Saturday 18 January 1941

Battleship USS Arizona (BB 39) in the Puget Sound Navy Yard on January 18, 1941. This is the last such photo of the ship known to exist. (US Navy Institute).

Italian/Greek Campaign: On 18 January 1941, following the Greek capture of the key Klisura Pass, the lines have stabilized. Despite having the pass, which is considered the gateway to the key Italian port of Valona, the Greeks are unable at this time to push further down toward the Italian port. The Italians are building up troops for an attempt to retake the pass.

European Air Operations: A major snowstorm begins over England and the Continent that essentially shuts down operations on both sides for three days. The Luftwaffe squeezes in a few minor raids during the day, dropping some bombs on the outskirts of London and shooting up a train in East Anglia. Neither side is in the air after dark. The coastal guns at Hellfire Corner (Dover/Calais) are in action during the day.

Following up on a story from 17 January, the locals on Fair Isle, Orkney continue to hold a group of three Luftwaffe airmen who crashed in their reconnaissance Heinkel He 111. The seemingly simple task of retrieving them turns into a nightmare as the first launch sent to take them into custody runs aground on the southern tip of the island, and then a second launch is sent and also runs aground. The islanders help to refloat the craft, and then the Germans are finally taken away.

Feldwebel Mickel of 1./JG 1 downs a Blenheim over the North Sea for his first victory.

Baltimore News-Post, 18 January 1941.

Battle of the Atlantic: German raider Kormoran is operating seven hundred hundred miles (1100 km) west of Western Sahara when the lookouts spot smoke on the horizon just before sunset. The ship is the 6987-ton British tanker British Union. Kormoran Captain Detmers guesses (correctly) that the ship is an Allied vessel and opens fire, hitting with the third salvo. As the Kormoran approaches in the darkness, the crew of the tanker opens fire but misses. The crew of the Kormoran returns fire and does not miss, starting raging fires. The British crew then abandons ship, and Detmers sinks it with gunfire and three torpedoes (one fails to explode). There are 28 survivors (and a pet monkey) in two lifeboats taken aboard the Kormoran. The British Union was able to get off a distress call during the capture, drawing the British armed merchant cruiser (AMC) HMS Arawa to the scene around midnight. While it does not find the Kormoran, which quickly left the scene, the Arawa does pick up the crew of a third lifeboat missed by the Kormoran. This incident is puzzling to the Admiralty because they are unaware of the presence of the Kormoran and Admiral Scheer is later proven to be far from the scene. There also are reports from the men rescued in the third lifeboat that the Kormoran had fired on the other two lifeboats, a claim later proven to be false.

German cruiser Admiral Scheer, in fact, is operating in the South Atlantic. Today, it captures 8038-ton Norwegian tanker Sandefjord, which is carrying 11,000 tons of crude oil. The Sandefjord is sent with a prize crew to France, where it is renamed Monsun. Some sources place this on the 17th, so I have included this event there as well.

The Luftwaffe attacks Portsmouth and has some near misses on destroyer HMS Castleton, damaging it further while it is undergoing repairs for an earlier incident. Another Luftwaffe attack on Swansea damages 3489-ton Greek freighter Chelatros.

German 4664-ton freighter Godfried Bueren hits a mine and sinks in the Kattegat.

Royal Navy AMC Asturias intercepts 8199-ton Vichy French freighter Mendoza sixty miles east of Montevideo. The two ships proceed to Freetown.

Convoy OB 275 departs from Liverpool, Convoy FS 391 departs from Methil, Convoy BS 12D departs from Port Sudan bound for Aden.

Royal Navy corvettes HMS Mimosa and Pentstemon are launched, the destroyer HMS Eskdale is laid down.

U-177 (Oberleutnant zur See Heinrich Schonder) commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Australian/British attack on Tobruk, originally planned for 20 January, is postponed 24 hours due to sandstorms. British ships HMS Terror and Aphid bombard Tobruk during the night, and the RAF also raids the port.

The Luftwaffe, after a day off, returns to the skies over Malta today. Fliegerkorps X attacks the Malta airfields during a 90-minute sustained attack on Hal Far and Luqa fields. The raid is a success, destroying hangers, barracks and cratering runways. All but one runway at the two airstrips, at Hal Far, are put out of service during the attack.

Aside from half a dozen parked planes lost at the airfields, the British lose two Fairey Fulmars (one man dead) of RAF No. 806 Squadron. The Luftwaffe loses at least five Stukas and Junkers Ju 88s. The Germans lose five men, including two pilots.

The government of Malta is faced with a humanitarian crisis in the bombed areas downtown. Governor Dobbie visits Senglea and Vittoriosa, sees the devastation, and orders an immediate evacuation of the entire Three Cities. He also calls in the troops to help with continuing rescue efforts. These efforts are bearing fruit, as a dozen people - the Costa and Mizzi families - are found alive in a family air raid shelter two days after the start of the Illustrious Blitz. There are others perhaps also waiting to be discovered, so the workers dig around the clock.

