ROOSEVELT MOVES TO TRANSFER ARMS TO BRITAIN FROM ARSENALS AND YARDS (2/27/41)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz | 2/27/41 | Frank L. Kluckhohn, Hugh Byas, Percival Knauth

[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]

Aid Steps Mapped – 2
Britain is Helped by U.S. Insurers – 2
Chinese Dissension Assists Japanese – 2
The International Situation – 3
Mogadiscio Seized * – 3-4
Palestine Appoints War Supply Board – 4
Six Slain in Amsterdam Round-Up; Germans Proclaim Martial Law – 4
Government Accepts Gift of Saratoga Battle Park – 4
Japanese and Nazis Discuss Strategy; Tokyo Held Ready – 5
First Libyan Clash Reported by Nazis – 5-6
Italian Possession Off Turkey taken – 6-7
Vichy Still Awaits Nazi ‘Collaborator’ – 7
Americans, Sick of Jobs, Join Canadian Air Force – 7
New York Airliner Overdue at Atlanta; Rickenbacker and 15 Others are Aboard – 7
The Texts of the Day’s War Communiques – 8

* Would it be accurate to say that this is the first Axis capital to fall during the war?

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1941/feb41/f27feb41.htm

Italian merchant cruiser sunk

Thursday, February 27, 1941 www.onwar.com

In the Indian Ocean... The Italian merchant cruiser Ramb I is sunk by the New Zealand cruiser Leander off the Maldive Islands. Ramb I sailed from Massawa on February 20th.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/27.htm

February 27th, 1941

UNITED KINGDOM: London: At a meeting of the British War Cabinet, Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies agrees to send Australian troops to Greece.
Destroyer HMS Brecon laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

NETHERLANDS: Amsterdam: Martial law is declared as 389 Jews, arrested last week, are deported to Buchenwald camp.

GERMANY:

U-559 commissioned.
U-603, U-604 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: The force being sent to occupy Castellorizo, sailed from Alexandria on 27 Feb, covered by the cruisers HMAS PERTH and HMS BONAVENTURE. The troops were landed from the destroyers on the night of the 27/28th. However the Italians had landed some 300 troops and also continued heavy bombing attacks on the island and British forces. The situation was seen as hopeless and all British forces were withdrawn a few hours later. They had suffered 50 casualties. All in all an unsatisfactory operation by the British. Cunningham wrote that they had underestimated the Italian ability and will to respond decisively. The commandoes were underarmed with ‘Tommy guns and knuckle dusters’ and that he sent ‘25 marines bristling with machine guns’ but ‘some fool’ had ordered them to re-embark in LADYBIRD. (Ric Pelvin)

TURKEY: Ankara: Britain and Turkey today reached full agreement on Balkan and eastern Mediterranean problems. A delegation led by Anthony Eden flew here from Cairo for discussions with the Turkish Prime Minister, Dr Saydam, and Mr. Sarajoglu, the Foriegn Minister. General Sir John Dill, the CIGS, and Marshal Chakmak, the Turkish Chief of Staff, also took part. the talks were so successful that there is no need for a further conference and, according to the official spokesman, both sides “expressed deep gratification at the tenor of the conversations.”

Ankara Radio said tonight that Mr Eden “is the champion of civilization and humanity against the Axis powers.”

INDIAN OCEAN: The East Indies Command under Vice-Adm R. Leatham continually supports the East African land campaign. After breaking out of Massawa, Italian Armed Merchant Cruiser ‘Ramb 1’ is located off the Maldives and sunk by New Zealand cruiser HMS Leander. 103 men are captured.

TERRITORY OF HAWAII: The Japanese Consulate in Honolulu sends a message to Tokyo stating that “apparently the (U.S.) Fleet goes to sea for a week of training and stays in Pearl Harbor one week. Every Wednesday, those at sea and those in the harbor change places. This movement was noted on last Wednesday, the 26th.” (Jack McKillop)

U.S.A.: The 1940 Academy Awards are presented at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California. “Rebecca” takes the Best Picture Award; James Stewart takes the Best Actor Award for his performance in “The Philadelphia Story”; Ginger Rogers takes the Best Actress Award for her performance in “Kitty Foyle”; Walter Brennan wins the Best Supporting Actor Award for “The Westerner;”; Jane Darwell wins Best Supporting Actress and John Ford takes the Best Director Award for “The Grapes of Wrath.” (Jack McKillop)

The Bell XFL-1 Airabonita fighter is delivered to the US Navy for evaluation. (Jack McKillop)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Scharnhorst and Gneisenau refuel from tankers Ermland and Friedrich Breme and head to the Canary Islands. (Navy News)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/

Day 546 February 27, 1941

Operation Abstention. Overnight, Italian torpedo boats Lupo and Lince from Rhodes land 240 soldiers on the island of Castelorizo at daybreak and shell British positions with 4-inch guns (3 British commandos killed, 7 injured). British destroyers HMS Decoy and HMS Hereward fail to engage the torpedo boats and yield control of the area to the Italians (for which they are criticized in the after-action report). Instead, they return to Alexandria, Egypt, to embark more troops.

Indian Ocean, 200 miles West of the Maldives. New Zealand cruiser HMNZS Leander intercepts Italian armed merchant cruiser Ramb I which has just left Massawa, Eritrea. Ramb I sinks after a brief exchange of gunfire (113 survivors in lifeboats picked up by HMNZS Leander and taken to Addu Atoll, Maldives).

British minesweeping trawler HMT Remillo sinks on a mine in the Humber Estuary (17 killed).

Atlantic Ocean. West of Ireland, Italian submarine Bianchi sinks British SS Baltistan (51 killed, 18 survivors). Overnight, U-47 sinks British SS Holmelea in the same area (27 killed, 11 escape in a lifeboat and are rescued by Icelandic trawler Baldur on March 5). 1000 miles West of the Azores, German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau refuel from tankers Ermland & Friedrich Breme and transfer 180 prisoners from ships sunk on February 22.

[beebuster2000]

btt

[JRandomFreeper]

There's a heck of a follow-up story to the Rickenbacker missing story. Turns out the AC crashed outside of Atlanta, and Eddie was trapped and severely injured. He was reported as dead, left for dead (at the crash site and the hospital both), spent 10 days 'at death's door' and eventually recovered, to die in 1975.

Tough old coot.

/johnny

[Homer_J_Simpson]

There's a heck of a follow-up story to the Rickenbacker missing story.

You are correct. Check back tomorrow for further details.

[CougarGA7]

I find it interesting that the first Axis capital to fall is Mogadishu. People don’t usually think of the East African campaign at all.