1941: German planes successfully lay mines in the Suez Canal, temporarily closing it to British shipping

The workers at John Brown's shipyards in Glasgow, went out on strike

1941: Churchill issued his Battle of the Atlantic directive. Catapult armed merchantmen (CAM) were to be fitted out, merchant ships to be given AA weapons as a first priority, and more Coastal Command squadrons formed with radar equipped aircraft.

Port and dockyard congestion were to be dealt with and the defence of ports greatly improved. These and numerous other matters are to be dealt with as a matter of the very highest priority. In the North Atlantic, the battle raged and the very survival of Great Britain depended upon its outcome.

During the month, a total of 63 Allied and neutral ships totalling 365,000 tons were lost in the Atlantic from all causes. In return, the Germans lost 5 U-boats

1942: Aircraft carrier HMS Eagle arrived in Malta, delivering 18 badly need Spitfires to bolster air defences. In addition, 7 Blenheim bombers are also sent to enable offensive actions to commence against Axis convoys