This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

[parsifal]

29 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
S-Boat S-43

Mined north of Moon Sound 26.06.1941

Neutral
Soviet Stalinec Class Sub S-34

Sister Boat S-33 pictured. Lost after 8 November 1941 off the Bulgarian coast near Sizopol. Possibly lost on mines on 12/13 November off Cape Emine. Two crewmembers bodies were found on 14 November 1941 on the Bulgarian shore. All hands (51 men) lost.

Allied
HDMLs 1009 and 1034
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
Barge EMMA (UK 81 grt) was lost and steamer GRENAA was damaged on mines at Rotherhithe There were no casualties on the barge whose stern was blown off by the blast.. She was grounded and considered not repairable. On steamer GRENAA, four crew were killed and three crew missing from a nineteen man crew. Steamer GRENAA was temporarily repaired on the beach at North Woolwich. She was later drydocked.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Tanker OILTRADER (UK 5550 grt) was sunk by the LW German bombing Nth Sea. .
The entire crew was rescued.

U.46 sank steamer LIGURIA (SD 1751 grt) from convoy OB.302 in the Nth Atlantic sth of Iceland. The steamer had sailed in convoy OG.56, but became a straggler. The steamer later joined convoy OB.302. 18 crew were missing and one died of wounds. Ten survivors from the steamer were rescued and arrived at Liverpool. Carrying a load of coal at the time of her loss, and on passage from London to Las Palmas, with a crew of 26 at the time of her loss. At 1750 hrs the unescorted LIGURIA, a straggler from convoy OB-302, was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-46 and sank within 6 mins after breaking in two about 300 miles SSW of Reykjavik. During the afternoon on 3 April, the ATHENIC came across the survivors and picked up eight men from a raft and three more from a small dinghy. Their food had run out and all were frost-bitten from the knees downwards. The second engineer died of exposure shortly thereafter and was buried at sea. On 4 April, the ship was herself torpedoed and sunk by U-767 (von Hippel), but there were no casualties and the next day all survivors were picked up by Corvette HMS ARBUTUS and landed at Liverpool on 8 April.

Steamer DUBAC (Yug 2880 grt) was seized by Italian authorities on the steamer's arrival at Genoa.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Trawler KIMBERLEY (UK 190 grt) was sunk by the LW 22 miles SE of Flamborough Hd. The entire crew of the trawler were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Trawler EXETER (UK 165 grt) was sunk by the LW five miles sw of Ballycotton. The entire crew of the trawler were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Trawler HORACE E. NUTTEN (UK 209grt) was lost to a cause unknown in Moray Firth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.48 made attacks on convoy HX.115.

Steamer GERMANIC (UK 5352 grt) was sunk in the Nth Atlantic, sth of Iceland. Four crew were lost on the steamer. She was fully laden with wheat and on passage from Halifax to Liverpool. She had a complement of a 40 when she went down. At 0627 hrs, U-48 fired one torpedo at the British steam merchant MASUNDA of HX-115, about 170 miles south of Reykjavik, but the ship evaded the torpedo that missed ahead and the Germans claimed it struck the British motor tkr ATHELPRINCE beyond. However, SS HYLTON was the ship actually hit by the torpedo. They had seen its track approaching from the port quarter too late before it struck at the after end of the engine room just forward of #4 hold. The explosion threw up a huge column of water and debris, wrecked the engine, killed the four men on watch below and injured six crew members. No distress signals were sent because the aerials were gone. While the ship settled by the stern, the master, 34 crew members and one gunner (the ship was armed with one 4in and two machine guns) began to abandon ship in the starboard lifeboat as the other on the port side had been destroyed. The injured men were lowered into the boat lying alongside, one of them had been found lying on deck with a badly battered face after he apparently had been struck by debris of the port lifeboat. After ten minutes the boat left after everyone except the engine room staff was accounted for, but returned 15 minutes later when they saw a light flashed aboard. The chief and second engineer had been knocked unconscious as they were both in the vicinity of the explosion and recovered only after the boat left, suffering from severe shock but were otherwise not badly injured. They were taken aboard and the boat waited nearby in order to reboard their ship at daylight. At dawn the abandoned HYLTON was spotted in some distance and her survivors rowed over to the lifeboat of GEREMANIC to ask if some men could be transferred from their overcrowded boat, but they were also filled to capacity. Soon DD SABRE appeared and towed both lifeboats back to their vessels to check if they could be saved. The master wanted to go back aboard to recover some of the gear and asked a nearby armed trawler to take the injured men and the Arab crew members off first, but the trawler left to assist in the hunt for the U-boat. The survivors from both ships were eventually picked up by Corvette DIANELLA and landed at Londonderry. While they were taken aboard the wreck of GERMANIC sank by the stern at about 12.30 hours.

Steamer LIMBOURG (Be 2483 grt) was sunk sth of Iceland in the Nth Atlantic. There were only two survivors from the steamer. Fully laden with a cargo of phoshates and on passage from .Curaçao to Aberdeen, via Bermuda and Halifax, she had a crew of 24 at the time of her loss. At 0655 hrs the LIMBOURG of convoy HX-115 was hit on the starboard side amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-48 and sank within one minute with a heavy list to starboard about 170 miles sth of Reykjavik, Iceland. She sank so fast that only two crew members survived: one of the stewards was thrown overboard by the explosion and the able seaman Polydore Paeye rescued himself on a raft which had been damaged when struck by one half of the destroyed starboard lifeboat. Paeye had seen the U-boat astern about 30 minutes before the attack, so close that it cut the log line but the 4in gun on the stern was not manned (the ship was also armed with two machine guns). At about 13.00 hours, the survivors were picked up by Corvette KINGCUP.

