Tuesday 8 April 1941

Land mine damage in Great Yarmouth on April 8, 1941 (Archant Library).

Operation 25/Operation Marita: At day's end, the Germans have broken through the Greek lines along the Bulgarian border, while the Germans have isolated Yugoslavia from the outside world and are in the vicinity of Zagreb and advancing toward Belgrade.

Belgrade is the prize in Yugoslavia, and Ewald von Kleist wants it. He sends his panzers off at 05:30 toward the city from the northwest. They capture Nis in Serbia and head down the Morava Valley toward the capital. The Yugoslav is giving ground everywhere.

The weather is poor over Belgrade, so the Luftwaffe's Operation Punishment ends today. There is tremendous devastation, but total casualty estimates vary from the as low as 1500 to 17,000. Later estimates of the extent of the damage also vary wildly, with some stating that half of the housing stock is destroyed. Among many other national treasures, the National Library of Serbia is destroyed, along with its medieval manuscripts and other irreplaceable artifacts.

The 1st SS Division Adolf Hitler has moved into the front lines and now sits astride the main railway link between Belgrade and Thessalonica (Thessaloniki). The Yugoslavs in Belgrade now are effectively isolated.

Max Dobislav, who becomes an ace, with his Bf 109E of 8,/JG 27, April 1941.

Greece along the Bulgarian border is still a secondary theater as events play out to the north. The Greek Army vigorously defends the Rupel Pass but it badly outnumbered. The British 1st Armoured Division moves forward when the Wehrmacht's 30 Infantry Corps begins breaking out through the Dorian Gap. The weather is poor here as well, a typical late-winter scene of snow at the higher elevations and rain in the valleys. The Germans begin to push through the Florina Gap. The British further back on the Aliakmon Line prepare for the onslaught on their own positions, which is only a day or two away now.

The British hurry some of their units (such as the 16th Australian Brigade) forward to support the Greeks on the frontier, but the battle is rapidly becoming a lost cause. The Australians are inexperienced in snow and there is virtually no transport in the mountains they are crossing. The Germans, meanwhile, have mountain troops leading their attack, with the 6th Mountain Division in the vanguard. The 164th Infantry Division captures Xanthi, and the 50th Infantry Division has Komotini and is advancing beyond it.

Strategically, what is happening is obvious on the map. While von Kleist in the north picks apart the internals of the Yugoslav state virtually at his leisure, the panzer forces in southern Yugoslavia have completely bypassed the Greeks and the British to the south. Worst of all for the Allies, the Germans have taken almost no casualties in their drive west through a non-essential portion of the country (from the Yugoslav view). The Greek High Command, of course, notices this, and they put out a communique to that effect which states that the German advance is "exposing the left flank of our brave army."

Some Yugoslav units do see what is going on and take pains to try and prevent it. The 20th "Bregalnička" Infantry Division, part of the 3rd Territorial Army of the Yugoslav army, ties in with the Greeks on the Metaxas Line. It works hard to stop the German 2nd Panzer Division of XVIII Mountain Corps from outflanking the Greek divisions, a task which is vital for the Metaxas Line to have any chance of holding. The 20th Infantry Division, however, can do nothing about the Germans heading due west to the north in what everyone recognizes is a deep flanking maneuver.

Meanwhile, the Yugoslav 3rd Army is fighting well - but headed in completely the wrong direction. While the Germans invade from the north and east, the Yugoslavs are heading... west. In what must have seemed like an extremely clever strategy over holiday dinners, the Yugoslavs intend to defeat the Italians in Albania before turning back around and then dealing with the Germans. This, the strategy posits, would free the mass of the Greek Army stuck in Albania to head east and stop the Germans flooding in from Bulgaria. However, while the Italian Army is weak, it isn't that weak, and in fact, has been dramatically strengthened for their recently concluded Primavera Offensive. The Yugoslavs are making a high stakes gamble based upon the assumption that the Germans can be held at the frontiers until the Italians surrender - a fatal misreading of the situation.

