been a very important Chinese defensive victory. The Chinese try to take advantage of this victory by moving to encircle the advanced Japanese positions, but the Japanese begin edging back toward their base.

Author Ernest Hemingway is in the Far East on a "tourist" visit which may be a little more than that. Today, he and his wife Martha Gellhorn depart from the British base in Hong Kong for China.

British Homefront: Lord Woolton cuts the jam and marmalade ration, as previously announced. Everyone gets 8 ounces per month. He also cuts the meat ration to 6 ounces per month.

Occupation currency issued on Guernsey in the Channel Islands, dated 25 March 1941.

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 Becomes 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 1 March 1941

A captured Rettungsboje (life buoy) in British a port (Guerra-Abierta).

Italian/Greek Campaign: On 1 March 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's new plan is to convince the Yugoslav government to join the Allies. He instructs Foreign Minister Anthony Eden to meet with them to see if they will attack the Italians in Albania. Otherwise, the front is quiet today as both sides gear up for renewed offensives.

East African Campaign: Briggsforce, a loose assembly of troops under the command of Brigadier Briggs of the 4th Indian Division's 7th Indian Infantry Brigade, takes Mescelit Pass from the Italian 107th Colonial Battalion. This is a key road about 24 km north of Keren, where the British have been blocked by the Italians for weeks. Briggsforce now has the opportunity to attack the Italian defenders from the rear, or to advance on Massawa on the coast. However, the actual effect of this success is somewhat mitigated by the fact that Briggsforce does not have artillery.

With Mogadishu in the bag in Eritrea, the British continue mopping up the remaining Italian resistance. The 11th African Division pursues the Italians north along the Juba River towards the Ogaden Plateau and Abyssinia. The Italians are evacuating all of Italian Somaliland, according to General Cunningham.

Mogadishu is proving a very mixed blessing for the British. The port is in terrible shape, and no ships will be able to enter any time soon. The city is a sanitary disaster, full of unburied corpses and shallow graves.

HMS Formidable, still awaiting clearance to transit the Suez Canal after recent Luftwaffe mining, is stuck in Port Sudan. Its aircraft, which have transferred for the time being to land bases, attack Massawa. The attack achieves little.

Repeating a familiar pattern, the naval forces in Massawa see the approaching British land forces and realize that time is limited. Accordingly, some begin to escape. Today, Italian submarines Gauleo Ferraras, Perla, and Archimede leave to return to Europe. While they can evade the Royal Navy, the submarines are not large, ocean-going submarines, and thus cannot carry enough supplies for long journeys. Italian freighter Himalaya also attempts to escape.

There are few friendly ports left between Massawa and Europe. Thus, the crews will be faced with deep privation during this journey. What makes these journeys possible is the well-maintained chain of German tankers and supply ships in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans which also have been aiding the German raiders.

A beached Rettungsboje.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command sends 100+ bombers against Cologne.

The Luftwaffe mounts some minor raids along the east coast. He.111H-5 (1H+BK/wnr. 3774 ) of 2./KG26 ditches in the Moray Firth and paddles ashore. Oblt. Hatto Kuhn(FF), Uffz Friedrich Großhardt (BO), Gefr. Manfred Hänel (BF) and Uffz Ferdinand Mänling (BS) are captured and interrogated at Banff. This becomes a fairly well-known incident due to various accounts told by the Luftwaffe men over the decades.

A Junkers Ju 52/3m of IV,/JG z b V 1 lands at Skopje, Yugoslavia due to a navigational error. The government interns the plane and crew.

Hans-Joachim Marseille of JG 27 is promoted to the rank of Oberfähnrich, effective this date. This promotion is long overdue, occurring after all the other pilots from his original Geschwader, LG 2, have reached this rank or higher. Marseille is seen as undisciplined and a playboy, a pilot who refuses to follow orders and constantly endangers his wingman by freelancing.

Dietrich Peltz, a promising bomber pilot, is promoted to Hauptmann (Captain) in KG 77.

Erich "Bubi" Hartmann progresses to the Luftkriegsschule 2 (Air War School 2) in Berlin-Gatow. He still has not flown solo.

The Luftwaffe is getting tired of losing pilots in the English Channel after they wind up in the water. They very stealthily and pragmatically have created and placed Rettungsboje (Rescue Buoys) about ten miles off the coast of France, or very roughly halfway to England. These are known casually as Generalluftzeugmeister or Udet-Bojen after the Luftwaffe's head of equipment, Generaloberst Ernst Udet. Basically, these are anchored submarines with small entryways that extend above the surface. Downed airmen who can make their way to these devices have a way to survive until they are spotted. Each 10-meter-long object - mounted on floats - contains four bunk beds and a cupboard with provisions. It is an ingenious solution to a very real problem. When occupied, the Luftwaffe men are to hoist the Red Cross flag and await rescue. Apparently, there also is a wireless station aboard.

Today, the British spot two of these hospital floats and tow them into Newhaven Harbour. These Rettungsboje later will feature in two films, "We Dive At Dawn" (1943) and "One Of Our Aircraft Is Missing" (1942).

Without getting moralistic about it, these craft technically are hospital ships. The British violate international rules of war by "capturing them" - though, by this point, the Germans are well aware that the British are pushing the envelope when it comes to disrespecting the Red Cross flag (due to many 1940 RAF shootdowns of German search and rescue planes). However, there are many of these at sea, and it appears the British are able to find only a few. It is unclear how useful they are in practice, but it likely gives many Luftwaffe pilots some comfort knowing that they are there. Incidentally, they also could be used by downed RAF pilots, too, and even the crews of sunk ships.

