Tuesday 27 May 1941

"HMS RODNEY with BISMARCK covered by smoke in the distance, 27 May 1941." © IWM (MH 15929).

Anglo/Iraq War: In the evening of 27 May 1941, the British Habforce troops that have occupied Fallujah under Major-General George Clark begin advancing on Baghdad. The British are in multiple columns in a concentric attack, with Indian 20th Brigade coming from the south on the Euphrates, Indian 21st Brigade advancing along the Tigris River from Basra while Habforce troops marching from Fallujah. The defending troops of Rashid Ali destroy bridges and dams, slowing the advance. However, while Clark's force is far smaller than the defending Iraqis, militarily it is far superior.

The German military mission also is under intense pressure in Iraq. The Luftwaffe force has been vastly reduced in size, while the eleven Italian Fiat Cr-42 fighters that have just arrived can do little. All continue to fight, but prepare to leave the country should Baghdad fall.

As the British near Baghdad, rioting and looting begin to break out.

In London, Prime Minister Winston Churchill tells the House that "In Iraq, our position has been largely re-established, and the prospects have greatly improved."

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command sends 14 aircraft on anti-shipping sweeps during the day. It attacks Cologne during the night with 84 aircraft and also lays mines off Boulogne, Brest and St. Nazaire.

The Luftwaffe performs an armed reconnaissance across the Channel. The Germans lose a Heinkel He 111 from 4./KG 55 west of St. Ives, Cornwall to Pilot/Officer F. Oliver of RAF No 66 Squadron.

German battleship Bismarck under fire from battleships HMS Rodney and King George V (photo from the collection of P.O. George H. J. Monk, R.N., courtesy of Reg Monk).

Battle of the Atlantic: As the day begins, the German battleship Bismarck has been crippled by a torpedo hit in the stern that has jammed its left rudder. This prevents it from proceeding to the southeast and safety under the protection of the Luftwaffe. The Royal Navy closes in, and within hours the Bismarck is surrounded and everyone awaits daylight for the end.

Everyone on the Bismarck knows the situation is hopeless. Around midnight, Admiral Günther Lütjens, in command aboard the Bismarck, makes his last radio transmission to headquarters: "Ship unmaneuverable. We shall fight to the last shell. Long live the Führer."

The Royal Navy's 4th Destroyer Flotilla, under the command of Captain Philip Vian, arrives on the scene after being diverted from escorting troop convoy WS8B from Glasgow to the Indian Ocean. His destroyers make runs at the battleship, launching torpedoes. It is unclear (and unlikely) if the destroyers make any hits, but they keep the Germans busy.

U-556 (Kptlt. Herbert Wohlfarth), which has completed its patrol with Wolfpack West in the North Atlantic and returning to base in France, receives orders to retrieve the logbooks from Bismarck. Wohlfarth heads to the position, and on his way spots aircraft carrier Ark Royal and the battlecruiser Renown. However, U-556 is out of torpedoes and can do nothing.

Bismarck under fire from the Royal Navy, 27 May 1941 (photo from the collection of P.O. George H. J. Monk, R.N., courtesy of Reg Monk).

At 08:47, the Royal Navy begins firing. British battleships HMS Rodney and King George V achieve quick hits, silencing the Bismarck's guns. After closing in, at around 10:00 each British battleship achieves two penetrations of Bismarck's armor, two on the starboard side by King George V and two on the port side by Rodney. The British battleships, low on the fuel, then leave the scene and leave the ending to smaller ships.

Heavy cruiser Dorsetshire then closes and sends three torpedoes into the blazing German ship. Around the same time, the surviving Bismarck crew sets off scuttling charges. It is unclear if the torpedoes would have sunk the Bismarck, or if it required the Bismarck crew scuttling the now-defenseless ship - but the Bismarck capsizes and sinks at 10:40.

Survivors of the Bismarck being pulled aboard HMS Dorsetshire.

The sea is full of the Bismarck's crew, but there is great fear in the British ships about U-boats. Dorsetshire and destroyer Maori spend an hour picking up survivors, and 110 men are saved. The British ships then quickly depart the scene, leaving many sailors to drown. Later, U-74 (Kptlt. Eitel-Fredrich Kentrat) and Kriegsmarine weather ship Sachsenwald arrive, with U-74 picking up three men and the weather ship two. One man later dies, so 114 men survive the sinking. About 2200 Bismarck crew perish during the battle, including Admiral Lütjens and Bismarck Captain Lindemann (both of whom likely died early on when the bridge was hit, but some survivors reported seeing Lindemann standing at attention on the stern as it sank).

Operation Rheinübung involved two ships: Bismarck and heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen. The latter ship is forgotten by virtually everyone, Prinz Eugen - almost out of fuel - has made a rendezvous with tanker Spichern far to the south. Today, it develops some engine trouble, reducing its speed to 28 knots. Ultimately, this will force Prinz Eugen to abandon its mission and seek haven in France.

At Berchtesgaden, Hitler crony Walther Hewel notes in his diary, "Bismarck sunk … Fuehrer melancholy beyond words."

U-107 (Kptlt. Günther Hessler), operating off Freetown, is on its second patrol. It uses two torpedoes to sink 5108-ton British freighter Colonial, which has been dispersed from Convoy OB 318. 100 men, including Convoy Commodore Rear Admiral W.B. Mackenzie RN, are picked up by target ship (formerly battleship) HMS Centurion and landed at Freetown.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 239 Royal Navy ton minesweeping trawler Evesham off Yarmouth. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe damages anti-aircraft ship HMS Alynbank off Cape Cornwall. There are 65 deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages ocean boarding vessel HMS Registan in Bristol Channel. The master beaches it at Falmouth, Cornwall, and the Registan is later refloated and repaired. There are 70 deaths. Those lost include Dudley Joel, 37, a British businessman and a Member of Parliament. Some sources place this as happening on the 28th.

Swordfish 5S of 818 Squadron, FAA returns to HMS Ark Royal after observing the sinking of Bismarck.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 695-ton Norwegian freighter Røyksund in the outer reaches of Bristol Channel. There are ten survivors of Royksund rescued by destroyer HMS Cleveland, while six men perish (one crewman dies later).

Norwegian 1655-ton freighter Thyra, part of Convoy OB 325, collides with escort destroyer HMS Leamington and sinks. There are four deaths, and 20 survivors are taken aboard the Leamington, which is largely unscathed.

British 7628-ton freighter Michael E has been converted into the first Royal Navy Catapult Aircraft Merchant (CAM) ship. It sails late in the day from Glasgow for Halifax, Nova Scotia with Convoy OB 327 on its first mission carrying a Hawker Hurricanes modified for sea duty.

Minelayer Teviotbank lays minefield BS.62 in the English Channel.

