Thursday 24 April 1941

Wehrmacht Troops enter Zagreb, 24 April 1941 (original caption "Zagreb - Arrival of the Germans - 04/24").

Operation Marita: The Battle of Thermopylae takes place on 24 April 1941 after some initial skirmishes. The Allied ANZAC Corps holds the pass with rearguards, but the orders already have been issued for the complete evacuation of all Operation Lustre forces. General Blamey, the Australian general in charge of the Commonwealth troops, flies to Alexandria.

The British maintain a blocking detachment on the road from Larissa to Athens at the pass composed of the 4th New Zealand Brigade. The 6th New Zealand Brigade holds the east portion of the pass line and the 19th Australian Brigade holds the western sector. The German 6th Mountain Division (Generalmajor Ferdinand Schörner) attacks at 11:30 and attempts to break through the defensive line. The 5th Panzer Division also sends a battlegroup into the pass. New Zealand and Australian troops repulse these attacks, the Wehrmacht losing about 12-15 panzers. After the dark, the ANZAC troops withdraw from the pass toward Thebes, having delayed the panzers for over 24 vital hours.

There are no Greek troops involved in the Battle of Thermopylae despite the fact that the nation of Greece officially has not surrendered, only the army group in the north. This becomes a controversial issue in Greece which echoes down through the years.

Operation Demon, the evacuation of British and Commonwealth troops from mainland Greece, begins. Many ships depart from Suda Bay, Crete bound for ports on mainland Greece. On the first day, about 5200 men, mostly from the 5th New Zealand Brigade, are evacuated from Porto Rafti in East Attica, and another 8000 from Nauplia on the Peloponnese. Other ports being used for evacuations include Megara and Rafina.

The Germans continue pressing against the British line anchored at Thermopylae, but they also are making an end-around run toward the Gulf of Patras. The Greek Army was supposed to protect this sector, but it in effect no longer exists, having surrendered on the 23rd. The 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler ("LSSAH," still of brigade-size) is racing to the southwest from Ioannina, with its ultimate objective seizing ports on the Peloponnesus which the British need for their evacuation.

The Germans also are using the port of Salonika (Thessaloniki) to occupy the islands in the Aegean. These include Samothrace, Lemnos (occupied today by elements of the 164th Division) and Thasos. The Greek garrison on Lemnos puts up a brief fight, then surrenders.

Somewhat belatedly, Bulgaria, under Tsar Boris III, declares war on Yugoslavia and Greece. The Bulgarian Army is in the process of occupying Western Thrace, and much of Macedonia.

At the War Cabinet meeting held in London, visiting Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies "said that he was uneasy as to whether our forces in Greece... would be given sufficient protection from the air." Prime Minister Winston Churchill decides to send a telegram to Middle East Air Marshal Longmore, ordering him "to spare all the aircraft he could for Greece during the immediately critical days." Menzies himself notes darkly in his diary that "I am afraid of a disaster... Better Dunkirk than Poland or Czechoslovakia." He also wonders how anyone could have thought that the Greek expedition had "military merits," something he always argued against.

The Lublin ghetto, sealed off today.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 2269-ton British freighter Cavallo at Nauplia. There is nobody on board, and the ship sinks on the 25th.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 370-ton Royal Navy armed yacht Calanthe at Milos. There are five deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 2083-ton Greek freighter Popi S. at Milos.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 932-ton Greek freighter Pylaros at Galaxeidion.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 379-ton Greek coaster Speitsai off Psathopyrgos, Gulf of Corinth.

The Luftwaffe bombs and badly damages 4810-ton Greek freighter Point Judith off Kythnos Island. Everyone survives, and the ship officially sinks on the 26th.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks Greek torpedo boat Pergamos at Salamis.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 2295-ton Hellas at Piraeus. This is a tragic event, as at the time the Hellas is boarding 500 British civilians and 400 wounded Allied soldiers. The Hellas catches fire and rolls over, claiming the lives of up to 500 people.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 1968-ton Greek freighter Kehrea in the Bay of Frangolimano.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 5528-ton Greek freighter Kyriaki at Suda Bay.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 238-ton Greek coaster Manna at Aedipsos.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 634-ton Greek freighter Petros at Porto Heli. The Germans later salvage it for scrap.