An illustration of a Rettungsboje.

Battle of the Atlantic: German heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer re-enters the South Atlantic from the Indian Ocean.

U-552 (K.Kapt. Erich Topp), on its first patrol out of Helgoland, gets off to a fast start. Operating just north of Scotland, U-552 sinks 12,062-ton British tanker Cadillac. The tanker is carrying highly flammable Aviation spirit fuel, which ignites due to the explosion. There are 37 deaths, including the master and three passengers. Only five crew survive, one of whom dies the next day from burns. The sinking is horrific because 26 men manage to take to the boats, but the burning oil sets the sea afire and creates an inferno, burning some and causing others to leap from the boats and drown. The blaze is so fantastic that Captain Topp calls his crew on deck to witness it, which is highly unusual.

Royal Navy 349 ton minesweeping trawler HMT St. Donats collides with destroyer HMS Cotswold in the Humber. The St. Donats sinks, while the destroyer proceeds to Chatham for repairs that last the rest of the month.

The Luftwaffe attacks Convoy WN 91 off Fraserburgh (north of Aberdeen) from about 19:35 to 20:14. The planes damage 5057-ton British freighter Forthbank. There are four deaths. The freighter makes it to Invergordon. The planes also damage 6098-ton freighter Pennington Court, but only slightly.

The Luftwaffe also attacks Convoy EN 79 off Aberdeen (WN and EN convoys are the same, just running in the opposite directions). The planes damage 8949-tanker Atheltempar. Atheltempar is consumed with flames, but with great courage is taken in tow by HMS Speedwell (Commander Youngs) and taken to Methil Roads. The fire takes 4 1/2 hours to put out. The Atheltempar's crew, taken aboard the Speedwell, refuses to help fight the fire and simply goes to bed. The rescue becomes a major event, as Admiral Ramsay onshore sends out a flight of Hurricanes to ward off additional Luftwaffe bombers. Eventually, a large tug arrives and brings it to an anchorage off Methil.

The Luftwaffe bombs and disables 7981-ton Dutch tanker Rotula in St. George's Channel off Wexford. There are 16 deaths. The derelict becomes a hazard to navigation and eventually is sunk by a passing British trawler.

The Luftwaffe also hits 5691-ton British freighter Empire Simba near the burning Rotula. The damage forces the Empire Simba's crew to abandon ship, but it eventually is towed to Liverpool.

Norwegian 2112-ton freighter Huldra, working for the Germans, hits a mine and sinks at Hustadvika, Norway.

Destroyer HMS Firedrake runs aground east of Gibraltar on the Spanish coast. It eventually is freed and returns to Gibraltar for repair.

Royal Navy heavy cruiser HMS Cornwall, operating in the far South Atlantic west of Cape Town, encounters 4972 ton French freighter Ville De Jamunga. The Cornwall escorts the French ship to Cape Town.

Escort Carrier USS Charger (CVE-30) is launched. This carrier, under construction at Newport News, Virginia, is tentatively scheduled to be transferred to the Royal Navy under Lend-Lease - once Lend-Lease becomes law, that is. This transfer will be rescinded, though. At the moment, it still carries the name Rio de la Plata, which the Royal Navy prefers, but that name will change to USS Charger.

Convoy HX 112 departs from Halifax, Convoy BHX 112 departs from Bermuda, Convoy SL 67 departs from Freetown.
Royal Navy corvette HMS Anchusa (Lt. Philipp Everett-Price) is commissioned, anti-submarine warfare trawler HMS Minuet is launched, the destroyer HMS Catterick is laid down.

US destroyer USS Meredith (Lt. Commander William K. Mendenhall, Jr.) and submarine USS Grayling (Lt. Eliot Olsen) are both commissioned.

U-766 is laid down, U-161 and U-162 are launched.

Bogdan Filov signs the Tripartite Pact on behalf of Bulgaria, 1 March 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Colonel Leclerc and his Free French forces accept the submission of the Italians at El Tag fortress at Kufra Oasis. The Italians are allowed to retreat to Italian lines, while the French keep all of their supplies and equipment. Surrendering are 11 officers, 18 NCOs, and 273 Libyan soldiers according to Italian sources, while the survivors of 70 members of the Saharan Company outside the fort also could have been used to break the blockade. The Free French victors have about 350 soldiers, but, most importantly, they have the only effective artillery in the engagement. Total casualties are three deaths on the Italian side and four dead on the French side. The Free French get a windfall of equipment never used by the Italians, including eight SPA AS.37 trucks, half a dozen lorries, four 20 mm cannon and 53 machine guns.

Royal Navy minesweeping drifter HMT Ploughboy detonates three mines in quick succession at Malta. The skipper has to beach the drifter. There is one death and nine wounded. This is a serious loss for the British because the Ploughboy is the only minesweeper of its type available.

Another major convoy departs from Naples for Tripoli with reinforcements and supplies for the Afrika Korps. It has four freighters and a heavy escort.

Axis Relations: Tsar Boris III approves of Bulgarian participation in the Tripartite Pact which forms the foundation of the Axis. So, Prime Minister Bogdan Filov signs the Pact in Vienna on behalf of Bulgaria.

German/Bulgarian Relations: German troops openly began entering Bulgaria on 28 February after months of covert operations in the country. Today, with Bulgaria officially joining the Axis, the Wehrmacht troops openly ride through Sofia. Among the many wild promises made to the Bulgarians is that they will receive an outlet to the Aegean - which would have to cut off northern Greece.

Anglo/US Relations: New US Ambassador John G. Winant meets the Duke of Kent and the King of England on his way to London.

