March 7, 1941. Water.

The British Army landed troops in Greece in support of the Greek war against the Italians in what was termed Operation Lustre.

It might be understated to state that the operation would prove to be ill fated.  

As we've looked at recently, the Axis powers really weren't doing that well in the war, contrary to the way it tends to be recalled, at this point in it.  Nonetheless, the British didn't have the sort of resources available to take the Germans on, on an additional front.  Due to their intervention in North Africa on behalf of the Italians they were already contending with the Germans there. The Wehrmacht was massing on the Bulgarian border with Greece in anticipating invading it, after offering to attempt to mediate the dispute between Greece and Italy, and there was no realistic way that the British would have ample forces to contend an oncoming German invasion of Greece.

Actor Jimmy Stewart joined the U.S. Army in which he would serve as a pilot.

Stewart would serve in combat in Europe and go on to a long Air Force Reserve career, retiring as a General.

Today in World War II History—March 7, 1941

A pile of British shipping was sunk by U-boots on this day, including the Terje Viken, a ship was at the time the largest whaling vessel in the world.  The Germans lost the U70 and the U47.  The U47 had been one of its most successful raiders.  It's commander, Gunter Prien, remains a legend in the U-boot community even though he was a strict disciplinarian and his enlisted crews disliked him. At one point the modern West German Navy considered naming a ship after him, but ultimately declined to do so.  A street, however, does bear his name in a Schoenberg Ploen.

The Terje Viken.

You can read about the U70 here:

Depth Charge attack on U-70