Fantasque Time Line (France Fights On) - English Translation

[Wings]

January 30th, 1942

Casablanca - Arrival of TF-34, around the aircraft carrier USS Ranger, and the convoy carrying the two Fighter Groups that are to deploy to North Africa.
.........
Eastern Mediterranean - As the bulk of the Stone-Age convoy heads for Alexandria, eight transports escorted by French ships head for Heraklion.
On the Illustrious, a lone Martlet from Alexandria calls, welcomed by the applause from the crew: it is indeed the plane of Yvon Lagadec's former teammate, flight-lieutenant Danny Potter, who managed to make the trip from Singapore. Having orders to reach Europe, Potter refused to abandon his little fighter and flew from Sumatra to Alexandria, accompanying various multi-engine aircraft that served as navigation aids. The Martlet, named White Magic, was then decorated with the famous white rabbit magician's hat insignia and eleven victory marks; it can be seen today in this livery at the Imperial War Museum in London.

 

[Wings]

January 30th, 1942

Burma Campaign
Battle of Moulmein - The battle opens with a violent Japanese attack from the south and southeast. At 08:00, General Harvey moves his headquarters to the ridge overlooking the city, but from 09:30 onwards, this area becomes the target of Japanese artillery fire. A little later, in front of the enemy advance, the BVAS evacuate the airfield, setting fire to two damaged Audax which could not withdraw towards Pegu.
By noon, the attack is repulsed, but the battalions east of the city have to shorten their perimeter, leaving a detachment of Sikh guards isolated on the airfield. These men will
fight magnificently all the rest of the day and all the following night.
Taking off from Pegu, the BVAS launches a mass attack against the forces threatening Moulmein. The Japanese are privileged to witness the remarkable performance of six Heyfords, two Overstrand and eight Audax flying (more or less) in formation, escorted by four Fury and three Hurricanes (the latter a bit out of place among all these historical biplanes). This raid is intercepted by seven Ki-27s, who shoot down a Heyford and an Audax but lose two of their own.
The same day, eight Blenheims from Sqn 113 attacked the area without casualties.
The Japanese air force is not to be outdone: the 31st Sentai launches no less than four attacks against Moulmein, without considering it necessary to escort its bombers. Two Ki-30s are shot down by BVAS Furies. This is how TF Mohan Singh obtains his fifth victory, making him the first Indian Air Force ace in this campaign.

 

[Wings]

January 30th, 1942

Tonkin - Twenty Hawk-81 of the GC I/40 land on the Dien-Bien-Phu airstrip, relieving the Adam & Eve squadron of the AVG, which is to join the Panda Bear in Kunming. The GC I/40 starts the same day to attack the Japanese troops operating in the downstream region of the Black River.
.........
Cochinchina - Franco-Vietnamese forces evacuate Hieu Thien to the west and Xuan Loc to the east of Saigon. On the western front, a new defense line is prepared at Cu Chi with the help of the local population. On the eastern front, the last tanks of the GBMS stops at Suoi Dau Giay the Japanese units that are trying to break out of Xuan Loc.
In Saigon and Bien Hoa, which have been heavily bombed all day by the Japanese air force, there are now more than 70,000 workers who are digging trenches and setting up barricades.
At the end of the day, Brigadier General Bourdeau informs General Martin and High Commissioner Sainteny that two new volunteer regiments, one Vietnamese and one Chinese, each with 4,500 men, should be ready on February 2nd. However, there is not a single artillery piece and very few machine guns for the support units in charge of supporting the two regiments. In addition, the survivors of the first battalions of Vietnamese and Chinese volunteers who had fought at Xuan-Loc have to be amalgamated to
constitute a third regiment of volunteers, called "mixed".
At dusk, a long column of civilians leaves Bien Hoa towards the Highlands. It is the beginning of the evacuation of what the French administration, never stingy with euphemisms calls the "particularly threatened populations".