Greek Navy torpedo boat Aigli is scuttled in Saronis Bay.

Greek Navy torpedo boat Alkyoni is scuttled in Vouliagmeni Bay.

Greek Navy torpedo boat Arethousa is scuttled off Varkizy.

Greek Navy contraband chaser A-4 is lost on this date from unknown causes.

The Luftwaffe bombs and badly damages British submarine HMS York, which is alongside beached heavy cruiser York to supply power to its antiaircraft guns. The skipper quickly beaches the submarine, then is towed to Alexandria. Repairs at Bombay take well into 1942.

British troopship Ulster Prince, part of Operation Demon, runs aground at Nauplia. This leads to her eventual destruction because beached ships become tempting targets for the Luftwaffe.

Yugoslav submarine Nebojsca arrives in Suda Bay after escaping from the Germans. It is never put into service.

Convoys AG 14 (six troopships) and AG 15 (six troopships) depart from Alexandria bound for Suda Bay.

Barge "Foz do Douro" moored to the quay of Alcântara dock, Lisbon, 24 April 1941 (unknown author). Lisbon is completely untouched by the ravages of war but is a hotbed of agents from both sides and people fleeing continental Europe.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command attacks Kiel with 69 bombers and Le Havre with a dozen bombers. Scattered attacks are made on various coastal targets in Rhubarb missions.

The Luftwaffe sends scattered raiders over the Channel after dark.

Dutch Prince Bernhard becomes an RAF pilot.

East African Campaign: The Indian 29th Infantry Brigade moves toward the Italian redoubt at Amba Alagi.

Battle of the Atlantic: President Roosevelt extends Neutrality Patrols to 26W longitude (the vicinity of Iceland) and as far south as Rio de Janeiro and orders the US Navy to report any movement of German ships west of Iceland. US Rear Admiral Robert Ghormley, President Roosevelt's Special Naval Observer in England, meets with Churchill to discuss joint operations in the Atlantic. Among the topics is the possibility of German bases on the island groups in the Atlantic, including the Canary and Cape Verde Islands. US Navy ships simply transport their sightings in the clear, and the signals invariably are picked up by Royal Navy listeners who can vector in British ships or aircraft.

US Task Force 3 (Rear Admiral Jones H. Ingram), led by light cruisers USS Cincinnati, Memphis, Milwaukee Omaha, departs from Newport, Rhode Island bound for the Caribbean and the Cape Verde Islands.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 5507-ton British freighter Dolius southwest of Montrose. It manages to make port in Leith.

German raider Thor makes port in Cherbourg. It is en route to Hamburg.

Convoy HG 60 departs from Gibraltar bound for Liverpool,

Royal Navy corvette HMS Polyanthus (K 47, Lt. Arthur Hague) is commissioned and submarine Sirdar is laid down.

U-127 and U-567 are commissioned, U-207 and U-504 are launched.

The 2/48th Australian Battalion near Tobruk, 24 April 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Both sides launch attacks on the Tobruk perimeter without major results, but there are some ominous omens for the Axis. The Germans mount a series of coordinated assaults on the Tobruk perimeter, but the daily D.A.K. staff report notes that "Italian troops cannot be relied upon." This is a brewing problem for the Germans, and one of Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel's major tasks is figuring out a way to get effective use out of the Italians. In their defense, the Italians are taking heavy casualties and holding large portions of the perimeter, but they do show an inclination to surrender.

A secret cablegram dated 24 April 1941 reports:

there are about 145,000 prisoners in the Middle East excluding Abyssinia and Eritrea and figures (are) still growing. ((National Archives of Australia NAA: A 433, 1945/2/6098, 1941-1943) ).

While this sounds like a positive, taking care of the vast hordes of Italian prisoners is becoming a major issue for the Allies. Many of these prisoners will wind up in Australia, causing a strain on transport and that country's resources.

At Ras el Medauuar, an Italian battalion attacks at 07:00 and manages to make its way in the perimeter wire, but after a hail of artillery fire, it surrenders. A British report notes sardonically that white flags "appeared to have become standard battle equipment of the Italian infantry at Tobruk." The British take 107 mainly Italian POWs, with the Italians losing about 40 dead. The German 15th Panzer Division then makes an attack in the same area around midday that is supported by about 18 Junkers Ju 87 Stukas, but this also is beaten off. In repelling the Axis attacks, the Australian defenders follow their typical pattern and allow the panzers to approach closely to their positions, then open fire as if in an ambush and send the attackers packing.

