military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (02/13/91)
From: military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) Thursday, 13 February, 1941 General Franco leaves Italy and travels to Montpellier, where he meets with Marshal Petain. Albacore bombers from HMS Formidable attacks shipping at Massawa in Italian East Africa. The carrier is unable to join the British fleet in the Mediterranean because of German air-dropped mines blocking the Suez Canal, and so continues operations off East Africa while mineclearing proceeds. Political maneuvers continue in the Balkans. Bulgaria seeks promises that Turkey will not attack in the event that German troops occupy Bulgarian soil, and the Premier and Foreign Ministers of Yugoslavia leave to meet with Reichsfuehrer Hitler. Fearing a possible Japanese attack, Australia moves to increase her military readiness. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Bill Thacker military@att.att.com Send submissions for "50 Years Ago" to military-request@att.att.com "The future is not at present precisely clear, but there is need for the greatest effort for preparedness that Australia has ever made." - joint statement by Acting Prime Minister A.W. McFadden and Opposition Leader John Curtin