Friday 25 April 1941

"German Panzer III tanks advance along a railway line in pursuit of retreating British troops in Greece between 25 and 30 April 1941." © IWM (HU 39517).

Operation Marita: Today, 25 April 1941, is Anzac Day, and it marks another failed expedition in the Mediterranean. Allied troops ride south through Athens, having covered 100 miles in 12 hours.

The British evacuation from mainland Greece, Operation Demon, switches into high gear today. Transports from several Greek ports take thousands of British and Commonwealth soldiers to Crete and Egypt. Some 10,200 troops depart through the ports of Nafplio and Megara.

Troopships Thurland Castle and Pennland (once White Star Liner Pittsburgh) depart from Megara, escorted by anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Coventry and several destroyers. The 16,322-ton Red Star Liner Pennland is attacked by the Luftwaffe and badly damaged near San Giorgio Island. There are four deaths, while roughly 350 men are taken off by escorting destroyer Griffin. The Griffin then scuttles Pennland. Thurland Castle also is damaged. Australian destroyers HMAS Waterhen and Vendetta also take off troops. The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks Royal Navy troopship Pittsburgh in the Gulf of Athens, while troopship Ulster Prince sinks in the Aegean.

The Luftwaffe remains active above Greek waters:

Greek yacht Thraki sunk off Myli
Greek freighter Thraki sunk at Porto Heli
1722-ton Greek freighter Sofia sunk off Megara
128-ton Greek coaster Anna Maria sunk off Vostizza
602-ton Greek freighter Marios sunk off Aigio
1570-ton Greek freighter George A. Dracoulis sunk off Chalkis
982-ton Greek freighter Thraki sunk off Port Kheli
Greek Navy torpedo boat Kyzikos sunk off Salamis
1171-ton Greek freighter Dimitrios Nomikos sunk off Karystos, Euboea (later raised by the Germans and repaired) 

The German 6th Mountain Division (Generalmajor Ferdinand Schörner) and elements of the 5th Panzer Division advance through the pass at Thermopylae, the defending Australian and New Zealand rearguard troops having withdrawn to Thebes.

German troops in Thermopylae Pass, 25 April 1941.

Far to the west, the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH, still of brigade-size) races southward toward the Gulf of Patras. The battle in the west has become a race to the ports of the Peloponnesos which the British are using for Operation Demon (also ports in east Attica). The LSSAH moves along the western foothills of the Pindus Mountains, moving from Arta to Missolonghi. British Commonwealth troops are on the way to the Peloponnesos as well. The Germans drop Fallschirmjäger (paratroopers) to seize bridges over the Corinth Canal so that the following Wehrmacht ground troops can use them to continue their pursuit, but British artillery destroys the bridge. This places additional pressure on the LSSAH advance toward Patras.

The RAF has been in retreat for the past week, and today it leaves the mainland entirely. Air Commodore John D'Albiac establishes new headquarters on Crete at Heraklion. King George II of Greece also establishes new headquarters on Crete along with the rest of his government.

The Germans know that the Allies are retreating to Crete. General Kurt Student, commander (and founder) of the Fallschirmjäger, previously has suggested an airborne operation to take Crete, which, with the addition of the Operation Demon evacuees is becoming heavily fortified. Today, Adolf Hitler issues Fuhrer Directive No. 28, "Operation Mercury," which authorizes an invasion of Crete. The operation "will employ for the purpose, primarily, the airborne forces and the air forces stationed in the Mediterranean area," and is to occupy Crete "As a base for air warfare against Great Britain in the Eastern Mediterranean." Hitler cautions that "transport movements must not entail any delay in the mounting of 'Undertaking Barbarossa,'" seemingly directly addressing historians who will conclude that Operation Marita fatally delayed the invasion of the Soviet Union.

Iraq War: The Germans are bemused by the situation in Iraq.  The Germans and Italy agree to provide financial assistance to Iraq's pro-Axis Rashid Ali government but have no other way of assisting them. The Iraqis have assembled troops around the British enclaves such as Habbaniyah airfield and the port of Basra, but show no signs of attacking. The British have occupied Mosul airfield and taken up defensive positions there.

"Aircraft of Fighter Command displayed at Grangemouth, Stirlingshire, during a visit by Scottish newspaper correspondents. In the foreground is a Hawker Hurricane Mark I of No. 315 Polish Fighter Squadron RAF based at Speke, Liverpool; in the background a Bristol Blenheim Mark IF of No. 23 Squadron RAF based at Ford, Sussex, while, overhead, three Supermarine Spitfires, flown by the flying instructors of No. 58 Operational Training Unit based at Grangemouth, prepare to give a flying demonstration." 25 April 1941. © IWM (H 9179).

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command raids coastal targets during the day with 27 aircraft, and Kiel after dark with 69 bombers. The Luftwaffe raids Sunderland with 57 bombers.

Visiting Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies - who plans on returning to Australia in about a week - visits air raid shelters at King's Cross and Old Street. He writes in his diary:

Indescribably pathetic. Malodorous, or rather stuffy. Bunks of wire arranged in tiers of 2 or 3 along the platforms and in the recesses. Canteen arranged. Little children staggering in beneath bundles of bed-clothes. Old women & men, going down to their nightly burial, for this happens every night, and not just when the alert blows. These people are "deep shelter conscious." They are drab, dreary, and look infinitely sad - standing in the queues for their places, for which they have tickets. Squatting on the metal treads of narrow stairs, there to hunch up asleep all night. Stretched out in a bunk, with electric trains swishing and roaring past every few minutes.

Battle of the Atlantic: Hitler has instructed Konteradmiral Karl Dönitz to avoid all provocations with the US Navy. Doenitz duly communicates this to his subordinates today.

U-103 (Kptlt. Viktor Schütze), on its 4th patrol off the coast of West Africa, torpedoes and sinks 2267 ton Norwegian freighter Polyana about 47 miles (76 km) southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. The ship, which had been part of Convoy OG-58 but was detached, sinks within a minute and there are no survivors of the international crew (19 Norwegians, 2 British, one Danish, one Tunisian, one Spanish, one Maltese). Captain Schütze missed with his first torpedo just before midnight on the 24th but the second does hit the freighter at 00:38 on the 25th.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 10,022-ton Norwegian tanker Polarsol about 180 miles off Myrdals Jokull Light, Iceland. The tanker makes it to Kames Bay in tow.

Royal Navy boarding vessel HMS Maron captures a French fishing boat, Joseph Elise, off Casablanca. The British put on board 15 sailors to take the ship to Gibraltar with the original French crew.

U-553 (Korvette Kpt. Karl Thurmann) has engine trouble and returns to base.

The Royal Navy learns that Spanish liner Marques De Commillas is traveling from New York to Spain carrying the Italian Naval Attache to Washington. The Admiralty sends light cruiser HMS Diomede from Bermuda to intercept it.

Convoy HX 123 departs from Halifax, bound for Liverpool.

Royal Navy submarine HMS P-3111 is laid down.

U-413 is laid down.

"This photo of American airmen, all in the rank of leading aircraftman, was taken at RCAF Uplands, near Ottawa, on April 25, 1941. From left to right: J.G. Magee of Washington, D.C.; A.C. Young of Cleveland, Ohio; C.F. Gallicher of Tulsa, Oklahoma; C.G. Johnston of Chicago, Illinois; A.B. Cleaveland of Springfield, Illinois; and O.N. Leatherman of Lima, Ohio. PHOTO: DND Archives, PL-2753." Source: Royal Canadian Air Force. John Magee is the author of the famous poem, "High Flight," which has become the Air Force's official poem. It begins, "Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth."