 

[Wings]

January 30th, 1942

Malaya Campaign
To the north... - The Commonwealth troops in Kedah begin to regroup on the Sungei Muda line, while the Japanese air force concentrates its attacks against Penang (bombed twice), Port Weld and Taiping. The auxiliary minesweeper Bathurst and the ferries Kara Kara and Kurami are sunk during the raids against Penang.
.........
In the south... - In Johor, the front is again calm, but Kota Tinggi is attacked twice by Japanese bombers (once by the Army, once by the Navy).
.........
South China Sea - The light aircraft carriers of the 2nd Kondo Fleet, the Shoho and Zuiho, escorted by the DD Hibiki and Nowaki, returned to position themselves off the east coast of Malaysia after refueling in Mako. They also reorganize their air groups: each of them now carries 15 A6M2 fighters and 12 B5N2 torpedo bombers. The CVs Soryu and Hiryu are immediately sent back to Mako for refueling.

 

[Wings]

January 30th, 1942

Sulawesi - The 36 G4M1 of the 1st Kokutai redeploy from Manado to Ambon and the 44 G4M1 of the Takao Kokutai from Manado to Kendari. At the end of the day, the 36 A6M2 and the 4 C5M2 of the Tainan Kokutai, coming from Mako via Davao and Manado, also land in Kendari.
.........
Fremantle (Australia) - The Australian light cruisers Sydney and Hobart, with the American destroyers Bailey, Meade, Shubrick and Swasey, take charge of a convoy of six transports. These are loaded with troops originally destined for Java and now destined for Timor.

 

[Wings]

January 30th, 1942

Colombo (Ceylon) - The Indian Ocean Escort Group (BB Royal Sovereign, CL Danae, DD Active, Amazon, Ambuscade, Electra, all British, French colonial avisos Bougainville, D'Entrecasteaux, Dumont-d'Urville, Dutch aviso Van Kinsbergen) leaves Colombo for Aden, where it is to accompany the Stone-Age convoy as it leaves the Red Sea.

 

[Wings]

January 30th, 1942

Canberra - Vice Admiral Emile Muselier comes to meet the Australian authorities. As commander of the French Forces in the Pacific, he underlines the urgency of rapidly reinforcing forces in Rabaul and offers to dedicate to this operation the 1st Brigade of American Marines, officially in charge of the defense of New Caledonia, to this operation.

 

[Wings]

January 31st, 1942

Paris - Shortly before midnight, under the direction of Commissioner Jacques Schweblin, the head of the Police of Jewish Questions, a mixed team of inspectors from the PQJ (which depends on the General Commissariat of the Place des Victoires) and the General Intelligence of the Préfecture de Police breaks down the door of an attic in a shabby, borderline insalubrious building, 16 rue des Cascades, on the heights of Belleville. The room is saturated by the smoke of cigarettes rolled with a mixture of butts depiautés collected in the street and of "grey" for pipe of the "decade" of the rationing. Borscht is cooking on a sawdust stove.
An office Underwood, without a ribbon, lies uselessly on an unmade bed.
The policemen arrest three men in caps, their fingers stained with ink, who were working in the in the mediocre light of a bare 25-watt bulb in front of an old-fashioned*, rattling and rattling, to draw stencils typed on a Japy Script placed on an Henri II sideboard that has known more than one junk dealer. In short, enough to make a newspaper (rather a pamphlet, to tell the truth) on the four pages of a sheet folded in two.
Identified on photos, the three printers are immediately taken to the premises of the PQJ and, before any interrogation, beaten for a long time. They will keep silent until the end. They continue to keep silent when they are handed over to the Gestapo on Avenue Foch. And even though their false papers, of rather average quality, will not protect them any more, they will always refuse to give their real identities.
But the Koimpfinde Ghetta in Yiddish, which they edited, printed and distributed - perhaps with the help of Bund comrades** whose names they will never reveal - will cease to appear. Schweblin, who had had them spotted and shadowed for three weeks, from a lead opened by information provided anonymously by "Good French" neighbors can be satisfied.
At 16 rue des Cascades, a plaque, affixed after the Liberation despite the opposition of the PCF (which treats the Bundists hardly better than the Trotskyites), reminds the passer-by: Shlomo Behr-Itkiewicz, Dov Feuerstein and Elie Sternenblum. We know with certainty that Sternenblum and Behr-Itkiewicz were shot at Mont-Valérien, probably after the outbreak of Barbarossa. But it seems likely that Feuerstein did not survive his Avenue Foch detention and was buried anonymously in Thiais by the Gestapo.

