Greek troops captured Argirocastro (Gjirokastër) and Delvinë in Albania. Greek troops marched into Argirocastro, last Italian base on the Albanian frontier from which Italy intended to overrun Greece, it was officially announced today. The announced surrender of the ancient city set off tremendous victory celebrations throughout Greece. Thousands jammed the streets shouting and singing. The capture of Argirocastro removed the Italians’ remaining airdrome in southern Albania, and the Greeks said fierce Italian attempts to prevent huge military stores from falling into Greek hands were unsuccessful.
Italy’s strategic Dodecanese islands between Turkey and the British-occupied Greek island of Crete have been isolated and may be compelled to capitulate within two or three months, well-informed quarters predicted tonight. Neither Italian nor Yugoslav ships have been able to reach the islands with food for the civilian population or the Italian garrison estimated at more than 20,000 troops, it was reported here.
Mussolini on 8 December 1940 continues his ongoing purge of Italian military leadership. He dismisses three admirals, including Chief of Naval Staff Domenico Cavagnari. He is replaced by Admiral Arturo Riccardi. Cavagnari is a “battleship” admiral who has little use for aircraft carriers, which in theory are unnecessary in the Mediterranean due to the prevalence of airbases. However, having naval aircraft close at hand — and not a half-hour away — can make all the difference in the short, sharp engagements that characterize this war’s encounters.
General Cesare Maria de Vecchi, commander of the Italian forces based in the Aegean Sea, and Inigo Campioni, a commander with the Italian Navy 1st Naval Squadron. also are rumored to be leaving their posts. However, there is no official announcement of this at this time.
The London press speculates about what is going on within the Mussolini high command, saying it is in “disarray.”
Franco determined Spain was not ready to enter the war. Hitler is forced to drop plans to attack Gibraltar with Spanish assistance.
Rumania has promised to deliver 3,000,000 tons of oil to Germany in 1941, it was reported in official circles tonight. That amount would be nearly twice as much as the total exported this year and twice as much as sold to the Reich in 1936, when exports were at their peak.
Battleship Bismarck exited the Kiel Canal.
Churchill telegrams Roosevelt with his summary of the events of 1940, the current situation and what he believes that Great Britain will need from the United States in order to survive and attain ultimate victory. Churchill requests that the U.S. Navy extends its Neutrality Patrols much further out into the Atlantic and that the U.S. brings pressure to bear on Eire to allow use of the western Irish ports by either U.S. or Allied warships. In return Churchill promises to try to reunite Ireland after the war by asking the people of Ulster to join with the South. The main problem in 1941, explains Churchill, will be lack of merchant shipping to bring the 43 million tons of supplies that Britain needs annually and lack of escort vessels to protect them from the U-boats and long-range anti-shipping aircraft.
Churchill summarizes:
“The danger of Great Britain being destroyed by a swift, overwhelming blow, has for the time being very greatly receded. In its place, there is a long, gradually-maturing danger, less sudden and less spectacular, but equally deadly.”
As both men know, the rub is that Great Britain is running out of money. However, Roosevelt has been doing some creative thinking about that issue which he still wants to think about some more.
The British make final preparations for Operation COMPASS, their attack on the advanced Italian positions in Egypt. The operation is planned as a five-day raid, with the British sending approximately 30,000 troops and 275 tanks between widely separated Italian camps southwest of Mersa Matruh. The troops march until 1 AM on the 9th and then rest until dawn. The Allied troops are told that their advance is not a desert exercise, but the “real thing.” The forces moved through the gap between Italian camps Nibeiwa and Sofafi without being detected. RAF Wellingtons based in the Egyptian Delta destroy ten Italian aircraft at Benina in Libya.
The Italians begin to become aware that something is going on. An Italian reconnaissance crew flying over the air spots the British and advises superiors that something is imminent. However, they do not pass the information to General Pietro Maletti, commander of the Raggruppamento Maletti (Maletti Group) of the Regio Corpo Truppe Coloniali della Libia (Royal Corps of Libyan Colonial Troops). In any event, it is probably too late for the Italians to take any effective action at this late point anyway.
