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

Friday 23 May 1941

HMS Hood steaming toward the Denmark Strait, on or about 23 May 1941.

Anglo/Iraq War: Adolf Hitler issues Führer Directive No. 30 on 23 May 1941. Reflecting his complete disinterest in ongoing Operation Mercury in the Mediterranean, Directive 30 deals solely with the war in Iraq. Stating the obvious, it states "I have therefore decided to hasten developments in the Middle East by supporting Iraq" and deals mainly with organizational issues. However, it is significant because already Hitler begins hedging his bets against the upcoming invasion of the Soviet Union:

Whether, and if so how, it may be possible, in conjunction with an offensive against the Suez Canal, finally to break the British position between the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf is a question which will be decided only after Barbarossa.

In fact, the situation in Iraq will completely resolve before Operation Barbarossa begins. The only statement in Directive 30 of lasting importance is the opening sentence: "The Arab Freedom Movement is our natural ally against England in the Middle East."

The Luftwaffe already has a presence in Iraq, though it has been worn down already through combat losses. The Italians send eleven Fiat CR-42 fighters of No. 155 Squadron to Iraq from Italy. They arrive in Rhodes today, which is occupied by Italy.

The Luftwaffe based at Mosul strafes British troops advancing from Fallujah toward Baghdad. However, the Iraqi ground troops are rapidly losing ground there. The RAF loses a Gloster Gladiator, but the crew reaches British lines.

European Air Operations: During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends 20 planes on anti-shipping missions. After dark, RAF Bomber Command raids Cologne with 51 planes.

During the early morning hours, Lt Frederick Ronald Bertram Fortt, RNVR, and Lt Denis James Patrick O'Hagan RCNVR disarm a "G" type of Luftwaffe parachute mine at Nuneaton. The mines have a photoelectric boobytrap that explodes when exposed to sunlight, so work has to be done at night. After a lot of digging (the bomb is at 22 feet), the two men remove the primer, magnetic primer and finally the fuse.

Just to show the danger of this type of work, two Royal Navy Bomb & Mine Disposal officers are killed today doing similar work on Malta.

"A spectacle that no Hollywood producer could hope to better. At the head of seven hundred men of his army of many thousands, Dejazmatch Gerressu Duki (called Ras Gerresu by his followers) rides across the Omo river on his white horse, in his green captured Italian uniform." © IWM (K 1982).

East African Campaign: Allied colonial forces cross the Omo River.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-38 (Kptlt. Heinrich Liebe) is on its ninth patrol and shadowing Convoy OB-318 off Freetown, Sierra Leone when it attacks. At 19:51, Liebe sends one torpedo into the port side of the engine room of 6622-ton Dutch motor freighter Berhala. At 20:20, Liebe uses a second torpedo, and the ship sinks within eight minutes. There are three deaths, and the 59 survivors are picked up quickly by an escort.

In Unternehmen Rheinübung, the German battleship Bismarck and cruiser Prinz Eugen enter the Denmark Strait in order to break out into the Atlantic. The channel is only 30-40 miles (48-64 km) wide due to pack ice, and the Royal Navy maintains patrols because it is one of only two possible passages for German warship breakouts.

In the early evening, Royal Navy cruisers HMS Norfolk and Suffolk spot the German ships, and the Germans realize they have been spotted. Admiral Lütjens gives Prinz Eugen discretion to open fire, but the captain of the Prinz Eugen decides the range is too great. At 20:30, Bismarck opens fire but scores no hits. The incident reveals a flaw in Bismarck's design, as the force of the ship's own gun blasts knocks its forward FuMO 23 radar set out of action. Admiral Lütjens thus orders Prinz Eugen into the lead. All four ships are traveling at roughly 27 knots. Thereafter, the British avoid the German ships and fall in behind them.

At 22:00, Bismarck doubles back in order to confront the shadowing British cruisers, who are 14 miles behind. However, Suffolk detects the maneuver on its radar and hides in a fog bank. The ships thereafter maintain course along the coast of Greenland.

