This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

16 February 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Fairmile B HDML 179
[NO IMAGE]

Losses
Aux MSW SOUTHSEA (RN 825 grt) was badly damaged on a mine 5.9 cables 240° from North Tyne Pier Light. She was run aground and declared a total loss. 7 crew were lost.

MSW trawler ORMONDE (RN 250 grt) was sunk by German bombing off Peterhead, 7 miles 90° from Crudsen Scauer. Coull, with the loss of 18 crew members.

Tkr EMPIRE OTTER (UK 4670 grt) was sunk on a British mine 25 miles SW of Hartland Point. The crew were all rescued.

Trawler THOMAS DEAS (UK 276 grt) was sunk on a mine four miles 273° from Spurn Point. All crew were lost.

Trawler NANIWA (UK 340 grt) was sunk by the LW in 52-15N, 12-30W. Five crew were lost.

Steamer JUVENTUS (FI 4957 grt) was sunk by a Swordfish of 830 Sqn from Malta, three miles NE of Kuriat Island.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Bergen: U-147

Departures
Lorient: U-95

At Sea 16 February 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-123.
14 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
Northern Waters
BC REPULSE, escorted by DDs INGLEFIELD, MAORI, ZULU, departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth for her first refit in 23 months. The DDs arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 17th. DDs NAPIER and NIZAM arrived at Scapa Flow from Londonderry on completion of escort duties in the Western Approaches. DD ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to clean boilers and repair a damaged propeller shaft. The DD arrived on the 17th.

West Coast
OB.287 departed Liverpool, escorted by DDs VANOC, RAMSEY, WANDERER, corvettes NASTURTIUM and PERIWINKLE. VANOC and WANDERER and corvette NASTURTIUM was detached later that day. DD WITCH joined the convoy on the 17th and was detached later that day. RAMSEY and corvette PERIWINKLE were detached on the 19th. DD MONTGOMERY joined on the 20th and was detached on the 21st when the convoy dispersed.

Med/Biscay
British troopship ULSTER PRINCE departed Alexandria, escort DDs ILEX and HASTY, for Suda Bay and Piraeus

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 16 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 17 FEBRUARY 1941
Weather Fine.

0736-0800 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy Heinkel HE 111, which approaches from the south of the Island and swoops down over Hal Far, machine-gunning the airfield and several anti-aircraft gun positions. One Swordfish aircraft is damaged. Anti-aircraft guns open fire; no claims. Two Hurricanes and one Gladiator are scrambled; no interception.

0859-0949 hrs Air raid alert for one JU 88 bomber escorted by twelve ME 109 fighters which approach from the east and fly over the Island at 9000 feet. Six Hurricanes are scrambled and engage the raiders. The Messerschmitts immediately split into two formations, one climbing above and the other dropping below the Hurricanes. One Hurricane crashes; the pilot, F/Lt J MacLachan, bales out and lands at Marsascala, injuring his arm. Two more Hurricanes are slightly damaged and temporarily unserviceable.

1745 hrs; 1827 hrs; 1930 hrs; 2050 hrs; 2207 hrs; 2244 hrs; 2303 hrs A series of air raid alerts for enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly. Those approaching the coast are engaged by anti-aircraft fire. All aircraft retreat without dropping any bombs.

0020 hrs All clear.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 16 FEBRUARY 1941

AIR HQ Departures 6 Whitley. Aircraft casualties Maryland attempted reconnaissance of Palermo and Trapani ports; bad weather prevented execution.

LUQA 69 Squadron One Maryland photoreconnaissance attempted Trapani and Palermo prevented by bad weather. 148 Squadron Three Wellingtons bombing raid on Catania and Comiso.

February 16 Sunday

MEDITERRANEAN: The fighters of 7./JG 26 escort Ju 87s of StG 2 on an attack on Luqa airfield. Eight RAF Hurricanes try to attack the formation but are broken up by the Messerschmitts. Three British warplanes are shot down.

Greek Epirus Army and Italian 11th Army were heavily engaged west of Klisura.

NORTH AFRICA: South African aircraft dive-bomb Italian positions on East bank of river Juba, in Southern Italian Somaliland. German Junkers Ju 86 Z-7 ex-passenger planes were used by the 11th and 12th squadrons of the South African Air Force (SAAF) as bombers in East Africa.

British Swordfish aircraft of No. 830 Squadron from Malta sank Italian ship "Juventus" 5 miles off Chebba, Tunisia.

Mersa Teclai on the Red Sea opened to light vessels and elements of Free French Brigade d'Orient begin arriving to reinforce Indian 7th Infantry Brigade.

UNITED KINGDOM: Four people were killed and one injured when German bombers dropped HEs at Seaham Harbour, demolishing four houses and damaging others. Slight outbreak of fire was extinguished and the bridge across the railway over Lord Street was destroyed and the road blocked. Men, women and children were trapped in a subway which collapsed when a bomb fell on it. The fatalities occurred in Frederick Street.

British cruiser HMS "Neptune" is damaged again by German bombing at Chatham (in dock to repair bomb damage sustained at Plymouth on February 9). The scheduled refit and the repairs will be completed on May 1.

The paddle steamer 'Southsea' (825t) was on Admiralty service as a minesweeper when she hit a mine, killing seven of her crew. She was subsequently beached and abandoned between Herd Groyne and South Shields pier.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: British minesweeping trawler HMT "Ormonde" was sunk by German aircraft 25 miles east of Aberdeen, Scotland, killing 19.

German raider "Komet" arrives in Antarctic waters but operates without success before departing for Kerguelen.

INDIAN OCEAN: Troop-carrying liner "Queen Mary" detaches from convoy US 9 and turns for Singapore.

WESTERN FRONT: 10.000 Jews in Vienna are deported to Polen.

.

17 February 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Type II Hunt Class Escort DD HMS AVON VALE (L 06)

AVON VALE at Valletta August 1941. The Type IIs emphasised AA defence

Harbour Defence Motor Launch HDML 1005
[NO IMAGE]

Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 252 (ML 252)
[NO IMAGE]

Losses
MV GAISOPPA (UK 5237 grt) Sunk by U-101 (Ernst Mengersen) ; Crew: 86 (85 dead and 1 survivor) ; Cargo: Tea, Pig Iron, silver ingots and coins ; Route: Calcutta - Freetown - Galway, Ireland - London Convoy: SLS-64 (Detached ) Lost in the SW Approaches SW of Eire; At 0008 hrs the unescorted GAISOPPA was hit on the starboard side just behind the bridge in #2 hold by one G7a torpedo from U-101 about 300 miles sw of Galway Bay, Ireland. The ship had been in convoy SL-64 which was slowed down by bad weather and running low on coal, she was detached alone to Galway on 15 February. At 1800 hrs on 16 February, the U-boat spotted the ship but had troubles to hit the target due to heavy seas and missed with a spread of two torpedoes at 2328 hrs and one G7e torpedo at 2332 hours. The GAISOPPA caught fire and settled slowly by the bow after being hit in the third attack, but Mengersen decided to give up further attacks when a coup de grace missed at 0020 hrs, assuming correctly that the burning freighter would sink anyway in the heavy seas. The survivors managed to abandon ship in three lifeboats before she sank within 20 min. However, two of the boats were never seen again and its occupants presumably perished in the cold and bad weather. The boat in the charge of the second officer set sail with eight Europeans and 23 Lascars aboard, but after seven days most had died of exposure and only four Europeans and two Lascars were still alive when the boat reached land on 1 March. Sadly, it capsized in the swell and surf of Caerthillian Cove on The Lizard, Cornwall and all occupants drowned except the second officer, who was rescued unconscious by a coastguard. The bodies of two Europeans and the two unidentified Lascars were recovered and buried in the Landewednack Churchyard. The master, 82 crew members and two gunners were lost.





Tkr EDWY R. BROWN (UK 10,455 grt); Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze), Crew: 0 (50 dead - no survivors), Cargo: POLS Route: Aruba - Halifax - Liverpool Convoy: HX-107 (Straggler) Lost in the Western Approaches; At 0633 hrs the EDWY R. BROWN, a straggler from convoy HX-107, was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-103 in bad weather SE of Iceland. The U-boat had missed the zigzagging tanker with a first torpedo at 0615 hrs. The ship continued after being hit and only stopped after two more torpedoes struck behind the bridge at 0640 hrs and set her on fire. The Germans observed how the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats and waited for the ship to sink, but she remained afloat even after being struck amidships by a fourth torpedo at 0758 hours. Schütze gave up further attacks when a coup de grace fired at 0833 hours failed to detonate and left the burning wreck in a sinking condition. The master, 47 crew members and two gunners were lost as the lifeboats were never found.



MV SIAMESE PRINCE (UK 8456 grt); Sunk by U-69 (Jost Metzler) ; Crew: 68 (No survivors) , Cargo: Mixed Route: New York - Liverpool Convoy: Unescorted Lost in the Western Approaches; At 2119 hrs the unescorted SIAMESE PRINCE was hit forward on port side by one G7a torpedo from U-69 while steaming in very rough seas with a moderate swell at 13 knots about 150 miles NNW of Rockall. The U-boat had chased the ship for more than 5 hrs. SIAMESE PRINCE remained afloat after being hit on port side aft by another torpedo at 2141 hrs. The ship eventually sank by the bow five minutes after being hit on starboard side amidships by a third torpedo at 2212 hrs. The Germans had observed how the crew abandoned ship in lifeboats, but no survivors were ever found. The master, 56 crew members, two gunners and nine passengers were lost.

FNFL DD MISTRAL was sent to search for this steamer. Additionally, DDs MAORI and ZULU departed Scapa Flow on the 17th to search for this steamer, but nothing was found of her or the crew. .



Steamer KYLE RONA (UK 307 grt) was lost to unknown cause n the Irish Sea.



Steamer REN REIN (UK 156 grt) was lost on a mine 3.5 miles east of Manacles off Falmouth. Two crew were lost

UBOATS
Departures
Kiel: U-97

At Sea 17 February 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108,U-123.
15 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol

CL ARETHUSA arrived at Scapa Flow from Northern patrol.

Northern Waters

DD ATHERSTONE departed Londonderry for Scapa Flow,

CL EDINBURGH departed Scapa Flow on the 20th and at noon on the 23rd relieved BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN of the TC.9 escort. CA NORFOLK escorted two North Atlantic convoys. CLA PHOEBE remained with convoy WS.6 A as through escort.

SW Approaches
Convoy WS.6B departed with steamers YOMA and ADDA from Liverpool and NORTHUMBERLAND, BURMA, LLANSTEPHANCASTLE , AMC CILICIA from the Clyde escort CL MAURITIUS, which had departed Scapa Flow on the 15th. DDs HESPERUS and HURRICANE escorted the convoy from the 17th to 20th. ORP DDs PIORUN, GARLAND and RN DD LEGION escorted the convoy from the 18th to 20th. Steamer BURMA returned to the Clyde on the 18th. CILICIA was detached on the 20th. Corvettes CLEMATIS and CALENDULA joined the convoy on 3 March and escorted it to Freetown. The convoy arrived at Freetown on 5 March with CL MAURITIUS and At Freetown, WS6B merged with WS.6A.

Med/Biscay

CLs ORION and AJAX departed Piraeus to cover the movement of convoys AN.15 and AC.1 during the night of 17/18 February. The cruisers then proceeded to Alexandria. DDs JERVIS, MOHAWK, JAGUAR proceeded to Alexandria. CA YORK, CLA BONAVENTURE, DD JANUS returned to Suda Bay. JANUS was later recalled to Alexandria to participate in Operate MC.8. Monitor TERROR arrived at Benghazi.

Sub PARTHIAN departed Alexandria on a recon mission for Operation ABSTENTION under the orders of the Rear Admiral, CruSqn 3.

Nth Atlantic

Canadian troop convoy TC.9 of WARWICK CASTLE , DUCHESS OF YORK, ORONTES, DEMPO, JOHANN VAN OLDENBARNEVELDT, WOLFE departed Halifax with BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN and AMC WOLFE in the escort force. The AMC was detached on the 18th. CL EDINBURGH, which departed Scapa Flow on the 20th, relieved ROYAL SOVEREIGN on the 23rd. On the 24th, RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE, RESTIGOUCHE and OTTAWA, and RN DD HAVELOCK, joined the convoy. HAVELOCK was detached the next day. The three RCN DDs remained with the convoy until 26 February. On the 25th, CL AURORA and DDs ECHO, ECLIPSE, INGLEFIELD, FNFL LEOPARD joined the convoy; DD LEOPARD was with the convoy only on the 25th. FNFL DD MISTRAL joined the convoy on the 26th. DD CHURCHILL escorted the convoy in the Western Approaches.

CL AURORA departed the Faroes and DDs INGLEFIELD, ECHO, ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow early on the 24th at to give additional escort to convoy TC.9. The convoy reached the Minches in the evening of 24 February. CL EDINBURGH and the DDs proceeded to Scapa Flow arriving on the 27th. CL AURORA took the convoy into the Clyde and arrived at Greenock on the 27th.

Central Atlantic

Force H relieved the escorts of convoy WS.6 A. BB RODNEY proceeded to escort arriving convoy HX.108. The convoy was met on the 18th. DDs ELECTRA, ECLIPSE, BRILLIANT, formerly with RODNEY, arrived at the Faroes on the 17th and then on to Scapa Flow arriving on the 18th. All three DDs had minor weather damage.

Sth Atlantic
DKM AO NORDMARK replenished German supply ship ALSTERTOR at sea in the sth Atlantic (?). NORDMARK slipped the tow of captured British refrigerator ship DUQUESNA. place> from Northern patrol.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean

Convoy BN.16 departed Aden, escorted by DD KINGSTON and sloops GRIMSBY and RAN PARRAMATTA. The convoy was dispersed on the 20th.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 18 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 19 FEBRUARY 1941

Weather Fine.

