This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

March 21 Friday
MEDITERRANEAN: Operation Lustre : The Danish tanker "Marie Maersk" from convoy AN.21 was damaged by two Ju 88s from LG 1 and towed to Piraeus (later sunk there in April by He-111s). Lt. C. G. Hill, RANR, of HMAS "Warehen", boarded the bombed and burning Danish tanker, after the vessel had been abandoned by her crew north of Crete. Hill directed a party of sailors from the destroyer in extinguishing the fires and steamed the tanker to Suda Bay, despite the presence of enemy aircraft. Lt. Hill was awarded the OBE for outstanding courage and leadership.

With failure of the Italian offensive on the Italo-Greek Front, Mussolini departs Albania for Rome.

NORTH AFRICA: The Siege of Giarabub ended in Allied victory. After laying siege to the Italian garrison at Giarabub in southeastern Libya for the past three months, Australian forces finally gathered enough strength to begin a large scale assault. The Australians used many hand-grenades clearing dugouts and soon ran out. Some of the Australians had apparently been ordered to take no prisoners and were reluctant to advance, when it became clear that few Italians intended not to fight on. The Australians were ordered to encourage the Italians to surrender and by 0726 hours, the 2/9th Battalion had occupied the first four knolls. At 1125 hours, the 2/9th Battalion advanced into the town and found the mosque intact. By midday the Australians had entered the fort and ended the siege. After just 2 days the Australians withdrew from Giarabub, because of the Italo-German advance on El-Agheila.

Nigerian Brigade of British 11th African Division attacked Italian defenses at Marda Pass east of Hadew in eastern Abyssinia at 1200 hours. Italian defenses held off the attacks for hours before falling back after sundown.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German battlecruisers "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" were detected by aircraft of the British Coastal Command. They were met by friendly aircraft at 1900 hours, escorting them as they headed for Brest, France.

German submarine U-105 attacked Allied convoy SL-68 500 miles west of Cap Blanc, French West Africa at 0046 hours, sinking British ships "Clan Ogilvy" (61 killed, 24 survived) and "Benwyvis" (34 killed, 21 survived). At 2200 hours, U-105 attacked the same convoy again, sinking British ship "Jhelum" (8 killed, 49 survivors). The survivors landed in French West Africa and were taken as prisoners of war by Vichy French authorities.

UNITED KINGDOM: The cargo ship "Halo" struck a mine and sank in the River Thames at Beckton, London with the loss of four crew. She was later refloated and beached at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.

168 German aircraft attacked British shipping off various ports in England. Minesweeping trawler HMT "Asama" was sunk near Plymouth. The cargo ship "London II" was bombed and damaged in the Bristol Channel by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of four of her eighteen crew. She sank 6 nautical miles (11 km) south of Mumbles Head, Glamorgan. "London II" was on a voyage from Manchester, Lancashire to Cardiff, Glamorgan. The coaster "Millisle" was bombed and sunk in the Bristol Channel 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) off the Helwick Lightship by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of ten crew. She was on a voyage from Cardiff to Cork.

NORTH AMERICA: George Murray was named the commanding officer of USS "Enterprise".

"Tatsuta Maru" departed San Francisco, California, United States. Among the passengers was German Army General Werner Thiel.

GERMANY: Hungarian Foreign Minister László Bárdossy met with Hitler and Joachim von Ribbentrop in Munich to discuss the Balkan situation.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 66 aircraft to attack U-boat base at Lorient overnight.

ASIA: Battle of Shangkao: Japanese 11th Army captures Shangchichia.

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Havent said it in while Chris, but amazing pics, and the text aint half bad either

21 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS DAHLIA (K 59)
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Shakespeare Class ASW Trawler HMS FLUELLEN (T157)
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MSW MMS-1
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Losses
Steamer LONDON II (UK 1260grt) was sunk by the LW. Four crew were lost on the steamer. The steamer was abandoned on fire and sank six miles off Mumbles Head (in the Bristol Channel).
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Steamer MILLISLE (UK 617 grt) enroute from Cardiff to Cork with a full load of coal was sunk by the LW two miles east of Helwick in the , Bristol Channel, with the loss of 9 crew and one gunner.


U.105 made attacks on convoy SL.68.

Steamer CLAN OGILVY (UK 5802 grt) was sunk whilst enroute from Chittagong to Glasgow via Freetown, with a complement of 82 and a mixed cargo including pig iron, nuts and tea. At 0046 hrs, U-105 attacked convoy SL-68 182 miles 350° from St. Antonio Island, Cape Verde Islands and sank the CLAN OGILVY and BENWYVIS. 61 crew were lost or killed. There were 21 survivors that were picked up by Spanish steamer CABO VILLANO and British steamer KING EDGAR, and and landed at Santos.


Steamer BENWYVIS (UK 5920 grt) was sunk whilst enroute from Rangoon to Liverpool via Durban and Freetown, with a complement of 55. She was transporting 3500 tons of rice, 500 tons of lead, 1100 tons of timber and 150 tons of wolfram. She was sunk at the same time in the same circumstances as the CLAN OGILVY. There were 21 survivors, picked up by the KING EDGAR and landed at Freetown. Thirty three crew and one gunner were lost from steamer BENWYVIS. A cadet, sole survivor of 34 men in a boat, was picked up by French steamer VILLE DE ROUEN (5083grt) and landed at Madagascar after being in the lifeboat for twenty eight days.


Steamer JHELUM (UK 4038 grt) was sunk by U-105 of the West African Coast. She was sunk whilst enroute from Izmir (Turkey) to Oban via Capetown and Freetown, with a crew of 57. She was transporting a mixed cargo when lost including including 1400 tons of borax and 1553 tons of figs when lost. At 2159 hrs the JHELUM was hit and sunk about 500 miles west of Cabo Blanco, French West Africa. Eight crew members were lost. The master, 47 crew members and one gunner landed at St. Louis, Senegal and were interned by the Vichy French authorities. It is not known when and how many were repatriated


UBOATS
At Sea 21 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-69, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-551

12 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
British steamer HALO was damaged on a mine in the Thames, with the loss of 4 crew. The steamer did sink however the vessel was raised and repaired at Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.

Northern Patrol
AMC DERBYSHIRE departed the Clyde carrying troops to Reykjavik. On the 22nd, DDs TARTAR and GURKHA departed Scapa Flow to meet her 19 miles 270° from Cape Wrath and escort her to 17W. The DDs then detached and carried out an ASW search before returning to Scapa Flow.

Northern Waters
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at noon to meet convoy WN.1 in the Pentland Firth and cover it until dark. The ship then covered convoy EN.89. At noon on the 22nd, CURACOA then transferred to convoy WN.2. On the 23rd, the ship then covered convoy EN.90. On the 24th, ship CURACOA parted company with convoy EN.90 in Pentland Firth and returned to Scapa Flow arriving in the late morning.

SW Approaches
CVE ARGUS, CL SHEFFIELD, depot ship MAIDSTONE, and troopship HIGHLAND MONARCH escort RAN DDs NAPIER and NIZAM, departed the Clyde for Gibraltar. The ships arrived at Gibraltar on the 29th.

Channel
RN MSW trawler ASAMA was sunk by the LW at Plymouth. The trawler was beached at Torpoint. She was raised and repaired

Med/Biscay
CV ARK ROYAL in the Bay of Biscay lost an aircraft in an operational accident, when a Swordfish of the 818 Sqn with A/Sub Lt (A) P. E. Opdall, P/T/Sub Lt (A) C. R. Hearn RNVR, and Leading Airman B. C. Biggs crashed on taking off. The depth charges carried by the a/c exploded under the ship, but did not causing some damage to the hull The crew of the aircraft were lost.

Convoy AS.21 of three Greek ships departed Piraeus escort corvette SALVIA and RHN DD VASILEVS GEORGIOS I and one other Greek DD. The convoy was attacked in the Aegean SE of Gavdo Island by 17 Ju-88 from I and II LG/1 based in Nth Africa, which had been tasked to interrupt the flow of supplies to Greece and Crete. Steamer EMBIRICOS NICOLAOS (Gk 3798 grt) was sunk by the LW from this convoy, with the loss of 2 crew.


Tkr SOLHEIM (Nor 8070 grt) was badly damaged by the LW from this convoy as well, with the loss of 1 crew member. The tanker was abandoned on the 23rd and sank sometime during the night of 23/24 March.
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The survivors from both ships were picked up by the second Greek destroyer which took them back to Piraeus. The convoy arrived at Alexandria late on the 24th.

Convoy ASF.21 of British BRECONSHIRE, CHAKLA, and two other British ships, three Greek, and two other steamers departed Piraeus late on the 21st escorted by RAN DD VOYAGER and RN DD WRYNECK. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 23rd.

Nth Atlantic
U-69 was depth charged for several hours by two convoy escorts from an inbound convoy from Halifax

HX.116 departed Halifax, escort AMC AUSONIA. BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN was with the convoy from 23 to 31 March. The AMC r was detached on 4 April. On 4 April, DDs AMBUSCADE, BULLDOG, and VANQUISHER and corvettes CAMPANULA, FREESIA, HEARTSEASE, and PIMPERNEL, and ASW trawler ST APOLLO reinforced the convoy .WINCHELSEA joined on 5 April and DD WHITEHALL and corvette ORCHIS joined on 6 April. Corvette ORCHIS was detached on 7 April. The escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 9 April.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
DD KINGSTON departed Port Sudan escorting steamer RATNAGIRI with 300 Free French troops for Mersa Taclai, arriving on the 22nd.

Malta

parsifal said:

Havent said it in while Chris, but amazing pics, and the text aint half bad either

Click to expand...

You're not doing so bad yourself. Giving depth to some of what I'm posting.

March 22 Saturday
MEDITERRANEAN: Over Malta, ten Ju 88s with an escort of twelve Bf 109s are bounced by eight Hurricanes from RAF No 261 Squadron. Seven of the British fighters are shot down including two for Oblt. Mietusch of 7./JG 26.

Operation Lustre : Convoy AS.21 en route between Piraeus, Greece and Alexandria, Egypt was again attacked by Axis aircraft. Three S.79s and two S.79 Sil. (silurante=torpedo) bombers along with German Ju 88 aircraft of III./KG 30 attacked the Allied convoy near Kupho Island. One of the torpedo bombers hit and sunk one ship, the Greek ship "Embiricos Nicolaos" (3,798 tons - 2 killed) and damaging Norwegian tanker "Solheim" (8,070 tons - 1 killed). Survivors were rescued by a Royal Hellenic Navy destroyer.

New Zealand 6th Infantry Brigade arrived at Athens by sea from Egypt.

An Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian torpedo boats "Procione", "Orione", and "Orsa".

WESTERN FRONT: Britain agreed to allow American ships to deliver emergency flour to Vichy France. Two American ships deliver grain after they are allowed to pass through British blockade

Vichy French President Philippe Pétain signed a bill to construct a trans-Saharan railway, which was to be built by prisoners of war and Jews.

German battlecruisers "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" were met by friendly destroyers at 0300 hours as they approached Brest, France. They docked shortly after 0700 hours, ending Operation Berlin. As well as dispersing convoys they found, the battlecruisers have sunk a total to 22 ships of 115,600 tons. Considerable disruption to the British convoy system has been caused.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German armed merchant cruiser "Kormoran" stopped empty British tanker "Agnita" with shellfire in the Mid-Atlantic about halfway between Brazil and British West Africa. After capturing the crew, the Germans sank "Agnita" with demolition charges, nine 105mm shells, and one torpedo.

UNITED KINGDOM: The first production Beaufighter IIF fighter (R2270) with 1,280 hp Merlin XX engines was completed.