Steamer HYLTON (UK 5197grt) was sunk by U-48. See the details above. The entire crew were rescued. On passage from Vancouver to the Tyne via Panama and Halifax, she was fully laden with wheat when sunk and had a crew of 43. No crew were lost when she went down. At 0619 hrs the HYLTON was hit on the starboard side amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-48 about 170 miles sth of Reykjavik, Iceland.. The torpedo apparently penetrated one of the side fuel tanks, the engine room and exploded in the #2 deep tank that held 900 tons of wheat. The engines were stopped at once and the ship took a heavy list to starboard. As the davits of the starboard lifeboat and the jolly boat had been destroyed, the crew stood by the port lifeboat until the order to abandon ship was given 30 mins after the hit with a view to get the boat away before the list rendered this impossible. The master, the commodore, six naval staff members, 33 crew members and two gunners abandoned ship in the only remaining boat in slight sea with the intent to stand by until daylight. Son appeared and towed the lifeboat back to HYLTONwhich was kept afloat by the cargo of lumber with the after deck submerged. However, the sea had increased during the night and parts of the deck cargo were floating around the ship that made boarding too dangerous. The wreck of HYLTONwas scuttled by with gunfire at about 1400 hrs. In the meantime the survivors from both ships were picked up by and landed at Londonderry.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-110

Departures
Lorient: U-94, U-107

At Sea 29 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-124

14 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Waters
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow before noon to meet convoy WN.5 in the Pentland Firth. She provided cover to this convoy until meeting convoy EN.93 off Buchan Ness just before midnight, continuing with it until Pentland Firth. CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow on the afternoon of the 30th.

Western Approaches
Norwegian steamer VENI was damaged by the LW in the western Approaches. The steamer was repaired at Grangemouth.

Channel
ML ABDIEL with escort DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, KELVIN, and JACKAL, laid mines in minefield GY in the English Channel.

Med/Biscay
Damaged RM BB VENETO, , arrived at Taranto.

Lt C. W. R. Peever and Sub Lt A. C. Wallace RNVR, of 803 Sqn shot down a LW Ju.88 LR fighter CV FORMIDABLE. Wallace's Fulmar was damaged in the encounter and landed in the sea. Wallace and Leading Airman F. P. Dooley were rescued by DD HASTY. CL AJAX and RAN CL PERTH were detached from the Fleet to cover LUSTRE convoys in the Aegean. CLA BONAVENTURE and DDs DECOY and RAN WATERHEN joined the Battle Force. BONAVENTURE was detached to convoy GA.8 to arrive at daylight on the 30th. DD DAINTY joined convoy AN.23. RAN DD WATERHEN returned to Alexandria.

DDs STUART (RAN), GRIFFIN, and HEREWARD were detached to Piraeus and departed later that day with convoy GA.8 of supply ship BRECONSHIRE and British steamers CAMERONIA. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 31st.

DDs DEFENDER and HASTY were sent to Suda Bay to escort damaged MARIE MAERSK (8271grt) and British steamer DUMANA (8427grt) to Piraeus.

CL SHEFFIELD, CVE ARGUS, submarine depot ship MAIDSTONE, troopship HIGHLAND MONARCH, and DDs NAPIER, NIZAM (both RAN), WRESTLER, and VELOX arrived at Gibraltar

Central Atlantic
DKM tanker NORDMARK replenished U.105 and U.106 at sea.

Convoy SL.70 departed Freetown escorted by CL DRAGON to 31 March, corvette CALENDULA to 4 April, and ASWs KELT and PICT to 4 April. AMC BULOLO relieved cruiser DRAGON on the 31st and continued to 19 April. CL BIRMINGHAM joined on 5 April and escorted to 20 April. Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE joined on the 19th to 23 April.

DDs BEAGLE to 23 April, HARVESTER for day only, ST FRANCIS to 23 April, and WINCHELSEA for day only, corvettes HEATHER, HEPATICA, ORCHIS, and WINDFLOWER for the day only joined on 20 April. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 23 April.

Sth Atlantic
USN CA VINCENNES arrived Simonstown from Pernambuco, having departed on the 17th. The cruiser departed the next day for New York with a large gold bullion shipment. The cruiser arrived in New York on 16 April

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Mauritius.

Pacific/Australia
CL DANAE arrived at Penang.

Malta
Weather Fine.

2025-2028 hrs, 2115-2217 hrs, 0037-0352 hrs, 0315-0330 hrs A series of air raid alerts sounds during the night for eight aircraft which come in singly at long intervals. They drop bombs on various localities, including Tarxien, between Rocco and Pietru, on open country near Mgarr and an anti-aircraft position at Tigne causing slight damage and no casualties. Tactics employed in the last two raids resemble the 'tip and run' tactics of Italian air forces.

