Tuesday 8 April 1941

Land mine damage in Great Yarmouth on April 8, 1941 (Archant Library).

Operation 25/Operation Marita: At day's end, the Germans have broken through the Greek lines along the Bulgarian border, while the Germans have isolated Yugoslavia from the outside world and are in the vicinity of Zagreb and advancing toward Belgrade.

Belgrade is the prize in Yugoslavia, and Ewald von Kleist wants it. He sends his panzers off at 05:30 toward the city from the northwest. They capture Nis in Serbia and head down the Morava Valley toward the capital. The Yugoslav is giving ground everywhere.

The weather is poor over Belgrade, so the Luftwaffe's Operation Punishment ends today. There is tremendous devastation, but total casualty estimates vary from the as low as 1500 to 17,000. Later estimates of the extent of the damage also vary wildly, with some stating that half of the housing stock is destroyed. Among many other national treasures, the National Library of Serbia is destroyed, along with its medieval manuscripts and other irreplaceable artifacts.

The 1st SS Division Adolf Hitler has moved into the front lines and now sits astride the main railway link between Belgrade and Thessalonica (Thessaloniki). The Yugoslavs in Belgrade now are effectively isolated.

Max Dobislav, who becomes an ace, with his Bf 109E of 8,/JG 27, April 1941.

Greece along the Bulgarian border is still a secondary theater as events play out to the north. The Greek Army vigorously defends the Rupel Pass but it badly outnumbered. The British 1st Armoured Division moves forward when the Wehrmacht's 30 Infantry Corps begins breaking out through the Dorian Gap. The weather is poor here as well, a typical late-winter scene of snow at the higher elevations and rain in the valleys. The Germans begin to push through the Florina Gap. The British further back on the Aliakmon Line prepare for the onslaught on their own positions, which is only a day or two away now.

The British hurry some of their units (such as the 16th Australian Brigade) forward to support the Greeks on the frontier, but the battle is rapidly becoming a lost cause. The Australians are inexperienced in snow and there is virtually no transport in the mountains they are crossing. The Germans, meanwhile, have mountain troops leading their attack, with the 6th Mountain Division in the vanguard. The 164th Infantry Division captures Xanthi, and the 50th Infantry Division has Komotini and is advancing beyond it.

Strategically, what is happening is obvious on the map. While von Kleist in the north picks apart the internals of the Yugoslav state virtually at his leisure, the panzer forces in southern Yugoslavia have completely bypassed the Greeks and the British to the south. Worst of all for the Allies, the Germans have taken almost no casualties in their drive west through a non-essential portion of the country (from the Yugoslav view). The Greek High Command, of course, notices this, and they put out a communique to that effect which states that the German advance is "exposing the left flank of our brave army."

Some Yugoslav units do see what is going on and take pains to try and prevent it. The 20th "Bregalnička" Infantry Division, part of the 3rd Territorial Army of the Yugoslav army, ties in with the Greeks on the Metaxas Line. It works hard to stop the German 2nd Panzer Division of XVIII Mountain Corps from outflanking the Greek divisions, a task which is vital for the Metaxas Line to have any chance of holding. The 20th Infantry Division, however, can do nothing about the Germans heading due west to the north in what everyone recognizes is a deep flanking maneuver.

Meanwhile, the Yugoslav 3rd Army is fighting well - but headed in completely the wrong direction. While the Germans invade from the north and east, the Yugoslavs are heading... west. In what must have seemed like an extremely clever strategy over holiday dinners, the Yugoslavs intend to defeat the Italians in Albania before turning back around and then dealing with the Germans. This, the strategy posits, would free the mass of the Greek Army stuck in Albania to head east and stop the Germans flooding in from Bulgaria. However, while the Italian Army is weak, it isn't that weak, and in fact, has been dramatically strengthened for their recently concluded Primavera Offensive. The Yugoslavs are making a high stakes gamble based upon the assumption that the Germans can be held at the frontiers until the Italians surrender - a fatal misreading of the situation.

German General Stumme in command of LX Corps, the spearhead cutting east through southern Yugoslavia, is not troubled by any of the Allied moves. He consolidates his grip on southern Yugoslavia and sets his sights on the real prize: the Greek port of Thessalonica (Thessaloniki) not far across the border to the south.

So, some units of the Yugoslav Army do make some progress in the wrong direction. The Yugoslav "Komski" Cavalry Regiment takes the village of Koljegcava in the Valjbone River Valley of Albania, while the 31st "Kosovska" Division breaches the Italian line along the Drin River. However, the Yugoslav High Command begins hedging its bets and recalls the "Vardarska" Division to confront the XL Panzer Corps at Skopje. The Greek Western Macedonian Army Section in Albania also makes some progress toward Durrës, capturing about 250 Italians. However, in strategic terms, the slight gains made by the two armies are meaningless.

The Luftwaffe pays Piraeus another visit, which they are doing every day during this period. They previously virtually destroyed the port on the 6th when they scored a lucky hit on ammunition ship Clan Fraser. Today, the Germans damage 7777-ton Greek tanker Ekaterini Coumantarou.

Yugoslavia, always a tenuous state created out of disparate elements, begins to crumble. Croatian separatists proclaim a new Croatian government in Zagreb. German troops of von Kleist's 1st Panzer Group already are on the city's outskirts. On cue, Croatian soldiers mutiny in Bjelovar. The Luftwaffe quite noticeably is not targeting any Croatian cities, as Croatians tend to favor the Axis over the Allies - as opposed to Serbians, whose cities are getting savaged.

Convoy ASF 24 (five freighters) departs from Piraeus bound for Alexandria. Other convoys at sea are AN 25 and AG 11.

As during the Polish campaign, early headlines are all favorable to the Allied cause as the Germans sweep through Yugoslavia. LA Times, 8 April 1941.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe returns to Coventry with 230 bombers. They drop a combined 330 tons of high explosives, causing extensive damage and casualties. Among the devastation, the main body of the "new" Christchurch off New Union Street, constructed in 1830-32, is destroyed.