1132-1220 hrs Air raid alert for twelve ME 109 fighters which approach the Island in a single formation at 25000 feet. On reaching the coast they split into three formations. Eight Hurricane fighters are scrambled and maintain heights from 10-15000 feet, monitoring the raiders. They engage a group of the raiders over Falka Gap. After circling over the Island for 30 minutes the Messerschmitts make off northwards.

1910-1926 hrs Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which approach the Island and drop parachute flares 15 miles off the coast. They do not cross the coast and no raid materialises.

0610-0637 hrs Air raid alert for a small formation of enemy aircraft approaching the Island; no raid materialises.

18 February 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIc U-203

Commissioning of U-203 in Kiel, February 1941; note the coat of arms for Essen on the conning tower
21 ships sunk, total tonnage 94,270 GRT 3 ships damaged, total tonnage 17,052 GRT
Sunk on 25 April 1943 in the Nth Atlantic sth of Cape Farewell, , by DCs from a Swordfish a/ct (811 Sqn FAA/L) of the RN CVE HMS BITER and by the RN DD HMS PATHFINDER. 10 dead and 38 survivors.

Allied
L Class DD HMS GURKHA (ii)


HMS GURKHA (ii) , about an 1 hour after being torpedoed. Originally named HMS LARNE, renamed after the loss of the Tribal Class DD HMS GURKHA (i).On 17 January 1942, HMS GURKHA (ii) was hit by one torpedo from U-133 and caught fire from bow to stern. The RNeN DD ISAAC SWEERS towed the stricken DD clear of the burning oil on the surface. Most crew members were then able to transfer to the Dutch DD by boats and were landed at Tobruk in the evening. The burning DD had to be scuttled north of Sidi Barrani . HMS GURKHA (ii) had been escorting the Malta convoy MW-8B (four fast transports covered by Admiral Vian´s Mediterranean Fleet cruiser force), which arrived Malta on 19 January without further casualties.

Flower Class Corvette HMS VERONICA (K-37)

HMS VERONICA as the USS TEMPTRESS
Transferred to the USN on 16 February 1942. Commissioned in the USN on 21 March 1942 as the USS TEMPTRESS

Fairmile B HMS ML 180
[NO IMAGE]

Losses
MV SEAFORTH (UK 5459 grt) Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze); Crew 59 (59 dead - no survivors) ; Cargo: Produce from West Africa ; Route: Monrovia, Liberia - Liverpool Convoy: Unescorted Lost in the Western Approaches; At 2133 hrs the unescorted SEAFORTH was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-103 sth of Iceland and sank quickly after being hit in the stern by a coup de grace at 2150 hrs. The ship had been spotted in heavy seas at 1355 hrs and missed by a first torpedo at 2130 hrs. The U-boat observed that lifeboats were launched after the first hit, but the master, 46 crew members, two gunners and ten passengers were lost.

DDs MAORI and ZULU at at point trying to find the now lost SIAMESE PRINCE at 2300 on the 18th were ordered to abandon that search and search for this steamer instead. Weather conditions were so bad that no survivors from this vessel were found either. In the forenoon of the 20th, the DDs were ordered to return to Scapa Flow, carryout an ASW sweep en route. They found nothing, and the DDs were back at Scapa Flow by the 21st.

MV BLACK OSPREY (UK 5589 grt) Sunk by U-96 (Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock); Crew: 37 (26 dead and 11 survivors).; Cargo: Steel and trucks; Route: Halifax, - Newport, Monmouthshire Convoy: HX 107 (Straggler) Lost in the Western Approaches: At 0227 hrs the unescorted BLACK OSPREY was missed by one G7a torpedo from U-96 about 130 miles sth of Iceland. The ship had been on her first transatlantic voyage under British flag in convoy HX-107when she lost contact to the convoy due to bad weather on 10 February. The Germans assumed that the torpedo had hit but failed to detonate when the ship stopped, but unknown to them the funnel of Black Osprey had caught fire at 0130 hrs and the crew stopped the ship in very poor visibility to get the fire under control and this apparently caused the torpedo to miss. After 90 mins they managed to put the flames out and proceeded, but the U-boat attacked again and fired another G7e torpedo at 0325 hrs. The torpedo struck on the port side, blew off the hatches and caused the ship to settle by the bow with a slight list to port. The master, 35 crew members and one gunner (the ship was armed with two machine guns) immediately began to abandon ship in all four lifeboats with some difficulties due to rough seas after sending a distress signal and a report of the attack. Some men fell overboard and the port forward lifeboat was washed back on the fore deck which was already awash at that time. The weather was so bad that the survivors broke several oars in a heavy swell when they tried to row. The ship sank by the bow about 12 minutes after being hit by the torpedo. The U-boat then left the area without questioning the survivors as the ship was already identified by her distress signal.
The lifeboats soon lost contact with each other, but the survivors in the port aft boat sighted flares from one of the other boats during the second night and spotted it the following morning. However, this was the last time they were seen as only the eleven occupants of the port aft boat were picked up by the Norwegian MV MOSDALE after being 53 hrs adrift, at 0600 hrs on 20 Feb. The survivors were so exhausted and cold that they couldn't move and had to be carefully hauled on board by lines tied around them by the chief officer of the Norwegian ship who had climbed down into their lifeboat. The ship had altered course after picking up the distress signal and even circled around for some considerable time in a fruitless search for the missing lifeboats before proceeding to Barry, where the survivors were landed on 22 February. The master, 24 crew members and one gunner were lost

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient:U-37

Departures
Helgoland U-552

At Sea 18 February 1941
U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-123,U-552.
15 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Waters
DDs MATABELE, ESKIMO, TARTAR departed Scapa Flow to meet BB RODNEY which was arriving from HX.108 convoy duty. All four ships arrived back at Scapa Flow in the pre-dawn on the 23rd. CL ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow to join convoy OG.53, which had departed on the 15th, and arrived at Gibraltar on 1 March.

West Coast
OB.288 departed Liverpool, escort DD GEORGETOWN. DDs ACHATES and ANTELOPE, corvettes HEATHER and PICOTEE, ASW trawler AYSHIRE joined on the 19th. The convoy was dispersed on the 22nd.

Western Approaches
NL tanker TARIA was damaged by the LW in the western approaches. The tanker arrived at Rothesay Bay 20 February where the oil was transferred to another vessel.

Nth Atlantic
Convoy SC.23 departed Halifax, escort AMC ASCANIA. On 6 March, DD AMBUSCADE, sloop ABERDEEN, corvettes AUBRETIA and HOLLYHOCK, ASW trawlers DANEMAN, KING SOL, LADY LILLIAN, ST APOLLO, VISENDA joined the convoy. The AMC was detached on 8 March before the convoy headed into the high risk area of the western approaches. On 8 March, DDs BEVERLEY and HARVESTER joined the escort, and the convoy arrived at Loch Ewe on 9 March. DDs AMBUSCADE, BEVERLEY, HARVESTER, sloop ABERDEEN, corvette AUBRETIA, trawler ST APOLLO were detached on 9 March. Corvette HOLLYHOCK and the rest of the trawlers were not detached until 10 March, and arrived at Loch Ewe on 9 March.

Central Atlantic
SL.66 departed Freetown escorted by AMC CORMORIN to 10 March. CL KENYA departed Gibraltar on the 28th to join the convoy. On 10 March, DDs MONTGOMERY, VIVIEN, WANDERER, WITCH and corvettes NASTURTIUM, PERWINKLE, PRIMROSE joined the convoy and escorted it to arrival on 14 March.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
CL GLASGOW departed Aden to collect Force Z (British troopships GLENGYLE, GLENEARN, GLENROY) at Durban.

Pacific/Australia
NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Sydney escorting a liner. Off Cape Van Dieman, the cruiser was detached and proceed to Auckland arriving on the 23rd

Malta

February 17 Monday

NORTH AFRICA: Free French led by Philippe Leclerc advance on the Italian base at Kufra oasis in the Sahara Desert, Southeastern Libya (consisting of the Buma airfield, a radio station, and the El Tag fort). Italians send out 70 men and 10 AS37 armoured personnel carriers, "Saharan company" motorized infantry, to intercept but Leclerc's forces brush them aside and lay siege to El Tag fort.

The decision to dispatch a British Expeditionary Force to Greece was communicated to General Bernard Freyberg VC, General Officer Commanding New Zealand Division. The force initially was planned to consist of the New Zealand Division, 1st British Armoured Brigade, 6th Australian Division, Polish independent Brigade Group and 7th Australian Division. However Erwin Rommel's sudden advance into Cyrenaica of Libya would result in the Poles and 7th Australian Division being held back to defend Tobruk.

South African 5th Infantry Brigade continued attacking Mega while South African 1st Infantry Brigade seizes first bridgehead over the Juba River at Yonte.

Cubcol was relieved by the 3rd Battalion Chad Regiment, and moved back to a distance of about fifteen miles. On the same day a message was received from the 4th Indian Division to the effect that early pressure on Keren from the north was essential.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Just after midnight, U-101 sinks British SS "Gairsoppa" (carrying pig iron, tea, silver ingots and general cargo) 370 miles West of Cornwall, England. 82 crew and 2 gunners are killed (1 survivor makes landfall near The Lizard, Cornwall, on March 1). British tanker MV "Edwy R. Brown" (carrying fuel from Aruba) is left burning and sinking 100 miles South of Iceland after U-103 hits her with 5 torpedoes between 0633 and 0833 hours. 48 crew and 2 gunners abandon ship in 2 lifeboats but they are never found. At 2212 hours, U-69 sinks British MV "Siamese Prince", 200 miles northwest of Outer Hebrides, Scotland. She is 1 day from reaching Liverpool, sailing from New York, USA, via Nassau, Bahamas. A notable passenger is Roy Widdicombe, who has been recuperating in Nassau from 70 days in an open boat after the sinking of SS "Anglo Saxon" on August 21, 1940. The 48 crew, 1 gunner and 8 passengers take to the lifeboats but all are lost in rough seas.

German vessel "Alstertor" joins German raider "Pinguin" with captured Norwegian whaling vessels, supply ship "Nordmark", and captured ship "Duquesa". "Pinguin" then sails for the Indian Ocean in company with "Alstertor".

EASTERN EUROPE: Turkey and Bulgaria sign a friendship agreement in Sofia, Bulgaria. Under pressure from Hitler, Turkey accepts that the movement of German troops through Bulgaria is not an act of war, allowing Germany to prepare for an invasion of Greece. This also blocks any potential British-Turkish alliance, on which Churchill has been relying to control the Balkans.

UNITED KINGDOM: British Admiral Sir Percy Noble was appointed Commander-in-Chief Western Approaches.

Luftwaffe conducts night raid against London with 50 bombers.

MEDITERRANEAN: The Battle of Trebeshina ended in Greek victory. The Greeks had captured the mountain ranges but it was a costly victory, particularly for the Cretan Division, which suffered 5,776 killed, wounded or missing and had ceased to exist as a combat-worthy formation.

GERMANY: Hitler orders study of military advance through Afghanistan to India.

ASIA: Tokyo offers to mediate the European conflict. Japan offers its services as mediator to end all current wars and blames Britain and USA for prolongation of European War.

.

February 18 Tuesday

MEDITERRANEAN: German aircraft mined the Suez Canal in Egypt, forcing the transit of carrier HMS "Formidable" into the Mediterranean Sea to be delayed.

NORTH AFRICA: The German 5th Light Division (later renamed the 21st Panzer Division) was formed for operations in North Africa.

Free French forces besieged El Tag fort at Kufra, Libya, bombarding the fort with 75-millimeter field guns (whose range was longer than their Italian counterparts) and 81-millimeter mortars. This will wear down the Italian defenders over the next few days.

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). Italian forces made attacks against South African 1st Infantry Brigade bridgehead on the Juba River.

Luftwaffe aircraft attack shipping at Benghazi and 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.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-96 sank British ship "Black Osprey" 140 miles south of Iceland at 0227 hours; 25 were killed, 11 survived. German submarine U-103 sank British ship "Seaforth" 330 miles south of Iceland at 2133 hours. 59 survivors took to lifeboats, but they were never seen again.

British vessel "Duquesa", captured by Kriegsmarine heavy cruiser "Admiral Scheer" in December and used as a supply ship, has run out of fuel and was scuttled by German supply ship "Nordmark".

GERMANY: Adolf Hitler met with tank generals and tank designers at his residence Berghof in southern Germany. He insisted on using larger (either 50-millimeter or 75-millimeter) high velocity guns for Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks. He also demanded some soldiers to be released from the front to man tank factories.

NORTH AMERICA: Roosevelt asks Averell Harriman to be his special representative to London.

WESTERN FRONT: Amicable settlement of Anglo-Swiss dispute over British bombing raids on Basle and Zurich in December, 1940.

.

19 February 1941
Losses
MV BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (Nor 7034 grt) Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze); Crew: 36 (0 dead and 36 survivors); Cargo: general cargo, including wood pulp, lead, explosives and a/c carried as deck cargo; Route: San Francisco - Bermuda (1 Feb) - Liverpool Convoy: HX-107 (straggler), Lost in the Western Approaches. At 2222 hrs the unescorted BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, a straggler from HX-107 due to the bad weather, was struck on port side in the engine room by one G7e torpedo from U-103 about 120 miles NW of Rockall. The ship had been chased for 9 hrs and missed with a first torpedo at 2146 hrs. The U-boat waited for the ship to sink, but then fired its last torpedo as coup de grace at 2321 hrs that hit on the starboard side, where 1700 barrels of acetone were stowed. The ship disintegrated in an enormous explosion, but all crew members had already abandoned the ship by then, after after the first hit. They put into two lifeboats, which were later separated in heavy weather with snow and strong winds.