Convoy OB 327 departs from Liverpool. Convoy HX 129, delayed by the Bismarck battle, departs from Halifax and BHX departs from Bermuda. Convoy HX 129, incidentally, becomes the first convoy to have continuous escort protection across the Atlantic due to the new escort headquarters at St. John's.

"A Fairey Swordfish flying over HMS KING GEORGE V during the BISMARCK action." © IWM (MH 15930) (photo from the collection of P.O. George H. J. Monk, R.N., courtesy of Reg Monk).

Battle of the Mediterranean: General Erwin Rommel unleashes Kampfgruppe von Herff on the Libyan frontier in Operation Skorpion. The battle plan involves a feint to the west of Fort Capuzzo by Group Bach acting as a decoy, intended to fool the British into thinking that they are about to be outflanked. This, the thinking goes, will induce the British out of their defensive positions and expose them to attack. The British, however, barely react, so Oberst Maximilian von Herff orders Group Cramer (which has the bulk of the panzers) to move northwards directly on the objective: Halfaya Pass. At dawn, Group Knabe attacks the head of the pass and Group Bach attacks the foot. The British only have nine tanks in Halfaya Pass, and they are out-matched by the massive German attack.

After an hour or two of the unequal battle, British commander Lieutenant-General William "Strafer" Gott authorizes a withdrawal. Lieutenant-Colonel J. Moubray, in command of the 3rd Battalion Coldstream Guards and the other units garrisoning the pass (including the 4th Royal Tank Regiment (4th RTR, Major C. G. Miles), field, anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns, and the 7th Support Group of the 7th Armoured Division), blasts his way out of his encirclement with some troops captured by Group Bach.

While not a major battle, Operation Skorpion deprives the British of their last gain from their Operation Brevity of May 15-16. It also provides an unusual incident where the roles of the two sides are reversed, the Germans being able to intercept some British wireless messages while the British get no help from Ultra. The British Army loses 173 men (40 prisoners), four 25-pounder field guns, eight 2-pounder anti-tank guns, and five Infantry tanks. The Germans capture nine 25-pounder field guns, seven Matilda (A12) tanks, and two other tanks. Most importantly, the battle eliminates any British hope of a quick relief of Tobruk.

The Afrika Korps wastes no time in reinforcing its defenses both at Tobruk and along the Gazala Line. Rommel orders a defensive line built just over the border in Egypt, based on Halfaya Pass, in an arc through Qalala and Hafid Ridge 6 miles (9.7 km) south-west of Fort Capuzzo to Sidi Aziz.

At 00:50, Churchill sends Wavell a brief cable, "Hope you are preparing your desert stroke and that Tobruk will not be idle." The British in Egypt now brings forward the tanks from the Tiger Convoy (Churchill's "Tiger Cubs") for another offensive planned in mid-June (Operation Battleaxe). At the evening War Cabinet meeting, Admiral Sir Dudley Pound emphasizes the "vital importance from the naval point of view of the recapture of Cyrenaica."

A map of the Battle of 42nd Street, Suda, Crete, 27 May 1941.

On Crete, the situation is getting desperate for the British. In the morning, the New Zealand 28th (Māori) Battalion, the Australian 2/7th Battalion, and the Australian 2/8th Battalion fix bayonets and charge the German 141st Mountain Regiment which is blocking the road from Suda (Souda) to Chania (Canea). In this "Battle of 42nd Street," the Commonwealth troops succeed. This re-opens a line of retreat for the Commonwealth troops still fighting in and around Chania, which the Germans now completely take.

At 02:00, Prime Minister Winston Churchill cables Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell: "Victory in Crete essential at this turning point in the war. Keep hurling in all aid you can." At 08:42, Wavell responds. He has a much closer view of the actual situation on Crete and knows that events at sea or in Iraq mean nothing for his defense of the island. Wavell cables back, "Fear we must recognize that Crete is no longer tenable…."

Wavell's cable arrives while the War Cabinet is in session. As the meeting's minutes state:

The Prime Minister said that all chances of winning the battle in Crete now appeared to have gone and we should have to face the prospect of the loss of most of our forces there.

Churchill casually adds that he will reveal nothing of this to the House of Commons in his morning statement. In fact, he simply states that the army's "magnificent resistance hangs in the balance."

Fallschirmjäger march into Canea (Chandia/Hania) after a long battle, 27 May 1941 (Australian War Memorial 106492).

The decision to withdraw from Crete is made formal when Churchill sends a memo to General Ismay which states:

In view of General Wavell's latest message, he should be ordered to evacuate Crete forthwith, saving as many men as possible without regard to material, and taking whatever measures, whether by reinforcement or otherwise, are best.

So, London now accepts the inevitable. British island commander General Bernard Freyberg quickly orders Allied troops to begin withdrawing to the south shore for evacuation. The British troops at Suda and Beritania, including 800 Commandos just landed on the 26th, begin heading down the road to Vitsilokoumos, north of Sfakia. The Germans occupy the critical naval base at Suda Bay as the British depart.

Responding to an OKW request made on the 26th, the Italians send a convoy from Rhodes to reinforce the Germans on Crete. It contains a brigade from the 50th Infantry Division Regina, supported by 13 L3/35 light tanks. As many have noted, Operation Mercury has been an odd battle because the Germans have had no tanks, and the British Army has had no air support. This Italian convoy, comprising a motley collection of four fishing vessels, two steamships, one riverboat, two reefer ships, three tugs, and three tankers, aims to bring ashore some Axis armored support. Their planned landing date is the afternoon of 28 May. The convoy is escorted by destroyer Crispi and two torpedo boats (Lince and Lira).

Royal Navy battleship HMS Barham is covering the withdrawal of minelayer Abdiel from Suda Bay, where it landed Commandos on the 26th when the Luftwaffe bombs it. The bomb destroys Y turret and kills seven crewmen while wounding six. Barham makes for Alexandria, then Durban, for repairs, which take until 30 July.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 305-ton armed trawler HMT Thorbryn off Tobruk.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 307-ton Naval whaler Syvern en route to Crete.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 1187 ton Greek freighters Antonios and 5452 ton Julia at Suda Bay, Crete. Everyone survives.

The RAF bombs and damages Italian freighter Marco Foscarini off Tripoli. The master beaches her, and the Foscarini is refloated and scrapped after the war.

More troops are embarked on three destroyers (Hotspur, Imperial, and Kimberley) at Alexandria for transport to Crete when the decision to evacuate to the island is received. The troops are not sent.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Unbeaten suffers damage from grounding at Malta and requires repairs until 4 June.

The RAF force based on Malta loses two Blenheims of RAF No. 82 Squadron while attacking a large Italian supply convoy that reaches Tripoli safely. At Malta, the Luftwaffe drops mines in Grand Harbour.

Commander-in-Chief of the German Army Field Marshal Walther von Brauchitsch at the Corinthian Canal, Greece 27 May 1941.