US/Soviet Relations: Under-Secretary of State Sumner Welles passes along information in his possession about a coming attack on the Soviet Union. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin is receiving several of these warnings from various sources and discounts them all.

Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering and manufacturer Professor Willi Messerschmidt (pointing) in a newspaper picture on 1 March 1941. Goering it touring southern German.

German Military: The Junkers Ju 87 Stuka remains the workhorse of the Luftwaffe for precision ground attacks. While they are proving increasingly vulnerable to fighter attacks, there is no better alternative available or in the offing. Thus, development continues. Today, five prototypes (Ju 87 V21-25) converted from B-1 to D-1/D-4 make their first flights. The Ju 87 D switches the placement of the oil cooler and two coolant radiators and, more strikingly, has a more aerodynamically sculpted cockpit which gives the pilot better visibility. The pilots also receive increased armor protection, while a better machine gun (dual-barrel 7.92 mm MG 71Z) is placed in the rear of the cockpit. The engine now delivers 1401 hp, and maximum bomb-carrying ability increases from 500 kg to 1800 kg.

These incremental changes do not improve the survivability of the aircraft very much against the RAF. However, the increased power eventually will make the Stuka (in a still later version, the G) more effective at what will become its primary task: tank destruction.

US Military: Support Force, Atlantic Fleet is established. This will protect convoys in the North Atlantic. The first commander is Rear Admiral Arthur L. Bristol. It is composed of Destroyer Squadron 7 (Captain J L Kauffman), Destroyer Squadron 30 (Captain M Y Cohen), and Destroyer Squadron 31 (Captain W D.Baker). Each squadron has two divisions, each containing three or four destroyers. While many of the destroyers eventually gain some renown, the two that stand out are USS Reuben James in Division 62 and USS Greer in Division 61.

The US 133rd Infantry Regiment arrives at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana for training.

Soviet Military: General Zhukov, appointed Chief of the General Staff on 1 February, takes over this position. He replaces the temporarily disgraced (in Stalin's eyes, anyway) Meretskov.

Chinese Military: General Hiroshi Nemoto becomes the commanding officer of the 24th Division.

New Zealand Military: New Zealand's first fighter squadron, No. 485 Squadron RNZAF, forms.

Japanese Military: Lieutenant General Hiroshi Takahashi becomes chief of staff of the Japanese Chosen Army, currently based in Korea. Lieutenant General Takaji Wachi becomes chief of staff of Japan's Taiwan Army. Wachi previously served in Taiwan until his present position on the staff of the Central China Expeditionary Army. Wachi also heads its Research Division, considering techniques for land warfare in Southeast Asia.

US Government: The US Senate votes unanimously to establish a select committee to study US war production. Of course, the US isn't even at war at the moment, but war production is ramping up to help the British and equip various US bases in the Pacific. This commission is headed by Missouri Senator Harry S. Truman and becomes known as the Truman Commission.

Chinese Government: Nationalist (Kuomintang) leader Chiang Kai-shek gives an address to the People's Political Council.

Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, left, carrying out an inspection of Auschwitz. Here, Himmler is surrounded by SS men during his second visit to Auschwitz – in July 1942 – at the site of the IG Farben industrial plant. Next to Himmler (left in the first row), you can see senior IG Farber engineer Maximilian Faust (in a hat) and Rudolf Hoess - the commandant of Auschwitz.

Holocaust: Reichsfuehrer SS and Chief of German Police Heinrich Himmler inspects the concentration camp at Oswiecim, aka Auschwitz. There is a major synthetic fuel plant being constructed nearby, as well as other factories that use the camp's slave labor. During his visit, Himmler orders the expansion of the camp to 30,000 and another camp built at Birkenau to hold 100,000 more. Birkenau's original purpose is to hold an expected influx of Soviet prisoners of war after the start of Operation Barbarossa. Auschwitz, Himmler orders camp commandant Rudolf Hoess to commit 10,000 prisoners to build an I.G. Farben synthetic rubber factory at Dwory, a kilometer or two away.

Greek Homefront: There is a strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake centered at Larissa, north of Athens. A reported, 10,000 are left homeless.

Dutch Homefront: The Germans have quelled the General Strike called in February which involved up to 300,000 participants. Today, they impose a fine of 15 million guilders on the city of Amsterdam for local participation in the strike.

American Homefront: Theodore N. Kaufman publishes "Germany Must Perish!" This is the first in a series of written items in the United States - most notoriously the Morgenthau Plan later in the war - that the German Propaganda Ministry seizes upon with glee.

"Captain America" makes his official debut in an American comic book (although in actuality the issue dated today actually was released in December 1940 - in time for Christmas).

The Admiralty IX Floating Dry Dock, Singapore, March 1941 (Image #6159, Courtesy Australian War Memorial).

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

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

Monday 25 November 1940

Prototype Martin B-26-MA Marauder 40-1361 taking off on its maiden flight, 25 November 1940 (US Air Force).

Overview: There is a tendency among students of the war to see Hitler and the Germans as holding the stronger hand during negotiations with the Soviet Union in 1940. The Soviet Union is portrayed as weak and trying to make a deal, whereas the Germans are in a position of strength and ability to dictate the terms of the relationship. To be fair, the Germans felt the same way at the time. The evidence for Soviet diplomatic inferiority is scant but generally relies on Stalin's accommodating attitude toward Germany during the weeks preceding Operation Barbarossa in June 1941. However, Stalin had personal reasons to fear an invasion that had little to do with overall Soviet power.