On 26 February, the seven sailors in one of them were picked up Corvette PIMPERNEL and landed at Liverpool two days later. The remaining survivors were rescued by the Egyptian MV MEMPHIS, but this ship in turn on 28 February had her engines disabled in heavy weather and she foundered NW of Ireland. All on board were lost including those survivors of the BENJAMIN FRANKLIN that had been picked up. On the morning of 21 Feb 1941 the RM sub BARBARIGO came across a raft with seven Norwegian survivors in approx. position 58°25N/16°55W and gave them two boxes of biscuits. It is possible that these were the seven men from BENJAMIN FRANKLIN that were later rescued by PIMPERNEL.




MV EMPIRE BLANDA (UK 5693 grt) Sunk by U-69 (Jost Metzler); Crew: 40 (40 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Scrap iron and steel, Route: Baltimore - Halifax - Grangemouth Convoy:HX-107 (straggler), Lost in the Western Approaches; At 0818 hrs the unescorted EMPIRE BLANDA, a straggler from HX-107 since 18 February, was hit on starboard side amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-63 while steaming in rough seas about 160 miles sth of Iceland. The ship had been missed with a spread of two torpedoes at 0744 hours and a single torpedo at 0801 hrs, so the U-boat went closer to fire the fourth torpedo from a distance of only 400 meters and was almost hit by falling debris because the ship sank by the bow within 20 seconds after four heavy detonations that presumably were boiler explosions. The master, 37 crew members, one gunner and one passenger were lost.

DKM SBoat Flot 1 with S.28, S.101, S.102 made a sortie against the British east coast. Steamer ALGARVE (UK 1355 grt) (an ex-Danish ship taken over by the MOWT after Danish surrender) was sunk by S.102 near Sheringham Light Float, and the entire crew lost.
(Source: http://7seasvessels.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/ALGARVE-mfs-4-1498x951.jpg )


Steamer GRACIA (UK 5642 grt) and tanker HOUSANTONIC (UK 5559 grt) were sunk by the LW in 59-39N, 7-24W from convoy OB.287. The entire crew was rescued from GRACIA. Three crew from tanker HOUSANTONIC were lost.


SS GRACIA (left) and Tkr HOUSANTONIC (Right)
RN Sub TIGRIS sank steamer JACOBSEN (Vichy 523 grt) off Bayonne and steamer GUILVINEC (Vichy 3181 grt) 60 miles west of St Nazaire.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient:U-94 , U-101

At Sea 19 February 1941
U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-552.
13 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
British steamer FULHAM II was damaged by a mine off Tyne Piers. One crewman was lost. The steamer went ashore at Frenchman's Point. The steamer was later refloated and proceeded to Jarrow in tow.

British tanker ATHELSULTAN was damaged by the LW 2 miles 120° from May Island.
The steamer anchored in Methil Roads later that day.

During the night of 19/20 February, British tug QUEENFORTH was damaged by German bombing in King's Dock at Swansea. The tug was not lost but was not raised until early 1942.

Northern Waters
DD ECHO arrived at Scapa Flow from Loch Alsh after duty escorting the MLs in operation SN.68.

DD ELECTRA departed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen to escort troopship AMSTERDAM. However, due to mining in the approaches to Aberdeen, DD ELECTRA was diverted to the Humber for docking and repairs. DD BOADICEA arrived at Scapa Flow from Plymouth to work up. DD QUANTOCK arrived at Scapa Flow from Greenock to work up. Sloop PELICAN was damaged by mining 12 miles off Harwich. The sloop was towed to Sheerness and was under repair until 1 December 1941.

CLA DIDO and DDs NAPIER and BEDOUIN departed Scapa Flow to escort the BB QUEEN ELIZABETH from Rosyth to Scapa Flow. DD SOMALI, completing boiler cleaning at Rosyth, also later joined the escort. DD ECHO arrived at Scapa Flow from Loch Alsh after duty escorting the MLs in operation SN.68. DD ELECTRA departed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen to escort troopship AMSTERDAM. However, due to mining in the approaches to Aberdeen, DD ELECTRA was diverted to the Humber for docking and repairs. DD BOADICEA arrived at Scapa Flow from Plymouth to work up. DD QUANTOCK arrived at Scapa Flow from Greenock to work up. Sloop PELICAN was damaged by mining 12 miles off Harwich. The sloop was towed to Sheerness and was under repair until 1 December 1941.

Sub Lt N. D. M. Parsons and Petty Officer A. Ashby were killed when their Skua of 801 Sqn, en route from Donibristle to St Merryn, crashed in fog at Elidir Fach, near Llanberis.

West Coast
CA DEVONSHIRE began refitting at Liverpool which was completed on 22 May.

SW Approaches
CLA PHOEBE was detached from convoy WS.6A to refuel at Gibraltar. The cruiser departed that same day and rejoined the convoy

Channel
Dutch steamer KARANAN was damaged by the LW six miles sw of Lizard (at the western end of Cornwall). One crewman and two gunners were lost. The steamer was towed to Falmouth.

Med/Biscay
RN Sub UPHOLDER made an unsuccessful attack on an Italian steamer SE of Gulf of Gabes.

Operation MC.8

Urgent re-supply was required for Malta again and this led to Operation MC.8. This was operation planned to occur in the heartland of Axis controlled territory right into "Bomb Alley", and was typical of the pugnacious nature of Cunningham to order such an operation right when the Germans were lauding their superiority to the Italians. One is tempted to claim that by the end of it the Italians were almost pleased at the German lack of success. For Operation MC.8 the following British forces were deployed.

CVL EAGLE with a DD screen departed Alexandria to exercise flying prior to the Main Fleet's departure.

Force A was composed of BBs BARHAM and VALIANT and DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JAGUAR, ILEX, HEREWARD, HERO, HASTY, DAINTY, DECOY, departing Alexandria at 1630. EAGLE joined the force at sea. Force A was to cover the operation.

Force B consisting of CLs ORION, GLOUCESTER, AJAX and DDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, DIAMOND. 410 Army personnel were embarked on ORION, 374 on AJAX and 657 on GLOUCESTER, mostly AA gunners. Also, carried by this force were 130grt of equipment, 17 Bren carriers and other vehicles, 60 motor cycles, a large quantity of Italian and other guns and ammunition (forced on the ME command because of chronic equipment shortages. A crew for DD IMPERIAL, 20 submarine torpedoes, a number of Maltese ratings, one LL minesweeping gear was carried aboard the ships. Force B departed Alexandria at 1730.

At Malta, AO BRECONSHIRE, steamer CLAN MACAULEY, DDs HOTSPUR and HAVOCK were brought away. These ships departed Malta at dusk on the 20th. CLA COVENTRY joined this force. Despite repeated and heavy attention by the LW and the RA on this group, they safely arrived at Alexandria.

Cruiser COVENTRY, DD HAVOCK, AO BRECONSHIRE arrived at Alexandria after dawn on the 23rd. Steamer CLAN MACAULEY and DD HOTSPUR arrived at Port Said at 1630; HOTSPUR then proceeding to Alexandria.

Force B arrived at Malta at 0630 on the 21st after also having suffered repeated but ineffective attacks from the Axis air assets. After unloading the force departed at 1900 that same night. DD DIAMOND remained at Malta for refitting.

DDs MOHAWK and NUBIAN were detached from ForceB during the night of 21/22 February and joined Force A at daylight on the 22nd. On their arrival, DDs DECOY and HEREWARD were detached to Suda Bay. CL GLOUCESTER was detached for Suda Bay on the 22nd as well. Also on the 22nd, DDs DAINTY and HASTY were relieved by RAN DDs STUART and VAMPIRE. The earlier destroyers proceeded to duties off Tobruk. A planned airstrike on Rhodes as a follow on to this operation was cancelled due to bad weather. Force B arrived at Alexandria at 1000 on the 23rd and Force A at 1830.

RAN DD STUART was damaged by the near miss by the LW off Benghazi. She spent no time out of service.

Convoy AC.1 left Benghazi due to air attacks and poor facilities escorted by CLA COVENTRY, corvettes GLOXINIA and HYACINTH, and two trawlers. Both corvettes had been damaged by the explosion of mines in their sweeps. The convoy would be met later in the day by destroyers STUART and VOYAGER, and arrived at Tobruk on the 20th. Monitor TERROR remained at Benghazi as an AA guard ship, a role for which she was hardly suitable.

Nth Atlantic
In late February to the first week of March, Submarine depot ship FORTH and subs were sent to Halifax. The submarines were to revive the early war practice of assigning a sub to cover HX.convoys. Sube SEVERN arrived at Halifax on the 27th. FNFL sub SURCOUF arrived at Halifax on 3 March. Sub THUNDERBO Lt departed Holy Loch on the 19th and arrived at Halifax on 5 March. Subs PORPOISE, TAKU, TRIBUNE departed the Clyde on 24/25 February. Submarine TAKU broke down en route and returned. Subs PORPOISE and TRIBUNE arrived on 11 March.
Sub TALISMAN departed Holy Loch on 6 March and arrived at Halifax on 26 March. Depot ship FORTH departed Aultbrea on 2 March. RNeN sub O.15, already at Halifax, was also assigned to this Flotilla.

HX.110 departed Halifax. BB RAMILLIES joined the convoy on the 21st. The BB was detached on 3 March. DDs HARVESTER, HAVELOCK, HESPERUS joined the convoy on 6 March as the convoy was entering the high risk area and DD HURRICANE joined on 8 March. DD HARVESTER was detached on 8 March and DDs HESPERUS and HURRICANE on 10 March. ASW trawler HUDDERSFIELD TOWN joined on 8 March and DD HAVELOCK and the trawler were detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 11 March.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 19 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 20 FEBRUARY 1941

Weather Cloud and strong wind, moderating towards evening.

1704-1722 hrs Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft approaching from the south west. They cross over the Island and fly away over Gozo northwards without launching any attack.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 19 FEBRUARY 1941

ROYAL NAVY Two mines in the entrance to Grand Harbour and two in the entrance to Marsamxetto Harbour were detonated in rough weather, without sweeping. Both harbour entrances are now clear.

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Sunderland. Departures 1 Sunderland.

KALAFRANA One Sunderland arrived from Gibraltar with distinguished passengers. One Sunderland left for Middle East with distinguished passengers.

February 19 Wednesday

NORTH AFRICA: The Bf 110s of III./ZG 26 gain their first victories on the African continent when they pounce on Hurricanes of Australian No. 3 Squadron and shoot down two Hurricanes for a loss of one Zerstörer.

British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, Chief of the General Staff John Dill, Commander-in-Chief Middle East General Archibald Wavell, and Mediterranean Fleet chief Admiral Andrew Cunningham met in Cairo, Egypt to discuss diverting forces from North Africa to aid Greece. Under pressure from Eden, General Wavell agrees it can be done while maintaining efforts in Italian East Africa and holding gains made in Libya.

The name German Africa Korps (Deutsches Afrikakorps) was established for German forces in North Africa. Rommel's Africa Korps patrols begin moving out of Tripoli looking for forward Allied positions in the desert.

South African 1st Infantry Brigade crosses the Juba River at Yonte and captures Jumbo. Gold Coast 24th Infantry Brigade crosses the Juba River at Mabungo. Kismayu is opened to Allied naval traffic.

Emperor Haile Selassie, who was brought back to Abyssinia in January to help organize resistance to the Italians, arrives at Dangilla along with Wingate's Gideon Force. During the next two weeks they harass the Italian troops around Bahrdar Giorgis and Burye with considerable success. The Italians have four brigades in the area and the Gideon Force is only 1700 strong.

UNITED KINGDOM: The Swansea Blitz: The Swansea Blitz began, a three-day campaign by German bombers against the port city of Swansea, Wales. The attack began just after 1930 hours. Incendiary bombs as well as high explosives were dropped and the town centre was engulfed in flames. The 17th century grammar school that had stood on Mount Pleasant Hill since 1851 and was the alma mater of Dylan Thomas, Roy Jenkins and Bryan Phillips, took a direct hit and was severely damaged. The science laboratories, gymnasium and workshops survived however and, in keeping with the spirit of the time, teaching was soon resumed for older boys by using rooms in what had been the headmaster's house. Younger boys were relocated to a nearby vacant 'deaf-and-dumb' school building which had evacuated its pupils to the country. This hurriedly improvised arrangement endured until 1949. The headmaster, J. Gray Morgan, was largely responsible for this effort to avoid disrupted schooling but never received appropriate recognition. Hundreds of residents were killed or injured that night and the glow of the fires was seen 75 miles way in Fishguard. Surprisingly, some of Swansea's oldest buildings, the Castle, Swansea Museum, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery survived but the town's commercial heart was razed, with the Ben Evans store, which seemed to have supplied everyone with everything for upward of fifty years, was flattened. While the city is bombed, mainly with incendiary canisters, the docks are almost unscathed and nearby oil refineries at Llandarcy are not targeted.

SOUTH PACIFIC: The Australian 8th Division arrived in Singapore to prepare the region for a possible attack by the Japanese. 22nd Infantry Brigade (2/18th, 2/19th, and 2/20th Battalions) and other elements of General Gordon Bennett's Australian 8th Infantry Division arrive aboard the "Queen Mary".

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German Motor Torpedo Boats S.28, S.101, and S.102 raided the coast of Norfolk, England, sinking British ship "Algarve" off Sheringham, killing the entire crew.

British submarine HMS "Tigris" sank French ships "Jacobsen" and "Guilvinec" 60 miles west of Bayonne, France.

At 0818 hours West of Scotland, U-69 sinks British SS "Empire Blanda" (36 crew and 3 gunners lost). The U-boat is almost hit by falling debris. At 2222 hours 360 miles Northwest of Ireland, U-103 torpedoes Norwegian MV "Benjamin Franklin" in the engine room. All 36 crew abandon ship (7 picked up 7 days later by corvette HMS "Pimpernel", 28 picked up by Egyptian steamer "Memphis" but die when she sinks in bad weather 100 miles from the British coast on February 28, 1 picked up by another ship which is then torpedoed). A second torpedo detonates 1700 barrels of acetone, disintegrating the ship.