Special Operations: Italian submarine Scirè launches three midget submarines manned by frogmen to penetrate the Royal Navy base at Gibraltar. The mission fails for technical reasons and no Royal Navy ships suffer damage.

POWs: In the House of Commons, Winston Churchill rejects a request that prisoner Rudolf Hess be tried as a spy or illegal alien.

German/Vichy French Relations: Vichy Vice Premier Admiral François Darlan and German ambassador to France, Otto Abetz sign the Paris Protocols. These Protocols grant the Germans military facilities in Syria, Tunisia, and French West Africa, while the French get a reduction in occupation costs (from 20 to 15 million Reichsmarks a day) and the release of 6800 more French POWs. These are not formally ratified, but provide a framework for French collaboration.

US/Japanese Relations: US Ambassador to Japan Joseph Grew sends a cable to Washington:

A member of the Embassy was told by my ------- colleague that from many quarters, including a Japanese one, he had heard that a surprise mass attack on Pearl Harbor was planned by the Japanese military forces, in case of "trouble" between Japan and the United States; that the attack would involve the use of all the Japanese military facilities. My colleague said that he was prompted to pass this on because it had come to him from many sources, although the plan seemed fantastic.

Grew's unnamed friend, of course, is absolutely correct - the Japanese have been planning for an attack on US, British and Dutch interests in the Pacific for some time. The US already has a defensive plan prepared for such possibilities, so the ONI (Office of Naval Intelligence) files the warning without acting on it.

Anglo/US Relations: Winston Churchill cables Roosevelt thanking him for the decision to release half a dozen small aircraft carriers to the Royal Navy. "All this will be most helpful."

Anglo/Irish Relations: At the morning War Cabinet meeting - usually held in the evening, but assembled due to the naval battle occurring at the time involving the Bismarck - Churchill gives his thoughts about conscription in Northern Ireland. Irish leader Eamon De Valera has warned against conscription as having a negative effect on public opinion. Churchill opines that a statement should be issued that states in part:

His Majesty's Government had now come to the conclusion that, although there could be no dispute about our rights, or about the merits, it would be more trouble than it was worth to apply conscription to Northern Ireland.

The War Cabinet, of course, agrees with this very grudging concession, as it does with virtually everything that Churchill proposes throughout the war. This is exactly what he tells the House.

British Military: Winston Churchill sends a memo to General Ismay which urges expansion of the British paratrooper force "on the German model" based on its success on Crete. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Churchill is paying the Fallschirmjäger a huge compliment. This is somewhat ironic considering the opposite conclusions about Operation Mercury that the German leadership are drawing at this time.

The War Cabinet's "Tank Parliament" meets, and it agrees that tank production must be greatly expanded.

The War Office issues a secret memo barring Fascists and Communists from serving in the Home Guard. All such members currently serving are to be cashiered forthwith.

The front page of the Syracuse Herald-Journal, 27 May 1941.

US Military: The garrison at San Francisco, California test-fires the 12-inch coastal artillery in the evening, a spectacle seen throughout the city.

Albania: The Albanian who recently attempted to assassinate the king of Italy and the prime minister of Albania, Vasil Laçi, 19, is executed.

China: The Japanese North China Front Army defeats the Chinese 1st War Area in the Battle of South Shanxi. This is one of the worst land defeats for the Chinese forces of the entire war and is largely due to refusal of the Communist 8th Route Army to rescue trapped Nationalist (Kuomintang) forces. The Nationalists are wiped out despite having an almost 2:1 advance in troop strength.

British Homefront: Prime Minister Winston Churchill makes a radio broadcast to the nation. He states that Britain is heading into a "long, stern, scowling valley of war, to victory."

American Homefront: In a long, rambling radio address broadcast (fireside chat) from the White House, President Roosevelt proclaims a state of unlimited national emergency. He re-uses his famous phrase from 1933, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Roosevelt lists the things the United States has done to support the British war effort, announces new policies which include a decision to:

actively resist wherever necessary, and with all our resources, every attempt by Hitler to extend his ... domination to the Western Hemisphere.

He then casts the confrontation as:

divided between human slavery and human freedom—between pagan brutality and the Christian ideal. We choose human freedom—which is the Christian ideal.

There is no mention in the speech of actually declaring war, or how the US actions he lists would relate to the proper role of neutrals. It is as close to a declaration of war, and the obvious significance of the speech is that the United States is going to do everything possible to fight German without actually firing weapons.

USS St. Augustine off the Boston Navy Yard, Massachusetts, 27 May 1941 (Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives).

May 1941

May 1, 1941: British Hold Tobruk
May 2, 1941: Anglo-Iraq War
May 3, 1941: Liverpool Hammered
May 4, 1941: Hitler Victory Speech
May 5, 1941: Patriots Day
May 6, 1941: Stalin In Command
May 7, 1941: May Blitz
May 8, 1941: Pinguin Sunk
May 9, 1941: U-110 Captured
May 10, 1941: Hess Flies Into History
May 11, 1941: The Hess Peace Plan
May 12, 1941: Tiger Arrives Safely
May 13, 1941: Keitel's Illegal Order
May 14, 1941: Holocaust in Paris
May 15, 1941: Operation Brevity
May 16, 1941: Blitz Ends
May 17, 1941: Habbaniya Relieved
May 18, 1941: Croatia Partitioned
May 19, 1941: Bismarck at Sea
May 20, 1941: Invasion of Crete
May 21, 1941: Robin Moore Sinking
May 22, 1941: Royal Navy Destruction Off Crete
May 23, 1941: Crete Must Be Won
May 24, 1941: Bismarck Sinks Hood
May 25, 1941: Lütjens' Brilliant Maneuver
May 26, 1941: Bismarck Stopped
May 27, 1941: Bismarck Sunk
May 28, 1941: Crete Lost
May 29, 1941: Royal Navy Mauled Off Crete
May 30, 1941: Sorge Warns, Stalin Ignores
May 31, 1941: British Take Baghdad

2020

Sunday 25 May 1941

"Parachute troops jump from a Whitley bomber during a demonstration for the King near Windsor, 25 May 1941." © IWM (H 9955)

Anglo/Iraq War: The Luftwaffe based at Mosul sends two Bf 110s fo II./ZG76 to raid Habbaniya Airfield on 25 May 1941. One is forced to land behind British lines. The British will repair it using spare parts from other destroyed Luftwaffe aircraft and restore it to flying service. This aircraft is used both in Iraq and in Cairo for testing purposes and is named "The Belle of Berlin," RAF serial No. HK846.

Eleven Fiat CR-42 fighters of Italian 155th Squadriglia arrive at Aleppo, Syria en route to Mosul, Iraq.

European Air Operations:  RAF Bomber Command sends 30 aircraft on anti-shipping missions. The sink Kriegsmarine minelayer Sperrbrecher-33. After dark, it sends 48 bombers on minelaying operations off Brest and Saint-Nazaire, likely in anticipation of the German battleship Bismarck heading for one of those ports.

