military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (02/20/91)
From: military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) Thursday, 20 February, 1941 British and Empire troops force a crossing of the River Juba in southern Italian Somaliland. The Norwegian and Netherlands governments-in-exile sever relations with Rumania and Bulgaria. British and German patrols meet for the first time in North Africa, near El Agheila, but no major action results. Fueled by Chinese military reports of Japanese troops moving from central China to coastal areas, rumors abound of possible Japanese attacks elsewhere in the Pacific. Japanese Foreign Minister Matsuoka warns London that continued British military preparations in the region may prompt Japanese "counter-measures." -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Bill Thacker military@att.att.com Send submissions for "50 Years Ago" to military-request@att.att.com "This war, which the German people did not want, must bring the final solution of a number of problems which in the past could not even be attempted with such finality." - Joseph Goebbels