The Soviets, however, at no point saw their diplomatic position as inferior. In fact, the Stavka (Soviet General Staff) never felt a sense of military inferiority toward Germany in the months before the invasion. During planning for their own operations against Germany - which is ongoing on 25 November 1940 - the Stavka focuses not on defensive strategies, but on offensive plans that would respond to an act of aggression. Thus, the question posed in their operational studies was not how to defend areas of the Soviet Union, but instead where the strongest German forces would be located so that the effect of an immediate Soviet counterstrike would be as devastating as possible when the German advances were reversed. Once you defeat the enemy at his strongest point, the rest of the battle becomes easy - at least, if you can do that.

There is no question there was some self-deception on both sides during this period. The German leaders felt that the Soviet system and government were inherently weak and unpopular - both untrue to one extent or another - while the Soviet leaders were a bit too complacent in their own military strength. Of the two sides, history shows that the Soviets were closer to reality than the Germans. The gulf between their versions of how things stood was enormous. This made a true, lasting deal utterly impossible.

Hence, when Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov adopts a stance of diplomatic equality with the Germans, it comes as quite a shock to the Germans, because Hitler and much of the Wehrmacht resented these "subhumans" pretending to be equals. In fact, Molotov's proposals really are fairly mild, address real concerns, and represent an honest attempt at accommodation. In other words, the Molotov proposal of November 1940 is not an intemperate and overreaching grasp at German rights and influence, as the Germans felt, but instead an honest diplomatic attempt to reach a modus vivendi.

The Germans should have taken Molotov's proposals much more seriously than they did. They are quite reasonable, do not really impact core German interests, and are infinitely more acceptable than betting the life of the German nation on an uncertain campaign in Russia. In hindsight, this is a decisive moment of World War II.

If you believe that Operation Barbarossa is Germany's greatest mistake of the war, then reaching some kind of agreement now with the USSR would avoid that entire invasion and create a new paradigm. This may be the single moment that seals the fate of the Axis. With some negotiation, the rougher edges could be smoothed over and the Soviets would sign the Tripartite Pact, presenting a united front to the Allies. However, the German grasp of reality about the true balance of global power - for now, the entire globe is revolving around the European conflict - is very shaky at this time due to their cheap run of successes on the Continent.

The prototype B-26 Marauder, 25 November 1940 (US Air Force).

Soviet/German Relations: Soviet Minister Molotov summons German Ambassador Count von Schulenburg to the Kremlin and presents him with the official Soviet reply to German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop's October proposal of a "New World Order." The Molotov reply states that the USSR would be willing to sign the Tripartite Pact, but only under certain conditions:

1. The area of the south of Batum and Baku - the Persian Gulf - is recognized as within the Soviet sphere of influence;
2. The Soviets require a naval base in the Dardanelles;
3. Turkey must either join the Tripartite Pact willingly or be subject to "the necessary military and diplomatic steps" to remove it as a hindrance;
4. Germany must withdraw all troops from Finland;
5. Japan must renounce its rights to energy resources in Northern Sakhalin;
6. Bulgaria must be recognized as lying within the Soviet sphere of influence, with a separate Soviet/Bulgarian pact to be negotiated.

The Germans quickly discount the entire Soviet counterproposal. It flies in the face of current German activities. In particular, German troops are standing by to pour into Bulgaria in order to invade Greece (and Bulgaria already would have joined the Tripartite Pact except for Bulgarian hesitancy, see below). Revealing this to the Soviets might, in light of Molotov's demands, provoke an open breach. The Germans consider any Soviet infringement on the Baltic - which is an obvious implication of German troop withdrawals from Finland - as quite out of the question (this point, in fact, seems to be the Germans' main objection to the Molotov proposals).

The Germans never reply to this Molotov letter, despite repeated Soviet requests for such. This represents the final attempt at an agreement between the two powers before Operation Barbarossa.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greek offensive continues. Greek I Corps continues moving into Albania along the Drinos River, and Greek II Corps continues in the direction of Frashër. The Italians are forming a new defensive line east of Berat on the Tomorr Mountain range. Greek 1st Infantry Division takes Mali Piscalit and Gostivisti.

European Air Operations: Weather is poor, so flying operations are reduced. RAF Bomber Command sends out 36 bombers to bomb Kiel and Wilhelmshaven. Other attacks are made against Willemsoord, Hamburg, and the former Dutch seaplane base at De Mok, Texel. Five British bombers attack the Tirpitz, with no success.

The Luftwaffe engages in light day raids due to the weather against targets in southern England, losing four aircraft. It only launches a few isolated attacks after dark.

The official handover from Air Marshal Dowding to Air Officer Commanding, RAF Fighter Command Sholto Douglas takes place.

"Soldiers of the East Surrey Regiment pose with fixed bayonets at Chatham in Kent, 25 November 1940." © IWM (H 5694). (Photo by Mr. Putnam of the War Office).

Battle of the Atlantic: Royal Navy 225-ton trawler HMT Kennymore (T/Skipper J. W. Greene RNR) hits a mine and sinks in the Thames Estuary. There are four deaths and Greene is wounded.

While rescuing people from the Kennymore, 224-ton British naval trawler HMT Conquistador (T/Skipper J. Paterson (act) RNR) collides with a passenger vessel and sinks in the Thames Estuary. The Conquistador is carrying survivors of HMT Kennymore.

Royal Navy Fairmile A motor launch HMS ML 111 (Lt A. V. C. Hoadley RNR) hits a mine and sinks off the mouth of the Humber. There are two deaths, and Lt. Hoadley is wounded.