The RAF bombs and sinks 1538-ton Danish freighter H.P. Hansen about 6 nautical miles (11 km) northwest of Schiermonnikoog Lighthouse, Friesland, Netherlands. Sources say the Luftwaffe sinks the Hansen, and it may be a case of mistaken identification, but it seems much more likely (to me at least) that the RAF sinks it during its normal anti-shipping missions - draw your own conclusion. Allied ships generally don't operate in that area during 1941.

During its anti-shipping raids today, an RAF plane crashes for unknown reasons (probably anti-aircraft fire) at Den Helder. It crashes into and sinks German the sperrbrecher (functional minesweeper) Silvia. There is some likelihood that the pilot of the falling plane directs it at the Silvia, which would make it a kamikaze strike.

The captain of Suffolk, Robert Meyric Ellis, remained on the bridge throughout the chase of the German battleship Bismarck. It was he who Lütjens fooled with his brilliant maneuver. © IWM (A 4330).

Battle of the Atlantic: Now alone after having parted ways with Prinz Eugen, the battleship Bismarck is slowed by damage and being shadowed by two Royal Navy cruisers. Admiral Lütjens wants to head to a port in France for repairs, but first needs to shake his pursuers. Lütjens knows that the shadowing cruiser - the other British cruiser is lagging behind - is zig-zagging due to the threat of U-boats. If Lütjens times it just right, when the British cruiser is moving away from his intended escape route, it may catch the British captain flat-footed. However, it has to be done just right, because making the attempt likely would cause the British to take a "tighter rein" on the pursuit that would make escape impossible.

Vice-Admiral (later Admiral) Lütjens aboard the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper during the Norwegian Campaign in April 1940. Photo courtesy of Dieter Troester.

At 03:00, Lütjens orders Captain Lindemann to increase to the ship's current maximum speed of 28 knots (52 km/h, 32 mph), and at the same time veer off to the west (away from his chosen destination) while the British cruiser is zigzagging to the east.

The maneuver works brilliantly. Bismark breaks the radar contact of shadowing cruiser HMS Suffolk, opening a gap that is beyond the British cruiser's radar range. Lütjens then has the ship circle around to the north, then break back to a heading to the east - toward France. The captain of the pursuing British ship assumes Bismarck has headed west on its raiding mission and heads that way - completely losing contact. Basically, Bismarck winds up behind the British cruisers who still think the German ship is ahead of them.

"The 8" guns of HMS SUFFOLK firing." This is during the chase of Bismarck in May 1941. © IWM (A 4312).

It is a brilliant maneuver and leaves the entire Royal Navy stumped. The British have to resort to searching the entire North Atlantic for the Bismarck. With no idea where the Bismarck has gone, Rear Admiral Frederic Wake-Walker, commander of the two cruisers shadowing Bismarck, decides to head his three ships (Prince of Wales, Suffolk, and Norfolk) to the southwest - away from Bismarck's actual direction.

Then, having executed a masterstroke, Admiral Lütjens makes a massive blunder. He sends a long message to Naval Group West headquarters in Paris describing his situation and plans. The British use direction-finding equipment to pinpoint the ship's location, but make their own error and mistakenly conclude that Bismarck is heading back the way it came to Germany. Thus, the mass of Royal Navy ships heads off in that direction, opening up a path for Bismarck to slip through to a French port. Bismarck spends the 25th heading toward safety without being spotted. It now looks good for the Germans, they only have to stay hidden throughout the 26th to make it to France. That sounds easy... but the entire Royal Navy is looking for Bismarck.

A typical headline on 25 May 1941, highlighting the sinking of HMS Hood. The story, incidentally, is uncannily accurate, as after extensive research is it agreed that the Hood sank because the Bismarck's shell set fire to Hood's magazine.

At his country home of Chequers, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is in a foul mood when he hears of the loss of battlecruiser Hood to the Bismarck. Among other things, he snaps at his piano player for playing a somber tune. Churchill loudly expresses his opinion is that the Prince of Wales should have closed on Bismarck rather than turning away and concludes (according to the diary of private secretary John Colville) that the Royal Navy has become a haven for shirkers. Colville also notes that Churchill is well aware by bedtime that the Bismarck is heading for France, and this likely is due to Ultra.

U-103 (KrvKpt. Viktor Schütze), on its fourth patrol out of Lorient, is operating off Monrovia and is having great success. Schütze sinks two ships:

• 3575-ton Egyptian freighter Radames
• 7789-ton Dutch freighter Wangi Wangi (one dead)

The Luftwaffe bombs 125-ton Faroes fishing trawler Harry about thirty miles north of Rattray Head. An attempt to tow it fails and it sinks northwest of Kinnaird Head.

The RAF bombs and sinks 1049-ton German freighter Silvia near Den Helder.

Brazilian cargo ship Atalaia sinks in the South Atlantic of unknown causes. All 66 crew aboard perish.

Portuguese schooner Silvina catches fire and sinks off the Grand Banks. Everyone survives.

U-69 (Kptlt. Jost Metzler), on its third patrol out of Lorient, lays seven mines within Lagos Harbour.
The Admiralty diverts Convoy SC-31 to port at Hvalfjord, Iceland in order to avoid the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen. The Admiralty also sends oiler Cardinale and store ship the City of Dieppe out of Gibraltar into the mid-Atlantic to supply the massive Royal Navy forces searching for battleship Bismarck. Submarine HMS Severn is recalled from its normal patrol to guard the Straits of Gibraltar against a possible passage by Bismarck.

The Italian Navy forms a screen west of Gibraltar composed of submarines Argo, Brin, Emo, Marconi, Mocenigo, Velella, and Venero.

Convoy OG-63 departs Liverpool bound for Gibraltar, Convoy HG 63 departs from Gibraltar bound for Liverpool.

The Kriegsmarine orders a dozen new U-boats with consecutive numbers from U-983 to U-994.

U-653 is commissioned.

The British Mk VI tank (Lieutenant Farran) destroyed during the counter-attack on Galatas, Crete, 25 May 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Germans on Crete continue slowly expanding their lodgement at Maleme airfield, but the Commonwealth troops launch counterattacks and otherwise put up stiff resistance. The Germans now have a good grip on the western portion of the island, but the British are trying to regroup in the eastern half. The battle is still in doubt, but the Germans continue to pour in reinforcements on Junkers Ju 52 transport planes without hindrance. The Royal Navy, meanwhile, has had to retreat from its blocking positions to the north of the island due to the Luftwaffe's domination of the air.

In an indication of growing German confidence in the battle, Lieutenant General Kurt Student flies into Maleme to direct operations.

