German Twelfth Army moved from Rumania into Bulgaria the day after Bulgaria joined the Axis alliance. The vanguard of Germany’s onrushing Balkan army, speeding across Bulgaria from bases In Rumania, was reported to have reached the Greek frontier at four points early today. The Germans also sped toward the Turkish frontier. Two train loads of infantrymen were dispatched from Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second largest city, toward the Turkish border. Reports from the provinces said small Nazi detachments had taken up quarters in the Bulgarian towns of Slatograd, Melnik, Trigrad, and Svilengrad, a few miles short of the Greek frontier. Anti-aircraft batteries were installed on all large railway stations as well as important bridges and tunnels. Although official orders were not given, many citizens of Sofia began leaving the city for the country.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Filov, back in Sofia after signing the Tripartite Pact on behalf of Bulgaria, announces that German troops have entered the country via pontoon bridges over the Danube “to safeguard peace in the Balkans.”
Turkey closed the Dardanelles to all ships without Turkish permits and pilots.
A source close to axis quarters reported today that Germany had served what was said to be a virtual ultimatum to Greece to make peace with Italy now or “suffer the consequences” within two weeks. The warning was said to have been sent through diplomatic channels. Greece reportedly was told this was her last chance to accept peace terms. on Bulgarian soil without any formal declaration” of war.
Hitler is greatly desirous of expanding the prospective Greek front to encompass the long border that extends from Bulgaria to Albania. He continues to woo Prince Paul, making various promises in exchange for Yugoslav joining the Tripartite Pact like Bulgaria. However, the Yugoslav government and military are hopelessly split between those who want to help the Greeks and those who prefer to appease Hitler and join the Axis to prevent their country from becoming a battleground.
The probability that Yugoslavia soon will sign the axis three-power pact was reported in authoritative quarters tonight. These sources said this resulted from conferences between Prince Paul, the Yugoslav regent, and Viktor von Hecren, German minister to Belgrade. Scarcely had Bulgaria entered the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo alliance Saturday, they said, than Von Heeren requested a special audience. He was said to have been received last night. Authoritative sources said Von Heeren “informed” Prince Paul that his conversations last week with German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop concerned Yugoslavia’s position in the Nazi plans for a new European order.
The United Kingdom severed diplomatic relations with Bulgaria.
The British in Cairo are gathering together the forces and shipping for the expedition to Greece. These are assembling as W Force Operation Lustre, under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson. This collectively will be known as Lustreforce, and the first convoy is scheduled to leave for Greece within a couple of days. Due to recent developments in Bulgaria, which are an obvious indication that the German invasion of Greece is not far off, the Greeks now wholeheartedly welcome British troops.
The British ambassador at Belgrade meets with Anthony Eden in Athens. He says that the Yugoslavs are frightened of Germany and unsettled by internal politics. They may be willing to help if they knew of the British plans to help Greece. Mr. Eden and the Greeks feared lest Germany should find out.
Eden also finds out from General Heywood that the Greek government had failed to carry out the agreement reached on 22nd February at Tatoi and that no order for the withdrawal of troops from Macedonia and Thrace had been given.
Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies gives a capsule appraisal of Churchill in today’s diary entry:
“Churchill grows on me. He has an astonishing grasp of detail and, by daily contact with the service headquarters, knows of disposition and establishment quite accurately. But I still fear that his real tyrant is the glittering phrase — so attractive to his mind that awkward facts may have to give way. But this is the defect of his quality…. Churchill’s course is set. There is no defeat in his heart.”
Many others around Churchill have a similarly mixed view of his personality, but overall the general consensus is that his doggedness in pursuit of victory is irreplaceable.
Mussolini pays another visit to Albania, flying in on 2 March 1941. This is another attempt by the fascists to raise Italian troops morale in Albania, which in fact has been on the rise due to the successful stand at Klisura.
It was learned on reliable authority today that Germany asked Turkey to offer to mediate the European war during the recent visit in this country of British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden. The British, however, flatly refused to consider mediation when sounded out by Turkey, this source said. A well-informed source said that German Ambassador Franz von Papen approached Turkish Foreign Minister Sukru Saracoglu on the subject before Eden’s arrival last week, pointing out that Turkey was in a most favorable position to act as mediator.
