26 Jan 1941
  • In Libya, Italian troops evacuated Mechili while Allied troops captured Derna. General O'Moore Creagh of British 7th Armored Division was ordered to cut the coastal road south of Benghazi. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
  • German submarine U-105 attacked British ship Lurigethan and the escorting corvette HMS Arabis 200 miles west of Ireland; Lurigethan was already damaged by German aircraft three days earlier. Two torpedoes were fired at HMS Arabis, both of which missed. At 0212 hours, Lurigethan was hit and sank, killing 16. HMS Arabis picked up 35 survivors. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
  • Alessandro Malaspina sighted a submarine chaser in the Atlantic Ocean at 0900 hours. She submerged to avoid detection. ww2dbase [Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
Indian Ocean
  • HMS Hermes detected a French blockade runner in the Indian Ocean south of South Africa, but lost the ship in the pursuit. ww2dbase [Hermes | CPC]

26 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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Soviet-built T-26 Model 1931 light tanks in Finnish service, Finland, 1941

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Thomas Dodd, late 1945


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