British vessels "Gracia" and "Housatonic" in Convoy OB 287 were sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft. SS "Gracia" was bombed and sunk by a Focke Wulf Fw 200 aircraft. All 48 crew were rescued. The tanker SS "Housatonic" was bombed and sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of three crew.

WESTERN FRONT: German police are attacked by Jewish Action Group in Amsterdam. The German Grüne Polizei stormed into the Koco ice-cream salon in the Van Woustraat. In the fight that ensued, several police officers were wounded.

MEDITERRANEAN: Greek Epirus Army attacks Italian 11th Army west of Klisura.

NORTH AMERICA: First shipment of aircraft for American Volunteer Group departs New Jersey by sea for Burma, where planes will be assembled in Rangoon.

.

20 February 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIC U-558
(image source: Diane & Peter Brendt - Ships )


17 ships sunk, total tonnage 93,186 GRT 1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 913 GRT 2 ships damaged, total tonnage 15,070 GRT 1 ship a total loss, total tonnage 6,672 GRT

Sunk on 20 July 1943 in the Bay of Biscay NW of Cape Ortegal, Spain, in position 45.10N, 09.42W, by DCs from a US Liberator (19th A/S Sqn USAAF/F) and a British Halifax a/c (58 Sqn RAF/E). 45 dead and 5 survivors

Allied
Fairmile ML149
[NO IMAGE]

Losses
ADMIRAL SCHEER captured tanker BRITISH ADVOCATE (UK 6994 grt) and steamer GRIGORIOS C II (Gk 2546 grt) west of Seychilles. The Greek steamer was sunk and her twenty seven man crew was taken prisoner.
(No Image found for the GRIGORIOS C II)




Steamer FORT MEDINE (UK 5261 grt) was sunk on a mine off the East Coast. One crewman was lost. FORT MEDINE was an ex-Vichy vessel that had been seized in July 1940, broke in two. Both sections sank. She was on route from Wabana fort Port Talbot with a cargo of iron ore.



Steamer RIGMOR (UK 1278 grt) was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea. The entire crew was rescued.



ASW trawler OUSE (RN 462 grt) was sunk by a mine at Tobruk. 9 of the crew including the skipper were wounded,. These nine were all that survived, but A/Sub Lt E. P. Ede RNR, Gunner J. Edwards, ten ratings were lost.

UBOATS
Departures
Kiel:U-70
Lorient:U-47


At Sea 20 February 1941
U-13, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53 , U-57, U-60,U-61, U-62, U-63
17 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
BB QUEEN ELIZABETH departed Rosyth, escorted by CLA DIDO and DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, NAPIER. She arrived at Scapa on the 21st to work up following her complete modernization.

P/T/A/Sub Lt (A) J W Ridler RNVR and Naval Airman E W E Burton were killed when their Shark aircraft of 755 Sqn crashed near Bristol. A/Sub Lt (A) T.V. Worrall of 809 Sqn was killed when his Fulmar crashed on a training mission NE of Lee (now a suburb of Nth London I believe) .

MSW BRAMBLE was bombed off Harwich. She was repaired in the Thames in four days in February.

MSW trawler MARJORY M HASTIE was mined off the Tyne and went ashore at Whitburn. She was not lost however. The trawler was refloated on 14 March and was brought into the Tyne for repairs.

British trawler SCARBOROUGH was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea. The trawler was towed back to port with engines disabled.

Northern Waters
DD ECHO departed Scapa Flow to meet troopship AMSTERDAM off Aberdeen and escort her to Lerwick. Both ships arrived at Lerwick on the 21st. That evening after unloading had been completed, both ships set course for a return to Aberdeen. Following this duty, ECHO arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 22nd.

West Coast
OB.289 departed Liverpool. Escort DDs BURNHAM, DOUGLAS, MALCOLM, corvettes MALLOW and PETUNIA, ASW trawler NORTHERN SPRAY. The trawler was detached the next day. The remainder of the convoy escort, less corvette MALLOW, was detached on the 24th. Corvette MALLOW was detached on the 25th at which time the the convoy dispersed.

Western Approaches
British tanker D. L. HARPER was damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches. The tanker was able to continue her voyage and arrived at Halifax on 3 March.

British steamer ST ROSARIO was damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches
The steamer was bombed again on the 22nd in 59-40N, 12-40W. The steamer returned to Rothesay Bay.

British steamer ROSENBORG was damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches. The steamer returned to the Clyde taking on water and staying afloat with just her pumps.

SW Approaches
HG.54 departed Gibraltar escorted by DD FEARLESS, sloop LEITH,and corvettes GERANIUM and JONQUIL. Submarine TUNA departed Gibraltar escorting convoy HG.54. DD FEARLESS was detached on the 23rd for refuelling and rejoined on the 25th along with DD FURY. Both DDs and the corvettes were detached that night.

6 steamers from convoy SLS.64 departed Funchal and joined the convoy. On 6 March, DDs BROKE, VANITY, WOLSEY, SALADIN and corvette ABELIA joined the convoy.

The convoy arrived at Holy Loch on 9 March, and then pushed on to arrived at Liverpool on 12 March with the four DDs, sloop LEITH and corvette ABELIA.

Channel
DDs INTREPID, IMPULSIVE, ICARUS, escorted by DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, KIPLING, JACKAL, laid minefield GS in the English Channel.

British tkr BRITISH SPLENDOR was damaged by the LW 1 mile sth of Black Hd, near Lizard (Cornwall).
3 March.

Med/Biscay
RN sub REGENT attacked a convoy composed of German transports ARTA, HERAKLEA, MENES, and MARTIZA, which departed Naples on the 21st for Tripoli escort RM DDs FRECCIA, SAETTA, and TURBINE. REGENT torpedoed transport MENES, but while damaged, she did not sink. REGENT was damaged in the counterattack by DD SAETTA but managed to just escape, and arrived at Malta on 1 March. The transport was taken in tow by DD SAETTA, arriving at Tripoli with the convoy on the 20th.

Convoy AS.15 of six British, twelve Greek, three other ships departed Piraeus escorted by CLA CALCUTTA and DDs GREYHOUND and RAN WATERHEN. CALCUTTA was detached from the convoy and arrived at Alexandria on the 23rd, with DD WRYNECK and Port Said with DD GREYHOUND on the 24th. GREYHOUND remained at Port Said for the next northbound convoy.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
NZ manned CL LEANDER took over convoy US 9 composed of steamers AQUITANIA, MAURETANIA, NIEUW AMSTERDAM from RAN CA CANBERRA 150 miles west of Ceylon, and arrived at Bombay on the 22nd. The cruiser departed Bombay on the 22nd to search off the Maldives for German heavy cruiser ADMIRAL SCHEER.

Italian AMC RAMB I departed Massawa for Japan.

British steamer DUQUESA, captured by German heavy cruiser SCHEER on 18 December 1940, was scuttled on the 20th at Mogadishu.

Convoy BS.16 departed Suez. The convoy was joined on the 21st by DD KINGSTON and sloops FLAMINGO and HINDUSTAN. Sloop FLAMINGO was detached on the 23rd. The convoy was dispersed on the 25th.

Convoy BA.1 departed Bombay, escorted by AMC ANTENOR, and arrived at Aden. The ships of the convoy joined convoy WS.5B and proceeded to Suez.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 20 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 21 FEBRUARY 1941

Weather Fine; cloudy at times. Wind changed from north west to south east.

1327-1335 hrs Air raid alert for one enemy Heinkel 111 escorted by six ME 109 fighters which cross the north coast and circle the Island at great height. Hurricanes are scrambled and the raiders recede without launching any attack.

1658-1800 hrs Air raid alert for six ME 109 fighters which approach and circle the Island; Hurricanes are airborne and no raid materializes.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 20 FEBRUARY 1941

ROYAL NAVY HMS Breconshire and HT Clan Macaulay sailed for Alexandria at dusk escorted by Hotspurand Havock. These two destroyers have completed damage repairs and have been fitted with bow protection gear for use in special operations.

AIR HQ Departures 1 Sunderland. 0535-1558 hrs Sunderland reconnaissance of enemy shipping east of Aqtam. Maryland photoreconnaissance of Taranto. Maryland reconnaissance of Messina returned due to low clouds.

KALAFRANA One Sunderland 10 Squadron left for Gibraltar and UK with passengers and mail.

LUQA 69 SquadronOne Maryland photoreconnaissance Taranto; one Maryland photoreconnaissance Straits of Messina prevented by low cloud.

21 February 1941
Losses
DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER sank steamer CANADIAN CRUISER (UK 7148 grt) about 500 miles E. of Zanzibar. The entire crew was taken prisoner

ASW trawler LINCOLN CITY (RN 398 grt) was sunk by German bombing at Thorshavn. During this attack ASW trawler LEICESTER CITY shot down a LW bomber.

UBOATS
At Sea 21 February 1941

U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-70, U-73, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-552.

15 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Waters
DD BOADICEA departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to carry out repairs to her boilers. The DD arrived at Rosyth on the 22nd and was under repair until 3 March. DD CLARE, which departed Plymouth on the 20th, was damaged in a collision with British steamer PETERTOWN. CLARE arrived at Plymouth on the 22nd. The destroyer was repairing and converting to a long range escort until 14 October 1941 at Portsmouth.

The LW attacked the British facilities at Skaalefjord. These facilities included British oiler WAR PINDARI and oil facilities.

Submarine CACHALOT was on patrol off Vestfjord.

Med/Biscay
BB WARSPITE was docked at Alexandria for refit. The BB was undocked on the 24th.

Submarine URSULA attacked a convoy of with steamers SABBIA (FI 5788grt) and SILVIA TRIPCOVICH (FI 2365 grt), which departed Trapani on the 21st escorted by TB MONTANARI. Submarine URSULA damaged Italian steamer SABBIA, however, the submarine was damaged in the counterattack. Steamer SILVIA TRIPCOVICH continued, unescorted. Steamer SABBIA, accompanied by torpedo boat MONTANARI, arrived at Tripoli on the 24th.

Central Atlantic
Ocean boarding vessel REGISTAN arrived at Gibraltar with French steamer FORT RICHEPANSE (3485grt), which she had captured in 30-47N, 18-59W on the 9th.

BB MALAYA relieved Force H escorting convoy WS.6A and remained with the convoy until 1 March when the convoy arrived at Freetown. Convoy WS.6B joined at Freetown. On 3 March, the convoy departed Freetown escorted by CLA PHOEBE and CL BIRMINGHAM and AMC CATHAY. CATHAY was relieved by CA CORNWALL on 11 March. Sent ahead as a fast section, steamers SCYTHIA, ALMANZORA, BERGENSFJORD, LLANGIBBY CASTLE, RUAHINE arrived at Capetown on 21 March. They departed after watering for Durban on 22 March, escorted by CLA PHOEBE. The section arrived at Durban on 26 March, and arrived at Capetown on 22 March. The Capetown convoy sailed on 27 March escorted by CA DORSETSHIRE.


On 1 April, the Durban section sailed escorted by CA CORNWALL and CLA PHOEBE. The two sections rendezvoused on 2 April. CA DORSETSHIRE was detached on 7 April to Durban. Steamers LLANDAFF CASTLE and CITY OF ATHENS were detached to Mombasa on 8 April. On 10 April, steamer TALAMBA joined the convoy from the Seychilles escorted by CL GLASGOW. The cruiser remained with the convoy until 13 April. PHOEBE was detached on 10 April. RAN CA CANBERRA was with the convoy on 10 April only. Heavy cruiser CORNWALL was detached on 17 April. At Perim, the convoy dispersed and the ships proceeded independently. CL EMERALD was relieved in convoy WS.5B by CA HAWKINS.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
CV FORMIDABLE aircraft raided Massawa

Malta
Two additional Bns of infantry were transported to malta aboard RN ships.

AIR RAIDS DAWN 21 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 22 FEBRUARY 1941

Weather Fine.

0630 hrs Three Cruisers disembark reinforcements including 1st Bn Cheshire Regiment and 1st Bn Hampshire Regiment.

1134-1155 hrs Air raid alert for six enemy bombers escorted by ten ME 109 fighters which approach the Island from the north and circle to the south east at 23000 feet. Eight Hurricane fighters are scrambled. In response, six of the enemy aircraft dive and make a half-hearted attack on the Hurricanes but then withdraw. No bombs are dropped.

1407-1412 hrs Air raid alert for one JU 88 bomber which crosses the coast and is engaged by anti-aircraft fire before retreating. No bombs are dropped.

1850-1910 hrs Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.

1955-2016 hrs Air raid alert for one enemy aircraft which crosses the Island and is engaged by anti-aircraft fire, then retreats without launching any attack.

22 February 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
RaumBoats R-66, R-67, R-68 and R-69



S-Boat S-40

The similar "S 33" in Venice 1944 - Picture: Archives Thomas Bethke

Allied
Dance Class ASW Trawler HMT MAZURKA(T 30)

Fairmile B Motor Launch HMS ML 200

BPB 60' types MTB 332

U Class Submarine HMS UNION (N 56)
UNION spent much of her short career operating in the Mediterranean, where she sank the Italian merchant PIETRO QUERINI Her success was short-lived however. UNION sailed from Malta at 1 o'clock on the morning of 14 July 1941 with orders to intercept a convoy nth of Tripoli the following day. On 20 July 1941 she was sunk with all hands during an attack on the convoy by the RM TB CIRCE. When she failed to return to Malta she was reported overdue on 22 July 1941

Losses
U.96 sank tanker SCOTTISH STANDARD (UK 6999 grt), which was straggling behind convoy OB.287 after being damaged by LW Condors on the 20th. She sank in the Western Approaches. Five crew were lost on the tanker. The survivors were rescued by DD MONTGOMERY.



Sub MARCELLO (RM 1043 grt) was sunk west of the Hebrides by DD MONTGOMERY. Also in the escort group with MONTGOMERY were DD HURRICANE and corvette PERIWINKLE.




