Last week the Italian army had been driven out of Egypt; now it took up defensive positions in Libya while the British dealt with the numbers of prisoners they had taken, sorted out their supplies, and prepared to resume the offensive. The Italian army wasn’t doing any better in Albania, where it was being steadily… Read more »Read more

On Monday 9 December British and Commonwealth Western Desert Force in Egypt launched Operation Compass, the counterattack against the Italian army. By the end of the week the Italian army had been decisively defeated, losing 38,000 prisoners, 400 artillery pieces and 50 tanks for the British loss of 133 killed, 387 wounded and 8 missing…. Read more »Read more

Back in September Italian forces had invaded Egypt, which was being occupied by British troops: the attack had ground to a halt after a few days and the Italian forces had assumed defensive positions. Now the British prepared to counter-attack, and on the nights of 7-8 December advanced into position close to the Italian defences…. Read more »Read more

This week saw heavy German air raids on Liverpool, Southampton, Birmingham and Bristol. Having driven Italian forces out of Greece, the Greek armies continued to advance into Albania. On 26 November workers began the construction of a wall around the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw, and on 29 November plans for the invasion of Russia next… Read more »Read more

This week the Greek counter-offensive against the Italian invasion forces succeeded in driving the Italians all the way out of Greece, and pushed them back into Albania. Also, Hungary and Romania signed the Tripartite Pact and joined Germany, Italy and Japan in the Axis. Back in Caithness, the John O’Groat Journal helpfully began posting Blackout… Read more »Read more

On 11 November British naval forces launched the first all naval air attack, devastating an Italian naval force at the battle of Taranto. In Greece, the second Italian offensive over the Pindus mountains ended in failure, and on 14 October the Greek counter-offensive began. Also on 14 October came the heavy night air raid on… Read more »Read more

On 5 November the Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Jervis Bay with many Caithness men aboard was sunk by the German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer. The Jervis Bay was the sole escort to 37 merchant ships forming convoy HX-84 from Halifax, Nova Scotia, when they encountered the Admiral Scheer. The Captain of the Jervis Bay ordered… Read more »Read more

On Monday 28 October Italy invaded Greece from Albania, without consulting Germany first and much to Hitler’s annoyance. But faced with stubborn Greek resistance and poor weather the Italian forces failed to achieve a breakthrough. Meanwhile British convoy losses to U-boats continued to be heavy: a total of 63 merchant and other ships were sunk… Read more »Read more

On 21 October Liverpool was bombed for the 200th time. On Wednesday 23 October Hitler met General Franco of Spain for 9 hours, hoping to persuade him to join the war on the Axis side, but Franco steadfastly refused to be drawn in. Meanwhile Mussolini, having taken the decision last week to invade Greece, now… Read more »Read more

Although Hitler had postponed indefinitely the planned invasion of Britain, the air raids on British cities continued: over 1,500 people were killed in raids in just seven days, including over 150 in London when a bomb landed on an air raid shelter. Also this week, Mussolini and his advisers took the decision to invade Greece,… Read more »Read more