4 Jan 1941
- After an entire day of fighting, Allied troops reached Bardia, Libya at about 1600 hours, splitting the Italian defenders into two groups, shaking Italian morale, causing large numbers of Italian troops to surrender. Jokingly emulating Winston Churchill, British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden said "[n]ever has so much been surrendered by so many, to so few." On the same day, Italian General Bergonzoli and his staff withdrew from Bardia toward Tobruk. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
- British torpedo bombers attacked an Italian supply convoy off Cape Bon, Tunisia in failure. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Chinese Communist New Fourth Army moved out of Yunling, Anhui Province, China. ww2dbase [New Fourth Army incident | Yunling, Anhui | CPC]
- Alessandro Malaspina departed Bordeaux, France at 1140 hours, arriving at Le Verdon-sur-Mer, France at 1515 hours. ww2dbase [Alessandro Malaspina | Bordeaux, Aquitaine | CPC]
- German minesweepers M-2 and M-10 departed Royan, Aquitaine, France at 1830 hours to make rendezvous with Italian submarine Alpino Bagnolini, but their journey was delayed and contact was not made on this date. ww2dbase [M2 | M10 | Alpino Bagnolini | Royan, Aquitaine | CPC]
- Morosini departed Bordeaux, France at 1140 hours, arriving at Le Verdon-sur-Mer, France at 1210 hours. ww2dbase [Morosini | Bordeaux, Aquitaine | CPC]
- Amy Johnson was ordered to fly an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford aircraft from Prestwick, Scotland, United Kingdom to RAF Kidlington, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Amy Johnson | Prestwick, Scotland | CPC]
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Share this article with your friends: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
Change View
Desktop ViewSearch WW2DB
News
- » WW2DB's 20th Anniversary (29 Dec 2024)
- » Wreck of USS Edsall Found (14 Nov 2024)
- » Autumn 2024 Fundraiser (7 Nov 2024)
- » Nobel Peace Prize for the Atomic Bomb Survivors Organization (11 Oct 2024)
- » See all news
Random Photograph
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,150 biographies
- » 337 events
- » 44,024 timeline entries
- » 1,241 ships
- » 350 aircraft models
- » 207 vehicle models
- » 375 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 260 facilities
- » 470 book reviews
- » 28,584 photos
- » 432 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"With Germany arming at breakneck speed, England lost in a pacifist dream, France corrupt and torn by dissension, America remote and indifferent... do you not tremble for your children?"Winston Churchill, 1935