Posted on 02/18/2011 4:43:06 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
Gordon W. Prange, At Dawn We Slept
Winston S. Churchill, The Grand Alliance
Tokyo Urges Peace – 2-3
Chinese Welcome Chance of a Visit by Willkie – 3
Brooklyn Airman with R.A.F. Lost – 3
The International Situation – 4
R.A.F. Aids Greeks in Mountain Push – 4
R.A.F. ‘Raids’ Poland in 1,800-Mile Flight – 5
Nazis Get Control of Bor Copper Mines – 5
Oshima, Tokyo Envoy, Welcomed in Berlin – 5
Henderson Puts Hitler Third on His Nazi List – 5
Texts of Day’s War Communiques – 6
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1941/feb41/f18feb41.htm
South Africans advance in Abyssinia
Tuesday, February 18, 1941 www.onwar.com
In East Africa... In Abyssinia South African forces advancing from Kenya attack the town of Mega. It is quickly captured along with 1000 prisoners.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/18.htm
February 18th, 1941
UNITED KINGDOM:
Destroyer HMS Gurkha commissioned.
Corvette HMS Veronica commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
GERMANY:
U-502 launched.
U-203 commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
FINLAND: Chief of Staff of the German Norwegian Army Oberst Erich Buschenhagen arrives for a two-week visit in Finland. He meets the Finnish military leadership, and the purpose is to probe the possibility of Fenno-German military cooperation. (Mikko Härmeinen)
U.S.S.R.: Commander Pavlov asks for road-building operations in the western USSR to be speeded up.
LIBYA: Benghazi: Italian planes bomb the port so badly that Britain has to abandon it for supply purposes.
EGYPT: General Thomas Blamey, General Officer Commanding I Australian Corps, meets with General Archibald Wavell, Commander in Chief, Middle East Command. Wavell explains the composition of a force designated “Lustreforce” intended for operations in Greece. The force is to consist of the New Zealand Division, the Australian 6th and 7th Divisions, HQ of the I Australian Corps, the 1st Armoured Brigade and an Independent Polish Brigade Group. (Jack McKillop)
ETHIOPIA: South African forces advancing from Kenya attack the town of Mega which is quickly captured along with 1,000 prisoners. (Jack McKillop)
SINGAPORE: Australian troops, 12,000 strong, arrived in Singapore today the reinforce the British garrison. Already the 11th Indian Division has arrived in the theatre, and the III Indian Corps headquarters under Lieutenant-General Sir Lewis Heath is due to be set up in May.
The build-up of British strength is in response to the growing menace of Japanese military expansion to the south. Nazi Germany has been urging the Japanese to attack Singapore at once.
The southward advance of Japan continues to cause anxiety in Australia at a time when the greater part of the Australian forces are engaged in the Middle East. The Singapore base is regarded by Australians as the keystone of defence against Japan, and Britain has assured Australia that if a Japanese attack appeared imminent, a British battlefleet would be sent at once to Singapore.
However, the clear need exists for an army and air force strong enough to hold out in Singapore and Malaya until the fleet arrived. Australia decided therefore to contribute a brigade of infantry to the garrison.
U.S.A.: Admiral King states that the American security zone has been extended eastwards as far as longitude 26 W. This is more than 2,300 miles from the American coast at New York and only 740 miles from the coast of Europe at Lisbon, and it includes the Azores.
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
At 0227, SS Black Osprey, a straggler from Convoy HX-107, was torpedoed and sunk by U-96 south of Iceland. The master and 24 crewmembers were lost. 11 crewmembers were picked up by the Norwegian SS Mosdale and landed at Barry.
MS Seaforth sunk by U-103 at 58.48N, 18.17W. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 537 February 18, 1941
Since mid-January, South African 1st Division has advanced into Southern Ethiopia from Kenya, as a diversion from General Cunningham’s main attack into Italian Somaliland. After a 3 day battle, they capture the Italian fort of Mega 70 miles inside Ethiopia protecting the main road to the capital Addis Ababa (taking 1000 Italian prisoners).
Free French besiege El Tag fort at Kufra oasis in the Sahara Desert, Libya. They fire 20 shells per day from a 75mm field gun at 3 km, out of range of the defenses, as well as lobbing in 81 mm mortar rounds from 1.5 km. This will wear down the Italian defenders over the next few days.
German aircraft drop mines in the Suez Canal, which is temporarily closed to shipping. This delays the arrival of British aircraft carrier HMS Formidable in the Mediterranean.
At 2.27 AM 140 miles South of Iceland, U-96 sinks British SS Black Osprey carrying 4500 tons of steel and trucks from USA to Britain (25 killed, 11 survivors picked up by Norwegian steamer Mosdale). At 9.33 PM 330 miles South of Iceland, U-103 sinks British MV Seaforth carrying produce from West Africa to Britain (47 crew, 2 gunners and 10 passengers abandon ship in lifeboats but are never found).
Interesting contrast in a couple of adverts. One restaurant is offering a 55 cent spaghetti dinner, while a furrier is selling mink coats starting at $1,500. In 1941, $1,500 would be an average salary for a year.
Jay Thorpe furs:
http://vintagefashionguild.org/label-resource/thorpe-jay/
“”Jay Thorpe was an exclusive store located at 24 – 26 W. 57th Street, New York which opened in the 1920s. One of the best stores on 57th Street, Jay Thorpe offered custom made clothing from French and in-house designers. The store was on an equal footing with Henri Bendel and Hattie Carnegie in terms of quality, but had a more eclectic image. Private fashion showings took place in the fourth floor bistro, where customers could relax with refreshments while watching models stroll by in latest fashions.
Wilson Folmar was the head designer in the custom department from the 1930s to the 1950s. The store was out of business by the early 1970s.””
The Japanese were so considerate.
lol
Yeah lol, it went over real well for the japs. DONT FLY PLANES INTO US!! You would have thought the terrorists woiuld have learned from them.
“Holds U.S. and Britain to Blame for Tension in Pacific Area”.
Sounds familiar.
“Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.”
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