Edward Heath, the future British Prime Minister (1970-1974), was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Regiment of Artillery.

NORTH AFRICA: British and Indian troops continued to hold Fort Dologorodoc in Eritrea, Italian East Africa despite repeated Italian counterattacks and shelling. Elsewhere, in Abyssinia, Italian troops declared Harar an open city. British troops overran the Italians in Babille Pass.

ASIA: Battle of Shangkao: Japanese 11th Army attacking around Shangkao.

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22 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type IXc U-126

24 ships sunk, total tonnage 111,564 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 450 tons (lost aboard transport ships)
5 ships damaged, total tonnage 37,501 GRT
2 ships a total loss, total tonnage 14,173 GRT

Sunk on 3 July 1943 in the Nth Atlantic NW of Cape Ortegal, Spain, , by depth charges from a Coastal Command Wellington of 172 Sqn RAF). 55 dead (all hands lost).

Type VIIc U-201


U-123 und U-201 at Lorient, 8 June 1941
9 ships sunk, total tonnage 34,615 GRT
4 ships damaged, total tonnage 35,427 GRT

Sunk at 0030hrs on 2 June 1943 in the Nth Atlantic SE of Cape Farewell, by depth charges and gunfire from the British sloop HMS STARLING. 18 dead and 30 survivors.

Allied
HDML 1028, MSW MM=15
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Losses
Tkr AGNITA (UK 3552 grt) was sunk by DKM raider KORMORAN of the Azores, whilst enropute from from Freetown to Caripito (a port in Venezuela) in ballast. The entire crew was taken prisoner.


Steamer ST FINTAN (UK 495 grt) was sunk by the LW seven miles NNW of Smalls. The crew of nine were all lost.
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UBOATS
Arrivals
Kiel: U-20

Departures
Lorient; U-52

At Sea 22 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-551

12 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
West Coast
DD BELMONT, which departed Liverpool on the 21st, was damaged in a collision with an unknown steamer fifteen miles northwest of Chicken Rock, the Isle of Man. The DD was repaired at Liverpool completing on 24 July.

Western Approaches
U-48 was depth charged and suffered damage as a result by RN DDs.

Channel
During the night of 22/23 March, DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, and IMPULSIVE, escorted by DDs FERNIE, TYNEDALE, and CLEVELAND, laid minefield GN in theEnglish Channel.

Norwegian steamer INGER was damaged by the LW ten miles south of Smalls. The steamer arrived at Plymouth on the 23rd.

British steamer DASHWOOD was damaged by the LW in Barrow Deep.

DKM BCs GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST were met at sea by TBs ILTIS and JAGUAR on the 22nd. They arrived in Brest after sinking 22 ships of 115,662grt in the North and Central Atlantic.


BC SCHARNHORST at Brest after her arrival March 22

DDs KELLY, KIPLING, KASHMIR, and JACKAL, en route from Londonderry to Gibraltar, to escort damaged BB MALAYA, were ordered to the area of Brest in an attempt to intercept the DKM BCs heading for the French Port. No contact was made and the DDs returned to Plymouth.

Med/Biscay
Convoy AN.22 of eight British and one Greek ship departed Alexandria escort RAN DD VENDETTA and sloop GRIMSBY. CLA COVENTRY and DD HEREWARD joined the escort on the 24th. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 25th.

DDs FEARLESS, FORESTER, VELOX, and WRESTLER departed Gibraltar to escort CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN to Gibraltar, where they arrived on the 24th.

RM BB VENETO was transferred from Spezia to Naples.

Submarine RORQUAL arrived at Malta to embark mines for an operation NW of Sicily. The submarine departed Malta that evening on the operation.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
Tug CHABOOL (UK 58 grt) departed Aden on the 15th for Berbera, but never arrived. The tug was presumed to be sunk.
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Malta

March 23 Sunday
NORTH AFRICA: Australian troops captured Giarabub in southeastern Libya. The commander of the Italian garrison, Lieutenant Colonel Castagna, was captured and would spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war in India.

South African 2nd Division arrived in the recently recaptured Berbera, British Somaliland by sea. In Abyssinia, Nigerian Brigade of British 11th African Division advanced 36 miles toward Addis Ababa to Babile Pass, where they were paused for several hours by Italian defensive positions.

German vessel "Oder" and Italian vessel "India" departed Massawa and attempted to escape to Indian Ocean.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: A total of 59,141 tons of British shipping was lost the previous week, primarily in the North Atlantic where German U-Boats were marauding at will. German submarine U-110 fired a spread of three torpedoes at Norwegian ship "Siremalm" 200 miles southwest of Iceland at 0427 hours. One torpedo hit but failed to explode, while the other two missed. U-110 next attempted to attack with her deck gun, but a crewman had forgotten to remove the water plug from the gun, causing it to explode, wounding three men and causing some damage.

British anti-submarine trawler HMT "Visenda" sank German submarine U-551 in the North Atlantic, killing the entire crew of 45.

German submarine U-97 sank British tanker "Chama" 600 miles west of Land's End, England, at 2326 hours, killing the entire crew of 59.

MEDITERRANEAN: Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian torpedo boats "Circe", "Clio", "Castore", "Calliope", "Centauro", and "Pegaso". Greek submarine "Triton" attacked the Italian convoy 20 miles east of Brindisi, Italy. The transport "Carnia" was damaged. She would be towed to Brindisi where she intended to receive repairs, but she would ultimately be lost.

Heavy Luftwaffe raids on Malta. Ju 87 Stukas with fighter escort carried out the raid on Malta as 13 Stukas were shot down (2 RAF fighters were lost in air combat). A small British relief convoy reached Malta, but two of the ships were bombed by German planes while unloading. The quantity of supplies actually delivered to the Island's defenders was meager. Following the heavy raids, British HQ decides to withdraw RAF bomber squadrons from the island.

GERMANY: Erwin Rommel departed Europe for Libya.

RAF Bomber Command sends 35 aircraft to attack Berlin, 31 aircraft to attack Kiel and 26 aircraft to attack Hannover overnight.

EASTERN EUROPE: Anti-Axis demonstrations were held in Yugoslavia.

ASIA: Battle of Shangkao: Japanese 11th Army attacking around Shangkao.

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March 24 Monday

NORTH AFRICA: Rommel, returned to Libya after a series of meetings in Germany and Italy, launched his attack on the British, starting at Marsa-el-Brega at 0600 hours and continuing out towards Tobruk. Australian troops on the front line destroyed a leading German armored car, but they were soon overwhelmed by German tanks. El Agheila (the furthest point of the British advance against the Italians) was recaptured from the British by Rommel's forces. British 2nd Armored Division fell back 30 miles to Marsa Brega. General O'Connor and his experienced desert troops have been withdrawn to Greece and General Neame has been left to hold Libya with the under strength and inexperienced 2nd Armored Division, 9th Australian Division and an Indian Brigade. The tanks available are mostly old and more or less worn out. Collectively the Allied units have neither the desert experience of O'Connor's veterans nor the professionalism of Rommel's troops. Rommel has one German division, 5th Light, with a strong tank component and parts of four Italian divisions. Rommel has been forbidden to attack by the German High Command and has been told that he will receive no extra forces. The Luftwaffe supports his attack with air strikes on Benghazi.

German and Italian ships continued to leave Massawa, Eritrea, Italian East Africa ahead of Allied advances, while Allied warships attempted to intercept them. British sloop HMS "Shoreham" intercepted German ship "Oder", which was scuttled by her own crew to prevent capture. British Royal Navy aircraft detected Italian freighter "India"; to prevent capture by British warships that were sure to come, the crew entered the port of Assab nearby.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-97 sank Norwegian ship "Hørda" 750 miles west of Land's End, England, at 1643 hours, killing the entire crew of 30.

Italian submarine "Veniero" sank British ship "Agnete Maersk" in the Atlantic Ocean, killing the entire crew.

German submarine U-106 sank British ship "Eastlea" 40 miles east of Boa Vista, Cape Verde Islands, killing the entire crew of 37.

EASTERN EUROPE: It was announced that the Soviet Union had given Turkey an assurance that the USSR would stay neutral if Turkey found herself in conflict with a third power.

GERMANY: The RAF conducted its first bombing raid on Berlin, Germany for the year.

MEDITERRANEAN: Italian 11th Army conducts final unsuccessful attack against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura.

At Malta, Convoy MW 6 arrives from Egypt without being sighted by enemy forces.

WESTERN FRONT: German troops on parade in the city of Cherbourg have their show spoiled when British bombers hit the parade ground in the middle of the event.

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23 MARCH 1941
Losses
U.97 sank tkr CHAMA (UK 8077grt) whilst she was on passage to New York in the SW Approaches. The entire crew of 59 from the tkr were lost. At 2326 hrs the CHAMA, a straggler from OG-56, was torpedoed and sunk by U-97 WSW of Fastnet.


Trawler ELMIRA (UK 197 grt) was sunk by LW attacks in the Western Approaches. There was just one survivor and 10 other crew lost.
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NZ manned CL LEANDER captured steamer CHARLES L. D. (Vichy 5267 grt) between Mauritius and Madagascar. The steamer was taken to Mauritius.
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UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-52

At Sea 23 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-551

11 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
ML TEVIOTBANK, escort patrol sloop KITTIWAKE and FNFL TB LA MELPOMENE, laid minefield BS.52 off the east coast.

Northern Waters
BB NELSON, CL NIGERIA, and DDs BOADICEA, ACTIVE, and ESCAPADE arrived at Scapa Flow. BB QUEEN ELIZABETH and DDs INGLEFIELD, ECHO, ELECTRA, and ESKIMO separately arrived at Scapa Flow.

DDs ARROW and ECLIPSE, which called at Lough Foyle to refuel, arrived at Scapa Flow later at 1145 and 1900, respectively.

CLA DIDO arrived at Scapa Flow after repairs and stiffening. DD ECHO departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to clean boilers. The DD arrived on the 24th.

DDs LIDDESDALE, AVON VALE, and QUANTOCK departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to meet battleship PRINCE OF WALES during her passage to the Pentland Firth for trials.

West Coast
OB.301 departed Liverpool, escort DDs BURWELL, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN, sloop FLEETWOOD, corvettes ARABIS and MALLOW, and ASW trawler NORTHERN WAVE. The corvettes were detached on the 26th. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 27th.


DD RICHMOND, which departed Londonderry on the 23rd for Liverpool, was grounded off Benbena Head at Holyhead. She was temporarily repaired at Holyhead to 28 March. She was then taken to Southampton for repairs completed 28 May.

DD LEWES was damaged by the near miss by LW a/c. The DD spent no time out of service.

The pilot of a Gladiator of 759 Sqn was killed when the a/c crashed landed east of Camelford (in Cornwall while returning from gunnery practices.

Western Approaches
British trawler SAMURAI was damaged by the LW 30 miles NNW of St Kilda.

SW Approaches
CL KENYA joined convoy HG.56 for support.

Med/Biscay
Italian steamers CARNIA, ANNA CAPANO, VESTA, and MONSTELLA departed Bari for Durazzo on the 22nd escorted by TB CASTELFIDARO. Greek sub TRITON damaged steamer CARNIA, thirty miles NE of Brindisi. The submarine unsuccessfully attacked ANNA CAPANO.

A Fulmar of 806 Sqn from CAG taken from CV ILLUSTRIOUS, and flying into Maleme, crashed on landing. The crew were uninjured.

Nth Atlantic
U.110 damaged Norwegian steamer SIREMALM in the Nth Atlantic. The 105mm deck gun of U-110 burst, killing 3 men.