The British Army launches its own attack in the Gazala area which is quickly broken off but causes genuine alarm. The Royal Navy assists by bombarding the Capuzzo/Bardia area during the night, with the RAF joining in. The British obviously are building up large tank forces near Bardia and Sollum, with the German high command realizing that loss of those areas "would lead... also to the abandonment of the fight for Tobruk."

The German summary notes that the battle is developing into a "crisis-like situation" that requires "immediate reinforcement" - which the OKH (Army High Command in Berlin) notes is "currently not possible." The Tobruk battle is developing into a classic stalemate.

Churchill sends a telegram in which he continues his veiled attacks on Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell. After making some elementary tactical suggestions - using smoke screens in Tobruk Harbor to protect shipping - he turns to his usual theme of Wavell providing insufficient information about the situation. "We still await news" of recent battles in Libya, he writes, noting "Evidently there was a severe defeat." He continues:

Surely the reports of the survivors should have made it possible to give us a coherent story of this key action. I cannot help you if you do not tell me.... While I recognize the difficulties of giving information of the fighting in Greece set out in your telegram, I cannot feel that the explanation is complete.

He demands that General Henry Maitland Wilson, the commander in Greece, send a "short report" every night setting forth the positions of the troops. Of course, the troops are heading for embarkation ships now and won't be on mainland Greece much longer.

Italian torpedo boat Simone Schiaffino hits a mine and sinks off Cape Bon.

The Luftwaffe continues its heavy raids on Malta. About 30 planes spend an hour over the dockyard area and the airfields at Luqa and Hal Far. Valetta is hammered, and four auxiliary antiaircraft gunners of the 4th Battalion perish when a bomb hits their position. St. Frederic Street takes the most damage, but everyone in the shelters survives after temporarily being trapped under the rubble.

Operation Dunlop, a supply effort to Malta, begins when Force H departs from Gibraltar. HMS Ark Royal carries 22 Hurricane fighters for delivery to Malta. There also is a supply component from Alexandria, led by three battleships escorting fast transport Breconshire. Convoy ME 7 departs from Malta bound for Alexandria.

Battle of the Pacific: American, British, Dutch and Australian representatives continue to meet in Singapore to discuss a joint military strategy in the Pacific.

War Crimes: The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 2068 ton Greek hospital ship Andros off Loutraki, Gulf of Corinth. This is another in a series of Luftwaffe attacks on hospital ships operating off the Greek mainland.

Short Sunderland Mk I, N9023, KG-G of RAF No. 204 Squadron, which hit a hill while returning to base at Skerjafjörður (near Reykjavik), Iceland on 24 April 1941. Of 13 crew, at least one perishes. Searching the Atlantic for U-boats was hazardous work. The issue of Allied aerial patrols is a major topic in transatlantic communications and decisions today.

Anglo/US Relations: Churchill sends a telegram to President Roosevelt summarizing the war situation. He notes that the U-boats have moved further west, from 22 degrees West to about 30 degrees West, and they seem to be heading even further west. He asks for US aerial reconnaissance in this area. He also asks for a US Navy carrier to conduct aerial patrols in the vicinity of the Cape Verde Island, which Churchill characterizes as "Another area in which we are having considerable trouble." Churchill also says that, should Spain declare war, the Royal Navy immediately will occupy the Azores and the Cape Verde Islands, but requests that US Navy ships conduct a "friendly cruise in the region" in order to scare off any German raiders.

Roosevelt is in agreement with Churchill's requests. US Navy Secretary Frank Knox issues a statement:

We can no longer occupy the immoral and craven position of asking others to make all the sacrifices for this victory which we recognize as so essential to us.

That, however, is US doctrine at the moment, amplified by Lend Lease. He will divert the ships of Task Force 3, which sails today from Newport, Rhode Island bound for the Caribbean, to the Cape Verde Island group.

