Monday 31 March 1941

Loading a Cookie bomb on a Wellington for the raid on Emden, 31 March 1941.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The front in Albania is quiet on 31 March 1941. The RAF raids Italian road convoys, while the Greeks claim some minor successes in the hills on the approaches to the port of Valona.

Germany and Yugoslavia sever diplomatic relations following the pro-British coup of 27 March.

British CIGS General John Dill is in Belgrade for discussions of joint defense with the Yugoslav government.

East African Campaign: The Italians and Germans know that the end is near for Massawa due to the collapse of the defenses at Keren. After dark, three (Leone, Pantera, and Tigre) of the last six destroyers there put to sea. Their intent is to raid the Gulf of Suez and then scuttle themselves. However, one of the destroyers, Leone, runs aground in the dark shortly after dark, canceling the operation. Since the destroyer cannot be recovered quickly, the other two destroyers sink the Leone, then return to Massawa.

The Indian 9th Infantry Brigade takes Teclesan. This is on the road to Asmara.

The Cookie bomb (upper left) falling on Emden, 31 March 1941.

European Air Operations: After dark, the RAF raids Emden. While Emden is a favorite RAF target, this is an unusual raid. It includes the first use of a 4000 lb (1800 kg) high capacity (meaning it is 75% amatol rather than 50%) bomb. A four-engine Wellington bomber carries the massive bomb. The common name for this bomb is "Cookie." The Cookie bombs are dropped in conjunction with incendiaries, the intention being to create debris conducive to the creation of a firestorm. The Luftwaffe also drops large bombs like this, so the RAF is simply catching up.

RAF Bomber Command also attacks shipping off Le Havre, continuing its focus on Axis shipping. Another group of RAF aircraft attack shipping off the Frisian Islands. Bremen also receives attention.

The Luftwaffe sends 47 bombers to attack Hull, dropping 39 tons of high explosives and 22,688 incendiaries. The docks are hit, along with the police station and an infirmary. Estimates are that the raid destroys 500 houses and damages 2000 more. There are 44 deaths and 72 badly wounded.

The early part of the month featured several sharp raids on England. There are 4259 civilian deaths and 5557 injured. Many children have returned to the cities after a quiet period earlier in the year, and 598 of them perish during March.

Dropping a Cookie bomb.

Battle of the Atlantic: Following Adolf Hitler's February order to form an air command to support the Kriegsmarine in the Atlantic, the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL) forms the Fliegerführer Atlantik. This comes under the overall jurisdiction of Field Marshal Hugo Sperrle at Luftflotte 3. Martin Harlinghausen is the unit's first commander. The Fliegerführer Atlantik is allocated KG 40 and some units at various ports along the coast. At this time, it has an establishment of 21 Fw 200s, 26 He 111s, 24 Heinkel He 115s, and a mixed force of Messerschmitt Bf 110s and Junkers Ju 88s, numbering 12 aircraft. While the Condors are effective, the command never has aircraft with the proper capabilities, or sufficient numbers of any aircraft, to fully accomplish its mission.

U-46 (Kptlt. Engelbert Endrass) torpedoes and sinks 8714-ton Swedish tanker Castor southeast of Greenland. The Castor is a lejdtrafiken, or blockade runner. There are 15 deaths.

Swedish motor tanker Castor, sunk on 31 March 1941 in the North Atlantic.

The Luftwaffe attacks 208-ton British trawler Ontario southwest of the Faroe Islands. They sink it, but the entire crew survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 182-ton British trawler Rattray a couple of miles southeast of Hook Point, County Wexford, Ireland. The Rattray makes it to port.

Royal Navy 247-ton minesweeping trawler HMT Lord Selborne hits a mine and sinks a few miles off Spurn Head Port War Signal Station. There are 17 deaths.

British 76-ton steam drifter Helpmate sinks off Newlyn, Cornwall. There is no known cause.

The German prize crews aboard Norwegian whalers Star XIX and XXIV scuttle their ships rather than allow them to fall into the hands of approaching Royal Navy warships. They were captured by German raider Pinguin early in the year.

The Italian crew of 6072 ton Italian freighter Fella scuttles the ship at Punta Arenas, Costa Rica. Another ship at Punta Arenas, German freighter Eisenach, also is scuttled. The same fate befalls 5169-ton Italian tanker Jole Fassio and 6205-ton tanker Trottiera at Puerto Cabello.

Shipping losses for March are high, but so are U-boat losses:

• Atlantic: 136 Allied ships sunk, 517,551 tons 
• Elsewhere: 3 Allied ships sunk, 12,155 tons

Axis losses are:

• Mediterranean: 10 ships, 30,536 tons
• U-boats: 5 or 6

Sinkings by U-boat rise from 196k tons in February to 243k in March, while the Luftwaffe total also increases from 89k to 113k. The other categories also show large increases, with surface raider sinkings increasing from 89k tons to 139k, and mines accounting for 16k tons in February and 24k tons in March. Overall, Allied ship sinkings rise from 372k tons to 475k tons. Overall, the figures alone suggest that it is a great month for the German blockade.

However - and it is a huge "however" - the U-boat fleet losses in March 1941 are among the worst of the war so far. Three top U-boat commanders - Schepke, Prien and Kretschmer - leave the scene permanently. Because the "bench" of U-boat commanders is very thin, these are serious losses that greatly reduce the U-boats' effectiveness.

Another issue for the Germans is that their top surface raiders - heavy cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau - are now in port and likely not to return to action for some time. However, the Kriegsmarine is working up battleships Tirpitz and Bismarck, which the German hope will tilt the Battle of the Atlantic further in their favor later in 1941.

Three Royal Navy destroyers (Icarus, Impulsive and Intrepid) lay minefield GZ on the English Channel.

Convoy HX 118 departs from Halifax.

Royal Navy battleship HMS Prince of Wales is commissioned and HMS Howe is completed.

US submarine USS Mackerel (SS 204, Lt. John F. Davidson) is commissioned.

U-331 (Oberleutnant zur See Freiherr von Tiesenhausen) is commissioned.

Afrika Korps panzers and scout vehicles on the road to Mersa Brega, 31 March 1941. Nice, flat, unobstructed roads without many bridges and little air defense make these areas perfect for tank advances.

Battle of the Mediterranean: At 07:45, the Afrika Korps launches the next stage of its offensive, sending 50 tanks and taking part in the defenses at Mersa Brega. The Afrika Korps takes Ajdabiya. The British lose numerous armored cars and light tanks. This attack is into the "Mersa El Brega Gap," an area between the coast and desert where the flat ground makes it good tank country.