The British passenger and cargo steamship Calabria was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-103 off County Galway, Ireland.
German freighters Idarwald (5098 tons) and Rhein are attempting at least their third breakout from their refuge at Tampico, Mexico, but are being shadowed by the US Neutrality Patrol ship USS Sturtevant (DD-240). Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Diomede (D 92), alerted by the U.S. ships broadcasting the situation in the clear, approaches the Idarwald off Cabo Corrientes, Cuba to take possession. The German captain, however, instructs his crew to scuttle the ship. They set fires and take to their lifeboats. The British fight the fires and take the ship in tow, but it later sinks. Adolf Hitler specifically refers to this incident on 11 December 1941 in his declaration of war on the United States.
The House of Commons and the Tower of London are hit in a heavy Luftwaffe raid tonight. After taking a day off at least partly due to the weather, the Luftwaffe comes back with full force. KG 55 and other formations send 413 bombers against London, maintaining a prolonged bombardment that lasts from dusk to dawn. Damage is extensive, including the Tower of London and House of Commons. There are seven hospitals destroyed along with four churches from the 115,000 incendiaries drop and 387 tons of high explosives. The Luftwaffe loses only two bombers, one of which crashes during takeoff at Villacoublay airfield.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 90 aircraft overnight to Dusseldorf, Bordeaux, Lorient, and airfields; many crews reported good bombing. 1 Hampden and 1 Wellington lost. 2 O.T.U. sorties. 19 Hampdens patrolled over Bristol but made no contact with German bombers.
The Operation COMPASS preparations include RAF raids on Italian airfields and ports in North Africa. Wellingtons based on Malta and near Cairo attack Benina airfield in Libya, bombing 10 Italian aircraft.
U-103, commanded by Korvettenkapitän Viktor Schütze, sank British steamer Calabria (9515grt) in 52‑43N, 18‑07W. At 2058 hours the Calabria (Master David Lonie), a straggler from convoy SLS.56, was hit by two torpedoes from U-103 295 miles 262° from Slyne Head, Co. Galway. She sank after being hit by a coup de grâce at 2106 hours. There were no survivors: the master, 128 crew members, one gunner and 230 Indian seamen (crews for other ships) were lost. The 9,515-ton Calabria was carrying passengers, iron, tea, and oilcake and was bound for Liverpool, England. Steamer Calabria was to have been renamed Empire Inventor, but was lost before she could be renamed.
U-140, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Peter Hinsch, sank Finnish sailing vessel Penang (1997grt) and British steamer Ashcrest (5652grt) off Bloody Foreland.
At 1226 hours, U-140 fired one torpedo at a sailing ship reported as the Finnish Lawhill and observed how the ship capsized after the hit and sank after 30 minutes northwest of Tory Island. However, the ship was in fact the Penang (Master Karl Viktor Karlsson), which was reported missing en route to Queenstown, Ireland. The 2,019-ton Penang was carrying grain.
The Ashcrest (Master Herbert Mant), a straggler from convoy SC.13, sent in a distress signal that her rudder was broken in 54°35N/09°20W and was reported missing thereafter. The signal also alerted U-140 which sighted the stopped ship in the evening on 8 December and fired one G7e torpedo at 2020 hours. It became a surface runner and missed, so after five minutes a second G7e torpedo was fired that hit underneath the bridge and broke her in two. The foreship sank immediately and the remaining part after 10 minutes. The master, 36 crew members and one gunner were lost. The 5,652-ton Ashcrest was carrying steel and was bound for Middlesbrough, England.
Destroyers HMS Cossack (Captain D.4) and HMS Sikh departed Scapa Flow at 0900 to rendezvous at 1000/11th in 55N, 22W with Battleship HMS Ramillies, aircraft carrier HMS Furious, armed merchant cruiser HMS California, and troopship Franconia. The destroyers provided additional escort for the warships to the Clyde.
Aircraft carrier HMS Formidable was escorted from the Clyde to Skerryvore by destroyer HMS Ambuscade.