RAF Bomber Command, No. 2 Group, continues to focus on Axis shipping. The bombers hit the Kiel Canal with 160 bombers, Bremerhaven with 22 bombers, and shipping off the Danish coast. The RAF also attacks a bridge under construction at Ringkøbing on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in western Denmark.

Princess Mary visits Hull.

"Coffee shop at 278 10th Avenue in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, April 8, 1941." Photo courtesy of the  New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) photo collection at the La Guardia and Wagner Archives/CUNY.

East African Campaign: British troops enter Massawa after a brief struggle, but the battle is not yet over. The 7th and 10th Infantry Brigades lead the charge as they capture hill forts surrounding the port. The French Foreign Legion captures the Italian Admiralty building, at which point Rear Bonetti quickly surrenders, sending 9590 surviving Italian troops into captivity.

The Italians still man the ships in the harbor, and four Italian submarines escape, but the Allies have their eyes on the 17 large merchant ships and many smaller ones anchored there. General Cunningham already has designated the 4th Indian Infantry Division, one of the key components of Operation Compass, for shipment back to Egypt, and he would love to use the port to do it. The port has modern facilities, but the Italians have wrecked the equipment and scuttled ships in the harbor, making it quite a chore for the British to return the port to working order.

After learning of Admiral Bonetti's surrender, the Italian crews of many ships finally bow to the inevitability of the British occupation today and scuttle their ships:

• Destroyer Vincenzo Giordano Orsini
• Torpedo boats MAS 204, 206, 210, 213 and 216
• Italian 11,760-ton passenger ship Colombo
• Italian 3245-ton freighter Clelia Campenella
• Italian 5211-ton tanker Giove
• Italian 4958-ton freighter Prometeo
• Italian coasters San Giorgio (90 tons), Pirano (108 tons), and Trieste (96 tons)
• Italian trawlers Ardita (19 tons) and Sole (15 tons)

In addition, the RAF bombs and sinks Italian minelayer Ostia. Italian 18 ton coastal ship Mario M. sinks in the Red Sea of unknown causes.

These sinkings greatly complicate the British task of putting the port back into service to repair vessels damaged in the conflict in the Mediterranean.

At Addis Ababa, the British occupation forces turn their attention to securing their lines of communication back to Asmara. The Duke of Aosta and his Italian and colonial forces now are bottled up in the mountains and no longer poses an immediate threat even as they continue to hold out. However, at some point, the British will have to flush these troops out.

"Two NYA workers and a chef prepare meals for other NYA workers at the Los Angeles City Playground and Recreation Center Project, April 8, 1941." Photo courtesy of the National Archives via The Living New Deal).

Battle of the Atlantic: U-107 (K.Kapt. Günther Hessler) is on its second patrol. U-107 is one of the war's most successful U-boats, and this extended patrol (it lasts for over two months) is the most successful. Today, U-107 is stalking dispersed ships from Convoy OG 57 south of the Azores, and it torpedoes and sinks two ships:

• 3314-ton British freighter Helena Margareta (27 deaths, 9 survivors, Captain Owen T. Jones gets the Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery, U-107 surfaces and sinks it with gunfire)
• 3829-ton British freighter Eskdene (all 39 aboard survive)

Hessler in U-107 continues stalking the convoy after the attack.

U-124 (Kptlt. Georg-Whilhelm Schulz), operating in the same general area as U-107, is north of the Cape Verde Islands and sinks 2697-ton British freighter Tweed. There are three survivors and 25 deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 2848-ton British freighter Cormarsh off Sheringham Buoy (near Cley, Norfolk). The ship makes it to Hull.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages British 5792-ton freighter Chaucer near the Humber Light Vessel.

British 8621-ton tanker Ahamo hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea east of Sutton on Sea. There are fourteen deaths.

German freighter Kurzesee sinks from unexplained causes off Skjervøy, Norway. A likely cause is hitting a mine, but an air attack is possible, too.

Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser HMS Bulolo captures Vichy French 4279-ton freighter Fort de France in the Atlantic between Martinique and Casablanca. Bulolo's crew takes it to Gibraltar.

German raider Atlantis crossed into the South Atlantic from the Indian Ocean.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Intrepid lays minefield JO in the English Channel.

Convoy SL 71 departs from Freetown.

Canadian corvette HMCS Chilliwack (K 131, Lt. Leslie L. Foxall) is commissioned.

U-80 (Oberleutnant zur See Georg Staats) is commissioned.

The New Berlin, Illinois Island Grove school, 8 April 1941 (New Berlin Area Historical Society).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Afrika Korps takes the fortress of Mechili in the morning. The remnants of the 2nd Armored Division get some new stragglers from the west during the night to reinforce their position and try to break out, but the 5th Light Division (Major Bolbrinker) takes the fortress by 08:00. Major-General Gambier Parry, General Officer Commanding 2nd Armoured Division, surrenders and now joins Generals Neame and O'Connor in captivity.

General Erwin Rommel quickly tasks the Italians with occupying Mechili while the sends the German 5th Light Division troops to help out at Derna. By nightfall, the Germans have taken the Derna airfield, the town itself, and about 800 prisoners. While some British troops still hold out, their cause is hopeless.

With Benghazi, Derna, and Mechili in their pocket, the Germans now can focus on Tobruk. Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell flies out of Tobruk, but his plane experiences engine trouble (likely due to desert sandstorms) and lands in the desert near Sollum. An armored car picks him up.

Meanwhile, the British still don't know what has happened to General O'Connor and Lieutenant General Philip Neame, their military leaders in Libya (they are in German custody). As visiting Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies notes in his diary following discussions at the War Cabinet:

Balkans bad. O'Connor & Neame missing in Libya. The clouds are dark and there is a lurid patch in the sky - I hope not sunset.... The generals of the War Office are still behind the times. "We have so many divisions" - as if divisions counted. Armour and speed count, and when we catch up to that idea, we will catch up to the Germans.

