http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/post?id=2665667%2C4
January 30th, 1941
UNITED KINGDOM: Destroyer HMS Goathland laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
GERMANY: Berlin: Convinced that 1941 will be “the crucial year of the great New Order in Europe”, Hitler threatens to blow up US aid ships bound for Britain.
U-175, U-217 laid down.
U-555 commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
GREECE: General Metaxas is succeeded as Minister President by Alexander Koryzis, a civilian and a much less strong character.
LIBYA: Derna: For the first time in this desert war, British and Australian troops of the 19th Brigade, found themselves facing a major counter-attack as Italian troops covered the evacuation of civilians - most of them Italian settlers - and the bulk of the garrison from this once-thriving seaport town.
Eight days after their successful attack on Tobruk, armour and infantry found the defenders making the best use of the rugged, hilly countryside, their artillery directing heavy and accurate fire with 20mm guns mounted on lorries. The Italian air force, which has not been seen for several days, joined in the attack, dive-bombing and machine-gunning British positions. As they forced the Italians back to an escarpment, the British faced two more desert foes - blinding sandstorms and thirst as water supplies, carried over 100 miles of desert, began to run out.
Derna has an ample supply of good “sweet” water - and perhaps that was one major incentive for the infantry and tanks to make the final assault on the escarpment and literally run down the other side into the town where the few remaining Italian troops waited with their hands up in surrender.
As the bulk of the Allied forces moves westwards across Cyrenaica, the strength of the resistance here suggests a tough fight at Benghazi, the ultimate objective.
EGYPT: Cairo: British Headquarters in Egypt announce:
The Italian occupation of Derna in Libya ended in Thursday morning.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-94 sank SS Rushpool in Convoy SC-19. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 518 January 30, 1941
Operation Compass. Australian 6th Division enters the town of Derna unopposed.
At 3.10 AM, U-94 concludes the attack on convoy SC-19 sinking British SS (all 40 crew picked up by destroyer HMS Antelope). 6 ships (total of 33,723 tons) have been sunk in less than 24 hours.
30 miles North of Zavia, Libya, British submarine HMS Upholder unsuccessfully attacks Italian steamers Motia & Delfin and is counter-attacked by convoy escort torpedo boat Aldebaran.