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Germans need some breathing room around Tobruk, and the British are determined not to let them have it. The Allies launch attacks all along the Tobruk perimeter that are repulsed, including one in the south at 03:00, a tank sortie at 12:30, an attack against the Italian Brescia Division at 15:15, and another attack in the south at 22:30. British artillery is proving to be quite effective, directed at times by an artillery spotter Lysander plane and outranges some of the Italian artillery.

The Luftwaffe attacks British armor south of Capuzzo, destroying some armored cars. At noon, Gruppe Herff attacks southeast of Capuzzo to try to give the southern German forces more of a cushion between the two Allied lines. The Germans make some progress through Halfaya Pass to Buq Buq at the cost of 7 dead and 10 wounded. British Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell later claims that he allows his forces to withdraw in hopes of inducing the Afrika Korps to become over-extended.

The RAF bombs Derna airfield and town. The last two remaining Hurricanes operating out of Tobruk fly out to Alexandria, where there are only 13 Hurricane fighters. The only RAF plane remaining in Tobruk is a Lysander for artillery spotting.

Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel has been intending to launch a push all along the Tobruk perimeter. However, the "bad experience of the last days" with Italian troops (some recently have surrendered) forces the Germans to focus their attacks using the 5th Light Division and the 15th Panzer Division. The Luftwaffe Fliegerkorps X in Naples is ordered by Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering's headquarters to use air transport to bring 15th Panzer units from Naples to Derna.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Usk disappears on or about this date in the Mediterranean.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Upholder torpedoes and badly damages 5428 ton German/Italian troopship Antoniette Lauro just off Kerkenah, Tunisia. The captain manages to beach the ship in Kerkenah Bay.

The Royal Navy, pursuant to Operations Salient and Dunlop, puts to sea Force H from Gibraltar. Aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal carries aircraft to fly off to Malta.

A convoy departs from Naples bound for Tripoli carrying elements of the 8th Panzerregiment in five ships. The convoy has a heavy Italian escort.

The Luftwaffe builds a new runway at Comiso, Sicily.

US Secretary of State Cordell Hull emphasizes the need for US protection of war convoys, 25 April 1941 LA Times.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Pinguin scores another success, shelling and sinking 6828-ton British freighter Empire of Light north of the Seychelle Islands. The Germans take 70 prisoners.

Japanese destroyer Tanikaze is commissioned.

Spy Stuff: The British codebreakers at Bletchley Park in Operation Ultra learn about the German plans for Operation Hercules, the airborne assault on Crete from Luftwaffe transmissions. Of the three German services, the Luftwaffe is the newest and has the worst security in its radio transmissions. Throughout the war, Luftwaffe intercepts are a major source of British intelligence information, and that includes switching around evacuation beaches in Greece.

US/Greek Relations: Greek resistance has collapsed too quickly for the United States to send any aid, but today President Roosevelt issues a statement saying that the US still intends to send some. The situation in the Balkans has changed extremely rapidly, and it is difficult to keep track of the course of events.

Anglo/US Relations: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sends President Roosevelt a telegram expressing appreciation for the extended Neutrality Patrols ordered in "Navy Western Hemisphere Defence Plan No. 2." He informs the President of the routes of British convoys currently at sea. He also says that he is "not at all discontented with Libya" because Tobruk "is exercising its powerful attractive influence."

A performance attended by 5000 people by Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus for patients of Bellevue Hospital, New York City, 25 April 1941 (AP via Yorkvilleonthenet).

German/Finnish Relations: The Germans inform General Heinrichs of the Finnish high command about Operation Barbarossa.

Australian Military: The Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) is established.

German Government: Hitler telephones Foreign Minister Ribbentrop and has him come to his command train Amerika near Graz, Austria. Ribbentrop later recalls:

He said that all the military Intelligence reaching him confirmed that the Soviet Union was preparing in a big way along the entire front from the Baltic to the Black Sea.  He was not willing to be taken by surprise once he had recognized a danger.  Moscow’s pact with the Serbian putschist government was a downright provocation to Germany and a clear departure from the German-Russian treaty of friendship.  In this conversation I recommended that he listen first to our ambassador [to Moscow], Count [Werner von der] Schulenburg.... I wanted to try a diplomatic settlement with Moscow first.  But Hitler refused any such attempt and forbade me to discuss the matter with anybody;  no amount of diplomacy could change the Russian attitude, as he now recognized it, but it might cheat him of the important tactical element of surprise when he attacked.  He requested me to put on a show of complete support for his view, and explained that one day the West would understand why he had rejected the Soviet demands and attacked the East.

Hitler also talks to one of his aides, Colonel Walter Scherff, asking him, "What can you, a war historian, tell me about preventative wars?" Scherff recalls later that he tells Hitler:

Only somebody with the deepest sense of responsibility can take such a decision, and then only after looking at it from every possible angle.  Because he will be risking immense dangers in starting such a war.

Scherff recalls that Hitler states:

Britain will just have to climb down, once we have defeated her last ally on the continent.  If she does not, we shall destroy her, with all the means that we shall have when all Europe as far as the Urals is at our feet.

These sentiments echo those expressed by Hungarian leader Admiral Horthy during his visit on the 24th - that defeating the Soviet Union is the way to defeat Great Britain and end the war in the West.

Winston Churchill addressing merchant ship crews in Liverpool, 25 April 1941.

British Government: Churchill visits Liverpool to see bomb damage.

US Government: Reports have been received that the German press has been supportive of Charles Lindbergh's recent America First speech in New York City. President Roosevelt, a firm interventionist, gives an interview about the current domestic controversy over aiding the British in the war against Germany:

There are people in this country ... [who] say out of one side of the mouth, 'No, I don't like it, I don't like dictatorship,' and then out of the other side of the mouth, 'Well, it's going to beat democracy, it's going to defeat democracy, therefore I might just as well accept it.' Now, I don't call that good Americanism ... Well, Vallandigham, as you know, was an appeaser. He wanted to make peace from 1863 on because the North 'couldn't win.' Once upon a time there was a place called Valley Forge and there were an awful lot of appeasers that pleaded with Washington to quit, because he 'couldn't win.' Just because he 'couldn't win.' See what Tom Paine said at that time in favor of Washington keeping on fighting!

The President appears to be comparing supporters of the America First Committee with the Copperheads who opposed the US Civil War. It is a thinly veiled attack on Charles Lindbergh, the leading voice of the America First Committee. Lindbergh reads this and decides to resign his commission in the US Army Air Corps Reserve.

Cambodia: The new king of Cambodia is Prince Norodom Sihanouk.

Spain: There are reports of 2500 German troops prowling the streets of Madrid posing as tourists. This has been a precursor to some German invasions.

Tahiti: The government of Tahiti allies itself with the Free French.

German Homefront: The German government has been critical of alcohol abuse, so German brewers consider making "light beer." The government also is critical of tobacco use, not for health reasons, but for its effect on morale and discipline.

Future History: Bertrand Tavernier is born in Lyon, France. He goes on to become a renowned filmmaker, actor, and director. He will win a BAFTA award in 1990 for "Life and Nothing But." He remains active in the film industry, releasing the documentary "Voyage à travers le cinéma français" in 2016.


April 1941

Monday 21 April 1941

"British Bren gun carriers on the road in Greece, 21 April 1941" © IWM (E 2524).