Wavell gives the War Cabinet an optimistic assessment of the situation in Libya. “…the enemy are short of transport. The distance from their base in Tripoli to Benghazi is 646 miles with only one road and inadequate water for 400 miles.” Wavell was satisfied that the Axis would not try to recapture Benghazi.
The Italian Stefani News Agency reports from Tripoli, Libya: “The fresh troops who have just arrived in Libya held a parade before high-ranking military men and civilian officials, to the applause of the people. Among those present were the C-in-C of the Italian North Africa troop, the Chief of the General Staff and the commander of the German armored corps in North Africa.”
The Australian 2/13th Battalion reaches Mersa Matruh, Libya.
At Kufra, Libya, Free French Major Philippe Leclerc pledged not to lay down his weapons until the French flag once again flew over the cathedral at Strasbourg, France. He and his men (about 350) swear a solemn oath:
“Swear not to lay down arms until our colors, our beautiful colors, float on the Strasbourg Cathedral.”
This seems like an almost impossible dream. The Free French forces by themselves have virtually no chance of defeating the German war machine in any kind of reasonable time frame. Even with the British as allies, it is quite a fanciful notion. However, with the right allies, anything might be possible.
With the British Army blissfully unaware of any threat that they may pose, the Afrika Korps (DAK) stages a cynical military parade. Before crowds of cheering people, the same tanks roar past, round the block, and roar past again — multiple times. This is a standard propaganda trick that creates an impression of limitless strength. The technique also, incidentally, is used in motion pictures. Attending the parade are General Rommel and all the senior Italian staff in Libya.
A staff car fails to stop at a checkpoint near Luqa Airport. The Maltese sentry, as ordered, fires on the vehicle to stop it. Apparently aiming at the drive, the bullet ricochets and hits the passenger in the back seat. It is Lieutenant William Barnes, RN of RAF No. 806 Squadron. Barnes is one of the pilots from HMS Illustrious whose unit was transferred to the ground airfield after Illustrious was severely damaged by the Luftwaffe and forced out of action. In a sense, taking a very broad view, Barnes is the final casualty of that Luftwaffe attack.
At Keren, both sides are bringing forward reinforcements. The Italians add the 6th Colonial Brigade and the 11th Blackshirt Battalion of the Savoia Grenadiers — both premier formations. The British, meanwhile, bring forward the 5th Indian Infantry Division (Major-General Lewis Heath) which had been sent back to the railhead during February. The Italians now have 25,000 troops to 13,000 for the British, but numbers alone mean little in this conflict. What does matter is the willingness to fight and the quality of defensive positions, and, for a change, the Italians have both in abundance at Keren.
The British troops in Italian Somaliland continue occupying the region against scattered resistance. The final objective is Ferfer, north of Mogadishu. The Italians are retreating — fleeing — to Abyssinia, which is the seat of Italian power in East Africa.
At Mescelit Pass, which the British took on the 1st, the British do not know what awaits them on the plateau beyond. They send patrols ahead to discover what the Italians may have in store for them.
The British 11th African Division began marching from Mogadishu, Italian Somaliland toward Jijiga, Abyssinia in pursuit of retreating Italian forces.
General Cunningham pushes light forces on to Ferfer [about 200 miles north of Mogadishu and Dolo.] which will complete the occupation of Italian Somaliland.
Himmler visits a resettlement facility for ethnic Germans in Breslau. “Racial experts” categorized the potential settlers as anything from “very valuable” to “reject.” Rejects were sent back to their own countries or to concentration camps.
German submarines U-552, U-95, and U-147 attacked Allied convoy HX.109 170 miles northwest of Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom. At about midnight, U-552 sank tanker Cadillac (37 killed, 5 survived) while U-95 sank the ship Pacific (34 killed, 1 survived). Near the end of the day at 2212 hours, U-147 sank Norwegian ship Augvald (29 killed, 1 survived).
Continuing to ingratiate itself with Germany, the Rumanian government enacts additional repressive laws targeting the Jews.