AIR HQ 69 Squadron 0900 hrs Maryland despatched on reconnaissance for enemy shipping east of Malta at the request of the Commander in Chief did not return. A communication is received from BAF Greece that the Maryland force-landed at Zante; the pilot F/O Ainley was killed, one crew member seriously injured and the other slightly hurt. 1230-1507 hrs Maryland reconnaissance between Malta and Tunisian coast for enemy shipping.

 

[Njaco]

March 29 Saturday
WESTERN FRONT: Vichy France established an office to deal with Jewish affairs, placing Xavier Vallat at its helm.

MEDITERRANEAN: The Battle of Cape Matapan: British battleships HMS "Barham", HMS "Valiant", and HMS "Warspite" continued to shell the Italian fleet off Cape Matapan, Greece. At 0400 hours, British destroyers HMS "Jervis" and HMS "Nubian" approached damaged Italian cruiser "Pola", captured her crew, and sank her with torpedoes. Fearing Luftwaffe air strikes, Allied ships depart at daybreak after picking up 905 survivors (16 Stukas attack later, unsuccessfully). Royal Navy signals the location of the survivors still in the water allowing Italian hospital ship "Gradisca" to rescue 160 more. The Battle of Cape Matapan would close with 5 Italian warships lost, killing 2,303 men; the British suffered only 3 killed, the air crew of a single torpedo bomber lost on 28 Mar 1941.

NORTH AFRICA: After 3 days of sandstorms which have immobilized both sides, Rommel moves more tanks up to El Agheila while the Luftwaffe bombs Allied positions (destroying a train carrying vital petroleum for the British armour). German tanks and armored cars advanced at El Agheila, Libya, engaging British counterparts in the desert between El Agheila and Mersa Brega.

Operation Canvas. Nigerian brigade withdraws, allowing 1st South African Brigade to lead the 11th African Division charge into Ethiopia. Italians retreating from Harar to Diredawa have demolished bridges and blown away whole sections of the mountainside where the road runs 2,000 feet down a cliff. South Africans overcome these obstacles in 2 days and capture Diredawa, 33 miles North of Harar. Diredawa lies on the railway to Addis Ababa (opening the way to the capital) and has an airfield to bring in supplies. The local Italian population has appealed to the British for help because of atrocities committed by deserters from the native forces after the Italian part of the garrison has withdrawn.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-48 attacked Allied convoy HX-115 120 miles south of Iceland between 0619 and 0806 hours, sinking 3 freighters. Most survivors were picked up by British corvette HMS "Dianella".

German submarine U-46 sank Swedish ship "Liguria" 300 miles southwest of Iceland at 1750 hours; 19 were killed, 10 survived.

GERMANY: Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka again met with German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop in Berlin, Germany. Ribbentrop offered Matsuoka that, should the Soviet Union attack Japan while Japan embarked on a military campaign against British possessions in Asia, Germany would lend military assistance. Matsuoka countered, noting that the Soviet Union seemed to be friendly toward Japan.

NORTH AMERICA: After 2 months and 14 separate meetings, the US and British staff conference ends with a basic framework for US-British co-operation should the USA be drawn in to the war. Most importantly an agreement was made that Germany should be defeated first.

.

 

[parsifal]

30 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS ZINNIA (K-98)

HDML 1019
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
U.69 sank steamer COULTARN (UK 3759 grt) from convoy OB.302. Three crew were lost on the steamer. On passage from Hull to mobile, in ballast, with a crew of 42. 3 of the crew were lost. At 0734 hrs the COULTARN in convoy OB-302 was torpedoed and sunk by U-69 SW of Iceland. The master, 34 crew members and four gunners were picked up by the AMC CALIFORNIA.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.124 sank steamer UMONA (UK 3767 grt) 90 miles SW of Freetown.100 passengers and crew were lost on the steamer from a complement of 105 (there were just 5 survivors). She was on passage from Durban to London via Freetown when lost, and was carrying a cargo of maize and jam. At 2301 hrs the unescorted UMONA was hit on port side underneath the aft mast by one G7e torpedo from U-124 and sank immediately after being hit eight minutes later by a coup de grace. One gunner and one passenger were picked up after 13 days by the British steame LORCA and landed at Freetown on 13 April. On 7 April, three Indian crew members were picked up by DD FOXHOUND, escort of convoy WS-7, in 07°25N/13°55W and landed at Freetown the next day.

Trawler NISUS (UK 210 grt) was lost to an unknown cause in Faroese waters.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
At Sea 30 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-124

14 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
After repairs of her collision of 23 December 1940, AA ship ALYNBANK departed Rosyth escorting convoy EN.93 A, and arrived at Scapa Flow at 0730 on 1 April.

Northern Waters
DD ECHO arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth on completion of boiler cleaning. ow at 0730 on 1 April.

West Coast
OB.304 departed Liverpool, escort DDs CHELSEA, HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, HURRICANE, and VIVIEN sloop SCARBOROUGH, and corvettes ARBUTUS and CONVOLVULUS. DDs VERITY and WOLVERINE joined on 1 April. On 3 April, DDs HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, HURRICANE, VERITY, and VIVIEN were detached. The remainder of the escort was detached on 4 April at which time the convoy dispersed.

SW Approaches
BC HOOD and CLs NIGERIA and FIJI were patrolling the UK to Gibraltar convoy route.