Menzies notes that "we hope to make a stand" at Tobruk. Until Neame can be located, Major General John Lavarack assumes his duties.

British mooring vessel Moor hits a mine and sinks near the Ricasoli Breakwater Light Vessel at the entrance to Grand Harbour, Malta. There are only one survivor and 28 deaths. The ship suffers a massive explosion around 17:00 that attracts attention from many viewers, turns on its side, and sinks rapidly.
An Axis convoy of five freighters departs Naples for Tripoli.

US/Greenland Relations: Greenland is an odd case. While it is part of Denmark, Greenland's government has announced its effective independence. However, the Danish Minister to the United States, Henrik de Kauffmann, still represents Greenland's interests. He prepares a document, "Denmark-United States: Agreement Relating to the Defense of Greenland," setting forth joint defense of Greenland. This effectively grants the United States responsibility for Greenland's defense from the Axis powers.

King Peter II of Yugoslavia.

US/Yugoslavian Relations: The Yugoslav attaché in Washington has requested as much US assistance that it can provide. In fact, the US can offer virtually no assistance except words, some of which President Roosevelt provides today. He states:

the United States will speedily furnish all material assistance possible in accordance with its existing statutes. I send Your Majesty my most earnest hopes for a successful resistance to this criminal assault upon the independence and integrity of your country.

The Germans already have a stranglehold on Yugoslavia, and the Italians and Luftwaffe dominate the skies, making any shipments by sea extremely unlikely.

US/Polish Relations: President Roosevelt meets with General Sikorski, leader of the Polish government in exile.

US Military: Evans Fordyce Carlson, considered a Far East specialist due to his experience in China, resigned his commission in 1939. Today, he is recommissioned at the rank of Major. Carlson has extensive experience working with Chinese Communist guerillas fighting Japanese invaders.

Joe Louis and Tony Musto at their weigh-in for their 8 April 1941 title fight (Boxing Hall of Fame in Las Vegas).

American Homefront: Earle W. Graser perishes in an automobile accident when he apparently falls asleep at the wheel while driving to his radio station in Detroit. Graser, a young radio actor, has played The Lone Ranger since 30 January 1933 - coincidentally, the same date that Adolf Hitler took power. His is the voice that yells "Hi-Yo, Silver" in both the radio and television series and likely the one that most people would recognize.

Joe Louis knocks out Tony Musto in the Arena at St. Louis, Missouri. It is his 16th successful defense of the World Heavyweight Championship.

Future History: Margaret Anne Lennon is born in Los Angeles, California. As Peggy Lennon, she will begin appearing with her sisters Dianna Barbara, Kathy and Janet as the Lennon Sisters on the Lawrence Welk Show from 1955-1968. Peggy will continue performing with the group - which still tours as of this writing - until her retirement in 1999.

Vivienne Isabel Swire is born in Tintwistle Cheshire, near Glossop, Derbyshire. As Vivienne Westwood due to her marriage to Derek Westwood, she and her second husband Malcolm McLaren become clothes designers, with McLaren managing the Sex Pistols. When the Sex Pistols wear Vivienne's clothing, she garners a lot of attention. Westwood becomes a key mover behind the fashions of the punk movement, with a definite edge of leather bondage gear, spikes, chains and the like. She goes on to form her own fashion company, designs clothing for many celebrities such as the characters in "Sex and the City," and become politically active.As of this writing, Dame Vivienne Westwood continues to be perhaps the top fashion celebrity in England, at least in certain circles - though there are several claimants to that throne.

Darlene Faye Gillespie is born in Montreal, Quebec. She becomes famous as a child actress, appearing as a singer and dancer on the original Mickey Mouse Club television series from 1955-1958. She goes on to a singing career and various other adventures.

Earle Graser, the first radio "Lone Ranger," perishes on 8 April 1941 in an automobile accident.

April 1941

April 1, 1941: Rommel Takes Brega
April 2, 1941:Rommel Takes Agedabia
April 3, 1941: Convoy SC-26 Destruction
April 4, 1941: Rommel Takes Benghazi
April 5, 1941: Rommel Rolling
April 6, 1941: Operation Marita
April 7, 1941: Rommel Takes Derna
April 8, 1941: Yugoslavia Crumbling
April 9, 1941: Thessaloniki Falls
April 10, 1941: USS Niblack Attacks
April 11, 1941: Good Friday Raid
April 12, 1941: Belgrade and Bardia Fall
April 13, 1941: Soviet-Japanese Pact
April 14, 1941: King Peter Leaves
April 15, 1941: Flying Tigers
April 16, 1941: Battle of Platamon
April 17, 1941: Yugoslavia Gone
April 18, 1941: Me 262 First Flight
April 19, 1941: London Smashed
April 20, 1941: Hitler's Best Birthday
April 21, 1941: Greek Army Surrenders
April 22, 1941: Pancevo Massacre
April 23, 1941: CAM Ships
April 24, 1941: Battle of Thermopylae
April 25, 1941: Operation Demon
April 26, 1941: Operation Hannibal
April 27, 1941: Athens Falls
April 28, 1941: Hitler Firm about Barbarossa
April 29, 1941: Mainland Greece Falls
April 30, 1941: Rommel Attacks

2020

Sunday 6 April 1941

Operation Retribution, Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 6 April 1941.

Operation 25: Operation 25 is the German codename for the invasion of Yugoslavia on 6 April 1941. Despite signals from Yugoslavia that it is willing to respect its obligations under the Tripartite Pact, Adolf Hitler has his troops invade Yugoslavia and Greece. At 05:15, the Germans unleash 15 divisions, including two Panzer divisions, and 800 aircraft. While Italy and Hungary also will contribute troops to the effort, they do not invade yet - with the small exception that the Italians in Albania continue to tie down virtually the entire Greek Army and the Italians at Trieste take a few local objectives in Venezia Giulia near Trieste. This is a companion to the invasion of Greece, "Operation Marita," with the specific attack on Yugoslavia called "Operation 25."