Civilian pilots of the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) in a slow, unarmed aircraft are running the gauntlet of German fighters and antiaircraft guns to maintain communications with Sweden. They take in news of Britain and important passengers and bring back ball-bearings vital to the defence industry. Their only aircraft so far is a Lockheed flown out of Poland by its crews when the Germans overran their country. With the identification letters of BG, it is known as “Bashful Gertie, the Terror of the Skagerrak.” The Polish airline LOT — Polskie Linie Lotnicze, purchased ten Lockheed Model 14-H Super Electras, msn 1421, before the war; they were registered SP-BNE to SP-BNH, SP-BNJ and SP-BNK, SP-BPK to SP-BPN. This aircraft was one of the ten. It had been registered SP-BNF in Polish service but was re-registered G-AGBG when it began service with British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). BOAC had acquired eight Model 14s for use, three former LOT Model 14-Hs and five former British Airways Model 14-WF62s.
The flights are rare at first but increase with time. They get a variety of nicknames, including “The Ball-bearing Line” (for the cases of ball bearings flown out of Sweden) to “Bashful Gertie, the terror of the Skagerrak” to the official military code name, “Scrutator.” The Royal Norwegian Air Transport generally crews the flights, and various aircraft (such as a Polish airline Lockheed 14) are used, with their quality increasing with time, too. While many ascribe this operation to the Air Transport Command of the Royal Air Force and give it the credit, in fact, the Air Transport Command is not in existence yet and will not be until 11 March 1943.
The Luftwaffe stages what the British might call a Circus raid, sending a large formation of fighters over the island which accompany a lone bomber — which doesn’t drop any bombs. The RAF dutifully sends eight Hurricanes up to defend, one of which is damaged.
RAF Bomber Command: Day of 2 March 1941
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 1 Blenheim during daylight bombed a seaplane base on the island of Sylt.
RAF Bomber Command: Night of 2/3 March 1941
Brest
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 54 aircraft overnight, mostly Wellingtons, to bomb warships at Brest. 1 Wellington lost.
Minor Operations: 13 Blenheims to airfields and 2 Blenheims to Rotterdam oil tanks. 1 aircraft lost.
The R.A.F. was reported to have carried the European war to Rumania making good Britain’s threat to bomb Rumania’s rich oil fields and communications lines if Nazi troops invaded Bulgaria. Reports reaching here from Rumania said heavy explosions occurred in the Ploesti fields, north of Bucharest, added that big fires were started and attributed the damage to R.A.F. planes. The advices also said that all foreigners and Rumanians, save those with military passes, had been barred from the oilfield region.
The Greeks said that Italian bomber formations rained bombs for a half hour today on Larissa while salvage and relief work was in full swing in the city, stricken yesterday by an earthquake. Greek reports said that the raid added to already heavy property destruction but no casualties were reported. Most of the population had left the town.
U-95, commanded by Gerd Schreiber, sank British steamer Pacific (6034grt) from convoy HX.109 180 miles WSW of Sydero Island, Faroes. At 0046 hours on 2 March 1941 the unescorted Pacific (Master Alan Francis King) was hit on the port side in the engine room by one torpedo from U-95 while steaming at 85 knots about 105 miles north of Rockall and sank by the stern in less than 90 seconds. The ship had been in station #33 of convoy HX.109, but became a straggler after the steering gear broke down in heavy weather. The U-boat had spotted the vessel about two hours earlier and missed with a first torpedo at 0044 hours. The only survivor later reported that the ship sank so rapidly that none of the lifeboats could be launched and he just found himself pulled down by the suction of the sinking ship. He managed to reach the surface, clung to a hatch cover for about an hour until swimming to a raft that had floated free. The sinking was observed by the nearby Icelandic fishing trawler Dora, which had been spotted by U-95 shortly before Pacific was sighted and ignored due to the small size of the vessel. A lifeboat launched by the trawler picked up one crew member, who informed them that he had seen another survivor while waiting for rescue, but nobody else was found during an extensive search of the area. The master, 32 crew members and one gunner (the ship was armed with one machine gun) were lost. The survivor was landed at Fleetwood on 5 March. The 6,034-ton Pacific was carrying steel and scrap and was bound for Grangemouth, England, United Kingdom.
U-147, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Reinhard Hardegen, sank Norwegian steamer Augvald (4811grt) from convoy HX.109, 150 miles northwest of Loch Ewe. At 2212 hours on 2 March 1941 the Augvald (Master Rolf Svensen), a straggler from convoy HX.109 since 1 March due to bad weather, was hit in the forward hold by one G7a torpedo from U-147 and sank within one minute about 72 miles north-northwest of Ness, Outer Hebrides. The Germans tried to question some survivors sitting on debris but were not able to understand them. The master and 28 crew members were lost, among them two young English mess boys aged 14 and 16. Able seaman Rasmus Kolstø survived 11 days alone on a raft and was picked up by HMS Pimpernel (K 71) (Lt F.H. Thornton, RNR) escorting the convoy OB.296 in 58°50N/09°10W and was later landed at Greenock. The 4,811-ton Augvald was carrying steel, scrap iron and tractors and was bound for Hull, England, United Kingdom.