Channel

Med/Biscay
The Med Flt arrived at Alexandria after the Battle of Matapan. BBs WARSPITE, BARHAM, and VALIANT, CV FORMIDABLE, CLs ORION and GLOUCESTER, and DDs JERVIS, JUNO, JANUS, JAGUAR, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, GREYHOUND, ILEX, HOTSPUR, and HAVOCK arrived at Alexandria at dusk on the 30th.

Submarine RORQUAL sank steamer LAURA CORRADO (Ger 3645 grt) forty miles nth of Trapani.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

A Vichy French convoy of six steamers, escorted by DD SIMOUN, departed Casablanca for Oran. In Operation RATION, CL SHEFFIELD and DDs FAULKNOR, FURY, FEARLESS, and FORESTER departed Gibraltar to intercept French convoy K.42 which included Vichy steamer BANGKOK, thought to be carrying 3000 tons of rubber, AZROU, CAP VARELLA, and SAN DIEGO. The convoy had departed Casablanca on the 28th. DD FEARLESS was unable to board the steamer when the French ships took cover under the French coastal battery at Nemours (on ther Algerian coast). Returning to Gibraltar, CL SHEFFIELD was damaged by a near miss from French bombing. The damage from this incident and the mining of 17 March required five days repair. DD FORESTER was damaged by bombing from Vichy controlled a/c. The DD was repaired in 28 days at Gibraltar.

DD HIGHLANDER arrived at Gibraltar for duty with Force H and later in the Sth Atlantic.

Submarine depot ship MAIDSTONE provided support for SubFlot 8 at Gibraltar, replacing the obsolete PIGMY, which was paid off on 1 April.

Nth Atlantic
SC.27 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC SALOPIAN and DDs BUXTON and ST CROIX. The DDs were detached the next day and the AMC on 12 April. On 13 April, DDs KEPPEL and VENOMOUS, corvettes DIANELLA, KINGCUP, and SUNFLOWER, and ASW yacht PHILANTE joined the escort for the inbound run. DD LINCOLN joined on 15 April. On 17 April, DD KEPPEL and corvette KINGCUP were detached. The remainder of the escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 18 April.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
MSWs ABERDARE and HARROW departed Bombay for Alexandria and duty with the Med Flt. Italian steamer PIAVE departed Massawa and proceeded to Assab.

Malta
Weather Fine.

0610-0640 hrs Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which approach the Island and drop bombs near Imgarr and on the Hal Far and Birzebbuga areas.

1000-1010 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft on reconnaissance at 24000 feet. Four Hurricanes are scrambled; no interception. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

1645-1725 hrs Air raid alert. A formation of 20 ME 109 and CR 42 fighters patrols five miles off Grand Harbour at 16000 feet to draw Malta Hurricanes while four JU 88 bombers, escorted by another four ME 109s come over the Island at 17000 feet and bomb Ta Qali aerodrome. Most bombs miss the target; only two fall on the aerodrome, including one at the east end which fails to explode. One Hurricane on the ground is slightly damaged. Twelve Hurricanes are airborne but the raiders evade contact.

 

[Njaco]

March 30 Sunday
GERMANY: Hitler held a conference in the Cabinet Room of the Chancellery in Berlin with 250 top commanders in which he said that the upcoming war with Russia would be a race war in which communist commissars and Jews would be exterminated by SS Einsatzgruppen following behind the advancing armies. In a lengthy speech, Hitler stated he expected the Soviet Union to be defeated in a matter of weeks and declared;

"We have only to kick in the door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down."

He makes it plain to them that the war in the east is to be conducted along different lines to any previous operation. There is to be no talk of proper "knightly" behavior and commissars and Communists are to be treated with utmost severity. Hitler told his assembled commanders of his intention to "exterminate" communism "for all time". Hitler also approves the army plans for the attack on Yugoslavia and Greece, to begin on April 6th.

NORTH AMERICA: The first Vultee A-31 Vengeance prototype V-72 flew from Vultee's factory at Downey, California.

Construction of defenses for the US Navy base at Palmyra and Jonston Islands began.

At a conference in Washington DC, United States, the US and the United Kingdom agreed on military coordination in the event of US entry into the war. In accordance to another agreement made in the conference, the Americans seized 2 German, 26 Italian, and 35 Danish ships in US ports; 850 Italian and 63 German officers and men were imprisoned.

NORTH AFRICA: An aircraft carrying British Air Marshal Arthur Tedder crash-landed in the Western Sahara; Tedder was not injured.

Correctly discerning that the British forces are weakly dispersed in positions which prevent mutual support, Rommel brings his forces forward from El Agheila toward Mersa Brega. Only part of 2nd Armored Division is ready to oppose him. The bulk of the Australian Division is near Benghazi and the remainder is back at Tobruk. British 2nd Armoured Division is reinforcing defenses on the narrow coastal defile at Mersa Brega. In order to prevent the Allied defenses becoming impregnable and to secure a source of fresh water running off the Green Mountain (Jebel Achdar), Rommel orders 5th Light Division commander General Johannes Streich to capture Mersa Brega.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-69 sank British ship "Coultarn" 300 miles southwest of Iceland at 0734 hours, killing 3. 39 survivors were later picked up by British armed merchant cruiser HMS "California".