The 1st Greek Regiment fights hard at Kastelli on the outskirts of Heraklion. German attempts at seaborne reinforcement come to naught, as a half-hearted attempt to tow a lighter containing two Panzer IIs has to put into port at Kithira when Royal Navy ships are spotted. The Royal Navy brought a small force of commandos into Suda Bay as reinforcements on the 24th, but the vast majority are unable to land today due to poor weather. Basically, the German advance is stalled, but the British are unable to bring enough force to bear to dislodge them.

'Germans enter Galatas', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/the-germans-enter-galatas, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 15-Jul-2013. This was taken on the morning of 26 May 1941. The Mk VI light tank lost on the 25th is visible in the distance.

At 16:00, German troops attack at Galatos with support from Junkers Ju 87 Stukas. Galatos is a major British defensive position on the road to the main Royal Navy base at Suda Bay and one of the most fought-over positions in Crete. The Allies retreat except for one group under Major John Russell. New Zealand Colonel Howard Kippenberger quickly organizes a scratch rescue force to rescue the trapped men. The New Zealand troops mount a fierce charge with bayonets fixed and supported by light tanks, yelling a Maori war chant (haka). The counterattack at Galatos succeeds in freeing Russell and his men, but the Germans regroup, use mortar fire to destroy a British tank, and take back the town later in the day.

The Germans are expanding their holdings throughout Crete. Today motorcycle and anti-tank troops of the 5th Gebirgsdivision occupy Kandanos. They face unexpected resistance there from the locals, and the German troops are infuriated by an ambush laid by them at Kandanos' gorge and vow to get revenge.

Salvation Army and AIF personnel load Australian Comforts Fund items onto trucks on 25 May 1941 for distribution to the men of the AIF during the Siege of Tobruk. These supplies are brought in during the nightly supply runs and are hugely important to morale (Australian War Memorial 007478).

The Royal Navy has been running nightly supply missions to Tobruk under cover of darkness. Usually, they pass uneventfully. Today, the Luftwaffe catches sloop HMS Grimsby and accompanying 3471-ton British tanker Helka near the port and sink them about 40 miles northeast of Tobruk. There are 11 deaths on the Grimsby and two deaths on the Helka. A third ship, trawler Southern Maid, escapes damage and picks up the survivors.

The Luftwaffe keeps up the pressure on British shipping at Crete. During attacks on Heraklion, German planes sink 846 ton Greek freighter Leros.

The Royal Navy largely has abandoned the waters north of Crete due to Luftwaffe pressure, at least during the daytime. It does send a sweep north of the island during the night led by light cruisers Ajax and Dido.

A large Royal Navy formation led by battleships HMS Barham and Queen Elizabeth and aircraft carrier Formidable leaves Alexandria at noon. This is Operation MAQ3. The destination is Scarpanto Island, where a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka base is located. The plan is to launch strikes against the Luftwaffe airfield during the night to reduce German airpower in the eastern Mediterranean. The Formidable, however, has many planes that are beset with mechanical problems, but something must be done immediately about the Luftwaffe's supremacy in the area.

The Italian convoy attacked by HMS Upholder (Lieutenant-Commander Malcolm David Wanklyn), losing 18,500-ton troop transport Conte Rosso on the 24th (some sources say early on the 25th) returns to Naples despite its heavy escort.

Vichy French sloop-of-war runs aground off Corsia and is wrecked.

On Malta, the RAF sends a handful of Swordfish to drop "cucumber" magnetic mines off Lampedusa, which the Axis is using during its convoys to Tripoli. Due to anti-aircraft fire, the mission fails and the Swordfish return with their mines.

Whitehall decides to replace Malta Air Officer Commanding, Air Vice Marshal Forster Maynard, AFC. His replacement at the end of May will be Air Vice Marshal Hugh Pugh Lloyd MV DFC.

HMAS Voyager at Suda Bay, May 1941.

Special Operations: Italian submarine Scire departs Cadiz. It carries two midget submarines (SLC) and frogmen for an attack on the Royal Navy ships at Gibraltar.

US/German Relations: Wrapping up on the incident that occurred on 19 January 1941, the  US State Department informs the German Charge d'Affaires in Washington that a sailor is serving "an appropriate sentence" for ripping down a German flag over the German consulate in San Francisco. In fact, two sailors had ripped down the flag, and a municipal court had found them guilty, but their sentences had been stayed pending court-martials. One had received a medical discharge in the interim, while the Navy quietly discharged the other, Harold Sturtevant Jr. Sturtevant, incidentally, reenlists on 15 December 1941 and serves in the US Navy again.

A Jewish funeral procession at the cemetery gate, Warsaw, 25 May 1941 (Knobloch, Federal Archives).

German/Finnish Relations: As agreed on 20 May 1942, Finland sends a top-ranking military delegation to the Reich regarding possible military cooperation between the two nations. They meet in Salzburg - conveniently close to Hitler's Berchtesgaden residence. Ostensibly, this meeting is about military coordination in case of a possible Soviet attack, not an invasion of the USSR. Gradually, however, the talks pivot to simply talk of a "military confrontation" without specifying which side initiates it. Artillery General Alfred Jodl gives a lecture on possible operations stretching from northern Finland to the Balkans but continues the charade of refraining from mentioning that these would be offensive, not defensive, in nature.

The Finns have no authority to enter into any agreements, but Lt. General Heinrichs indicates a general approval of the German presentation and eventual military cooperation. He promises to give some official response to the German presentation by 2 June 1941. However, it is unclear exactly what the Finns would be agreeing to, as the Germans continue claiming they are negotiating with the Soviets.

German Military: The Wehrmacht continues moving trains full of troops to Poland in preparation for Operation Barbarossa. There are 100 troop trains sent every 24 hours, with the OKW operating with absolute priority and on a strict timetable.

Warsaw Ghetto street scene, 25 May 1941. Jews are not yet required to wear Yellow Stars of David patches.

British Government: Winston Churchill asks Lord Beaverbrook, who recently (30 April) resigned as Minister of Aircraft Production and currently is Minister of State, to "draw up a proposal" to get a "large infusion of civilian management" into the supply services of the Mediterranean command. The intent is for such supply experts to "take this burden off the Commander-in-Chief." Churchill long has felt the ferrying of aircraft from Takoradi has been poorly managed, and he also feels that Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell has assorted failings, so taking this "burden" off Wavell neatly serves two purposes.

Vichy French Government: Former Vice Premier Pierre Laval gives an interview to US journalist Ralph Heinzen of UPI at Chateldon Castle, France. Laval states that Hitler had agreed that "after the war" France would play a large role in Europe. Laval views this as a promise by Hitler to "guarantee French independence in post-war Europe."

French Indochina: Japanese soldiers, technically guests of the Vichy French government, raid two warehouses in Haiphong and steal $10 million worth of US goods.

French Homefront: The 1941 Coupe de France Final is held at Stade Municipal, Saint-Ouen. Girondins ASP defeats SC Fives 2–0, with both goals by Santiago Urtizberea.