HMS Ark Royal, Renown and Sheffield, accompanied by HMS Faulknor, Foresight, Forester, Fortune, Foxhound and Fury, are dispatched to the Atlantic to search for Bismarck. Battlecruiser Hood and battleship Prince of Wales, escorted by destroyers Electra, Anthony, Echo, Icarus, Achates, and Antelope, already are closing on the scene.

The British suggest that Canada and Newfoundland use St. John's, Newfoundland for joint escort services. Newfoundland Command and Newfoundland Escort Force (NEF) is established, although St. John's has no naval facilities at this time and will take time to prepare for full use. Destroyer HMCS Saguenay departs from Greenock and corvettes Aggasiz, Alberni, Chambly, Cobalt, Collingwood, Orillia, and Wetaskiwin depart Halifax immediately for St John's to join NEF. Within weeks, NEF will begin providing continuous close escort all the way across the Atlantic.

Royal Canadian Navy corvette HMCS Quesnel (Lt. John A. Gow) is commissioned, HMCS Woodstock is laid down in Collingwood, Ontario.

USS Grampus (Lt. Commander Edward S. Hutchinson) is commissioned.

Spitfire MkVb, RAF 92 Squadron, Flight Officer Alan Wright, RAF Biggin Hill, May 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The battle on and around Crete continues to go catastrophically for the British. In effect, they lose any chance of holding Crete today.

Operation Mercury, the German invasion of Crete, has developed into a classic confrontation between an air force opposing a navy, and the navy is taking a vicious beating. Royal Navy Mediterranean Commander Admiral Andrew Cunningham admits:

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.

In the evening, Cunningham signals the Admiralty that daylight operations are too hazardous, but their response is to accept the risk.

The Maleme airfield becomes usable for operation by the Luftwaffe as the Allies are pushed back, so the Germans bring in fighters to operate there. The end of the airfield is a tangled mess of dozens of transports that have wrecked immediately upon landing under fire, but the field is no longer under Allied fire.

The Germans also hold a coastal perimeter east of Heraklion. The Luftwaffe sends Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers against New Zealand troops trying to hold a line without any air cover of their own, and this opens a hole in the Allied lines. Luftwaffe General Ramcke exploits this by having his forces break through to Galatas, where the German 3rd Fallschirmjaeger Regiment under Oberst Heidrich forces that attacked Candea Airfield are trapped.

The Germans already have attempted seaborne landings, but they have all been blocked aside from less than a handful of small ships. The Wehrmacht's only means of supplying supplies and reinforcements to Crete is Junkers Ju 52 transport planes, and they are landing in a chaotic fashion at Maleme airfield. They bring in the men of the 100th Mountain Regiment, adding to the few who managed to cross over on the 22nd in the few ships that got to Crete.

HMS Kelly, sunk on 23 May 1941.

Late in the day, the Royal Navy begins pulling ships from their exposed position north of Crete despite the wishes of the Admiralty. Lord Louis Mountbatten, commanding a destroyer flotilla composed of HMS Kashmir, Kelly and Kipling is ordered to round the western coast of Crete and proceed to Alexandria. It is too late, however: the Luftwaffe (24 Junkers Ju 87 Stukas) catches them and bombs and sinks destroyers HMS Kashmir and Kelly. The Kipling dodges 83 bombs and rescues 279 men from the Kashmir and Kelly (on which Mountbatten flew his flag). Mountbatten, on the bridge when the ship flips over immediately after being hit by a bomb amidships, manages to swim out from underneath the wreck and swim to shore. There are 128 survivors of Kelly and about 153 from Kashmir.

As the Kashmir sinks (broke in two), New Zealand-born ordinary seaman Ian Rhodes mans an Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun and shoots down an attacking plane. Rhodes receives the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal for his bravery.

During its rescue mission, Kipling gets too close to the capsized Kelly. The submerged bow of Kelly punctures Kipling's fuel tanks. This slows Kipling's speed, and it departs immediately for Suez with the survivors.

Forces A-1 and C depart from the waters off Crete as well. They are very low on ammunition and fuel. They spend the night sailing to Alexandria.

