United Kingdom
Tag
(515)1941
January
- 10
- The Lend-Lease bill in CongressOn 10 January 1941 bill H.R. 1776, letting Roosevelt lend arms to the British, went before Congress. On 23 January Lindbergh urged that it be rejected.
- The attack on HMS IllustriousOn 10 January 1941 German Ju 87s from Sicily hit the carrier Illustrious off Malta. For two weeks the Luftwaffe tried to finish her off in the Grand Harbour.
February
- 25
- The sinking of the cruiser Armando DiazOn 25 February 1941 the British submarine Upright torpedoed the Italian cruiser Armando Diaz, escorting a Libya convoy off Kerkennah. About 460 men died.
- The British take MogadishuOn 25 February 1941 General Cunningham’s African troops entered Mogadishu unopposed, two weeks after advancing from Kenya into Italian Somaliland.
March
- 27
- Key eventThe Yugoslav coup d’étatOn 27 March 1941 air force officers in Belgrade ousted Prince Paul’s regency and the government that signed the pact. Hitler resolved to destroy Yugoslavia.
- The British take KerenOn 27 March 1941 the Italians abandoned Keren and British tanks drove into the town. After twelve days of assault Platt had opened the road to Asmara.
April
- 06
- Key eventGermany attacks GreeceOn 6 April 1941 the 12th Army struck Greece from Bulgaria. The Metaxas Line forts beat off the first attacks; at night an ammunition ship blast wrecked Piraeus.
- The British enter Addis AbabaOn 6 April 1941 Cunningham’s troops entered Addis Ababa, given up by the Italians without a fight. Asmara, capital of Eritrea, had fallen five days earlier.
- 18
- The suicide of Alexandros KoryzisOn 18 April 1941, as the Greek front collapsed, Prime Minister Alexandros Koryzis took his own life. The British were already preparing to evacuate.
- The British land at BasraOn 18 April 1941 the 20th Indian Infantry Brigade landed at Basra; the day before, aircraft had begun flying a British infantry battalion into Shaibah.
May
- 10
- Key eventRudolf Hess’s flight to ScotlandOn 10 May 1941 Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess flew alone to Scotland to make peace with Britain. He bailed out by parachute and was taken prisoner.
- Key eventThe last night of the BlitzOn the night of 10–11 May 1941 bombs killed 1,436 people in London and destroyed the House of Commons chamber. It was the Blitz's last great raid.
June
July
- 12
- The Armistice of AcreAt midnight on 12 July 1941 fighting ceased in Syria and Lebanon. Armistice terms were initialled at Acre and signed on 14 July by Wilson and de Verdilhac.
- The Anglo-Soviet AgreementOn 12 July 1941 Cripps and Molotov signed an agreement on joint action in the Kremlin. Britain and the USSR pledged mutual help and ruled out a separate peace.
August
September
October
November
- 22
- The British ultimatum to FinlandOn 22 November 1941 Stalin received Churchill’s pledge of war on Finland if it did not stop fighting. On 28 November London sent Helsinki an ultimatum.
- The Battle of Sidi RezeghOn 22 and 23 November 1941 the Afrika Korps retook Sidi Rezegh airfield, shattered British armoured brigades and destroyed the 5th South African Brigade.
December
- 08
- The Battle of Hong Kong beginsOn 8 December 1941 Japan attacked Hong Kong. In five days it took the New Territories and Kowloon, and the defenders withdrew to Hong Kong Island.
- The Malayan campaign beginsJust after midnight on 8 December 1941 the Japanese landed at Kota Bharu in Malaya and in Thailand. Five days later Yamashita's army beat the British at Jitra.