Hitler's order of the day to the troops reads in part (it is quite lengthy, usually they are maybe a paragraph long):

Since early this morning the German people are at war with the Belgrade Government of intrigue. We shall only lay down arms when this band of ruffians has been definitely and most emphatically eliminated, and the last Briton has left this part of the European Continent. These misled people realize that they must thank Britain for this situation, they must thank England, the greatest warmonger of all time.

Hitler reveals his real reason for Operation Marita in this order's opening paragraph. The Yugoslavs and Greeks pose no threat to Germany. However, Hitler worries about the British presence in that region of the continent. His worry is not about British land forces, but rather the RAF - as he later tells Marshall Mannerheim, he has nightmares of the Romanian oil fields burning from end to end from RAF attacks.

German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop is pithier: he notes that "a clique of conspirators" is the only reason Germany has had to unleash hell upon Yugoslavia. Italy declares war on Yugoslavia, while Hitler doesn't even bother.

Los Angeles Times, 6 April 1941, "Yugoslavia and Greece Invaded As Hitler Launches Balkan War."

On the ground, things go smoothly for the Wehrmacht. The XL Panzer Corps (Lieutenant-General Georg Stumme) of Panzer Group Kleist of the 12th Army (Field Marshal Wilhelm List) crosses the Yugoslavian frontier from Bulgaria at dawn and, by evening, has reached the vicinity of Prilep, cutting the railway line. This is a huge achievement because Prilep is on the mainline from Belgrade to Thessaloniki. By severing the rail link, the Germans effectively cut the capital off from outside aid - or escape - except by air. The 2nd Panzer Division advances through the Struma Valley and is only slowed by poor roads. It captures Strumica right on schedule.

In addition, the German 2nd Army (General Maximillian von Weichs) is to drive south from Austria toward Belgrade. This eventually, if all goes well, form a giant pincer cutting the country in two. The Yugoslav Army is large (28 divisions) but no match for the German Heer (army). The Yugoslavs have inherited the racial and regional disparities of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, and many divisions have no interest in fighting anyone. Only a handful of divisions actively resist the Wehrmacht invasion, and these primarily are composed of ethnic groups opposed to the Germans (Serb, Montenegrin and Albanian.

The Yugoslav Air Force is largely destroyed on the ground, losing an estimated 600 planes in the first wave of attacks. Creaky Luftwaffe planes such as the Dornier Do 17 and Junkers Ju 87 Stuka that have become liabilities over England retain their technological edge in the Balkans.

The Wehrmacht drive across southern Yugoslavia serves two purposes: it isolates Yugoslavia, and it also provides a springboard into Greece that is far to the west of the British. Once they get far enough west, the panzers can turn due south and drive straight to the port of Thessalonica (Thessaloniki), cutting the British troops off from their supply bases in southern Greece.

Wehrmacht motorcycle troops enter Greece, 6 April 1941.

Operation Marita: The Wehrmacht also attacks Greece at dawn. However, for the moment, the main action is north of the border in Yugoslavia, where the German panzers are sidestepping the Allied defenses facing Bulgaria and effectively outflanking the British and Greeks.

The Greeks have their troops far forward on the Metaxas Line, while the British are grouped further back in a natural switch position on the Aliakmon River. The Greek Army of Eastern Macedonia (Lieutenant General Konstantinos Bakopoulos) defends. The British are under the overall command of General Henry Maitland Wilson, commanding W Force, and have three Greek divisions, a New Zealand division, the Australian 6th division, and the British 1st Armored Brigade.

German XVIII Corps hits the Greek left flank, while XXX Corps attacks the right flank. The Germans make only limited progress on their invasion into Greece directly from Bulgaria, but that invasion is distinctly secondary to the operations in Yugoslavia for the time being. Realistically, the only point of the Germans attacking at all at this point and time is to hold the Allies in place and not allow them to shift troops to the west to meet the real thrust. In that sense, these troops serve the same purpose as the Italians along the coast.

Seven RAF squadrons support the Allied effort in Greece and, to a much lesser extent, Yugoslavia. The Greeks have 15 excellent divisions in Albania, but they are fully occupied by the Italians - an oft-overlooked service for those who think the Italians never helped Germany with its military.

"Portrait of Kenneth Campbell RAF, awarded the Victoria Cross: France, 6 April 1941." Campbell presses home his attack against the Gneisenau despite intense Flak and puts a torpedo into it. He is killed immediately after. © IWM (CH 4911).

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe begins Operation Bestrafung ("Retribution" or "Punishment," and also known as "Operation Castigo"), which is a concentrated attack on Yugoslavian airbases and major cities. The operational code name itself reflects the anger that the Germans continue to feel about the abrupt 27 March 1941 coup that compelled (in their eyes) the expansion of Operation Marita to include Yugoslavia.

Having learned its lessons over London, the Luftwaffe puts them to use over Belgrade. It flies 500 sorties of Junkers Ju 87 Stukas and medium bombers over the Yugoslav capital, taking the city by surprise and pounding it. Huge fires erupt, destroying hospitals, public buildings and the royal palace. It is possibly the worst single aerial assault in the war so far, and perhaps of the entire war because it is against a completely undefended urban center and imbued with the lessons learned from the Luftwaffe's seven months of practice in terror-bombing British cities. An estimated 17,000 people perish during the next few days - nobody will ever know how many died each day.

The Luftwaffe (KG 307) also raids Piraeus, and this raid also is one of the classics of World War II. This is the main disembarkation point for Operation Lustre, the British expeditionary force on mainland Greece. The Germans get a lucky hit on munitions ship Clan Fraser. The ship is carrying 350 tons of high explosives and explodes in a massive fireball, killing six men, destroying 13 ships, wrecking the port facilities and inflicting massive casualties ashore.