U.108 sank steamer TEXELSTROOM (NL 1617 grt) just sth of Iceland. There were no survivors from the crew of 25. .



DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER sank steamer RANTAU PANDJANG (NL 2542 grt) in the Sth Atlantic. Two crew were lost and the rest were taken prisoner. A Walrus from CL GLASGOW sighted SCHEER and the Admiralty ordered all British units to converge on that location in an attempt to sink SCHEER. CVL HERMES and CL CAPETOWN came out from Mombasa. RAN CA AUSTRALIA and RN CA HAWKINS were detached from convoy WS.5 B. CL EMERALD recently detached from convoy WS.5 B. RAN CA CANBERRA was released from convoy US 9 after being relieved by CL LEANDER. CA SHROPSHIRE was called from patrol to the south of SCHEER. CL ENTERPRISE was called from patrol to the north of SCHEER. However, SCHEER was able to lose the seaplane and, with the aid of close monitoring by B Dienst listening services escaped back into the South Atlantic. The search was called off on the 24th


Off Newfoundland, DKM BC GNEISENAU and SCHARHORST attacked dispersed convoy OB 285 and one ship from dispersed convoy OB286


The Scharnhorst, on 6 March 1941, seen from the German submarine U-124 in the Atlantic during Operation "Berlin".


Steamer TRELAWNEY (UK 4689grt) in 47-12N, 40-13W




Tanker HARLESDEN (UK 5483grt) in 47-12N, 40-18W,

Crewmembers of one of the engaged merchant ships (believd to be HARLESDEN) during Operation "Berlin" is taken on board the GNEISENAU.


British steamer KANTARA (3237grt) in 47-12N, 40-13W
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer A. D. HUFF (UK 6219 grt) in 47-12N, 40-13W from dispersed convoy OB.286.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

One crewman was killed ON THE TRELAWNEY and the rest were taken prisoner. Seven crew were lost on HARLESDEN and the rest were taken prisoner. The entire crew of the KANTARA were made prisoners. Two crew were killed and the rest taken prisoner from A. D. HUFF.

DKM BC SCHARNHORST also sank tanker LUSTROUS (UK 6156 grt) in 47-12N, 40-13W. All crew from LUSTROUS were taken prisoner.



UBOATS
Departures
Bergen:U-147
Kiel: U-74
Lorient: U-99, U-105

At Sea 22 February 1941
U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-70, U-73, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-99, U-103, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-147, U-552.

18 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
North Sea

German minelayers BRUMMER, COBRA, KONIGIN LUISE and escorted by the 5th Minesweeping Flotilla from Bergen laid minefield SWINE between the Shetlands and Korsfjord.

Northern Waters

CL AURORA, arrived at Scapa Flow with British transports QUEEN EMMA and PRINCESS BEATRIX from the Clyde. Later that evening, AURORA departed Scapa Flow carrying AA guns and four gun crews from BB NELSON to strengthen the AA defenses at Skaalefjord.

DD AVON VALE departed Greenock for Scapa Flow to work up.

Western Approaches
British steamer KINGSTON HILL was damaged by long range LW airstrikes in the Western Approaches. The steamer arrived at Loch Ewe under tow on the 25th.

British steamer KEILA (3621grt) was damaged by LW long range airstrikes in the Western Approaches. The steamer reached the Clyde under her own power.

Channel
DD ICARUS, escorted by DDs BERKELEY, TYNEDALE, VANSITTART, laid minefield JK in the English Channel.

British tanker LUXOR (6554grt) was damaged by German bombing at Swansea.

Med/Biscay

Monitor TERROR (RN 8000 grt) was damaged by the near miss of an air bomb off Benghazi at dawn. As the monitor was leaving Benghazi for Tobruk, she was damaged by striking two mines. The monitor was further damaged at 1825 on the 23rd in an Italian air attack. MSW FAREHAM and corvette SALVIA attempted to tow the monitor. DDs DAINTY and HASTY were sent to her assistance, but DD HASTY never made contact. DD DAINTY, delayed by defects, was unable to leave Tobruk until 0530. The monitor sank at 0415 on the 24th off Derna. There were no casualties. The crew were taken onboard corvette SALVIA and MSWs FAREHAM. RAN CL PERTH was sailed at 0330 from Alexandria to assist. CL AJAX and DDs MOHAWK and NUBIAN were also to depart Alexandria on the 24th to support monitor TERROR. However, when word of the monitor's loss, the sailing was cancelled. There were no casualties in the loss of the monitor. After the event, the loss was credited to FKX Ju88s. Her loss was a hard blow to the efficiency of the Inshore Squadron as far as support to the land operations in Cyrenaica. TERROR was, by displacement, the largest warship sunk in the Med by Ju-88s during the entire war.


Polish ship WARSAWA, British steamer KNIGHT OF MALTA, armed boarding vessel CHAKLA arrived at Tobruk with stores and personnel. At Tobruk, ASW whaler SOUTHERN SEA was damaged in a collision with a lighter.

Submarine REGENT unsuccessfully attacked Italian shipping off Tripoli.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 22 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 23 FEBRUARY 1941

Weather Fine.

0717-0800 hrs; 1127-1132 hrs Air raid alert; raids do not materialise.

1400-1425 hrs Air raid alert for three ME 109 fighters which cross the coast and circle over Grand Harbour at 15000 feet. Hurricanes are scrambled but the Messerschmitts recede without making an attack before the Malta fighters can reach sufficient height to attack them.

1600 hrs A mine is spotted floating in the water in Ghain Tuffieha Bay. The beach defence position is evacuated.

0455-0555 hrs Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which circle over the Island for an hour without dropping any bombs. The raiders are engaged by Ack Ack.

February 20 Thursday
WESTERN FRONT: Kommodore Mölders of JG 51 shoots down two RAF Spitfires to bring his score to fifty-eight victories. Hans-Joachim Marseille returned to his unit at Berck-sur-Mer, France after a period of rest at home.


At his airfield, Heinz Pohland of I(J)./LG 2 is killed in a flying accident. He had five victories in the air battles against the Allies.


INDIAN OCEAN: German heavy cruiser "Admiral Scheer" sank Greek steamer "Grigorios C II" (27 survivors were taken prisoner) and captured British tanker "British Advocate" west of the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean. "Advocate" was to be sent to France as a prize ship.


Italian ship "Eritrea", Italian armed merchant cruisers "Ramb I" and "Ramb II", and German supply ship "Coburg" broke out of Massawa, Eritrea, Italian East Africa and sailed into the Indian Ocean. "Ramb I" and "Ramb II" were ordered to sail east to raid Allied shipping in the Pacific Ocean.


UNITED KINGDOM: Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies arrived in Britain for talks with Winston Churchill.


The Swansea Blitz: German Luftwaffe bombed Swansea, Wales, for the second consecutive night with 64 aircraft. The docks and industrial works of Cardiff and Swansea made them obvious targets but there were attacks elsewhere too. Ordinance factories, oil installations, mining towns and even rural communities were bombed by orchestrated attacks, lost planes or those just eager to lose their cargo before flying home. Even Caernarfonshire, which was near the flightpath of bombers heading to Liverpool, saw five deaths in bombing raids over the course of the war. MediaBox - The Three Night Blitz


The first Beaufighter IF figher (X7540) built at Bristol's new factory at Weston-super-Mare, England, was completed.


NORTH AFRICA: The German Africa Korps made contact with British patrols for the first time in North Africa, near El Agheila between Benghazi and Tripoli in Libya.


Elements of Indian 7th Infantry Brigade and Free French forces began attacking toward Cub Cub. In a preliminary operation, the 3rd Chad Battalion captured the ridge covering the entrance into the Cub Cub valley.


MEDITERRANEAN: British submarine HMS "Regent" attacked German ships "Arta", "Heraklea", "Menes", and "Martiza" carrying German Afrika Korps troops from Naples, Italy to Tripoli escorted by Italian destroyers "Freccia", "Saetta", and "Turbine". "Menes" was damaged by a torpedo hit but was able to be towed to Tripoli. "Saetta" counterattacked HMS "Regent", causing damage.


Greece rejected a German offer to mediate in the Greco-Italian War. Greek Epirus Army attacks Italian 11th Army west of Klisura.


NORTH AMERICA: President Roosevelt signed legislation establishing a new Coast Guard Reserve patterned after the Navy Reserve.


ATLANTIC OCEAN: British vessel "Scottish Standard" was damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft northwest of Scotland. British vessel "Rigmor" was sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.


.

February 21 Friday
UNITED KINGDOM: The Swansea Blitz: Wales, Cardiff and Swansea were again subject to the most sustained attacks during the last night of the Swansea Blitz from 1950 hours until after midnight. When it was all over, over the course of the three-day attack, thirty-thousand bombs were dropped; 575 business premises burnt out; 282 houses demolished and 11,084 damaged. 227 people were killed, 37 of them under the age of 16. At the height of the Swansea blitz one woman, when asked where her husband was, replied;

'He is in the army, the coward'.

Click to expand...

NORTH AFRICA: British aircraft carrier HMS "Formidable", in the Red Sea awaiting transit through the Suez Canal while it was swept for mines, launched 7 Albacore aircraft to attack the harbor of Massawa, Eritrea, Italian East Africa, causing little damage.


Elements of Indian 7th Infantry Brigade and Free French forces attacked Italian 112th Colonial Battalion at Cub Cub. The Commander of the 7th Indian Infantry Brigade ordered Cubcol to move via Wadi Athara to the south of the Cub Cub positions and cut their lines of communication. Two companies from Chad Battalion were to get behind the Italians' right flank. The remainder of that battalion was to attack frontally; all objectives were to be reached by 1000 hours. The attack of the Chad Battalion was fiercely pressed home, but the Italian resistance proved too strong. Cubcol lost its way, going too far east and south, and then ran out of petrol.


The Afrika Korps, newly arrived in Libya, launch their first probing attacks against the unpleasantly surprised British Army at El Agheila.


South African 1st Infantry Brigade advanced toward Jelib from the south while Gold Coast 24th Infantry Brigade advanced toward Jelib from the north.


INDIAN OCEAN: German heavy cruiser "Admiral Scheer" sank British ship "Canadian Cruiser" 575 miles west of the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean. Before being taken prisoner, the crew radioed for help, which was received by British cruiser HMS "Glasgow".


ATLANTIC OCEAN: British antisubmarine trawler HMT "Lincoln City" shot down a German bomber but was then bombed and sunk at Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, a constituent country of Denmark, killing 8.


MEDITERRANEAN: British submarine HMS "Ursula" attacked an Italian convoy it was en route between Trapani, Sicily and Tripoli, Italy. Italian ship "Sabbia" was damaged, but "Ursula" was damaged after being counterattacked by Italian torpedo boat "Montanari".


In Italy, Mussolini imposes a 50 per cent cut in rations of olive oil, cooking fats and butter.


EASTERN EUROPE: Agent Dora reports to Stalin from Switzerland that Germany will invade Soviet Union in May.


Changes in the Central Committee of the Communist Party are announced in Russia. Among those to be dismissed are the former ambassador to the United States, Maxim Litvinov.


GERMANY: RAF Bomber Command sends 34 aircraft to attack Wilhelmshaven overnight.


NORTH AMERICA: Sir Frederick Banting, discoverer of insulin treatment for diabetics and Nobel Prize winner, killed in air crash whilst flying to England; aged 49.

.

February 22 Saturday
INDIAN OCEAN: German cruiser "Admiral Scheer" sank Dutch collier "Rantau Pandjang" off the east coast of Africa. Distress signals were received by British cruiser HMS "Glasgow", which was already aware of "Admiral Scheer's" presence by the sinking of British ship "Canadian Cruiser" on the previous day. HMS "Glasgow" launched her seaplane to search for the German raider, but the aircraft would return without any findings. HMS "Hermes" was ordered to search for German cruiser "Admiral Scheer" in the Indian Ocean. British warships will search the area fruitlessly until February 25 while "Admiral Scheer" slips away to the South around the Cape of Good Hope, reaching the South Atlantic on March 1.


WESTERN FRONT: Revenge for the attacks on Amsterdam police on February 19 and other fights came when a large scale pogrom was undertaken by the Germans. 425 Dutch Jewish men, age 20-35 were taken hostage and imprisoned in Kamp Schoorl and eventually sent to the Buchenwald and Mauthausen concentration camps, where most of them died within the year. Out of 425, only two survived.


RAF Bomber Command sends 42 aircraft to attack warships at Brest overnight.


ATLANTIC OCEAN: German battlecruisers "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" attacked convoy OB 283 of unescorted empty cargo ships en route to the United States, sinking three British cargo ships and two tankers, totaling 25,431 tons. 10 were killed and 180 were taken prisoner. British vessels "Trelawny", "Harlesden", "Kantara" and "Lustrous" were sunk by the two battlecruisers. German battle cruiser "Gneisenau" sinks Canadian merchant ship "A.D. Huff" east of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Two die, and 37 are taken prisoner.


Italian submarine "Marcello" sunk by RN destroyer "Montgomery" (recently transferred from the US Navy in the 'destroyers for bases' deal).


British vessel "Scottish Standard", damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft on 20 February, was sunk by U-96. Dutch vessel "Texelstroom" was sunk by U-108.


NORTH AFRICA: Operation Canvas: 11th and 12th African Divisions attacked Italian defenses at Jilib from Kismayu (South) and Afmadow (West). They defeat 30,000 Italian and colonial troops (many colonials down arms and disappear into the bush) to capture the road junction and open the way to Mogadishu. Italian forces unsuccessfully attacked the Nigerian 23rd Infantry Brigade at Mabungo. HMS "Shropshire" bombards Barawa, on the coast between Kismayo and Mogadishu.


South African 2nd Infantry Brigade captures Moyale on the Ethiopian border.