The British 2nd Armoured Division of XIII Corps is poorly sited in the area and its units are quickly overrun or sent packing. The attack features the 5th Light Division, the 5th Panzer Regiment, and two Italian divisions, Ariete and Brescia. Ariete Division sends its reinforced 12th Bersaglieri battalion into the heights north of Mersa Brega. The British counterattack but are beaten off, and the Italian air force attacks the British around Agedabia and Mersa Brega.

This attack is an unusual example of how British top-secret Ultra intelligence can work against them. The British have been decoding messages from Berlin which effectively have ordered Lieutenant General Rommel not to attack until he has all of his projected forces assembled. This is not supposed to be the case until May. However, Rommel has decided on his own initiative to attack, confounding the British, who expected him to wait.

Rommel has other good news: elements of the 15th Panzer Division begin to arrive in Tripoli.

Italian submarine Ambra attacks British convoy GA 8 south of Crete. It torpedoes and sinks Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Bonaventure, but misses an Australian destroyer, HMAS Stuart. There are 310 survivors and about 139 deaths on the Bonaventure.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Rorqual (Lt. Commander Dewhurst) torpedoes and sinks Italian submarine HMS Pier Capponi south of Stromboli.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Upright (Lt. E. D. Norman) torpedoes and damages 1927 ton German freighter Galilea off Tripoli. Towed to port, the Galilea is beached and never repaired. the retreating Germans destroy the hulk on 20 January 1943 during the retreat from Tripoli.

The Italians seize 1397 ton Yugoslavian freighter Una when the ship makes port at Genoa.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: Captain Rogge of German raider Atlantis puts a prize crew aboard captured British freighter Speybank, taken in late January, and sends it to France.

POWs: British Army Private Laurence Arthur Coe of the Army Dental Corps escapes from a German POW camp and arrives in Switzerland. He will be awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, as announced in the Second Supplement to The London Gazette, 18 March 1941. Coe is the first escapee from a German POW camp (there already has been at least one German escapee from British captivity, Franz Xaver Baron von Werra).

Japanese Navy heavy cruiser Myōkō, 31 March 1941.

US Military: Maj. Gen. Frederick Martin and Rear Adm. Patrick Bellinger, the air defense officers of the Army and Navy, submit a report to Admiral Husband Kimmel (CINCPAC) and General Walter Short, the commanders of naval and ground forces in Hawaii. The report states that there is a likelihood of a Japanese air attack on US forces on Oahu, with the greatest likelihood that such an attack would take place on a Saturday or Sunday at dawn.

At around this time - the exact date is unknown, but is in the final week of March 1941 - Captain Ellis M. Zacharias calls upon Admiral Kimmel (this is according to Zacharias' later testimony). Zacharias is the District Intelligence Officer at the 11th Naval District in San Diego and has extremely good contacts within the Japanese military. Zacharias tells Kimmel that a Japanese attack:

would begin with an air attack on our fleet on a weekend and probably on a Sunday morning; [also] the attack would be for the purpose of disabling four battleships.

Zacharias predicts that the Japanese would use aircraft carriers operating north of Hawaii due to the direction of prevailing winds. He recommends a standing "daily patrol out to 500 miles." Kimmel demurs, saying that he does not have the aircraft (which is true), to which Zacharias responds:

Well, Admiral, you better get them because that is what is coming.

If anyone is to be trusted with this kind of warning, it is an intelligence officer such as Zacharia. However, Kimmel later testifies that he has no recollection of the meeting, and a third person at the meeting (Capt. W. W. "Poco" Smith) has a completely different recollection of what was discussed. Zacharias is known, however, to have issued similar warnings to others well before 7 December 1941. Zacharias is a controversial historical figure who elicits strong reactions.

Lt. Colonel William Lee becomes the commander of the Provisional Parachute Group at Fort Benning.

German Military: The OKH completes the first draft of the infamous Commissar Order discussed by Adolf Hitler on the 30th at the Reich Chancellery.

Hungarian Government: There is dissension within the Hungarian government. Admiral Horthy has told Hitler that Hungarian forces will contribute to the attack on Yugoslavia. However, Prime Minister Count Teleki disagrees.

Greenland: USCGC Cayuga (CGC-54) makes port at Godthaab, Greenland. It sailed on 17 March 1941 from Boston carrying the South Greenland Survey Expedition. The intent of the Expedition is to locate and recommend locations for various types of installations, including airfields, seaplane bases, weather stations, and radio facilities. Cayuga is projected to stay in Greenland until relieved.

Iraq: Crown Prince and Regent of Iraq 'Abd al-Ilah flees Baghdad amidst rumors of a coup d'état. He first takes shelter aboard Royal Navy gunboat Cockchafter, then goes to Amman, Jordan as a guest of Prime Minister Nuri as-Said. He is replaced as regent by  Sherif Sharaf. Sherif Sharaf.

American Homefront: The US Supreme Court decides Cox v. New Hampshire, 312 U.S. 569 (1941). The Court holds that a New Hampshire state statute prohibiting unlicensed parades does not violate the First Amendment rights of Jehovah's Witnesses who staged a march in town without a permit. This decision allows local governments to regulate competing uses of public forums using a reasonable permit scheme tailored to the public interest.

Destroyer Hagikaze, the seventeenth ship of the Kagero-class, 31 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

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 29 March 1941

Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka with Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel (center) and ambassador Heinrich Georg Stahmer (right) at a reception in the Japanese embassy in Berlin on 29 March 1941.

Italian/Greek Campaign: Things are growing increasingly tense between the Axis and Yugoslavia following the coup in Belgrade. When 2880 ton Yugoslavian freighter Dubac arrives as scheduled in Genoa, the Italians seize it.

In Albania, there is patrol and artillery activity. The RAF strafes Berat, Dukai, and Ducati.

Operation Lustre, the British reinforcement of Greece, continues. The New Zealand 5th Infantry Brigade is the latest unit to arrive by sea from Alexandria.

East African Campaign: The Italians have abandoned Diredawa (Dire Dawa), so the South African 1st Brigade fully occupies it today. As the third-largest city in Abyssinia, it is an important crossroads, airbase and railway junction. The Italian citizens of the city actually welcome and invite the British troops to come and restore order, because armed native troops who stayed behind reportedly have been treating their former overlords unkindly. Diredawa is on the railway line to Addis Ababa. Capturing it opens a clear path to the capital.