Polish destroyer ORP Piorun and Destroyer HMS Vimy, escorting armed merchant cruisers, were detached at 2115 to proceed to Belfast to provide additional escort for the aircraft carrier. Destroyers Piorun and Vimy arrived at Belfast at 1047 on the 9th.
Anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Curacoa arrived at Scapa Flow at 1900 after covering convoy EN.37.
Destroyers HMS Matabele, HMS Bulldog, HMS Beagle, and HMS Pytchley departed Scapa Flow at 0930 to screen battleship HMS King George V during trials west of the Orkneys. The ships arrived back at Scapa Flow at 1810.
Destroyer HMS Bradford departed Scapa Flow at 1500 after docking for repairs. The destroyer proceeded to Londonderry to join the Western Approaches command.
Destroyer HMS Windsor was mined off Aldeburgh. Destroyer Windsor was towed to Harwich by destroyer HMS Garth and later to Sheerness. She was repaired to Chatham to complete on 24 April after seventeen weeks.
British steamer Actuality (311grt) was sunk on a mine three miles south of Mouse Light Vessel. All six crewmen were lost.
British steamer Treverbyn (5281grt) was damaged by German bombing in 59‑00N, 14‑24W.
Aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and destroyers HMS Faulknor, HMS Firedrake, and HMS Fury departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Atlantic and flying off exercises. They also covered light cruiser HMS Manchester, which departed Gibraltar at the same time escorted by destroyer HMS Jersey, returning to Plymouth after COLLAR operations. The Ark Royal force returned to Gibraltar on the 11th. The Manchester group arrived at Plymouth on the 11th. Destroyer Jersey remained at Plymouth. Light cruiser Manchester went to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 13th.
Submarine HMS Regent made an unsuccessful attack on an Italian ship off the Libyan coast.
French light cruiser Primauguet departed Casablanca for Dakar at the beginning of December. Light cruiser Primauguet departed Dakar on the 5th with 1200 tons of gold and arrived at Casablanca on the 8th.
Convoy OB.256 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers HMS Broke, HMS Saladin, HMS Sardonyx, corvette HMS La Malouine, and anti-submarine trawlers HMS St Kenan and HMS Vizalma. The escort was detached on the 12th.
Convoy FS.356 departed Methil, escorted by destroyer HMS Vimiera and sloop HMS Weston. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 10th.
Convoy FS.357 departed Methil, escorted by destroyer HMS Vivien and sloop HMS Londonderry. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 11th.
Convoy SC.15 departed St Johns at 1000 with an ocean escort of armed merchant cruiser HMS Cilicia. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 23rd.
Convoy AS.8’s sailing was postponed. Destroyers HMAS Vendetta and HMAS Voyager, standing by to escort the convoy, returned to Alexandria.
President Roosevelt climaxed his Caribbean defense inspection cruise today by stopping off at the French island of Martinique, a potential trouble spot, where he conferred for one hour aboard the cruiser USS Tuscaloosa with American officials. U.S. Consul Brocker and Capt. Ernest J. Blankenship, U.S.N., American observers on the island, were borne to the Tuscaloosa aboard the destroyer USS Sims, which has been on neutrality patrol in this area. The Tuscaloosa hove to in plain view of the French aircraft carrier Bearn off Fort de France, ” Blankenship and Brocker returned to Fort de France aboard the destroyer, and the Tuscaloosa and escort vessels proceeded to sea for an unannounced destination.
Senator Thomas, Utah Democrat, proposed today that the United States cancel Great Britain’s $5,000,000,000 war debt in return for temporary control over some of Britain’s possessions in the western hemisphere. His suggestion was made while other senators were insisting that the United States require adequate collateral from Britain for any future loans or credits that might be extended to her. Thomas, a member of the senate foreign relations committee, said that an exchange such as he proposed would free Britain from restrictions of the Johnson act prohibiting private loans from the United States to nations which have defaulted on their war debts. The Utah senator advocated transferring control of all British colonies in this hemisphere except Canada and islands adjacent to Canada. This, he said, would relieve Britain of the burden of defending these countries and provide the United States with strategic military and naval outposts. He suggested that the transfer be effective until two years after the European war is terminated.
