Axis Diplomacy

Bulgaria breaks off diplomatic relations with Poland, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Balkans

Hitler meets Prince Paul of Yugoslavia secretly at Berchtesgaden to ask him once again to join the Tripartite Pact. He also tells Paul of the planned attack on Russia and calls for Yugoslav friendship when war starts. Paul returns to Yugoslavia convinced that he must decide very soon between Britain and Germany. Some of the incentives offered by Hitler to Paul to help sway him are the port of Thessalonika and part of Greek Macedonia. Talks in the next few days convince him that Britain has little help to offer.

Gen Wilson, who is to command the British force being prepared for Greece, arrives in Athens to arrange the final details with the Greek staff. A major convoy is about to leave Alexandria with the first large contingent. The British have only just discovered that the Greek forces in Macedonia have not retired to the Aliakmon Line and will not be able to persuade them to do so because of the damage to morale that would result if territory is obviously given up without a fight after the German move into Bulgaria. Although understandable, this is not a very realistic attitude. Wilson is further hindered by the Greek insistence that he remain incognito inside the British Embassy in order not to provoke the Germans. In fact the German consulate in Piraeus overlooks the port area which will be used to land the British forces, so they are well aware what is happening.

Greece

The first convoy of British cargo ships and warships leave Alexandria with troops and supplies for Greece. The troops are from the 6th Australian Div, the 2nd New Zealand Div and a Polish brigade. 4 cruisers and 4 destroyers protect the convoy. Gen Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, named commander of the British troops in Greece on February 28, arrives in Athens.

Indian Ocean

The Norwegian tanker Ketty Brovig (7031t), captured by the German raider Atlantis on 2 February, scuttles herself southwest of the Seychelles when intercepted by the Australian cruiser Canberra. The German supply ship Coburg (7400t), in company with the tanker, also scuttles herself before the cruiser arrives.

Occupied Norway

There is a British Commando raid, Operation CLAYMORE, on the Lofoten Islands. The 500-strong force is carried by naval units which include 2 light cruisers and 5 destroyers. British commandos and Norwegian marines destroy 6 fish-oil plants connected with explosives production, capture 215 Germans and distribute cigarettes and confectionary to the local inhabitants. 10 ships are sunk in the operation. The German steamers Eilenau (1404t), Bernhard Schulte (1058t) and Felix Heumann (2468t) are sunk by demolition charges near Solaer. The British destroyer Tartar sinks the German steamers Hamburg (5470t) and Pasajes (1996t). The German steamer Gumbrinnen (1381t) is sunk with demolition charges by the Army landing party.

The Norwegian steamer Mira (1152t) is sunk by the British destroyer Bedouin. There are also 300 Norwegian volunteers who are taken to Britain. The operation is a success but the Germans take fierce reprisals when the British force withdraws. Many members of the Norwegian resistance movement do not approve of such raids for this reason.

Operation CLAYMORE

A British commando raid on the Norwegian Lofoten Islands left behind burning fish-oil factories and smoldering oil dumps, as seen above from the British destroyer Legion. Landing in intense cold, the invaders met little resistance to their surprise attack, known as Operation CLAYMORE. The commandos took some 200 German prisoners, recruited more than 300 Norwegian volunteers, captured encryption equipment and codebooks, and destroyed several enemy ships -- and were ready to leave the island by midday. The success of this first major Special Forces operation raised the morale of the commandos and the British public alike.

British Raid Lofoten Islands