During the Luftwaffe attack on Piraeus and explosion of the Clan Fraser, the casualties include, but are not limited to:

• Greek tug Elpis (sunk)
• Corvette HMS Hyacinth (damaged, two officers ashore killed).
• 7108-ton British freighter City of Roubaix (sunk)
• 1988-ton British freighter Cyprian Prince (sunk, four deaths)
• 1706-ton British freighter Patris (sunk)
• 1393-ton Greek freighter Acropolis (sunk)
• 3256-ton Greek freighter Styliani (sunk)
• 4792-ton Greek freighter Evoikos (sunk)
• Greek caique Halcyon (sunk)
• 6565-ton Greek freighter Petalli (on fire, scuttled outside the port)
• 5314-ton British freighter Goalpara (damaged)
• 7264-ton freighter Clan Cumming (damaged)
• 8474-ton British tanker Cingalese Prince (damaged)
• 6054-ton British freighter Devis (damaged, one death)
• 3100-ton British freighter Katie Moller (damaged)
• 1656-ton Greek freighter Agailiani (damaged)
• 4697-ton Greek freighter Constantinos Louloudis (damaged)
• 496-ton Royal Navy armed yacht HMY Surf (sunk)
• 386-ton British salvage vessel Viking (sunk)
• 146-ton Greek auxiliary Georgios (sunk)

The loss of ships obviously is horrendous. However, the port is virtually destroyed and made unusable. As the main port of entry - and exit - to mainland Greece for the British expedition force, this poses a real problem for further reinforcement - or evacuation - of the British troops. It is not accurate that the British abandon the use of the port, but they withdraw what ships they can and send them to Suda Bay on Crete.

US Secretary of State Cordell Hull weighs in on the German invasion, calling it "barbarous." The Yugoslavian military attache in Washington asks for as much immediate support as possible, including 700 aircraft, 100 tanks and so forth. The US is not in a position to supply anything immediately.

The RAF units based in Greece sends Wellington bombers against Sofia, Bulgaria.

The 2nd RAF Group raids a power station at Ijmuiden, Holland.

This picture apparently was taken during the KG307 raid on Piraeus Harbor by Hptm Hajo Herrmann of 6 April 1941.

East African Campaign: The 1st South African Brigade of the 11th (African) Division under Major-General H. E. de R. Wetherall, along with the 22nd East African Brigade (Brigadier Charles Fowkes) drives into Addis Ababa. The Italians under the Duke of Aosta have abandoned the city, fleeing to mountain redoubts from which they hope to carry on the fight. The Italian citizens of the city remain behind with elements of the local Italian police. General Agenore Frangipani, the Governor of Addis Ababa, commits suicide.

A telling political incident reflects the sensitivity of the situation and of the times. Lieutenant General Alan Cunningham, Commander in Chief of East Africa Command, orders Fowkes to slow down and let Wetherall enter the city first. He has to do this by a special order dropped directly on his position by an RAF plane, as Fowkes refuses to acknowledge radio orders telling him to let Wetherall have the glory of the capture. The reason for the stop order? Fowkes commands largely black African troops, while Wetherall commands white South Africans. It would "look bad" for the black Africans to get their first. Yes, this is completely racist and everyone knows exactly what is going on. That's the real world of the times, folks.

At Massawa, the Italians scuttle a number of ships before the nearby British take the port:

• 5877-ton freighter Antonia C.
• 2136-ton freighter Riva Ligure
• 8150-ton tanker Nazario Sauro
• 2722-ton freighter Tripolitania
• 2316-ton freighter Capitano Bottego

All of the ships are later salvaged. In addition, the Italians scuttle freighter Capitano Bottego off the Dahlak Archipelago.

Hans-Joachim Marseille in his Messerschmitt Bf-109E JG27, 6 April 1941.

Battle of the Atlantic: With the RAF now sending regular bombing missions overhead targeting cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst, the German naval authorities decide to do something to protect them. Accordingly, they move the two ships out of their drydocks and anchorages in the harbor. They do so just at the wrong time.

The British are under the misapprehension that the two German cruisers are on the verge of another sortie into the Atlantic. Desperate to stop this, the RAF quickly takes note of their change of positions and switches from bombs to torpedoes for another attack while they are still in port. They send a massive formation of 71 Bristol Beauforts against the ships, and one, piloted by Flying Officer Kenneth Campbell (KIA, receives the VC posthumously), makes a successful torpedo run and gets a hit on the Gneisenau. While not threatening to the survival of the ship, the hit roughly beneath the aft main turret causes 3000 tons of water to enter the ship. There is tremendous internal damage due both to the concussive effects of the detonation on electronic components and stresses on the centerline propeller shafts. The ship quickly is returned to dry dock.

In addition to the attack on Brest itself, RAF Coastal Command attacks three German destroyers sailing off Brest on unrelated business. A couple of near misses do not cause any appreciable damage, nor does a failed submarine attack.

In addition to the RAF attacks, the Royal Navy puts its major surface vessels out to sea to confront the expected escape by the Gneisenau and Scharnhorst. However, since the two ships do not leave Brest, the British ships - led by battlecruiser HMS Hood in Scapa Flow and HMS King George V at Gibraltar - return to port.

U-94 (Kptlt. Herbert Kuppisch) is operating in the Atlantic southwest of Iceland when it spots a 5580-ton Norwegian freighter, Lincoln Ellsworth. Kuppisch puts a torpedo into the ship, then surfaces and finishes it off with his deck gun. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 5149-ton Norwegian tanker Lincoln Ellsworth northwest of Scotland in the general vicinity of Rockall. There are two deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 7156-ton Greek tanker Nicolaou Zografia in the Northwest Approaches a bit to the southwest of the Lincoln Ellsworth. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 2252-ton British freighter Olga in the Northwest Approaches. Four crew perish.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 289-ton British trawler Daneland just west of Rathlin O'Birne Island off the west coast of Ireland. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 352-ton Faroes trawler Naeraberg south of the Faroes Islands. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 7525-ton British tanker Glenfinlas off Harwich. There are eleven deaths. The tanker is towed to Harwich, and then to the Tyne for repairs.

