January 18th, 1941 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: The Ministry of Economic Warfare charges that "Some United States producers are helping Germany indirectly by selling Russia commodities in which Germany is deficient. Of these cotton is the most important."Fair Isle, Orkney: An RAF rescue launch, sent to collect the German airmen who crashed yesterday, runs aground at the south end of the island. A second boat is despatched to collect both men and boat. It too runs aground and has to be refloated with the help of the islanders.
Corvette FS Mimosa (ex-HMS Mimose) launched.
Corvette HMS Pentstemon launched.
Destroyer HMS Eskdale laid down.
GERMANY: U-77 commissioned.
MALTA: Luftwaffe planes attack the island's airfields.
CHINA: The Communist Party describes the New Fourth Army incident as "planned by pro-Japanese conspirators and anti-Communist die-hards."
U.S.A.: The German Consul General in San Francisco, California, displays the prescribed German Reich flag from the consular office in recognition of a German national holiday. At noon the flag is taken down in the presence of what is described as "a large shouting throng of people" and torn to pieces. The German Chargé d'Affaires Hans Thomsen makes "most emphatic protest" to the U.S. Government over the incident.