* Roneo had developed during the 30's a range of duplicators with electric motors, infinitely faster - and almost silent.
** Socialist movement of the Jewish proletariat in the Russia of the Tsars and in Central Europe, very present in the immigration to France, opposed to Zionism and criticized by Lenin.

 

[Wings]

January 31st, 1942

Institut Le Rosey (Rolle, Switzerland) - At nightfall, a young man of 18 hurriedly packs his bags, leaves this very select boarding school and gets into a car driven by a man in a dark suit, which starts off with a bang. A student who sneaks out? Not really, the Institute had been warned an hour ago that a boarder was going to be "away for a while". Captain Ardant, tutor for two years of Rainier of Monaco, takes his young protégé to the French Embassy. Indeed, the young prince had decided to oppose his grandfather's policy and to ostensibly show his support for the side of the Allies.
Ideological awareness? Political move? Patriotism? Calculation? The reasons are still a bit vague, probably a bit of everything... The fact remains that the prince seems to have been particularly affected by the Italian takeover of Monaco and wanted to react. Perhaps it would have been different if he had continued his studies in Paris as Louis II had wished for a time, but the fact is that he remained in Switzerland since the beginning of the war, with a tutor who was an officer in the French army. As a result, the question "Which side to choose?" does not seem to have arisen for him.

 

[Wings]

January 31st, 1942

New York and Norfolk - Official launch of "Operation Bolero", i.e. the transfer of American troops to North Africa for offensive actions against Axis forces in the Mediterranean. Bolero is to last until June-July 1942, as two armoured divisions and four infantry divisions that had to cross the Atlantic and be engaged in combat before the end of the summer of 1942. North Africa is to be used for the operational training of these units.
The first convoy, coded UCT-1 (United States-Casablanca-Troops 1) is only a prelude to the massive troop transports that are to follow. It includes twelve ships, carrying mainly men (the USAT [US Army Transport] and AP) or mainly equipment (the AK) (USAT Hugh L. Scott, USAT Uruguay, USS Barnett (AP-11), USS George F. Elliott (AP-13), USS Fuller (AP-14), USS William P. Biddle (AP-15), USS Chateau-Thierry (AP-31), USS American Legion (AP-35), USS Arcturus (AK-18), USS Alcyone (AK-24), USS Algorab (AK-25), USS Almaack (AK-27)). It has to transport to Casablanca elements of the 1st Armored Division (including the light tank battalions of the 1st and 13th Armored Regiments) and the 2nd Infantry Division. These two divisions are to form part of an Army Corps deployed in the Mediterranean theater.
The convoy leaves New York early in the morning, with part of its escort, consisting of an American naval group formed around the battleship Texas. It joins the rest of its escort at sea, the Richelieu squadron, from Norfolk (BB Richelieu, CA Algérie, DD Bison, Cyclone, Mameluk and Siroco), to which are added the escort carrier Bois-Belleau, whose Swordfish are in charge of ASW patrols.
Meanwhile, two American general officers, Dwight D. Eisenhower and George S. Patton, leave New York in a modified B-24 for Rabat, via Ponta Delgada (Azores).

 

[Wings]

January 31st, 1942

Alger - Arrival of a new group of Horsa gliders, this time 21 in number, for the French airborne troops.

 

[Wings]

January 31st, 1942

Eastern Mediterranean - At dusk, while the rest of its escort, around the carriers Illustrious and Furious, return westward, the Stone-Age convoy, which now has tentransports escorted by the cruiser HMS Kenya and the DDs HMS Onslow, Paladin, Somali, Westcott, Wishart, Wrestler and Zulu, arrives in Alexandria. The convoy has to cross the Suez Canal the following day and head for Aden, where the Indian Ocean Escort Group is waiting for it.