German submarine U-124 sank British ship "Umona" 90 miles southwest of Freetown, Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 2300 hours. 102 were killed and 5 survived.

WESTERN FRONT: The British RAF launched 109 aircraft after sundown to attack German cruisers "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" at Brest, France. This was the first of 63 raids on the battlecruisers by bombers and torpedo planes during 1941. The ships, which were spotted by a Spitfire on March 28, escape unharmed.

MEDITERRANEAN: British submarine HMS "Rorqual" sank Italian tanker "Laura Corrado" 33 miles northwest of Trapani, Sicily, Italy with torpedoes and the deck gun.

Italian submarine "Dagabur" attacked British cruiser HMS "Bonaventure", escorting Allied convoy GA-8, in the Mediterranean Sea between Crete, Greece and Egypt at 2027 hours. The attack failed to damage the British ship.

UNITED KINGDOM: A German Lorenz cipher machine operator sends a 4,000-character message twice, allowing British mathematician Bill Tutte to decipher the machine's coding mechanism. Churchill learns that, following Yugoslav signature of Axis Pact, 3 Panzer divisions have been railed from Rumania to Southern Poland - indicating firm intention to invade USSR - then returned to Balkans after Yugoslav revolution - indicating punitive expedition against Belgrade.

A Junkers Ju 88A (4U+GH) from 1(F)./123 was shot down by Flight Lieutenant A.D.J. Lovel DFC in a Spitfire of RAF No 41 Squadron during a reconnaissance of Manchester. The aircraft dived into the ground at Wilton Moor, Eston, Yorkshire 1550 hours and Lt W. Schloth, Lt O. Meinhold, Fw W. Schmigale and Uffz H. Steigerwald were all killed.

.

 

[parsifal]

31 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIC U-331
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 9,135 GRT, 1 warship sunk, total tonnage 31,100 tons, 1 warship damaged, total tonnage 372 tons

U-331 at La Spezia
Sunk on 17 November 1942 in the Med, NW of Algiers, by a torpedo from a British Albacore aircraft (820 Sqn FAA) and strafing by two British Martlets (893 Sqn FAA) from the CV FORMIDABLE, after being badly damaged by DCs and strafing from three British Hudsons (500 Sqn RAF/C, L & Z). 32 dead and 17 survivors.

U-331 commander von Tiesenhausen receiving his Knight's Cross after sinking the RN BB HMS BARHAM

Neutral
Mackerel Class Submarine USS MACKEREL (SS 204)

Allied
KGV Class BB PRINCE OF WALES (BB53)

A fine ship committed to one battle with far too little preparation and another with far too little support. On both occasions, these shortcomings were avoidable

Fairmile B HNoMS ML 233 (ML 233)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
MSW trawler LORD SELBORNE (RN 247 grt) was sunk by mining three miles 102° from Spurn Head Port War Signal Station. 16 of the crew were lost
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.46 sank tanker CASTOR (SD 8714 grt) in the mid Nth Atlantic. The vessel was on passage from Port Arthur (Texas) to Goteborg, fully laden with fuel and benzol fuel additive. She had a crew of 36 at the time of her loss 15 of whom were lost.

steam drifter HELPMATE (UK 76 grt) was lost to an unknown cause off Newlyn, Cornwall.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Trawler ONTARIO (UK 208 grt) was sunk by the LW in the western approaches. The entire crew of the trawler were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-52

At Sea 31 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-124

14 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
British trawler RATTRAY was damaged by the LW two miles ESE of Hook Pt (in the Nth Sea near Aberdeen).

Northern Patrol
CLA DIDO and CL AURORA arrived at Scapa Flow from patrol in the Faroes-Iceland Channel.

Northern Waters
BB KG V, escorted by DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU, arrived at Scapa Flow after her stint escorting convoy HX.115.

Channel
DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, and IMPULSIVE, escorted by DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, KELVIN, and JACKAL, laid minefield GZ in the English Channel.

Med/Biscay
Steamer UNA (Yug 1397 grt) was seized by Italian authorities on the steamer's arrival at Genoa.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Dido class CLA BONAVENTURE (RN 5600 grt) was escorting convoy GA.8 since 30 March with CLA CARLISLE and DDs HEREWARD, GRIFFIN, and RAN STUART. The convoy was also being covered by CLs AJAX and RAN PERTH. RM submarine DAGABUR made an attack on CLA BONAVENTURE at 2027 on the 30th, which missed the target. RM submarine AMBRA attacked this convoy at 0244 on the 31st and sank CLA BONAVENTURE and narrowly missed RAN STUART. 139 of the 450 man crew were lost. The 310 survivors were picked up by DDs HEREWARD and RAN STUART. STUART also carried out ASW sweeps to try and locate the attackers.

DD GREYHOUND departed Alexandria and joined DD GRIFFIN of the GA.8 escort and then proceeded to Port Said. GRIFFIN and GREYHOUND were to be based at Suez to counter the threat of attack by the RM DDs at Massawa.

Gunboats APHIS and GNAT were stationed at Suez on this same duty.

Mameli Class Submarine PIER CAPPONI (RM 810 grt) was sunk by RN submarine RORQUAL south of Stromboli (a small island NNW of Messina).

