Posted on 02/01/2011 5:04:02 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
Gordon W. Prange, At Dawn We Slept
Winston S. Churchill, The Grand Alliance
Report from Reich – 2-3
The International Situation – 3
4 Attacks by Nazis- 4
British Blast Base on Way to Bengazi – 5-6
U.S. Raid Protest Rejected by Italy – 6
Destroyer Edison Commissioned Here – 6
Johnson Reported Leaving Chungking – 7
Benedictine Monks expelled by Nazis – 7
De Gaulle Calls on Weygand’s Armies to Join ‘Free French’ in ‘Conquest of Libya’ – 7
The Day in Washington – 7
Weygand Defiant, Stockholm Hears – 8
Texts of Day’s War Communiques – 8
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1941/feb41/f01feb41.htm
German raider sets sail
Saturday, February 1, 1941 www.onwar.com
In the North Atlantic... The German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper sails from Brest on a commerce destroying raid in the north Atlantic.
In East Africa... In Eritrea Agordat falls to Platt’s forces after a vigorous three-day battle. Frusci’s troops are falling back to the mountain positions around Keren after suffering some losses. To the south Barentu has also been captured by the Indian troops.
In Washington... There is a major reorganization of the US Navy. It is now to be formed in three fleets, the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Asiatic. Admiral King is appointed to command the new Atlantic Fleet. There is to be a significant strengthening of the forces in the Atlantic.
In Japan... Japan announces that it will be necessary to introduce rice rationing.
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 520 February 1, 1941
East Africa. 4th Indian Division captures Agordat, Eritrea. 5th Indian Division crosses the border from Sudan into Northern Ethiopia & occupies Metemma. 2nd Lieutenant Premindra Singh Bhagat of the Royal Bombay Sappers & Miners wins the first Victoria Cross for the British Indian Army in WWII for a “...continuous feat of sheer cold courage” clearing 15 minefields & 55 miles of roads in 48 hours.
At 10.15 PM 200 miles South of Iceland, U-48 sinks Greek SS Nicolas Angelos with a torpedo and the deck gun (all hands lost). The crew abandons ship in the lifeboat but they were never found.
New type of plairplane? Hmmmm....
The only thing I can think of that comes close is the Ardo Ar234 which hit the drawing board some time in early 1941. But even it only had a projected altitude of 36,000 feet when it was in the conceptual stage. Maybe someone else has a better idea of what this could possibly be. I’m thinking it is bad information myself.
Don't be so picky. The important thing is that this is a real crisis and if we don't pass Lease-Lend pronto there is no telling what could happen. What would you rather have - a law that allows us to help our British friends fight the Nazis and remain neutral or little British babies choking on poison gas? Write a note to your representative and let him or her know which you prefer.
I think if Hitler was going to use gas he would have done it by now. But I sent a letter to Rep. Clinton Anderson who represents my state. It is after all for the children. Anderson is a lifelong democrat and party man, I’m betting he will vote with FDR on Lend-Lease.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/01.htm
February 1st, 1941
UNITED KINGDOM: Churchill asks the Minister of Economic Warfare about the feasibility of buying South American copper in order to deny it to the USSR and Japan and thus to Germany.
Minesweeping trawler HMS Hoy launched.
Monitor HMS Roberts launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
FRANCE: Paris: A French version of the Nazi Party was formed in Occupied France today. It is called the ‘Rassemblement National Populaire’ (RNP) [Popular National Assembly], and its aims include “co-operation with Germany” and “protection of the race”, that is, anti-Semitism.
Based near the Gare St Lazare, the German-sponsored RNP is led by Marcel Deat, and members include a veteran’s leader, Jean Goy. So far, however, the French seem reluctant to join the new party.
GERMANY: Berlin: General von Funck reports to Fuhrer headquarters on his fact-finding mission to Libya and on the critical position of the Italian forces in North Africa.
U-764 laid down.
U-127 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
LIBYA: Aerial reconnaissance report long columns of Italian transport moving westwards to Barce and tanks are spotted entraining at Barce station.
ETHIOPIA: 2nd Lt Premindra Singh Bhagat (1918-75), Indian Engineers, was attacked and twice blown up in clearing mines for 55 miles. (VC)
General Sir William Platt’s force captures Agordat, which guards the final approaches to Keren, taking 6,000 prisoners, 80 guns, 50 tanks, 400 trucks and what an official report described as “much material.” This is after a three day battle. Italian troops under Lieutenant-General Luigi Frusci, Commander of the Eritrean Army, are falling back to the mountain positions around Keren. To the south Barentu has also been captured by the Indian troops, sealing the approaches to Keren. (Jack McKillop)
JAPAN: Rice rationing begins.
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: US War Department orders dependents to leave the Philippines. Sayre recommends American civilians return to the US. War Department vetoes plan to base heavy bomber force in the Philippines.
MacArthur recommends to Marshall that entire Philippine Archipelago be defended. (Marc Small)
TERRITORY OF HAWAII: Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, former Commander Cruisers Battle Force, relieves Admiral J.O. Richardson as Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet (CINCUS) in the battleship USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) at Pearl Harbor. (Jack McKillop)
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: Construction of Fort Greely on Kodiak Island begins. The base is built as a coast defence base for the naval base on the island and is designed to accommodate 236 officers and 5, 592 enlisted men. (Jack McKillop)
U.S.A.: The Atlantic Fleet is formed under Admiral King and Admiral Husband E. Kimmel becomes C-in-C of the Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor.
The U.S. Navy Department announces the reorganization of the U.S. Fleet, reviving the old names Atlantic Fleet and Pacific Fleet; the Asiatic Fleet remains unchanged. U.S. Marine Corps expansion occurs as the 1st and 2d Marine Brigades are brought up to division strength. (Jack McKillop)
The Navy’s command structure was transformed. The Atlantic Fleet and Pacific Fleet were reestablished. These two fleets and, now, the Asiatic Fleet, constituted the United States Fleet, and one of the three fleet commanders would serve as CINCUS. Kimmel retained the title of Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Fleet, along with his new title of CINCPAC. In his capacity as CINCUS he would hold supreme command if two or more of the fleets operated together. CINCUS was a somewhat theoretical position. Kimmel exercised no operational authority over the Atlantic and Asiatic Fleets in 1941, and I’m fairly certain that there was no CINCUS staff or headquarters distinct from his CINCPAC staff. (Keith Allen)
“Downbeat” magazine reports that Glenn Miller has signed a new three-year contract with RCA Victor Records. The pact guaranteed Miller US$750 a side. Considering inflation, the $750 in 1941 is worth US$9,146 in year 2002 dollars. (Jack McKillop)
The 1st Marine Division is activated aboard the battleship Texas. (Yannis Kadari)
Submarine USS Trigger laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: The heavy cruiser KMS Admiral Hipper sails from Brest.
At 2125, SS Nicolas Angelos was hit near the bridge by one torpedo from U-48 after being missed by a first torpedo at 2058. After the crew abandoned ship, the U-boat fired, from 2150 to 2215, 28 shells into the vessel, which caught fire and sank by the bow at 2304. Schultze observed that the survivors set sail in their lifeboat, but they were never found. (Dave Shirlaw)
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