British 698-ton hopper barge Tees Hopper No. 3 hits a mine and sinks off Stockton on Tees, County Durham. Everybody survives.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Talisman reports torpedoing a German tanker off of Lorient in the Bay of Biscay. It is unclear what ship this is or what happened to it. The Talisman reports that a trawler was taking off the crew.

HMS Talisman also captures a French fishing vessel, the 40-ton Le Clipper, in the same general area. The British later use this as a spy ship.

Convoy HX 91 departs from Halifax, a Greek convoy (seven freighters) departs from Suda Bay for Piraeus.

Canadian corvettes HMCS Cobalt and Orillia are commissioned, along with antiaircraft ship HMS Springbank (converted freighter).

The Germans are stepping up their U-boat construction. They lay down U-92 and U-177 today.

"A lance corporal of the East Surrey Regiment poses with a 'Tommy gun,' Chatham in Kent, 25 November 1940." That is a Thompson m1928 submachine gun (drum magazine).  © IWM (H 5680). (Photo by Mr. Putnam of the War Office).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Operation Collar, a supply run to Malta with associated subsidiary operations, continues. Force H (Admiral Somerville) from Gibraltar is led by battlecruiser HMS Renown and the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. Force F is led by two cruisers, HMS Southampton and Manchester and is heading for Alexandria. The Mediterranean Fleet also is at sea for Operation Collar, led by battleships HMS Warspite and Valiant and aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. The overall plan is for Force H to escort Convoy ME 4 to the area of Sardinia/Sicily, at which point the Mediterranean Fleet will escort them to Malta. The handoff is scheduled for 27 November.

The British Western Desert Force is preparing in great secrecy an offensive in Egypt. Under Operation Compass, British Troops Egypt (Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson) is planned as a five-day raid, with extensions based on the progress of the attack. Today, the British forces involved undergoing training exercises.

The RAF bombs Assab and performs reconnaissance missions over Sicily, Bari, and Taranto.

In Malta, the government bans the operation of motorcycles without a special permit. There are three air raid alerts, and the first two accomplish nothing, as the planes turn back quickly. During the third raid, the Italians lose a CR 42 fighter and the British lose a Hurricane, with both pilots perishing.

Battle of the Pacific: German raiders Komet and Orion (with tanker/supply ship Kulmerland) are operating about 400 miles (650 km) east of New Zealand (about 40 km southwest of Chatham Island) when they spot a ship at 07:20. The Germans stop it and identify it as 546-ton New Zealand coastal freighter/passenger ship Holmwood. The Germans take off the 29/30 people on board (including four women and four children) and 1370 sheep, two dogs and a horse and distribute them among the three ships (they kill the horse). The Germans then sink the ship.

Applied Technology: In the continuing technology battle of the war at sea, the British take a step forward when they fit minesweepers with devices that successfully explode three acoustic mines. The solution? Specially modified jackhammers that generate enough noise to blow the mines up at a safe distance.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge, 25 November 1940 (photographer unknown). The bridge sags on the left because of the lack of weight where the central span should be. Eventually, the entire roadway will be salvaged for scrap, though the central piers will be re-used for the next attempt.

German/Bulgarian Relations: Hitler and Ribbentrop have been trying to get Bulgaria to sign the Tripartite Pact. If they had their way, the Bulgarians would be present in Berlin right now with the representatives of Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia to add their signature. However, Bulgarian minister in Berlin Parvan Draganov scotches these plans, at least for the time being. Bulgaria fears reprisals from both the Soviet Union and Turkey. Draganov also explains that Bulgaria has a natural affinity for the peoples of Russia and its associated republics which might make an agreement now politically unpopular at home. However, Draganov is clear on one point: Bulgaria may be ready to sign at a later date.

Things are very confused about the Soviet/German/Bulgaria issue at this time. Both sides may be making somewhat overstated promises to the Bulgarians in exchange for short-term concessions. For instance, today the Soviet Secretary-General of Soviet Foreign Ministry, Arkadi A. Sobolev, arrives in Sofia to confer with Bulgarian Prime Minister Bogdan Filov. Sobolev requests permission for Soviet troop transfers across the country - for what purpose is unclear - in exchange for the Soviets dropping their objections to Bulgaria joining the Tripartite Pact. Sobolev broadly hints that with just a little cooperation from Bulgaria, both Bulgaria and the USSR might join the Tripartite Pact. These discussions appear tightly coordinated with Foreign Minister Molotov's letter to Ribbentrop.

Anglo/Italian Relations: The London press is full of speculation about the course of the war against Italy. The current rumor is that Mussolini would be willing to conclude a peace deal with the Allies. There is nothing concrete to prove this - yet. However, Mussolini indeed is having serious anxiety attacks about his failed offensive in Greece and the stalled offensive in North Africa.

Prototype DH.98 Mosquito marked W4050 taking off on its first flight at Hatfield, 25 November 1940. While you can't tell from the picture, the bomber is painted yellow overall. Interesting that they already have the service markings on this prototype's maiden flight, but then, neither side's pilot's would recognize the plane as belonging to their side. (Royal Air Force)

British Military: Geoffrey de Havilland and John E. Walker, Chief Engine Installation designer, take the new serial number E0234, msn 98001, prototype of the De Havilland D.H. 98 Mosquito bomber on its maiden flight at Hatfield, England. The flight goes smoothly, and the plane reaches 220 mph (350/km). The only issues spotted are a problem with the undercarriage doors and a tendency of the plane's left wing to drag slightly. Both problems are fixed eventually, though the undercarriage problem takes some time.

US Military: Glenn L. Martin Company test pilot William K. "Ken" Ebel at Martin Airport in Middle River, Maryland takes the new serial number 40-1361, msn 1226 B-26 MA Marauder on its first flight. It goes smoothly, and deliveries to the US Army Air Corps at Wright-Patterson field in Ohio are scheduled to begin in February 1941.