Receipt for an American Red Cross package, signed by a POW at Stalag VIII-A in Germany, dated 24 April 1941. Many of these will be issued in the coming years.

German/Soviet Relations: The German Naval Attaché in Moscow reports to Berlin that the British know about the plans for Operation Barbarossa. The only thing they don't know is the exact date of the invasion - which is not surprising since the Germans have not yet set a date. Hitler, meanwhile, still has not made his "final, final" decision to mount Operation Barbarossa, but his meeting today with Admiral Horthy goes a long way in that direction.
German/Hungarian Relations: Admiral Horthy, Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary, lunches with Adolf Hitler at the Fuehrer's command train Amerika near Graz, Austria. This is their first meeting since 1938 when Horthy in effect agreed to participate in the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia. Horthy, as he has in previous correspondence, warns against attempting to invade Great Britain, but enthusiastically argues that by seizing "Russia's inexhaustible riches," Germany can "hold out forever." Walther Hewel writes in his diary that Horthy "talked and talked" during the luncheon, which is unusual because Hitler usually launches into extended monologues with other leaders.

This meeting seems to clarify Hitler's own mind about invading the Soviet Union, or at least allay any of his underlying concerns about Germany's ability to prevail. After today, Operation Barbarossa becomes much more likely to happen. It may be that Hitler' feels that Hungarian military might would seal the deal, but Horthy's influence may be much more subtle: Hitler always has a great deal of respect for foreign leaders of stature and their assessments.

The Admiral tries to work a deal in which Hungary is granted large territorial concessions at Romanian expense - the whole of Transylvania - in exchange for its participation in upcoming Operation Barbarossa (which Horthy fervently advocates). Hitler knows that Hungarian / Romanian relations are a potentially explosive issue, refuses to commit to Hungary taking the whole of Transylvania at Romania's expense. Horthy takes this in stride. As a result of the meeting, Hitler and Horthy maintain their collaborative relationship, with Hungary benefiting directly from Hitler's conquests while trying to keep its own hands as clean as possible. The issue of Hungarian military participation in the Soviet Union remains up in the air, but relations between the two leaders remain excellent.

Judy Garland on 24 April 1941. This was a publicity shot to promote Judy's film "Life Begins for Andy Hardy" and "Babes on Broadway" (both of which, coincidentally, co-star Mickey Rooney) (MGM, Eric Carpenter).

German/Croatian Relations: German Colonel Lahousen of the Abwehr (German military intelligence) meets with Croatian War Minister General Kvaternik. Kvaternik expresses open hatred for the Italians, reflecting a general sentiment within Croatia, but agrees to Italian annexation of the Dalmatian coastal area. Already, reports are surfacing of insensitive Italian actions in the region.

British Military: Churchill decides to hold regular meetings to discuss issues of the Army's tank and anti-tank weaponry. He characterizes these meetings as a "tank parliament." Among the topics covered will be the organization of Armoured Divisions.

US Military: The Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant in Detroit, Michigan delivers its first M3 medium tank to the US Army. The M3 has a 75mm main gun in a sponson mount, not an optimal arrangement because American manufacturers are not at this time capable of creating turrets large enough to handle the gun. The Germans at this time are up-gunning their Panzer IIIs and IVs to handle similar guns at Hitler's personal insistence but in normal turrets. The M3 continues the American pattern of tall and roomy tanks which the crews like - until they have to go into battle in such an exposed target. It is fair to argue that the M3 already is outclassed by tanks in Europe, but this is a controversial topic and, on the other hand, American engineering is very solid and the tanks reliable. Many of these M3s will be sent to Great Britain with different turrets and be called Grants, serving capably in the major battles in North Africa.

British Government: Late in the day, Churchill sets out on a tour of Liverpool and Manchester.

Sweden: Poet/novelist Karin Maria Boye, age 40, passes away in an apparent suicide on or about this date. She chooses a spot next to a boulder on a hill with a view near Alingsås, near Bolltorpsvägen. The boulder is made into a memorial dedicated to her.

HM Sisowath Monivong (27 December 1875 to 24 April 1941) leaving the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh.

Cambodia: King Sisowath Monivong (27 December 1875 to 24 April 1941) of Cambodia passes away.

Holocaust: The Germans seal off the Lublin ghetto. There are 30,000 people inside, all prohibited from leaving without special work passes.