Operation Marita: Following the suicide of Greek Prime Minister Alexandros Koryzis, a new government forms on 21 April 1941 under banker Emmanouil Tsouderos. Tsouderos has minimal qualifications as a political or military leader, having served as Minister of Transportation and Minister of Finance decades earlier and, since 1931, Governor of the Central Bank of Greece.

General Georgios Tsolakoglu, commander of the Greek Epirus Army, follows through in Larissa on his decision to sign the surrender documents to which he agreed on the 20th. He does this despite instructions from his government not to sign the document. The terms also cover the Western Macedonian Army. SS Obergruppenführer Josef “Sepp” Dietrich signs on behalf of the Wehrmacht/German government - he later recalls it as the highlight of his military career.

The issue of the Italian participation is a matter of controversy. Field Marshal Wilhelm List has ordered that Italian troops not be allowed south of the Albanian border so that that the Greeks cannot surrender to them there. The 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH, still only of brigade-size) physically intervenes to stop Italian troops from pursuing the retreating/surrendering Greek troops. Italian leader Benito Mussolini is furious, feeling that the Greeks are snubbing the Italian army - which absolutely is Tsolakoglu's intention as well as that of the Germans. Mussolini refuses to accept the surrender on behalf of Italy unless the Greeks sign a separate document with them. He tells his forces to continue fighting and has the Regia Aeronautica bomb Ioannina and Arta to illustrate his displeasure.

The Germans take Volos after the British evacuate their troops (but leave behind lots of supplies). They also reach Thermopylae and at 18:00 make their first attempt to cross through this critical chokepoint. The ANZAC defenders stop the attack despite Luftwaffe attacks from nearby airfields. For such an important spot, the defense is very spotty - the Australians rely on only 2 Australian 25-pounder field guns.

The British War Cabinet sees where things in Greece are heading and have had enough. After being told by the King of Greece that no Greek troops remain to protect the British left flank, they make the final decision to fully evacuate all troops from the mainland. In fact, Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell and local commander General Henry Maitland Wilson already have agreed at a morning meeting with the King of Greece that this is inevitable, and the War Cabinet simply acquiesces in a fait accompli. Evacuations are to commence within days from various ports in East Attica and later from ports in the eastern Peloponnese. The New Zealand troops that have survived their delaying action further north head for coastal ports such as Koritza and Volos. The Wehrmacht is in hot pursuit, and nobody really knows where the enemy is - panzers could be around the next corner or over the next rise.

HMS Breconshire entering Grand Harbor, Malta on 21 April 1941.

The War Cabinet Minutes also touch lightly on another brewing problem. They note:

The Prime Minister commented on the fact that he had received no adequate situation reports from Greece reporting any of the heavy fighting of the last ten days.

This is something that Prime Minister Churchill already has remonstrated with Wavell about in writing. While Wavell is a brilliant commander with outstanding tactical and strategic judgment, his one failing is that he has difficulties in his personal relationship with Churchill - who keeps him on only because of his obvious talent.

The Luftwaffe ramps up its sustained attack on Greek shipping. It bombs and sinks:

• 1192 ton Ionna at Patras
• 1364 ton Archon at Euboea

Reportedly, the Luftwaffe also bombs and sinks over 20 other smaller ships. The Luftwaffe continues to move forces into the general region, with KG 4 (Oberst Hans-Joachim Rath) taking up a new post at Zilistea, Romania.

South of Crete, the Luftwaffe bombs and damages 6098-ton British tanker British Lord. The tanker is part of Convoy AS 26. There is one death, and sloop HMNZS Auckland takes the ship in tow back to Alexandria. Greek destroyer Thyella also is bombed and sunk off Vouliagmeni.

Convoy AN 29 departs from Alexandria and Port Said, bound for Suda Bay, Crete with five freighters/transports.

"A British Army 15-cwt truck in Greece, 21 April 1941." © IWM (E 2535).

Iraq War: Very little is happening in Iraq, but tensions are extremely high. The government of Rashid Ali is assembling tanks, artillery, and infantry on a plateau overlooking the British airbase at Habbaniya. However, they are making no attacks despite demanding that nobody enter or leave the base. Meanwhile, the British have consolidated control over the port of Basra, which is far to the south. A standoff appears to be developing, with the British fully capable of defending themselves against a hostile populace. The British also are preparing to send forces ("Habforce," short for Habbaniya Force) from the British Mandate of Palestine, but they are far away and have to cross a desert.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe targets Plymouth today in what is known as the start of the Plymouth Blitz. The 120 bombers focus on the center of town around the Guildhall, destroying the medieval heart of the city. Taken together with other raids, about 1000 people have or will have perished, with 18,000 houses destroyed and 30,000 inhabitants made homeless (many take refuge in barns and sheds in the surrounding countryside). The Germans, however, continue to fail to put the important port of Devonport out of operation, allowing the Royal Navy to continue its operations from there.

That is not to say that the Luftwaffe misses the port completely. Several ships are damaged during the raid. Royal Navy heavy cruiser HMS Kent, already under repair, is damaged further during the attack, as is destroyer Leeds (out until December 1941) and destroyer Lewes). British 688-ton freighter Maidstone is hit and it is taken to Falmouth for repairs.

RAF Bomber Command continues to focus on Axis shipping in the North Sea. It loses two planes from RAF No. 21 Squadron of 2 Group. Luftwaffe ace Lt. Heinz Bär of 1./JG 51 gets his fifteenth victory during British attacks on coastal targets.

East African Campaign: Operations continue in Abyssinia. The Gold Coast 24th Infantry Brigade reaches Wadara in Galla-Sidamo, while the South African 1st Infantry Brigade continues attacking Italian General Frusci's forces near Cambolcia Pass on the road to Dessie.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-107 (K.Kapt. Günther Hessler), continuing its length second patrol, is operating about 550 miles north of the Cape Verde Islands when it spots 10305-ton British passenger ship Calchas. Hessler pumps two torpedoes into the ship at 14:20, sinking it. There are 24 deaths, including the master. The survivors take to three lifeboats and spend 10-14 days at sea: 33 head south and make it to Sal Maria Island, Cape Verde; another 23 make it to Boavista Island, Cape Verde; while a further 33 head east and make it to St. Louis, Senegal.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 6997-ton British tanker British Renown a few miles southeast of Dartmouth. the tanker makes it back to Dartmouth.

British 76 ton tug Regency is towing three or four barges off Ford's, Dagenham when it hits a mine. All of the ships sink and two men perish. The tug and a barge later are raised and repaired.

British 11 ton fishing boat Alpha hits a mine in Whittaker Channel, Essex, but makes it back to port. It likely is an acoustic mine that exploded some distance away, else it would have completely destroyed the vessel.

U-154 is launched, and U-612 is laid down.

US submarine USS Gudgeon is commissioned (SS 211, Lt. Commander Elton W. Grenfell), and submarine USS Albacore is laid down.

Greek soldiers in retreat in Greece, April 1941 (Bauer, German Federal Archive: Bild 101I-163-0318-09).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Prime Minister Winston Churchill orders the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet to bombard the port of Tripoli (Operation MD2). This is partly to cover the arrival of a convoy at Alexandria. Thus, battleships HMS Barham, Valiant and Warspite join with 9 destroyers and cruiser Gloucester off the coast, putting themselves at great peril to Luftwaffe attack. This is done in conjunction with an RAF bombing attack, with the planes from HMS Formidable dropping flares to help with spotting. Admiral Cunningham protests, to no avail. The Germans claim that the destruction was minimal due to inaccuracy.  As the ships make their way back to Alexandria, they also bombard Benghazi. The Luftwaffe mounts an attack and scores a near miss on destroyer HMS Greyhound which causes no appreciable damage. Churchill, in fact, wants to sink battleship Barham in the entrance to Tripoli Harbor to block the Axis convoys but is dissuaded. The bombardment damages the Italian torpedo boat Partenope and 6 freighters).