German General Stumme in command of LX Corps, the spearhead cutting east through southern Yugoslavia, is not troubled by any of the Allied moves. He consolidates his grip on southern Yugoslavia and sets his sights on the real prize: the Greek port of Thessalonica (Thessaloniki) not far across the border to the south.

So, some units of the Yugoslav Army do make some progress in the wrong direction. The Yugoslav "Komski" Cavalry Regiment takes the village of Koljegcava in the Valjbone River Valley of Albania, while the 31st "Kosovska" Division breaches the Italian line along the Drin River. However, the Yugoslav High Command begins hedging its bets and recalls the "Vardarska" Division to confront the XL Panzer Corps at Skopje. The Greek Western Macedonian Army Section in Albania also makes some progress toward Durrës, capturing about 250 Italians. However, in strategic terms, the slight gains made by the two armies are meaningless.

The Luftwaffe pays Piraeus another visit, which they are doing every day during this period. They previously virtually destroyed the port on the 6th when they scored a lucky hit on ammunition ship Clan Fraser. Today, the Germans damage 7777-ton Greek tanker Ekaterini Coumantarou.

Yugoslavia, always a tenuous state created out of disparate elements, begins to crumble. Croatian separatists proclaim a new Croatian government in Zagreb. German troops of von Kleist's 1st Panzer Group already are on the city's outskirts. On cue, Croatian soldiers mutiny in Bjelovar. The Luftwaffe quite noticeably is not targeting any Croatian cities, as Croatians tend to favor the Axis over the Allies - as opposed to Serbians, whose cities are getting savaged.

Convoy ASF 24 (five freighters) departs from Piraeus bound for Alexandria. Other convoys at sea are AN 25 and AG 11.

As during the Polish campaign, early headlines are all favorable to the Allied cause as the Germans sweep through Yugoslavia. LA Times, 8 April 1941.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe returns to Coventry with 230 bombers. They drop a combined 330 tons of high explosives, causing extensive damage and casualties. Among the devastation, the main body of the "new" Christchurch off New Union Street, constructed in 1830-32, is destroyed.

RAF Bomber Command, No. 2 Group, continues to focus on Axis shipping. The bombers hit the Kiel Canal with 160 bombers, Bremerhaven with 22 bombers, and shipping off the Danish coast. The RAF also attacks a bridge under construction at Ringkøbing on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in western Denmark.

Princess Mary visits Hull.

"Coffee shop at 278 10th Avenue in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, April 8, 1941." Photo courtesy of the  New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) photo collection at the La Guardia and Wagner Archives/CUNY.

East African Campaign: British troops enter Massawa after a brief struggle, but the battle is not yet over. The 7th and 10th Infantry Brigades lead the charge as they capture hill forts surrounding the port. The French Foreign Legion captures the Italian Admiralty building, at which point Rear Bonetti quickly surrenders, sending 9590 surviving Italian troops into captivity.

The Italians still man the ships in the harbor, and four Italian submarines escape, but the Allies have their eyes on the 17 large merchant ships and many smaller ones anchored there. General Cunningham already has designated the 4th Indian Infantry Division, one of the key components of Operation Compass, for shipment back to Egypt, and he would love to use the port to do it. The port has modern facilities, but the Italians have wrecked the equipment and scuttled ships in the harbor, making it quite a chore for the British to return the port to working order.

After learning of Admiral Bonetti's surrender, the Italian crews of many ships finally bow to the inevitability of the British occupation today and scuttle their ships:

• Destroyer Vincenzo Giordano Orsini
• Torpedo boats MAS 204, 206, 210, 213 and 216
• Italian 11,760-ton passenger ship Colombo
• Italian 3245-ton freighter Clelia Campenella
• Italian 5211-ton tanker Giove
• Italian 4958-ton freighter Prometeo
• Italian coasters San Giorgio (90 tons), Pirano (108 tons), and Trieste (96 tons)
• Italian trawlers Ardita (19 tons) and Sole (15 tons)

In addition, the RAF bombs and sinks Italian minelayer Ostia. Italian 18 ton coastal ship Mario M. sinks in the Red Sea of unknown causes.

