The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-01-16
DIARY OF THE WAR

Mia lIIisAOlJlcll u iOColilCii
were revolving against Italy. British
desert troops knitted 100 miles into
Italian Libya, forty miles beyond To-
bruk. British bombed Naples and two
German naval bases. Germans re-
turned to bomb London and other
British towns. Harry Hopkins arrived
in London as Roosevelt's personal
representative. Lord Halifax was dis
patched as British ambassador to the
U. S. Germany's propaganda minis
ter said the lull in war is just "calm
before the storm"
SATURDAY-Fifty British bomb
ers, escorted by 900 eight-gunned
fighter planes, blasted German-occu-
pied region from Calais to Boulogne,
with only slight resistance. Others
raided German U-boat base, oil
plants, factories, railways, etc. Brit
aims desert army also began pound
ing outer defenses of Tobruk in
Libya where 10000 Italians are
trapped. Italy claimed to have hit 100
British mechanical vehicles by planes.
Greek warriors pushed on to Valona
after capturing Klisura. Russia and
Germany signed five treaties includ-
ing new trade agreement. In Wash
ington a bill to lend war supplies to
Britain was introduced in Congress.
SUNDAY-Londoners worked furi-
ously to save the city from incendiary
bombs, showered on the city for four
hours. Portsmouth was also heavily
bombed. British shelled Tobruk in
Libya. Italy claimed to have hit four
British warships in joint German
Italian aerial offensive in Mediterra-
mean. Russia rebuked British and
American critics of the new economic
deal between it and Germany. The
Union of South Africa announced it
would help clear Ethiopia and British
Somaliland of italian forces.
MONDAY-Nazis gave London an
other hammering attack but scores of
planes were turned back. Thousands
of volunteer watchers stood guard
against fire bombs. British planes
raided Belgian and Dutch coast areas
and attacked Wilhelmhaven, Ger
many and Turin, Italy. In Albania
the Greeks were reported to have
captured Tepelini, key village. In
Libya British guns continued to shell
Tobruk. British reported chasing Ital-
ian planes from five air bases in east
ern Libya. Italians reported British
cruiser sinking after torpedo attack
and another cruiser hit. Bulgarias
premier stated his country might be
brought into war but that they would
not forgive anybody who tried to
make it Nazi, Communist or Fascist"
TUESDAY-For first time since
Hitler's planes began siege of Brit
ain, British claimed Slight edge"
in the aerial conflict and cited four
daylight raids into Nazi territory and
machine-gunning troops in trenches
along Channel coast. German raiders
bombed English towns but missed
London. Four types Of American-built
planes were being flown to Britain.
In Albania Italian defense lines were
crumbling before Greek advance on
Valona, Italy's last major port in
southern Albania. Mussolini again
shook up his army command There
was no change in Libya. Britain
planned to sell $50 million in U. S.
securities to purchase arms.
WEDNESDAY-The battle of bat
tleships and bombers was on in Med
iterranean. British admitted damage
to three warships but claimed II Axis
bombers shot down and others dam
aged. Italians listed fifteen British
craft sunk or damaged. British said
convoy reached destination according
to plan. London reported only four
merchant ships sunk in one week, one
of lightest since war began. Greeks in
Albania struck deeper into Italian de-
Tense lines. In Africa there was no
change at Tobruk. Britain's war eff
fort was costing SO million per day.
British night air defense was declared
better.
THURSDAY - Britain expressed
concern over the possibility Of sup
plies from America, shipped via Rus