In North Africa, an odd event known as the Abdeen Palace Incident occurred, as was reported by Sarah Sundin in her blog:
February 4, 1942: In North Africa, British retreat ends at Gazala, Libya. Japanese take Ambon, Netherlands East Indies, from a small Australian garrison. British troops surround Egyptian palace in Cairo to force King Farouk to abdicate.
I'd note, FWIW, that I disagree with that date for the Japanese taking Ambon, I think it was February 3. But the date for the British coup in regard to King Farouk is quite correct, although he did not abdicate. Rather, he was forced to accede to a new government. He remained the king for another decade.
King Farouk in 1946. He as a member of the Turco-Circassian elite in the country, which owned 3/4s of the land at the time.
Farouk was, suffice it to say, an interesting figure who was the king over an interesting country. He was of Circassian, Turkish, French, Albanian and Greek descent, meaning he lacked Arab or Egyptian genetic heritage. His bodyguards were Albanians, the only people he trusted in that role. His actual heritage was more Circassian than anything else, due to the presence of various Circassian slave girls in his heritage. He became king at age 16 and never got along with the country's British representative, Miles Lampson. He strongly favored Italians over the British.
Egypt had technically been an Ottoman possession until World War One, and after that was technically independent but was in fact a quasi British satellite with various treaty obligations to the British. It was not a declared combatant in the war, but treaty rights in which the British had the right to station troops there to defend it meant that it was in fact a combat theater. Beset by a complicated domestic travails, including the lack of a male heir, he lived a lavish lifestyle which, early in the war, caused him to lose favor with the Egyptian people who were aware that the British royals were sacrificing during the war. His palace did not adhere to blackout provisions in Cairo.
The British exerted heavy pressure over who would hold office in the Egyptian government and Farouk generally yielded to them, but on this day their displeasure over the makeup of the government boiled over. Farouk asked his military leaders how long they could hold out against the British if they refused British demands, and were informed that they could only do so for two hours. On this night, the British presented Farouk with an ultimatum and troops surrounded his place. Ultimately, they stormed it. Farouk capitulated and a new Egyptian government was formed. The British representative, unbeknownst to him, was lucky to leave with his life, as Farouk's body guards were hidden in the room, ready to open fire if he was touched.
Ironically, the event caused the Egyptian people to rally behind Farouk, who resented the obvious British termination of their chosen government in favor of one that would do the British bidding. Farouk did not rise to the occasion, however, and the event marked part of his slide into increased gross personal excess in every imaginable fashion. It also marked a turning point in Egyptian politics as Egyptian military leaders became opponents of ongoing British presence, something that would ultimately lead them to depose Farouk and take over the country, with their rule effectively continuing on to the present day.
Farouk's popularity with Egyptians did not last, and he was deposed in 1952 as noted, spending the rest of his life in Italy. The entire matter ultimately proved to be a British disaster.
As an aside, his sister, Princess Fawzia Faud, would be Queen of Iran in an arranged political marriage with the Shah of Iran from 1941 to 1948. The marriage brought Iran added status, not Egypt, as the latter was the more important state. That marriage ended in divorce. She remarried an Egyptian army officer/diplomat and lived the rest of her life in Egypt, dying in 2013.
Also on this Wednesday, February 4, 1942, Hermann Goering met with Benito Mussolini regarding the invasion of Malta. Mussolini wasn't impressed.
Suffice it to say, the day for German invasions had really passed. The Germans had essentially concluded that it was incapable of invading Great Britain and had turned its eyes East, oddly partially, at least, for that reasons. That of course brought about the invasion of the Soviet Union, which was not going well.
The Germans and Italians were not going to invade Malta.
In North Africa, however, the Germans and Italians were doing fairly well, which perhaps gave rise to the delusion that they'd be in the position for a Maltese offensive. On this day they took Dema, Libya. British lines, however, were forming.
Lord Beaverbrook was appointed head of the Ministry of War Production, which had been created on this day. He resigned after occupying the office for two weeks. The Ontario native clashed with another figure in the administration and determined to depart the agency.
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