The US Army calls up two more National Guard units to active duty, Alabama's 31st and Texas' 36th.

Heavy cruiser USS Louisville departs Santos, Brazil for Rio Grande du Sol, Brazil as part of its continuing "Show the Flag" operation in Latin America.

The Patria listing heavily after the bombing.

Palestine: At Haifa, the 11,885 ton SS Patria is loaded with about 1800 Jewish refugees from Occupied Europe. The British authorities have denied entry to the refugees due to their lack of entry permits. The ship is to be sent to Mauritius. Zionist paramilitary group Irgun aka Irgun Zvai Leumi, a subsidiary of Haganah, decide to bomb the ship in order to disable it and prevent its departure (but not necessarily kill anyone, though that seems unavoidable). Miscalculating the force required (the ship is old and fragile), the Zionists plant a bomb that blows a huge hold in the side, causing the Patria to sink within 16 minutes. There are 267 dead and 172 injured (these are disputed British government estimates, and 50 dead are British crewmen).

In 1957, Munya Mardor claims responsibility for planting the bomb, clearing up the mystery of the explosion. The British allow the survivors to remain in Palestine, so Haganah/Irgun accomplish their objective. Needless to say - but I'll say it anyway, despite how controversial this entire subject is - this is a humanitarian disaster that needlessly kills hundreds of innocent people, but which some feel worthwhile for the greater good of the right of Jewish settlement in the Palestinian territories.

China: The Japanese 11th Army attacks the Chinese in Hubei Province. This is known variously as the Han River Operation and the Central Hupei Operation. The Japanese send five separate columns to attack the Chinese 5th War Area.

German Homefront: Hitler issues a decree entitled "Basic Law of Social Housing Construction." Robert Ley's Labour Front is directed to build 6 million dwellings, at 300,000 per year. Simple math shows that this program would take two decades to complete. The decree gets into minutiae such as how big the homes must be (62 square meters), what rooms they must include (kitchen, two bedrooms, a bathroom, a hallway, and a balcony), and - tellingly - that they must have air raid shelters large enough for all occupants. The German bureaucracy has a well-defined habit of cutting corners to present large statistical achievements which reap glory on those in charge - as Hermann Goering likes to say, "The Fuhrer does not ask me how large my bombers are, only how many I have" - thus the need for the detail.

American Homefront: Andy Panda cartoon "Knock Knock" is released. It features an annoying woodpecker who disturbs the two pandas. The woodpecker's name is the not-very-original Woody Woodpecker. He is drawn by Alex Lovy and voiced by Mel Blanc, who gives Woody his distinctive laugh. The film is produced by the Walter Lantz animation studio and distributed by Universal Pictures.

While Lantz did not actually draw Woody Woodpecker for this short, he created the character along with legendary storyboard artist Ben "Bugs" Hardaway - the artist who earlier came up with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck at Warner Bros. Lantz has been looking for a replacement for tired star Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, and Woody is perfect. The character is an instant hit, and Woody Woodpecker will star in films during the war and cartoons on television beginning in 1957.

Life Magazine, 25 November 1940.

November 1940

November 1, 1940: Hitler Irate
November 2, 1940: U-31 Sunk - Again
November 3, 1940: Kretschmer's Master Class
November 4, 1940: Spain Absorbs Tangier
November 5, 1940: Jervis Bay Meets Admiral Scheer
November 6, 1940: San Demetrio Incident
November 7, 1940: Galloping Gertie
November 8, 1940: Italian Shakeup in Greece
November 9, 1940: Dutch Fascists March
November 10, 1940: Fala and Doc Strange
November 11, 1940: Taranto Raid
November 12, 1940: Molotov Takes Berlin
November 13, 1940: Molotov Foils Hitler
November 14, 1940: Moonlight Sonata
November 15, 1940: Warsaw Ghetto Sealed
November 16, 1940: France Keeps Battleships
November 17, 1940: Malta Hurricane Disaster
November 18, 1940: Hitler Berates Ciano
November 19, 1940: Birmingham Devastated
November 20, 1940: Hungary Joins Axis
November 21, 1940: Dies White Paper
November 22, 1940: Italians Take Korçë
November 23, 1940: U-Boat Bonanza!
November 24, 1940: Slovakia Joins In
November 25, 1940: Molotov's Demands
November 26, 1940: Bananas Be Gone
November 27, 1940: Cape Spartivento Battle
November 28, 1940: Wick Perishes
November 29, 1940: Trouble in Indochina
November 30, 1940: Lucy and Desi Marry

2020

Sunday 24 November 1940

London Zoo, 24 November 1940 (Imperial War Museum via Time out London).

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greek advance continues on 24 November 1940. It is a steady but slow advance through rough territory, made slower by the fact that the Greek troops are on foot. While the Greeks are on the offensive everywhere, the main axis of attack is shifting toward the port of Salona, which appears vulnerable.

Greek I Corps, advancing toward Salona, begins moving north into Albania along the Drinos River.

The Greek Liuba Detachment captures Smerto and Paravryso in the coastal sector.

Greek II Corps advances toward Frashër.

Greek III Corps, which is part of the Western Macedonia Army Section (TSDM) (Lieutenant-General Pitsikas), continues occupying the Korçë plateau. The Greek 10th Division captures Moscopole (Moschopolis).

The Italian Julia Division sustains attacks by Greek 8th Infantry Division in Kakavia Pass.

The RAF launches a heavy daylight raid against the key Italian supply port of Durazzo.