Late in the day, the War Cabinet minutes not that Operation Tiger, "the plan to pass the convoy through the Mediterranean," has been approved by the First Sea Lord (Admiral Sir Dudley Pound). Churchill proposes to add 100 additional tanks to the convoy, which is part of WS (Winston Special) 7. After opposition from CIGS John Dill that the tanks are needed in England, that is cut to an additional 67 tanks.

In Libya, the RAF mounts a raid against the Afrika Korps troops before dawn, and "lively" (according to the German status report) air operations continue throughout the day, with both sides losing a fighter. The tensions of the combat are illustrated by a belief - put in the official German war summary for the day - that the RAF intentionally shot the Luftwaffe pilot in his parachute. It is impossible to confirm such incidents after the fact with any degree of certainty - but that is what the German high command believes happened. The RAF, incidentally, claims that downed four German planes.

The RAF bombs Derna airfield, destroying four Italian CR 42 fighters, and also kills several people at Gazala airfield.

The Luftwaffe raids Tobruk with 24 bombers and 21 fighters, damaging two ships:

• 3185 ton British freighter Bankura, beached and never repaired (everyone survives);
• 1953 ton British freighter Patmos/Urania 

The Italian Division Brescia captures 13 British stragglers from the 2nd Armoured Division. Lieutenant General Rommel tells his commanders to prepare for an attack on Tobruk on 1 May. Additional troops continue to flow into the Afrika Korps through Tripoli, some survivors of the destroyed Lampo convoy.

British submarine HMS Truant is patrolling off Tripoli when it spots 1080 ton Italian tanker Prometeo. The Truant launches two torpedoes, which miss. In evading them, the Prometeo runs aground. It later is refloated and repaired.

The Regia Aeronautica attacks Malta around midday with three SM-79 bombers escorted by half a dozen CR 42 fighters and two Bf 109s. They bomb Fort San Rocco, losing three CR 42s in the process. Another raid drops some bombs in the Grand Harbour area.

An Axis convoy with four troops transports departs from Naples bound for Tripoli. The British take note and prepare to send some destroyers from Malta to intercept it.

Businesses on East 14th Street, 21 April 1941. All of this area up to the Con Ed power plant with smokestacks in the distance (still there) was cleared to make room for the Riis Houses apartment complex (New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) photo collection at the La Guardia and Wagner Archives/CUNY).

POWs: General Carton de Wiart is en route from Malta to Cairo when his plane crashes off Tobruk. The Italians capture him after he and the rest of the crew swim a mile to shore - another entry into the epic feats of General de Wiart.

War Crimes: The Luftwaffe scores another hit on an Allied hospital ship today. It bombs and damages 876 ton Greek hospital ship Ellenis off Patras. The ship makes it back to Patras, where it disembarks its patients. The Luftwaffe also bombs and sinks 1461 ton Greek passenger ship Esperos, which is being employed as a hospital ship, off Missolonghi, Greece.

German/Finnish Relations: The German Waffen SS begins recruiting in Helsinki.

Anglo/US/Dutch Relations: The American-Dutch-British (ADB) Conference convenes in Singapore under chair Air Chief Marshal Sir H. Robert Brooke-Popham. The conference is scheduled to last until 27 April. American preparation is haphazard and scanty, while the British are thoroughly prepared. This is a pattern that will continue for some time during the war. The conference is separated into two consecutive groups, with all three parties meeting first, then only the British and Dutch. The conference's purpose is to prepare an appreciation of the coalition's (eventual US military involvement is assumed) military capabilities, predict likely Japanese moves, and prepare a strategic concept of operations for the coming conflict. This will result in the "ADB Report."

There are 26 delegates in attendance. The US representatives are Navy Captain Purnell and Army Colonel A.C. McBride, respectively staff officers from Admiral Hart and Major General George Grunert in the Philippines. The British are nonplussed at the low-level American participants, but then, the US is not at war with anybody while the British and Dutch already are.

US/Canadian Relations: President Roosevelt returns to Washington from his upstate New York home at Hyde Park. There, he and Canadian leader Mackenzie King hammered out the Hyde Park Agreement, which provided for wartime economic cooperation between the two nations. The media reports that this is a "virtual merging of the economies of the United States and Canada." Canadian Munitions Minister Mr. Howe is very supportive of the agreement, and King tells the media that the agreement is:

a real answer to Hitler's birthday celebrations - an expressed determination by the two countries to use all their resources in the common cause. Briefly, what the arrangement proposes is the mobilization of the resources of this continent to assist Britain in the quickest possible and most efficient way.

The real benefit of this agreement to Canada, he adds almost as an afterthought, is that the US will finance war construction from now on under Lend-Lease, taking that burden off of Canada. King also says that President Roosevelt may visit Ottawa on 10-11 May.

A total of 36 Serbian partisans caught by the Germans are treated like this on 21-22 April 1941 at Pancevo (Gerhard Gronefeld). Photographer Gronefeld, an employee of Heinrich Hoffmann, later viewed this and the accompanying pictures as the most important that he ever took. "These eyes will always pursue me."

British Military: General Bernard Law Montgomery takes command of XII Corps.

US Military: Theodore Roosevelt Jr. becomes commander of the 26th Infantry Regiment.

Battleship USS Arizona (BB 39) and destroyer USS Davis (DD 395) collide during fueling at sea without major consequences.

The US Marine Corps establishes the temporary command Marine Aircraft, South Pacific to administer its fighter wings in the theater.

Australian Government: Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies has been absent from Australia for months now, and it has been a time of heavy fighting by Australian troops. There is a vocal, if relatively small, pacifist sentiment brewing in Australia. Menzies had planned to begin returning home by now but has postponed his return due to the tense war situation and the extremely supportive welcome he has found in London. Back in Australia, however, dissatisfaction with the heavy losses in Greece and North Africa is growing, and opposition to his continued leaderships concomitantly is growing. Menzies only retains office due to the support of two Independents, and some within his own U.A.P. party are plotting his ouster.

Menzies, meanwhile, continues to work for Australian interests in London. He notes in his diary that General Wavell now is prepared, due to Menzies' urging, to make Australian General Blamey Deputy Commander in Chief Middle East.

Cutting down the largest tree in Battery Park, New York City, 21 April 1941.

British Government: Menzies is a provocateur with keen judgment, and today he puts both traits to good use. At lunch with Churchill, Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and Clement Attlee - all current or future prime ministers - he provokes Churchill with his long-held belief that Churchill needs contrary voices around him and not just "yes men." Churchill, of course, is miffed, but, according to Menzies, basically agrees. It is fair to say that Menzies is the only man in England who could say such things to Churchill and get away with it.

American Homefront: The country is at odds with the idea of joining the war or even supporting Great Britain. Author Rex Stout makes a speech in New York City in which he directly attacks isolationist Charles Lindbergh:

I wish I could look you in the eye, Colonel Lindbergh, when I tell you that you simply don't know what it's all about ... A desperate war is being fought, and the winners of the war will win the oceans. No matter what we do, we shall be either one of the winners, or one of the losers; no shivering neutral will get a bite of anything but crow when the shooting stops. It would therefore seem to be plain imbecility not to go in with Britain and win.