The Italians are implementing a scorched-earth policy of blowing up roads and bridges. This is the only thing slowing up the British advance.

The British 4th and 5th Indian Infantry Divisions breaking past Keren continue heading for Massawa on the coast. It is a key port on the Red Sea and defended by 10,000 men and 100 tanks. It also has a large Italian destroyer contingent. Commander Rear Admiral Mario Bonnetti, however, knows that the best hopes of a successful defense were far away from the port at Keren, not on its outskirts. Bonnetti forms a sketch defensive line at Ad Teclesan.

German and Italian ships begin breaking out of Massawa, a sure sign of a port's impending loss. Today, German freighter Bertrand Rickmers heads for the Indian Ocean. Past escape attempts from other ports have seen only a small fraction of ships make it past the British blockade.

Mother and child wearing their gas masks Southend, England, 29 March 1941. Photo: Associated Press.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command continues placing its priority on shipping. Operating off Brest, 25 bombers lay mines.

Visiting Australian Prime Minister Menzies tours the East End and the docks there. He notes:

Docks have suffered and seem strangely silent but several ships are berthed, and business, modified, goes on. Surrounding areas almost evacuated. Facades of terraces stand, but thousands of houses gutted or vacant.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-46 (Kptlt. Engelbert Endrass), on her 11th patrol out of Lorient, stalks Convoy OB 302. It torpedoes and sinks 1751-ton Swedish freighter Liguria southwest of Iceland. There are ten survivors and 19 deaths. The Liguria was a straggler from Convoy OG 56 but hooked on with Convoy OB 302 before being sunk.

U-48 (Kptlt. Herbert Schultze), on its 11th Patrol and operating about 120 miles (200 km) south of Iceland, stalks Convoy HX-115. At 06:19, it begins an attack. Schultze sinks:

• 5352-ton British freighter Germanic (five deaths)
• 2483-ton Belgian freighter Limbourg (two survivors)
• 5197-ton British freighter Hylton (everyone survives)

Some sources also attribute the loss of 4267-ton British freighter Eastlea to U-48 during this attack. However, the better view appears to be that U-106 sank it on 24 March.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks British 5550-ton tanker Oiltrader off Great Yarmouth. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 190-ton British trawler Kimberley about 22 miles southeast of Flamborough Head. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 165-ton British freighter Exeter about five miles (9 km) southwest of Ballycotton. Everyone perishes.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 2982-ton Norwegian freighter Veni southwest of the Faroe Islands. The Veni makes it to Grangemouth and is repaired.

At Rotherhithe, 81-ton British barge Emma is lost and 1262-ton freighter Grenaa is damaged to mines. Their captains ground both ships, but only the Grenaa is repaired and returned to service. Everyone on the barge survives, but seven men perish on the freighter while a dozen survive.

British 209-ton trawler Horace E.  Nutten sinks in the Moray Firth of unknown causes.

The German ocean-going supply service remains in effect, with tanker Nordmark giving supplies to U-105 and U-106. This enables the submarines to stay at sea longer and cover more ground, effectively increasing the size of the U-boat fleet.

Minelayer Abdiel lays minefield GY in the English Channel.

Convoy SL 70 departs from Freetown bound for Liverpool.

29 March 1941 RAF Yatesbury (from left) Denis S Curtis, Fred Batchelor, Ivor H Jones, Joseph W Burton, Wynaham Lewis (RAF Yatesbury Association).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The final events of the Battle of Cape Matapan take place. The Royal Navy, having complete control of the seas in the battle area, complete the route by sinking the defenseless Italian cruisers Zara and Pola, making three Italian cruisers sent to the bottom (including Fiume). Also going under is an Italian destroyer, Carducci. Today marks the last time in the history of the Royal Navy (until now, at least) in which cutlasses are used in action. British sailors board the disabled cruiser Pola, scavenge some machine guns, take the remaining crew prisoner, and then sink it with torpedoes. Italian casualties are about 2300, the British lose one aircraft and three men in the entire encounter (the lost plane's crew, though another plane, a Glenn Martin Maryland reconnaissance plane, crashes today while reviewing the scene of battle, killing the pilot). Torpedoed Italian battleship Veneto, meanwhile, makes it back to Taranto.

On land, the Afrika Korps conducts a supply operation to Marada. The Luftwaffe flies in support and destroys a British train carrying gasoline. The most important news of the day, though, is that German 5955-ton freighter Ruhr makes it into Tripoli under tow following a torpedo hit by HMS Utmost. The Ruhr carries 585 men total of the 606 Flak Battalion, a truck unit, and a medical unit. It also has 160 vehicles, 448 tons of fuel for them, 120 tons of ammunition, 208 tons of rations and 104 tons of supplies for the Luftwaffe. The 1927 ton Heraclea, sunk on the 28th, carried a smaller load of 206 men, 100 vehicles, 144 tons of fuel, 45 tons of ammunition and 39 tons of rations. The Afrika Korps is keeping a very close eye on these convoys, and this is the first convoy that constitutes a serious loss to the troops on land.

The RAF raids Tripoli.

Convoy GA 8 (two ships) departs from Piraeus bound for Alexandria.

A German/Italian convoy departs from Naples bound for Tripoli. It includes four large German freighters. Upon hearing news of the Battle of Cape Matapan, the convoy puts into port at Palermo. Meanwhile, another convoy departs from Tripoli with four freighters.

Operation Picnic proceeds on Malta, with the Independent Company, Special Service Battalion arriving on Gozo, Malta's sister island.

Diredawa, Abyssinia around the time of its capture on 29 March 1941 (Associated Press).

Battle of the Indian Ocean: Captain Rogge is on board raider Atlantis cruising off the east coast of Africa when the lookouts spot Italian submarine Perla. It is among the vessels trying to escape from Massawa. Since the entire Italian position in East Africa is collapsing, the submarine's commander, Lt. Bruno Napp, has chosen to follow orders and try to round the Horn of Africa and sail back to Bordeaux. The Perla is a coastal submarine, not built for such a lengthy journey, and its crew is starving from lack of supplies. Rogge supplies the submarine but suggests that the submarine go somewhere closer to be interned. Napp states that he will follow orders and continue his journey, come what may. Napp, in fact, heroically makes it back to Bordeaux in May after 81 days at sea.

Battle of the Pacific: USS Antares (AKS-3) arrives at Palmyra Island, and USS Boggs (DMS-3) arrives at Johnston Island. They bring with them separate elements of the First Defense Battalion, including 5-inch artillery. The soldiers begin constructing fortifications.