These sinkings greatly complicate the British task of putting the port back into service to repair vessels damaged in the conflict in the Mediterranean.

At Addis Ababa, the British occupation forces turn their attention to securing their lines of communication back to Asmara. The Duke of Aosta and his Italian and colonial forces now are bottled up in the mountains and no longer poses an immediate threat even as they continue to hold out. However, at some point, the British will have to flush these troops out.

"Two NYA workers and a chef prepare meals for other NYA workers at the Los Angeles City Playground and Recreation Center Project, April 8, 1941." Photo courtesy of the National Archives via The Living New Deal).

Battle of the Atlantic: U-107 (K.Kapt. Günther Hessler) is on its second patrol. U-107 is one of the war's most successful U-boats, and this extended patrol (it lasts for over two months) is the most successful. Today, U-107 is stalking dispersed ships from Convoy OG 57 south of the Azores, and it torpedoes and sinks two ships:

• 3314-ton British freighter Helena Margareta (27 deaths, 9 survivors, Captain Owen T. Jones gets the Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery, U-107 surfaces and sinks it with gunfire)
• 3829-ton British freighter Eskdene (all 39 aboard survive)

Hessler in U-107 continues stalking the convoy after the attack.

U-124 (Kptlt. Georg-Whilhelm Schulz), operating in the same general area as U-107, is north of the Cape Verde Islands and sinks 2697-ton British freighter Tweed. There are three survivors and 25 deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 2848-ton British freighter Cormarsh off Sheringham Buoy (near Cley, Norfolk). The ship makes it to Hull.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages British 5792-ton freighter Chaucer near the Humber Light Vessel.

British 8621-ton tanker Ahamo hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea east of Sutton on Sea. There are fourteen deaths.

German freighter Kurzesee sinks from unexplained causes off Skjervøy, Norway. A likely cause is hitting a mine, but an air attack is possible, too.

Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser HMS Bulolo captures Vichy French 4279-ton freighter Fort de France in the Atlantic between Martinique and Casablanca. Bulolo's crew takes it to Gibraltar.

German raider Atlantis crossed into the South Atlantic from the Indian Ocean.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Intrepid lays minefield JO in the English Channel.

Convoy SL 71 departs from Freetown.

Canadian corvette HMCS Chilliwack (K 131, Lt. Leslie L. Foxall) is commissioned.

U-80 (Oberleutnant zur See Georg Staats) is commissioned.

The New Berlin, Illinois Island Grove school, 8 April 1941 (New Berlin Area Historical Society).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Afrika Korps takes the fortress of Mechili in the morning. The remnants of the 2nd Armored Division get some new stragglers from the west during the night to reinforce their position and try to break out, but the 5th Light Division (Major Bolbrinker) takes the fortress by 08:00. Major-General Gambier Parry, General Officer Commanding 2nd Armoured Division, surrenders and now joins Generals Neame and O'Connor in captivity.

General Erwin Rommel quickly tasks the Italians with occupying Mechili while the sends the German 5th Light Division troops to help out at Derna. By nightfall, the Germans have taken the Derna airfield, the town itself, and about 800 prisoners. While some British troops still hold out, their cause is hopeless.

With Benghazi, Derna, and Mechili in their pocket, the Germans now can focus on Tobruk. Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell flies out of Tobruk, but his plane experiences engine trouble (likely due to desert sandstorms) and lands in the desert near Sollum. An armored car picks him up.