Air attacks by Luftwaffe fighter-bombers (Jabos) continue on Crete, and at the key naval port of Suda Bay, they sink five Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs) (MTB.67, MTB.213 (Lt G. L. Cotton RNVR), MTB.214, MTB.216 (Lt C. L. Coles RNVR), and MTB.217) there. There are no casualties. The Royal Navy scuttles HMT Kos XXIII at Suda Bay, and the Germans later raise it and return it to service as UJ-2104.

Australian destroyer HMAS Waterhen makes a nightly run to Tobruk with supplies.

The Axis powers also are active at sea, but primarily at search and rescue missions. Luftwaffe floatplanes and Italian MTBs continue searching the sea for troops whose ships sank on the night of the 21st/22nd and pick up another 262 survivors off Cape Spathia.

Winston Churchill reads a despatch from General Sir John Dill, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, during a visit to Luton, England, on 23 May 1941.

In London, the government has a completely incorrect picture of the battle on Crete. The War Cabinet, Defence Committee minutes note that:

The situation appeared to be in hand except for the Maleme area where the Germans had formed a lodgement and airborne landings were taking place. It was unfortunate that the defenders had not been able to stamp out the parachutists in this area and it was essential that the German lodgment west of Canea should be obliterated by vigorous counter-attacks as soon as possible. The Fleet could not protect the island indefinitely from seaborne landings and if the situation could be fully restored while the power of the Fleet lasted, then the enemy would be faced with the prospect of beginning all over again.

The Defence Committee minutes are a masterpiece of admitting, but minimizing, the dire condition of the situation on and around Crete. In fact, the situation is not "in hand" at all, but is deteriorating hourly.

The Defence Committee minutes also reflect Winston Churchill's continued slights of Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell. The evening's minutes note:

The Prime Minister... was somewhat surprised to see that General Wavell referred to Crete as a "commitment," when the island was, in reality, part of this outpost position in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Wavell is correct, defending Crete is a commitment to the Greek people in addition to housing British bases. This is another in a string of incidents in which Churchill interprets things in the worst possible light for Wavell's reputation.

Separately, Churchill cables Wavell and tells him, in part, "Crete battle must be won." He adds, "Hope you will reinforce Crete every night to the fullest extent." He adds a personal message for Wavell to pass on to Crete commander General Freyberg: "The whole world is watching your splendid battle, on which great events turn."

"Prime Minister Winston Churchill talks by wireless telephone from the turret of a Churchill I during a demonstration of the tank at Vauxhall's at Luton, England, on 23 May 1941. He wears a beret of the Royal Tank Regiment." © IWM (H 11842).

Privately, Churchill already is blaming Wavell for the loss of Crete. Churchill's private secretary John Colville notes in his diary that, following a tank inspection, Churchill, he writes:

laments very strongly that the tanks which he asked Wavell to send to Crete were not sent. They might have made the whole difference to the battle.

Wavell is now faced with three separate fronts: in Crete, on the Libyan border, and now in Syria. So far, the tanks brought by the Tiger Convoy have not been allocated to any of those sectors.

French gunboat Meuliere wrecks off Ajaccio, Corsica.

The Luftwaffe lays mines in the Suez Canal.

Greek King George II arrives safely in Alexandria along with his government.

War Crimes: Survivors of the sinkings of the Kelly and Kashmir in the waters off Crete later report that Luftwaffe planes intentionally machine-gunned survivors in the water. These reports always must be taken with a grain of salt, because it is usually impossible to prove that killing survivors is the intent of such fire - but that is the testimony of witnesses who were fired upon.

Propaganda Wars: Gustav Siegfried Eins (GS1), a British "black propaganda" station which purports to be run by extremist German diehards, begins broadcasting. It uses colorful language, calling Winston Churchill "a flat-footed bastard of a drunken old Jew," part of its strategy to offend ordinary Germans and collaborators with its over-the-top militaristic and hateful rhetoric.

"Winston Churchill in the turret of a Churchill I tank during a demonstration of the new vehicle at Vauxhall's at Luton, 23 May 1941." © IWM (H 9922).