Creation of a Congressional agency to consider problems of Federal revenues, expenditures and debt was recommended today by a committee of the United States Chamber of Commerce.
Local authorities in Miami, Florida and British consular officials joined today in arranging details in connection with the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor from Nassau on Tuesday for a four-day visit. A major dental operation is to be performed on the Duchess.
An early settlement of the wage and vacation controversy that has virtually paralyzed the Pacific Northwest lumber industry was foreseen here today after an A.F.L. union negotiating committee for the Portland area approved a compromise offer. Earnest Marsh, commissioner of conciliation for the U. S. department of labor, said the committee unanimously agreed to recommend to the membership of the locals that the employers’ compromise offer of a 5 cents an hour pay boost and a week’s vacation with pay be accepted.
Twenty-five two-ton ambulances, fully equipped, were presented yesterday to the Greek Government by the British-American Ambulance Corps at ceremonies outside Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, in New York. The ambulances will be shipped to Greece on December 15.
Both Eisenhower and Colonel William Marquat (Director of Coast Artillery (AA) in USAFFE) write to MacArthur to inform him that the U.S. had no definite plans to bolster the Philippine defenses and that the defense of the Philippine Islands is on the back burner.
Concern over the “gap which separates proposal and performance” in the Army reorganization and rearmament program is expressed in a survey of the United States Army in transition issued by the Foreign Policy Association today.
The liner Washington brought into port today 1,342 Americans, most of them women and children, who had been evacuated from a troubled Orient. The general feeling in the group was resentment at having been forced to leave husbands and fathers across the Pacific.
In the NFL Championship Game (professional American football), the Chicago Bears shut out the Washington Redskins big time. The Bears beat the Redskins 73–0 in the NFL Championship Game at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. It remains the most lopsided victory in NFL history. It was the first NFL title game broadcast on national radio.
Both Canadian Houses of Parliament in Ottawa passed bills calling for a 25% excise tax on Canadian luxury manufactures and suspending importation from the US of practically all manufactured articles until after the war.
The light cruiser HMS Diomede (D 92) intercepted the German freighter Idarwald near the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba. The Idarwald’s crew scuttled their ship to prevent her capture by the British.
Destroyer USS Sturtevant (DD-240) stands by while British light cruiser HMS Diomede intercepts German freighter Idarwald. Idarwald’s crew, however, scuttles their ship near the Yucatan Channel to prevent her capture by the British.
The U.S. agrees to lend Argentina $50 million to stabilize its currency. This is part of a coordinated effort to counter growing pro-German sentiment in Latin America, especially Argentina and Uruguay.
German raiders Atlantis and Pinguin rendezvous in the middle of the Indian Ocean and plan future operations. They await the arrival of captured Norwegian tanker Storstad, which has a full load of 10,000 tons of diesel oil.
Admiral Jean Decoux, Governor General of Indo-China, held little hope of an imminent settlement of the border dispute with Thailand in an interview granted tonight amid reports of mounting frontier hostilities.
German raider Orion sank Australian steamers Triadic (6378grt) at 00‑43S, 167‑20E and Triaster (6032grt) at 00‑54S, 167‑24E near Nauru Island in the South Pacific. One native was lost and eleven British crew were taken prisoner on the steamer Triadic. Fourteen British crewmen and one passenger were made prisoners of war from steamer Triaster.
German raider Komet sank British steamer Komata (3900grt) east of Nauru Island in the South Pacific. Two crewmen were killed on the steamer Komata. New Zealand Division light cruiser HMS Achilles departed Wellington to search for a German raider. The search was later cancelled and the light cruiser arrived back.
Born:
Jenny Linden, English actress (“Hedda”, “Dr Who & the Daleks” [1965 movie]), in Worthing, Sussex, England, United Kingdom.
Brant Alyea, MLB outfielder and pinch hitter (Washington Senators, Minnesota Twins, Oakland A’s, St. Louis Cardinals), in Passaic, New Jersey (d. 2024).
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