Meanwhile, the British still don't know what has happened to General O'Connor and Lieutenant General Philip Neame, their military leaders in Libya (they are in German custody). As visiting Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies notes in his diary following discussions at the War Cabinet:

Balkans bad. O'Connor & Neame missing in Libya. The clouds are dark and there is a lurid patch in the sky - I hope not sunset.... The generals of the War Office are still behind the times. "We have so many divisions" - as if divisions counted. Armour and speed count, and when we catch up to that idea, we will catch up to the Germans.

Menzies notes that "we hope to make a stand" at Tobruk. Until Neame can be located, Major General John Lavarack assumes his duties.

British mooring vessel Moor hits a mine and sinks near the Ricasoli Breakwater Light Vessel at the entrance to Grand Harbour, Malta. There are only one survivor and 28 deaths. The ship suffers a massive explosion around 17:00 that attracts attention from many viewers, turns on its side, and sinks rapidly.
An Axis convoy of five freighters departs Naples for Tripoli.

US/Greenland Relations: Greenland is an odd case. While it is part of Denmark, Greenland's government has announced its effective independence. However, the Danish Minister to the United States, Henrik de Kauffmann, still represents Greenland's interests. He prepares a document, "Denmark-United States: Agreement Relating to the Defense of Greenland," setting forth joint defense of Greenland. This effectively grants the United States responsibility for Greenland's defense from the Axis powers.

King Peter II of Yugoslavia.

US/Yugoslavian Relations: The Yugoslav attaché in Washington has requested as much US assistance that it can provide. In fact, the US can offer virtually no assistance except words, some of which President Roosevelt provides today. He states:

the United States will speedily furnish all material assistance possible in accordance with its existing statutes. I send Your Majesty my most earnest hopes for a successful resistance to this criminal assault upon the independence and integrity of your country.

The Germans already have a stranglehold on Yugoslavia, and the Italians and Luftwaffe dominate the skies, making any shipments by sea extremely unlikely.

US/Polish Relations: President Roosevelt meets with General Sikorski, leader of the Polish government in exile.

US Military: Evans Fordyce Carlson, considered a Far East specialist due to his experience in China, resigned his commission in 1939. Today, he is recommissioned at the rank of Major. Carlson has extensive experience working with Chinese Communist guerillas fighting Japanese invaders.

Joe Louis and Tony Musto at their weigh-in for their 8 April 1941 title fight (Boxing Hall of Fame in Las Vegas).

American Homefront: Earle W. Graser perishes in an automobile accident when he apparently falls asleep at the wheel while driving to his radio station in Detroit. Graser, a young radio actor, has played The Lone Ranger since 30 January 1933 - coincidentally, the same date that Adolf Hitler took power. His is the voice that yells "Hi-Yo, Silver" in both the radio and television series and likely the one that most people would recognize.

Joe Louis knocks out Tony Musto in the Arena at St. Louis, Missouri. It is his 16th successful defense of the World Heavyweight Championship.

Future History: Margaret Anne Lennon is born in Los Angeles, California. As Peggy Lennon, she will begin appearing with her sisters Dianna Barbara, Kathy and Janet as the Lennon Sisters on the Lawrence Welk Show from 1955-1968. Peggy will continue performing with the group - which still tours as of this writing - until her retirement in 1999.

Vivienne Isabel Swire is born in Tintwistle Cheshire, near Glossop, Derbyshire. As Vivienne Westwood due to her marriage to Derek Westwood, she and her second husband Malcolm McLaren become clothes designers, with McLaren managing the Sex Pistols. When the Sex Pistols wear Vivienne's clothing, she garners a lot of attention. Westwood becomes a key mover behind the fashions of the punk movement, with a definite edge of leather bondage gear, spikes, chains and the like. She goes on to form her own fashion company, designs clothing for many celebrities such as the characters in "Sex and the City," and become politically active.As of this writing, Dame Vivienne Westwood continues to be perhaps the top fashion celebrity in England, at least in certain circles - though there are several claimants to that throne.

Darlene Faye Gillespie is born in Montreal, Quebec. She becomes famous as a child actress, appearing as a singer and dancer on the original Mickey Mouse Club television series from 1955-1958. She goes on to a singing career and various other adventures.

Earle Graser, the first radio "Lone Ranger," perishes on 8 April 1941 in an automobile accident.

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

Tuesday 11 February 1941

German Panzers arriving in Tripoli, 1941.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The front remains stable on 11 February 1941, which effectively is of benefit to the Italians. The wrangling about what to do in Greece continues in London. Prime Minister Winston Churchill feels that the British should insert "at least 4 Divisions, rising to 6 or 10 in the summer." He wishes to "make an offer of assistance to the Greeks" and proposes sending guns and a squadron of American Curtis Tomahawk P-40 fighters there. Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and General Sir John Dill both set agree to visit Cairo and Athens to coordinate the expected troop movements.

The Greeks are looking at the Bulgarian border and considering their own defensive military options. The Italians, meanwhile, are determined to defend the key port of Valona (Vlorë and are planning another counteroffensive in the next few days. To date, Italian counteroffensives in Greece have been unmitigated disasters, making no progress and winding up costing the Italians territory. However, the contest for the Trebeshina Heights near the Klisura Pass has produced some minor defensive successes for the Italians, who are fighting much better now than earlier in the campaign.

East African Campaign: The battle at Keren, Eritrea continues. British Indian troops are faced with the tactical problem of forcing their way through the narrow Dongolaas Gorge in order to enter the Keren Plateau. The 3/1st Punjab Regiment takes the top of Sanchil, a low peak overlooking the gorge and have men on the sides of Brig's Peak next to it. However, the Indians are faced with murderous crossfire from both sides of the gorge, as the Italians occupy the heights all around them. While they might be able to hold their ground despite this, the approaches to the peaks are flat ground which exposes anyone crossing it to machine gunfire. Thus, no matter how much they bring with them, the Indians eventually run low on supplies. The Italians rain mortar and artillery fire on the Indian troops throughout the day. Finally, the Italian Savoia Grenadiers advances on the Indian troops and forces them off of both Brig's Peak and Sanchil.

By day's end, the Indian troops wind up back where they started at Cameron Ridge. This reversal, identical to the first attempt to take the peaks several days before, does not interfere with plans to attack the other (right) side of the gorge on the 12th.

In Italian Somaliland, South African and Gold Coast troops (East African 22nd Infantry Brigade) complete the capture of Afmadu at the north end of the Juba River. The South African Air Force heavily supports these attacks.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command sends 79 bombers against Bremen and 29 against Hanover during the night. There are other RAF operations as well during the day, including a Coastal Command attack on the seaplane base at Thisted, Jutland. There also are some Circus offensive RAF operations over northern France.

The day is notable for the first RAF attack by four-engine bombers. Three Short Stirlings bomb the docks at Rotterdam.

The Luftwaffe mainly stays on the ground today, as has been the practice for much of 1941 so far. A few bombs are dropped in the east and southeast of England, while the Luftwaffe attacks shipping off the Scottish coast.

An American, James Alton Jepson of Decatur, Georgia, has been serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force as an observer. Sergeant Jepson enlisted on 15 April 1940 in Ottawa, then was shipped to England with his unit. He goes missing today on a mission and is never found.

USS Long Island (AVG-1), 11 November 1941. Identifiable on her flight deck are 7 Curtiss SOC-3A scout planes and 1 Brewster F2A fighter. This was the US Navy's first escort carrier, commissioned 2 June 1941. Planes flown off the Long Island were the first US planes on Henderson Field, Guadalcanal (US Navy photo.)

Battle of the Atlantic: British monitor HMS Erebus parks off Ostend between 01:00 and 01:40 and bombards the port along with escorting destroyers HMS Quorn and Eglinton. This is Operation PX.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Snapper (Lt. G.V. Prowse) fires at German minesweepers M.2, M.13 and M.25 southwest of Ouessant, Finistère, France in the Bay of Biscay. The attack fails, and the German ships attack and sink Snapper. At least, this is believed to have been her fate, as none of the 41 men aboard survived to tell the tale. Another theory is that she hit a mine.