 

[Wings]

January 31st, 1942

Burma Campaign
Battle of Moulmein - Shortly before dawn, the Sikhs encircled on the airfield break out with bayonet charges to join the main body of Allied troops. They signal a threatening omen: they have heard the sound of tracks in the night. The Japanese have tanks in the area..
At 10:00., Brigadier Ford reports that most of the 4th Burma Rifles (of the 1st Burmese Division), which is holding the left flank of his position, have disappeared - in fact, it is the Burmese from the valleys who had defected to the enemy. The Japanese do not fail to penetrate the gap. Two battalions of the 55th Japanese Division and one of the 2nd Thai ID attack the 19th Brigade, led by four Type 95 tankettes of the 5th Armored and two Thai Vickers Six-toners. The Burmese soldiers still in the area, who had never seen anything resembling a tank, vanish into the forest, with the notable exception of the men from the highlands, who rally to the neighboring Indian troops. In the absence of any anti-tank guns, the Japanese-Thai attack can only be slowed down, despite fierce fighting.
Around 14:00, Brigadier Ford's HQ is attacked. Most of the staff members, including Ford himself, are killed trying to hold the position.
Meanwhile, Harvey has his own troubles. He moves his headquarters to the Public Works building in Salween Park and manages to rally the 18th Brigade (Lochner), whose men take cover in the first buildings of the city and are able to hold off the Japanese, with the help of artillery deployed in cover on the west bank of the Salween. But by 20:00, Harvey's headquarters are attacked by Japanese disguised as Burmese. The hand-to-hand fight is fierce - Harvey, rediscovering his skills from the Other War, personally kills two Japanese with bayonets, but he himself is quite seriously wounded. However, the surprise attack is repulsed by the staff and the neighbouring troops, who came to the rescue.
Having the evidence that his two brigades are attacked by the bulk of the 55th Japanese Division and by a good part of the 2nd Thai ID, with the support of armored vehicles, Harvey orders his troops to start withdrawing to the west bank of the river during the night. There they meet the first elements of the 17th Brigade (Ford), who start to reach Moulmein.
All day long, planes from both sides are very active over Moulmein. The RAF loses two Hurricanes, a BVAS Audax and a Blenheim I, in exchange for two Ki-27s, a Ki-30 and a Ki-48.

 

[Wings]

January 31st, 1942

Tonkin - Elements of the Hell's Angels squadron of the AVG still operating from impovised airfields withdraw to Kunming where their formation has to be reconstituted, while the GC I/40, based at Dien-Bien-Phu, multiplies the harassment attacks against the Japanese columns trying to advance towards the north.
"We're doing one mission after another today. All of them involved strafing Japanese troops: we did not see the shadow of a red disc. The commander and I stay at the perch with another pair. He guides the attacks with his eagle eyes, then when it ends for the guys we dive in after him. Usually he's spotted a good target..." (Pierre van Bielt, op. cit.)
.........
Cochinchina - On the western front of Saigon, a Japanese frontal attack against Cu Chi is blocked, at the cost of the destruction of the Bourgueil, the last Sav-41 still operational on this front.
On the eastern front, French troops slowly retreat toward Bien Hoa, where the 1st Mixed Volunteers Regiment takes up positions in field fortifications built by "fortification battalions". Meanwhile, the Japanese Army's ground support and cooperation aircraft (Ki-36 and Ki-51) are attacking the columns of refugees marching on the road from Bien Hoa to Ban Me Tuot.

