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http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/10.htm

March 10th, 1941

UNITED KINGDOM: Portsmouth is raided by 244 bombers, the heaviest yet this year. 750 people are killed.
The government rejects a plan to feed the small democracies stating that “Nothing has since occurred to alter the view of His Majesty’s Government that it is the responsibility of the German Government to see to the material welfare of the countries they have overrun, nor to weaken their conviction that no form of relief can be devised which would not directly or indirectly assist the enemy’s war effort.” (Jack McKillop)

Destroyer HMS Chiddingfold launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

FRANCE: RAF Bomber Command attacks Le Havre during the night of the 10th/11th and at the same time gives the new 4-engine Halifax bomber it debut. One of the six Halifax’s involved is mistakenly shot down on its return flight by an RAF night fighter. (Jack McKillop)

VICHY FRANCE: Darlan ratifies Murphy-Weygand agreement for provisioning of French North Africa.

Darlan again threatens to use the French navy to protect convoy foodships bound for France if the Royal Navy continues to seize them. Darlan was speaking in the presence of Marshal Petain to a press conference for American journalists.

“I am responsible for feeding 40 million people, plus millions more in Africa. I will feed them even if I have to use force.”

GERMANY: A secret report by the SS on the mood of the German people notes that the sale of “Pictures of the Fuhrer at Annual Fairs ... At present popular feeling ... does not approve of the sale of pictures of the Fuhrer alongside images of saints, rosaries and devotional objects.”

POLAND: Germans shoot 17 civilians after resistance fighters kill an actor who announced he was not Polish but German.

ALBANIA: In what will be the only success of the entire offensive, the alpini of the Pusteria Division capture the fortified peak of Mali Spadarit, on the extreme left wing. However, this leaves them far in advance of any friendly troops, and heavy fire from adjacent Greek positions on their flanks and rear forces them to withdraw somewhat back down the slope. In Gambarra’s sector, attempts to manoeuver against Monastery Hill get nowhere, and Gambarra already has to bring up troops from his reserve Bari Division to reinforce the Puglie and Cagliari. Meanwhile, it has begun to rain, negating the Italian advantage in the air, and increasing the footsoldiers’ misery. (Mike Yalkich)

GREECE: Athens: The Greek War Ministry announced:

We have continued our offensive operations and won new enemy positions. The enemy has launched violent counterattacks that have been repulsed with heavy losses.

Wavell reports that the “ ‘Lustre’ programme is up to date. First flight landed Piraeus, second flight half strength enroute, third flight half strength loading, extra flight in gap between third and fourth flights will complete second and third. Passing of ships through canal has made full programme possible.”

ETHIOPIA: Since taking Mogadishu, Italian Somaliland, the troops of Major General William Platt, General Office Commanding British Troops in Sudan, have advanced 600 miles (966 kilometres) north from there into Abyssinia and only now come into contact with any Italian forces. Their encounter is at Dagabur, only 100 miles (161 kilometres) south of Jijiga. (Jack McKillop)

EGYPT: Major General Thomas Blamey, General Officer Commanding Australian 6th Division, sends a message to the Australian Government concerning the upcoming operations in Greece. He ends his message saying, “Military operation extremely hazardous in view of disparity between opposing forces in numbers and training.” (Jack McKillop)

THAILAND: Japan steps in to mediate the undeclared war between France and Thailand; France cedes territory to Thailand and gives Japan a monopoly of the Indochinese rice crop and the right to the airfield at Saigon. (Jack McKillop)

CANADA: Submarine HMS Thunderbolt departed Halifax escort for Convoy SC-25. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: Carrying a US prototype centimetric air-interception radar, a B-18 Bolo fails to achieve any results. On the same day, the British centimetric AI radar made its first confirmed contact. Honours for this “first” thus go to the British. (Cris Wetton)

13 Northrop YP-61s are ordered for the USAAF. (Jack McKillop)

The USAAF 73d Squadron begins its transfer from McChord Field, Tacoma, Washington to Elmendorf Field, Anchorage, with eight Douglas B-18 Bolos. This will take four days. (Jack McKillop)

Baseball’s Brooklyn Dodgers announce that their players would wear batting helmets during the 1941 baseball season. General Manager Larry MacPhail (he started the Dodger dynasty in the thirties) predicted that all baseball players would soon be wearing the new devices. (Jack McKillop)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 2052, U-552 hit steam trawler Reykjaborg with a dud and then fired at her between 2314 and 2347 with 103 rounds from the deck gun and 592 rounds from the 2cm AA gun. The trawler sank about 459 miles SE of Iceland. She was probably the largest Icelandic-owned trawler at the time. (Dave Shirlaw)