January 8th, 1941(WEDNESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Just as de Gaulle is about to give the British an ultimatum to set Muselier free - failing which all relations between Free France and Britain would be immediately severed - when he is informed that the whole affair is a deplorable mistake: the documents are fakes, the culprits had confessed - they were two men introduced into the Free French security services on British recommendation. These men, Commandant Howard and Adjutant Colin, had a personal grudge against the vice-admiral, and had contrived to compromise him by forging Vichy documents.FRANCE: Admiral William D. Leahy, USN (Retired) presents his credentials as U.S. Ambassador to France at Vichy.
GERMANY: Berchtesgaden: Hitler holds a council of war at the Berghof. He is optimistic that the British cannot endanger his position in Europe even if the Axis are defeated in North Africa. He concedes that the direct invasion of Britain is "...not feasible unless she is crippled ...and Germany has complete air superiority..." Germany should make herself so strong on the continent that "... we can handle a further war against England and America." Hitler determines to prevent Italy losing North Africa, but not to divulge their plans to the Italians as he is convinced that the Italian Royal Family is transmitting intelligence to Britain.
Hitler also discusses the plans to assist the Italians in Albania and the invasion of Greece, along with the plans to seize the French fleet at Toulon.
During the night of 8/9 December, RAF Bomber Command aircraft bomb Wilhelmshaven where the battleship Tirpitz is berthed - the first of many attempts in the war to sink the vessel.
U-559 is launched.
ITALY: RAF Wellington bombers raid Naples hitting Italian Battleships "Giulio Cesare and Vittorio Veneto. The Guilio Cesare is badly damaged while moored in the harbour. The Vittorio Veneto is also hit but lightly damaged.
ALBANIA: The Greeks begin to attack Klisura in their continuing offensive but their progress farther north is not as successful, especially around Berat.
EGYPT:
Reply from Wavell to Churchill:
...I can assure you that I have always had question of rearward services constantly in mind and have been as anxious as anyone to cut down on non-fighting units. Except for anti-aircraft. ...
But the more I see of War, especially present-day War, the more I am impressed by the part that administration plays.
The Air Ministry is also becoming concerned about the build-up of German forces in Romania and the halting of the Greek advance without capturing the port of Valona in Albania. Thus leaving the way forward for an Italian offensive in the spring perhaps with German assistance especially from the Luftwaffe.
AUSTRALIA: Destroyer HMAS Nizam commissioned.
CANADA: Despite citizenship, Japanese Canadians are excluded from military service.
U.S.A.: Washington: President
Franklin D. Roosevelt presents his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 1942 to
the Congress. It outlines a total expenditure of $17.5 billion with $10.8
billion going to defence. (Fiscal Year 1942 extended from 1 July 1941 to 30
June 1942.)
American mogul William Randolph Hearst, owner of the Hearst newspaper
chain, forbids any of his newspapers from accepting ads for Orson Welles'
motion picture “Citizen Kane,” slated for release later in the year. The
film was generally interpreted as a psychological study of Hearst, portrayed
as the fictional Charles Foster Kane. In March 1941, Welles threatens to sue
Hearst for trying to suppress the film, and RKO movie studio if it fails to
release it. The film premieres 1 May 1941, at the RKO Palace in New York.
The members of the American Film Institute have voted this film as Number 1
on the list of the 100 Greatest American Films Ever Made.