Axis Diplomacy

Mussolini meets with Gen Francisco Franco, the Spanish head of state, at Bondighera. There is talk of an 'indentity of viewpoints' between the two rulers, but the meeting actually accomplishes nothing at all.

Diplomatic Relations

Over the next few days the British Foreign Minister, Anthony Eden, along with the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Sir John Dill, and Wavell visit Athens, Ankara and Belgrade for a series of talks for the purpose of forming a coalition against the Axis reaching from the Aegean to the Danube. The Yugoslav government, however refuses to meet with the British delegates while the Turks meet with them but say they cannot go along with their proposals.

German Raiders

The German cruiser Admiral Hipper attacks Cconvoy SLS-64 of 19 ships near the Azores. 7 of the ships are sunk. Their names of the ships lost: the Norwegian steamer Borgestad (3924t) with a loss of 30 men and 1 woman; the Greek steamer Perseus (5172t), 14 are lost; the British steamers Derrynane (4896t), 36 are lost; Shrewsbury (4542t), 20 are lost; Oswestry Grange (4684t), 5 are lost; Warlaby (4876t), 36 are lost; and Westbury (4712t) with 5 lost.

North Africa

Gen Rommel arrives in Tripoli. Nominally more important is the appointment of the new Italian Commander-in-Chief for Libya, Gen Italo Gariboldi. Field Marshal Kesselring is in Rome as the German representative.

On this day, German General Erwin Rommel arrives in Tripoli, Libya, with the newly formed Afrika Korps, to reinforce the beleaguered Italians' position.

Rommel Arrives in Africa

Deutsches Afrika Korps Symbol

In a telegram Churchill congratulates Wavell on the speedy capture of Benghazi, but orders him to hold up the advance and prepare to send all forces not absolutely indispensable to Greece.

Only one squadron of fighters remain available to the British in Libya. Wavell orders O'Connor to return to Cairo and only the lightest defenses are left to cover the territory captured from the Italians.

Occupied Holland

The German police close a Jewish neighbourhood at the Blauwe Brug (blue bridge) February 12, 1941. The ’39 Mercury is probably confiscated.

Closing a Jewish Neighborhood

Soviet Union, Command

Gen Georgi Zhukov is appointed Chief of the General Staff and Deputy Commissar for Defense. Gen Kirill Meretskov is now to lead the Red Army's training directorate.