A Swordfish of 815 Sqn from Maleme ditched off Kithera Island. Lt (A) E. D. J. R. L. Whatley and P/Midshipman (A) F. T. C. Wallington RNVR, were rescued.

Nth Atlantic
HX.118 departed Halifax escort AMC WOLFE. On 3 April, BB RAMILLIES and FNFL sub SURCOUF were with the convoy. The submarine was detached on 9 April and the BB on 10 April. On 13 April, DDs CALDWELL, RAMSEY, RIPLEY, VOLUNTEER, and WALKER and corvettes KINGCUP and TULIP joined the escort. The corvettes were with the convoy for that day only. The AMC and RAMSEY were detached on 14 April. The remaining escort was detached with the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 18 April

Central Atlantic
Tanker JOLE FASSIO (FI 5169 grt) was scuttled at Puerto Cabello in Venezuala. She was later raised and put into US service as ALCIBIADES

Tanker JOLE FASSIO & Tanker TROTTIERA From a contemporary Sth American Newspaper. I don't know which one is which

Tanker TROTTIERA (FI 6205 grt) was also scuttled at Puerto Cabello. There is no record of her wreck being raised.
(New Image source: Con la pelle appesa a un chiodo: Trottiera )

Sth Atlantic
Steamer FELLA (FI 6072 grt) was scuttled at Punta Arenas in Chile's far south where the ship had been trapped since Italy joined the war.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
RM DDs LEONE, PANTERA, and TIGRE departed Massawa to bombard Port Sudan. However DD LEONE (RM 2300 grt) ran aground near Massawa on 1 April and PANTERA and TIGRE scuttled her with gunfire. The two remaining DDs then returned to Massawa.

Malta
0500-0900 hrs Several enemy reconnaissance flights are carried out to either side of Malta. No attacks or engagements.

1137-1143 hrs Air raid alert for a small enemy formation carrying out reconnaissance around the Island without crossing the coast. Eight Hurricanes are scrambled; no engagement.

Western Desert
German 5th Light Division attacked British 2nd Armoured Division at Mersa Brega, Libya starting at 0745 hours, supported by dive bombers. After holding off the offensive for most of the day, German tanks broke through at 1730 hours, capturing the town by 1900 hours. As the sun slowly set, British commanders decided not to counterattack with their tanks, but instead withdraw 30 miles northeast toward Agedabia. The day's engagement cost the British 60 men killed, 8 armored carriers destroyed, and 1 anti-aircraft gun destroyed.

 

[Njaco]

March 31 Monday
UNITED KINGDOM: HMS "Prince of Wales" was commissioned into service.

By the light of seventy-four parachute flares, forty-seven Luftwaffe bombers attacked Hull. They dropped thirty-nine tonnes of HE (forty-three bombs) and 22,688 IBs. The concentration point lay between the City Docks and Alexandra Dock, however damage at the docks was only slight. Police premises and the Infirmary were hit. One large fire was started in the north east of the town besides numerous large and small fires in the docks area. A number of public buildings were destroyed or damaged. HE and PMs fell in almost every section of the city, water mains broken, roads blocked by falling buildings and main streets strewn with glass. 500 houses were made uninhabitable, while another 2,000 were damaged. Several industrial undertakings were also put out of action. Many casualties were reported, forty-four of them fatal and seventy-two seriously injured, many of the fatalities occurred in Alexandra Road, the Ferensway shelter and Freehold Street. East Hull fire station was damaged.

WESTERN FRONT: British Army Dental Corps Private Coe arrived in Switzerland after escaping from a German prisoner of war camp. He was the first to successfully do so.

NORTH AFRICA: German 5th Light Division attacked British 2nd Armoured Division at Mersa Brega, Libya starting at 0745 hours, supported by dive bombers. After holding off the offensive for most of the day, at 1730 hours German 8th Machine Gun Battalion advanced through sand dunes by the seashore and entered Mersa Brega by 1900 hours gaining Bren gun-carriers and 30 lorries. As the sun slowly set, British commanders decided not to counterattack with their tanks, but instead withdraw 30 miles northeast toward Agedabia. The day's engagement cost the British 60 men killed, 8 armored carriers destroyed, and 1 anti-aircraft gun destroyed. The few tanks with the 2nd Armored Division do not join the battle.

British and Indian troops broke through the roadblocks on the road between Keren and Asmara in Eritrea, Italian East Africa, capturing 560 Italian troops. Continuing the push south, Indian 5th Infantry Division engaged Italian troops near Adi Tekelezan, which was less than 50 kilometers from Asmara and was the last town before Asmara. To the east, Italian destroyers "Leone", "Pantera", and "Tigre" departed Massawa, Eritrea to attack British port facilities at Port Sudan, British Sudan. "Leone" struck underwater rocks en route, and "Pantera" and "Tigre" were forced to sink "Leone" by gunfire, and the attack was called off with two surviving ships heading back to Massawa.

MEDITERRANEAN: Italian submarine "Ambra" sank British cruiser HMS "Bonaventure" 125 miles south of Crete, Greece at 0244 hours. "Bonaventure" was escorting Allied convoy GA.8 from Greece to Alexandria, Egypt at the time. 138 were killed, 310 survived.