Italian 1384 ton freighter Lelio hits a mine and sinks at La Spezia.

While it is summertime Down Under, that does not mean the skies always are sunny. A flash storm drenches Brisbane with 79 mm of rain in the first 30 minutes. Here, patrons at Albion Park shelter from the rain just after the third race. In the true spirit of "the show must go on," the races proceed and the betting windows remain open. A man perishes when lightning hits him whilst playing golf at Victoria Park (State Library of Queensland).

German/US Relations: German Charge d'Affaires Hans Thomsen gives his "most emphatic protest" to an incident in San Francisco. Someone has taken down a German Swastika flag flying over the German Consulate in that city, which was then torn apart by a raging mob. The Germans protest that this is a violation of international law, as they have national sovereignty over their facilities. Consul General Fritz Wiedemann was flying the flag in honor of the country's unification in 1871. Secretary of State Cordell Hull swiftly promises a full investigation (that will take over four months, until 25 May 1941).

Anglo/US Relations: The British Minister of Economic Warfare, Hugh Dalton, alleges that some US producers are skirting the economic blockade of Europe by selling items needed by the Germans to Russia, which then passes them along to the Germans. There also are other potential routes for such transactions (which often involve cotton shipments), such as contraband shipments from the United States to Portugal, thence to Switzerland, and finally to Italy. A route for cotton which does not involve the US is from Turkey north through various neutrals such as Russia.

The Germans do indeed experience a shortage of cotton, which they are attempting to overcome by the use of artificial fibers (with limited success because the ersatz replacements do not insulate as well as natural cotton). Cotton - or the lack thereof by the Germans - will play quite a pivotal role in the war at the end of the year.

The Ministry of Economic Warfare is concerned because it perceives that the Russians are buying much more cotton than they previously had needed. The problem with this concern is that the US is the biggest supplier of cotton in the world, and the US perceives cotton as one of its biggest cash crops. This makes the Roosevelt administration at best lukewarm to these British concerns, because Roosevelt's Democrats rely on the support of the cotton-growing regions in the south (a political dynamic which disappeared only decades after the war). Part of incoming Ambassador Lord Halifax's agenda when he arrives in Washington will be to confront Roosevelt on this trade. This remains a lingering issue until military and political events later in the year conclusively end it.

Rear Admiral Husband E. Kimmel learns that he is to become commander of the US Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC) at Pearl Harbor, 18 January 1941 (Photo: Bettmann).

Anglo/Japanese/Chinese Relations: The British close the Burma Road again. During the rainy season in mid-1940 the British also closed it, but at that time kept the reasons murky. This time, the British explicitly do so in hopes of improving relations with Japan. The Burma Road is Nationalist China's lifeline, with valuable supplies entering from India and Burma. With the Chinese ports closed to them due to Japanese occupation, the Nationalist Chinese have no other trade routes.

Vichy French Government: Marshal Pétain meets with former minister Pierre Laval to discuss his concerns about Laval. Laval remains a private citizen after the meeting, but this proves to be a key step toward Pétain inviting Laval back into the government.

Sudan: The British are making exploratory attacks into Abyssinia, and the Italians evacuate Kassala.

China: The Chinese infighting between the Communists and the Nationalists (Kuomintang) continues, both on the battlefield and in press releases. Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek basically has outlawed the communist army, while the communists retaliate today by stating that the recently Nationalist attack on the Communist New Fourth Army by the Kuomintang was "planned by pro-Japanese conspirators and anti-Communist diehards." Since it is obvious by now that Kai-Shek was the one who ordered the operation, this is a direct shot at him by the Communists.

American Homefront: Warner Bros. releases "Honeymoon for Three," starring Ann Sheridan and George Brent.

Future History: David Eli Ruffin is born in Whynot, Mississippi. David loves to sing and moves to Detroit at the age of 16 to pursue his career. He releases his first singles in 1958 with Vega Records, and around this time meets Berry Gordy, Jr. Ruffin helps Gordy's father build the future headquarters for Junior's Tamla Records aka Motown Records. After a while, Gordy meets a group called The Temptations and, in January 1964, becomes a member. Smokey Robinson, the group's producer, writes a song for Ruffin, "My Girl," which becomes a huge hit and the Temptations' signature song. This makes Ruffin the group's lead singer and frontman. Ruffin, however, has personal issues within the group, including drug addiction, and is fired on 27 June 1968. This results in legal actions, and Ruffin embarks on a successful solo recording career. David Ruffin passes away on 1 June 1991 from an accidental drug overdose (though his family feels it was part of a successful robbery).

Saturday Evening Post, 18 January 1941.

January 1941

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

2020

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