Central Atlantic
SL.69 departed Freetown escorted by AMC ARAWA to 14 April, CL MAURITIUS to 5 April, corvettes CLEMATIS and CYCLAMEN to 29 March, and FNFL sloop COMMANDANT DOMINE to 14 April. BC REPULSE was with the convoy on 27 to 30 March. AMC BULOLO was with the convoy on 28 and 29 March. REPULSE was joined by CVL FURIOUS and DDs DUNCAN and FOXHOUND on the 27th. CL EDINBURGH, which departed Gibraltar on 2 April, escorted the convoy from 5 to 14 April. On 14 April, DDs ROXBOROUGH and SHERWOOD, sloop WESTON, and corvettes CLARKIA and GLADIOLUS joined the convoy. On 15 April, DDs SALADIN and SALISBURY joined. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 16 April. rials.

Pacific/Australia
Italian sloop ERITREA and AMC RAMB II arrived at Kobe.

Malta

24 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Unspecified class MSW MMS-9
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
ASW yacht WILNA (RN 461grt) was abandoned after damage from German bombing at Portsmouth. There were no casualties.
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RM sub VENIERO sank steamer AGNETE MAERSK (UK 2104 grt). AGNETE MAERSK was a Danish Cargo Steamer built in 1921 by Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun for Nord-Psterso red. as the AABENRAA. In 1924 she was acquired by A.P.Moller, Copenhagen and renamed AGNETE MAERSK SS. Put into Foynes 10 April 1940 and surrendered herself to UK control in Irish Sea off Dublin on 11 Feb 1941. In 1941 she was acquired by the Min. of Shipping, UK (Mark Whitwill & Co.), Belfast. There was no name change and the original crew remained on the ship. On the 24th March 1941 she was torpedoed by Italian sub VENIERO in the Nth Atlantic when on passage from Ardrossan for St.John NB in ballast. The ship was at that time from dispersed convoy OG.56. The entire crew was lost from the steamer.



U.97 sank steamer HORDA (Nor 4301 grt) in the SW Approaches. The ship was part of dispersed convoy OG 56, with a crew of 30, enroute empty from Liverpool to Halifax.. OG-56 a Gibraltar bound convoy (arrived there on Apr. 2), but HORDA was bound for Halifax, and had parted company with the convoy on March 20 in order to proceed to that destination. However, she did not make it to Halifax. On March 24, she was torpedoed and sunk by U-97 (Heilmann), with all 30 on board died.

"Nortraships flate" states that she had departed Liverpool in a westbound convoy that had been directed far to the south because a section of it was to head for Gibraltar, adding that the convoy was dispersed at 2000 hrs on March 23, which was also the last known position of HORDA.



U-106 sank steamer EASTLEA (UK 4267 grt) off the coast of West Africa. The vessel was on a voyage from Famagusta, Cyprus to Newport News via Table Bay , Freetown - St.Vincent, and Cape Verde, carrying Cotton Seed. She had a crew of 37 at the time of her loss. It wasn't until 30 March 1941 that the the EASTLEA was reported missing in the Nth Atlantic. The master, 33 crew members and three gunners were lost.

According to the log of U-106 at 2258 hrs on 24 March, the U-boat had observed one hit amidships on a steamer running north from a distance of 600 yards. The ship broke her back and sank within ten minutes about 130 miles WNW of San Antonia, Cape Verde Islands.

For some time the vessel concerned was thought to have been the Brazilian steam merchant SANTA CLARA (2512 tons), but this ship radioed an SOS message on 14 March from following an explosion places her well outside the operating area of U-106. The ship actually hit and sunk was more likely the EASTLEA.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type VIIc U.551 (DKM 769 grt) was sunk by ASW trawler VISENDA, operating with the Northern Patrol, south of Iceland. There were no survivors from the crew of forty five from the submarine.



Steamer NURAGHE (FI 633 grt) was lost through lost in a marine accident off Capo Pali, Valona.
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UBOATS
Departures
Lorient: U-101

At Sea 24 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124

11 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Waters
CinC Home Flt hoisted his flag on the BB NELSON. BB RODNEY departed convoy HX.114 and proceeded to Hvalfjord for refueling. DDs COSSACK, ZULU, and MAORI of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla escorted the battleship to Hvalfjord, arriving on the 24th.

West Coast
OB.302 departed Liverpool, escort DDs READING, SABRE, and VENOMOUS, sloop WELLINGTON, corvettes ALISMA, DIANELLA, and KINGCUP, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, MAN O.WAR, and NORTHERN DAWN. The convoy dispersed on the 29th.

WS.7 departed the Clyde with (mostly) troop ships and fast transports DUCHESS OF YORK, VICEROY OF INDIA, ANDES, GEORGIC, STIRLING CASTLE, DENBIGHSHIRE, JOHN VAN OLDENBARNEVELDT, DEMPO, DUCHESS OF ATHOLL, ORION, STRATHALLAN, OTRANTO, EMPRESS OF CANADA, STRATHEDEN, PASTEUR, WARWICK CASTLE, STRATHNAVER, STRATHMORE, STRATHAIRD, GLENORCHY, and ORCADES. STRATHAIRD collided with STIRLING CASTLE and returned to the Clyde. Steamer GEORGIC was detached to Halifax. The convoy was escorted by DDs WINCHELSEA, VICEROY, ROCKINGHAM, and LEOPARD on 25 and 26 March. DDs LEGION and PIORUN escorted the convoy from 24 to 26 March. DD BROADWATER escorted the convoy from 24 to 27 March. CL EDINBURGH and DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, MATABELE, and MASHONA escorted the convoy from 24 March. The DDs were detached on the 28th and the CL on the 29th. DD ST CLAIR escorted the convoy from 25 to 27 March. BB REVENGE escorted the convoy from 24 to 28 March. When detached, she took liner GEORGIC to Halifax. CLA CAIRO was with the convoy for AA protection on 25 and 26 March.

BB NELSON and DDs ARROW, ECLIPSE, and ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow on the 24th to join the convoy south of Oversay Light at noon on the 25th and escort it to Freetown. BB NELSON escorted the convoy from 25 March to 4 April.

The DDs were detached at the limit of their endurance on the 27th. The DDs carried out an ASW sweep nth and sth of Rockall returning to Scapa Flow. DDs ARROW and ECLIPSE refueled at Londonderry on the 29th en route to Scapa Flow. The DDs departed Londonderry on the 30th and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 31st.

DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, MATABELE, MASHONA, and ESKIMO arrived separately back at Scapa Flow on the 31st.

On 1 April, DDs DUNCAN and FOXHOUND joined the convoy and DDs WISHART and VIDETTE joined the convoy on 2 April. The convoy arrived at Freetown on 4 April with the four DDs. The convoy departed Freetown on 7 April escorted by BB NELSON and DDs FOXHOUND, DUNCAN, VIDETTE, and WISHART.

DDs FOXHOUND and DUNCAN were detached on 8 April. DDs VIDETTE and WISHART were detached on 9 April. BB NELSON remained with the convoy until 15 April when she was relieved by CL NEWCASTLE.

Steamers DUCHESS OF YORK, STRATHMORE, STRATHEDEN, ORION, DUCHESS OF ATHOLL, ANDES, STRATHALLAN, EMPRESS OF CANADA, ORCADES, PASTEUR, and DEMPO of the convoy arrived at Capetown on 16 April. The Durban section of steamers VICEROY OF INDIA, WARWICK CASTLE, STIRLING CASTLE, JOHAN VAN OLDENBARNEDVELDT, DENBIGHSHIRE, STRATHNAVER, OTRANTO, OTRONTES, and GLENORCHY continued escorted by light cruiser NEWCASTLE and they arrived on 19 April. CL NEWCASTLE proceeded to Simonstown. Steamer DEMPO proceeded to Durban from Capetown independently arriving on 20 April.

On 20 April, the other Capetown ships sailed escorted by CA HAWKINS. The Durban ships sailed on 23 April escorted by AMC CARTHAGE. The two groups rendezvoused on 24 April and the AMC was detached. CL GLASGOW and COLOMBO departed Mombasa and relieved heavy cruiser HAWKINS on 28 April..

At about this time and location, DUCHESS OF YORK, WARWICK CASTLE, STRATHMORE, and JOHAN VAN OLDENBARNEVELDT was detached with CLA COLOMBO as WS.7X. They arrived at Bombay on 5 May.

The balance of WS.7 was dispersed on 3 May and the ships arrived independently at Suez on 6 May.

SW Approaches
DD MANSFIELD suffered a complete engine room failure. The DD was towed by destroyer SALISBURY to port. The DD returned to service in ten days.

CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN departed Gibraltar, escort DDs FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, and FORESTER, to intercept DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU should they attempt to leave Brest. FORTUNE and FORESIGHT were detached on the 25th and FORESTER was detached on the 26th. The carrier and BC were joined on the 31st, by DDs NAPIER, NIZAM, and FORTUNE, which departed Gibraltar on the 29th, and Force H arrived back at Gibraltar on 1 April.

HG.57 departed Gibraltar escort sloop ROCHESTER, DD WRESTLER, corvettes LA MALOUINE and VERBENA, and RNeN sub O.23. DD WRESTLER was detached on the 27th to join DD VELOX to escort CL SHEFFIELD, RAN DDs NAPIER and NIZAM, CVE ARGUS, submarine depot ship MAIDSTONE, and troopship HIGHLAND MONARCH en route to Gibraltar. Captured Vichy ships CHANTILLY, OCTANE, and CANTAL were in this convoy. Also in the convoy was troopship EMPIRE TROOPER, which was ordered to return to Gibraltar because she was carrying too many passengers. The submarine was detached on 3 April. CL NIGERIA joined the convoy on 3 April and continued with it until 9 April. On 4 April, corvette LA MALOUINE was detached. On 6 April, DDs BROKE, DOUGLAS, ROXBOROUGH, and SALISBURY, corvette ABELIA, and ASWs ST ELSTAN, ST KENAN, ST ZENO, and VIZALMA joined the escort. These ships were all detached on 9 April. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 11 April escorted by sloop ROCHESTER and VERBENA.

Channel
ML ABDIEL, escort DDs KIPLING and KASHMIR, laid minefield GV in the English Channel.

Med/Biscay
Armed boarding vessel ST DAY was in a collision with Spanish steamer GAYARRE in the Straits of Gibraltar. The boarding vessel returned to Gibraltar. Submarine URSULA unsuccessfully attacked a convoy off Cape Bon.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
BN.21 departed Aden, escorted by sloop FLAMINGO. CLA CAPETOWN joined on the 25th. Both escorts were detached on the 27th and the convoy arrived at Suez on the 31st.

BS.21 departed Suez, escort CL CALEDON. The CL was detached when CL CAPETOWN and sloop FLAMINGO joined on the 29th. CAPETOWN was detached on the 30th and sloop SHOREHAM joined. RIN Sloop HINDUSTAN joined on the 31st. The convoy was dispersed on 1 April.

Sloop SHOREHAM intercepted steamer ODER (Ger 8516 grt) which had departed Massawa on the 23rd. The steamer scuttled herself in the Red Sea.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Italian steamer INDIA, which departed Massawa at the same time, arrived at Assab.

Malta

25 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Fighter Control Ship (later CAM shipps) Vessel HMS ARAGUANI (F105)


Dido Class CLA HERMIONE


Mk I LCT HMS LCT-25 & 26


LCT Mk 3 (Mk 1 very similar)

Fairmile B MLs 145 and 188
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Losses
Steamer ROSSMORE (UK 627 grt) was sunk by the LW 12 miles NE of Godrevy Island. (west of Cornwall). Six crew were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer BEAVERBRAE (UK 995 6grt) was sunk by the LW in the NW approaches. She was enroute fromLiverpool to Halifax whern lost, carrying general cargo and mail. The entire crew of 86 were rescued by DDs TARTAR and GURKHA. 15 days after her loss her sister ship BEAVERDALE was lost as well.