Wake Island, taken by a Consolidated PBY patrol plane on 25 May 1941. The view is west along the northern side of Wake and shows the Pan American Airways base.

May 1941

May 1, 1941: British Hold Tobruk
May 2, 1941: Anglo-Iraq War
May 3, 1941: Liverpool Hammered
May 4, 1941: Hitler Victory Speech
May 5, 1941: Patriots Day
May 6, 1941: Stalin In Command
May 7, 1941: May Blitz
May 8, 1941: Pinguin Sunk
May 9, 1941: U-110 Captured
May 10, 1941: Hess Flies Into History
May 11, 1941: The Hess Peace Plan
May 12, 1941: Tiger Arrives Safely
May 13, 1941: Keitel's Illegal Order
May 14, 1941: Holocaust in Paris
May 15, 1941: Operation Brevity
May 16, 1941: Blitz Ends
May 17, 1941: Habbaniya Relieved
May 18, 1941: Croatia Partitioned
May 19, 1941: Bismarck at Sea
May 20, 1941: Invasion of Crete
May 21, 1941: Robin Moore Sinking
May 22, 1941: Royal Navy Destruction Off Crete
May 23, 1941: Crete Must Be Won
May 24, 1941: Bismarck Sinks Hood
May 25, 1941: Lütjens' Brilliant Maneuver
May 26, 1941: Bismarck Stopped
May 27, 1941: Bismarck Sunk
May 28, 1941: Crete Lost
May 29, 1941: Royal Navy Mauled Off Crete
May 30, 1941: Sorge Warns, Stalin Ignores
May 31, 1941: British Take Baghdad

2020

Saturday 24 May 1941

"Shell splashes from British Battleship HMS PRINCE OF WALES fall short of their target the German Heavy Cruiser PRINZ EUGEN." 24 May 1941. © IWM (HU 383).

Anglo/Iraq War: Eleven Italian Fiat CR-42 fighters are en route to Aleppo, Syria on 24 May 1941 to reinforce the Luftwaffe forces. Axis use of Syrian airfields is closely watched by the British, who are planning an invasion of Syria because of it.

In preparation for the upcoming invasion of Syria, British commandos dynamite a bridge along the Aleppo-Mosul railway. A train arrives in Mosul carrying Vichy supplies from the Vichy forces in Syria.

HMAS Yarra (CMDR W. H. Harrington, RAN) attacks Habib Shawi. It lands some Gurkha troops which pacify the position, then re-embark. The Yarra also has a shore party ashore to map out the terrain for a future large-scale British invasion of Iraq.

Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell confers with British Indian commander Claude Auchinleck in Basra, Syria.

East African Campaign: The Allied forces (11th and 12th African Divisions) take Soddu, Abyssinia. General Gazzera leads weak Italian forces in the area.

European Air Operations: The RAF has planes out searching for battleship Bismarck and cruiser Prinz Eugen.

"German Battleship BISMARK engaging the British Battlecruiser HMS HOOD as seen from the German Heavy Cruiser PRINZ EUGEN" © IWM (HU 386).

Battle of the Atlantic: German battleship Bismarck and cruiser Prinz Eugen continue heading south through the Denmark Strait as the day begins, trailed by Royal Navy cruisers HMS Suffolk and Norfolk. At 00:28 Suffolk loses contact with the German ships, and it takes some time to reestablish contact because the German ships alter their course to the west at 01:41. However,   just before 03:00, Suffolk regains the signal.

Suffolk acts quickly and signals its position to other very powerful Royal Navy units approaching from the southeast. Battleship Prince of Wales and battlecruiser Hood on their way from Scapa Flow sail right by the German ships without spotting them due to poor visibility.

Prince of Wales and Hood are 35 miles away and now from the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen and now, because of the temporary loss of contact, must chase them. Finally, at 05:35, the lookouts on the Prince of Wales spot the German ships. The Germans also spot the British around this time, alerted by their hydrophonic sensors. Admiral  Lancelot Holland, aboard the Hood, decides not to wait for reinforcements and gives the order to close and open fire. This is the Battle of Denmark Strait.

Hood opens fire at 05:52 at the extreme distance of 26,500 years (24,200 meters). The British mistake the lead ship to be the Bismarck, but Admiral Günther Lütjens aboard the Hood has put the Prinz Eugen in the lead due to the loss of the Bismarck's forward radar on the 23rd. For at least the opening stages, Hood fires on Prinz Eugen while Prince of Wales fires on Bismarck. Norfolk and Suffolk are too far away to participate.

The Prince of Wales has mechanical issues with its main guns - the only ones it can use at this distance - and the front three (of nine total) fall silent after the first salvo. Workmen from Scapa Flow are aboard and continue working on them throughout the battle.

The weather conditions favor the Germans, as the wind is from the west. This causes difficulties on Hood and Prince of Wales in aiming their salvoes. However, Prince of Wales gets the first hit, disabling the Bismarck's commander's boat and seaplane catapult. It gets two more hits, the first passing clean through the Bismarck's bow without exploding, the third hitting below the Bismarck's waterline and causing flooding.

"A column of smoke rising above the sinking British Battlecruiser HMS HOOD. HMS PRINCE OF WALES in the background. This picture was taken from the German Heavy Cruiser PRINZ EUGEN" © IWM (HU 385).

Both hits on the Bismarck are shrugged off by the Germans, but in fact, they are quite serious. The third (and last) hit floods a generator room and partially floods a boiler room, wounding five men. The hit in Bismarck's bow removes access to 1000 long tons of fuel oil and leaves an oil slick. It also causes a 9-degree list to port, reduces the ship's speed by two meters, and makes the ship "lean forward" with its bow now riding two meters lower in the water than designed.

The German ships open fire at 05:55 after some discussion on the bridge of the Bismarck. Admiral Lütjens waits for better conditions, but finally, Bismarck Kapitän zur See Ernst Lindemann ends the debate: "Ich lasse mir doch nicht mein Schiff unter dem Arsch wegschießen. Feuererlaubnis!" ("I'm not letting my ship get shot out from under my arse. Open fire!"). Lütjens then orders Prinz Eugen Kapitän zur See Helmuth Brinkmann to open fire as well. Both Bismarck and Prinz Eugen concentrate on Hood, and they score one minor hit on the Hood's boat deck, and then another at the base of the bridge.

At 06:00, Admiral Holland orders a turn to port for both British ships to bring the aft main guns into action. The distance at this point has closed to about nine miles (14 km). A salvo from Bismarck then straddles the Hood, with one hit around the mainmast that apparently ignites the aft magazine. The Hood immediately blows up in a fireball of such force that it blows the two massive aft turrets into the sea. Hood breaks in two and sinks in three minutes. There are three survivors out of 1419 men.