Operating between Portugal and the Azores, German battlecruiser Admiral Hipper encounters 1236-ton British freighter Iceland. Iceland is from Convoy HX 53, which already has been savaged by U-boat and Luftwaffe attacks and dispersed. Hipper makes short work of Iceland with its guns. In the evening, Hipper spots Convoy SLS 64 (19 ships) out of Freetown and stalks it through the night.

The Luftwaffe attacks 227-ton British trawler Eamont off the coast of northern Scotland. All ten men aboard take to the boats and survive, but the abandoned ship is run ashore by the winds and current and wrecked.

The Luftwaffe also bombs and sinks 215-ton British trawler John Dunkin 13 miles northeast of Buckie, Aberdeenshire. There is one death.

In a related attack nearby, the Luftwaffe attacks 488-ton British freighter Cantick Head and damages it.

Minelayer HMS Plover lays minefield ZME 16 in the Irish Sea.

Convoy OB 285 departs from Liverpool.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Ultimatum is launched.

US destroyers USS Aaron Ward and Buchanan are laid down.

U-68 (Kapitänleutnant Karl-Friedrich Merten) is commissioned, U-80 is launched.

A burning Italian CR 42 biplane fighter. The original caption said that it was hit during aerial combat over Tobruk. El Adem, 11 February 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: British Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell requests permission from the Chief of the Imperial General Staff to continue Operation Compass into Tripolitania in western Libya. Whitehall denies this request, as Prime Minister Winston Churchill is more interested in sending troops to Greece.

The British decision to halt their offensive is made just in time - for the Wehrmacht. Today, the German convoy which departed from Naples with a stopover in Palermo arrives in Tripolitania as part of Operation Sunflower (Unternehmen Sonnenblume). The transports carry troops of the 5th Light Division, the vanguard of General Erwin Rommel's Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK). This is the first time that German troops have been on North African soil. These troops would still be quite vulnerable before they are reinforced - if the British were to attack. Royal Navy submarine HMS Unique spots the troop convoy and attacks one of the ships, German transport Ankara, but misses. Allied attacks on troop convoys from Naples will be a prime cause of the DAK's issues in North Africa.

General Rommel, en route to Tripoli, arrives in Rome. German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels has given him a camera and some color film, which Rommel intends to make use of.

The Italians never wanted the Germans involved in their "empire" of North Africa, but the situation has changed drastically over the past few months due to Italian reversals there and in Albania. Mussolini accepts the resignation of Libyan commander Rodolfo Graziani, who flies out of Tripoli today. He is replaced by the Italian 5th Army (Tripolitania) Commander General Italo Gariboldi.

Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies resumes his extended journey from Melbourne to London. He arrives today in Benghazi, where he meets with General Iven Mackay, commander of the Australian 6th Infantry Division. This division captured Bardia, Tobruk, and Benghazi, and Menzies somewhat cattily comments in his diary that the General's "tactics are highly praised, but [he] looks as gently ineffectual as ever." He dines with General O'Connor, commander of XIII Corps, of whom he notes:

He did this job [conquer Cyrenaica], but Wavell has received all the credit.... Wavell will probably get a peerage while this man gets a CB but that is the way of the world.

Menzies notes that life has changed little in Benghazi for the residents there, with "good Australians slapping down their money on the bar of a hotel conducted by a 'conquered' Italian."

The Royal Navy begins Operation Shelford, the clearing of Benghazi Harbor by minesweepers. A similar operation at Tobruk was a disaster, with several ships hitting mines after the port was declared free of mines. In fact, today 344-ton naval whaler HMSAS Southern Floe hits a mine off Tobruk and sinks, killing everybody on board (mostly South Africans) but one rating.