Returning to Scapa Flow, DD GURKHA was involved in a collision with an unknown wooden drifter in Pentland Firth. The drifter sank with no survivors. The destroyer's bow was badly damaged. DDs TARTAR and GURKHA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 26th. GURKHA departed Scapa Flow for repairs at Rosyth on the 29th.

FV ALASKAN (UK 21 grt) was sunk by a mine in the Nth Sea. The crew of five were rescued.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Steamer BRITANNIA (UK 8799 grt) was sunk by DKM raider THOR in the Central Atlantic. Intercepted by THOR 750miles west of Freetown and sunk with loss of 249 of the 492 crew/passenger aboard. The liner put up a brave resistance before sinking, equipped with one single light gun.

She lowered her boats after an hour but THOR made no attempt to help survivors. The Spanish steamer BACHI picked up one boat with 63 people in it whilst another boat with 38 on board eventually reached Brazil after an amazing 23 days. The steamer departed Liverpool on the 11th, carrying a large draft of officers and ratings en route to the Mediterranean Fleet.


Steamer TROLLEHOLM (SD 5047 grt) was sunk by DKM raider THOR in the Central Atlantic. The crew was saved and interned.


Tkr CANADOLITE (CDN 11,309 grt) was captured by DKM raider KORMORAN in the Central Atlantic. A prize crew was put aboard and she was taken to Bordeaux with her crew in custody. The ship was pressed into German service as the blockade runner SUDETENLAND before being run down and sunk by HMAS SYDNEY


UBOATS
Departures
Lorient: U-73

At Sea 25 March1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124

12 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 1100 and met convoy WN.3 in Pentland Firth. The convoy was escorted to Buchan Ness where the ship transferred to convoy EN.91. The ship then transferred to WN.4 in Pentland Firth and provided cover until dark. CURACOA arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 27th.

Northern Patrol

Northern Waters
BB PRINCE OF WALES, escorted by DDs QUANTOCK, LIDDESDALE, and AVON VALE arrived at Scapa Flow for acceptance trials and work up exercises.

CLs GALATEA and AURORA departed Scapa Flow to cover the laying of minefield SN.4. DD MENDIP departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth on completion of work up..

RNeN CLA HEEMSKERK departed Scapa Flow after work up for Greenock.

West Coast
AMC CIRCASSIA departed the Clyde carrying troops to Iceland, escorted by DD ANTHONY. The DD arrived at Loch Alsh on the 25th.

Western Approaches

SW Approaches

Channel
Dutch steamer ESCAUT was damaged by German bombing twenty four miles southwest of Hartland Point (Cornwall). The steamer was abandoned and drove ashore near Bude. She was refloated and taken to Appledore on 7 September.

Med/Biscay
Between 1110 - 1119 hrs, HMS RORQUAL laid a minefield some 5 miles NE of Capo Gallo, Sicily, Italy. The minefield started from a position 041° - Cape Gallo - 3.7 nautical miles, a line 4.5 cables long (300 feet apart) in a direction of 280°. A total of 10 mines were laid in this position. In the morning of 28 March 1941 the Palestro Class TB GENERALE ANTONIO CHINOTTO (RM 697 tons), built 1921, sank in this minefield. She was returning from a night ASW patrol with her consort GIUSEPPE MISSORI, the latter picked up seventy-one survivors, including thirty-one wounded, forty-eight men were killed or missing.



Submarine RORQUAL laid mines off Palermo. Between 0940 - 0956 hours, HMS RORQUAL laid a minefield of 19 mines starting from a position 022° - Asinelli Rock Light - 2.2 nautical miles, a line 9 cables long (300 feet apart) in a direction of 290°. Rorqual then laid her last mines (21 in total) from 1048 to 1103 hrs, starting from a position 308° - Asinelli Rock Light - 1.5 nautical miles, a line 1 mile long (300 feet apart) in a direction 29°. The same day an Italian convoy ran into this minefield losing the water tankers TICINO (FI 1470 grt), built 1924) and Steamer VERDE (FI 1432 grt).

The Italian VERDE

At 1622 hrs TICINO hit a mine laid and sank north of Trapani in position 38°06'N, 12°31'E. VERDE rescued her crew and then resumed her course, but at 1725 hrs she also detonated a mine laid and sank in less than one minute. 11 men from TICINO and 23 from VERDE were missing, a total of 52 survivors and 5 corpses were recovered.

Steamer HELENA (FI 479 grt) from the same convoy were sunk in this minefield on the 26th.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Convoy AG.8 of supply ship BRECONSHIRE and British steamer CAMERONIA departed Alexandria escorted by DDs JUNO, JAGUAR, and DEFENDER. CLA CARLISLE accompanied this convoy. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 27th.

AS.22 departed Piraeus with seven British ships and two Greek ships escorted by CLA COVENTRY, DDs DECOY and RAN DD WATERHEN, and corvette HYACINTH. DDs DECOY and WATERHEN were detached from the escort on the 27th. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 28th.

Submarine ROVER departed Alexandria to patrol off Burat el Sun, Tripoli.

British troopship WAIMARAMA ran aground en route from Port Said to Alexandria.

Tugs ST ISSEY and ROYSTERER were able to refloat the steamer. However, two to three months repair were require before the steamer was operational again.

British gunboat APHIS and ASW whaler SOUTHERN SEA departed Alexandria for the Inshore Squadron escorting cable ship RECORDER to Tobruk.

Late on the 25th, RM DDs CRISPI and SELLA brought explosive motor boats from Leros to Suda Bay for an attack on CA YORK which arrived at Suda Bay after duty covering convoy MW.6.

Norwegian steamer HAV (5062grt) departed Piraeus on the 25th and arrived at Alexandria on the 28th. On the voyage, the steamer was damaged by LW attacks.

Malta

March 25 Tuesday
NORTH AFRICA: Battle of Keren: At 0300 hours, British and Indian troops advance along the road through the Dongolaas Gorge, under cover of an artillery barrage on Italian positions in the heights above. By 0530 hours, they capture 2 small hills (the "Railway Bumps") overlooking the roadblock, taking 500 Italian prisoners. They achieve complete surprise and work starts at 0630 hours on clearing the road which is not guarded by the Italians.

Two Swordfish aircraft squadrons of HMS "Eagle" were temporarily transferred to Port Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German armed merchant cruiser "Thor" sank British liner "Britannia" 750 miles west of Freetown, Sierra Leone, British West Africa. 203 crew and 281 passengers (most of which were British military personnel) took to lifeboats. "Thor" began to rescue the survivors, but after taking on only one man, "Thor" detected British radio transmissions and fled the area before British warships arrived (which never came). 255 survivors of "Britannia" would be lost. Later on the same day, "Thor" sank Swedish merchant ship "Trolleholm", capturing the entire crew of 31.

German armed merchant cruiser "Kormoran" captured empty Canadian tanker "Canadolite" in the Mid-Atlantic about halfway between British West Africa and Brazil. "Canadolite" was sent to Brest, France as a prize ship.

MEDITERRANEAN: Italian destroyers "Crispi" and "Sella" departed Leros, Dodecanese Islands in Greece, each carrying three 2-ton motor assault boats loaded with 300-kg explosives. At 2330 hours, the destroyers released the motor boats 10 miles off Suda Bay, Crete, Greece to attack British warships.

Rodolfo Graziani stepped down as the Governor-General of Italian Libya, succeeded by Italo Gariboldi.

On the Ital-Greek Front, Italian 11th Army ceases further offensive operations.

GERMANY: Prime Minister Dragisa Cvetkovic of Yugoslavia signed the Tripartite Pact at Vienna, Austria. Hitler has convinced Prince Paul of Yugoslavia with secret protocols that permit Germany use of Yugoslav railways to bring up troops for the attack on Greece while allowing Yugoslavia to remain neutral in the conflict. The decision is deeply unpopular in Yugoslavia and 4 government Ministers have already resigned during the negotiations. Upon hearing of the signing of this document, anti-Axis demonstrations escalated in Belgrade.

The Japanese foreign minister, on a visit to Berlin, announces;

"The Japanese nation is with you in joy or sorrow...to arrange the world on the basis of the new order."

Click to expand...

ASIA: Battle of Shangkao: Heavy fighting around Shangkao, with much damage to the city, as 19th Army Group of Chinese 9th War Area attempts to encircle Japanese 11th Army. After heavy losses on both sides, Japanese 11th Army cancels attacks on Shangkao and begins withdrawing to the north overnight.

Captain Kiichi Hasegawa was assigned the commanding officer of "Akagi".

EASTERN EUROPE: Petre Dumitrescu was named the commanding officer of Romanian 3rd Army.

UNITED KINGDOM: Jams and marmalade ration in Britain was reduced to 8 ounces per person per month and meat ration cut to 6 ounces per person per week.

Germany announced its blockade of Britain would extend to within three miles of Greenland.

.

March 26 Wednesday
MEDITERRANEAN: Hitler orders the immediate transfer of some 600 aircraft from France, Germany and the Mediterranean to General Alois Löhr's Luftflotte IV airfields in Rumania and Bulgaria to support the invasion of the Balkans. Among the Luftwaffe units who begin preparations for the transfer in the next few weeks are the bombers of KG 2, III./KG 3 and II./KG 26 along with the Stuka dive-bombers of I. and III./StG 2 along with II./StG 2 from El Machina in North Africa. From France and Germany come the fighters of II./ZG 26 led by Hptm. Ralph von Rettberg, I./JG 27 led by Hptm. Eduard Neumann, Stab, I. and III./JG77, I(J)./LG 2 and I(Schlacht)./LG 2, joining II. and III./JG 27 at airfields at Deta and Arad. Major Gotthardt Handrick's III./JG 51 is held in reserve at Rumania's Bucharest-Pipera airfield. Those few Luftwaffe units in Sicily, mainly 7./JG 26, give up their attacks on Malta and fly from Sicily to Italy to support the upcoming invasion.

The Raid on Suda Bay: The Italian destroyers "Crispi" and "Sella" departed from Leros island in the Aegean at night, each one carrying three 2 long tons motor assault boats of the Decima known as Motoscafo da Turismo (MT). Each MT carried a 300 kg (660 lb) explosive charge inside their bow. The MTs were specially equipped to make their way through obstacles such as torpedo nets. The pilot would steer the assault craft on a collision course at his target ship, and then would jump from his boat before impact and warhead detonation. At 2330 hours, the MTs were released by the destroyers 10 mi off Suda. Once inside the bay, the six boats, under the command of Lieutenant Luigi Faggioni, identified their targets. The six MTs crippled Norwegian tanker "Pericles" and British cruiser HMS "York" (killing 2) in Suda Bay, Crete, Greece at 0446 hours; all six Italian boat drivers survived the attack, but all were captured.

Following faulty reports indicating damage to 2 British battleships by German Heinkel He111 torpedo bombers, Admiral Iachino leads the Italian Fleet on a sortie into the Aegean to disrupt the British convoys to Greece. He has Italian battleship "Vittorio Veneto", 5 cruisers, and 10 destroyers and sortied out of Naples, Taranto, and Brindisi in Italy to patrol the area of the Mediterranean Sea between Egypt and Greece. Germany urges the Italian Navy to attack British convoys to Greece and promises Luftwaffe air cover.

NORTH AFRICA: British CIC Middle East, General Wavell, believes German forces are not prepared for a major attack and will wait at El Agheila. Churchill appreciates the danger better and cables Wavell;

"We are naturally concerned at rapid German advance to El Agheila. It is their habit to push on wherever they are not resisted. I presume you are only waiting for the tortoise to stick his head out far enough before chopping it off".