"In Saigon, a message from Algiers informed Colonel Schlesser that he had been promoted to brigadier general, and that he had to leave Indochina immediately and go to Cap Saint-Jacques, where the submarine Pascal was to pick him up, along with the last seven nurses from the Saigon Military Hospital and the dozen surviving pilots from the Hell's Angels squadron and the former 40th E.C. (who eventually rejoined their units after a long detour through Burma). Two Americans and two Frenchmen demand to stay, their aircraft (two P-40s and two Hawk-75s) are still operational. As for the new general, he only agrees to obey only after a long discussion with Sainteny and Martin. With a heavy heart, he leaves his command to Lt-Colonel Lecoq.
But Schlesser was not at the end of his emotions for the day. Indeed, as he was preparing to leave, he saw a furious young woman arrive: it was Edmonde Charles-Roux, chosen by the other nurses to represent them despite her young age (20), because the future president of the Goncourt Academy had been awarded the Croix de Guerre (and wounded) during the French Campaign. None of the seven agreed to leave! After a heated discussion, General Schlesser used the authority of his rank to force the three nursing sisters (including Miss Charles-Roux) to follow him. But the four others refused to obey, arguing that they had not joined the Army, but that they were French women living in Vietnam who had enlisted there to care for the wounded, and that they would not abandon them! One may remember that in 1959, this episode and the Pascal's journey were brought to the screen, in a considerably... arranged version, as shown by the title, "The Submarine of the Warm Seas", and the cast: the French general was played by Jean Marais and the rebel nurse by Martine Carol, while Eddie Constantine played an American pilot competing with the general for the heart of the heady Martine..." (Pascal N'Guyen-Minh, op. cit.)

 

[Wings]

January 31st, 1942

Malaya Campaign
In the north... The Japanese air force maintains its pressure on Port Weld and Penang during the whole day, while Ki-48 light bombers and Ki-27 and Ki-43 fighters prevent most of the movements on the roads of Perak.
In the evening, Lord Gort arrives in Kuala Lumpur with General Wavell and Lt. General Percival to meet the commanders of the II Australian Corps (Lt. General J. Northcott), of the 8th Australian I.D. (Major-General H. Gordon-Bennett), of the 1st Australian A.D. (Major-General H.C.H. Robertson), the 11th Indian ID (Major-General D.M. Murray-Lyon) and the 18th British ID (Major-General Merton Beckville-Smith). They agree that the situation in northern Malaya is deteriorating. The Japanese forces adapted to the defense procedures of the Commonwealth forces and, with almost complete control of the airspace, managed to counterbalance the superiority of British artillery to some extent. Wavell recommended to position the 11th Indian ID on the "Green Line" (from Kuala Kangsar to Sungei Perak) and the 18th British D.I. in Penang. However, the recent Japanese air raids have partially disabled the Port Weld installations and it is impossible to rely on the railway system, which is constantly under attack. The Australian 8th Division, which had repelled most of the first Japanese attacks and whose forces are largely exhausted, has to be evacuated. However, an evacuation via Port Weld does not seem realistic in the present situation. Georgetown (Penang) is now the only port with important facilities, but is also under daily attack.
The subject of fighter cover is raised, but Wavell recalls that the Sabang field was recently hit and is poorly protected, and that the American fighters assembled in Darwin must now be sent urgently to defend Java and Timor.

 

[Wings]

January 31st, 1942

Palau Islands - Arrival of Rear Admiral R. Tanaka's group (CL Jintsu, DD Hayashio, Kuroshio, Oyashio, Amatsukaze and Hatsukaze).
.........
Manado - The Landing Force in Timor, commanded by Vice Admiral I. Takahashi, sets out at dawn. It is composed of ten transports escorted by the Covering Group under the command of Rear Admiral T. Tagaki (CA Haguro, Myoko and Nachi [admiral], CVL Ryujo [25 A5M4 and 18 B5N2], Chitose seaplane carrier [12 F1M2, 8 E13A1, 4 E8N] and DD
Shiokaze), the 1st Surprise Attack Group of Rear Admiral K. Hara (DD Minatsuki, Nagatsuki, Satsuki, Harukaze, Hatakaze), plus five minesweepers and three submarine hunters.
.........
Kupang Bay (Timor) - At sunset, the Emile-Bertin enters the port and begins to disembark men and equipment of the 1st Independent Infantry Company of the Army (300 men commanded by Major S.P. Fearon) and the "Rose Force" of the Australian Imperial Force (50 Australians and 6 Guides of the FMSVF, commanded by Major Lloyd, accompanied by Major Rose, of the 2nd Argyll & Sunderland Highlanders, creator of this special force detached by the Malayan General Staff). The French cruiser leaves Kupang Bay as soon as the landing is completed and heads for Sœrabaya, where it is to embark mines for an offensive operation.
.........
Fremantle (Australia) - The six American and Australian troop transports leave Fremantle with their escort for Kupang Bay.

