January 10, 1941. War Materials.

The Germans ordered the registration of all Jews in the Netherlands take place on this day in 1941.

In the United States, the Lend Lease Act passed Congress.

The bill was premised on the thesis that the United States had, or could build, war materials that it could then loan to the Allied powers. This was a big step towards war and that was appreciated at the time.  Lending a person a gun in a fight is pretty close to being in the fight yourself.  The act acknowledged that the Allies, and at that time particularly the British, were struggling to keep themselves supplied with weapons in their fight against the Germans and Italians, but of course the act would soon apply to the USSR as well.

Related to the problems of supply, the Royal Navy launched Operation Excess in the Mediterranean.  The effort was a supply effort for forces on Malta and Greece. The Royal Navy encountered the Luftwaffe for the first time in the operation.

HMS Illustrious.

During the operation the HMS Illustrious was damaged by a Ju87, Stuka dive bomber, attack.  We tend not to think of the Stuka engaging ships in World War Two, but this gives us an early instance of that occurring.   The Illustrious was defended by Fairey Fulmars, a combination fighter and reconnaissance aircraft, which did engage the Stukas during their second run, but largely unsuccessfully.

Fulmars on the Illustrious.

The Fulmar itself was frankly not a great plane, but it reflected the state of Royal Navy aviation at the time.  The Royal Navy had a lot of ships, with some of them being very modern, and some not, but their aviation was not as advanced either technologically or conceptually as the United States' or Japan's at the time.

In spite of the successful Luftwaffe attack the convoy run was successful and no British ships were lost. The Italians, however, lost the Vega, a torpedo ship, which was destroyed in a surface engagement.  Of her 128 crewmembers, only 6 survived.

More on this can be read about here:

10 January 1941: Luftwaffe Swoops on Convoy – Illustrious an Inferno

The British effort reflected the fact that fighting was going on in Greece and Malta was threatened.  This is important, however, in that the Italians were getting beat by the Greeks, a fact that was altering Germany's tactical thinking.  On this day Greek forces took Kilsura Pass in Albania.  Albania had been invaded by Italy in April, 1939, for reasons that would only make sense to fascist Italy.  Now Greece was advancing into Albania.

Greek troops at Kilsura Pass.

More on the events of World War Two on this day can be read here:

Today in World War II History—January 10, 1941

And here:

Day 498 January 10, 1941

And in the United States, preparation for the coming war continued.

Hanger under construction on this day at Alaska's Ft Wainright.  B17 in the foreground.

On the same day, Arsenic and Old Lace premiered on Broadway.