Public opinion polls continue to show a great split within the public - while many want Great Britain to win and want to help it win, they also don't want any US soldiers in harm's way.

The film stars Constance Bennett and Gilbert Roland the day after their wedding, April 21, 1941. Bennett is the subject of much speculation during 1941 as to the cost of her personal wardrobe - a film magazine that year claims that it has cost a full $250,000, which she vehemently denies.

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

Friday 18 April 1941

The approach to Farsala (Pharsala) bridge, Greece from the north. The Luftwaffe has just bombed a truck loaded with ammonal (Australian War Memorial).

Operation Marita: Yugoslavia officially is out of the conflict as of noon on 18 April 1941, and the Greek government is descending into chaos. Prime Minister Alexandros Koryzis, who succeeded Ioannis Metaxas on 29 January 1941, commits suicide by shooting himself. King George II, who has been running things anyway, assumes control of the government during the crisis of the German invasion. He imposes martial law on Athens.

Local British commander General Henry Maitland Wilson informs Greek Commander in Chief Alexander Papagos that his forces will fight until the first week in May on a new line, but to do so requires the Greek Epirus Army in Albania to withdraw in good order to cover their flank. That, as everyone knows, is becoming increasingly problematic due to the swift German advance and the Greeks' very slow start and inability to hold the main roads. The main factor in the Allies' favor at this point is the rough terrain - while it is preventing the Epirus Army from moving south fast enough to help form a new line, it also is providing excellent defensive positions for the Commonwealth troops.

In the field, Germany's Operation Marita, the invasion of Greece, is proceeding at a brisk pace. The British are trying to make a fighting withdrawal to a line between Thermopylae and Corinth, but the Wehrmacht's panzers are hot on their heels. A key action takes place at the Battle of Tempe Gorge.

As a preliminary to the Battle of Tempe Gorge, the German 6th Mountain Division (General Ferdinand Schörner) has advanced to the Pinios River. Facing them on the other side is the New Zealand 21st Battalion, which has been conducting a series of delaying actions against the advancing Germans. Recently, the ANZAC troops successfully delayed advancing motorcycle troops and panzers at the Battle of Platamon, at which both sides took a fair number of casualties, and this is their next switch position. The ultimate goal is Larissa, a communications hub that essentially controls Greek north/south traffic.

Australian troops on the march in Greece, circa April 1941 (Australian War Memorial).

The Germans attack at 07:00, with another attack at noon from Lieutenant-Colonel Hermann Balck's troops. The defending New Zealand 21st Battalion and two companies of the Australian 2/2nd Battalion had a bad experience (though positive strategically) with Balck's troops at Platamon previously, and they do not fare any better this time. The ANZAC troops are on their own, whereas the Germans are steadily getting reinforcements as additional Wehrmacht units close up on the river.

After some panzers and/or Stug assault guns of the 3rd Regiment, 2nd Panzer Division find a way across the Pinios River on a pontoon bridge against fierce opposition, the New Zealanders have to give up that crossing by 17:30 and retreat into the hills. This leaves a gap in the Allied defenses. With only the Australian 2/2nd left defending the river, the battle turns into a route. At 18:45, the remaining Allied troops are ordered to retreat with all due haste. They suffer terribly in this retrograde movement, and their ordeal is not yet over - they have to stage a fighting withdrawal throughout the night to find the protection of other Allied troops.

By dawn, the surviving Australians and New Zealanders are able to join the Allied convoys streaming south on the main road to Thermopylae, having suffered 80 casualties and an additional 120 captured. The Germans, who take about 140 casualties, occupy Larissa, which closes the escape route for any remaining Allied troops further north. The Australian 2/2nd Battalion's troops are apportioned to other units for the remainder of the campaign due to their heavy losses. While the ANZAC troops are not able to delay the Germans for more than a day, that time enables many other Allied troops to retreat through Larissa to the new British line.

The Luftwaffe strafes the Allied convoys heading south, but the British retreat in good order. One problem for the Allies is that the German forces are accumulating more power steadily, while the British no longer are reinforcing their troops and instead are making plans to evacuate them (British Rear Admiral Harold T. Baillie-Grohman arrives today to coordinate that effort). Thus any defensive lines will be temporary at best.

The Italians continue tentatively occupying towns that the Greek Epirus Army is evacuating in Albania. Today, they occupy Argyrokastro.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 7138-ton British freighter British Science north of the Kythera Channel. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 1158-ton Greek freighter Fokion and 968 ton Greek freighter Leon off Euboea Island.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 1121-ton Greek freighter Chios off Chalkis, near Eretria. Near the same spot, the Luftwaffe badly damages 5199-ton Greek freighter Moscha L. Goulandri. The captain beaches her at Chalkis, where she makes a tempting target for further attacks.

Iraq War: The Indian 20th Infantry Brigade, sent from Karachi by GHQ India, lands at Basra, Iraq. The 20th Infantry Brigade quickly seizes the key port of Basra. It is the first new element to arrive of Iraqforce, at this time called Sabine Force, under the command of Major-General W.A.K. Fraser.

The British government does not recognize the new pro-Axis Iraq government of Rashid Ali and wishes to install a friendly government in Baghdad. Meanwhile, upstream, the Iraqis have begun moving troops and artillery toward the British airfield at Habbaniyah, but have not attacked at this time. Ali already has requested aid from Germany, but that technically is a very difficult thing to accomplish at such a distance with the Royal Navy in complete command of the seas. Luftwaffe support is possible, but the British control the airfields and much of the intervening airspace.

A Lockheed Hudson of RAF No 269 Squadron (shown) crashes upon landing at Kaldaðarnes, Iceland today. The crew survives and the plane is repaired and returned to service (source: RAF 269 Squadron History).

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command returns to bombing coastal targets, sending 26 bombers to attack invasion ports in France and points north.

The Luftwaffe forms a new night-fighter unit, NJG 4 (Major Rudolf Stoltenhoff is Kommodore). The unit is based at Metz and at first, is composed of Bf 110s and Do 217s.

An article about German blockade runners publicizes the recent arrival of German freighter Hermes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from Bordeaux, France (St. Louis Star-Times, April 18, 1941).

Battle of the Atlantic: There are several collisions at sea today. That is both a reflection on the rough seas of April and the difficulties of operating without navigational lights during wartime.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Urge torpedoes and sinks 10,535-ton Italian tanker Franco Martelli in the Atlantic about 300 miles (500 km) west of St. Nazaire. The Franco Martelli was trying to pierce the Royal Navy blockade en route from Brazil.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 6998-ton British tanker Scottish Musician just off St. Ann's Head. The Scottish Musician is towed to Newport. There are two deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 3938-ton Panamanian freighter Csikos off the Scottish coast. The ship manages to make it to Lough Foyle. There are two deaths.

The RAF torpedoes and sinks 289-ton German torpedo boat V-709 Guido Möhring in the Bay of Biscay off Port Ley. By some accounts, this is just a local fishing boat.

Two Royal Navy destroyers, HMS Newark and Volunteer, collide north of Rathlin Island and are seriously damaged. They are both towed to Belfast and take four months to repair. There are five deaths.

Destroyers HMS Whitshed and La Melpomene (French) are in a collision off of Harwich. The La Melpomene is under repair for just over a month.

