http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/02.htm
March 2nd, 1941
UNITED KINGDOM:
London: Civilian pilots of the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) in a slow, unarmed aircraft are running the gauntlet of German fighters and antiaircraft guns to maintain communications with Sweden.
They take in news of Britain and important passengers and bring back ball-bearings vital to the defence industry. Their only aircraft so far is a Lockheed flown out of Poland by its crews when the Germans overran their country. With the identification letters of BG, it is known as “Bashful Gertie, the Terror of the Skagerrak.”
The Polish airline LOT - Polskie Linie Lotnicze, purchased ten Lockheed Model 14-H Super Electras, msn 1421, before the war; they were registered SP-BNE to SP-BNH, SP-BNJ and SP-BNK, SP-BPK to SP-BPN. This aircraft was one of the ten. It had been registered SP-BNF in Polish service but was re-registered G-AGBG when it began service with British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). BOAC had acquired eight Model 14s for use, three former LOT Model 14-Hs and five former British Airways Model 14-WF62s. (Jack McKillop)
The British government breaks off diplomatic relations with Bulgaria. (Jack McKillop)
GREECE: Athens: The British ambassador at Belgrade meets with Mr Eden. He says that the Yugoslavs are frightened of Germany and unsettled by internal politics. They may be willing to help if they knew of the British plans to help Greece. Mr Eden and the Greeks feared lest Germany should find out.
Eden also finds out from General Heywood that the Greek government had failed to carry out the agreement reached on 22nd February at Tatoi and that no order for the withdrawal of troops from Macedonia and Thrace had been given.
ALBANIA: Mussolini flies in, hoping his presence will raise the morale of his troops.
TURKEY: The authorities close the Dardanelles to shipping without a permit.
BULGARIA: Sofia: Germany officially admitted today that its troops (of the XII Army) had entered Bulgaria. According to a High Command communique: “The German army, in agreement with the Royal Bulgarian government, has been marching into Bulgaria since Saturday.” In the Bulgarian parliament the Prime Minister, Professor Filov, said that Germany had asked permission to send in the troops on a temporary basis in order to “safeguard peace in the Balkans.”
All day today the Germans have been pouring into Bulgaria by way of pontoon bridges across the Danube. Meanwhile there are reports that the vanguard of the German forces is already approaching the Greek frontier at four points. With the Luftwaffe present in strength, the German attack on Greece seems imminent.
Sofia: The American United Press News Agency reported:
We are reliably informed that the moment when Bulgaria joined the Tripartite Pact, Germany prepared to march into Bulgaria and informed the Greeks via diplomatic channels that within two weeks they had to either make peace or “bear the consequences.”
EAST AFRICA: General Cunningham pushes light forces on to Ferfer [about 200 miles north of Mogadishu and Dolo.] which will complete the occupation of Italian Somaliland.
NORTH AFRICA: Wavell gives the War Cabinet an optimistic assessment of the situation. “...the enemy are short of transport. The distance from their base in Tripoli to Benghazi is 646 miles with only one road and inadequate water for 400 miles.” Wavell was satisfied that the Axis would not try to recapture Benghazi.
Tripoli, LIBYA:
The Italian Stefani News Agency reports:
The fresh troops who have just arrived in Libya held a parade before high-ranking military men and civilian officials, to the applause of the people. Among those present were the C-in-C of the Italian North Africa troop, the Chief of the General Staff and the commander of the German armoured corps in North Africa.
LIBYA: The Australian 2/13th Battalion reaches Mersa Matruh. (Jack McKillop)
U.S.A.: Washington: The Senate approves a bill to increase the national debt limit from $49 billion to $65 billion. The national debt is already $46 billion and the next year’s budget calls for $17.5 billion. The defence program, excluding the requirements of the lease-lend bill, amounts to $28.5 billion.
The US Senate approves Resolution 71. This establishes the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National defence Program.
Known as the Truman Committee, it now has seven members, Tom Connally of Texas, Carl hatch of New Mexico, Monrad C. Wallgren of Washington and James Mead of New York are the Democrats. Joseph H. Ball of Minnesota and Owen Brewster of Maine are the Republicans.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0046, SS Pacific in Convoy HX-109 was hit by one torpedo from U-95 and sank rapidly by the stern about 180 miles WSW of Syderöy, Faroe Islands. A first torpedo had missed the ship at 0044. The master and 33 crewmembers were lost. One crewmember was picked up by the Icelandic trawler Dora and landed at Fleetwood on 5 March.
At 2212, SS Augvald, which had lost sight of Convoy HX-109 in bad weather the day before, was hit by a torpedo from U-147 and sank. 29 men died, among them two young English boys age 14 and 16. Able seaman Rasmus Kolstø survived 11 days alone on the sea and was picked up by the British corvette HMS Pimpernel about 150 miles NW of Loch Ewe. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 549 March 2, 1941
U-552 U-95 and U-147 attack convoy HX-109, 170 miles Northwest of Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Around midnight, U-552 sinks tanker SS Cadillac carrying 17,000 tons of aviation spirit from Aruba (37 killed, 4 crew and 1 passenger picked up by destroyer HMS Malcolm) and U-95 sinks SS Pacific carrying 9000 tons of steel and scrap metal from USA (34 crew lost, 1 survivor picked up by Icelandic trawler Dora). At 10.12 PM, U-147 sinks Norwegian SS Augvald (29 crew killed, Able seaman Rasmus Kolstø survives 11 days on a raft and is rescued by corvette HMS Pimpernel).
The day after Bulgaria joins the Tripartite Pact, German 12th Army crosses the River Danube from Romania into Bulgaria, moving troops forward to attack Greece.
Operation Canvas; Italian Somaliland/Ethiopia, East Africa. 11th African Division sets out from Mogadishu, Italian Somaliland, resupplied by Royal Navy and using fuel left behind by the Italians. They head 500 miles North for Jijiga, Eastern Ethiopia, to pursue retreating Italian forces. Allied efforts on the ground are aided by RAF aircraft flying across the Red Sea from Aden, which attack Italian airfields in Somaliland, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
At the Kufra oasis, Southeastern Libya, Free French Major Philippe Leclerc makes an oath (serment de Koufra), pledging not to lay down his weapons until the French flag flies over the cathedral at Strasbourg.
The Brits, like the German General Staff, have concluded that no offensive can be undertaken until Rommel “tidies up” his supply lines and rear areas, most likely in May, after the planned arrival of 15th Panzer.
They’re both wrong, and it’s a mistake the British will make again.