Royal Navy 336-ton armed yacht HMY Torrent hits a mine and sinks off Falmouth. There are a number of deaths on the yacht, including the commander, Lieutenant K. Sinclair RNR.

Royal Navy 15,400-ton armed merchant cruiser HMS Comorin suffers an accidental fire and is wrecked off Freetown. There are fourteen deaths, but 405 men survive. Destroyer HMS Broke scuttles the blazing cruiser.

Convoys OB 308 and OB 58 depart from Liverpool, Convoys HX 119, 119A and 119B depart from Halifax.

Damage in Belgrade caused by the 6 April 1941 raid.

Battle of the Mediterranean: It is one of the most successful days of the North African campaign for the Afrika Korps, but all the worldwide attention is directed toward events on the other side of the Mediterranean. The Afrika Korps continues rolling forward in a day marked by dust storms that keep the Luftwaffe grounded. The Germans capture the fortress of Mechili, south of Derna. However, bad as it is, that is not the worst loss of the day for the British.

British Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell has become increasingly worried about the course of the campaign in Libya under new General Officer Commanding & Military Governor of Cyrenaica Lieutenant-General Philip Neame. Wavell has sent the man that Neame replaced, Lieutenant-General Richard O'Connor, who arrived yesterday, to see if he can be of help. Nobody at Neame's headquarters really knows where the Afrika Korps panzers are, but everyone knows they are getting closer. Accordingly, Neame and O'Connor lead a small convoy of vehicles to a new headquarters further back. However, the Afrika Korps is even closer than they obviously thought, because advance motorcycle units under Gerhard von Schwerin capture the convoy and the two generals. The Germans quickly spirit the two bemused officers to imprisonment in Italy, along with a travelling companion and now fellow prisoner Brigadier John Combe.

The 9th Australia Division, which starred in Operation Compass against the Italians, now is in rapid retreat against the Germans. It falls back into Tobruk, considered the most defensible position in Libya. Joining it are what remains of the 2nd Armored Division which had been holding the front, along with the 3 Indian Motor Brigade. The Australians and others have no interest in evacuating through the port, but rather intend to make a stand in the same place that they themselves captured in January.

Rommel's forces close the pincer on Mechili between Italian and German troops and capture about 3000 British soldiers. Rommel leads from the front, as is his habit. Afrika Korps also takes Msus. One might think that this would be viewed by headquarters as a monumental victory - but in Berlin, the high command is dismayed that so many British have escaped to Tobruk.

Convoy AC 3 departs from Alexandria bound for Tobruk, Convoy AG 11 (five British ships) departs from Alexandria bound for Suda Bay. The latter convoy, AG 11, is intended to beef up the British military presence on Crete.

Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels reads out Adolf Hitler's Order of the Day, 6 April 1941.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: Operation Marita has repercussions around the globe. The Vichy French on Madagascar seize a number of Greek freighters:

• 4669-ton freighter Maroussio Logotheti
• 4391-ton freighter Yiannis

The French impress the ships into their own service and rename them Duquesne and Amiral Pierra, respectively.

Battle of the Pacific: Australian Heavy cruiser HMAS Australia has an accident while launching its Seagull floatplane. The catapult fails and the plane crashes, killing the pilot and seriously injuring the two others on board.

Soviet/Yugoslavian Relations: While the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia date their friendship/nonaggression treaty document 5 April 1941, it is not until 01:30 today that the two parties actually sign it. This is not unusual in diplomatic circles; in fact, the famous Ribbentrop/Molotov Agreement of 23 August 1939 actually was signed at 02:00 on the 24th. However, some read hidden meaning into this date issue, viewing it as a way for the USSR to avoid appearing to time the document during the German invasion of Yugoslavia. There are two problems with this: the Soviets like to have versions typed and dated and signed later as their typical practice (it takes a lot of typist time and effort to keep reformatting things in multiple copies), and there is no evidence whatsoever that the Soviets know that the Germans will launch their Balkans invasions about 4 hours later. It is, though, a possibility that they do know and want to avoid offending Germany.

Holocaust: The Germans in Poland transfer 1021 prisoners incarcerated at Pawlak Prison in Warsaw to Auschwitz. This includes many prisoners who are there for ordinary crimes. For instance, five famous actors (in Poland) incarcerated for murdering a pro-German actor are among those transferred to the death camp.

American Homefront: Craig Wood, 39, wins golf's Masters Tournament. It is his first Major victory after losing all four Majors at various times in extra holes.

Yugoslavian infantry surrendering, 6 April 1941 (German Federal Archive: Bild 146-1975-036-24).

April 1941

April 1, 1941: Rommel Takes Brega
April 2, 1941:Rommel Takes Agedabia
April 3, 1941: Convoy SC-26 Destruction
April 4, 1941: Rommel Takes Benghazi
April 5, 1941: Rommel Rolling
April 6, 1941: Operation Marita
April 7, 1941: Rommel Takes Derna
April 8, 1941: Yugoslavia Crumbling
April 9, 1941: Thessaloniki Falls
April 10, 1941: USS Niblack Attacks
April 11, 1941: Good Friday Raid
April 12, 1941: Belgrade and Bardia Fall
April 13, 1941: Soviet-Japanese Pact
April 14, 1941: King Peter Leaves
April 15, 1941: Flying Tigers
April 16, 1941: Battle of Platamon
April 17, 1941: Yugoslavia Gone
April 18, 1941: Me 262 First Flight
April 19, 1941: London Smashed
April 20, 1941: Hitler's Best Birthday
April 21, 1941: Greek Army Surrenders
April 22, 1941: Pancevo Massacre
April 23, 1941: CAM Ships
April 24, 1941: Battle of Thermopylae
April 25, 1941: Operation Demon
April 26, 1941: Operation Hannibal
April 27, 1941: Athens Falls
April 28, 1941: Hitler Firm about Barbarossa
April 29, 1941: Mainland Greece Falls
April 30, 1941: Rommel Attacks

2020

Tuesday 1 April 1941

"General Charles de Gaulle with General Sir Archibald Wavell in Cairo, 1 April 1941." © IWM (E 2324).