Click to expand...

Wavell, however, has no intention of counterattacking.

Bf 110s of III./ZG 26 continue in their support of Rommel's attack on Marsa-el-Brega.

Operation Canvas. Italian retreat in Ethiopia continues following defeats in the mountain passes. Nigerian Brigade occupies the town of Harar, 20 miles from Babile, without a fight. Indian troops from Berbera, British Somaliland, advance another 100 miles and link up with General Cunningham's forces at Jijiga, Ethiopia, greatly easing supply problems for the push to the capital Addis Ababa.

Battle of Keren: Italian defenders in the hills above the Dongolaas Gorge (distracted by ground assaults and RAF air strikes) are unaware of the road repairs by Allied sappers and miners. By midday, after only 30 hours, 100 yards of craters and large boulders have been repaired and the road through the Gorge is open. Indian 9th Infantry Brigade and 10th Infantry Brigade attacked. Overnight, Italians realize their position has been turned and start withdrawing artillery and troops to Keren, leaving a rearguard behind.

EASTERN EUROPE: The German Army High Command authorized the RSHA organization to operate death squads (Einsatzgruppen) in occupied Poland.

Anti-Axis demonstrations continued in Yugoslavia.

UNITED KINGDOM: British conscripts could now opt for civil defense duties.

NORTH AMERICA: In a radio broad cast to the American people, US Colonel William Donovan said about the East African campaign,

"The British have done a superb job, a better job than they have let the world discover".

Click to expand...

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Canadian armed yacht HMCS "Otter" caught fire and sank off Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, killing 19.

Kriegsmarine heavy cruiser "Admiral Scheer" passes through Denmark Strait en route to Germany

GERMANY: Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka arrived in Berlin, Germany. He was not met by Joachim von Ribbentrop immediately as his German counterpart was busy with the recent political developments in Yugoslavia.

ASIA: Battle of Shangkao: Japanese 11th Army withdrawing toward its bases.

.

26 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
S Boat S-104

"S 104" with Ace of Hearts and Bar - Picture: Archives Ola Erlandsson

Losses
Canadian armed yacht OTTER (CDN 150 grt (est)) was sunk by an accidental fire off Halifax Lighthouse. Lt A. M. Walker, RCNVR, Chief Skipper A. F. Parker, and seventeen ratings were lost on the yacht. Submarine TALISMAN picked up four
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Cable ship FARADAY (UK 5533 grt) was badly damaged by the LW three miles 38° from St Anne's Head (one of the promontories leading into Milford Haven). Eight crew were lost on the ship. FARADAY came under attack at about 7.45 pm from a Heinkel 111 which dropped two bombs and strafed the ship with MG fire killing eight of the crew and injuring twenty five. The bombs exploded in the oil bunkers causing a serious fire and the crew abandoned ship, which eventually ran aground off St Annes Head. The Heinkel was eventually shot down by the Faradays own gunners. The ship sank on the 27th in West Dale Bay after running aground. Nearly all her cargo of cable was salved.


Steamer SOMALI (UK 6809 grt) was badly damaged by the LW off Blyth. One crewman was lost on the steamer. The steamer sank on the 27th one mile east of Snoop Head, Sutherland. The Heinkel 111 bomber came out of cloud cover over the Northumberland coast to score three direct hits on the SOMALI. The hold with cargo of hay soon caught alight so her crew of 72 and the 38 passengers were taken off by the armed trawler PELICAN. The two naval gunners on board using the 12 pounders were unable to damage the German bomber. The salvage tug SEA GIANT arrived with a view to beaching the vessel but during the tow there was a large explosion resulting in the ship sinking two days after being attached by the German bomber. Although the salvage crew on board were blown off the deck into the sea , no one was injured


Steamer EMPIRE MERMAID (UK 6381 grt) was badly damaged by the LW. 20 crew and 2 displaced seamen were lost on the steamer. DD ACHATES rescued 19 survivors. The steamer sank on the 28th.


Trawler MILLIMUMUL (Aus 287 grt) was sunk on a mine near Newcastle, New South Wales. Seven crew were missing.


FV BEINISVOR (Faeroes 85 grt) was sunk by the LW. The crew was landed at Thorshavn.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer BRIER ROSE (UK 503 grt) was lost to unknown cause in the Irish Sea.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Bergen: U-76

At Sea 26 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124

12 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DD MENDIP departed Scapa Flow to meet steamer AMSTERDAM off the entrance to Aberdeen. However, owing to bad weather, the escort was cancelled and MENDIP returned to Scapa Flow, returning on the 27th.

British trawler KINGSWAY was damaged by German bombing ten miles east of Bell Rock (East Coast of Scotland).

Northern Patrol
RAN DD NESTOR departed Scapa Flow and DD ANTHONY departed Loch Alsh to meet AMC CIRCASSIA nineteen miles west of Cape Wrath and escorted her to Reykjavik. On the 28th, the DDs departed Reykjavik to join convoy HX.115 and act as an ASW force until its arrival off the Nth Minch.

DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER broke through the Denmark Strait during the night of 26/27 March. The cruiser evaded CLs FIJI and NIGERIA on patrol there and arrived in the area of Bergen on the 30th. SCHEER anchored at Grimstadfjord on the 30th and spent the day there before continuing on to Germany.

CLs GALATEA and ARETHUSA patrolled the northern part of the trawler line in the Iceland Faroes Passage from 31 March. They returned to Scapa Flow on 4 April.

Northern Waters
On 28 March, BC HOOD and DDs TARTAR, ELECTRA, and ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow to relieve Force H on the HG/OG convoy route. CLs FIJI and NIGERIA joined this force at sea before dark on the 28th. The DDs were to proceed to the limit of their endurance, then proceed to Londonderry for refueling.

DDs ELECTRA, ESCAPADE, and TARTAR arrived at Londonderry to refuel on 2 April. At 1830, they sailed to rejoin the HOOD. The DDs rejoined on 4 April in 52-30N, 22W to escort the BC to Scapa Flow, where they arrived at 0800 on 6 April.

On 29 March, BB KING GEORGE V was approaching Bailey Bank on her return to Scapa Flow after leaving convoy HX.115. She rendezvoused with DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU, which departed Reykjavik on the 28th.

BB QUEEN ELIZABETH and DDs INGLEFIELD and ACTIVE were brought to one hour's notice to steam at Scapa Flow at 0100. CLs GALATEA, ARETHUSA, AURORA, and CLA DIDO departed Scapa Flow for position east of Iceland-Faroes minefield.

At noon on the 30th, BB KG V with CLA DIDO and CL AURORA were ordered to return to Scapa Flow. KG V and DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU arrived at Scapa Flow on the 31st.

CA EXETER arrived at Scapa Flow to work up prior to proceeding overseas.

ML Sqn 1 of MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS, and PORT QUEBEC, escort DDs CHARLESTOWN, LANCASTER, and ST MARYS departed Loch Alsh to lay minefield SN.4. CLs GALATEA and AURORA departed Scapa Flow on the 25th to cover the operation.

En route to the minelay, the ML force was attacked by LW long range bombers. ML MENESTHEUS was hit by two bombs and damaged further by a near miss. She was repaired in the Clyde. The minefield was laid however.

Returning from the minelay, escorting DD CASTLETON was in a collision with minelayer AGAMEMNON. CASTLETON was repaired in the Clyde from 2 April to 1 June. The ships all arrived back on the 27th. CLs GALATEA and AURORA arrived at Scapa Float separately to the main force..

Finnish steamer CAROLINA THORDEN was badly damaged by the LW at entrance to Thorshavn Bay. One passenger was missing. Eight passengers were taken aboard Swedish steamer VENEZUELA which was later sunk with no survivors. The steamer was grounded. She was later refloated, towed to Kirkwall, and later the Tyne. She was so badly damaged that she could only be used as a blockship at Scapa Flow

West Coast
Norwegian steamer NOLL was damaged by the LW eight miles west of Lundy Island (in the Bristol Channel). The steamer was beached at Lundy Island. Refloated and taken to Swansea arriving on the 29th, escorted by a tug.

British steamer THE LADY BELLE (331grt) was damaged by the LW ten miles sth of Grassholm Island (off the Corwall coast).

March 27 Thursday
MEDITERRANEAN: Yugoslavia removes itself from the Tripartite Pact and joins the Allies in the war against Germany. Crowds in Belgrade spit at the German Ambassador. Inspired by anti-Nazi sentiments and vague British promises of military help, Air Force General Dusan Simovic and other Serb nationalist officers in the Royal Yugoslav Air Force overthrew the pro-Axis government in Yugoslavia, placing Regent Prince Paul with King Petar II. The new Yugoslav foreign minister immediately assured the German minister in Belgrade that his country wanted to maintain its friendly relations with Germany. Although it would not ratify its adherence to the Tripartite Pact, Yugoslavia did not want to cancel any standing agreements. Hitler had been expecting this and ordered the day before for German forces to move to Rumania, Bulgaria and Italy in preparation for an assault. The German foreign ministry prepared messages to Hungary, Bulgaria, and Italy for them to join in the partition Yugoslavia. Churchill immediately promised British aid, but the new Belgrade government under General Dusan Simovich vowed to remain neutral. Hitler upon hearing of the coup, called a meeting of the commanders in chief of the Army and Luftwaffe and their chiefs of staff, Ribbentrop, Keitel, and Generaloberst (General) Alfred Jodl for 1300 hours. He informed them that he had decided to;

"…destroy Yugoslavia as a national unit . . .with unmerciful harshness. Yugoslavia is to be beaten down as quickly as possible ... Belgrade will be destroyed from the air.'"

Click to expand...

At the same time Salonika and Eastern Greece are to be occupied (Operation Marita). The decision forced a crucial month-long delay in the German invasion of Russia. On the same day, 500 German military aircraft were dispatched for Bulgaria and Romania. At this time Luftflotte IV had 135 fighter and reconnaissance planes in Rumania with more scheduled to arrive in the next month. The major airfields used for the Luftwaffe during the invasion are based at Arad, Deva, Sofia, Plovdiv, Krumovo, Krainitzi, Belitza and Turnu-Severin.

Battle of Cape Matapan: British Signals Intelligence intercepts radio traffic suggesting that major Italian naval operation is in progress. Admiral Pridham-Wippell leads four light cruisers and four destroyers from Piraeus, Greece and Admiral Cunningham leads the main body of battleship HMS "Warspite", battleship HMS "Barham", battleship HMS "Valiant", carrier HMS "Formidable", and nine destroyers of the British Mediterranean Fleet from Alexandria, Egypt to hunt for the Italian fleet known to have departed bases in Italy. A Sunderland flying boat is sent out 'spotting' as a pretext. The Italian warships are located at noon without the promised Luftwaffe air cover.

NORTH AMERICA: The US Congress approved US$7,000,000,000 for the Lend-Lease program.

American and British staff officers concluded their conferences in Washington on a common strategy if the U.S. entered the war. Britain and the U.S. reached an agreement for the transfer of British naval and air bases in Newfoundland, Bermuda, Jamaica, St Lucia, Antigua, Trinidad, British Guiana, and the Bahamas to the U.S.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-98 sank British ship "Koranton" 400 miles southwest of Iceland at 1350 hours, killing the entire crew of 34.