 

[Wings]

January 31st, 1942

South Pacific Campaign - At 18:30 (local time), the carriers Enterprise and Yorktown separate and head for the positions chosen to launch their aircraft. The Enterprise, under the command of Halsey, is to attack Wotje, Maloelap and Kwajalein. The Yorktown, under the command of Fletcher, is to attack Jaluit, Mili and Makin.

 

[Wings]

Allied losses
HMS Otus (Odin-class submarine), sunk by the IJN Shimushu, Shinonome and Isonami in the South China Sea (OTL survived the war, decom. 1945)
MN Le Conquérant (Redoutable-class submarine), sunk by the IJN Shirayuki off Endau (OTL sunk in November 1942 off Morocco)
HNLMS K-XVIII (K-XIV-class submarine), beached following air attack by Japanese aircraft in Singapore harbor (OTL scuttled, raised, sunk in 1945)
USS Peary (Clemson-class destroyer), sunk by Japanese bombers in Surabaya (OTL sunk at Darwin in February 1942)
MN Tornade (Bourrasque-class destroyer), sunk by Japanese bombers in Surabaya (OTL beached at Oran in November 1942)
MN Le Centaure (Redoutable-class submarine), beached following air attack by Japanese aircraft in Surabaya (OTL survived the war, decom. 1952)
HNLMS K-VII (K-V-class submarine), sunk by Japanese bombers in Surabaya (OTL destroyed in February 1942)
HNLMS K-XIII (K-XI-class submarine), sunk by Japanese bombers in Surabaya (OTL scuttled in March 1942)
USS S-36 (S-class submarine), sunk by Japanese bombers in Surabaya (OTL scuttled later in January 1942)
USS Whipple (Clemson-class destroyer), sunk by Japanese bombers at Kupang (OTL survived the war, decom. 1945)
USS Hopewell (Wickes-class destroyer), sunk by Japanese bombers at Kupang (OTL transferred to the UK then Norway, sunk in August 1941)
USS John D. Edwards (Clemson-class destroyer), sunk by Japanese bombers at Kupang (OTL survived the war, decom. 1945)
USS Pope (Clemson-class destroyer), sunk by Japanese destroyers during the Battle of Balikpapan Bay (OTL sunk in March 1942)
USS Concord (Omaha-class light cruiser), sunk by the IJN Jintsu during the Battle of Balikpapan Bay (OTL survived the war, decom. 1945)
USS Paul-Jones (Clemson-class destroyer), sunk by the IJN Jintsu and Japanese destroyers during the Battle of Balikpapan Bay (OTL survived the war, decom. 1945)
USS Bulmer (Clemson-class destroyer), sunk by Japanese destroyers during the Battle of Balikpapan Bay (OTL survived the war, decom. 1946)
USS Barker (Clemson-class destroyer), sunk by the IJN Jintsu and Japanese destroyers during the Battle of Balikpapan Bay (OTL survived the war, decom. 1945)
USS Pillsbury (Clemson-class destroyer), sunk by Japanese destroyers during the Battle of Balikpapan Bay (OTL sunk in the Second Battle of the Java Sea in March 1942)
USS John D. Ford (Clemson-class destroyer), scuttled following damaged recieved from Japanese destroyers during the Battle of Balikpapan Bay (OTL survived the war, decom. 1945)
USS Pickerel (Porpoise-class submarine), sunk by Japanese submarine chasers and a minesweeper off Balikpapan Bay (OTL sunk in April 1943)
HMS Avon Vale (Hunt II-class destroyer escort), beached following damage recieved from Val and Kate aircraft at the entrance of Perak River mouth (OTL survived the war, decom. 1958)
HMS Icarus (I-class destroyer), sunk while in tow after taking damage from Ju-88s in the Strait of Sicily (OTL survived the war, decom. 1946)

