Monday, February 21, 2011

Day 540 February 21, 1941

Luftwaffe bombs Swansea for 5 hours starting at 7.50 PM. In 3 nights, 70 German bombers have dropped 35,000 incendiary canisters and 800 high explosive bombs, destroying much of the city center and killing 230 (409 wounded). The docks are almost unscathed, despite being the main target.

575 miles West of the Seychelles, German heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer attacks British steamer Canadian Cruiser. Canadian Cruiser manages to radio distress signals (which are received by British cruiser HMS Glasgow) before she is sunk and the crew taken prisoner.

British antisubmarine trawler HMT Lincoln City shoots down a German bomber but is then bombed and sunk at Tórshavn, Faroe Islands (8 killed).

British aircraft carrier HMS Formidable is stuck in the Red Sea due to closure of the Suez Canal by German mines. She launches 7 Albacore aircraft to dive bomb the harbour at Massawa, Eritrea, but they do little damage.

16 miles North of Chebba, Tunisia, British submarine HMS Ursula attacks an Italian convoy from Trapani on the toe of Italy to Tripoli, Libya, damaging Italian steamer Sabbia. Italian torpedo boat Montanari counterattacks damaging HMS Ursula and then escorts steamer Sabbia to Tripoli, arriving February 24.

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