British vessels "Somali", "Caroline Thorden" and "Faraday" were heavily damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft and subsequently sunk. 'SS Empire Mermaid' (638t) cargo ship, Portland, Maine. USA to Hull was damaged by a Focke-Wulf Condor aircraft, NW of the Hebrides and finally sank on the 28th March. Twenty-three of her crew were lost. 'SS Faraday' (5,533t) a cable ship was ½ a mile off St Abbs Head when she was attacked by German aircraft. She caught fire and sank twelve hours later. Sixteen of her one hundred and twenty-five crew were killed. SS 'Somali' (6,809t) was bombed by German aircraft off Blyth and she was taken in tow by the tug 'Sea Giant'. When off Beadnell Point near Seahouses, fire broke out and after a tremendous explosion she sank in 110ft of water.

GERMANY: Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 25, ordering the military annihilation of Yugoslavia in retaliation for its coup. Operation Barbarossa, the planned attack on the Soviet Union, is postponed from May 15 for at least a month. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/25.html

Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka met with German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop in Berlin, Germany in the morning. Ribbentrop noted to Matsuoka that the United States was intimidated by the Axis alliance thus would not enter into the war even if Japan joined in to strike at British possessions in Asia. In the afternoon, Matsuoka met with Adolf Hitler.

The first transfers of prisoners out of Oflag IV-C camp at Colditz Castle in Germany took place; 27 Polish officers were moved to Oflag VII-B in Eichstätt, Germany.

NORTH AFRICA: Battle of Keren: Allied tanks and infantry captured heights beyond the Dongolaas Gorge in Eritrea, Italian East Africa. By 1000 hours, Keren was captured without opposition as Italian troops fled toward Asmara. The Battle of Keren ended with 536 Allies killed and 3,229 wounded, while the Italians suffered 6,500 casualties. With Keren gone, all of Eritrea was open to the British. The 11th African Division captures Harar in Abyssinia after the Italians have declared it an 'open town'.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Japanese spy Takeo Yoshikawa arrived in Pearl Harbor. Yoshikawa noticed that battleships were berthed in pairs and that the in-shore ship was protected from torpedo attacks by the outboard one.

.

26 MARCH 1941 (Part II)
OPERATIONS (Cont'd)
Med/Biscay
CA YORK (RN 8250 grt) was badly damaged by Italian explosive boats at 0515 in Suda Bay. The ship was eventually to be abandoned and lost 22 May 1941. Both engine rooms and boiler rooms were flooded. The cruiser was grounded in four and a half fathoms. Two ratings in B boiler room were killed and one officer and four ratings were injured. At the time of the attack, other ships in Suda Bay were CL GLOUCESTER, CLA CALCUTTA, DD HASTY, tkrs CHERRYLEAF, DESMOULEA, MARIE MAERSK, PERICLES, and DOUMANA, and several small Greek cargo ships. Norwegian tanker PERICLES, alongside YORK, was also damaged in the attack. Six Italian crew were picked up in the harbour. DDs ILEX and HASTY hunted off Suda Bay for the submarine with no success.


Most of the oil was salved from PERICLES. However, returning to Alexandria, tkr PERICLES (Nor 8324 grt) broke in two as a result of the damage in heavy weather on 14 April. Both halves were sunk by gunfire thirty miles northwest of Alexandria.


British steamer BALUCHISTAN was damaged by the LW in the Eastern Mediterranean.

British steamer ADIGE, formerly Italian, was damaged by bombing at Malta. The steamer was beached in Malzara Creek but later repaired.

Matapan Preparation
Contrary to many popular accounts, there was no signal intelligence being read for the Regia Marina. Some indication was derived from signal traffic emanating from the LW liason in Rome. The RN could not, however be sure this was not a ruse, or simply misinformation between the two axis partners. The Italian Naval codes, unlike those of the Kriegsmarine, were never broken. Some low level merchant marine codes were occasionally read.

RM BB VENETO departed Naples with DDs GRANATIERE, FUCILIERE, BERSAGLIERE, and ALPINO of DesDiv 13. RM CAs ZARA, FIUME, and POLA of CruDiv 1 departed Taranto escort DDs GIOBERTI, ALFIERI, ORIANI, and CARDUCCI of DesDiv 9. RM CLs ABRUZZI and GARIBALDI of CruDiv 8 departed Brindisi escort DDs DA RECCO and PESSAGNO of DesDiv 16.

Convoy AG.9 of one British, three Greek, and two other ships departed Alexandria for Piraeus escort RHN DD VASILEVS GEORGIOS I, RAN DDs VOYAGER and VAMPIRE, and RN WRYNECK. CLA CALCUTTA joined the convoy on the 28th.

CLs ORION, AJAX, GLOUCESTER and RAN PERTH refueled in turn at Piraeus on the 26th. The cruisers and departed Piraeus to support convoys AG.8 and AG.9 on the 27th.

Convoy AG.9 was ordered on the 27th to reverse course for twelve hours to take it clear of the Italian units. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 29th.

Central Atlantic
British oiler CAIRNDALE departed Gibraltar escorted by corvettes FLEUR DE LYS and COREOPSIS for operation PEDESTAL (not convoy PEDESTAL), the refueling British ships in 32-30N, 32-30W. Ocean boarding vessel REGISTAN accompanied this group en route to her Western Patrol station.

Submarine PANDORA departed Gibraltar on the 29th to join the oiler and act as an anti raider escort. Operation PEDESTAL was cancelled on 11 April and oiler CAIRNDALE and submarine PANDORA returned to Gibraltar, arriving on 17 April.

DD VELOX departed Gibraltar to join DD WRESTLER to escort CL SHEFFIELD, RAN DDs NAPIER and NIZAM, CVE ARGUS, submarine depot ship MAIDSTONE, and troopship HIGHLAND MONARCH to Gibraltar.

Sth Atlantic
CA DORSETSHIRE arrived at Capetown.

Pacific/Australia
ML KUNG WO laid mines lines of a minefield off Singapore.

Malta
Weather Pleasantly warm.

0800-0818 hrs Air raid alert for one JU 88 bomber which carries out reconnaissance over the Island at 24000 feet. Four Hurricanes are scrambled; no claims. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

0915-0929 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches to 20 miles from the coast before returning. Two Hurricanes are scrambled; no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 26 MARCH 1941

AIR HQ 69 Squadron 1040-1405 hrs Maryland photoreconnaissance Tripoli Harbour: hospital ship, 6 destroyers, 2 torpedo boats, 1 fleet auxiliary, 10 merchant vessels, 30 barges, 8 seaplanes.

27 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIc U-563
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

3 ships sunk, total tonnage 14,689 GRT, 1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,870 tons, 2 ships damaged, total tonnage 16,266 GRT

Sunk on 31 May 1943 in the North Atlantic NW of Cape Ortegal, , by depth charges from a/c from CC , being a Halifax from 58 Sqn, a Sunderland from 228 Sqn RAF and an Australian Sunderland from 10 Sqn RAAF. 49 dead (all hands lost).

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS BURDOCK (K126)


Fairmile B MLs 193 and 201
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
U.98 sank steamer KORANTON (UK 6695 grt). She was enroute from Philadelphia to Hull, via Sydney, Canada, and was part of convoy SC-25 when lost. She was fully loaded with Pig Iron and a crew of 41. At 1350 hrs the unescorted KORANTON, a straggler from convoy SC-25, was hit by a stern torpedo from U-98, and sank immediately about 320 miles sth of Reykjavik, Iceland. The U-boat had spotted the ship 2 hrs earlier in bad weather and temporarily lost contact before carrying out a submerged attack. The Germans investigated the sinking position but only found a large field of debris.


Steamer MEG MERRILIES (UK 642 grt) was badly damaged by the LW one mile south of St Govan's Light Vessel. There were no casualties on the steamer. The ship was taken in tow. After the tow parted on the 27th, the vessel was abandoned and sank.


Trawler KINCLAVEN (UK 178 grt) was sunk to an unknown cause off the Faroes.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
Lorient: U-52

At Sea 27 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124

12 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
Sub Lt P. J. Hoad, in a Whitley of RAF 78 Squadron from Dishforth, was killed when his aircraft was shot down over the River Schelde.

British A/Leading Airman G. J. B. Kendall was killed when his Battle of 1 SFTS Netheravon crashed in fog at Shrewton RLG. Petty Officer H. J. Craig was also killed in the crash.

Dutch steamer ALIOTH was damaged by mining in the Nth Sea. The steamer returned to Hull.

Northern Patrol
CLs NIGERIA and FIJI departed Scapa Flow for Iceland Faroes passage duty. The cruisers were diverted on the 28th to join BC HOOD.

Northern Waters
AA ship POZARICA arrived at Scapa Flow to operate under the orders of Rear Admiral Destroyers, Home Fleet.
British trawler FORT DEE was damaged by the LW in Northern waters

West Coast
British salvage vessel PALMSTONE was damaged by the LW two miles southeast of St Govan's Light Vessel. The vessel was beached at Milford Haven. She was later towed off and docked at Pembroke.

Dutch steamer OUD BEIJERLAND (396grt) was damaged by the LW three miles south of St Govan. The steamer arrived Milford Dock on the 31st.

OG.57 departed Liverpool escort DDs CALDWELL, VALOROUS, VOLUNTEER, WALKER, WOLSEY, and WOOLSTON, sloop ABERDEEN, corvettes BLUEBELL, HYDRANGEA, and TULIP, and ASW trawler LADY HOGARTH. All, except sloop ABERDEEN and trawler LADY HOGARTH, were detached on 1 April. Dutch submarine O.23 joined the convoy on 3 April. On 11 April, the convoy arrived at Gibraltar with sloop ABERDEEN, trawler LADY HOGARTH, and submarine O.23.

Channel
British depot ship ALECTO of the SubFlot 7 was damaged by the direct hit from a LW attack at the entrance to the English Channel.

Med/Biscay
Battle Of Matapan - Preliminaries
On 27 March, Vice-Admiral Pridham-Wippell—with the CLs AJAX, GLOUCESTER, ORION AND RAN PERTH, aided by DDs HEREWARD and RAN VENDETTA and later joined by DDs ILEX and HASTY at 0630 on the 28th were operating together in the Aegean .

The cruisers and DD VENDETTA were ordered to patrol Kithera Channel. and a number of DDs sailed from Greek waters for a position south of Crete.

RM BB VITTORIO VENETO with her DDs crossed the Straits of Messina and was joined by CAs TRIESTE, TRENTO, and BOLZANO escorted by DDs CORAZZIERE, CARABINIERE, and ASCARI. At 1000, this cruiser force and escorts joined the VENETO force. At 1100, another cruiser gp, CruDiv 8, also joined the VENETO force along with their DD escorts. .

The VENETO force, under the overall command of Admiral Iachino, was to sail in company until about 2000 which would bring them to the longitude of the western tip of Crete. The CruDivs 1 and 8, designated Force Z under Admiral Cattaneo, would then go into the Aegean to the longitude of the eastern most end of Crete arriving about 0800 on the 28th. Then Force Z would return to the VENETO arriving bout 1500 about ninety miles SW of Navarino. The objective was to decimate the convoys now running manpower and supplies into Greece

BB VENETO and the CruDiv 3 were to go to a point 20 miles west of Gavdos (sth of Crete about mid way along its length) and if no contact was made by 0800 on the 28th to turn back on a reverse course.

The Italian Fleet was spotted by a Sunderland at 1200 hrs (noon), depriving Iachino of any advantage of surprise. The RN already had some signal intell, thanks to the laxity of LW security codes. The Italian Admiral also learned that FORMIDABLE was at sea, thanks to the signal decryption team aboard VITTORIO VENETO (the italians were reading some localised RN signal traffic at this time) which was later confirmed by RO43 floatplane. CruDivs 1 and 8 proceeded towards the Aegean at 1900 and the BB VENETO and the 3rd Cruiser Division set off towards Gavdos. However, at 2200, Supermarina ordered the 1st and 8th Cruiser Divisions to rejoin the VENETO force and go no further.

