10 Jan 1941
- A new German-Soviet treaty was signed confirming spheres of influence and affirming trade agreements. ww2dbase [TH]
- Greek troops, with the recently arrived Greek 5th Cretan Division, captured Klisura Pass in Albania after 4 days of fighting. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
- 300 German bombers attacked Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom overnight, killing 171 and wounding 430. The Guildhall was heavily damaged and would remain closed until 1959. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- Peter Drummond was promoted to the rank of temporary air vice-marshal. ww2dbase [Peter Drummond | CPC]
- Italian torpedo boats Vega and Circe attacked the Allied convoy Excess in the Strait of Sicily at dawn; cruiser HMS Bonaventure's gunfire and destroyer HMS Hereward's torpedo sank Vega. At 0815 hours, the convoy made rendezvous with the Mediterranean Fleet (with two battleships, one carrier, and seven destroyers). Shortly after, destroyer HMS Gallant (H59) hit an Italian naval mine that was laid on 6 Aug 1940, losing her bow and killing 58 and wounding 25; she was towed by HMS Mohawk (F31) to Malta for repairs, beaching in Grand Harbour below Floriana. At 1235 hours, German Stuka dive bombers, newly arrived to the theater, attacked HMS Illustrious, hitting her with 6 bombs, destroying the elevator and starting fires in the hangar deck, killing 124; she also sailed to Malta to receive repairs. Illustrious being out of service meant the Axis now had air superiority in the theater. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | Strait of Sicily | TH, HM]
- British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, received confirmation from intercepts of German signals, decrypted at Bletchley Park, that the German build-up in Romania formed a grave threat to Greece. He promptly ordered draft contingency plans for the commitment of a British expeditionary force to the Greek mainland. ww2dbase [Enigma Code Broken | Winston Churchill | England | AC]
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