February 1st, 1941(SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Churchill asks the Minister of Economic Warfare about the feasibility of buying South American copper in order to deny it to the USSR and Japan and thus to Germany.Minesweeping trawler HMS Hoy launched.
Monitor HMS Roberts launched.
FRANCE: Paris: A French version of the Nazi Party was formed in Occupied France today. It is called the 'Rassemblement National Populaire' (RNP) [Popular National Assembly], and its aims include "co-operation with Germany" and "protection of the race", that is, anti-Semitism.
Based near the Gare St Lazare, the German-sponsored RNP is led by Marcel Deat, and members include a veteran's leader, Jean Goy. So far, however, the French seem reluctant to join the new party.
GERMANY: Berlin: General von Funck reports to Fuhrer headquarters on his fact-finding mission to Libya and on the critical position of the Italian forces in North Africa.
U-764 laid down.
U-127 launched.
LIBYA: Aerial reconnaissance report long columns of Italian transport moving westwards to Barce and tanks are spotted entraining at Barce station.
ETHIOPIA: 2nd Lt Premindra Singh Bhagat (1918-75), Indian Engineers, was attacked and twice blown up in clearing mines for 55 miles. (VC)
General Sir William Platt's force captures Agordat, which guards the final approaches to Keren, taking 6,000 prisoners, 80 guns, 50 tanks, 400 trucks and what an official report described as "much material." This is after a three day battle. Italian troops under Lieutenant-General Luigi Frusci, Commander of the Eritrean Army, are falling back to the mountain positions around Keren. To the south Barentu has also been captured by the Indian troops, sealing the approaches to Keren.
Losses due to all causes as well as damage to aircraft means that the Italian Regia Aeronautica has eighty-two fighters and bombers available for operations, a drop of almost 40% in a month. (Mike Yared)(284)
JAPAN: Rice rationing begins.
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: US
War Department orders dependents to leave the
Philippines. Sayre
recommends American civilians return to the US. War
Department vetoes plan to base heavy bomber force in the Philippines.
MacArthur
recommends to Marshall that entire Philippine Archipelago be defended.
TERRITORY OF HAWAII: Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, former Commander Cruisers Battle Force, relieves Admiral J.O. Richardson as Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet (CINCUS) in the battleship USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) at Pearl Harbor.
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: Construction of Fort Greely on Kodiak Island begins. The base is built as a coast defence base for the naval base on the island and is designed to accommodate 236 officers and 5, 592 enlisted men.
U.S.A.: The Atlantic Fleet is formed under Admiral King and Admiral Husband E. Kimmel becomes C-in-C of the Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor.
The U.S. Navy Department announces the reorganization of the U.S. Fleet, reviving the old names Atlantic Fleet and Pacific Fleet; the Asiatic Fleet remains unchanged. U.S. Marine Corps expansion occurs as the 1st and 2d Marine Brigades are brought up to division strength.
The Navy's command structure was transformed. The Atlantic Fleet and Pacific Fleet were reestablished. These two fleets and, now, the Asiatic Fleet, constituted the United States Fleet, and one of the three fleet commanders would serve as CINCUS. Kimmel retained the title of Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Fleet, along with his new title of CINCPAC. In his capacity as CINCUS he would hold supreme command if two or more of the fleets operated together. CINCUS was a somewhat theoretical position. Kimmel exercised no operational authority over the Atlantic and Asiatic Fleets in 1941, and I'm fairly certain that there was no CINCUS staff or headquarters distinct from his CINCPAC staff. (Keith Allen)
"Downbeat" magazine reports that Glenn Miller has signed a new
three-year contract with RCA Victor Records. The pact guaranteed Miller
US$750 a side. Considering inflation, the $750 in 1941 is worth US$9,146 in
year 2002 dollars.
The 1st Marine Division is activated aboard the battleship Texas. (Yannis Kadari)
Submarine USS Trigger laid down.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: The heavy cruiser KMS Admiral Hipper sails from Brest.
At 2125, SS Nicolas Angelos was hit near the bridge by one torpedo from U-48 after being missed by a first torpedo at 2058. After the crew abandoned ship, the U-boat fired, from 2150 to 2215, 28 shells into the vessel, which caught fire and sank by the bow at 2304. Schultze observed that the survivors set sail in their lifeboat, but they were never found.