The Felixstowe Road area of Ipswich came under attack on March 24, 1941. These houses, numbers 209 and 211, opposite Murray Road, were destroyed. Five people were rescued from the debris.

Attack in Ipswich

Battle of the Atlantic

• The Italian submarine Veniero sinks the British steamer Agneta Maersk (2104t) from the dispersed Convoy OG-56 west-southwest of Ireland with the loss of the entire crew.
• U-97 sinks the Norwegian steamer Horda (4301t) west-southwest of Ireland with the loss of her entire crew of 30.
• U-551 is sunk by the British anti-submarine trawler Visenda, operating with the Northern Patrol, south of Iceland. The entire crew of 45 is lost on the u-boat.

Diplomatic Relations

• A diplomatic note form the British government warns the Yugoslav government not to align itself with the Axis powers.
• The USSR assure Turkey of neutrality in the event Turkey becomes involved in the war.

Mediterranean

The British submarine Rorqual lays mines west of Sicily which sink 2 merchant ships and a torpedo boat. A third merchant ship and an Italian submarine are torpedoed March 28 and March 31 respectively.

North Africa

El Agheila is recaptured from the British by Rommel's forces. Gen O'Connor and his experienced desert troops have been withdrawn and Gen Neame has been left to hold Libya with the understrength and inexperienced 2nd Armored Div, 9th Australian Div and an Indian Bde.

The tanks available are mostly old and more or less worn out. Collectively the Allied units have neither the desert experience of O'Connor's veterans nor the professionalism of Rommel's troops. Rommel has 1 German div, the 5th Light, with a strong tank component and part of 4 Italian divs. Rommel has been forbidden to attack by the German High Command and has been told that he will receive no extra forces. He will ignore his instructions.

Red Sea

The British sloop Shoreham intercepts the German steamer Oder (8516t) which had left Massawa on the 23rd. The steamer scuttles herself rather than be captured.