Special Operations: The Italian Navy sends submarine Scirè past Gibraltar into the Atlantic. It heads straight for Cadiz, where there is an interned Italian tanker (6504-ton Fulgor). The plan is to take the interned crew off the Fulgor and bring them to safety. Scire also carries midgets submarines for later attacks on Royal Navy ships anchored at Gibraltar.

The British Special Operations Executive (SOE) sends a female agent, Chilean citizen Gillian Gerson, into the unoccupied zone of Vichy France.

Anglo/Vichy French Relations: Winston Churchill sends General Ismay a memo in which he states that any "arrangements" with the French Admiral at Alexandria are "suspended" due to the use by the Luftwaffe of airfields in Syria. Thus, he orders:

We should now seize the French ships by complete surprise, killing without hesitation all who withstand us. It should be possible to cut off a good man of the crews while on shore.

The French ships have been interned in Alexandria without any incidents since the fall of France.

Valentine Infantry Tank Mk. III, under construction in Montreal, 23 May 1941.  (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 31925884).

Anglo/Spanish Relations: Churchill's secretary, Alexander Cadogan, notes in his diary that he overhead the Defence Committee deciding that it was "wasn't worth the risk" to bomb a German freighter heading north within Spanish territorial waters.

German/Finnish Relations: The Finns send a military delegation led by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Erik Heinrichs to Germany. This is to coordinate activities related to Operation Barbarossa, still scheduled for 22 June 1941. It is fair to say that, at this point, German/Finnish relations are roughly comparable to Anglo/US relations in terms of military coordination.

German Government: The Economic Staff, East, Agricultural Group, part of Hermann Goering's economic apparatus, renders a top-secret report in preparation for Operation Barbarossa. It contains a set of policy directives for the economic exploitation of Soviet agriculture. The gist of the directives is to turn agricultural regions of the (conquered) Soviet Union into industry-free zones so that food production for the benefit of the Reich is maximized. The death of uncounted Soviet citizens from starvation due to diversion of food to the Reich is accepted as inevitable.

USS Trippe (DD-403) at the Boston Navy Yard, 23 May 1941.

Vichy French Homefront: Vice Premier Admiral Francois Darlan makes a radio broadcast in which he states in part that, in order to achieve:

ameliorations of the consequences of defeat and of the conditions of the armistice. . . . It is necessary for her to choose between life and death. The Marshal [Petain] and the Government have chosen life.

This continues the slow drift of the Vichy French government toward outright collaboration with the occupying Germans.

Norwegian Homefront: The Norway Theater Strike continues after a vote of directors and actors in Oslo. This is despite the German threats of reprisals.

British Homefront: Herbert Austin, 1st Baron Austin passes away at age 74. Known familiarly as Sir Herbert Austin, he is a former MP and, more significantly, he was one of the most famous automobile pioneers. Austin Car Works in Longbridge is one of the greatest car plants of the 1930s and 1940s, and during World War II makes aircraft; Horsa glider fuselages; specialist army vehicles; hydraulic motors for gun turrets; ammunition boxes, magazines for machine guns, Tommy guns, Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns; marine engines for ships lifeboats; and pressings for jerrycans. During the late 1930s, Austin coordinated a plan by the Air Ministry to treble aircraft production by converting motor vehicle manufacturers to aircraft producers via grants and loans (a similar program takes root in the United States). Among other things, the Northfield bypass is called "Sir Herbert Austin Way" after him.

American Homefront: World heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis retains his title with a win over Buddy Baer by disqualification in the seventh round at Griffith Stadium in Washington. The referee makes the disqualification due to stalling by Baer's manager. This is the last of Louis' "Bum of the Month Club" string of title defenses against low-ranked opponents. Baer is the brother of former heavyweight champion Max Baer.

"Too Many Blondes" starring Rudy Vallee, Helen Parrish, Lon Chaney Jr, Jerome Cowan, Shemp Howard, Iris Adrian, and Eddie Quillan premieres.

"Two ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) trainee motorcycle despatch riders and a Royal Army Service Corps instructor at York, 23 May 1941." © IWM (H 9941).

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