Italian leader Benito Mussolini is becoming increasingly worried about the situation in Greece. There is little that he can do, however, as his troops simply are not fighting well. He has ordered the Italian Army to re-mobilize troops that were mustered out of the service only a month before.

The roof of the old George's brewery building near Bristol Bridge on the morning after the bombing of Bristol on 24 November 1940. The Managing Director of the brewery, Mr. Hadley, looks at a hole in the roof where a bomb fell through without exploding.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe is very active from 18:00 to midnight. The main raid is against Bristol and is composed of 130 bombers. Bristol is a favorite Luftwaffe target and easy to find from Cherbourg. The damage to the historic city center (Castle Park) is extensive, with four churches (St Peter’s, St Nicholas, St Mary-le-Port and Temple) and an estimated 10,000 homes damaged or destroyed. The wooden medieval buildings are particularly susceptible to incendiaries. The attackers lose three planes. From the 156 tons of high explosives and 12,500 incendiary bombs dropped, there are an estimated 200 deaths and 689 seriously wounded, with 1400 made homeless.

The Lord Mayor of Bristol comments that "The City of Churches had in one night become the city of ruins."

Another Luftwaffe target is Bath. The raids today are a preview of a series of Luftwaffe raids against historic English cities derisively nicknamed the "Baedeker Raids" after a famous guidebook series.

RAF Bomber Command also is in action. It (2 Group, 101 Squadron) attacks oil installations at Wanne Eickel, losing a plane which crash-lands back at base. In another attack, 42 bombers attack Hamburg, Wilhelmshaven and the Altona gas plant. RAF Coastal Command chips in with raids against Kristiansand, Norway, and Hoek van Holland. Another raid sees 8 bombers attack Boulogne.

The first Canadian graduates of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) arrive in Great Britain.

Hauptmann Joachim Helbig, Staffelkapitän of 4./LG 1, receives the Ritterkreuz. The flow of awards in the Luftwaffe has slowed along with the air offensive.

Slovakian PM Tuka at the signing ceremony of the Tripartite Pact.

Battle of the Atlantic: Today is notable for demonstrating the variety of ways that the Germans can sink British ships. While there are no U-boat successes, the Germans sink or damage ships with mines, Luftwaffe attacks, destroyers shelling ships, and a cruiser on a raiding mission. It is the multiple ways that the Germans have of blockading Great Britain that causes British Prime Minister Winston Churchill so much concern during this period of the war.

Convoy SC 11, which lost seven ships totaling 24,601 tons to Joachim Schepke's U-100 on the 23rd, loses another today. British freighter Alma Dawson hits a mine and sinks off the coast of Northern Ireland. Everybody aboard survives, rescued by fellow freighter Spurt.

Just after midnight, Kriegsmarine destroyers (Z10 Hans Lody, Z20 Karl Galster and Z4 Richard Beitzen) engage in a sweep of the Lizard (about 12 km south of Wolf Rock, Penzance, and Plymouth). They find a group of fishing trawlers and a couple of other ships, attack them, and escape before the Royal Navy can intercept them. German destroyers tend to be over-gunned, which makes them especially fearsome against defenseless fishing boats.

The German destroyers shell:

• Dutch 2088-ton tanker Appolonia (sunk, 15 men perish)
• Belgian 70-ton fishing vessel Marguerite Simmone (sunk, everyone survives)
• British 44-ton trawler Lent Lilly (damaged)
• Norwegian 629-ton Norwegian freighter Stadion II (damaged)
• Norwegian 4695-ton freighter Fernwood (slightly damaged). 

The Royal Navy sends five destroyers of its own (HMS Jackal, Javelin, Jersey, Jupiter, and Kashmir) that are on patrol off Prawle Point to intercept the German destroyers, but they scramble back to Brest undamaged. This is one of a series of harassing raids by the Kriegsmarine in this area. Night actions like this are always full of confusion, even regarding the outcome of shipping attacks, so accounts vary slightly as to which ships were damaged or sunk.

German cruiser Admiral Scheer (Captain Krancke) remains on the loose in the Atlantic, though it hasn't done much after its initial breakout. While cruising off the Azores shortly before noon, it comes upon 7448-ton British freighter Port Hobart, which is sailing for the Panama Canal. Admiral Scheer opens fire from about 3.5 km and shells the Port Hobart, which stops. The entire crew, including one woman, disembarks and becomes POWs before Krancke sinks the ship.

British 2206-ton collier Alice Marie hits a mine and sinks in the Thames Estuary. All aboard survive.

Royal Navy 627-ton anti-submarine trawler HMT Amethyst (T/Lt Hon. W. K. Rous RNVR, later the 5th Earl of Stradbroke) also hits a mine and sinks in the Thames Estuary. There are seven deaths (accounts vary on casualties).

British 6100-ton freighter Behar hits a mine and is damaged off Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. While everybody survives, the ship is found to be not worth repairing and is written off.

In an action that appears to be related to the loss of the Behar, 630-ton British salvage ship Preserver (apt name) hits a mine and sinks off Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. There are four deaths. Writing off the Behar may be partly due to the danger of retrieving it.

Royal Navy 101-ton armed yacht HMY Gael hits a mine and sinks in the Humber Estuary off Spurn Point, Yorkshire.

British 367-ton coaster Ryal hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea. There are one survivor and eight deaths. The mines had been laid by German torpedo boats on 29/30 October.

British 310-ton coaster Thomas M hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea off Gorleston-on-Sea, Suffolk. There are seven deaths (some accounts place this action on the 23rd, where we have it also).

