June 7th, 1941 (URDAY)
FRANCE: RAF bombers attack the Prinz Eugen at Brest, but fail to hit her.GERMANY: Berlin:
Behind the screen of the continuing raids on Britain, the Luftwaffe is being switched to the east. The powerful air fleet which destroyed Belgrade and blasted the way clear for the Wehrmacht to march through the Balkans is being transferred to Poland, where it is being joined by squadrons taken there from France. There are now 2,770 German aircraft, formed into three fleets, facing the Soviet Union.
NORTH AFRICA: The RAF bombards Benghazi and Derna.
PALESTINE: Churchill telegraphs to de Gaulle:
"...best wishes to our joint enterprise in the Levant. ....At this hour when Vichy touches fresh depths of ignominy, the loyalty and courage of the Free French save the glory of France."
SYRIA: Allied invasion begins. On the coastal axis, Palestinian Jewish guides (including a young Moshe D ayan) lead Australian forces who infiltrate the frontier before hostilities are declared. From a kibbutz at Hanita they cross the border at 9.30 pm to cut signal wires and probe for mines. Heavy seas prevent British commandos from ‘C’ Battalion British Special Service Brigade from landing behind the border to prevent the French blocking the narrow coastal road. The advance of 21 Aust Brigade is halted by heavy French fire short of the bridge over the Litani River. On the central axis, 25 Aust Brigade sweeps aside the French frontier posts but is then halted by determined French troops in well-chosen positions. On the desert (eastern) axis, 5 Indian Brigade seize Deraa (site of Lawrence of Arabia’s torture in WWI) and penetrate to Kuneitra. (Michael Alexander)
CANADA:
Corvette HMCS Charlottetown laid down Kingston, Ontario.
Minesweeper HMCS Melville launched Levis, Province of Quebec.
NEWFOUNDLAND: Destroyer HMCS Saguenay arrived St. John's, and joined Newfoundland Escort Force.
U.S.A.: Washington: President Roosevelt">Roosevelt has signed the bill authorising the seizure of all foreign merchant ships arriving at US ports which was passed by the Senate on May 15.
The US rejects the ADB plan. (Marc Small)
The marine commission has begun to commandeer foreign vessels and allocate them to whatever service may be most useful for national defence. They include 39 Danish, 28 Italian and two German ships as well as others in Lithuanian, Estonian, and Romanian registry. The pride of the catch is the 83,423-ton French liner Normandie, the former holder of the Blue Riband for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic.