Chronology of World War II

Wednesday, January 1, 1941

In the Mediterranean... The strength of the German 10th Air Corps in Sicily is now 96 bombers and 25 fighters. At this time the RAF has only 15 Hurricanes in Malta.

In Berlin... Ribbentrop, the German foreign minister, meets Filov, the Bulgarian prime minister, to discuss arrangements for allowing the passage of German troops across Bulgaria. No agreement is reached but Bulgaria is now nearer to acquiescing to German pressure to join the Tripartite Pact.

Thursday, January 2, 1941

In Washington... Roosevelt announces a program to produce 200 7500-ton freighters to standardized designs. They will be known as Liberty ships.

Friday, January 3, 1941

In North Africa... The Allied force, renamed 13th Corps, has been increased by the arrival of the 6th Australian Division to replace the 4th Indian Division previously withdrawn to the Sudan. The new force leads the attack on Bardia which now begins. The 16th and 17th Brigades provide the assault units. They have considerable tank and artillery support. In addition three battleships of the Mediterranean Fleet also shell the Italian positions. The attack goes in against the west and southwest fortress and progress is very rapid. Around 30,000 prisoners are taken in the first 24 hours.

Saturday, January 4, 1941

Albania... The Greeks begin a new offensive. They drive westward toward Valona from their positions in the mountains. The Greeks are, however, outnumbered by the Italians and find it difficult to make significant gains.

Sunday, January 5, 1941

North Africa... Bardia is taken along with 40,000 prisoners and large numbers of guns, tanks and other vehicles. General Annibale Bergonzoli is withdrawing toward Tobruk with the still considerable remnants of his force. There have been less than 400 Allied casualties in the attack.

Monday, January 6, 1941

In Washington... President Roosevelt, in his State of the Union message, talks of four essential freedoms, of speech and worship and from fear and want. He again refers to the United States as the "arsenal of democracy."

In North Africa... Advance units of the Allied force reach the outer defenses of Tobruk after taking El Adem airfield to the south. Patrols to examine the Italian defenses begin immediately. The Tobruk garrison is 25,000 men with 220 guns and 70 tanks. General Mannella is in command. There are other Italian units still in positions farther west in Libya.

Tuesday, January 7, 1941

From Berlin... The Condor 4-engined reconnaissance bombers, based near Bordeaux in occupied France, are transferred to the operational command of Admiral Donitz.

In the North Atlantic... The British corvette Anemone sinks the Italian submarine Nani northwest of Ireland.

Wednesday, January 8, 1941

Over Italy... There is a British air raid on Naples by Wellington bombers in which the battleship Guilio Cesare is badly hit while moored in the harbor. The Vittorio Veneto is also hit but scarcely damaged.

In Washington... Roosevelt presents his budget to Congress. It outlines total expenditure of $17,500,000,000 with $10,800,000,000 going on defense.

In Albania... The Greeks begin to attack Klisura in their continuing offensive. Their progress farther north is less good, especially around Berat.

Thursday, January 9, 1941

In North Africa... A strong encirclement of Tobruk is completed by the Commonwealth forces.

Friday, January 10, 1941

In the Mediterranean... Off Pantelleria a British convoy is attacked, first by two Italian torpedo boats, one of which is sunk for no loss to the convoy, and then by 40 German Stuka and Ju88 bombers. The carrier Illustrious is hit six times by dive bombers. Warspite dodges several attacks but other ships are also damaged. This is the first action by the German 10th Air Corps. Illustrious retires to Malta. All the British forces from Gibraltar and Alexandria have been out covering convoys for Greece and Malta. More troops and 18 fighters are brought to Malta. The British destroyer Gallant is sunk after striking an Italian mine in the Sicilian Channel

In Washington... The Lend-Lease Bill is introduced to Congress. There is considerable opposition. Among the prominent opponents of the bill are Senators Wheeler and Nye, former Ambassador Kennedy and Charles Lindbergh.

In Moscow and Berlin... Soviet-German pacts on frontiers in Eastern Europe and on trade are signed. Food and raw materials are to be exchanged for industrial equipment. The economic benefits to Germany of the agreement with the Soviet Union will continue until the very day that Operation Barbarossa begins.

In Albania... The Greek forces take Klisura after the four Italian divisions in the area are pulled back.

Saturday, January 11, 1941

In the Mediterranean... The British cruisers Southampton and Gloucester leave Malta for Gibraltar. Gloucester is damaged and Southampton sunk by a Stuka attack.

In Berlin... Hitler issues Directive 22 outlining his plans for limiting British gains in the Mediterranean. It includes the order for the establishment of the Afrika Korps.

Sunday, January 12, 1941

In the Mediterranean... British aircraft based on Malta attack Catania airfield on Sicily in an attempt to prevent German and Italian planes from attacking Malta while temporary repairs are carried out on the crippled aircraft carrier Illustrious.

Monday, January 13, 1941

Over Occupied France... British RAF bombers strike the U-boat base at Lorient during the night (January 13-14).

Over Britain... German Luftwaffe aircraft raid Plymouth with incendiary bombs.

In Switzerland... Noted author, James Joyce dies in Zurich at age 58.

Tuesday, January 14, 1941

In Greece... General Wavell and Air Marshal Longmore are in Athens (January 14-15) for talks with Prime Minister Metaxas and the Greek Commander in Chief, General Papagos. The Greeks ask for nine divisions and a substantial air component to be sent to support their forces. The Greeks have the equivalent of 13 divisions facing the larger Italian force in Albania and four facing the Bulgarians. At this stage the Germans have 12 divisions in Romania and more in Bulgaria. To meet such a force Wavell is able to offer only a small contribution now, but more later.