Nevertheless, after some discussion, the Italian headquarters decided to go ahead with the operation, to show the Germans their will to fight and confidence in the higher speed of their warships.

The Med Flt departed Alexandria in response to the Sunderland sighted of the Italian fleet. Cunningham departed Alexandria at 1900 with BBs WARSPITE, VALIANT, and BARHAM, CV FORMIDABLE, DDs JERVIS, JANUS, MOHAWK, NUBIAN, GREYHOUND, HAVOCK, HOTSPUR and GRIFFIN and RAN DD STUART..

DDs JUNO, JAGUAR, and DEFENDER departed Piraeus as Force D. to patrol the Kithera Straits from dawn on the 28th. On 29 March, the Kithera Straits patrol was ceased. DDs JUNO and JAGUAR joined the Battle Force. DD DEFENDER was detached to Suda Bay for escort duties.

CLA BONAVENTURE had very little ammunition, but she did possess radar, and the RN was hoping to engage at night, something they already knew the RM was poor at. The cruiser and destroyers DECOY and RAN WATERHEN departed Alexandria on the 28th to join the Battle Force. CLA CARLISLE was at Suda Bay. Subs ROVER and TRIUMPH were on patrol in the Aegean

Nth Atlantic
Submarine TRIBUNE departed Halifax escorting convoy HX.117. The submarine returned to Halifax after this duty on 15 April with engine defects.

HX.117 departed Halifax, escort AMC RAJPUTANA, DDs ST CROIX, corvette COLLINGWOOD and submarine TRIBUNE. The DD and the corvette were detached on the 29th. The submarine was detached on 6 April. DD NIAGARA joined on 9 April and was detached later that day. On 10 April, DDs ACHATES, BOADICEA, COLUMBIA, MONTGOMERY, ST CLAIR, ST FRANCIS, WANDERER and corvettes MARIGOLD and TRILLIUM. DDs ACHATES, BOADICEA, and ST FRANCIS were detached on 14 April. The remainder of the escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 15 April.

Central Atlantic
P/T/Sub Lt (A) O. F. Wheatley RNVR, and P/T/Sub Lt (A) R. B. Hodgetts RNVR, of 807 Sqn from CVL FURIOUS were taken prisoners by the Vichy French when they force landed after engine failure at Dakar after a reconnaissance flight

Malta
Weather Stormy.

0721-0755 hrs Air raid alert for two ME 109 fighters which approach the Island and cross the coast. They are engaged by anti-aircraft guns and turn away without launching any attack.

0840-0846 hrs, 0924-0937 hrs, 0953-1010 hrs, 1423-1435 hrs, 1456-1525 hrs Air raid alerts for Messerschmitt fighters approaching the coast. Hurricane aircraft are scrambled and intercept; there is no attack over land.

1813-1818 hrs Air raid alert triggered by the return of two Glenn Martin Marylands from reconnaissance missions.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 27 MARCH 1941

AIR HQ 69 Squadron Maryland patrolled area between Malta and Tunisian coast. Maryland photoreconnaissance Naples: 4 destroyers, 3 fleet auxiliaries, 3 merchant vessels plus convoy approaching. Maryland reconnaissance Messina, forced to take off late due to enemy action, had to be abandoned due to failing light. Maryland photoreconnaissance Brindisi.

HAL FAR 830 Squadron Operational flight cancelled owing to bad weather.

28 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS ARMERIA (K-187)


Fairmile B ML 230
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
Steamer OLIVINE (UK 929 grt) was lost to unknown cause in the Irish Sea or Bristol Channel. "SS Olivine was lost without trace after sailing Glasgow for Sharpness. She had a crew of 12, 2 gunners and was carrying a cargo of wheat. Left Clyde 27th March for Sharpness with cargo of grain. Carried crew of 12 + 2 gunners. Joint Arbitration Committee consider vessel lost by war causes between 27 March and 29 March. Missing Ship Committee consider vessel lost 29 March 1941".
(Source: Lloyd's War Losses WW2, Vol II.)


Trawler KESTREL (UK 75 grt) was near missed by LW bombing nth of North Lundy Light. The vessel was beached on Lundy Island on the 29th. Heavy weather pounded the ship and she became a total loss.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer ANTWERPEN (Ne 364 grt) was sunk by the LW German on the west coast. 3 of the crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
Bergen: U-76

At Sea 28 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124

13 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
British steamer STAFFORDSHIRE was damaged by the LW. 28 passengers and crew were lost. The steamer was beached at Loch Ewe on the 29th. On 23 April, the steamer was refloated and sailed for the Tyne.

Northern Patrol
DDs ECHO and ACTIVE departed Scapa Flow on the 31st for Sullom Voe, where they arrived at after dawn on 1 April. The DDs departed that afternoon with depot ship MANELA, CLA HEEMSKERK, and RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE were also in the escort, with the gp headed for Hvalfjord. On arrival at Hvalfjord at 0800 on 5 April, the DDs came under the direction of Flag Officer Iceland to escort cruisers in and out of Hvalfjord. RESTIGOUCHE returned to Greenock after the escort duty.

Northern Waters
DD BOADICEA departed Scapa Flow for Greenock to join the Western Approaches Command, and arrived after sunrise on the 29th.

DD LIDDESDALE departed Scapa Flow to meet steamer AMSTERDAM off Aberdeen.

The steamer was escorted to Lerwick, where they arrived after midday on the 29th. The DD stood by to escort the steamer on its return to Aberdeen. The two ships departed later that evening for Aberdeen. The ships parted company off Aberdeen midmorning on the 30th and DD LIDDESDALE arrived back at Scapa Flow that afternoon.

DD AVON VALE departed Scapa Flow on the morning of the 30th to join depot ship MANELA 15 miles west of Cape Wrath that afternoon. The DD provided escort to Sullom Voe. AVON VALE had completed her working up and was transferred to the Western Approaches Command.

West Coast
OB.303 departed Liverpool, escort DDs AMBUSCADE, BULLDOG, OURAGAN, VANQUISHER, and VETERAN, corvettes AMARANTHUS, CAMPANULA, FREESIA, HEARTSEASE, and PIMPERNEL, and ASW trawlers NOTTS COUNTY and ST APOLLO. Corvettes PIMPERNEL was detached later that day and DD OURAGAN on the 30th. RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE joined the escort on 1 April for the day. DDs AMBUSCADE and VANQUISHER were detached on 2 April. The escort was detached on 3 April when the convoy was dispersed.

Flying boat depot ship MANELA departed Greenock, escorted by RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE, for Sullom Voe. RNeN CLA HEEMSKERK departed Greenock at 1000 and joined the escort.

Norwegian submarine B.1 was damaged in a collision with anti-submarine trawler LADY ELSA near Campbeltown.

Western Approaches

Channel
DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, and IMPULSIVE, escorted by DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, KELVIN, and JACKAL, laid minefield GX in the English Channel.

To man escort ships transferred from the USN, BB RESOLUTION at Portsmouth was ordered to provide 15 officers and 34 ratings and BB QUEEN ELIZABETH at Scapa Flow 27 officers and 26 ratings.

BB MALAYA, under repair at New York, provided officers and ratings to man these ships as well .

Med/Biscay
Submarine CACHALOT, which departed the Clyde on the 21st, laid mines off Bayonne in minefield FD 32.

Convoy AN.23 of six Greek and seven British departed Alexandria escort by DD HERO and corvette SALVIA. CLA COVENTRY joined convoy AN.23. DD DECOY joined the convoy on the 29th. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on 1 April.

A convoy of steamers ADANA, SAMOS, RUHR, GALILEA, and Steamer HERAKLEA (Ger 1927 grt) departed Naples escorted by DDs FOLGORE, DARDO, and MAESTRALE for Tripoli. Submarine UTMOST off Kerkenah sank German steamer HERAKLEA and damaged German steamer RUHR 22 miles SE of Kuriat. Steamer RUHR returned to Trapani with DD DARDO and assisted by TBs CIRCE, SAGITTARIO, and ALCIONE and two MAS boats while the rest of the convoy proceeded to Tripoli, arriving on the 30th, with steamer GALILEA straggling.

Submarine UPRIGHT torpedoed and severely damaged steamer GALILEA on the 31st in. The convoy departed Tripoli to return on 2 April with steamers ANKARA, KYBFELS, MARBURG, and REICHENFELS, and GALILEA, escort DDs VIVALDI, DA NOLI, and MALOCELLO. The convoy arrived at Naples on 4 April.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Malta
Weather Fine.

0700 hrs Continual patrols round the Island by enemy aircraft as yesterday; Hurricanes airborne when necessary. One Hurricane force-landed due to engine failure; the aircraft is written off but the pilot uninjured.

1333-1345 hrs Air raid alert for two ME 109 fighters which approach the Island and cross the coast. They are engaged by anti-aircraft guns and turn away without launching any attack.

1718 hrs Air raid alert for enemy aircraft patrolling close to the coast. Four Hurricanes on defensive patrol have a short combat with a ME 109.

1726 hrs One Hurricane has to make a forced landing near Ghain Tuffieha military camp; the pilot is seriously injured.

1750 hrs All clear.

1820-1829 hrs Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.

2300 hrs A warning is sent out by General Staff to all military units that four Italian cruisers have been seen close to Malta. Bombardment from the sea is to be expected at dawn.

0100-0148 hrs Air raid alert for 18 enemy aircraft which fly over the Island from the north and use flares to light targets before dropping bombs in various locations, including Rabat, Imtarfa, Dingli, Hal Far, Kalafrana and Delimara. Reports indicate that some are delayed-action bombs. Bombs in Rabat exploded in Hal Bajjada Street, College Street and the Nigret district, causing damage to buildings and killing and injuring people. One civilian is killed and eight are wounded; several houses are demolished. There is no moon, it is very dark and no Malta fighters are scrambled. Anti-aircraft guns engage unseen targets with predicted barrage; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 28 MARCH 1941

AIR HQ Departures 1 Sunderland. 69 Squadron Maryland reconnaissance between Malta and Tunisian coast for enemy shipping.

KALAFRANA One Sunderland left for Greece with Mr Anthony Eden and other passengers.

March 28 Friday
MEDITERRANEAN: Battle of Cape Matapan: 150 miles off Cape Matapan, Greece at 0635 hours, Italian Ro43 seaplane spots Allied cruisers HMS "Ajax", "Gloucester", "Orion" and HMAS "Perth". Italian cruisers "Trieste", "Trento" and "Bolzano" close in and open fire at 0812 hours from 22km without success, then battleship "Veneto" joins in at 1055 hours from 23km (shell splinters cause slight damage to all 4 Allied cruisers). After the morning's exchange of shellfire, all four Allied cruisers were damaged by near misses. At 1200 and 1509 hours, Allied torpedo bombers from HMS "Formidable" attacked, putting battleship "Vittorio Veneto" out of action for about 90 minutes at the cost of one aircraft. Admiral Cunningham immediately orders Mediterranean fleet to close on the damaged Italian battleship. Torpedo bombers from HMS "Formidable" and from Crete (RAF No.815 Squadron) attacked at 1936 hours, crippling Italian cruiser "Pola". The "Pola" was struck by an 18-inch torpedo. It caught fire and lay dead in the water. Cruisers "Zara" and "Fiume" remain to help "Pola" while "Vittorio Veneto" and the other ships run for cover toward Taranto. After dark, British battleships HMS "Barham", HMS "Valiant", and HMS "Warspite" pressed on in pursuit hoping to come up with the damaged "Vittorio Veneto" when, during the night, they find the three Italian cruisers and their escorts on radar. The British moved in within 3.5 kilometers of the Italian cruisers undetected, opening fire at 2330 hours on the unsuspecting Italians, sinking 2 Italian cruisers "Fiume" and "Zara" and 2 destroyers "Alfieri" and "Carducci" while destroyer "Oriani" escapes with heavy damage (2,303 Italian sailors killed).