Elements of Indian 7th Infantry Brigade and Free French forces attacked the Italian 112th Colonial Battalion at Cub Cub. The Commander of the 7th Indian Infantry Brigade was able to put into battle the battery from the 25 Field Regiment and the carriers and Anti-Tank Platoon of 4/16 Punjab. The determined attack of the Chad Battalion, thus reinforced, and finally the belated arrival of Cubcol at Cub Cub from the south-west broke the Italian resistance.


Luftwaffe bombers drop mines in the Suez Canal and attacked shipping at Benghazi.


MEDITERRANEAN: Greek King George II and Commander-in-Chief General Alexander Papagos met with British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and General Archibald Wavell in Athens, Greece, designing a defense plan that assumed Yugoslavia would remain neutral. The conference agreed on the risky decision to send a British expeditionary force to Greece


British monitor HMS "Terror" was spotted at about noon by a German Ju-88 aircraft off the Libyan coast. 5 Ju-88 aircraft were launched from Sicily, Italy at 1533 hours, and they intercepted HMS "Terror" 10 miles north of Derna, Libya at 1830 hours. Heavily damaged by near misses, HMS "Terror" was abandoned by her crew at 2200 hours. Minesweeper HMS "Fareham" and corvette HMS "Salvia" attempted to tow her back to port, but this effort would ultimately fail.


EASTERN EUROPE: Filipp Golikov was awarded the Order of Lenin for the first time. Dmitry Pavlov was promoted to the rank of General of the Army.


Demonstrations were held in several cities in Bulgaria protesting the German presence in the country.


UNITED KINGDOM: Seventeen Luftwaffe aircraft bombed the docks and industrial installations at Hull. They dropped thirty-two tonnes of HE (thirty-three bombs and mines), - twelve people were reported killed. A German aircrew reported that in one explosion, a large fire followed the detonation of a 'B' type mine, and another crew reported seeing a large explosion and a subsequent fire. Thirty minutes after the attack, four people were killed and a large UXB, believed to be a 1,800 kg bomb caused road closure problems. Strangely, only five parachute mines were reported in the North-East Region, whereas German records indicate that seventeen were dropped altogether. There was extensive damage in Rowlston Grove. A UXB near the railway crossing was not recovered. Four people were killed and four seriously injured.

.

23 February 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Soviet M (Malyutka) class Sub M-36

Losses
Submarine UPRIGHT sank steamer SILVIA TRIPCOVICH (FI 2365 grt) off Kuriat Island


Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE arrived from Western Patrol with steamers PLM 13 (Vichy 4500 grt (est)) and LORIENT (Vichy 5000 grt (est) whom she had captured on the 18th.

Convoy OB-288
A German Kondor a/c sighted dispersed convoy OB.288 late on the 22nd and again on the 23rd. This sighting led U.boats to the convoy, with most of the attacks occurring in the early hours of the 24th February.

U-boats U73, U69, U96, U107, U552, U97 and two RM boats, BARBARIGO and BIANCHI, after being alerted by the first sighting had lost contact on the evening of the 22nd, and had set up a new patrol line ahead of the convoys most likely course. During the 23rd, further reports were received from KG 40 (some sources do not state this) but in any event the U96, U69 and U107 had reacquired contact with the convoy, which had turned nth to try and shake off their pursuers. At this point the convoy spacing was ordered to close up, but without proper escort this was probably a bad idea.

On the night of 23-24 February, as the convoy had reached its dispersal point and they all took course for their various destinations, A pack of 6 boats, U69, U73, U95, U96, U107 and BIANCHI fell upon the unescorted merchantmen. U96, first sighted the convoy at 2346 hrs on the 23rd, when she was steaming at 9 knots on a NW heading. At 0020 hrs on the morning of the 24th, U96 ran into the attack and fired one torpedo which struck the SIRIKISHINA on her port side amidships, whereupon she stopped and blew off steam, and her master ordered the crew to abandon ship.

In all, OB288 lost 10 ships sunk by U-boats and 2 damaged by aircraft out of the 42 ships that had started out. No ships were lost from this convoy whilst it was under RN escort, but that is small comfort to the men who suffered through this devastating attack

U.107 and Italian submarine BIANCHI sank ocean boarding vessel MANISTEE (RN 5360 grt), At 2242 hrs on 23 Feb 1941,U-107 fired a spread of two torpedoes at HMS MANISTEE sth of Iceland and scored a hit in the engine room. The ship had escorted OB-288 until it was dispersed at 2100 hrs the same day. She was also attacked by the RM sub BIANCHI, which fired a torpedo at 2256 hrs, claimed a hit in the stern from a distance of 600 metres and then continued to chase other ships of the convoy.

At 2258 hrs, U-107 fired two coups de grace that missed because the ship changed course. Also a stern torpedo fired at 2342 hrs missed because it was a surface-runner. The U-boat began a long chase of the zigzagging ship and fired two torpedoes at 0758 hrs on 24 February. One of them hit in the stern and caused the ship to sink. DD HMS CHURCHILL was ordered to search for survivors, but found none. The commander, 18 officers and 122 ratings were lost.


MV MARSLEW (UK 4542 grt) Sunk by U-69 (Metzler); Crew: 36 (13 dead and 23 survivors) Cargo: mixed Route: Glasgow to Argentina Convoy: OB-288 (dispersed) Sunk in the Western Approaches; At 2339 hrs the unescorted MARSLEW, dispersed from the convoy OB -288, was hit on the starboard side amidships in the boiler room by one G7e torpedo from U-69 about 265 miles WNW of Rockall. The explosion immediately broke the ship in two, its bow and stern raising slowly with the forepart sinking first after approximately 30 minutes and the stern sinking after floating vertically for a while. The master and twelve crew members were lost. 21 crew members and two gunners got into the boats and were picked up by the British steam merchant EMPIRE CHEETAH from the same dispersed convoy and were landed at Philadelphia on 11 March.


Steamer HUNTINGDON (NZ 10,946 grt) from convoy OB.288 in 58-25N, 20-23W. The entire crew was rescued by Greek steamer PAPALEMOS of the convoy. The ship was torpedoed 2.35 am 24 February by RM submarine BIANCHI. The explosion blowing a great hole on the port side of No1 hold. She settled by the head the crew mustered at boat stations, The master ordered abandon ship, lifeboats pulled clear and waited, the weather was bitterly cold and snowing. The attacking sub then fired a second torpedo at 0312 hrs the explosion causing the ship to break in two, she sank in ten minutes. Some sources credit this kill to the U-96 but ther3e are no details of the attack and KTB BDU diary is silent on the claim.


U.69 sank steamer TEMPLE MOAT (UK 4427 grt), which was straggling behind convoy OB.288, in 59-27N, 20-20W. Uboat Net says the victor was U-95. Most sources say otherwise


U.95 sank steamers CAPE NELSON (UK 3807 grt) from convoy OB.288 in 59-30N, 21-00W. The UBoat also claimed damaging another ship, but no confirmation is available. At 0046 hrs on 24 Feb the unescorted CAPE NELSON, dispersed from convoy OB-288, was hit by a torpedo from U-95 and sank by the bow within 7 mins SW of Iceland. The master and three crew members were lost. 34 crew members were picked up by the British steam merchant HARBEWTON and landed at Halifax on 4 March.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-96 hit and sank and MV ANGLO PERUVIAN (UK 5457 grt). Of the 46 crew, 17 were lost. She was carrying a load of coal for export at the time of her loss. At 2327 hrs on 23 Feb 1941 the ANGLO PERUVIAN, dispersed from convoy OB-288 the same day, was hit by two torpedoes from U-96 broke in two and sank within 3 minutes SW of Iceland. The master, 26 crew members and two gunners were lost. 17 crew members were picked up by the British merchant HARBERTON and landed at Halifax on 4 March.



Uboat Net credits U-95 with the sinking of MV SVEIN JARL (Nor 1902 grt), but the claim is only probable. The ship was lost however. The entire crew of 22 was lost in this attack. The ship was empty at the time of her loss. At 0027 hrs on 24 Feb 1941, U-95 fired one torpedo at a ship from the dispersed convoy OB-288 and missed the intended target, but Schreiber (the U-95 skipper) thought that he hit another ship beyond. This is not confirmed from Allied reports. At 0028 hrs, the U-boat fired a second torpedo and observed a hit in the stern of a ship and its sinking. The victim was probably SVEIN JARL which was reported missing after the convoy had been dispersed. The master and 21 crew members were lost.


Steamer LINARIA (UK 3385 grt) was hit and sunk by U-96. At 0116 hrs on 24 Feb 1941 the unescorted LINARIA was hit by one G7e torpedo from U-96 and sank by the stern about 265 miles south of Reykjavik, Iceland. The ship had been reported missing in approx. 61°N/25°W after being dispersed from convoy OB-288. The master, 32 crew members and two gunners were lost. There were no survivors



U-96 sank the MV SIRIKISHINA (UK 5458 grt); At 0020 hrs on the morning of the 24th, U96 ran into the attack and fired one torpedo which struck the SIRIKISHINA on her port side amidships, whereupon she stopped and blew off steam, and her master ordered the crew to abandon ship. Although taking a list, the SIRIKISHINA was still afloat over an hour later. The skipper of the U-96 decided to launch another attack. However, U96 had to strike down another torpedo from the upper deck since all those stowed below had been expended. This operation took quite some time, and it was not until 0636 hrs that the second torpedo was fired, which hit the starboard side amidships, whereupon she broke in two, and sank. From the crew of 32, no-one survived
(Source: http://web.onetel.com/~tanyahemmings/page2.html )



Steamer SHOAL FISHER (UK 698 grt) was sunk on a mine in 50-10N, 4-50W. The entire crew was rescued and taken to Falmouth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


U-73 sank Steamer WAYNEGATE (UK 4260 grt) whilst outbound fully laden with coal. All 41 of the crew managed to survive. At 0419 hrs on 24 Feb 1941 the unescorted WAYNEGATE, dispersed from convoy OB-288, was hit on the starboard side between #1 and #2 bulkhead by one torpedo from U-73 sth of Iceland. The U-boat had spotted two ships from the recently dispersed convoy during snow squalls and at 0351 hrs fired one torpedo on the second ship, the WAYNEGATE. This torpedo proved to be a dud, so a second torpedo was fired that hit. The crew immediately abandoned ship in two lifeboat as she quickly settled by the head. At 0438 hrs, the U-boat fired one G7e torpedo as coup de grace to assure the sinking. The ship sank by the bow five minutes after being hit on the starboard side in #2 hold. The lifeboats were about 100 feet away and were missed by a plate from the ship's side blown away by the second explosion. The Germans left without questioning the crew in an attempt to catch the other ship. The master, 38 crew members and two gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 12pdr and two machine guns) were picked up after about six hours by FNFL DD LEOPARD and landed at Greenock on 28 February.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Helgoland: U-74

Departures
Lorient: U-124

At Sea 23 February 1941
U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-70, U-73, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-99, U-103, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552.
19 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
Northern Waters
DD BRILLIANT departed Scapa Flow to meet submarine SUNFISH off Bell Rock and escort her to Scapa Flow. DD BEDOUIN departed Scapa Flow on the 24th to reinforce the submarine escort. The ships arrived at Scapa Flow late on the 24th.

British tanker WAR PINDARI was unsuccessfully attacked by the LW at Skaalefjord.

West Coast
OB.290 departed Liverpool, escort DDs VANQUISHER, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA, sloops ENCHANTRESS and WESTON, corvettes CAMPANULA and PIMPERNEL. The escort, less sloop WESTON, was detached on the 26th. On the 27th, sloop WESTON was detached at which time the convoy dispersed.

Med/Biscay
German merchant ships ANKARA, REICHENFELS, KYBFELS and MARBURG departed Naples for Tripoli escorted by RM DDs AVIERE and GENIERE and TB CASTOR just before sunset on the 23rd. The convoy was covered by RM CLs BANDE NERE and DIAZ with DDs ASCARI and CORAZZIERE also in the distant cover force.

The CLs also covered a return convoy of steamers ARTA, NIRVO, GIOVINEZZA, which departed Tripoli before dawn on the 24th close escort TB PAPA.

British steamer KNIGHT OF MALTA and Egyptian steamer STAR OF MEX departed Tobruk for Alexandria with personnel.

Greek submarine NEREUS reported sinking an Italian transport off Valona in 40-07N, 18-57E. There is no confirmation of this

Nth Atlantic
HX.111 departed Halifax, escort AMC AURANIA and corvette COLLINGWOOD. The corvette was detached the next day. The AMC left the escort on 7 March. On 8 March, DD BEVERLEY and corvettes ARBUTUS and CAMELLIA joined the escort. DDs CHELSEA, VERITY, WOLVERINE joined on 10 March and corvette CAMELLIA was detached, and arrived at Liverpool on 12 March.

Central Atlantic
BB RESOLUTION departed Gibraltar, escort DDs JERSEY, JUPITER, DUNCAN, VELOX, for Portsmouth. DDs DUNCAN and VELOX returned to Gibraltar. DD WRESTLER arrived at Gibraltar after refitting in England.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 23 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 24 FEBRUARY 1941

Weather Fine.

0700-0715 hrs Air raid alert for two ME 109 fighters which cross the coast over Grand Harbour and then retreat without launching any attack.

1017-1055 hrs Air raid alert for four JU 88 bombers escorted by five ME 109 fighters which approach the Island from the east, cross the coast over Delimara and drop bombs 60 yards from a gun position and on the Hal Far road at Benghaisa. They are engaged by Ack Ack: no claims. Eight Hurricane fighters are scrambled and come within sight of the raiders, who swing away west and then north. Anti aircraft guns also engage and one gun position reports two aircraft smoking badly as they retreat.

Enemy casualties Oberfahrnrich Roman Heil, III/StG 1, pilot, and Gefreiter Heinrich Stamm, III/StG 1, wireless operator of a Junkers JU 87 Stuka shot down, picked up from the sea by RAF Launch and taken prisoner.

