Axis Diplomacy

Vichy French authorities in Indochina sign an armistice with Thailand aboard a Japanese warship off Bangkok, ending their desultory border war.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The Italian submarine Dandolo sinks the British steamer Pizarro (1367t) off the coast of France with the loss of 23 of her 29-man crew.
• The British steamer Rowanbank (5159t) from Convoy SL-62 is sunk by German bombing in the North Sea.
• The naval collier Botusk (3091t) and the Dutch steamer Emmaplein, both in Convoy HX-103, sink on British mines 6 miles northeast of North Rona Island. 4 are lost from the British ship with the British corvette Verbena picking up 11 survivors. 34 of the crew of the Dutch ship are picked up by the British cable ship Ariel and 2 corvettes.

The Blitz

3 London hospitals are damaged by 'hit and run' raiders.

Diplomatic Relations

Churchill asks Turkey to grant permission to station 10 RAF squadrons on Turkish territory. Ankara eventually refuses saying it would break its neutrality. Turkey will only join the Allies if attacked by the Germans.

German Raiders

The German raider Atlantis captures the British steamer Speybank (5154t) in the Indian Ocean. She is sailed to Japan.

Germany, Planning

After consultations with army and army group staffs, the Army High Command has now prepared the first operational plans for the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The deployment plan for the forces is also ready. Army Group Center with 'a strong portion of its mobile strength should cooperate with Army Group North in order to destroy the enemy forces along the Baltic and in the area of Leningrad'.

An assault on Moscow would take place only if 'an unexpected and total collapse of enemy resistance in northern Russia' negated the need to turn armored forces toward the north. These schemes are presented to Hitler at a conference on February 3. He again tries to draw attention away from the central drive toward Moscow which the Army planners think essential.

Mediterranean

The minesweeper HMS Huntley is sunk by German aircraft in the eastern Mediterranean.

Italian Army Prisoners - Rapidly Losing Stomach for War