16 Jun 1941 | World War II Database

16 Jun 1941

The United States forced the closure of German and Italian consulates, expelling the diplomats. ww2dbase [CPC]
British unemployment figures for May 1941 was at its lowest, showing 243,656, compared to over 600,000 one year prior. ww2dbase [CPC]
German troops launched limited counterattacks at British positions in Libya; the attack at British troops at Fort Capuzzo was fought off, but the series of skirmishes toward Hafid Ridge saw many British tanks destroyed by the superior German Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks. At 1600 hours, Erwin Rommel decided to launch a decisive counterattack on the next day. ww2dbase [Operation Battleaxe | CPC]
Vichy French tanks defeated the British Royal Fusiliers battalion which had been surrounded at Quneitra, French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon; 177 officers and men surrendered at 1900 hours. Further north, Indian and Free French troops advanced toward Damascus. Out at sea, British torpedo bombers sank Vichy French destroyer Chevalier Paul carrying ammunition from Toulon, France. ww2dbase [Campaigns in the Middle East | CPC]
Winston Churchill received an honorary degree from the Rochester University in New York, United States. In his radio address shortly after receiving this degree, he urged the American people to join the Allies in the fight against Germany. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | CPC]
The US Marine Corps established the 1st Marine Brigade (Provisional) at Charleston, South Carolina, United States under the command of Brigadier General John Marston. The brigade was soon to be transferred to Iceland. ww2dbase [CPC]
Galeazzo Ciano met with Joachim von Ribbentrop in Venice, Italy. When Ciano asked Ribbentrop about the rumors of a German attack on the Soviet Union, Ribbentrop denied the rumors, but he shared the confidence that, should war really break out, a German victory would be achieved very quickly. ww2dbase [Joachim von Ribbentrop | CPC]

France

Alpino Bagnolini departed La Rochelle, France at 0815 hours for exercises, returning at 1630 hours. On this date, her planned upcoming journey to Gdynia, occupied Poland (German: Gotenhafen) was canceled due to the upcoming German invasion of Soviet Union. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | La Rochelle, Poitou-Charentes | CPC]

Libya

Hans-Joachim Marseille suffered heavy damage with his fighter while in combat in North Africa. Unable to see due to oil-smeared windscreen, he still landed successfully, guided down over the radio by his flight leader Reiner Pöttgen. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | CPC]

Photo(s) dated 16 Jun 1941

German tanks near Sollum, Egypt, circa 16 Jun 1941

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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