For the time being, the powers of Herbert Morrison, as Minister of Home Security, will only be exercised to require 48 hours of firewatching a month by men during the blackout hours. All factories, offices, shops, cinemas and theatres, churches, blocks of flats and private houses in the danger areas are to arrange fire-watching rotas. Empty properties will be the responsibility of the local authorities.

In commercial premises management have the same obligations as employees to take turns of duty in watching for incendiaries and dealing with them, unless the outbreak is so big that the fire brigade must be called.

Mr Morrison explained: "Big buildings will draw their parties within their own walls. Small ones will combine together." In residential districts, fire-watching parties will be made up, some on patrol with stirrup pumps and sandbags at hand, some within call for when they are needed. No-one who is unfit or would suffer exceptional hardship has to enrol.

London:

Churchill enquires of the Commander-in-Chief Home Forces how they would deal with any very large German tanks put ashore in a raid or invasion, the current proposal seemed to be to follow them until they ran out of fuel, then attack the crew.

Churchill telegrams to Roosevelt inviting him to inspect the new battleship, King George V, which is bringing the new ambassador, Lord Halifax, to Annapolis.

Minesweeping trawler HMS Relonzo mined and sunk off Liverpool.

ASW trawler HMS Bressay launched.

ASW trawler HMS Sword Dance commissioned.

GERMANY: Berchtesgaden: On the second day of Hitler's conference with Mussolini, Hitler declares that he believes the greatest danger to come from Russia, not from America.

U-boats U-235, U-236, U-237, U-238, U-239, U-240, U-268, U-269, U-270, U-271, U-272, U-273, U-305, U-306, U-307, U-308, U-341, U-342, U-343, U-344, U-363, U-364, U-365, U-366, U-391, U-392, U-393, U-394, U-396, U-397, U-398, U-417, U-418, U-419, U-420, U-469, U-470, U-471, U-472, U-473, U-635, U-636, U-637, U-638, U-639, U-640, U-641, U-642, U-643, U-644, U-645, U-646, U-669, U-670, U-671, U-672, U-673, U-674, U-777, U-778, U-779, U-821, U-822, U-841, U-842, U-843, U-844, U-845, U-846, U-847, U-848, U-849, U-850, U-851, U-852 are ordered.

ALBANIA: The RAF heavily raids Valona.

ROMANIA:  There is a revolt of the Iron Guard which is put down on the order of Marshal of Romania Ion Victor Antonescu with the help of the Rumanian and German armies. 

FAR EAST: Japan offers to mediate in the conflict between French Indochina and Thailand.

U.S.A.: Washington: Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated as President for the third time. He is the first President to hold the office for three successive terms.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: SS Florian sunk by U-94 42 miles south-east of Iceland.