Royal Navy 88 ton drifter Young Ernie collides with another ship in the Tyne and sinks.

French cargo ship Champenois, carrying a load of Barley, runs aground about 37 km north of Casablanca, Morocco. The ship is written off. Some accounts place this incident on the 19th.

Royal Navy minelayer HMS Teviotbank lays minefield BS 54 off the east coast of England.

Convoy OB 312 departs from Liverpool.

Indian troops of the 4th Infantry Division man a Bren machine gun on an anti-aircraft mounting, the Western Desert near Sidi Barrani, 18 April 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Prime Minister Winston Churchill memos CIGS General Sir John Dill about what is being done in North Africa. He chastises Dill (and indirectly Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell) for sending the 7th Armoured Division back to Cairo to refit. Churchill views this 400-mile journey as incredibly inefficient and unnecessary:

It was an act of improvidence to send the whole Division all his way back, in view of the fact that German elements were already reported in Tripoli. The whole of the Tanks in this division could not have been all in simultaneously in a condition of needing prolonged heavy repairs. Workshops should have been improvised at the front for lighter repairs, and servicing personnel sent forward.... General Wavell and his officers seem, however, to have thought that no trouble could arise before the end of May. This was a very serious miscalculation, from which vexatious consequences have flowed.

Generals Dill and Wavell, of course, know all about "workshops" and the like and do not need to be lectured to about the same. Wavell is privy to the Ultra intercepts which did support a rational conclusion that the Germans would have to wait until May to launch an offensive. In fact, only Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel's initiative and dash contrary to orders resulted in the German offensive beginning early. Rommel confounded everyone - on both sides.

Churchill is not alone in his disparagement of the Middle East Command - his influence is affecting those around him, too. Visiting Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies, who met with Wavell only a couple of months ago and at that time found him capable, now notes in his diary that:

I must insist upon Australians getting proper commands, for I have more confidence in them than I do in Wavell & Co., whose gross miscalculations have brought us to this pass.

This incident indicates why many military men who deal with Churchill directly, such as Dill, take a much dimmer view of Churchill than does the public at large.

On the ground in North Africa, little changes during the day. General Rommel moves his headquarters three miles from the Green Mountain, about 30 km west of Tobruk. This is further from the port than where it had been previously and suggests that he is preparing for a lengthy siege. He awaits more units of the 15th Panzer Division before launching another attack - something that the German High Command wanted him to do before starting his most recent (and very successful) offensive.

Australian General Leslie Morshead, in charge at Tobruk, reorganizes his defenses. He has his men build a secondary defensive line behind the one built by the Italians and creates additional reserve forces in case of a breakthrough.

At sea, the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet puts out to sea for a major operation aimed at bombarding the German positions in Libya. The two related operations are MD 2 and MD 3. This will play out over the next few days.

The Luftwaffe begins receiving some reinforcements as I,/JG 27 begins arriving at Ain-el-Gazala.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 2190-ton Royal Navy convoy service ship HMS Fiona about 50 miles (80 km) off Sidi Barrani. There are 53 deaths flowing from the attack.

Two separate Italian convoys, one of four ships with five escorts and the other of four ships, depart from Palermo bound for Tripoli. The first convoy sails at 08:00, the other at 23:00.

"Australian Army Ford 4x4 artillery tractor towing a No 27 Mk I limber and an 18 pounder Mk IV field gun in the Verroia Pass, Greece, April 1941" (Australian War Memorial).

Battle of the Indian Ocean: British steel flat Punduah sinks in rough seas while under tow in the Bay of Bengal.

Convoy BM 7 departs from Karachi with ten troop transports. It carries an Indian brigade and an artillery group bound for Malaya, with the first stop at Shatt el Arab.

POWs: About 80 Axis prisoners stage an escape attempt at the Angler POW Camp in Neys Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Everyone is recaptured, the last two at Medicine Hat, Alberta. This is known as the Angler Escape.

Anglo/Soviet Relations: Winston Churchill memos Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, asking, "Has Sir Stafford Cripps yet delivered my personal message of warning about the German danger to Stalin?"

Anglo/German Relations: Churchill and the War Cabinet order publication of a statement to the effect that if the Germans bomb Athens and Cairo, the RAF will bomb Rome. RAF Chief Air Marshal Sir Charles Portal objects that bombing Rome is not really within the RAF's capabilities without extraordinary effort, to which Churchill replies that they will assess the situation at the time should the need to bomb Rome arise. This is basically how the two sides communicate throughout much of the war - through press releases.

Pan-American Relations: The United States defines a Pan-American Security Zone based upon the 3 October 1939 Declaration of Panama. It extends to 26 degrees west longitude, which is about 2300 nautical miles west of New York City. It comes to within 50 miles of Iceland, where Royal Navy escorts can take over.

Looking little like its final form, Me 262 V1 with a Jumo 210G piston engine in the nose takes off on its first flight today, April 18, 1941.

German Military: The first test flights of the most advanced fighter under development anywhere in the world, the Messerschmitt Me 262, begin today. The Me 262 is designed around jet engines, but those are not ready yet. Instead, a Junkers Jumo 210 engine is mounted on the Me 262 V1 in the nose. Eventually, when they are ready, BMW 003 turbojets will be fitted to the Me 262. For now, however, the prototype airframe is tested for basic airworthiness and flight characteristics.

The Me 262 has been under development since shortly before the beginning of the war as Projekt 1065 (P.1065). It is not the only German jet fighter under development in Germany, either. In fact, the competing Heinkel He 280 already has flown on jet power. However, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM, Ministry of Aviation) is placing its bets on the Me 262, perhaps because it has more confidence in the BMW 003 engine than in the independently produced Heinkel engine. In any event, the RLM is not too concerned about jet aircraft at this time -  Hermann Göring, head of the Luftwaffe, cut the engine development program to just 35 engineers in February 1940. Everything depends upon the engine, so critical decisions are being made at this stage of the war that will greatly impact the development of the Me 262 later when it is really needed.

Japanese Military: The Japanese Imperial Air Force sends a Mitsubishi G3M2 "Nell" bomber based in Formosa (Taiwan) flies over Luzon for some photo-reconnaissance.

Australian transport officers handling their transport vehicles in Greece. One officer appears to be wearing an Australian hunting hat (Australian War Memorial).

US Military: There is a groundbreaking ceremony for the future Consolidated-Vultee aircraft plant in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It is attended by General Gerald Brant and local civic leader Amon Carter, who was largely responsible for it being sited in Fort Worth. One of the inviolable rules for the siting of the plant was that it be well away from the coast.

The ground also is broken for the Willow Run Bomber Plant in Detroit, Michigan. The Willow Run plant, run by Ford Motor Company, will produce B-24 components that will be assembled by Consolidated at the Fort Worth plant (and also at the Douglas Aircraft plant at Tulsa, Oklahoma). Willow Run is to be built by Ford, sell it to the government, run operations there under a lease for the duration of the war, and then have an operation to purchase the plant after war production ends.

Vichy France: The French abandon the League of Nations, which is inert anyway.

China: The Japanese launch another in a series of air raids against Chungking.

American Homefront: An internal debate is raging at General Motors about how far it must go to support the Roosevelt administration in its anti-German posture. A main issue on the table is administration pressure for GM to sever its association with South American car dealers suspected of having pro-German sympathies. Another issue is the administration's demand that US auto manufacturers drastically curtail their production to aid the war effort - when the US is not at war. The company is resisting both of these administration initiatives.

