29 Jan 1941
  • M. A. Korizis took over as the new Premier of Greece upon his predecessor's death. ww2dbase [TH]
  • British forces based in Kenya led by General Sir Alan Cunningham began attacking the Italian colonial garrison. Meanwhile. the South African troops came ashore in Italian Somaliland. This combined with British advances through Eritrea made the Italian armies in the Horn of Africa increasingly in danger of being surrounded. ww2dbase [Invasion of Italian East Africa | CPC]
  • German armed merchant cruiser Kormoran sank British ships Afric Star (75 captured) and Eurylochus (11 men killed, 43 men captured, 16 crated engine-less bombers captured) 600 miles west of Freetown, British West Africa. ww2dbase [Kormoran | CPC]
  • During the night 25 British Wellington bombers attacked battleship Tirpitz to little effect. ww2dbase [Tirpitz | CPC]
  • Ioannis Metaxas died of toxaemia in Athens, Greece. ww2dbase [Ioannis Metaxas | CPC]
  • Elements of British 7th Armoured Division outflanked Italian artillery overlooking Derna, Libya, forcing General Bergonzoli to withdraw the guns overnight. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
  • Submarine Marlin was launched, sponsored by Mrs. John D. Wainwright. ww2dbase [Marlin | CPC]
  • The prototype Tupolev ANT-58 (which would later be developed into the successful Tu-2 medium bomber) made its maiden flight. ww2dbase [Tu-2 | AC]
Atlantic Ocean
  • German submarines attacked Allied convoy SC-19 en route from Nova Scotia, Canada to Britain at about 200 miles northwest of Ireland. Between 0348 and 0405 hours, U-93 sank British ship King Robert, British tanker W. B. Walker, and Greek ship Aikaterini. At 0629 hours, U-94 sank British ship West Wales. At 0715 hours, U-106 sank Egyptian ship Sesostris. U-101 also attempted to attack, but she was chased off by British destroyers. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • Maggiore Baracca sighted a destroyer in the Atlantic Ocean at 0909 hours. She successfully dove before being noticed. ww2dbase [Maggiore Baracca | CPC]
United States
  • Secret US-British staff talks began in Washington DC, United States regarding the possible US involvement in the European War. ww2dbase [ABC-1 Conference | Washington | CPC]
  • The keel of the Benson-class destroyer Bailey was laid down at the Bethlehem Steel Corporation shipyard, Staten Island, New York, United States. ww2dbase [Bailey | Staten Island, New York | DS]

29 Jan 1941 Interactive Map

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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