February 23 Sunday
GERMANY: Joachim von Ribbentrop hosted Hiroshi Oshima in his home in Germany, where Ribbentrop attempted to persuade the Japanese ambassador that it was the time for Japan to strike British territories in Asia. Ribbentrop argued that there was little worry regarding the United States as American possessions in Asia could be bypassed easily, but should the Americans decide to go to war, the Japanese Navy was vastly superior to the US Navy.


Gefr. Anton "Toni" Hafner is posted to 6./JG 51.


MEDITERRANEAN: In Athens, there is confusion among Greek and British commanders as to the best defense against a German invasion from Bulgaria. Prime Minister Alexandros Korizis of Greece accepted British offer of aid which at this stage is intended to be 100,000 men with suitable artillery and tank support. The Greeks are very reluctant to accept anything less since it would not be enough to fight the Germans off and would only encourage them to attack. But British and Greek commanders debated on the defense strategy against a German invasion through Bulgaria. The Greeks insist on holding the fortified Metaxas Line along their Eastern border with Bulgaria, while the British propose a line further Southwest along the Vermion Mountains and the Haliacmon River. The meeting breaks up without agreement.


Mussolini made a speech at a Fascist rally in Adriano Theatre, Rome in which he admitted that Italy had experienced "gray days" in the war so far. He attempted to minimize the disastrous Italian campaigns in Greece and North Africa but maintained that such things happen "in all wars". He lists 10 reasons why Britain cannot win the war and that;

"..the final result will be Axis victory…. We shall fight to the last drop of our blood!"

Click to expand...

British monitor HMS "Terror" sank off the Libyan coast at 0420 hours after receiving fatal damage from German aircraft on the previous day.


British submarine HMS "Upright" sank Italian ship "Silvia Tripcovich" 50 miles off Sfax, Tunisia.


ATLANTIC OCEAN: A German Fw 200 Condor aircraft led German submarines U-69, U-73, U-96, U-107, and U-123 and Italian submarines "Bianchi" and "Barbarigo" to Allied convoy OB-288 300 miles south of Iceland. Just before midnight, U-69 sank British ship "Marslew" (13 killed, 23 rescued) and U-96 sank British ship "Anglo-Peruvian" (29 lost, 17 rescued). U-107 and "Bianchi" damaged and chased British ocean boarding vessel HMS "Manistee" through the night.


NORTH AFRICA: Operation Canvas. In Somaliland the main Italian forces defending the line of the Juba River have been defeated. General Cunningham splits his force sending British 12th African Division to march up the Juba River toward the Abyssinian border while the motorized British Nigerian Brigade of the 11th African Division drove up the coastal road toward Mogadishu. 22nd East African Infantry Brigade captures Modun. There is a small Free French landing in Eritrea.


Elements of Indian 7th Infantry Brigade and Free French Brigade d'Orient capture Cub Cub with four hundred and thirty-six Italian prisoners, four guns and a large dump of stores. Cubcol was immediately ordered to advance southwards, as fast as possible. During the night, Chelamet (twenty-five miles south of Cub Cub) was reached before the Italians had time to destroy the Pass. A small column moving from Cub Cub occupied Nacfa without opposition, although Meadowforce, which had reached Madruiet on 17 February, was still held up by the Italians at Debelai Pass. 4 Motor Machine Gun Company (Sudan Defence Force), which had arrived from Khartoum, with one platoon of the Brigade Anti-Tank Company under command, was ordered to pass through Cubcol and take up the pursuit as far as the main Italian positions covering Keren on the north-east. Cubcol was to move in the rear and in support of the 4 Motor Machine Gun Company until relieved by 4/16 Punjab.


Luftwaffe aircraft attacked shipping at Benghazi and attacked Tobruk overnight.


NORTH AMERICA: Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg chemically identified the recently discovered new element Plutonium in the 60-inch cyclotron at the University of California at Berkeley, California, United States.


In Washington, officials insist that Britain look after her own interests in the Pacific, not to count on American help.


WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 52 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight.


The SS raid on the Jewish Quarter of Amsterdam is completed. About 400 Jews are arrested and deported to the concentration camp at Buchenwald in Germany.


UNITED KINGDOM: Luftwaffe bombing incidents at scattered points along the North-East coast. Damage was slight and casualties were few. The docks at Hull were claimed to have been attacked by forty-nine bombers, who between 1930 and 2015 hours dropped sixty tonnes of HE (fifty-eight bombs) and 4,608 IBs, the concentration point was the Victoria and Albert Dock. The scene was supposed to have been illuminated by twenty parachute flares but they were made useless by the reflection from low cloud, so few crews bombed visually. Some crews reputedly used the presence of searchlights or barrage balloons as an indication that they were in the target area. During a raid on Sunderland, a bomb fell on a row of terraced houses, claiming seven victims, and rendered motherless an eighteen month old baby who was found practically uninjured, ten hours afterwards in a bedroom from which most of the roof had been blown off. By a curious trick of fate, a six month old baby on the other side of the road was killed. A twelve year old boy lay trapped and injured beneath the debris for four hours before rescue. Thirty people were rendered homeless and seven people were killed. A mine dropped in the Alexandra Dock in Hull exploded at 1202 hours on 26/2/41 and sank the lighters 'Monarch' and 'Brakelu'. The casualties were thirteen killed and twenty-seven seriously injured.

.

24 February 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Soviet M class Sub M-?? (unknown or uncertain pennant number)
[NO IMAGE]

Allied
Harbour Defence Motor Launch HDML 1015 (ML 1015)
[NO IMAGE]

Fairmile B Motor Launches ML197 & ML 221
[NO IMAGE]

Losses
Convoy OB 289
3 ships sunk (16,761 tons) and 1 ship damaged (9,718 tons). In addition Axis Uboat accounted for two ships sailing independently

U.123 sank steamer GROOTEKERK (NL 8685 grt) in the Atlantic. The entire crew of 66 were lost. Carrying general cargo and coal, she was outward bound to Singapore at the time of her loss. The GROOTEKERK was reported missing after leaving Swansea on 18 February 1941. At that time it was assumed that she had been sunk by the DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU in approx. 56°N/25°W. In fact, U-123 came across GROOTEKERK during the morning of 23 February while heading for the convoy OB-288, but misidentified her as NESTOR or ULYSSES of the Blue Funnel Line. Moehle (the UBoat skipper) began a stern chase of the GROOTEKERK whilst the merchant vessel maintained a tight zigzag course at 14 knots. The Uboat found it difficult to catch the fast transport as the U-boat was only marginally faster. However, after a chase of 9 hours the ship turned Sth and slowed down, giving U-123 the opportunity to fire which he did at 2335 hrs. This torpedo missed, but also the GROOTEKERK failed to notice she was being fired on. At 0053 hrs on 24 February, the U-boat fired a second G7e torpedo that hit the GROOTEKERK after a running time of more than 2 mins. She stopped and was then hit underneath the bridge by a coup de grace at 0105 hrs, which was a surface runner that struck close to the area where the crew was lowering the lifeboats. The ship capsized to starboard and sank after 12 minutes about 330 miles west of Rockall. There were no survivors, all 18 Dutch and 35 Chinese crew members and 13 British passengers were lost.



U.48 sank steamer NAILSEA LASS (UK 4289 grt), which was straggling behind convoy SLS-64, 60 miles SW of Fastnet. Five crew were killed and two were taken prisoner. Twenty nine crew were later rescued. The details of the attack are that at 2143 hrs the NAILSEA LASS, a straggler from convoy SLS-64, was hit under the bridge by one torpedo from U-48 and sank by the bow at 2219 hrs 60 miles SW of Fastnet Rock. Five crew members were lost. The master and the chief officer were taken prisoner, landed at St.Nazaire on 27 February and taken to the German POW camp at Milag Nord. The second officer E.J. Knight and 18 crew members landed at Ballyoughtraugh, Co. Kerry and the third officer and nine crew members near Berehaven, Co. Cork.


U.97 sank tanker BRITISH GUNNER (UK 6894 grt) from convoy OB.289. Three crew were lost from the tanker and 41 survived. In ballast and enroute to Aruba, the details of her loss are that at 0624 hrs the BRITISH GUNNER in convoy OB-289 was hit by one G7a torpedo from U97, 270 miles NW of Cape Wrath. Four hours later, Corvette PETUNIA having arrived on the scene ordered the crew to abandon ship, even though the master reported that his ship could be towed to port. Survivors were picked up by the corvette and landed at Stornoway, Hebrides.


U.97 sank from convoy OB.289 steamer MANSEPOOL (UK 4894grt), Two crew were lost on the steamer MANSEPOOL. Outward bound in ballast and enroute to Halifax, the ships had a complement of 41. At 0212 hrs, U-97fired two torpedoes at the convoy OB 289 sw of the Faroe Islands and reported one ship sunk, but in fact both the the MANSEPOOL and JONATHAN HOLT were hit and sunk. Survivors were picked up by the British merchant THOMAS HOLT, later transferred to Corvette PETUNIA, which had earlier rescued 17 other crew members from the same vessel and brought them all to Stornoway.



U-97 also sank steamer JONATHAN HOLT (UK 4973 grt), in 61-10N, 11-55W. 39 crew, two gunners, eleven passengers were lost in this incident..


U.97 damaged Norwegian tanker G. C. BROVIG from convoy OB.289 in 61-04N, 14-24W. The steamer was badly damaged. She arrived at Stornoway on the 26th assisted by Royal Navy units. She was under repair for 3 months at Falmouth, next mentioned in the convoy operations in July 1941.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-52, U-103

Departures
Helgoland: U-74

At Sea 24 February 1941
U-46, U-47, U-48, U-69, U-70, U-73, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-99, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552.
17 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
North Sea

MSW BLACKPOOL was machine gunned by LW a/c off the NE coast of Scotland. The MSW spent no time out of action.

Northern Waters
DD KELVIN arrived at Scapa Flow from theTyneto carry out degaussing range trials. Following the trials, the DD departed Scapa Flow that same day for Plymouth. DD ATHERSTONE departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth following her work up..

Channel
DDs INTREPID and IMPULSIVE laid minefield GT in the English Channel. MSW trawler ERIMO was seriously damaged by a mine in the approaches to Swansea.

Med/Biscay

DDs DAINTY and HASTY were leaving Tobruk at dusk when DD DAINTY (RN 1375 grt) was sunk in an air attack. The ships were attacked by 13 Ju 88s of III./Lehrgeschwader 1 and DAINTY was hit by a 1,000 lb (450 kg) bomb which passed through the captain's cabin and detonated in the fuel tanks.This started a conflagaration on the ship that led to her loss. A major fire broke out which then caused her after magazine to explode and the ship to sink. 16 of DAINTY's crew were killed in the attack and 18 were wounded.


DD HASTY and trawler MARIA GIOVANNI rescued DAINTY's survivors. The DD arrived at Alexandria with 140 survivors, including the Commanding Officer and four officers on the 25th. HASTY was then relieved in the Inshore Squadron by RAN DD WATERHEN, which departed Alexandria on the 26th.

Italian convoy of troopships ESPERIA, CONTE ROSSO, MARCO POLO, VICTORIA departed Naples escort DDs BALENO and CAMICIA NERA and TB ALDEBARAN. CLs BANDE NERE and DIAZ and DDs ASCARI and CORAZZIERE provided distant cover for the convoy.

CL ARMANDO DIAZ (RM 5321 grt), flagship of Admiral Moriondo, was sunk by RN Sub HMS UPRIGHT on the 25th off Sfax. Submarine UPRIGHT unsuccessfully attacked a destroyer in this force as well.



Central Atlantic

DDs ENCOUNTER and ISIS departed Gibraltar for a trip around the Cape to Alexandria to join the Med Flt. Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE, en route to Western Patrol, sailed in company. The DDs arrived at Freetown on 3 March. DD ISIS departed Freetown on 5 March for St Helena. The destroyer departed St Helena on 9 March. DD ENCOUNTER departed Freetown on 9 March and joined destroyer ISIS at sea. The DDs arrived at Simonstown on 13 March and departed on 16 March. They arrived at Durban on 18 March and departed on 25 March. The two DDs arrived atMombasaon 29 March and departed on 31 March. DDs ENCOUNTER and ISIS arrived at Aden on 4 April and departed on 5 April. They departed Suez on 8 April and arrived at Alexandria on 9 April.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean

BN.17 departed Suez, escorted by sloop SHOREHAM and RAN sloop YARRA. The convoy was dispersed on the 27th.

Convoy BS.17 departed Suez. Sloops CLIVE and HINDUSTAN joined the convoy on the 25th. The sloops were detached that night. Sloops FLAMINGO and RAN YARRA joined the convoy. The convoy was dispersed on 3 March.

NZ manned CL LEANDER joined a convoy en route from Colombo to Bombay.

Pacific/Australia

NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Auckland. On the 26th, the cruiser joined convoy AP 13 and escorted it to 450 miles northeast of Chatham Island. The cruiser returned to Wellington arriving on 2 March

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 24 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 25 FEBRUARY 1941

Weather Fine.

0748-0821 hrs Air raid alert for six ME 109 fighters which approach and circle the Island. Malta fighters are scrambled; no engagement,

0930 hrs Two Dornier 215s are shot down by fighters. One Malta fighter crashes (cause unknown) but the pilot is saved.

1204-1220 hrs Air raid alert for two ME 109 fighters which cross the coast… no engagement

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 24 FEBRUARY 1941

AIR HQ Departures 2 Sunderland.

KALAFRANA One Sunderland left for Middle East. One Sunderland left for Gibraltar with passengers and mail.

LUQA 148 SquadronNine Wellingtons bombing raid on Tripoli. Flying Officer Green's aircraft failed to return

February 24 Monday
WESTERN FRONT: Overnight, the German-held port of Brest, France, is bombed by 57 Avro Manchesters of RAF Bomber Command 207 Squadron from Waddington, Lincolnshire. This is the operational debut of the Manchester, the forerunner to the better-known Avro Lancaster.