An accountant in Warsaw, Chaim Hasenfus, recalls in his diary walking innocently along Walicowa Street in the Warsaw Ghetto today when a German soldier hits him on the head with a rubber nightstick and orders him and several other Jews to load gravel on a truck. The diary entries stop soon after this and his fate is unknown.

American Homefront: Columbia Pictures releases "Penny Serenade." Produced and directed by George Stevens and starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne, "Penny Serenade" is another in a series of 1941 Hollywood films exploring issues within marriages - a theme which seems to reflect the troubled international situation and the divisions that it is causing within the United States. The film begins with Dunne's character stating that her marriage is over, and the remainder of the film addresses how that issue resolves. Cary Grant is nominated for an Academy Award, but Gary Cooper wins it for "Sergeant York." The film strikes a chord, and radio dramatizations are produced throughout the war, with a television adaptation broadcast in January 1955.

There is another major air defense drill in New York City. Air defense officials maintain a plotting board in Manhattan that directs interceptors based at Mitchell Field, Long Island.

Painter George de Forest Brush passes away.

Future History: John Christopher Williams is born in Melbourne, Australia. He is taught guitar by his English father, then studies with Andrés Segovia in Siena, Italy in the early 1950s. John Williams goes on to become a renowned classical guitar player, and as of this writing remains active.

Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke is born in New York City. He goes on to become the only person to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for two different regions of the world: Asia from 1977 to 1981 and Europe from 1994 to 1996. Holbrooke last served as the United States Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan during 2009-2010. Richard Holbrooke passed away on 13 December 2010.

Pictured on 24 April 1941 are nine of the 11 City College of New York teachers suspended by the Joint Legislative Committee to Investigate the Educational System of the State of New York aka the "Rapp-Coudert Committee." This committee aims to stem the influence of communist influences in New York schools. The suspension of these teachers has led to student protests (Daily Worker via CUNY.EDU).

April 1941

April 1, 1941: Rommel Takes Brega
April 2, 1941:Rommel Takes Agedabia
April 3, 1941: Convoy SC-26 Destruction
April 4, 1941: Rommel Takes Benghazi
April 5, 1941: Rommel Rolling
April 6, 1941: Operation Marita
April 7, 1941: Rommel Takes Derna
April 8, 1941: Yugoslavia Crumbling
April 9, 1941: Thessaloniki Falls
April 10, 1941: USS Niblack Attacks
April 11, 1941: Good Friday Raid
April 12, 1941: Belgrade and Bardia Fall
April 13, 1941: Soviet-Japanese Pact
April 14, 1941: King Peter Leaves
April 15, 1941: Flying Tigers
April 16, 1941: Battle of Platamon
April 17, 1941: Yugoslavia Gone
April 18, 1941: Me 262 First Flight
April 19, 1941: London Smashed
April 20, 1941: Hitler's Best Birthday
April 21, 1941: Greek Army Surrenders
April 22, 1941: Pancevo Massacre
April 23, 1941: CAM Ships
April 24, 1941: Battle of Thermopylae
April 25, 1941: Operation Demon
April 26, 1941: Operation Hannibal
April 27, 1941: Athens Falls
April 28, 1941: Hitler Firm about Barbarossa
April 29, 1941: Mainland Greece Falls
April 30, 1941: Rommel Attacks

2020

Saturday 1 February 1941

"Infantry advancing outside the fort at Derna, 1 February 1941." © IWM (E 1837).

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Battle of Trebeshina ramps up on 1 February 1941. The Cretan 5th Division, operating as part of II Corps, seizes Trebeshina from the defending Italian Blackshirts, while the 15th Division captures the village of Bubeshi. The Greeks are engaged in a very costly attempt to take the Trebeshinë massif which will take time, effort and a lot of lives. The Italians are fighting more effectively than they have at any time during the campaign. The weather is horrendous, especially at the higher altitudes, crimping operations.

East African Campaign: With the mass of defeated Italian troops fleeing from the Mount Cochen defensive line just breached by General Sir William Platt's Indian 4th and 5th Infantry Divisions, the British 4th Indian Division take Agordat and 5th Indian takes Metemma in Eritrea. This is a key road junction which joins the roads through the two different passes through the mountains used by the two British divisions independently. The Italians left a small garrison in Agordat of about 1000 men. They are captured with 14 damaged tanks, 43 guns and all of the supplies of the base.