British submarine HMS "Rorqual" sank Italian submarine "Pier Capponi" by torpedo 28 miles northwest of Messina, Sicily, Italy, killing the entire crew of 49.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: British Naval and Air Forces had sunk one fifth of the German submarine fleet during the month. The losses were particularly damaging to the German effort since many of their experienced commanders were among those lost. British civilian air raid casualties for March were 4,259 killed, 5,557 injured.

German submarine U-46 sank Swedish tanker "Castor" 300 miles east of the southern tip of Greenland at 1033 hours, killing the entire crew of 15.

A US scientific/military team arrives in the Danish colony of Greenland, to consider the establishment of military bases there.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Husband Kimmel and Walter Short received a report noting the weakness of the base at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii to surprise air attacks.

German merchant ships "Muenchen" and "Hermouthis" are scuttled by their crews to avoid capture by Royal Canadian Navy armed merchant cruiser "Prince Henry", which intercepted them off Peru.

GERMANY: Bomber Command drops its first 4,000-pound bomb, by a Wellington aircraft over Emden, Germany.

NORTH AMERICA: 875 Italian and German seamen arrested on charges of sabotage.

.

 

[parsifal]

Summary Of Losses March 1941 (Unfinished)
Allied
Allied Warships


XXXXX(RN)), (Total XXXXX grt Naval Tonnage)
Allied Shipping



XXXXXXX (UK), XXXXX (Gk), XXXX (Be), XXXXX (Nor), XXXXX (NL), XXXX (NZ)
XXXX grt (Mercantile)
Total Mercantile and Military losses: XXXXX grt
Prizes captured


Neutral shipping


( grt Mercantile)

Neutral warships
None
Total Neutral Mercantile + Military: XXX grt
Total Allied + Neutral: XXXXXX grt

Prizes taken

Cumulative Losses since 9/39

Axis Warships
DKM
XXXXX(DKM XXX grt),

(XXX grt)
RM


XXXX (RM XXXX grt),

(XXXXX grt)

Axis Shipping
GER


(XXXXX grt)
FI


Vichy


(XXXXX grt)
Total Axis Mercantile (XXXXX grt)
Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: ( XXXXXX grt)

Captured ships
tanker BRITISH ADVOCATE (UK 6994 grt),
steamer GRIGORIOS C II (Gk 2546 grt)

XXX (UK XXXX grt), (XXX Gk)
(+) (XXXXX grt)

 

[parsifal]

01 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
BPB 70' type (Ex-French order) MGB 66

White 73' type MTB 44
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
The LW attacked convoy HXM.114 off Smalls. Tkr SAN CONRADO (UK 7982 grt) was badly damaged 13 miles 325° from Smalls. The tanker was taken in tow. When attacked again by the LW, the tow was cut, and the tanker sank on the 2nd.

Tkr HIDLEFJORD (Nor 7639 grt) was sunk by the LW 20 miles NW of the Smalls, with the loss of 29 crew members.

UBOATS
Departures
Lorient: U-103

At Sea 01 April 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-124

15 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Baltic
DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER returned to Kiel after sinking 17 ships for 113,233 tons in the North and South Atlantic and in the Indian Oceans.

Swedish steamer LIDINGO was damaged on a mine west of Falsterbo (a coastal town in Sweden. The steamer was beached and was later towed to Malmo

North Sea
DD QUORN in the Nore Command was damaged by two near misses from the LW, sustaining light damage.

Northern Waters
CinC Home Fleet transferred his flag from BB QUEEN ELIZABETH to BB KG V.

A U-Boat was sighted 10 miles 305° from Dunnet Hd by CA LONDON. DDs WHADDON and QUANTOCK departed Scapa Flow at 2015 to hunt for her, and ASW whalers SOUTHERN SHORE, SOUTHERN FLOWER and SPOSA were also involved in the search. At 2330, the DDs were instructed to abandon the search and proceed to Rosyth. At 0030 on the 2nd, they were ordered to search for a downed aircrew in the Nth Sea. At 0645, but lacking success, they resumed passage towards Rosyth. The airmen were sighted off Whitten Head at 0800, but before the DDs arrived, they were rescued by an RAF launch. The DDs were able to continue to Methil and join Rosyth Command.

West Coast
British tanker ADELLAN was damaged by the LW seven cables from Sea Buoy, Milford Haven. The tanker was brought to Milford Haven. After the cargo was discharged, the tanker proceeded to Newport for repairs. British tanker CHESAPEAKE was attacked by the LW 15 miles Nth of the Smalls. The tanker was attacked again later that day 10 miles SW of St Goven's Head and suffered further severe damage, but remained afloat. The tanker anchored in Walton Bay on the 3rd. She was repaired and returned to service. Norwegian tkr KAIA KNUDSEN was damaged by the LW 20 miles NNW of the Smalls. The tanker was towed to Milford Haven and repaired.

On an ASW patrol, an Albacore of 828 Sqn force landed at the airfield at Whiten Head, Sutherland. All of the crew were injured, but survived

Western Approaches
DDs ANTHONY, RAN NESTOR and ASW trawlers of the 10th Anti-Submarine Striking Force departed convoy HX.115 at daylight and proceeded to Scapa Flow. The DDs arrived somewhat later and separately.

