BRITISH CAPTURE AIRPORT OF TOBRUK; GREEK DESTROYERS BOMBARD VALONA (1/8/41)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 1/8/41 | Herbert L. Matthews, C.L. Sulzberger, Hanson W. Baldwin

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile. Also visit our general discussion thread

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
North Africa, 1940: Graziani’s Advance and Wavell’s Offensive, 13 September 1940-7 February 1941 (Map 34a)
Marcks’ Plan, August 5, 1940
Operation Barbarossa (Dir. 21), December 18, 1940
The Mediterranean Basin (Map 33)
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941 – The Imperial Powers, 1 September 1939

[Homer_J_Simpson]

In the second memo below Schulenberg is replying not to General Smuts but to Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop.

Winston S. Churchill, The Grand Alliance

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Libya Port in Peril – 2-3
Rome Sees Axis Tie Tightened by Loss – 3
Hopkins is in Lisbon; Off to London Today – 3
Anti-Nazi Ferment Reported in Poland – 3
The International Situation – 4
Ships in Bold Raid – 4-5
Cut in Ship Losses Marked Year’s End – 5
Engine Shortage for Navy’s Planes to Last 18 Months – 7
Texts of Day’s War Communiques – 8

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1941/jan41/f08jan41.htm

British bomb Italian port

Wednesday, January 8, 1941 www.onwar.com

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

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

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

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/08.htm

January 8th, 1941

UNITED KINGDOM: Just as de Gaulle is about to give the British an ultimatum to set Muselier free - failing which all relations between Free France and Britain would be immediately severed - when he is informed that the whole affair is a deplorable mistake: the documents are fakes, the culprits had confessed - they were two men introduced into the Free French security services on British recommendation. These men, Commandant Howard and Adjutant Colin, had a personal grudge against the vice-admiral, and had contrived to compromise him by forging Vichy documents.
FRANCE: Admiral William D. Leahy, USN (Retired) presents his credentials as U.S. Ambassador to France at Vichy. (Jack McKillop)

GERMANY: Berchtesgaden: Hitler holds a council of war at the Berghof. He is optimistic that the British cannot endanger his position in Europe even if the Axis are defeated in North Africa. He concedes that the direct invasion of Britain is “...not feasible unless she is crippled ...and Germany has complete air superiority...” Germany should make herself so strong on the continent that “... we can handle a further war against England and America.” Hitler determines to prevent Italy losing North Africa, but not to divulge their plans to the Italians as he is convinced that the Italian Royal Family is transmitting intelligence to Britain.

Hitler also discusses the plans to assist the Italians in Albania and the invasion of Greece, along with the plans to seize the French fleet at Toulon.

U-559 is launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

ITALY: RAF Wellington bombers raid Naples hitting Italian Battleships “Giulio Cesare and Vittorio Veneto. The Guilio Cesare is badly damaged while moored in the harbour. The Vittorio Veneto is also hit but lightly damaged. (Jack McKillop)

ALBANIA: The Greeks begin to attack Klisura in their continuing offensive but their progress farther north is not as successful, especially around Berat. (Jack McKillop)

EGYPT:

Reply from Wavell to Churchill:

...I can assure you that I have always had question of rearward services constantly in mind and have been as anxious as anyone to cut down on non-fighting units. Except for anti-aircraft. ...

But the more I see of War, especially present-day War, the more I am impressed by the part that administration plays.

The Air Ministry is also becoming concerned about the build-up of German forces in Romania and the halting of the Greek advance without capturing the port of Valona in Albania. Thus leaving the way forward for an Italian offensive in the spring perhaps with German assistance especially from the Luftwaffe.

AUSTRALIA: Destroyer HMAS Nizam commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

CANADA: Despite citizenship, Japanese Canadians are excluded from military service. (Jack McKillop)

U.S.A.: Washington: President Franklin D. Roosevelt presents his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 1942 to the Congress. It outlines a total expenditure of $17.5 billion with $10.8 billion going to defence. (Fiscal Year 1942 extended from 1 July 1941 to 30 June 1942.) (Jack McKillop)
American mogul William Randolph Hearst, owner of the Hearst newspaper chain, forbids any of his newspapers from accepting ads for Orson Welles’ motion picture “Citizen Kane,” slated for release later in the year. The film was generally interpreted as a psychological study of Hearst, portrayed as the fictional Charles Foster Kane. In March 1941, Welles threatens to sue Hearst for trying to suppress the film, and RKO movie studio if it fails to release it. The film premieres 1 May 1941, at the RKO Palace in New York. The members of the American Film Institute have voted this film as Number 1 on the list of the 100 Greatest American Films Ever Made. (Jack McKillop)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/

Day 496 January 8, 1941

British Wellington bombers from Malta attack Italian battleships Guilio Cesare and Vittorio Veneto moored in Naples harbour. Guilio Cesare is badly damaged by 3 near misses but Vittorio Veneto is hit without serious damage. Both ships will be moved to La Spezia and repaired, out of the range of the Malta bombers.

Operation Compass. Australian 6th Division begins reconnaissance patrols around Tobruk. Overnight, a patrol reaches the Italian defensive perimeter. As at Bardia, Italian defenses consist of an antitank ditch and barbed wire fences in front of 2 concentric lines of open concrete gun pits (posts).

British cruisers HMS Gloucester and HMS Southampton arrive at Malta to disembark 510 Army & RAF personnel, escorted by destroyers HMS Ilex and Janus. HMS Gloucester, Southampton and Ilex continue West towards Gibraltar to meet the Excess convoy.

[CougarGA7]

I was gone all day yesterday but I have a couple of items for today of note:

First I have a couple of letters from Patton. This one is a note to General Pershing who Patton served under in World War I. He still is only temporary commander of the 2nd Armored Division but is angling to keep this command.

"As I have frequently told you, it is a great pleasure to command this division, and I hope before long to get the extra stars and have the command made permanent...However, as I am actually in command, there seems to be some possibility that I may get it." George S. Patton to General Pershing

Then there is this note to Brigadier General Gerow at the War Plans Division. This idea will lead to a command that Patton himself will take over in the future and shows that Patton did have a degree of intuitiveness as too what was needed in the war which America would inevitably end up in.

"If you are ever in a position to tell us who we may be expected to fight, I would appreciate it as I think we should put more emphasis in our training in trying to meet a specific enemy." - George S. Patton to Brig. Gen. Leonard T. Gerow at the War Plans Division

Finally, I just didn't see this in the update (maybe I read over it) but Harry Hopkins arrived today in Britain as Roosevelt's personal emissary.