The Italians of the 4th Colonial Division are running for Keren, but the plains beyond the mountains are much more difficult to defend against superior forces. The Italians at Barentu use a road that turns into a mule track which forces them to abandon all their vehicles. After this point, they basically retreat cross-country toward Keren.

In Abyssinia (Ethiopia), South African troops take Gorai and El Gumu.

2nd Lieutenant Premindra Singh Bhagat of the Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners wins the first Victoria Cross for clearing mines.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command raids Boulogne with 13 bombers after dark, while Coastal Command raids Brest - perhaps looking for the Admiral Hipper, which left during the day. There is little Luftwaffe activity during the day.

Oberstleutnant Benno Kosch takes over KG 55.

Buses, taxis, and motorcycles drive past the National Gallery at the top end of Trafalgar Square, whilst pedestrians also go about their daily business, February 1941 (© IWM (D 2100)).

Battle of the Atlantic: German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper departs from Brest on another raiding mission. This is Hipper's second raiding mission, the first having ended in late December after mediocre results. This makes four German heavy warships in the Atlantic at once - Admiral Hipper, Admiral Scheer, Gneisenau, and Scharnhorst - for the first time in the war. However, they are widely dispersed (except for the latter two ships acting in concert) and thus the effects of having all this firepower on the loose at once are somewhat diluted. German battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz are approaching readiness for missions as well, and if they break out to join the four cruisers, the Kriegsmarine would have the possibility of seriously disrupting the Allies' convoy operations and also of defending themselves against the Royal Navy.

German raiders Scharnhorst and Gneisenau remain in the far north on Operation Berlin. They have rendezvoused with tanker Adria, but rough weather continues to prevent them from topping off yet. After they complete their fuel replenishment, the two heavy cruisers will head for the Denmark Strait to break out into the Atlantic.

U-48 (Kptlt. Herbert Schultze), on its tenth patrol, torpedoes, and sinks 4351-ton Greek freighter Nicolas Angelos in the Atlantic south of Iceland.

British 1251-ton collier Kai (formerly Torholm, Roskva, and Lom) sinks in the Bristol Channel near Trevose Head, Cornwall. This has been an area with numerous recent sinkings from mines.

British freighter Rockpool, from Convoy SC 19, runs aground in heavy fog at Little Cumbrae Island in the Firth of Clyde. The weather is fierce and causes great damage to her stern gear and bottom. She is later salvaged by the Ministry of War Transport and renamed Empire Trent.

German 2530-ton freighter Königsberg-Preussen hits a mine early in the morning and sinks off Cuxhaven.

Convoy OB 281 departs from Liverpool, Convoy BN 14 departs from Aden.

Royal Navy minesweeping trawler HMT Hoy and monitor HMS Roberts are launched.

USS Trigger is laid down.

U-68 (K.Kapt. Karl-Freidrich Merten) is commissioned at Bremen, U-127 is launched and U-764 is laid down.

A 40mm Bofors Gun outside Derna, 1 February 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Italian troops are retreating from Benghazi to Barce, and their movements are spotted by RAF aerial reconnaissance. Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell returns to Cairo from Nairobi in the evening and approves General O'Connor's plan to send his XIII Corps armored units south of Green Mountain to try to intercept the rapidly retreating Italians. O'Connor quickly assembles a force under Lieutenant Colonel J.F.B. Combe (the "Combe Force") to strike out for Msus and Antelat within a couple of days.

British Prime Minister Winston continues to obsess about the proportion of British troops in support services in the Middle East. He sends a memo to Secretary of State for War David Margesson complaining in which he purports to be "astonished' that Margesson has not replied to a previous lengthy memo "paragraph by paragraph and point by point." He reiterates:

[E]very effort should be made to secure the highest economy, and deductions drawn from the peculiar condition of the fighting, and the rapid advance made in Libya, do not necessarily apply to a campaign in Thrace or behind the Bosphorus.