Today, Walter Carpenter, a GM board member, writes to GM President Alfred P. Sloane:

The country today seems to be pretty well committed to a policy opposite to Germany and Italy. If we don’t listen to the urgings of the State Department in this connection, it seems to me just a question of time... The effect of this will be to associate the General Motors with German or Fascist propaganda against the interests of the United States.

Around this time, the US FBI is investigating GM senior executives for disloyalty to America. What they find is an absence of disloyalty, but some collusion with Germany by GM's head of overseas operations James D. Mooney. This issue will continue to haunt GM for decades.

A panel from a comic strip that appears in US papers today, 18 April 1941.

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

Wednesday 16 April 1941

Motorcyclists of Panzer Regiment 3 rolling toward the Platamon Railway tunnel. Things are going so smoothly that the lead motorcyclist appears to be enjoying a smoke (Jesse, Federal Archives).

Operation Marita/Operation 25: Things are going poorly for the Allies in the Balkans on 16 April 1941. The Yugoslav government - what there is left of it in the country, most of it already having fled to Greece - sues for peace. The two sides arrange a meeting to discuss terms, but the Yugoslav representative is considered by the Germans to have insufficient authority to sign such a document. They send him back to Belgrade with a draft and continue their operations.

Croatian strongman (and Mussolini pawn) Ante Pavelic assumes power over the Independent State of Croatia.

General Henry Maitland Wilson, commander of the British forces in Greece, meets with Greek Commander-in-chief Papagos at Lamia. He tells Papagos that the British are retreating to Thermopylae. This effectively cedes all of northern and central Greece to the Wehrmacht.

The British retrograde move to the south is complicated. Australian Lieutenant General Thomas Blamey, in charge of the ANZAC units which comprise the bulk of the British forces, has only a few good north/south roads at his disposal. General Freyberg commands the New Zealand Division which holds the center of the withdrawal, while Australian General Mackey's troops guard the flanks. The first switch position is a line running through the city of Larissa, the main communications center in the region. The Australians and New Zealanders have to get to this new line in good order - and before the Germans do.

Ante Pavelić at a ceremony with Archbishop Alojzije Stepinac in Zagreb, 16 April 1941.

The Germans of Kampfgruppe (Hermann) Balck are not giving Blamey much time. They are heading south at lightning speed. It is Blitzkrieg at its ultimate, motorcyclists leading the way, followed by the panzers. They are following an open, undefended road - but actually, it's not a road at all, but a single-track coastal railway.

The coast railway line, however, is interrupted at Platamon, north of Larissa, by a large ridge on which sits Platamonas Castle. Under the ridge is a convenient tunnel (there are new, larger tunnels nearby, but this is a one-track tunnel). Wehrmacht motorcyclists have been using the railway tracks on the drive south from Katerini like a road, and, once past the Platamon ridge, the railway and nearby roads lead south all the way to Athens. The Germans intend to roll through the tunnel to continue the journey south on the tracks.

Unfortunately for the Germans, however, the New Zealand 21st Battalion has been in position there since the end of March and is blocking the tunnel. The Germans halted before the New Zealanders late on the 15th after making a perfunctory attack, but today the Germans make a determined effort.

Basically, the Germans are trying to seize a shortcut that would give them a quick route to Larissa and the main roads south that the city controls. Without it, they would have to make a circuitous journey through a gorge to the west between two mountains (Ossa Oros and Olympus Oros) or surmount the coastal mountain that the tunnel cuts through. The tunnel is critical for the bulk of the division's panzers to continue on this route in any timely fashion. If the Germans can take the tunnel, the short road to Larissa and Athens lies open, with the prospect of trapping huge Allied formations still evacuating from the north.


Exterior view of the old Platamon railway tunnel. (This photo of Platamonas Castle is courtesy of TripAdvisor).

At dawn, the German Kradschützen Truppen-Bataillon 2 (Motorcycle Battalion 2) of the 3rd Panzer Division attacks, preceded by mortar fire. The Germans make good progress, and around 09:00 about 50 panzers (PzKpfw IIs) arrive and start pounding the New Zealand positions. Some of the New Zealanders on the flanks withdraw, while others on the main hill hold firm.

The New Zealanders are overwhelmed by 10:15, when Lieutenant Colonel N. Macky, in charge of the 21st Battalion, issues the order to retreat. They block the tunnel - it is not completely destroyed, but demolished enough to prevent a quick pursuit. In one version of the battle, they blow explosive charges to seal it; in another, they disable a panzer in the tunnel, blocking it. Either way, the Germans can't use the tunnel quickly enough for it to be practical. Their German motorcyclists suffer 25% casualties during the attack and their unit is pulled out of the line.

Without the Platamon tunnel, the men of the I,/Panzer Regiment 3 have a decision to make: go west, or try to get over the ridge. By mid-day, they begin across the ridge on a narrow mule track. However, it is very rough going. The Panzer IIs are narrower than Panzer IIIs and would make it over the ridge easier, but the Panzer IIs were all disabled during the morning attack. The Panzer IIIs start across but begin losing their tracks on the uneven and rocky surface or experience other issues with the slope and narrow path. Every time a panzer is disabled, it stops the entire column. Frustrated, the tankers try to go off-road - two get stuck in a swamp and a third runs into a minefield. After losing several tanks, the Germans late in the day finally clear the mule track, sweep it for mines, and get their tanks across - a process that would have taken fifteen minutes through the tunnel.

The New Zealand troops, meanwhile, use a ferry to cross a nearby river in a gorge. They then sink the ferry and take up defensive positions in the gorge.

Elsewhere, the Italians advancing down the Yugoslav coast occupy Split. They also make small gains in Albania as the Greeks pull out. The German 6th Mountain Division, taking the slow route, advances along mountain paths on Mount Olympos.

The old Platamon railway tunnel (Katarzyna DJ via Skyscrapercity.com).

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 4359 ton Greek freighter Memas at Chalkis, Greece.

A Yugoslavian submarine, the Nebojsa, and two torpedo boats, the Kajmakcalan and Durmitor, leave port to escape the advancing Germans.

Royal Navy armed boarding vessel HMS Chakla runs aground in stormy weather, but later is towed off by net layer HMS Protector.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe on the Channel Front has entered one of its active phases again. So far in 1941, it has had long spells of inactivity, followed by bursts of heavy raids. Last night, the main target was Belfast (that raid only ends at 05:00 today), and tonight it is London.

There is another reason for the ferocity, indeed savagery, of tonight's raid, and it has nothing to do with London specifically. Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goering send in the bombers in seemingly endless waves because of the Paris Opera House. One of the favored forms of amusement for the Third Reich's leaders is in the opera - it is not only their preferred form of music but a major form of socializing outside of the work environment. However, the RAF threw a spanner in the works with their raid on Berlin of 9 April which devastated the Paris Opera House. Hitler has ordered the building rebuilt and London flattened in reprisal.

About 300 bombers participate, and they each fly multiple sorties. This is one of the biggest raids of the entire Blitz, rivaling the one at the end of December and some of the others from 1940. The bombers make two and even sometimes three sorties, for a total of 685 payloads dropped over the city. The East End takes tremendous damage. This is probably not coincidental, as it plays to Hitler's pet theory that he can stir up class resentment against the "Plutocrats" by targeting certain districts. British night air defenses are getting better, and the Luftwaffe loses half a dozen bombers. There is no question that tonight's raid is one of the climaxes of the Blitz, perhaps not a turning point but with subtle hints of change in the air.