Axis losses
MM Castore (Spica-class torpedo boat), sunk by French DB-73M in the Battle of Cape Kimi (OTL sunk in June 1943)
IJN Asagiri (Fubuki-class destroyer), sunk by the MN Le Centaure off Endau (OTL sunk in August 1942)
IJN Sendai (Sendai-class light cruiser), beached following air attack by RAF Beauforts at Endau (OTL sunk in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay in November 1943)
MM Giuseppe-Cesare Abba (Rosolino Pilo-class torpedo boat), sunk by a mine laid by the MN Turquoise off Corfu (OTL survived the war, decom. 1958)
IJN I-15 (B1-class submarine), sunk by the MN Argo in the South China Sea (OTL sunk in November 1942)
KGM U-132 (Type VIIC-class submarine), sunk by Franco-British escorts between Benghazi and Crete (OTL sunk in November 1942)
KGM U-331 (Type VIIC-class submarine), sunk by a French PBY Catalina between Benghazi and Crete (OTL sunk in November 1942)
KGM U-133 (Type VIIC-class submarine), sunk by the MN La Boudeuse and MN La Gracieuse off Benghazi (OTL sunk in March 1942)
IJN Natsushio (Kagero-class destroyer), beached following damage recieved from USS Pillsbury during the Battle of Balikpapan Bay at the entrance of said bay (OTL sunk in February 1942)
KGM Z-8 Bruno Heinemann (Type 1934A-class destroyer), mined off Ostend as OTL
IJN I-73 (Kaidai-class submarine), sunk by the USS Gudgeon west of Midway as OTL
KGM U-374 (Type VIIC-class submarine), sunk by Swordfish from HMS Furious in the Central Mediterranean (OTL sunk a few days earlier)

 

[Wings]

February 1st, 1942

French Embassy, Bern (Switzerland) - In the early evening, Captain Ardant comes to pick up his young protégé in the room he had occupied the day before. We must leave! All day, both the captain and the ambassador Renom de la Baume have politely but firmly told the teenager that he would not lack anything but that he had to remain confined within four walls for a few hours. Switzerland is full of spies, so we might as well not to take any risks.
But Rainier is 18 years old and at that age, one is not too serious... So he spends the day feverishly pacing the embassy, which allows him to see, in the early afternoon, the ambassador and the captain to see off two Swiss citizens (in civilian clothes, but whose stiffness and the clicking of their heels betray their profession). What does this mean? What can this mean?
The Monegasque crown prince will soon find out: in the company of Jean Ardant and a Swiss smuggler, he is going to make a night hike to the French border. Given the the calmness displayed by his two companions, Rainier quickly understands that they are sure not to be bothered by border guards - a sudden problem of manpower in the area, perhaps? But here is the border, and the serious things begin.
To the young man's surprise, on the French side, everything goes just as well. Certainly, his escort seems more anxious, on several occasions, it is necessary to run to cross an open space, but finally it is without problems that one arrives at an isolated barn where the three men spend the rest of the night. The next day, the prince and the captain will have only a few kilometers to reach the nearest train station. Rainier now has fake papers that are truer than real, which identify him (with a certain humor) as Louis Lecomte. The young man will not be offended by this drop in noble status...

 

[Wings]

February 1st, 1942

Rome - Mussolini, very concerned about the allied air attacks against Sardinia and Sicily, orders the transfer to Italy, to Reggio Calabria, of the 6th Stormo Caccia Terrestre, composed of the 2nd Gruppo (Lt-Colonel Quarantotti, Squadriglie 150, 152 and 358, 14 Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II), and the 22° Gruppo (Squadriglie 359, 362, 369 and 371, 19 Reggiane Re.2000 Falco I). The 6th Stormo was operating until then in the north of Greece, under German command. Mussolini's order, given without warning and without referring to the German hierarchy, makes the Luftwaffe and Kesselring's staff officers furious.