Luftwaffe test pilot Hanna Reitsch visits her home town of Hirschberg, Germany, on her 29th birthday following her receipt of the Iron Cross 2nd Class at the hands of Adolf Hitler. On or about 29 March 1941.

Anglo/US Relations: Heavy cruiser USS Vincennes (CA-44), taking a break from neutrality patrol activities and landing support operations at Puerto Rico, arrives at Simonstown (Cape Town), South Africa. This is pursuant to continuing Operation Fish, the transfer of Allied gold to the United States. It is there to pick up a large shipment of gold bullion to pay for arms purchased by Great Britain. The dockyard workers quickly load the gold, and the Vincennes is scheduled to stay in port for only 24 hours before heading for New York.

Pursuant to Executive Order, the United States impounds two German, 26 Italian and 35 Dutch ships anchored in US ports. The US Coast Guard mans the ships, and they will imprison 850 Italian and 63 German sailors. This is a result of both a growing agreement within the US government that more should be done to help Great Britain and also a specific incident on Italian freighter Villarperosa that suggests Axis crews are under instructions to scuttle their ships.

German/Japanese Relations: Talks between visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka and German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop continue in Berlin. Ribbentrop's overriding goal is to convince Japan to attack Great Britain from the rear, so to speak, in the Far East. Matsuoka has not been receptive to this idea, so Ribbentrop doggedly pledges to support Japan if the Soviet Union attacks while Japan is battling the British. Matsuoka points out that this is a fairly empty guarantee, as there is no indication that the USSR harbors hostile intentions toward Japan.

Italian/Croatian Relations: With Yugoslavia falling apart, Croatian strongman Ante Pavelić meets with Mussolini, who has been backing him financially for years. Pavelic has been living in Florence for some time without Mussolini ever meeting him, but Mussolini now invites him to Rome. Mussolini gives Pavelic the okay to form a new Croatian State Government. Pavelic grants Italy the right to Dalmatia along the coast while requesting the release of remaining interned Ustaše. Mussolini provides Pavelic with access to a Florence radio station, from which Pavelic will begin making broadcasts advocating Croatian independence on 1 April.

Proof that fuel economy worries did not begin in the 1970s: this ad for the Nash in the 29 March 1941 Edmonton, Alberta Journal proves otherwise. Incidentally, 500-600 miles per fill-up is pretty good even today.

Vichy French Government:  Marshal Philippe Pétain appoints Xavier Vallat Commissioner-General for Jewish Questions. Vallat is a World War I veteran who lost his left leg and right eye in the conflict. Vallat is a huge anti-Semite, but also is a huge patriot and thus opposes Germany as well. He also, unlike many on the right, is not a monarchist. It is easy to see why Pétain likes him, and Vallat was one of the marshal's biggest supporters during the final days of the Third Republic. However, the Germans do not particularly like Vallat - which again gives Pétain a chance to show his "independence" by picking him.

British Government: Prime Minister Winston Churchill has lunch with private secretary John Colville, after which he lectures Colville on the fates of those dare to invade Russia. Churchill is in a very good mood following the news of the victories at Keren and Cape Matapan and the coup in Yugoslavia.

China: The Japanese continue pulling back slowly after their failure at the Battle of Shanggkao. The Chinese 19th Army Group of the 9th War Area presses against the Japanese 11th Army in the vicinity of Yangkunghsu and Lungtuanhsu.

Collier's, 29 March 1941.

American Homefront: Collier's Magazine publishes Charles Lindbergh's political "A Letter to Americans." Lindbergh accuses Great Britain of being the "agitator" behind the war. He will use the word again in his speeches. He strikes a chord with those opposed to the draft when he writes that "we should not be conscripting our youth for a foreign war they do not wish to fight," which is a refrain that will become much more popular in the 1960s and thereafter than in the 1940s. He concludes that the US can only become "a strong and victorious nation" and "preserve our ideals":

... if you, and I, and people like us, take the reins in  hand once more, as our forefathers have done in times of crisis.

This also anticipates much later struggles over war and peace issues, but the appeal damages his image in many minds. Those in favor of intervention will use these words to suggest a supposed allegiance by Lindbergh to Germany.

The publication of Lindbergh's letter today coincides nicely with an America First rally held today at the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.

This week's new Number 1 pop song on the Billboard Singles Chart is "Amapola," by the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra with vocalists Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly (Dorsey's version is titled "Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)." This version of Amapola is Decca Records catalog number 3629, and it has been on the charts for three weeks. "Amapola" is a 1920 rhumba song written by José María Lacalle García (later Joseph Lacalle) with Spanish lyrics. "Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy" stays at No. 1 for ten weeks.

Amapola is a standard of the genre recorded by many artists, including Bing Crosby. Deanna Durbin sang it in her 1939 film "First Love" and, much later, Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone used it as a refrain in "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984). It is often done as an instrumental. Amapola is one of the songs GIs would think about and refer to sarcastically as they marched through the poppy fields of Europe after D-Day.

It is "Moving Day" for American radio broadcasters. Pursuant to the North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement, between the US, Canada, and Mexico, 80% of North America's radio frequencies are reassigned to new channels. This takes effect at 03:00 and promotes the standardization of radio broadcasts throughout the Western Hemisphere. Among other things, the agreement establishes clear-channel frequencies that provide more protection from electromagnetic interference at night. The practical effect is that listeners must scramble around the dial to find their favorite stations and shows by the likes of Bob "Pepsodent" Hope and Jack Benny. This agreement remains in effect until 1981.

In New York City, it is the final ride for urban cowboys. Until now, cowboys on horseback have led rail cars up and down 10th Avenue carrying freight to the Meatpacking District. Today is the final ride for this group of urban warriors, as the freight line is now elevated. The need for urban cowboys was created by a 1850s city ordinance permitting freight trains to ride down city streets on condition that they observed a 6 mile per hour speed limit and that "a proper person... precede the train on horseback to give necessary warning in a suitable manner on their approach." Construction of the High Line by Robert Moses' West Side Improvement Project in 1934 obviated the need for trains on the streets, though they lasted for another seven years - until today. Incidentally, the High Line itself lasted for a few more decades, into the 1980s, and now large portions of it are preserved as a park.

The Wisconsin Badgers defeat the Washington State Cougars 39-34 in the NCAA Division 1 Championship game.

