http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/07.htm
February 7th, 1941
UNITED KINGDOM: Command headquarters for the Western Approaches is moved from Plymouth to Liverpool.
Stockport, Cheshire: The first Fairey built Bristol Beaufighter makes its maiden flight.
GERMANY: U-564 and U-652 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
ALBANIA: Weather has held up operations successfully started by Greek 5 Division with capture of Zrebeshinj Mountain. Floods had against swept away bridges, Greek II Corps having to be supplied from Koritsa instead of Janinna. When weather improves further advance of 5 Division westward should secure fall of Tepelene. Italians now have equivalent of 30 Divisions in Albania.
U.S.S.R.: Soviet submarine K-55 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
LIBYA: Agedaba falls to the British.
Beda Fomm: At 11 am the Italian Chief of Staff surrenders to the HQ of 4th Armoured Brigade. Later General Annibale Bergonzoli surrenders along with the rest of 10th Army. 20,000 men, 6 generals and a vast horde of weapons, transport and supplies along with a shower caravan and mobile brothel with a dozen women. The cost of the battle to 7 Armoured Div. was nine men killed and 15 wounded.
It was a brilliantly orchestrated attack, which took the Italian defenders entirely by surprise when British armour - traversing barren and waterless tracks from Tobruk - suddenly appeared at Beda Fomm cutting any chance of Italian retreat. Australian infantry and tanks then swept in from the north to join the British from the south and west. With Benghazi taken O’Connor’s men continue westwards - advanced units have arrived at Sirte, with Tripoli itself now under threat.
Free French troops under General Leclerc besiege the Italian garrison at Koufra.
CHINA: Sinyang: After 13 days of bitter fighting, Chinese forces have crushed a major Japanese offensive in central China intended to make Japan’s garrison at Wuhan safer. By this morning Chinese troops had re-occupied Sinyang and all points north. The strategically crucial city along the Wuhan-Peking railway had fallen on 25 January when three Japanese divisions broke through Chinese lines before advancing and taking the town.
The turning-point in the battle for southern Henan came when Japanese forces suffered heavy losses as they attempted to take Fangcheng to the north-west of Sinyang and were forced to retreat.
JAPAN: Tokyo: Peace talks between Vichy French Indochina and Thailand open under the auspices of Japan, a week after an armistice was signed.
NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES: Hart ordered to insist on US command of any Allied fleet which arose from the discussions with British and Dutch representatives he was conducting. (Marc Small)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 526 February 7, 1941
Battle of Beda Fomm, Libya, North Africa. At dawn, 20 Italian medium tanks break the British cordon but are stopped by artillery fire. Out of tanks and options, the Italians surrender. British take 25,000 Italian POWs, including the elusive General “Electric Whiskers” Bergonzoli, plus 200 guns and 120 tanks. Since the start of the ‘5 day raid’ two months ago, Operation Compass has destroyed 10 Italian divisions, 400 tanks and 1290 artillery pieces with a mixed force of British, Indian and Australian troops never more than 2 divisions strong. Allied losses for the whole campaign are 555 dead and missing, plus 1,373 wounded, while taking 130,000 POWs (including 22 Italian Generals). General O’Connor signals his victory to British Commander-in-Chief Middle East General Wavell in Cairo using a hunting metaphor (both are fox hunters) “Fox killed in the open”.
Battle of Keren, Eritrea, East Africa. British and Indian troops continue to hold Cameron Ridge. On the other side of the Gorge, 4th Indian Division tries to flank the Italian stronghold at Dologorodoc Fort, by moving through the Scescilembi Valley (known as “Happy Valley” by the Indian troops).