The Germans are busy repairing heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper at Brest. Upon arriving at the harbor, the Hipper struck underseas objects, requiring repairs before she can depart. Brest is too close to England, making Hipper an easy (and frequent) target of RAF attacks. Thus, the Kriegsmarine high command — Admiral Raeder — is drawing the conclusion that Hipper should be brought back to Germany, where it can be better protected and refitted. However, that is no easy matter, because the British are sure to be keeping a close eye on the short route via the English Channel. The only other route is to loop widely around the British Isles through the Faeroes Gap or the Denmark Strait. By choosing one of the latter routes, the voyage will be several times lengthier than it otherwise would be.
Destroyer HMS Cossack departed Southampton for Scapa Flow on completion of refitting. On 3 March, the destroyer was damaged by a mine exploding close aboard 300° SW point of the Isle of Man. The destroyer spent no time out of service. Destroyer Cossack arrived at Scapa Flow at noon on the 4th.
Convoy OB.293 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyers HMS Chelsea, HMS Verity, and HMS Wolverine, and corvettes HMS Arbutus and HMS Camellia. Destroyer HMS Beverley joined the escort on the 4th. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 7th.
Australian destroyer HMAS Nestor arrived at Scapa Flow at 1130 to carry out working up exercises.
Minesweeper HMS Kellett was damaged in a collision with armed boarding vessel HMS Northern Reward (655grt) off Peterhead. The minesweeper was repaired in the Humber from 10 March to 9 April.
British steamer Castlehill (690grt) was sunk by German aircraft east of Mine Head. One crewman was rescued.
Dutch steamer Simaloer (6533grt) was sunk by German bombing in 56-40N, 10-46W. Two crewmen were killed.
Light cruiser HMS Orion returned to Alexandria from Port Said following the removal of her catapult to allow fitting of additional close range anti-aircraft guns.
Lt W. L. Le C Barnes of 806 Squadron at Malta was killed when accidentally shot while on duty.
Ocean boarding vessel HMS Corinthian departed Gibraltar on Western Patrol.
Convoy ANF.16, escorted by anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Calcutta and destroyers HMAS Vampire and HMS Hotspur, arrived at Piraeus. Destroyer Vampire was taken in hand at Piraeus for docking and boiler cleaning.
Senate debate on the Lend-Lease bill will enter its third week tomorrow with Administration leaders voicing “hope” for a final vote by the end of the week and with the opposition predicting that the measure will be under consideration for at least another fortnight. Senator Connally, a supporter of the bill, said tonight that a “gentlemen’s filibuster” was under way against the measure through the long speeches already made and still projected by opponents of the measure. He called it a “gentlemen’s filibuster” because the speeches all have been addressed to the measure and have not dealt with extraneous matters in the typical filibuster style. Two dramatic touches were given to the tense situation in the Senate over the week-end. One was a forceful attack made on the opposition by Senator Murray, Democrat, of Montana, who said that the Senate group led by his colleague, Senator Wheeler, was advancing an argument in which he was “unable to see any merit,” and asked “who pays for all this propaganda” on which he said the group’s case was built. The other was a statement credited to Senator Wheeler, who was addressing an opposition meeting in Baltimore, that he and his group believed continuance of the debate would lead to a reversal of public support of the bill such as Mr. Wheeler asserted resulted from his opposition to the Supreme Court enlargement bill four years ago
Unexpected support came today from Senator Norris, Nebraska Independent, an administration supporter, for an amendment to the British aid bill which would put congress on record against the use of American troops outside the western hemisphere. Norris told reporters that he thought the bill’s present language could not be interpreted as authorizing the sending of troops to help Britain or any other country. Nevertheless, he said he was inclined to support an amendment proposed by Senator Ellender, Louisiana Democrat, which would state that the measure would not give the president any power beyond what he now has to employ the army or navy beyond the boundaries of this hemisphere or American possessions lying outside of it.
