January 5th, 1941 (MONDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Ireland is to take the brunt of the British system of issuing Navicerts. The Minister of Economic Warfare announced that after January 22, exports from Eire will be as liable to search on the high seas as exports from enemy territory, unless the cargo is accompanied by a navicert.London:
Amy Johnson, the airwoman who made flying history with her 10,000 mile solo flight to Australia ten years ago, is feared to have died when the aircraft she was ferrying for the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) crashed into the Thames Estuary. There was no enemy air activity at the time, and it is thought that 38-year-old Miss Johnson lost her way in bad weather conditions and ran out of fuel. The crew of the naval trawler Haslemere saw her bale out of the trawler's captain Lieutenant-Commander W E Fletcher, dived into the sea despite the heavy swell and reached her, but was unable to support her. He was so exhausted by his valiant efforts and so frozen by the bitter sea that he died in hospital.
Miss Johnson's family heard of the accident when they were telephoned by Miss Pauline Gower, the head of the ATA which ferries aircraft from factories to the front line squadrons.
"Amy has been flying as a ferry pilot for six months," her mother said tonight. "She was intensely happy in the knowledge that she was working for her country in this way; in fact, I have never known her as light-hearted as she has been during recent months."
Jim Mollison, Amy Johnson's former husband, is also serving with the ATA.
Amy Johnson took off from Squire's Gate airfield in Blackpool and was headed for Kidlington in Oxfordshire, in an Airspeed Oxford.
A civilian version of the Oxford, the Envoy was made. One of these, Aus. registration VH-UXY was lost off Hawaii, having left Oakland, California, December 4, 1935. Piloted by Charles Ulm, the plane was named "Stella Australis". He and his crew, George Littlejohn, co-pilot and Leon Skilling, navigator were attempting to fly to Australia. Ulm had previously made this trip with Charles Kingsford-Smith in June, 1928, in a Fokker F.VII3m named "Southern Cross".
VICHY FRANCE: Admiral William D. Leahy, USN (Retired) arrives in Vichy as US ambassador.
ITALY: RAF bombers hit Palermo, Naples and its suburbs, and a chemical factory at Crotone.
LIBYA: Bardia is captured by O'Connor after an assault of less than four days. The Australian 6th Division takes 45,000 prisoners including four generals, 462 guns, 130 tanks and over 700 trucks; Australian casualties are 130 KIA and 326 WIA. This is Australia's first major land battle of the war.
Wavell sets out ultimate objective as Benghazi, to be taken within the next week.
CHINA: Maolin: A large Kuomintang force attacks troops of the Communist New Fourth Army.