An open air meeting was held on Amsterdam's Noordermarkt to organize a strike to protest against the recent pogrom as well as the forced labour in Germany. The Communist Party of the Netherlands, made illegal by the Germans, printed and spread a call to strike throughout the city the next morning.


Admiral Darlan names his Cabinet, including General Huntziger as Minister of War.


NORTH AMERICA: Omar Bradley was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general.


The results of a Gallup poll were published asking Americans, "Do you think the United States should try to keep Japan from seizing the Dutch East Indies and Singapore?" 56% said yes, 24% said no, 20% expressed no opinion. A different version of the question asked, "Do you think the United States should risk war with Japan, if necessary, in order to keep Japan from taking the Dutch East Indies and Singapore?" 46% said no, 39% said yes, 15% gave no opinion.


NORTH AFRICA: Italian ship "Sabbia", damaged by an unsuccessful attack by British submarine HMS "Ursula" three days prior, nearly made it to Tripoli, Libya when she was intercepted and sunk by British submarine HMS "Regent".


Rommel has deployed 3 Italian divisions and part of German 5th Light Division to Sirte on the Libyan coast, 150 West of the Allied defenses at El Agheila, to block any further Allied advances and conduct reconnaissance raids "to acquaint the British with the arrival of the German force". Reconnaissance elements of the German 5th Light Division with tanks, armored cars, and motorcycles ambushed a British and Australian patrol west of El Agheila, Libya, taking 3 prisoners.


Three German He 111 bombers attacked British destroyers HMS "Dainty" and HMS "Hasty" in Tobruk harbor, Libya at 1900 hours. HMS "Dainty" was sunk by a 500kg bomb, killing 16.


4 Motor Machine Gun Company passed through Cubcol. Armoured car patrols moved ahead of the column and reported a road block at the entrance to the Mescelit Pass.


RAF attacked Tripoli with Wellington bombers flying from Malta.


ATLANTIC OCEAN: 300 miles south of Iceland, German submarine U-107 sank British ship HMS "Manistee", killing the entire crew of 141, after a chase since the previous day. German submarines U-95 and U-96 and Italian submarine "Bianchi" attacked convoy OB-288 (now dispersed and unescorted), which HMS "Manistee" was a part of, sinking 7 merchant ships before dawn. Most crews drown, although all 41 men from SS "Waynegate" take to the lifeboats and are picked up by Free French destroyer "Léopard". In the same area, U-97 sinks 3 British steamers in convoy OB-289 (most crews rescued by corvette HMS "Petunia") and damages Norwegian tanker "G.C. Brøvig", which loses its bow but is towed to Stornoway by HMS "Petunia".


GERMANY: Hitler gave a speech in Munich on the 21st anniversary of the founding of the Nazi Party declaring that the U-boat offensive would intensify in the coming months.


UNITED KINGDOM: Luftwaffe conducts night raid against Cambridge.

.

25 February 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
81' Experiemental type Motor torpedo boats PT-7, PT-8

PT 7 after she had transferred to the RCN and had been reclasdsified as B-118
brif history notes (PT-7)
Laid down 29 March 1940 asPT-7by the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia
Launched 31 October 1940
Completed 25 February 1941
Transferred to the Royal Navy and reclassifiedHM MTB-271in April 1941
Transfer to the Royal Navy canceled, transferred instead to the Royal Canadian Air Force, namedRCAF Banoskik (M 408)and used as aHigh Speed Rescue Launchat Eastern Air Command, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
ReclassifiedB-118
Returned to U.S. custody in 1945
Sunk as a target in April 1945.
(PT8 similar)

Allied
Motor Launch ML151
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Flower Class Corvette HMS NIGELLA (K 19)


Losses
Naval whaler SARNA (RN 268 grt) of the 142nd MSW Gp was sunk on a mine in the Suez Canal. The Skipper of the whaler was able to beach his ship clear of the channel. One rating was missing and one crewman was injured

Escorting convoy FN.417, Hunt Class DD HMS EXMOOR (i) (RN 1000 grt) was sunk. On 23 February she was deployed with HMS SHEARWATER to escort a convoy from the Thames to Methil. The convoy was attacked by E-boats as it passed Lowestoft on 25 February. EXMOOR suffered an explosion aft, suffering major structural damage and rupturing a fuel supply line. A fire soon broke out which spread rapidly. EXMOOR capsized and sank in 10 mins. The survivors were picked up by SHEARWATER and the trawler COMMANDER EVANS, and were taken to Yarmouth. EXMOOR. Admiralty accounts state the EXMOOR had struck a mine and sunk, whilst the above the German account. It is generally accepted these days that the german account is accurate. There were only 32 survivors out of a complement of more than 135.



Sailing barge GLOBE (UK 54 grt) was sunk on a mine 6100 yards 79° from Garrison Pt, Sheerness. Two crew were lost.

UBOATS
Departures

Kiel: UA

At Sea 25 February 1941

U-46, U-47 , U-48, U-69, U-70, U-73, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-99, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA.

18 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea

DKM TBs ILTIS and JAGUAR laid minefield AUGSBURG A off Eastbourne


Northern Waters

BB QUEEN ELIZABETH departed Scapa Flow escort DDs NAPIER, NIZAM, BEDOUIN, MATABELE for gun and full power trials. She arrived back later in the day.

Turbine defects developed in the BB on the 27th. These were repaired and trials were completed on 14 March.


DD BRILLIANT departed Scapa Flow for Portsmouth to undergo repairs prior to transferring to the Western Approaches Command . DD MENDIP arrived at Scapa Flow from the Tyne to complete work up after repairs.

West Coast

Convoy OG.54 departed Liverpool, escorted by DD LINCOLN. DDs KEPPEL, SHIKARI, VENOMOUS, sloop ROCHESTER, corvettes DIANELLA, KINGCUP, LA MALOUINE, SUNFLOWER, ASW yacht PHILANTE joined the convoy on the 26th. Corvette COREOPSIS joined on the 27th. Corvette KINGCUP was detached on the 27th and corvette COREOPSIS on the 28th. On 2 March, yacht PHILANTE and corvettes DIANELLA and SUNFLOWER were detached. Destroyers KEPPEL and VENOMOUS were detached on 3 March. On 4 March, destroyers LINCOLN and SHIKARI were detached. On 6 March, NL submarine O.21 joined the convoy escort, and arrived at Gibraltar on 14 March with sloop ROCHESTER, FNFL corvette LA MALOUINE, the Dutch submarine.

SW Approaches



Med/Biscay
In Operation ABSTENTION and Operation MAR 2, a special assault force of 500 men were embarked on DDs DECOY and HEREWARD at Suda Bay. The main garrison for Castelelorizo was embarked in armed boarding vessel ROSAURA, which departed Alexandria on the 23rd for Famagusta (Cyprus). Gunboat LADYBIRD departed Famagusta late on the 23rd. Sub PARTHIAN acted as a beacon for the landing.

After an attack on the island during the night of 24/25 February, DDs DECOY and HEREWARD landed the commandoes before dawn on the 25th. However, 8 of the 10 boats from HEREWARD lost their bearings and returned to DD DECOY. They were later landed in daylight. Gunboat LADYBIRD arrived at daylight on the 25th and landed a party of 24 Marines. This operation was covered by CLA BONAVENTURE and CL GLOUCESTER. Gunboat LADYBIRD was damaged by a bomb hit during the morning while in harbour.

The Marines from LADYBIRD were reembarked on the gunboat. The gunboat then proceeded to Famagusta, Cyprus. The attempt to take the island was unsuccessful, due to delays of armed boarding vessel ROSAURA.

In response to the landing, RM DDs SELLA and CRISPI and TBs LUPO and LINCE took on 240 men at Rhodes and left for Castelorizzo.

During the night of 25/26 February, DD HEREWARD contacted the RN TBs, but tried to concentrate with DD DECOY before attacking. DD DECOY, escorting ROSAURA, did not make contact. DD HEREWARD lost touch with the Italian ships and made no attack.

RM TB LUPO arrived at Castelorizzo soon after 0001hrs on the 26 February and entered the harbour. However, a storm blew up before disembarkation had progressed very far.

At 0230 on the 26th, the British ships involved in ABSTENTION were ordered to return to Alexandria. CL GLOUCESTER, CLA BONAVENTURE, DD DECOY arrived at Alexandria at 2000hrs on the 26th. DD HEREWARD and armed boarding vessel ROSAURA arrived on the 27th. The unlanded garrison on ROSAURA was transferred to DDs DECOY and HEREWARD. DDs HOTSPUR and RAN VAMPIRE departed Alexandria for Port Said to escort convoy AN.16. British troopship ULSTER PRINCE also departed Alexandria for Port Said to embark military personnel for Greece and Crete.

British tanker TYNEFIELD was damaged by German bombing at Tobruk. One crewman was lost. The forecastle of the tanker was wrecked. TYNEFIELD, escorted by ASW trawler WOLBOROUGH, arrived at Alexandria on 6 March. After repairs, the tanker sailed for Aden on 30 June.

Central Atlantic
BC RENOWN and CV ARK ROYAL arrived at Gibraltar, escort DDs FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE, FORTUNE, after escorting convoys in the Atlantic. The DDs had departed Gibraltar on the 22nd to escort the BC and CV.

Malta

AIR RAIDS DAWN 25 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 26 FEBRUARY 1941

Weather Fine.

0705-0721 hrs Air raid alert for two ME 109 fighters which cross the coast and are engaged by guns of Tigne fort

0819-0824 hrs Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.

0930-1019 hrs Air raid alert for four Dornier 215 bombers, one Heinkel 111 bomber and a large formation of ME 109s which cross the Island. Malta fighters are scrambled and shoot down two Dornier 215s confirmed and one probable. Anti-aircraft guns also claim one bomber hit. One Hurricane makes a forced landing in the sea four miles off Delimara due to engine trouble; the pilot is picked up safely. No bombs are dropped on the Island.

1220-1254 hrs Air raid alert for two ME 109s which cross the coast; engaged by guns at Fort Delimara.

1315-1420 hrs Air raid alert for a small formation of ME 109 fighters which machine gun flying boats in St Paul's Bay.

1530-1610 hrs Air raid alert for four ME 109 fighters approaching the Island. Malta fighters are scrambled and engage the raiders. Ack Ack guns also open fire.

AIR HQ Arrivals Glenn Martin Maryland. Departures 1 Whitley. Glenn Martin Maryland arrive direct from the UK having flown overland by night.

LUQA 69 Squadron One Maryland arrived from the UK.

February 25 Tuesday
MEDITERRANEAN: In Greece, The King, Prime Minister, and military commanders confer in Athens regarding situation on the front in Albania


Oblt. Müncheberg of 7./JG 26 claims a Hurricane destroyed.


British submarine HMS "Upright" attacked an Italian convoy 45 miles off Sfax, Tunisia at 0343 hours, sinking Italian cruiser "Armando Diaz"; 464 were killed, 147 survived. The convoy was traveling from Naples, Italy to Tripoli, Libya.


WESTERN FRONT: JG 51's Kommodore, Major Mölders, downs a Spitfire of RAF No. 611 Squadron, his fifty-ninth kill.


The February Strike: In occupied Amsterdam, a general strike began in response to increasing anti-Jewish measures instituted by the Nazi occupation administration. The Strike was a general strike organized in the Netherlands against the anti-Jewish measures and activities of the Nazis. Its direct causes were the pogroms held by the Germans in the Jewish neighborhood of Amsterdam. It was the first direct action undertaken against the anti-Jewish measures of the Nazis in occupied Europe, and it was carried out by non-Jews. The first to strike were the city's tram drivers, followed by other city services as well as companies like De Bijenkorf and schools. Though the Germans immediately took measures to suppress the strike, which had grown spontaneously as other workers followed the example of the tram drivers, it still spread to other areas, including Zaanstad, Kennemerland in the west, Bussum, Hilversum and Utrecht in the east and the south.


GERMANY: German battleship "Tirpitz" was commissioned to Kapitän zur See Friedrich Karl Topp.


RAF Bomber Command sends 80 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf overnight.


NORTH AFRICA: Operation Canvas. Nigerian Brigade of the 11th African Division has advanced 220 miles along the coast road from Jilib in 2 days. They take Mogadishu, the capital of Italian Somaliland, unopposed and capture 400,000 gallons of fuel and other stores left behind by the fleeing Italians. Meanwhile the 12th African Division pushes up the river Juba in Italian Somaliland towards the Abyssinian border town of Dolo.


The 4 Motor Machine Gun Company continued the advance until the leading elements came under pack artillery fire when approaching the Mescelit Pass. The advanced Battalion Headquarters and two companies 4/16 Punjab reached the area behind the Motor Machine Gun Company in the evening. C Company 1st Royal Sussex (Cubcol) moved back for the defence of Chelamet. The remaining two companies of 4/16 Punjab were still at Mersa Taclai and on the line of communication. One section was detailed for work on the road and pier at Mersa Taclai.


ATLANTIC OCEAN: British destroyer HMS "Exmoor" (escorting convoy FN417 from the Thames estuary to Methil, Scotland) hits a mine or is torpedoed by German motor torpedo boat S-30. A fuel line ruptures, igniting HMS "Exmoor" which sinks 12 miles off Lowestoft on the East coast of England (105 killed, 32 survivors picked up by sloop HMS "Shearwater" and trawler "Commander Evans").


EASTERN EUROPE: In Russia, Viktor Abakumov was named the NKVD deputy commissar.


ASIA: Foreign Minister Matsuoka demands Japanese control of Oceania.


UNITED KINGDOM: Twenty-five German bombers attacked Hull from 1955 to 2320 hours. They dropped twenty-five tonnes of HE (fifty-two bombs) and 3,888 IBs. Bombing was mainly visual and several small fires were reported in the docks area. There was damage to houses and casualties at Hull - although the Humber Estuary was visited on three nights, very little damage was done there. An engine was however derailed there and three railway lines, including the main line at Hull were temporarily blocked.

.