Posted on 02/16/2011 4:35:16 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
Winston S. Churchill, The Grand Alliance
News of the Week in Review
Twenty News Questions * – 8
Asiatic Powers Prepare for Japan’s Thrust – 9-10
The New York Times Book Review
The United States and Japan’s New Order, by William C. Johnstone – 12-13
Tales of a Week-End Farmer in Vermont, by Henry B. Lent – 14
The New York Times Magazine Our Gibraltar in the Pacific – 16
* Answers on Saturday 2/19
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1941/feb41/f16feb41.htm
South Africans launch offensive
Sunday, February 16, 1941 www.onwar.com
In East Africa... In Italian Somaliland the 1st South African Brigade begins an important battle to seize crossings over the lower reaches of the river Juba.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/16.htm
February 16th, 1941
UNITED KINGDOM: Liverpool: The new HQ of Coastal Command Western Approaches at Derby House opens. Its new C-in-C is to be Admiral Sir Percy Noble.
No. 15 Group RAF moves into the new Command area and a new No.19 Group takes over Plymouth and the watch on the Bay of Biscay.
Minesweeping trawler HMS Ormonde sunk by German aircraft off Scotland. (Dave Shirlaw)
GERMANY: U-261 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
GREECE: Athens: The Athens News Agency ‘Athinaiko Praktoreio’ reported:
The Greek general staff reports that the Greek troop offensive that began on Friday is continuing with undiminished violence. Yesterday Greek forces again won important victories in which prisoners and large amounts of war materiel of every kind fell into their hands. Greek assault troops succeeded in penetrating strongly fortified Italian positions at various points on the front, which has shifted along its whole length between Lake Ochrida [on Yugoslav-Albanian] border and the coast.
ITALIAN SOMALILAND: 1st South African Brigade begins an important battle to seize crossings over the lower reaches of the Juba River. (Jack McKillop)
SINGAPORE: Britain mines the waters around the colony.
U.S.A.: New York: The editorial in the New York Times reports the fear of inflation in Britain, “... not even the thunder of falling bombs and the ever-present apprehension of invasion can submerge that old fear. Lord Balfour ... pointed out that ...prices had increased 64% between August, 1939 and last September and that the cost of materials had increased by 48%.”
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
‘The Times’, February 16th, 1941.
How her ship was sunk, experience of the Gestapo as a captive in a German raider, how she was marooned on a small tropical island, carol singing among the coral reefs and palms, rescue, a wonderful Christmas dinner of bread and cheese and hot coffee in the rescue ship - these are the things of which a young London woman tells in a letter home from Australia. She was one of the escorts who had accompanied children to Australia from this country for the Children’s Overseas Reception Board, and was returning to Britain in the ‘Rangitane’. But within a few weeks she was to see Australia again, after some terrifying and exciting experiences; and in this letter to her mother she says:-
“Early one morning we were shelled by two enemy raiders at close range, a third standing by. The shells came straight into the cabins occupied by the 22 C.O.R.B. escorts, causing fire, gas, and complete destruction in a few seconds. We lost five escorts and a sixth died on the raider. The shelling ceased and we were ordered to the boats. A great number were wounded, and even some of the dead were put into the lifeboats. Some boats sank, as they had been riddled in the shelling. Mine, with others, was ordered to the black raider, over whose side hung the German flag - red with a black swastika in the centre. The Germans were very gentle and kind to the wounded and gave a helping hand to all, as even those who were not hurt were terribly dazed.”
“We were given a cup of strong black coffee, and the Germans doctors started at once on the casualties. They were very fine surgeons, and their cases could not have had better attention. Fortunately, we had six C.O.R.B. nursing sisters with us, and they were all unhurt and therefore ready to help nurse the wounded. Our quarters consisted of a central hatch, where two armed sentries were stationed, off which were four holds. Two were for the men, one for us, and the fourth was equipped with rough bunks for the wounded. Each hold had a Dictaphone to record our remarks. Each hold was fitted with a trestle table and benches, lockers and a lavatory, and two enamel wash bowls. They were clean and freshly painted, and well lighted. A shaft occasionally brought us fresh air. We were each provided with a hammock, a clean towel and a cake of salt-water soap.”
“On the evening of the third day, after having been ordered a fresh-water shower bath, we were told to pack as we were to be transferred to another boat - the third raider, where all the women would be together. We were taken up on deck and were examined and questioned by a Gestapo agent, and had our money and papers taken off us. On the third raider, the ‘Tokio Maru’, a German boat flying Japanese colours, but unarmed and evidently a supply ship, we were put four in a two-berth cabin, but were quite comfortable. After almost four weeks of aimless sailing, with food getting from scarce to desperate, the Germans were forced to land us, which they did on the Saturday morning before Christmas on the tiny desert island of Emirau, or Squally Island, which lies just below the Equator.”
At 1556, the unescorted SS Ramapo was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-108, broke in two and sank after 11 minutes west of Bermuda. The U-boat surfaced and questioned 34 men in lifeboats, however the survivors were never found. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 535 February 16, 1941
British cruiser HMS Neptune is damaged again by German bombing at Chatham (in dock to repair bomb damage sustained at Plymouth on February 9). The scheduled refit and the repairs will be completed on May 1.
British minesweeping trawler HMT Ormonde is bombed and sunk by German aircraft 25 miles East of Aberdeen, Scotland (19 killed).
5 miles off Chebba, Tunisia, a Fairey Swordfish from 830 Squadron, Malta, sinks Italian steamer Juventus.
You had me pretty excited there for a second.
I thought maybe the Brits had decided to take out the Somali pirates once and for all. Then I saw the part about the ‘chute’ raid in Italy and I noticed the date.
Still, thanks for posting it. It’s some fine stuff from the days when there were still some world leaders on the planet who didn’t think appeasement was the best way to handle agressive totalitarians.
Oh, there were plenty of appeasers up until 1939. It's just that they got a really good lesson on the consequenses of that policy.
Do we call this a “drive by” post?
"Hawaii is thus chiefly important as a pivot, an anchor, a mid-ocean point d'appui around which and from which the fleet can manoeuvre and in whose protected waters the fleet can be docked and supplied and repaired."But it is important in its own right as a fortress.
And were the fleet to be sent into the Atlantic, the very strength of Hawaii and its position athwart the transpacific steamship lanes make it a strong point for defense of our West Coast."The submarines and minelayers and small craft permanently stationed there could harass the supply routes of any enemy that attempted to pass it by, and against direct assault, even the mightiest that could be launched, Hawaii is confident of its ability long to endure.
The top brass, especially Army, is expecting to fight off a Japanese invasion.
By the way, anyone -- when was the last time you saw the term "point d'appui" used in an article in any publication?
So don't tell me we haven't fallen a long way since those days.
;-)
Call it whatever you want, but what does that make YOUR post?
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