The U.S. Senate approves a bill to increase the national debt limit from $49 billion to $65 billion. The national debt is already $46 billion and the next year’s budget calls for $17.5 billion. The defense program, excluding the requirements of the Lend-Lease bill, amounts to $28.5 billion.
The U.S. Senate approves Resolution 71. This establishes the Senate Special Committee to investigate the National Defense Program. Known as the Truman Committee, it now has seven members, Tom Connally of Texas, Carl Hatch of New Mexico, Monrad C. Wallgren of Washington and James Mead of New York are the Democrats. Joseph H. Ball of Minnesota and Owen Brewster of Maine are the Republicans.
Former Senator Ernest W. Gibson Jr., national chairman of the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies, at his home town of Brattleboro, Vermont to preside as Moderator of the Town Meeting on Tuesday, today accused Senator Wheeler of making an unfounded charge that his committee is the tool of international bankers.
Establishment of a National Defense Labor Party Policy Committee, with its chairman appointed by President Roosevelt and the other members selected in equal numbers by the national organizations of labor and management, was recommended yesterday by a special committee of the Twentieth Century Fund surveying defense labor problems.
Cordell Hull will have occupied the office of Secretary of State tomorrow longer than any man in American history. He entered upon his duties on March 4, 1933, so tomorrow he will have held the portfolio for seven years and 364 days, one day longer than William H. Seward, who held the previous record through his service in the Lincoln and Johnson Administrations. Only two others have occupied the office for about eight years — James Madison under Thomas Jefferson and Hamilton Fish under President Grant.
Frost and freezing temperatures extended well into the Florida Everglades today causing damage to tender truck crops on the south side of Lake Okeechobee. Meteorologist E. S. Ellison of the federal-state frost warning service here said preliminary reports indicated damage to the young bean crop in the area bordering the lake might run as high as 50 per cent. The temperature dropped to 27 at Belle Glade, almost due west of the swank resort of Palm Beach. Ellison said there was apparently little harm to citrus except to blooms and negligible damage in low areas to tender growth.
A campaign to raise $5,000,000 by July 31 for relief and rehabilitation work in China was begun yesterday by a new organization known as United China Relief, Inc., formed by a group of distinguished citizens to coordinate the appeals previously made independently by seven agencies serving medical, charitable, educational and economic needs in China.
In Havana, the Dodgers complete a 3-game sweep of their rival Giants. During the regular 1940 season the Giants held a 16–6 advantage over Brooklyn.
In Chile’s Parliamentary elections, the Radical Party (which actually is merely moderately left of center) gains a plurality. The President remains Pedro Aguirre Cerda of the Popular Front, which is a left-wing coalition that includes the Radical Party as well as the Communist Party and various other worker parties. However, Cerda is wasting away from tuberculosis.
The Chinese Central News Agency reported today that more than 400 Japanese officers and. men were killed last Tuesday when a troop train struck Chinese land mines on the Canton-Hankow railway, near Liaoping, Northern Hunan Province.
Efforts to save the Tokyo conference to “mediate” the border dispute of Thailand and French Indo-China from a breakdown continued throughout yesterday and will be renewed today. The French Ambassador, Charles Arsene-Henry, received lengthy instructions from Vichy last night and after these have been decoded and studied he is expected to see Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka to explain the delay in replying and to present terms embodying Vichy’s second thoughts.
Japan’s first “no-party” Diet, assembled as a unique parliamentary experiment to help the government cope with the “super-emergency” confronting the nation, has completed its work in the record time of thirty-seven days and has adjourned until its official closing date on March 24. It approved with only one amendment all the eighty-seven bills submitted to it by the Cabinet including an alltime record budget of 12,875,000,000 yen.
New Zealand Division light cruiser HMS Leander, coming from convoy US.9 escort, and Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra, which had refueled in the Seychilles on 26 February, rendezvoused 100 miles east of Addu for joint operations in the Indian Ocean.
Born:
David Satcher, Admiral and 16th United States Surgeon General (1998-2001), in Anniston, Alabama.
John Cornell, Australian screenwriter (“Paul Hogan Show”; “Crocodile Dundee”), and director (“Crocodile Dundee II”), in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia (d. 2021).
Naval Construction:
The Marina Regală Română (Royal Romanian Navy) minelayer-escort NMS Amiral Murgescu, only ship of her class to be completed, is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Commander Alexandru Dumbravă.
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