George Hayde, age 21, aboard Cyclone escorts the final street-level freight train down 10th Avenue in New York City on 29 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

Thursday 27 March 1941

"Lt (A) Clifford's torpedo being released, as seen by Mid (A) Wallington, Observer in the second aircraft." Battle of Cape Matapan, 27 March 1941. © IWM (A 9801).

Italian/Greek Campaign: In events that directly impact the course of the campaign Albania, army generals in Belgrade stage a coup d'état on 27 March 1941. At 02:15, a group of Royal Yugoslav Air Force (VVKJ) officers in Zemun, and Royal Guard officers in nearby Belgrade, strike. VVKJ deputy commander Borivoje Mirković oversees occupation of key installations in Belgrade such as the Zemun air force base, Belgrade bridges, government buildings, and army barracks. Exactly who initiated the coup is somewhat murky.

Regent Prince Paul is in Zagreb. He immediately returns by train to Belgrade. Upon arrival, he immediately is forced to sign papers abolishing his regency and is sent into exile in Greece. The British want him out of the way, so they send him first to Kenya, then to South Africa to sit out the war.

The rebels surround the royal palace and issue statements over the radio. Public demonstrations break out in Belgrade and elsewhere. Crown Prince Peter II Karađorđević, 17 years old at the time of the coup, is declared to be of age and crowned king. The new government does not outright renounce Prince Paul's signing of the Tripartite Pact, but it refuses to ratify it. Prince Peter - now King Peter - appoints the chief of the air staff, General Dušan Simović, as Prime Minister. Crowds in the street cheer him and demonstrate in favor of the Soviet Union and against Germany.

All of this turmoil and the alien-sounding names leads to some black humor abroad. As recorded by Australian Prime Minister Menzies in his diary, one common joke is "Ah! Robbing Paul to pay Peter!" Another is, "It's hard to tell vitch vitch is vitch."

International reaction is swift and deadly. In London, Prime Minister Winston Churchill piously announces that "Yugoslavia has found its soul" - which reinforces the feeling England was behind the whole thing all along. Menzies notes that "War Cabinet [meeting] more cheerful as a result." He further writes, "we are all wishfully thinking that the tide has turned." It hasn't, at least not yet.

Adolf Hitler sees it somewhat differently. His transient diplomatic coup that he has been working on literally for months disappears overnight, and he is furious. Hitler issues Fuhrer Directive No. 25, the gist of which is obvious from its title: "Plan of Attack on Yugoslavia." It states "my general intention to break into Yugoslavia ... to deal an annihilating blow to the Yugoslav forces." He also obviously has been thinking about gain to be had from taking the country, because he specifically mentions that "seizure of the Bor copper mines [is] important for economic reasons." Operation Marita, the invasion of Greece, is to begin "if possible simultaneously - but in no event earlier." In a preview of coming attractions elsewhere, Hitler vows an "Ohne Gnade," or merciless invasion.

Belgrade demonstrators, 27 March 1941.

East African Campaign: The Italians realize that their defenses at Keren have become untenable with the British capture and clearing of the Dongolaas Gorge. During the night, the Italians withdraw from Keren to Asmara, but large formations on the Sanchil Ridge (the Savoia Grenadiers and Bersaglieri) are left in the lurch and must surrender. British units advance after an artillery barrage at 04:30, and the Italians on Sanchil surrender by 05:40. They are in Keren itself by 10:30. The advance British units don't wait around, at 07:30 they immediately begin pursuing the Italians down the Nacfa/Asmara road (Asmara being the capital of Eritrea). By 12:30, the 5th Indian Division is a mile west of Habi Mantel.

At Enghiat to the north, the Italians also withdraw during the night, so the Foreign Legion Battalion advances there as well. By the end of the day, it hooks up with the Indian troops advancing past Keren, and they thereby swell their bag of Italian prisoners.

Total casualties at Keren are unclear, but estimates are in the vicinity of 3000 Italian deaths, 4500 other Italian casualties, along with 9000 Eritrean Askari killed and 12,000 wounded. The British, who lost 536 killed and 3229 wounded, have Massawa next on their list, after Asmara. However, the Italians had staked everything on holding Keren and, as elsewhere, once the main blocking position was overcome, there was virtually nothing behind it.

British Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell has need of the troops which have been tied up at Keren for seven weeks. He orders the 4th Indian Division to move to Port Sudan for transport back to Egypt. Italian defenses in Abyssinia now are irreparably broken.

Demonstrations in Belgrade, 27 March 1941.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe's transfers of units to Romania and Bulgaria switches into high gear. Hundreds of aircraft make the journey during the day. This necessarily dilutes Luftwaffe's strength in North Africa, France and elsewhere.

The Luftwaffe continues its recent pattern of fighter sweeps during the day, with occasional bombs falling in the south and southeast.

After dark, RAF Bomber Command sends 38 bombers against Cologne and 39 bombers against Dusseldorf. Another 13 aircraft attack the usual Channel ports of Brest, Calais, and Dunkirk.

The British in Greenland spot Luftwaffe bombers overhead.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-98 (Kptlt. Robert Gysae) is operating along the convoy routes south of Iceland when it spots 6695-ton British freighter Koranton. The Koranton is a straggler from Convoy SC 25. A torpedo sends the ship down quickly because it is loaded with 8769 tons of pig iron. All 41 men on board perish.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 642-ton freighter Meg Merrilies south of St. Govan's Light Vessel (now known as St. Gowan's) in the Bristol Channel off the Pembrokeshire coast, Wales. While the ship is taken in tow, it eventually sinks. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe also bombs and damages 430-ton British salvage vessel Palmstone southeast of St. Govan's Light Vessel. The captain beaches the ship at Milford Haven. It later is taken to Pembroke.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 396-ton Dutch freighter Oud Beijerland just south of St. Govan's Light Vessel. The ship makes it back to Milford Dock.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages British depot ship Alecto at the mouth of the English Channel.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 212-ton British trawler Fort Dee east of the Faroes Islands.

British 178-ton trawler Kinclaven sinks off the Faroes from unknown causes. There are many mines in the vicinity, and also Luftwaffe attacks near there today.

Dutch 5483-ton freighter Alioth hits a mine and is damaged near the mouth of the Humber. The ship makes it back to Hull.

British cable layer CS Faraday, bombed on the 26th, sinks off Dale, Wales. There are eight deaths.

On U-46 (Kapitänleutnant Engelbert Endrass), Oberleutnant zur See (Lieutenant) Helmut Pöttgen falls overboard and is lost. He likely would have gotten his own command someday, and perhaps become a famous commander. However, because of this incident, Pöttgen never gets a chance to show it.