British 3985-ton freighter Alma Dawson hits a British minefield in the North Sea and sinks. Everybody survives.

British 590-ton freighter Camroux IV hits a mine and is damaged a couple of kilometers from East Oaze Light Vessel.

Convoy OB 249 departs from Liverpool, Convoys FN 341 and FN 342 depart from Southend, Convoy FS 344 departs from Methil.

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Formidable (Captain Arthur W. La Touche Bisset) is commissioned. She proceeds to the Clyde for trials.

Revenge-class battleship HMS Resolution and Illustrious-class aircraft carrier HMS Formidable.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Operation Collar, another supply mission to Malta with subsidiary operations throughout the Mediterranean, proceeds. Convoy ME 4 from Great Britain passes through the Strait of Gibraltar. It includes three merchant ships escorted by three cruisers, and along with supplies they bring 1370 primarily RAF servicemen. Force H from Gibraltar is at sea to support them and provide diversions. The Mediterranean Fleet based at Alexandria is split into Forces C and D. Led by battleships HMS Ramillies and Malaya, they also are at sea, moving west from Suda Bay, Crete, where they have been in port to refuel.

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Eagle sends a raid against Tripoli Harbor, Libya after dark. The raids continue past dawn.

The British claim that, in the continuing battle around the Abyssinian/Sudanese border near Gallabat, the Italians have withdrawn from border town Metemma, Abyssinia.

There is another air raid alert on Malta as the air war heats up again. Shortly after 15:00, a half dozen Italian CR 42 fighters carry out a low-level strafing attack on Luqa airfield. They destroy a Wellington bomber and damaged two others. One of the attackers is damaged by antiaircraft fire.

The Times of Malta inadvertently arouses the ire of local authorities by publishing a story that describes the civilian population as fearlessly watching each day's air battle overhead. The government notes that about 70% of the civilian population is not bothering to seek shelter. It sends letters to both the local Inspector of Police and the Times urging them to encourage more people to seek shelter.

The Shavano, a train from Salida to Gunnison, above Poncha Junction, Colorado on the morning of 24 November 1940. Otto Perry photo from DPL OP-8483.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: The Kriegsmarine orders German raider Pinguin to take refuge in the Antarctic, where it is summertime. The Australian Navy has a cruiser out looking for it, though it is unclear if the Germans know this.

Slovakian/German/Italian/Japanese/Hungarian/Romanian Relations: The Slovak Republic (Slovakia) adds its name to the Tripartite Pact (original members signed on 27 September 1940), making six members in all now. Slovakia, of course, is the breakaway province of Czechoslovakia, which subsequently was absorbed by Germany to become the provinces of Bohemia and Moravia. President Josef Tiso and Prime Minister Vojtech Tuka have an army of three infantry divisions that participated in the conquest of Poland and which may come in handy in Operation Barbarossa. Having Slovakia in his pocket also provides a unanimous front against near-term enemies Greece and (possibly) Yugoslavia.

Washington Redskins at New York Giants (November 24, 1940).

Soviet/German Relations: Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov prepares a response to the Germans regarding their standing proposal that the Soviet Union join the Tripartite Pact and help create a New World Order.

Canadian/Vichy French Relations: Canadian Ambassador to Vichy France Pierre Dupuy holds his first official meeting with the French government. He meets with Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain, President of the Council, who reassures him:

I am obliged officially to maintain the balance between both sides, but you know where my sympathies lie.

Petain comments that he is engaging in only "passive" collaboration. To him, this appears to encompass all assistance to Germany short of an actual declaration of war against Great Britain.

British Military: Air Vice-Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, commander of RAF No. 5 Group, becomes Deputy Chief of the Air Staff. Harris is more familiarly known as "Bomber Harris."

British Government: Lord Craigavon (James Craig) passes away. He is succeeded as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland by J.M. Andrews. Carnavon was known for fierce measures against suspected terrorists, including new laws that included the lash for those found carrying guns or bombs.

British Homefront: The British Treasury cancels the closure of banks on Boxing Day (26 December).

Future History: Photographer Arthur Tress is born in Brooklyn, New York. He becomes famous for surrealistic and otherworldly photographs.

An Arthur Tress photograph.

November 1940

November 1, 1940: Hitler Irate
November 2, 1940: U-31 Sunk - Again
November 3, 1940: Kretschmer's Master Class
November 4, 1940: Spain Absorbs Tangier
November 5, 1940: Jervis Bay Meets Admiral Scheer
November 6, 1940: San Demetrio Incident
November 7, 1940: Galloping Gertie
November 8, 1940: Italian Shakeup in Greece
November 9, 1940: Dutch Fascists March
November 10, 1940: Fala and Doc Strange
November 11, 1940: Taranto Raid
November 12, 1940: Molotov Takes Berlin
November 13, 1940: Molotov Foils Hitler
November 14, 1940: Moonlight Sonata
November 15, 1940: Warsaw Ghetto Sealed
November 16, 1940: France Keeps Battleships
November 17, 1940: Malta Hurricane Disaster
November 18, 1940: Hitler Berates Ciano
November 19, 1940: Birmingham Devastated
November 20, 1940: Hungary Joins Axis
November 21, 1940: Dies White Paper
November 22, 1940: Italians Take Korçë
November 23, 1940: U-Boat Bonanza!
November 24, 1940: Slovakia Joins In
November 25, 1940: Molotov's Demands
November 26, 1940: Bananas Be Gone
November 27, 1940: Cape Spartivento Battle
November 28, 1940: Wick Perishes
November 29, 1940: Trouble in Indochina
November 30, 1940: Lucy and Desi Marry

2020