He sends another memo to Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton expressing a desire to strangle Germany's copper supplies. Churchill sees a problem in South American copper exports going to Japan and the Soviet Union, from where they can make their way to Germany. He suggests purchasing the South American copper rather than leaving it for others.

Force H out of Gibraltar is steaming for the vicinity of Genoa to shell Italian shore installations (Operations Picket and Result). The Mediterranean sorties from Alexandria to divert attention from this risky mission. The Mediterranean Fleet in Operation MC 4 sweeps the area around Rhodes during the day.

Wellington bombers based on Malta attack Tripoli. On the island, the government closes the Three Cities during the night as a security measure, as it is largely abandoned due to bomb damage during the Illustrious Blitz. This is a protective measure for the nearby dockyards, the fear being that saboteurs could use the Three Cities ruins as a staging area for diversions from an invasion.

Fighter strength in Malta has increased from the worst days of 1940. The island has been reinforced with the air squadron from the battered HMS Illustrious and currently includes:

• 28 Hurricanes of No. 261 Squadron
• 3 Fairey Fulmars and 4 Gloster Gladiators of No. 806 Squadron.

Ten of the planes are out of service, though, and the Illustrious is no longer available to provide aerial support.

The garrison strength on Malta is 802 officers and 14,767 other ranks.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: Responding to a warning call from British freighter Troilus, Royal Navy authorities send aircraft carrier HMS Formidable and heavy cruiser HMS Hawkins to investigate the tanker lanes of the Persian Gulf. The Troilus had spotted German raider Atlantis, disguised as Norwegian freighter Tamesis. However, the Atlantis did not attack the Troilus, and the heavy British warships, operating as Force K, return to base.

Battle of the Pacific: The German naval attaché to Japan, Vice-Admiral Wenneker, has purchased a Nakajima E8N floatplane for German raider Orion, which receives it from supply ship Münsterland today at the Maug Islands in the Northern Marianas. This is the only instance where German forces operate with a Japanese plane.

Spy Stuff: Vera Atkins joins the French section of the Special Operations Executive as a secretary. Previously, she has been an Air Raid Precautions warden in Chelsea.

British Military: The RAF establishes the Air Training Corps to train interested cadets age 16 or over how to fly.

Soviet Military: Fresh off a highly successful performance in war games, Georgy Zhukov becomes the Red Army's Chief of the General Staff. Zhukov also is the Deputy Minister of Defense. General Kirponos replaces him as head of the Kieve Special Military District. Zhukov replaces Meretskov, who temporarily is on the outs with Stalin. General Chuikov becomes a chief military adviser to the Chinese High Command.

Major General Clayton B. Vogel at the activation of the 2nd Marine Division, 1 February 1941.

US Military: The US Navy reorganizes its commands with General Order 143. There now are three fleets: Atlantic, Pacific, and Asiatic. This had been the case in the past.

Admiral (temporary) Husband E. Kimmel takes up his new post as Commander in Chief US Fleet (CINCUS). He also is Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC) and only becomes CINCUS when his command combines with one or both of the other two fleets (a very unlikely possibility in the case of the Atlantic Fleet). If this seems confusing, well, it kind of is, but it is the result of having a two-ocean navy. Kimmel's flagship is the battleship HMS Pennsylvania anchored at Ford Island in Pearl Harbor. He replaces Admiral James O. Richardson, who has made a lot of enemies stateside due to his criticism of various decisions, such as moving the Pacific Fleet from San Diego to Hawaii and the lack of any regular aerial patrols from Pearl Harbor.

Promoted to Admiral, Ernest J. King now is the Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet. He is good friends with Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold "Betty" Stark, and this relationship will come in quite handy in the future.

Rear Admiral H. Fairfax Leary takes over as Commander Cruisers Battle Force, and Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr. becomes the new Commander Scouting Forces, while Rear Admiral John H. Newton becomes Commander Cruisers Scouting Force.

The 1st Marine Division, based aboard the battleship USS Texas, is activated under the command of General Holland Smith. It is created from the 1st Marine Brigade. The division's units, however, are scattered about the Pacific. The 2nd Marine Division, under the command of General Clayton Vogel, also forms from the 2nd Marine Brigade.

The War Department upgrades the US Patrol Force in the Caribbean to fleet status.