Prince of Wales almost runs over the rapidly disappearing Hood, but an abrupt change, of course, avoids a collision. Both German ships now focus on the Prince of Wales, with one hit by the Bismarck and three by the Prinz Eugen. Two of the shells fail to explode, but minor flooding results that also releases some fuel oil. The problems with the guns put more out of action, and at 06:04 Captain John Leach decides to withdraw with 13 dead and nine wounded.

Bismarck firing on Hood and Prince of Wales, Battle of Denmark Strait, 24 May 1941, photographed from Prinz Eugen.

At this point, the Germans have a decision to make. They can chase the fleeing Prince of Wales, head back to port due to the damage to Bismarck, or continue on their original course as if nothing had happened. Captain Lindemann wishes to chase the Prince of Wales, but Lütjens refuses. He orders a return to the original course, preferring to following standing orders from German Naval Commander Groß Admiral Erich Raeder to avoid unnecessary action. The German ships turn due west. The pursuing British cruisers continue shadowing them, and Suffolk fires a few salvoes even though it is out of range. Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker in Norfolk now assumes command of the British squadron.

Lindemann's men try to repair the damage from the Battle of the Denmark Strait, but they fail completely. He has to shut down Boiler Room No. 2, and this reduces the ship's speed to a still fast 28 knots. Bismarck now no longer has enough fuel for a raiding mission, so Lütjens decides to head for France - rather than Norway, which is closer. Once again Lütjens overrules Lindemann, who wants to return to Bergen. Since Prinz Eugen is undamaged, Lütjens detaches it for an independent raiding mission while he sets a course for the French port of Saint-Nazaire.

In Berlin, Admiral Raeder learns of Lütjens' decision from wireless messages and, after much back-and-forth with his staff, calls Adolf Hitler in Berchtesgaden. Hitler says to those with him:

If now these British cruisers are maintaining contact and Lütjens has sunk the Hood and nearly crippled the other, which was brand new and having trouble with her guns during the action, why didn't he sink her too? Why hasn't he tried to get out of there or why hasn't he turned around?

Basically, Hitler sides with Lindemann on both issues of dispute between him and Lütjens. It is easy to question Lütjens' decisions, but he has the entire Royal Navy and RAF after him, and he really has no good choices far from home with a damaged ship.

Radio Berlin announces the sinking of the Hood in the evening to wild acclaim, but witnesses report that Hitler is not happy, but rather very worried about Bismarck's prospects.

HMS Prince of Wales, prior to 24 May 1941.

As Bismarck steams to the southeast, British Commander of the Home Fleet  Admiral John Tovey detaches aircraft carrier Victorious along with four light cruisers toward her expected course. At 22:00, right as light is fading, Victorious launches six Fairey Fulmar fighters and nine Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers of RAF No. 825 Naval Air Squadron. Lieutenant Commander Eugene Esmonde leads his planes first over the shadowing Norfolk, then over an observing US Coast Guard Cutter (USS Modoc). The planes manage one hit out of nine torpedoes launched. Fortunately for the Germans, it hits the ship's main armored belt and only causes minor damage. However, Bismarck's evasive maneuvers increase the flooding from the earlier hits. This forces the ship to slow again to 16 knots, but emergency repairs by divers enable a return to 20 knots. While not fast enough to outrun pursuers, 20 knots is an economical speed that maximizes the Bismarck's dwindling fuel stocks.

"British Battlecruiser HMS HOOD exploding (right) and the British Battleship HMS PRINCE OF WALES (center) as seen from the German Heavy Cruiser PRINZ EUGEN." © IWM (HU 384).

As the day ends, Prince of Wales moves up and fires a few salvoes, and Bismarck returns fire. No hits are scored. Lütjens then signals by semaphore to Prinz Eugen:

Intend to shake stalker as follows: During rain squall, the BISMARCK will change course west. PRINZ EUGEN will maintain course and speed until he is forced to change position or three hours after the departure of Bismarck. Subsequently, is released to take on oil from "Belchen" or "Lothringen". Afterwards, pursue independent cruiser war. Implementation upon cue word, "Hood."

US Navy Patrol Squadron 52 (VP-52) at Naval Air Station Argentia, Newfoundland sends its eleven PBY-5 Catalina Flying Boats (serviced by seaplane tender USS Albemarle) off in fierce weather to search for Bismarck and Prinz Eugen.

U-103 (KrvKpt. Viktor Schütze), on its fourth patrol out of Lorient and operating off Freetown, sinks 3575-ton Egyptian freighter Radames. This follows a long chase that began at 17:50 on the 23rd. It takes three torpedoes, the first two of which miss.

U-38 (Kptlt. Heinrich Liebe), on its ninth patrol out of Lorient, is operating off Freetown when it torpedoes and sinks 4362-ton British freighter Vulcain.

British 2034-ton tanker Octane hits a mine in the English Channel and is beached near Anthony. The ship is later repaired at Falmouth.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 2846-ton Greek freighter Matronna at Milford Haven. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 711-ton British freighter Sarnia while at anchor at Milford Haven. The freighter is towed to Milford Docks for repairs.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 4270-ton British freighter Cressdene in Mumbles Roads.

U-433 (Oberleutnant zur See Hans Ey) and U-752 (Kapitänleutnant Karl-Ernst Schroeter) are commissioned, U-505 and U-702 are launched, U-446 is laid down.

German raider Atlantis, disguised as Dutch freighter Brastagi, sinks 4530-ton British collier Trafalgar (which also carries two aircraft) off Namibia in the South Atlantic. There are 12 deaths and 33 crew are taken aboard the Atlantis.

"A shell from the British Battlecruiser HMS HOOD lands near the German Battleship BISMARK forming a large white column of water. The black smoke near BISMARCK indicates it has just fired a salvo on the British warships." © IWM (HU 382).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The battle for Crete already is decided, though the British refuse to accept reality. Mediterranean Fleet Commander Admiral Andrew Cunningham already has recognized what is going on. As he reported on 23 May:

The operations of the last four days have been nothing short of a test of strength between the Mediterranean Fleet and the German Air Force. I am afraid that, in the coastal area, we have to admit defeat and accept the fact that losses are too great to justify us in trying to prevent seaborne attacks on Crete. This is a melancholy conclusion, but it must be faced.

If nothing else, this is final and decisive proof of the superiority of air power over naval power. Today, the real-life implications of the loss of naval control become evident.

The Germans begin expanding from their Maleme airfield lodgement in earnest today to the east. The Luftwaffe attacks Allied forces in Kastelli, near Heraklion, paving the way for the 95th Gebirgs Pioneer Battalion to take the town. Incidental to this attack, German paratroopers (Fallschirmjäger) who had been captured there following the initial landings on 20 May manage to escape by killing or capturing their captors (New Zealand officers of the 1st Greek Regiment). The Greek troops put up a fierce defense in the area that lasts for days, but they are low on ammunition and steadily pushed back. The Germans approach Canea.