Convoy OG 57 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 117 departs from Halifax.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Burdock (K 126,  Lt. Harold G. Chesterman) is commissioned.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Petard is launched today.

U-563 (Oberleutnant zur See Klaus Bargsten) is commissioned.

"New Zealand members of the LRDG pause for tea in the Western Desert, 27 March 1941." © IWM (E 2307).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Royal Navy under Vice-Admiral Pridham-Wippell is heading toward an epic clash with the Italian Fleet under Admiral Iachino. Pridham-Wippell has four cruisers and numerous destroyers. In addition, Admiral Cunningham is bringing battleships HMS Warspite, Barham and Valiant and aircraft carrier Formidable from Alexandria. The British aerial reconnaissance spots the Italians by noon, but the British already know from spies and Ultra decrypts what is going on. Despite misgivings, the Italians proceed with their somewhat pointless advance toward the convoy routes between Alexandria and Piraeus, Greece.

The Afrika Korps already is feeling the pinch from the movement of Luftwaffe units out of the North African theater. A proposed attack to take the Gialo Oasis (Jalu) to the south is shelved for the time being because it is considered accessible only by air - and no planes are available. In fact, to perform reconnaissance in that direction, the Germans must ask Italian air units to do it.

With Keren finally taken, General Wavell flies back to Cairo from East Africa.

At Malta, the British observe that the Luftwaffe now is maintaining a continuous fighter patrol off the east coast. The RAF scrambles occasionally to confront them, but no interceptions are made. The purpose of this screen is unclear, but it may be to prevent reconnaissance missions over the convoy route from Naples to Tripoli.

British Foreign Minister Anthony Eden and CIGS Sir John Dill continue their unexpected stay in Mala. Dill passes the day by touring military units.

Demonstrators in Belgrade, 27 March 1941.

Battle of the Pacific: Thanks largely to pressure from visiting Australian Prime Minister Menzies, the British today establish the Australian Shipbuilding Board. The Board's objective is to build 1420-ton frigates for the Royal Navy in Australia.

Captain Ellis S. Stone's US Navy Task Group 9.2 completes its visit to Tahiti and proceeds to Pearl Harbor.

German/Italian Relations: Hitler sends Mussolini a letter stating:

I consider it necessary, Duce, that you should reinforce your forces on the Italian/Yugoslav front with all available means and with the utmost speed.

German/Hungarian Relations: Hungary suddenly has become much more important in the German order of battle now that Yugoslavia is an enemy. Hitler and Ribbentrop meet with the Hungarian ambassador and remonstrate with him to cooperate in the dismemberment of Yugoslavia. As usual, Hitler offers his "partners" little chunks of the conquests should they help.

German/Bulgarian Relations: Hitler also meets with the Bulgarian ambassador. Bulgaria also has an expanded role to play now that German troops can use it to invade Yugoslavia as well as Greece.

German/Japanese Relations: German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop finally makes time to meet with visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka. Matsuoka later meets with Hitler.

Peter II and Air Force General Dusan Simovic after the 27 March 1941 coup.

Anglo/US Relations: The British formally lease their naval base at Chaguaramas, Trinidad (off the coast of Venezuela) to the United States for a term of 99 years pursuant to the September 1940 destroyer-for-bases deal. Trinidad takes the base back in 1963.

The Anglo/US "ABC-1" talks that began in January conclude today. There is broad agreement on strategic cooperation should the United States enter the war. Plan ABC-1 posits placing the priority on the defeat of Germany over that of Japan, with a pronounced emphasis on securing the North Atlantic. There will be a combined Chiefs of Staff and US naval protection of convoys. These conclusions are summarized in "The United States British Staff Conversation, Report," 27 March 1941. American participants include Rear Admiral Ghormley and Major General S.D. Embick, while British participants include Rear Admirals Bellairs and Danckwerts and Major General Morris.

Congress approves President Roosevelt's request for $7 billion in Lend-Lease aid. Still fishing off Florida on Presidential yacht USS Potomac, Roosevelt quickly signs it.

Applied Science: The US Army Air Corps sends a B-18 Bolo over the ocean near Cape Cod to test the new centimetric radar system. The plane manages to make the first air-to-air contact by a USAAC plane (the RAF already has done it). It also shows promise for detecting contacts on the ocean, too.

South African pilots and crew taking a captured Italian Caproni 133 bomber from Mogadishu to South Africa. This is at Broken Hill (Kabwe), Zambian Central Province. South African ace Cornelius Arthur van Vliet, flying the plane down, is the man at the left. 27 March 1941.

Spy Stuff: Japanese liner Nitta Maru makes port in Hawaii, bringing with it Japanese spy Takeo Yoshikawa. Yoshikawa poses as a diplomat. Knowing what to look for from earlier reports out of the Honolulu Consulate, Yoshikawa quickly observes that the battleships are parked next to each other, and with no anti-torpedo netting.

German Military: Hitler indicates that Operation Barbarossa, tentatively scheduled for 15 May 1941, will have to be postponed until mid-June due to the need to invade Yugoslavia and Greece first.

POWs: Up until now, Oflag IV-C camp Colditz Castle has been a POW camp for Polish prisoners. Today, the Germans begin moving the Poles out, sending them to Oflag VII-B in Eichstatt, Germany.

China: The Chinese continue attempting to surround the advance elements of the Japanese Army at the Battle of Shanggkao. However, the Japanese are alert to their peril and stay one step ahead of the Chinese as they retreat back to their bases. This will be a steady retreat that takes some time, but the Japanese have no need to occupy the territory in the area because it serves no strategic purpose if attacks further west are not going to be made.

American Homefront: US General Secretary of the Communist Party Earl Browder begins a four-year prison sentence at Atlanta Federal Penitentiary. He has been convicted of passport fraud.


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

Sunday 20 October 1940

Spanish leader Francisco Franco with Heinrich Himmler in Madrid, 20 October 1940 (Bundesarchiv Bild 183-L15327).

Battle of Britain: The weather continues to be poor, but is just good enough for a few medium-sized Luftwaffe operations. The Luftwaffe continues to concentrate on fighter-bomber (Jabo) attacks on southern England, with only occasional daylight bomber raids.

The Jabos mount small-scale attacks throughout the morning, but cause little damage and few casualties. The RAF sends up 8 Squadrons to challenge them, and both sides take some losses.

After lunchtime, at 13:00 a 50-plane Jabo raid crosses Dover for London. Once again, the RAF sends up a handful of Squadrons to battle them. Again both sides take losses.

