Atlantic

The German heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer captures the British steamer Duquesna (8651t) in the South Atlantic. 91 crew and 8 passengers are made prisoners of war.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The British tanker Osage (1010t) is sunk by German bombing 4 miles northeast of Arklow Light Vessel, County Wicklow. The entire crew is rescued.
• The German steamer Birkenfels (6322t) sinks on a mine laid by British MTBs off the Schelde.
• The Italian submarine Veniero sinks the Greek steamer Anastassia (2883t) from dispersed Convoy SC-15. 18 of the crew are lost, 10 are made prisoners of war.
• U-100 sinks the British steamer Napier Star (10,116t) 320 miles west of Rockall with the loss of 71 passengers and crew. 14 survivors are picked up by the Swedish steamer Vaalaren.

Britain, Home Front

10,969 evacuees have now arrived from Gibraltar.

Germany, Planning

Hitler issues Directive 21. Its message is simple: 'The German Armed Forces must be prepared, even before the conclusion of the war against England, to crush Soviet Russia in a rapid campaign.' The projected operation is given the code name Barbarossa. It is to take place in May 1941 and it will involve the conquest of the Caucasus. Establishing a line from the Volga River in the south up to Archangel in the north will be the aim of the German forces.

Hitler has modified the draft plans prepared by the army in one important respect. Although 3 lines of attack are still suggested, Hitler's scheme reduces the importance which has been laid on the advance to Moscow. He suggest that after the first battles the center group should swing north to help clear the Baltic States and Leningrad before moving on the capital. The directive further states: the Army will have to employ all available formations to this end, with the reservation that occupied territories must be insured against surprise attacks.

The Luftwaffe will have to make available for this Eastern campaign supporting forces of such strength that the Army will be able to bring land operations to a speedy conclusion and that eastern Germany will be as little damaged as possible by enemy air attack.

The main efforts of the Navy will continue to be directed against England even during the Eastern campaign. In certain circumstances, orders will be issued for the deployment against Soviet Russia eight weeks before the operation is timed to begin.

Preparations which require more time that this will be put in hand now, in so far as this has not already been done, and will be concluded by May 15, 1941.

Mediterranean

The British submarine Triton is sunk by an Italian torpedo boat in the Straits of Otranto. During the night the battleships Warspite and Valiant bombard Valona, an Italian-held port in Albania. Italian cruisers and destroyers bombard Greek positions on the Albanian coast.