The Germans make one last attempt at a seaborne landing. At Piraeus, Oberleutnant-zur-See Österlin, who had commanded the abortive landing attempt at the beginning of the invasion which the Royal Navy prevented, tries again. He puts two Panzer II tanks on a wooden lighter and sets out for Crete under tow from tug Kentauros. However, the Luftwaffe spots Royal Navy units nearby, so he aborts this attempt as well and puts in at the island of Kithira. Thus, the Germans on Crete continue to operate without armor, but the British there have only a handful of tanks, so this is not a major issue.

The British still hold Suda Bay. They use it today to land 200 commandos (A and D battalions of British Layforce) aboard fast minelayer Abdiel. The Abdiel then quickly turns around and departs. About 800 additional commandos are on destroyers offshore but cannot be landed due to bad weather.

The Australian 19th Infantry Brigade attacks the German 2nd  Fallschirmjäger Regiment near Retimo. The Germans there are in purely defensive mode, as the entire German invasion focus is on Maleme.

Bismarck firing on Hood and Prince of Wales, Battle of Denmark Strait, 24 May 1941, photographed from Prinz Eugen.

Even as the British retain the self-delusion that the battle on Crete is going well, the Germans are only too happy to crow about their success there. The daily instructions from the Reich Press Chief state:

The special announcement about Crete should form your front-page story. Germany's is one of the boldest military strokes in world history and awakens the pride of the nation. It should be an occasion for emphatic political commentary. Above all, emphasize the contrast between Churchill's initial boastful remarks and the German reporting that began only when factual battle results could be truthfully reported.

The British media, meanwhile, are much more circumspect about the battle and provide dramatic stories about massive losses on both sides. General Ismay, visiting Prime Minister Churchill at Chequers, notes in his memoirs that Churchill is "almost exclusively" interested in the chase of the German battleship Bismarck  despite the situation on Crete being "critical."

About 16 miles south of Sicily, Royal Navy submarine HMS Upholder (Lt-Cdr Malcolm David Wanklyn) penetrates an Axis convoy and damages 4854 ton Vichy French tanker Capitaine Damiani. Upholder also torpedoes and sinks 18,500 ton converted troop ship Conte Rosso. The Conte Rosso sinks within 40 minutes. There are 2729 soldiers and crew on board, and roughly half (1300) perish. The escorts then force Wanklyn to submerge and survive 37 enemy depth charges. The Capitaine Damiani makes it to Naples under tow from tug Goliath. There is some question whether the Upholder makes both attacks on the 24th, one may take place on the 23rd.

The Luftwaffe raids Tobruk. It sinks 76-ton naval drifter Aurora II. While making a nightly run to the port, Royal Navy sloop Grimsby and the small freighter it is escorting are sunk as well.

Admiral Cunningham orders aircraft carrier HMS Formidable to prepare to go to sea. The Formidable is to head to the island of Scarpanto (Karpathos) and attack the Axis airfield there. This will be Operation MAQ3.

Bismarck firing on Hood and Prince of Wales, Battle of Denmark Strait, 24 May 1941, photographed from Prinz Eugen.

Anglo/Finnish Relations: There are talks in Berlin between the OKW and Finnish Chief of Staff Lt. General Erik Heinrichs. It is unclear exactly how definite the Germans are about Operation Barbarossa, but the meeting is congenial along with all other diplomatic relations between the two powers.

Anglo/Irish Relations: According to the War Cabinet minutes, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland John Andrews informs Winston Churchill that the Ulster Unionist Council has approved conscription in Northern Ireland. Andrews tells Churchill that he should do "what His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom thought was best for the Empire."

Anglo/Chinese Relations: Winston Churchill sends Chiang Kai-shek a fulsome telegram in which he states in part, "In our different spheres our two countries are fighting in the ranks of freedom against tyranny and aggression."

US Government: The US Congress passes a bill authorizing construction of 550,000 tons of auxiliary vessels for use by the US Navy.

German Military: The OKW sends trainloads full of troops east in preparation of Operation Barbarossa. This will continue from this point forward until the launch of Operation Barbarossa.

One of the last photographs taken of Hood from her consort HMS Prince of Wales, early morning of 24 May 1941.

British Government: It is Empire Day (later Commonwealth Day), but there is little good news in the Empire aside from schoolchildren who have the day off. Winston Churchill ignores the terrible war news by screening "Seven Sinners" starring Marlene Dietrich at Chequers.

South African Government: Prime Minister Jan Smuts formally becomes a British Field Marshal.

Norwegian Homefront: The occupying German authorities begin arresting union representatives during the Norway Theater Strike.

British Homefront: "War Weapon Week" concludes, with proceeds of £124,000,000 toward purchases of military items.

American Homefront: The Gallup organization releases the results of a poll in the United States:

Do you think President Roosevelt has gone too far in his policies of helping Britain, or not far enough?

The results are 59% "About right," 21% "Too Far," and 20% "Not Far Enough."

Future History: Robert Allen Zimmerman is born in Duluth, Minnesota. He begins forming bands while in high school, and in May 1960 he drops out of college and moves to New York. He develops a following in Greenwich Village clubs, changes his stage name to Bob Dylan, and releases his first album on 19 March 1962. As Bob Dylan, he becomes a major contributor to the '60s folk-rock scene. As of this writing, Bob Dylan remains active in the music business, with regular tours in the US and Europe.

Bismarck on 24 May 1941.

May 1941

May 1, 1941: British Hold Tobruk
May 2, 1941: Anglo-Iraq War
May 3, 1941: Liverpool Hammered
May 4, 1941: Hitler Victory Speech
May 5, 1941: Patriots Day
May 6, 1941: Stalin In Command
May 7, 1941: May Blitz
May 8, 1941: Pinguin Sunk
May 9, 1941: U-110 Captured
May 10, 1941: Hess Flies Into History
May 11, 1941: The Hess Peace Plan
May 12, 1941: Tiger Arrives Safely
May 13, 1941: Keitel's Illegal Order
May 14, 1941: Holocaust in Paris
May 15, 1941: Operation Brevity
May 16, 1941: Blitz Ends
May 17, 1941: Habbaniya Relieved
May 18, 1941: Croatia Partitioned
May 19, 1941: Bismarck at Sea
May 20, 1941: Invasion of Crete
May 21, 1941: Robin Moore Sinking
May 22, 1941: Royal Navy Destruction Off Crete
May 23, 1941: Crete Must Be Won
May 24, 1941: Bismarck Sinks Hood
May 25, 1941: Lütjens' Brilliant Maneuver
May 26, 1941: Bismarck Stopped
May 27, 1941: Bismarck Sunk
May 28, 1941: Crete Lost
May 29, 1941: Royal Navy Mauled Off Crete
May 30, 1941: Sorge Warns, Stalin Ignores
May 31, 1941: British Take Baghdad

2020