Around 14:30, another Jabo raid crosses over Maidstone. However, it peters out after the RAF intercepts, and from then on there are only scattered skirmishes until nightfall.

After dark, the Luftwaffe sends about 300 bombers against London, Manchester, the Midlands, East Anglia, and Birmingham. The bulk of the attacks are before midnight. Coventry, home of the Armstrong-Siddeley and Singer Motor Works, also takes damage. The Luftwaffe drops mines along the coast of southern and eastern England.

In London, there is a cultural tragedy when The British Museum Newspaper Repository building goes up in flames, taking with it 6000 volumes of 19th Century literary works. The rail stations at Euston, Waterloo and King William Street are hit.

The RAF No. 219 Squadron gets some night fighters in the air, but the Beaufighter interceptors are difficult for the crews to learn. The radar equipment in particular poses problems. However, the RAF believes that the night fighters hold great promise.

For the day, the Luftwaffe loses about ten planes and the RAF only a handful. The best news for the RAF is that it does not lose any pilots. Luftwaffe losses, of course, usually do lead to lost pilots, either through death or capture.

The Italians are now ready to begin operations against England from their base in Belgium. The planes include BR20 bombers, Cant Z1007 long-range bombers, G50 fighters, and CR42 fighters. None of them are up to the standards of the fierce Channel Front.

There is an exchange of coastal gunfire at Hellfire Corner (Straits of Dover) which does not achieve much. The German shells often do not explode, and today 15 out of 20 fired (some sources say 50 are fired) turn out to be duds.

Werner Mölders, the leading ace of the war, is promoted to Oberstleutnant.

Oberleutnant Helmut Wick becomes Major Wick and assumes command as Kommodore of JG 2, replacing Major Wolfgang Schellmann. A top Luftwaffe scorer, Wick says:

As long as I can shoot down the enemy, adding to the honor of the ‘Richthofen’ Geschwader and the success of the Fatherland, I will be a happy man. I want to fight and die fighting, taking with me as many of the enemy as possible.

Oblt. Hans Philipp, 4./JG 54, claims 2 Hurricanes to reach 20 victories.

"Prehistoric Porky," a Looney Tunes Porky the Pig cartoon directed by Bob Clampett, is released on 20 October 1940. This is a rare leading role for Porky during this period. He is an "everyman" prehistoric caveman with a pet dinosaur named Rover. There are similarities between "Prehistoric Porky" and "The Flintstones" from the 1960s.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command raids Berlin twice during the night, starting many fires. RAF bombers also hit points in Italy (Turin, Aosta, Milan), north German ports (Hamburg, Wilhelmshaven), the Krupps factory at Essen, and various invasion ports. The attack on Wilhelmshaven is directed by 7 bombers at battleship Tirpitz, which has become the tar baby of the Kriegsmarine for the RAF. As usual, the bombers achieve no hits against it.

Battle of the Atlantic: The slaughter of Convoy HX 79 continues through the night of 19/20 October. I go through that battle in the entry for the 19th. Ships sunk in the early hours of the 20th from Convoy HX 79 (150 miles southwest of Rockall) include:\

• British 8230 ton tanker Caprella (by U-100) (1 dead, 52 survivors);
• British 5452 ton freighter Loch Lomond (by U-100) (1 dead, 39 survivors); 
• British 6218 ton tanker Sitala (by U-100) (1 dead, 43 survivors);
• Swedish 9965 ton tanker Janus (by U-46) (4 dead, 33 survivors);
• British 5185 ton freighter La Estancia (by U-47) (1 dead, 33 survivors);
• British 5026 ton freighter Whitford Point (by U-47) (37 dead, 2 survivors).

In addition to the battle around Convoy HX 79, a bit further west there is a separate attack against Convoy OB 229. U-124 (Kplt. Georg-Wilhelm Schulz). While not nearly as epic a confrontation as that surrounding Convoys SC 7 and HX 79, it adds to the British misery as they begin to contemplate the possibility that the Kriegsmarine actually might be able to shut down the North Atlantic trade routes. In total, U-124 sinks 11,199 tons of shipping during the attack, not a bad haul at all.

U-124 (Kptl. Georg-Wilhelm Schulz) torpedoes and sinks 5810-ton Norwegian freighter Cubano. There are 30-33 survivors (accounts vary) and two crew perish. The Cubano takes its time sinking, so the lifeboats remain with the tanker for some time due to heavy seas and wind in hopes of perhaps reboarding it. Other ships pass the lifeboats but refuse to stop to pick them up, perhaps for fear of falling prey to the same U-boat. The men in the lifeboats also rescue the sole survivor from the Sulaco, who is on a raft. Ultimately, the Cubano sinks and the boats head toward Scotland but are picked up along the way by Royal Canadian Navy destroyer Saguenay.

U-124 torpedoes and sinks 5389-ton British freighter Sulaco. There is one survivor and 66 men perish.

Italian submarine Malaspina also is in the vicinity of Convoy OB 229, which is somewhat north of its operational zone. It spots a tanker dispersed from the convoy but fails to sink it.

As if those the U-boat spree is not enough, the Luftwaffe also gets involved. It attacks Convoy OA 232 17 km off Girdleness, Aberdeenshire in the North Sea and torpedoes a ship. British 4876 ton United Africa Company freighter Conakrian is badly damaged and abandoned by its crew. The ship remains afloat long enough to be taken in tow by destroyer HMS Cleveland. It reaches port and is beached at Bridge of Don, Aberdeenshire. Everybody survives and the ship can be refloated and repaired.

The Luftwaffe also damages 7108-ton British freighter City of Roubaix at Alexandria Dock, Liverpool.

Convoys OA 232 and FS 315 depart from Methil, Convoy FN 315 departs from Southend, Convoy HX 82 departs from Halifax, Convoy BS 6B departs from Port Sudan, Convoy BS 7 departs from Suez, Convoy BM 2 departs from Bombay.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Crocus (K 49, Lt. Commander Edward Wheeler) is commissioned.

Charlie Chaplin as Herr Hynkel in "The Great Dictator," currently playing in US theaters.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Papers retrieved by the Royal Navy from (later sunk) Italian submarine Durbo are used to direct a force of Royal Navy destroyers after another submarine mentioned in them. This leads to a successful interception. An Italian submarine fires a torpedo at Royal Navy destroyer HMS Forester north of Melilla, Spanish Morocco. Royal Navy destroyers HMS Gallant, Griffin and Hotspur spot Italian submarine Lafolè. The destroyers depth-charge, ram and finally sink the Italian sub. There are nine survivors taken aboard the British ships as POWs, along with 37 dead. The Hotspur, meanwhile, takes damage to its bow from the ramming and heads for Gibraltar for lengthy repairs there and at Malta.