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Yugoslavs mobilize the military on 1 April 1941 and dissolve the Senate. Hitler demands demobilization and adherence to the Tripartite Pact.

Ante Pavelić, with Mussolini's permission, uses Italian radio facilities in Florence to transmit an appeal to the people in Croatia calling for its liberation from the Belgrade government by the Axis. Croatia is notable for its strong pro-German sentiments, as opposed to the rest of Yugoslavia which favors the Allies.

British CIGS Sir John Dill is in Belgrade discussing joint defense with Yugoslavian Prime Minister Simovic. There is little that Great Britain can offer except promises of future aid whenever it can be made available.

In Hungary, Prime Minister Teleki cooperates with Admiral Horthy and authorizes the mobilization of the Hungarian Army. However, he remains opposed to any military participation by Hungary in attacks on Greece or Yugoslavia.

East African Campaign: The British stampede continues in Eritrea. The Indian 5th Infantry Division, now well past the broken Italian defenses at Keren, advances to Asmara. The Italian 2nd Colonial Division attempts to block the British at Adi Tecesan, which is 35 miles (60 km) from Asmara, but the Indian troops blow through the position. Italian General Nicola Carnimeo then declares Asmara an open city by sending a pair of policemen out with a white flag.

Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto enters the Canale Navigabile at Taranto, 1 April 1941. It is heading for the dockyard in Mar Piccolo to repair damage from a torpedo during the Battle of Cape Matapan. Those are 15-inch guns, and next to them are 6-inch guns, with 8.5-inch antiaircraft guns seen along the side.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe moves several units to Austrian airfields in preparation for Operation Marita. These include elements of JG 27, 54, 77, along with  LG 2  and ZG 26.

Some Luftwaffe planes do remain on the Channel Front. To prove it, Bf 109s strafe a train near Berwick.

Battle of the Atlantic: German cruiser Admiral Scheer completes its journey homeward from Brest to Kiel.

The Luftwaffe attacks Convoy HXM-114 off Smalls in Pembrokeshire. Five ships are hit:

• 7982-ton British tanker San Conrado (sinks while under tow)
• 7639-ton Norwegian tanker Hidlefjord (sunk, 29 dead)
• 7984-ton British tanker Adellan (damaged, taken to Milford Haven)
• 8955-ton British tanker Chesapeake (makes it to Walton Bay)
• 9603-ton Norwegian tanker Kaia Knudsen (towed to Milford Haven)

The Luftwaffe attacks Royal Navy destroyer HMS Quorn in the River Medway. There are two near misses that cause some damage.

Swedish 5842-ton freighter Lidingo hits a mine and sinks west of Falsterbo. After the captain beaches it, the Lidingo is towed to Malmo, Sweden.

Two German freighters - 4833-ton Hermonthis and 5619-ton Muenchen - are trying to escape through the British blockade of Callao, Peru when they are spotted by Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser HMS Prince Henry. Both are scuttled by their crews.

A number of other German freighters scuttle themselves in Mexican and South American ports:

• 1120-ton freighter Cerigo
• 4323-ton freighter Eisenbach
• 6310-ton freighter Friesland
• 5898-ton freighter Leipzig
• 4351-ton freighter Hameln
• Freighter Seostris
• 5578-ton freighter Monserrate.

Italian freighter Himalaya, a refugee from Massawa, makes it to Rio de Janeiro.

Commander-in-chief of the Home Fleet Admiral Sir John Tovey transfers his flag from battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth to newly commissioned King George V.

The German supply system in the Atlantic continues in fine operational form. German tanker Nordmark restocks from German tanker Ill in the Mid-Atlantic.

The British Navy gives the Italian Fleet good ironing at Cape Matapan. By Strube, 'The Daily Express', April 1, 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The British, under pressure from the Afrika Korps, withdraw toward Benghazi. Lieutenant General Sir Philip Neame, General Officer Commanding Western Desert Force, also warns the commanders in Benghazi to prepare the city for possible evacuation. The German 5th Light Division, which has a small position within the Mersa Brega (also known simply as Brega) defenses, finds to its soldiers' delight that the British have left. They immediately occupied the town and the surrounding area. Advance units of the division pursue the British east toward the Via Balbia. There is no fighting at all - the British 2nd Armoured Division simply bugs out.

The Luftwaffe aids the Afrika Korps advance, using Stukas to destroy British tanks and trucks. By the end of the day, the advanced German detachments of the 5th Light Division are approaching Agedabia. Italian Libyan Commander Gariboldi, meanwhile, tries to place the breaks on the German advance, sending a letter to Afrika Korps Commander Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel warning of the "strong enemy defense" and the need to wait for "necessary reinforcements." Rommel technically is subordinate to the Italian command in North Africa, but displays a strong tendency to ignore them (and, at times, the Wehrmacht high command as well). The Italians also fail to supply transport planes for Rommel's Gialo operation, so it is postponed again.

Convoys ANF and AG 10 depart from Alexandria bound for Piraeus, while Convoys ASF-22 and AS-23 depart from Piraeus.

An Italian convoy of four troopships departs from Naples bound for Tripoli.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: Royal Navy destroyer Kandahar stops 4188-ton German freighter Bertram Rickmers, which fled from Massawa on 31 March. The crew scuttles the freighter off Gondumiat.

Another German freighter, 7566-ton Lichtenfels, tries to make a run for it from Massawa as well. However, it spots the Royal Navy patrols and has to return to Massawa.

Convoy BS-22 departs from Suez.

Anglo/Yugoslavian Relations: While things have changed in Belgrade following the March 27 coup, they haven't changed that much. The new Yugoslavian Prime Minister, General Dušan Simović, is under no illusions about the country's military power. British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, who had been on his way back to Britain when the coup took place, is now back in Athens and requests a meeting there with Simović. However, Simović is a former chief of the general staff and is well aware of the danger facing the country. He turns down the meeting so as not to provoke the Germans into a quick invasion.