Anti-Axis demonstrations continued in Yugoslavia. 17-year old Peter II of Yugoslavia, considered by the new government to be of age to take the throne, took the oath of King of Yugoslavia in Belgrade as crowds cheered. The British Chief of Staff, General Dill, is in Belgrade for talks with the Yugoslav authorities, but there is little he can offer them and no agreements of any importance are reached.

Oblt. Muncheberg scores his thirty-third victory, a British Hurricane over Malta.

Italian torpedo boat "Chinotto" hit a British mine and sank off Palermo, Sicily, Italy. The mines in the region were laid by British submarine HMS "Rorqual" on 25 Mar 1941.

British submarine HMS "Utmost" sank German ship "Heraklea" and damaged German ship "Ruhr" off the coast of Tunisia, Italian North Africa.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: En route to Brest, France, German cruisers "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" were spotted by a British Spitfire fighter pilot.

NORTH AFRICA: Battle of Keren: Indian Pattern Carriers and armoured cars of Indian 4th & 5th Divisions pursue Italians East from Keren (2000 Italian stragglers taken prisoner). Italians mount a fighting retreat where the road towards the capital Asmara twists for several miles along the side of a valley, sloping steeply away into a gorge. They will hold the British and Indian advance with rocks blasted from the hillsides and hidden artillery, using guns withdrawn from Keren.

GERMANY: Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka again met with German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop in Berlin, Germany.

Before dawn in Berlin, Germany, General Franz Halder completed the German invasion plan for Yugoslavia.

Hitler awarded Hanna Reitsch the Iron Cross Second Class, making her the first woman of the war to receive the medal.


.

Battle Of Matapan
On 28 March, an RO-43 floatp[lane from the VITTORIO VENETO, spotted the British cruiser squadron at 06:35. At 07:55, the TRENTO group encountered Admiral Pridham-Wippell's cruiser group sth of the Greek island of GAVDOS. The British squadron was heading SE. Thinking they were attempting to run from their larger ships, the Italians gave chase, opening fire at 0812 from 24,000 yd. The three RM CAs fired repeatedly until 0855, with TRIESTE firing 132 armour piercing rounds, TRENTO firing 204 armour-piercing and 10 explosive shells and BOLZANO firing another 189 armour piercing shells, but the Italians experienced trouble with their range finding equipment and scored no significant hits. CL GLOUCESTER fired three salvos in return. These fell short but did cause the Italians to make a course change and keep their distance.

As the distance had not been reduced after an hour of pursuit, the Italian cruisers broke off the chase, turning to the NW on a course to rejoin VITTORIO VENETO. The Allied ships changed course in turn, following the Italian cruisers at extreme range. Iachino let them come on in hopes of luring the British cruisers into the range of VITTORIO VENETO guns.

An officer eating a sandwich on ORION's bridge remarked to a companion, "What's that battleship over there? I thought ours were miles away." The Italians eavesdropped on ORIONs signal that she had sighted an unknown unit and was going to investigate. At 1055, VITTORIO VENETO joined the Italian cruisers and immediately opened fire on the shadowing Allied cruisers. She fired 94 rounds from a distance of 25,000 yd, all well aimed but again with an excessive dispersal of her salvos. The Allied cruisers, until then unaware of the presence of a BB, withdrew, suffering slight damage from 381 mm shell splinters. A series of photographs taken from HMS GLOUCESTER showing Italian salvos falling amongst Allied warships was published by Life Magazine (and are reproduced below) on 16 June 1941. VITTORIO VENETO fired a total of 94 shells in 29 salvos. Another 11 rounds got jammed in the barrels.


Naval Tracks on the 28th March


GORIZIA, POLA, FIUME, ZARA at Naples 1938


15in shells fall between HMAS PERTH and HMS GLOUCESTER


HMAS PERTH gets near-misses

Operations by HMS FORMIDABLE

At dawn on the 28th the FORMIDABLE flew off a search gp of 4 Albacores and 1 Swordfish. Results were received quickly. Thre RM gps were at sea, one built around RM BB VITTORIO VENETO and two others with cruisers. Upon receiving word of the sightings, Cunningham immediately ordered strikes to be flown from FORMIDABLE. 6 Albacores armed with 18" torpedoes escortefd by 2 Fulmars were flown off. An hour later the VITTORIO VENETO was sighted by the strike gp, Two enemy Ju88 long range fighters attempted to intervene, but were intercepted by the Fulmar escort, and driven off with one shot down.

The six Albacores positioned themselves for an attack on the VITTORIO VENETO. The BB and her four attendant DDs put a up a heavy defensive barrage, and though all six torpedoes were released, and no a/c hit, none of the torpedoes hit the target. The strike retuned to FORMIDABLE.

From 1120 to 1140 hrs, Crete based Blenheims and Swordfish carried out further strikes, again with no results, but no losses.

Early in the afternoon, the FORMIDABLE flew off a second strike consisting of 3 Albacores, 2 Swordfish escorted again by 2 Fulmars. While engaged in launch operations, the carrier gp was attacked by a small group of RA bombers. The British force put up a lively AA barrage, which did not bring down any Italian a/c, but forced them to released their torpedoes early, thereby making it easy to evade them.

At 1500 hrs, the 3 Albacores attacked the VITTORIO VENETO again. Simultaneously the RAF mounted another high level bombing attack distracting the aim of the Italian AA guns between the two groups. The slower Swordfish came in from the head on position in a separate group.

The second attack surprised the Italians at 15:09, when Lcdr Dalyell-Stead flew his Albacore to 1,094 yards from VITTORIO VENETO, before releasing a torpedo which hit her outer port propeller and caused 4,000 tons of seawater to flood into the ship. Dalyell-Stead and his crew were killed when their a/c was shot down by AA fire from the BB. The ship stopped while the damage was repaired but she was able to get under way again at 1642, making 13 knots initially but later increasing to 19 kts. Cunningham heard of the damage to the VITTORIO VENETO, and started a pursuit. At that stage his heavy units were only 65 miles away from the VITTORIO VENETO.

Lt Cdr J. Dalyell-Stead, Lt R. H. Cooke DSC, and Petty Officer Airman G. L. Blenkhorn of 829 Squadron were lost during an afternoon strike on the Italian battleship VITTORIO VENETO. The battleship was hit, but was able to proceed.

An Albacore of 829 Sqn ditched SE of Antikithera Island after the torpedo attack. DD JUNO rescued Sub Lt G. P. C. Williams, Sub Lt G. L. Davis, and Leading Airman Booth.

A third attack by six Albacores and two Swordfish from 826 and 828 sqns from FORMIDABLE and two Swordfish from 815 sqn from Crete, was made between 1936 and 1950. Admiral Iachino deployed his ships in three columns and used smoke, searchlights and a heavy barrage to protect the VITTORIO VENETO. The tactics protected the battleship from further damage but one torpedo hit the CA POLA (RM 14330 grt) was hit by the last torpedo fired for the day, bringing her to a stop. This blow knocked out five boilers and the main steam line, causing POLA to lose electric power and drift to a stop. The torpedo was apparently dropped by Lieutenant F M A "Tuffy" Torrens-Spence.

The battle of Cape Matapan, 28th March 1941, just after the battlefleet opened fire at 10.28 p.m.
From left to right: the burning ZARA, and FIUME with RN BBs BARHAM, the VALIANT , DD GREYHOUND , and the flagship WARSPITE.
(From the painting by Rowland Langmaid)

Returning to Maleme, one of the Swordfish of 815 Sqn force landed in Suda Bay and its crew of Lt M. A. Torrens-Spence and Sub Lt P. Winter were rescued.

Unaware of Cunningham's pursuit, and proximity a squadron of CAs with three DDs were ordered to return and aid the POLA. This squadron was composed of POLA's sister ships ZARA and FIUME. The squadron did not start to return towards POLA until about an hour after the order had been given by Iachino, officially due to communication problems, while VITTORIO VENETO and the other ships continued to Taranto


VITTORIO VENETO withdraws from the battle area after being torpedoed by RN a/c.

Shadowing the Italian Fleet unseen a swordfish of 826 Sqn from FORMIDABLE failed to find Maleme on its return and forced landed in Suda Bay. Its crew of Sub Lt D. W. Phillips, Sub Lt G. Dormand, and Leading Airman A. Japp were picked up by trawler MOONSTONE

Night Action
At 2015, ORION's radar picked up the crippled POLA dead in the water; six miles to the port of ORION. The bulk of the Allied forces detected the Italian squadron on radar shortly after 2200, and were able to close without being detected. The Italian ships had no radar and could not detect British ships by means other than sight; Italian thinking did not envisage night actions and the Italians had their main gun batteries disarmed. They managed to spot the Allied squadron at 2220, which they thought to be Italian ships. The BBs BARHAM, VALIANT and WARSPITE, unnoticed by the Italian ships, were able to close to 3,800 yards (point blank range) at which point they opened fire. The Allied searchlights illuminated their enemy; the searchlights aboard VALIANT were under the command of a young Prince Phillip Some British gunners witnessed the cruiser's main turrets flying dozens of metres into the air. After just three minutes, CA FIUME (RM 14300 grt) and CA ZARA (RM 14133 grt) had also been destroyed. FIUME sank at 2330, while ZARA was finished off by a torpedo from the DD HMS JERVIS at 0240 of 29 March.

HMAS STUART in the Night Battle at Matapan by painter Frank Norton in 1968

Oriani Class DDs ALFIERI (RM 1675 grt) and CARDUCCI (RM 1675 grt), were sunk in the first five minutes. The other two, GIOBERTI and ORIANI, managed to escape, the former with heavy damage. Towing POLA to Alexandria as a prize was considered but daylight was approaching and it was thought that the danger of enemy air attack was too high. The British boarding parties seized a number of the much needed Breda AA machine guns. POLA was eventually sunk with torpedoes by the DD JERVIS and NUBIAN after her crew was taken off, shortly after 0400. The only known Italian reaction after the shocking surprise was a fruitless torpedo charge by some DDs and the aimless fire of one of ZARA's 40 mm guns in the direction of the British warships.

The Allied ships took on survivors but left the scene in the morning, fearing Axis air reprisals. Admiral Cunningham ordered a signal to be made on the Merchant Marine emergency band. This signal was received by the Italian High Command. It informed them that due to air strikes the Allied ships had ceased their rescue operations and it granted safe passage to a hospital ship for rescue purposes. The location of the remaining survivors was broadcast and the Italian hospital ship GRADISCA came to recover them. Allied casualties during the battle were a single torpedo bomber shot down by VITTORIO VENETO's 90 mm (3.5-inch) anti-aircraft batteries, with the loss of the three-man crew. Italian losses were up to 2,303 sailors, most of them from ZARA and FIUME. The Allies rescued 1,015 survivors, while the Italians saved another 160

Not generally acknowledged, the RHN placed 7 DDs (QUEEN OLGA, HYDRA, PSARA, KONDOURIOTIS, AETOS, IERAX, LEON, and PANTHER at the disposal of the Med flt. However 2 of these DDs did not participate as they arrived from Alexandria on the 23rd on escort duties) proceeded through the Corinth Canal to await orders to join Cunningham. The order was never sent and they spent the battle cruising between Cephalania and Zante.

Due to an error in deciphering, the Greek message stating they were awaiting "orders" was read as awaiting "oilers. "

However the Greek DDs were prominent in the number of Italian seamen they rescued; 55 officers and 850 men rescued by the Greek DDs.