Construction begins of Fort Greely on Kodiak Island. This is a coastal fort (not to be confused with the later missile base in the interior of Alaska). It is located near the US Navy base at Chiniak Bay. The fort will include barracks, administration buildings, and hospital facilities. This is a very difficult construction project because of inclement weather and the fact that virtually everything has to be shipped from Seattle.

Chief of Naval Operations Harold Rainsford Stark sends Admiral Kimmel a warning dated today that was contained in a 27 January 1941 communication from the US ambassador in Tokyo to the State Department:

The Peruvian Minister has informed a member of my staff that he has heard from many sources, including a Japanese source, that in the event of trouble breaking out between the United States and Japan, the Japanese intend to make a surprise attack against Pearl Harbor with all of their strength and employing all of their equipment. The Peruvian Minister considered the rumors fantastic. Nevertheless he considered them of sufficient importance to convey this information to member of my staff.

By coincidence, Admiral Yamamoto is meeting on this very topic with his own staff today on this topic.

Warning sent from the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, D.C. to CINCPAC (Admiral Kimmel) in Honolulu delivering warnings from the Peruvian ambassador about a contemplated Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Japanese Military: Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto discusses Operation Z, the planned attack on Pearl Harbor, with his Chief of Staff. Currently, the plan goes under the name "Operation Hawaii."

Vichy France: Marcel Déat creates the Rassemblement national Populaire, RNP ("National Popular Rally"). This is a Fascist organization that joins other parties of a similar bent, including Jacques Doriot's French Popular Party (PPF), the far-right Social Revolutionary Movement (MSR) of Eugène Deloncle,  and Marcel Bucard's Francisme. The Germans are big supporters of the RNP.

The RNP and MSR quickly join forces, but there are tensions within all these parties because some, like the RNP, actually take the supposed socialist bent of Fascism seriously. The RNP is actually a socialist party with a Fascist orientation, whereas many of the other Fascist-leaning French parties are, for lack of a better word, Monarchist. Thus, there is no monolithic movement going on with France, but rather various splinter movements that only overlap in certain areas. This is what creates the fertile ground for the seeding of additional parties like the RNP, which is based near the Gare Saint-Lazare.

Oxford and Gilbert Street, London, February 1941.

Panama: The US plans to add a third set of locks to the Panama Canal, which is taking on huge strategic importance due to rising war fears.

South Africa: Members of the Ossebrandwag ("Ox-wagon Guard") (OB) riot in Johannesburg, with 140 soldiers seriously hurt. The OB is a Boer militant group that, according to later documents, is:

based on the Führer-principle, fighting against the Empire, the capitalists, the communists, the Jews, the party and the system of parliamentarism... on the base of national-socialism.

The OB is openly against the British war effort, but this is the first time that they actually start a riot. The Union government begins cracking down on the OB after this, setting up internment camps.

Australia: Prime Minister Robert Menzies continues his long journey from Melbourne to London. Today, he reaches Iraq, which is going through governmental turmoil and where a local official suggests that the locals may need a "show the flag" type of visit by Australian forces on their way to Egypt.

Philippines: Due to rising war fears, Henry L. Stimson's US War Department issues a bulletin for dependents to return to the United States. The extent of the US military presence on the archipelago is under serious debate, with local commanders such as General MacArthur wishing a larger commitment, but the bureaucrats in D.C. preferring a smaller commitment there and at Guam due to the difficulty of defending isolated positions far across the Pacific.

Japan: Rice rationing is instituted. This likely is related to the loss of fertilizer supplies due to the German attack on the phosphate facilities at Nauru in December 1940.

Antarctica: Having evacuated West Base, the Interior Department now sends auxiliary USS Bear to Adelaide Island to evacuate Antarctica Service's East Base later in the month. It is, of course, high summer in the Antarctic.

American Homefront: Glenn Miller signs a new contract with RCA Victor Records. Miller is at the height of his fame and creativity, and he and his band are scheduled to star in two Twentieth Century Fox films in the next year or two, "Sun Valley Serenade" and "Orchestra Wives." With his new three-year RCA contract, Miller makes about $15,000-20,000 per week.

February 1, 1941. Children's Rooms at the Brooklyn Public Library, Prospect Park Plaza. Taken by Sam Gottscho from the balcony.

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

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