At Malta, there are some minor Luftwaffe attacks on St. Paul's Bay that cause minor damage to a seaplane base and petrol lighter. Antiaircraft fire downs a Junkers Ju 88.

Two Malta-based RAF reconnaissance pilots, Flying Officer Adrian Warburton of 431 Flight (now 69 Squadron) and his observer/navigator, Sergeant Frank Bastard, are decorated. Warburton receives the DFC, while Bastard receives the Distinguished Flying Medal. Bastard is the navigator who took over as pilot (without any training) and successfully landed the plane after the pilot (apparently Warburton) was rendered unconscious. As usual in the British military, the senior officer in such a situation invariably receives a plum award when a subordinate is decorated - as Menzies noted (see above), "that is the way of the world."

Free French forces under Leclerc take the Italian outpost Gadamis in southwestern Libya.

The body of an Italian soldier lies where he fell during battle, in a stone-walled fort in the West Libyan desert, on February 11, 1941.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Atlantis rendezvouses with supply vessel Tannenfels east of Madagascar. Atlantis has captured Norwegian tanker Ketty Brøvig and 5159-ton freighter Speybank with it. The tanker, in particular, is prized because it has a load of fuel which is quite useful for all of the German ships. The Speybank is no slouch either, being used by the Germans as a minelayer off Cape Town.

Battle of the Pacific: In the Dutch East Indies, the military authorities for some reason go on a high military alert. They suddenly close all ports to Japanese shipping, order Dutch vessels to safe waters, put the military on alert and take other actions. The Japanese are not planning anything, however.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Thracian and minelayer HMS Man Yeung lay mines outside Hong Kong Harbor.

A 1941 Lincoln Continental. The Lincoln Continental was the idea of Henry Ford's son Edsel, who wanted something sporty to use on vacation. It originally was built as a one-off for him but was such a fine car that it went into limited production. This particular Lincoln, immaculately restored, was No. 290 of 400, built on 11 February 1941. This was the original model year, with only two dozen manufactured in 1939. All Continentals built 1939-41 are a single model year.

US/Japanese Relations: New Japanese Ambassador Kichisaburō Nomura arrives in Washington. Nomura is a moderate who genuinely wants to broker some kind of deal to avoid conflict with US Secretary of State Cordell Hull. However, the hardliners in Tokyo want concessions (primarily economic), while the Americans are not interested, demanding major concessions of their own (entirely military and political ones). Major issues between the two powers are the US oil embargo of Japan, Japanese military action in China, and the Japanese occupation of Indochina.

Vichy French/German Relations: Rudolf Hilferding dies in a Gestapo dungeon in Paris. Hilferding is a prominent Jewish socialist from Austria who upon the accession of Hitler to power fled to Denmark, then Switzerland, then Paris. He would have been safe in Zurich, but he left there for Paris in 1939 (many expected Hitler to invade Switzerland in 1939). The Vichy French arrested him, and the Vichy government turned him over to the Gestapo on 9 February despite Hilferding securing an emergency visa to emigrate to the United States. The Gestapo tortured him at La Santé for two days, leading to his death. Hilferding's wife, Margarete, is sent to Theresienstadt concentration camp and perishes there in 1942.

Anglo/Italian Relations: Rumors are flying in Vichy France that Generalissimo Francisco Franco of Spain and Marshal Petain are trying to negotiate an Armistice between Great Britain and Italy. If this is the case, though, nothing seems to come of it.

"A sailor and his girlfriend are amongst the crowds listening to a speech by a member of the Socialist Party at Speakers' Corner, Hyde Park." While Winston Churchill attempts to suppress prominent socialists from speaking on the BBC, he is unconcerned about agitators in Hyde Park. February 1941. © IWM (D 2095).

British Government: Churchill sends General Ismay a note suggesting that "an Anti-Mussolini or Free-Italian" force be organized in Cyrenaica using Italian POWs. He views this as "world propaganda." It is unclear where he came up with this idea, but he might not be flattered to be told that this is an old Soviet and Imperial Japanese tactic.