Italian/Japanese Relations: Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka moves on from Berlin to Rome. He meets separately with King Victor Emmanuel III and Mussolini.

US/Mexican Relations: The US and Mexico reach an agreement in Washington for joint air defense. Each can use the other's airfields.

Anglo/US Relations: British Far East Commander RAF Air Marshal Brooke-Popham flies to Manila for consultations with US commanders General MacArthur and Admiral Hart.

The body of Jan Willem Ter Braak, as found in an air raid shelter on 1 April 1941.

Spy Stuff: A boy finds the body of Jan Willem (or Wilhelm) Ter Braak in a Cambridge, England air-raid shelter. Ter Braak is a German (actual name Engelbertus Fukken) spy who parachuted into Buckinghamshire on 2 November 1940. He had committed suicide using an Abwehr-issue pistol. The reason for his suicide requires speculation, but he had run out of money and faced eviction from his flat. He also had reason to suspect that British Intelligence was closing in on him. The British claim that they had learned about his spying and were waiting for him back at his room.

German Military: Hans-Joachim Marseille receives a promotion to Leutnant. His unit, JG 27, is scheduled to head east along with many other formations to aid in Operation Marita.

Werner Haase, Hitler's deputy personal physician, joins the SS.

US Military: Rear Admiral John H. Newton, fresh off his successful visit to Australia with his cruiser squadron, arrives at Suva, Fiji.

The US Navy takes over artificial Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. Built for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition, Treasure Island will be turned into Naval Station Treasure Island.

Iraq: Raschid Ali al-Gaylani and his military conspirators, known as the "Brethren of the Golden Squares," seize power. Ali initially announces that he is the Chief of the National Defence Government, then becomes Prime Minister. This is in part due to German support and funding, while Regent 'Abd al-Ilah of Hejaz moves on from the British gunboat where he has taken refuge to Amman, Jordan. The Germans have great hopes to use the uprising as a way to undermine British power throughout the Middle East. The British, meanwhile, have a large airbase at Habbaniya and don't intend to leave. Thus, the stage is set for an epic clash in unexpected theater operations.

A Plymouth advertisement, April 1941.

Antarctic: US Interior Department ships Bear and North Star depart Punta Arenas, Chile. They carry the crew from Admiral Byrd's Little America outpost in Antarctica. North Star heads up the west coast, while Bear heads up the east coast.

Japan: Rice is rationed. While Japan is not at war, it greatly depends upon fertilizers based upon phosphate. The German raider Komet attack on Nauru of 27 December 1940 crippled phosphate exports upon which Japan greatly relied. Even though shipments have resumed recently, they are at greatly reduced levels. Japan thus has run short of fertilizer, which has strained its relations with Germany.

China: The Japanese 11th Army continues withdrawing under pressure after the Battle of Shangkao. The Chinese recover Kaoan and Hsiangfukuan.

American Homefront: The Ford Motor Company has fired several union members at its River Rouge plant in Michigan. The other workers go out on strike.

Joseph Creamer, owner/operator of Station W71NY of New York City signs the first contract for advertising on a commercial FM station. This is a big change for the radio industry, as advertisers to this point have felt that it was not worthwhile to advertise on FM.


March 1941

March 1, 1941: Rettungsboje
March 2, 1941: Oath of Kufra
March 3, 1941: Germans in Bulgaria
March 4, 1941: Lofoten Islands Raid
March 5, 1941: Cooperation With Japan
March 6, 1941: Battle of Atlantic
March 7, 1941: Prien Goes Under
March 8, 1941: Cafe de Paris
March 9, 1941: Italian Spring Offensive
March 10, 1941: Humanitarian Aid
March 11, 1941: Lend Lease Becomes Law
March 12, 1941: A New Magna Carta
March 13, 1941: Clydeside Wrecked
March 14, 1941: Leeds Blitz
March 15, 1941: Cruisers Strike!
March 16, 1941: Kretschmer Attacks
March 17, 1941: Happy Time Ends
March 18, 1941: Woolton Pie
March 19, 1941: London Hit Hard
March 20, 1941: Romeo and Juliet
March 21, 1941: Plymouth Blitz
March 22, 1941: Grand Coulee Dam
March 23, 1941: Malta Under Siege
March 24, 1941: Afrika Korps Strikes!
March 25, 1941: Yugoslavia Joins The Party
March 26, 1941: Barchini Esplosivi
March 27, 1941: Belgrade Coup
March 28, 1941: Cape Matapan Battle
March 29, 1941: Lindbergh Rants
March 30, 1941: Commissar Order
March 31, 1941: Cookie Bombs

April 1941
April 1, 1941: Rommel Takes Brega
April 2, 1941:Rommel Takes Agedabia
April 3, 1941: Convoy SC-26 Destruction
April 4, 1941: Rommel Takes Benghazi
April 5, 1941: Rommel Rolling
April 6, 1941: Operation Marita
April 7, 1941: Rommel Takes Derna
April 8, 1941: Yugoslavia Crumbling
April 9, 1941: Thessaloniki Falls
April 10, 1941: USS Niblack Attacks
April 11, 1941: Good Friday Raid
April 12, 1941: Belgrade and Bardia Fall
April 13, 1941: Soviet-Japanese Pact
April 14, 1941: King Peter Leaves
April 15, 1941: Flying Tigers
April 16, 1941: Battle of Platamon
April 17, 1941: Yugoslavia Gone
April 18, 1941: Me 262 First Flight
April 19, 1941: London Smashed
April 20, 1941: Hitler's Best Birthday
April 21, 1941: Greek Army Surrenders
April 22, 1941: Pancevo Massacre
April 23, 1941: CAM Ships
April 24, 1941: Battle of Thermopylae
April 25, 1941: Operation Demon
April 26, 1941: Operation Hannibal
April 27, 1941: Athens Falls
April 28, 1941: Hitler Firm about Barbarossa
April 29, 1941: Mainland Greece Falls
April 30, 1941: Rommel Attacks

2020