The RAF bombs the Italian depot of Tobruk. The Italian Air Force bombs Cairo for the first time from bases in East Africa. In addition, the Italians send a group of bombers on an epic 4506 km journey from the Dodecanese Islands to bomb oil refinery targets in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and then land in Eritrea. The refineries are American-operated in the British Protectorate of Bahrain. They cause little or no damage to the refineries.

Italian destroyers attack Convoy BN 7 in the Red Sea. They lose destroyer Francesco Nullo, which is beached and subsequently destroyed by Blenheim bombers. The Royal Navy also has one of its destroyers, HMS Kimberley, damaged by coastal guns. It is towed to Port Sudan.

At Malta, Governor Dobbie sends a request to the War Office for a thousand tons of meat. This is to ensure that the island has sufficient supplies to withstand a siege. The supplies must make the long, perilous route around Africa, which takes about three months from start to arrival in Malta.

Battle of the Pacific: German raiders Orion and Komet complete their re-supply from the Kulmerland.

Margaret Landry, “Miss Southern Belle,” rides the brand new Kansas City Southern streamliner Southern Belle, inaugurated on September 2, 1940. Service is between Kansas City and New Orleans via Shreveport. The railroad picked the 18-year-old Baton Rouge, Louisiana, student during a contest held in August. She remained the line's rep throughout the war. October 20, 1940.

German Government: At 23:30 (which is around when he usually holds his nightly war briefing), Hitler embarks on his Special train (Führersonderzug) Amerika. His itinerary is the Spanish border, to visit with Franco, and Montoire to meet with Petain and Laval. Hitler's twin goals are to draw Spain into the war so that the Wehrmacht can launch Operation Felix against Gibraltar, and to draw Vichy France more tightly into the German orbit. A side benefit would be to lessen tensions between Italy and France. In essence, Hitler aims to create a "Continental Bloc" whose first and primary goal is the destruction of Great Britain.

He privately confides that achieving this would require a "grandiose fraud" wherein governments willingly act against their own countries' interests. Hitler has little to offer aside from his personal charm, and the governments of both countries have indicated at best lukewarm support for a united military front.

Ribbentrop's train, "Heinrich," also leaves. He is carrying a German-Italian-French protocol which is somewhat similar to the Tripartite Agreement between Germany, Italy, and Japan. It would guarantee France's "rightful place in Europe" in exchange for her assistance in the prosecution of the war against the British. The bottom line is that Hitler wants both countries to openly declare war on England. While both are known to be pro-German governments to one extent or another, inducing them to actually go to war and ally openly with Germany (as opposed to covertly, as with Spain, or being a sort of temporary co-belligerent at times, as with Vichy France) is asking a lot.

The trains travel through Aachen, Namur, Yvoir, and Vendome on the way to the first stop, Montoire. Heinrich Himmler already is in Madrid meeting with Francisco Franco and Foreign Minister Serrano Suner to pave the way for Franco's upcoming meeting with Hitler at Hendaye. There remain to this day some loose ends from this trip which have yet to be resolved completely, as discussed below.

Anglo/French Relations: Both sides are courting Vichy France. Marshal Petain secretly notifies Whitehall that he will send emissary Louis Rougier to London via Lisbon to discuss their relationship.

Dalby Olympic Swimming Pool, 20 October 1940. Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 506.

British Military: Brigadier Colin Gubbins, who essentially has been in charge of special operations in Norway and subsequently, joins Special Operations Executive.

US Military: The Greenslade Board, touring the British bases obtained in the destroyers-for-bases deal, arrives in San Juan, Puerto Rico aboard the USS St. Louis.

Oiler USS Ramapo arrives at Guam and offloads district patrol craft YP-16 and YP-17 at Apra Harbor. Guam is the subject of fierce debate within the US government as to whether its facilities should be upgraded to resist Japanese aggression, or whether it is indefensible. A lot of money is being poured into Guam.

Australia: Troop Convoy US 6, including the Queen Mary and Aquitania, are heading from Sydney to the Middle East Command at Suez, with the first stop at Freemantle.

Future History: Poet Robert Pinsky is born in Long Branch, New Jersey.

During Himmler's visit to Madrid on 20 October 1940, he is given gifts of gold and bronze cups, necklaces and even human bones excavated from a Visigoth necropolis near Segovia. This is intended to verify Spain's Aryan heritage. Here, archaeologist Julio Martínez Santa-Olalla, a Franco aide, shows Himmler some of the items. These "gifts" subsequently have become the subject of controversy, and the Spanish head of medieval antiquities at the National Archaeological Museum is now, in the 21st Century, trying to find them and bring them back to Spain. The argument is that they were only "loaners," not gifts, but evidence of that is still lacking. The items have been dispersed throughout Germany and Austria.

October 1940
October 2, 1940: Hitler's Polish Plans
October 3, 1940: British Cabinet Shakeup
October 4, 1940: Brenner Pass Meeting
October 5, 1940: Mussolini Alters Strategy
October 6, 1940: Iron Guard Marches
October 7, 1940: McCollum Memo
October 8, 1940: Germans in Romania
October 9, 1940: John Lennon Arrives
October 10, 1940: Führer-Sofortprogramm
October 11, 1940: E-Boats Attack!
October 12, 1940: Sealion Cancelled
October 13, 1940: New World Order
October 14, 1940: Balham Tragedy
October 15, 1940: Mussolini Targets Greece
October 16, 1940: Japanese Seek Oil
October 17, 1940: RAF Shakeup
October 18, 1940: Convoy SC-7 Catastrophe
October 19, 1940: Convoy HX-79 Catastrophe
October 20, 1940: Convoy OB-229 Disaster
October 21, 1940: This Evil Man Hitler
October 22, 1940: Aktion Wagner-Burckel
October 23, 1940: Hitler at Hendaye
October 24, 1940: Hitler and Petain
October 25, 1940: Petain Woos Churchill
October 26, 1940: Empress of Britain Attack
October 27, 1940: Greece Rejects Italian Demands
October 28, 1940: Oxi Day
October 29, 1940: US Draft Begins
October 30, 1940: RAF Area Bombing Authorized
October 31, 1940: End of Battle of Britain

2020