Churchill also complains to Minister of Shipping Ronald Cross about an incident involving a ship that refused to sail around from Liverpool to London. Agreeing with the captain's reasoning, Churchill points out the immense value of the ship's cargo to the war effort (19,677 sub-machine guns and about 2.5 million cartridges). Churchill notes that "I always follow the movements of these important cargoes."

US Government: President Roosevelt meets with U.S. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, U.S. Secretary of the Navy William "Frank" Knox, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold R. Stark, and U.S. General of the Army George C. Marshall. Roosevelt suggests that the navy risk half a dozen cruisers and two aircraft carriers at Manila as bait to gt the Japanese to enter the war. Navy Chief of Operations replies:

I have previously opposed this and you have concurred as to its unwisdom. Particularly do I recall your remark in a previous conference when Mr. Hull suggested (more forces to Manila) and the question arose as to getting them out and your 100% reply, from my standpoint, was that you might not mind losing one or two cruisers, but that you did not want to take a chance on losing 5 or 6.

This is contained in Charles Beard's "President Roosevelt and the Coming of War 1941 (2003), p 424. I can't find any confirmation for this claim, which is a favorite of conspiracy theorists. That doesn't mean it isn't factual, though.

Another outcome of this meeting is that the US government decides to warn American nationals in vulnerable Asian targets such as Rangoon, Burma, and Singapore to leave while they still can.

Wendell Willkie appears before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee as the committee prepares to conclude its consideration of the Lend-Lease bill. He recommends passing the bill and quickly sending help to Great Britain because otherwise, the US would be at war with Germany within a month. Among his recommendations is that every American bomber in the US Army Air Corp should be sent at once to join the RAF, in addition to five or ten destroyers per month. Willkie does, however, suggest that specific time limits be attached to the President's exercise of lend-lease powers - this is a major concern of many, both within the government and outside it.

Willkie's opinion is given great weight because he just returned from a fact-finding mission in London for President Roosevelt - made at his own expense. Since Willkie was the 1940 Republican Presidential candidate, this suggests that who won that election really made little difference in the long-run course of events. After his testimony, Willkie continues his cozy relationship with his former opponent by meeting with him at the White House.

Look Magazine, 11 February 1941.

Dutch Government: The British severed diplomatic relations with Romania on the 10th, and the Dutch Government-in-exile (in London) follows suit today.

Dutch Homefront: Tensions between local German supporters and those defending Jewish interests have been sparking over the last week. Pitched battles break out today in Amsterdam's Waterlooplein. Pro-German Dutch militia "Weerbaarheidsafdeling" (defense section) is prominent in these attacks, targeting the old Jewish section of the city. Those fighting against the WA are effective, mortally wounding WA member Hendrik Koot (he dies of his wounds on 14 February).

American Homefront: There is a major gas leak in South Philadelphia which erupts into an explosion and fire. A row of eight houses is destroyed on Greenwich Street. The lots are cleared, and the lots remain empty for many years, used by neighborhoods to park their cars or grow vegetables. At least four people die, including a policeman, James J. Clarke, trying to rescue a mother and her two daughters.

Future History: William M. Landham is born in Canton, Georgia. As "Sonny" Landham, he begins an acting career in adult films. He later turns to mainstream films, appearing in such classics as "The Warriors" (he's the subway cop whose legs are broken by Michael Beck), "Predator" and "48 Hours." He also acts in such series as "The A-Team" and "The Fall Guy." Landham achieves his greatest degree of fame by appearing in an episode of "Miami Vice" as Toad, one of Reb Brown's Violator gang in the episode "Viking Bikers from Hell." Sonny later attempts to run for political office in Georgia and Kentucky, but to date has not been elected.

Destruction in South Philadelphia, 11 February 1941.

February 1941

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

2020