Wednesday, January 15, 1941

In East Africa... Emperor Haile Selassie returns to Ethiopia during the night (January 15-16).

Over Germany... A British force of 76 bombers raids Wilhelmshaven during the night.

Thursday, January 16, 1941

In the Mediterranean...There are German and Italian attacks on Malta and especially the damaged carrier Illustrious. A force of about 80 Stuka dive-bombers attacks and, although 10 are shot down, they hit the carrier again as well as the cruiser Perth. The harbor facilities are also badly hit.

Friday, January 17, 1941

The Franco-Thai War... A Vichy French squadron defeats a Thai naval force in the battle of Koh-Chang in the South China Sea. Three Thai ships are sunk.

Saturday, January 18, 1941

In the Mediterranean... The aerial attacks are repeated but Malta's airfields are the principal target.

Sunday, January 19, 1941

In East Africa... The British forces in the Sudan begin their offensive against the Italians in Eritrea. The British force is led by General Platt and includes 4th and 5th Indian Divisions and units of the Sudan Defense Force. The Italian troops in the various border positions amount to 17,000 men and are led by General Frusci. There is the equivalent of four more divisions in the interior of the country. Kassala is taken immediately.

In Germany... Hitler and Mussolini meet at the Berghof (January 19-20). Mussolini is unwilling to accept German help in Albania but is prepared to accept some aid in Africa. Hiter says that he will attack Greece if it seems that Britain is going to come in.

In the Mediterranean... In further aerial attacks, slight damage is done to Illustrious.

Monday, January 20, 1941

In Romania... There is a revolt of the Iron Guard which is put down (by January 24th) on the order of General Antonescu with the help of the Romanian and German armies.

Tuesday, January 21, 1941

In North Africa... The 6th Australian Division begins the attack on Tobruk. The town is already isolated by the advance of the British 7th Armored Brigade which is heading for Martuba and Mechili. The southeast corner of the Italian position is assaulted and after a heavy bombardment the Italian defense is quickly broken. Fort Palastrino is taken later in the day and General Mannella also captured.

Wednesday, January 22, 1941

In North Africa... The remainder of the garrison of Tobruk surrenders after demolishing some of the harbor facilities. There are 27,000 prisoners. Much equipment is also captured and in fact it will prove possible to put the port into service fairly quickly. The Allied casualties have been less than 500 men.

In East Africa... In Eritrea the Italian forces are falling back toward Agordat in the face of Platt's attacks. There is also some skirmishing along the border between Kenya and Italian Somaliland.

Thursday, January 23, 1941

In the Mediterranean... The emergency repairs to the aircraft carrier Illustrious are complete in Malta and the ship is able to make for Alexandria with 24 knots available if necessary. Later the Illustrious will proceed to the United States for full repairs.

In Sofia... The Bulgarian prime minister agrees to bring his country into the Tripartite Pact as soon as military arrangements with the Germans can be completed.

Friday, January 24, 1941

In North Africa... There is a brief tank engagement near Mechili. The British 4th Armored Brigade and the Italian force suffer about equal losses before the Italians retire. The Italian forces in Libya are now split, with one group around Mechili and one on the coast at Derna. These positions do not give each other any support. The 19th Australian Brigade is moving on Derna while Mechili is to be encircled by 4th and 7th Armored Brigades.

Saturday, January 25, 1941

In the Balkans... In southern Albania, both Greek and Italian forces report many cases of frostbite among the troops fighting the mountains. Italian forces are reported to be suffering through an outbreak of typhoid.

Sunday, January 26, 1941

Albania... There is an Italian counterattack near Klisura which has a slight local success.

North Africa... The Italians pull out of Mechili. The British blocking force from 4th Armored Brigade is carelessly handled and does nothing to prevent their escape.

Monday, January 27, 1941

In East Africa... The British advance in Eritrea reaches Agordat and a battle gradually develops in this area.

In Albania... Ciano and other senior members of the Italian government arrive in Albania to take up active army commands. This measure is presumably designed to boost morale.

Tuesday, January 28, 1941

In the Mediterranean... The British submarine Rorqual lays mines off the Adriatic coastal port of Ancona, Italy.

Wednesday, January 29, 1941

In East Africa... Allied forces cross the border from Kenya into Italian Somaliland. General Cunningham is in command and his forces are 11th and 12th East African Divisions and 1st South African Division. The main attack will not begin until February 10th.

In Greece... Prime Minister Metaxas dies. His successor is Alexander Korizis. Korizis is less decisive than Metaxas and does not have as good a relationship with the Greek Commander in Chief, General Papagos. Although he is, if anything, more ready to accept British help this change does not contribute to the smooth running of discussions with the British.

In North Africa... The Italians pull out of Derna and begin a precipitate retreat toward the west along the coast road.

In Washington... Secret staff talks begin between British and American representatives. The talks will continue until March 27th. They produce conclusions code named ABC1 which state that Allied policy in the event of war with Germany and Japan should be to put the defeat of Germany first. The talks mark an important stage in the development of cooperation between the US and Britain. As well as their important decisions they accustom the staffs to working with each other.

Thursday, January 30, 1941

North Africa... Derna is taken by the 19th Australian Brigade.

Friday, January 31, 1941

In Berlin... After consultations with army and army group staffs the Army High Command has now prepared the first operational plans for the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The deployment plan for the forces is also ready.