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http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/13.htm

February 13th, 1941

UNITED KINGDOM:
London: Sir Kingsley Wood has announced that the war is costing the people of Britain £ 10,500,000 per day. This is more than double the daily expenditure of a year ago.

Air Ministry to RAF HQ Cairo:

“We have received appeal from Greece for immediate air assistance in the battle in Albania due to start today. ...immediate despatch of 33 Sqn. and use of Wellingtons from aerodromes near Athens against Italian aerodromes and port of Valona.”

Boom defence vessel HMS Barrymore launched.
Corvette HMS Alisma commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

NORTH SEA: SS Westcliffe Hall (1,900 GRT) Canadian Hall Corporation merchantman, was damaged by bombs from Luftwaffe aircraft off Whitby. There is no record of loss of life in this incident. (Dave Shirlaw)

FRANCE: Paris: Galtier-Boisiére, a collaborator, dines at a fashionable restaurant on the quais. “The room was crowded. Sitting at the bar, Léon-Paul Fargue, a cigarette stuck between his tortoise like lips, was waiting for a table. An enormous Fritz, who, it seems, was Lieutenant Weber, Führer of the Franco-German press, was treating his friends to champagne. No restrictions. Forbidden beefsteaks were hidden under fried eggs. A nouveau-riche clientele. The finest wines flowing. Fat cats are on top in the New Order. With cash, plenty of cash, one can always stuff one’s face as much as one likes, while housewives stand in line for hours in the snow for turnips.” Luxury restaurants are allowed to serve meat openly on payment of a special 10% levy to the Secours Nationale.

VICHY FRANCE: Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco meets Vichy French Premier Marshal Henri Pétain in Vichy “to discuss matters relating to the prosecution of the war.”

The Germans order Vichy to break off economic discussions with Britain.

GERMANY: U-557 commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

ITALY: Calabria: The aqueduct attacked by British paratroops three days ago is back in use.

Merano: Admirals Arturo Riccardi of Italy and Erich Raeder of Germany meet to discuss naval co-operation.

SPAIN: King Alfonso XIII, who left Spain in 1931, renounces the throne in favour of his son Juan.

LIBYA: The Afrika Korps starts to arrive. A crack Italian armoured division, the Ariete is brought in along with part of the German 5th Light Division armed with 70 light tanks, some eight-wheeled armoured cars and half-tracks and 80 PzKw III and IV tanks. They also bring the 88mm dual-purpose gun for anti-aircraft and anti-tank use.

ERITREA: Carrier-based aircraft from HMS Formidable attack Massawa. HMS Formidable cannot pass through the Suez Canal to join the Mediterranean Fleet owing to mines that have been dropped by Luftwaffe planes which are being cleared. (Jack McKillop)

MIDWAY ISLAND: Light cruisers USS Brooklyn (CL-40), USS Philadelphia (CL-41), and USS Savannah (CL-42) and stores issue ship USS Antares (AKS 3) arrive at Midway with the remainder of the Marine 3d defence Battalion. (Jack McKillop)

U.S.A.: The motion picture “Buck Privates” opens at the Loew’s State Theater in New York City. Directed by Arthur Lubin, this comedy stars Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lee Bowman and the Andrew Sisters. This picture is the first in which Abbott and Costello star. (Jack McKillop)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: ASW trawler HMS Rubens sunk by a German FW 200 aircraft off Ireland.

At 1508, Clea, a straggler from convoy HX-106, was torpedoed and sunk by U-96 SE of Iceland. The master and 58 crewmembers were lost.

At 1625, U-103 damaged the Arthur F. Corwin, a straggler from convoy HX-106, with two torpedoes SE of Iceland (grid AL 3245). The U-boat then left the burning tanker in a sinking condition. At 1950 the same day, U-96 came across the wreck of Arthur F. Corwin, which was still afloat and sank her with two coups de grâce. The master, 43 crewmembers and two gunners were lost. (Dave Shirlaw)