In a sense, Hitler achieves his aim of revenge in one grisly respect. Among the casualties of the night's raid is Al Bowlly, a Mozambican-born South African/British music hall performer. Thus, both sides are deprived of musical entertainment as a result of the initial RAF raid.

Visiting Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies is in London during the attack. He hears the bombers overhead but believes at first that they are heading further west. He notes that "a dozen large bombs fell within 100 yards" of his hotel. The room he is in is damaged, with the windows and door blown in. He notes that "The sky beyond the Palace was red with fire and smoke, the sky was flashing like lightning." At 05:00 on the 17th, he surveys the damage, and finds that "buildings were blazing" on Brook Street and that "gas mains blazed in Piccadilly." He wonders: "How can it go on for years?"

RAF Bomber Command continues its mission of attacking Axis shipping. Bristol Blenheim Mark IVs of No. 110 Squadron of No. 2 Group bomb Heligoland, while other Blenheims of No. 107 Squadron spot a submarine off Prestkjac, Norway and get a couple of near misses. Other similar operations are made, and overall, the RAF loses a couple of bombers. The RAF also conducts a Circus sweep over Berck-sur-Mer.

Kommodore Werner Mölders of Stab./JG 51 shoots down two Hurricanes of RAF No. 601 Squadron in a Bf 109F. This gives him 65 claims and opens some ground between him and No. 2 Adolf Galland.

British railway workers at the main London terminal of Southern Railway (photo by Planet News Archive/SSPL/Getty Images).

Battle of the Atlantic: During the April 15/16 night bombing of Belfast, aircraft carrier HMS Furious is lightly damaged. The damage does not interfere with operations.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks three ships, 1151-ton British freighter Angelesea Rose, 1548 ton British freighter Amiens and 1167 ton Norwegian freighter Bolette, north of St. Ives at the mouth of the Bristol Channel. There are eight deaths on the Amiens.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 2826-ton Norwegian freighter Favorit south of the Faroe Islands. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 159-ton British trawler King Athelstan near Ballinskelligs, Ireland. The skipper beaches the ship, but it later floats off after minor repairs and makes it to port.

The Luftwaffe damages British 5379-ton freighter Swedru in the Northwest Approaches. There are 24 deaths, including 7 passengers. The ship remains afloat as a derelict and eventually has to be sunk by gunfire.

German raider Kormoran is southwest of the Azores, on her way back to Germany, when the lookouts spot the 7739-ton Swedish iron ore carrier Sir Ernest Cassel. The Kormoran takes the crew aboard as guests/POWs depending on their nationality, then scuttles Sir Ernest Cassel. This is the final hostile encounter by the Kormoran on its first cruise, which began on 6 June 1940.

British 1578 ton collier Parnu collides with freighter Fluor about a dozen miles off Cape Wrath, Scotland. The Parnu eventually sinks.

The Kriegsmarine supply network remains active in the Atlantic, as tanker Nordmark refuels Italian submarines Archimede, Ferraris, and Gugliemotti.

Convoy OB 311 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 121 departs from Halifax.

The 52nd Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery crew of a British 4.5-inch anti-aircraft gun unpack ammunition, 16 April 1941 (© IWM (H 8917))

Battle of the Mediterranean: The British have come to the realization that the battle for North Africa will be decided at sea. Specifically, the key area is the convoy route from Naples to Tripoli. Accordingly, they are positioning submarines in this area, and also sending surface patrols there at night.

Captain P.J. Mack is leading the 14th Destroyer Flotilla, composed of HMS Janus, Jervis, Mohawk, and Nubian and based in Malta, on a more-or-less routine patrol off Tunisia. His lookouts spot an Italian/German convoy commanded by Commander Pietro de Cristofaro. It is composed of five freighters and escorted by three Italian destroyers. Mack attacks the convoy (called the "Tarigo Convoy" after the lead escort destroyer) and sinks not only all five freighters/transports but also all three of the destroyers. Mack accomplishes this at the price of the Mohawk, which is scuttled off the Kerkenneh Islands. There are 168 survivors of the Mohawk and 43 deaths.

On the German side, there are 384 deaths of men who had been en route to the Afrika Korps, mainly from the 15th Panzer Division. The Italian navy puts to sea and eventually rescues 1248 out of about 3000 men who had been on the sunk ships.

The Axis ships lost are:

• 4205-ton Andana
• 2447-ton Aegina
• 2452-ton Arta
• 3704-ton Iserlohn
• 1590-ton Sabaudia
• Destroyer Tarigo
• Destroyer Lampo
• Destroyer Baleno

Winston Churchill immediately sends off a telegram to President Roosevelt informing him of the success. However, he does not tell him that the Royal Navy knew about the convoy in advance due to Ultra Intercepts. This is a wise move, because periodically throughout the war, Adolf Hitler receives copies of these telegrams (sent by underseas cable) from an unknown source.

On land, Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel "personally, from the most forward lines" leads an attack on the Tobruk perimeter (quotes are from the Afrika Korps War Diary). This is at Ras Mdaauar. He uses his Italian forces, specifically the armored battalion of the Ariete Division and infantry from the Trento Division. The attack fails "because of the hesitant advance of the armored battalion" of the Ariete Division. The War Diary notes sourly that two Italian companies surrendered without putting up any fight.

General Wavell hurriedly stops further convoys of Operation Lustre bringing troops from Egypt to Greece. From now on, the convoys will move in the other direction, evacuating the expeditionary forces from Greece.

The British attempt a commando-style raid on Bardia, but the ships embarking the troops are recalled due to poor weather. The operation is rescheduled for when the skies clear. Another such raid is attempted on Marakeb, Libya, but destroyer HMS Decoy runs aground and the operation cannot be completed.

An officer in a Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. E of the 2nd Panzer Division interrogates a captured New Zealand prisoner at the village of Pandeleymon during the Battle of Platamon, 16 April 1941 (Ang, Federal Archive).

Anglo/US Relations: US heavy cruiser USS Vincennes (CA-44) arrives in New York. It has come from Simonstown, South Africa pursuant to Operation Fish, the transfer of British gold to the United States.

The first shipment of food to Great Britain under Lend-Lease arrives.

Anglo/Japanese Relations: The Japanese government issues a statement flatly denying that it has any designs on Singapore.

US/Canadian Relations: Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King visits with President Roosevelt. They will spend the next four days conferring in Washington, Virginia Beach and Roosevelt's home at Hyde Park. At some point during these meetings, they sign a defense production agreement.

US Military: MacDill Air Force Base, operational since 16 April 1940, receives its name today. It is named after World War I veteran Colonel Leslie MacDill.

British Homefront: Around this date, the British demolish with explosives the north water tower of the old Crystal Palace. This is simply done - there is no reason given or fuss made about it. The Crystal Palace grounds are being used to manufacture radar equipment, and the reason may be to make more room for this. Another conjecture is that the tower provides a navigational aid to Luftwaffe crews. In any event, it is the final and definitive end to the 1851 Hyde Park structure.

Minister of Labour Ernest Bevin introduces a National Registration of Women for war work. Previous attempts to enlist women had been voluntary; this is compulsory. The first registrations for the youngest (20-21) age group are set for 19 April 1941.

Site of an Eastern Airlines DC-3 crash on 3 April 1941 in the Everglades west of Vero Beach, Florida. The crash is due to a storm. This photo was taken 16 April 1941 (Photo courtesy of the Indian River County Historical Society via TCPalm)

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