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December 16th, 1940 (MONDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM:
RAF Bomber Command: Aircraft attempt the area bombing of Mannheim as revenge for recent German raids on Coventry and other cities, but little damage is done. 134 aircraft drop 80 tonnes of HE and 14,000 incendiaries, for the loss of 10 aircraft. Other raids on Berlin hit a subway line and an elevated railway. Berlin reports that squads of labourers are working overtime to repair the damage.


Churchill telegrams to Wavell:
The Army of the Nile has rendered glorious service to the Empire and to our cause, and we are already reaping rewards in every quarter. ... Your first objective now must be to maul the Italian army and rip them off the African shore to the utmost possible extent.

GERMANY:

U-761 laid down.

U-401 launched.



NORTH AFRICA:
7 Armoured Division re-capture Sollum in Egypt. This formation now crosses the border into Libya and occupies Fort Capuzzo, south of Bardia.
The Italian position at Sidi Omar is captured by the 7th Hussars and the 2nd Royal Tanks, supported by the guns of 4th RHA, where Captain Hobart of 2 RTR was seen 'steel helmet on, shooting away over the top of his turret cupola with a pistol'.
An S79 is shot down by 274 Sqn. (RAF).
Reinforcements arriving from Italy include 23 S79s and 23 CR42s.
Associated Press reports:
The Italian army is broken into bits, harassed by unending air attacks, and a speedy retreat from Egyptian territory.
Wavell to CIGS:
Immediate problem is how to deal with Bardia.
1. Try to induce garrison to surrender.
2. Cut it off from Tobruk and lay siege.
3. Leave road to Tobruk open and if enemy withdraws by it attack him in the open.
If 1 fails then course 3 is favoured as we are not strong enough for 2. Supply is the problem and also Bardia as a landing place and source of water are more valuable than the bodies in it. ... transport is the chief anxiety, these desert operations at such distances are throwing very heavy strain on all vehicles. Am already using captured Italian vehicles and have most urgent request from Greek C-in-C for transport.

KENYA
The frontier post of El Wak, near the border with Italian Somaliland, had been occupied by the Italians during their advance into Kenya during the summer, together with the fort and well of Wajir, to the south-west. Today Wajir is retaken and El Wak raided, by a South African force under Maj Gen Goodwin Austin, who render it unusable by the Italians, capturing a number of prisoners, with guns, ammunition, and food stores. West African troops from the Gold Coast played a major part by the side of the South African soldiers. They are supported by 5 fighters, 3 bombers and 9 Hartbeest Army Co-operation aircraft.

U.S.A.: Destroyer USS Rodman laid down.

ATLANTIC OCEAN:

SS Bic Island (4,000 GRT) Canadian Government merchantman, formerly the Italian Capo Noli, captured on 10 Jun 40 by HMCS Brad D'Or, was damaged in the North Atlantic in position 54.12N, 17.45W, by bombs from Luftwaffe aircraft. The ship was able to reach port, was repaired and returned to service. BIC ISLAND was sunk in 1942 in the North Atlantic by U-624, KptLt. Ulrich Graf Von SODEN-FRAUNHOFEN, CO.

U-37 sank SS San Carlos.

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