Med/Biscay
Convoy ANF.24 of six British ships departed Alexandria escorted by DDs NUBIAN and HEREWARD and corvette HYACINTH. Netlayer PROTECTOR sailed in this convoy with Fleet Air Arm torpedoes for Piraeus and nets for Suda Bay. Also in this convoy was British steamer NORTHERN PRINCE that should have arrived in the EXCESS convoy. However, after she ran aground at Gibraltar and missed the convoy, the steamer was sent around the Cape to Alexandria. CLA CALCUTTA joined the convoy from ASF.22 just after sunrise on the 3rd, and arrived at Piraeus on the 4th.

AG.10 which comprised two ships including the fast supply ship BRECONSHIRE departed Alexandria escort DDs ILEX, HAVOCK, and HOTSPUR. Supply ship BRECONSHIRE carried troops to be disembarked at Lemnos and Mitylene. The convoy was joined by CLA CARLISLE from Dawn on the 2nd from Suda Bay, and arrived at Piraeus on the 3rd. On the convoy's arrival at Piraeus, supply ship BRECONSHIRE and DDs HAVOCK and HOTSPUR proceeded to Mudros to disembark troops.

Convoy ASF.22 of seven British ships departed Piraeus escorted by CLA CALCUTTA and DDs HASTY, DEFENDER, and RAN VAMPIRE. CLA CALCUTTA was detached to convoy ANF.24 sth of Kithera, and arrived at Alexandria on the 4th.

AS.23 of one British and six Greek ships departed Piraeus escorted by RAN DD VOYAGER and RN DD and WRYNECK and sloop GRIMSBY. Leaving Piraeus, destroyer WRYNECK attacked a submarine contact in Phleva Bay. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 4th and Port Said on the 5th.

Italian troop convoy of troopships ESPERIA, CONTE ROSSO, MARCO POLO, and VICTORIA escort DDs TARIGO, EURO, and BALENO and TBs POLLUCE and PARTENOPE departed Naples, and arrived at Tripoli on the 2nd.

Central Atlantic
BC RENOWN and CV ARK ROYAL, joined by RAN DDs NAPIER, NIZAM, and RN DD FORTUNE which departed Gibraltar on 31 March, arrived at Gibraltar after escort duties. NAPIER and NIZAM departed Gibraltar escorting British liner HIGHLAND MONARCH for Freetown where they arrived on the 8th. All three ships departed Freetown on the 8th and arrived at St Helena on the 12th.

CL EDINBURGH arrived at Gibraltar after being relieved in convoy WS.7.

DDs HIGHLANDER, VELOX, and WRESTLER departed Gibraltar to meet BC REPULSE, CVL FURIOUS, and troopship NARKUNDA arriving from Freetown and escort them to Gibraltar where the TG arrived on the 3rd.

Sth Atlantic
From 1 to 4 April, DKM AO NORDMARK took on fuel and stores from German tanker ILL at sea.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
BS.22 departed Suez, escort sloop CLIVE. DD KIMBERLEY joined on the 3rd, DD KINGSTON on the 5th and CL CALEDON on the 6th. KINGSTON was detached on the 7th and KIMBERLEY on the 8th. The convoy was dispersed on the 9th.

German steamer LICHTENFELS made an attempt to escape the closing trap at Massawa, the steamer is unable to evade British patrols and was forced to return to Massawa.

Steamer BERTRAM RICKMERS (Ger 4188 grt), departed Massawa on 29 March as she attempted to escape the British ring closing in on the port, however she scuttled herself after being intercepted by DD KANDAHAR.. The German steamer went down near Gondurmiat.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Pacific/Australia
A number of German merchant vessels because of the shifting political situation in Sth America were forced to scuttle themselves

Steamer HERMONTHIS (Ger 4833 grt)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer MUENCHEN (Ger 5619 grt)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Both vessels departed Callao at 1930 on 31 March. They were both intercepted and challenged by RCN AMC PRINCE HENRY. Both vessels scuttled as a result. The wreck remained afloat, and was eventually was sunk by Peruvian cruiser ALMIRANTE GRAU off Callao, Peru.

Steamer CERIGO (Ger 1120 grt) was scuttled at Guayaquil, Ecuador. The steamer was later salved by Ecuador for use as 24 DE MAYO.

Steamer EISENBACH (Ger 4323 grt) was scuttled at Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer FRIESLAND (Ger 6310 grt) was scuttled at Paita, Peru.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamers LEIPZIG (Ger 5898 grt) and Steamer MONSERRATE (Ger 5578 grt) were scuttled at Callao, Peru when they were unable to leave port. A Peruvian warship turned the steamers back when they attempted to leave harbour.

Steamer LEIPZIG. No image found for the MONSERRATE

Malta

 

[Njaco]

April 1 Tuesday
EASTERN EUROPE: Moving to the Graz area of Austria are Major Johannes Trautloft's Stab of JG 54 along with the II./JG 54 led by Hptm. Dietrich Hrabak, Moving to the Belica and Vrba airfields in Bulgaria are major Wolfgang Schnellmann's Stab./JG 27 with II./JG 27 led by Hptm. Wolfgang Lippert, III./JG 27 led by Hptm. Max Dobislav and I(J)./LG 2 led by Hptm. Herbert Ihlefeld. Moving to Deta near Temesvar are Major Bernhard Woldenga's Stab./JG 77 along with II./JG 77 and II./JG 77. Going to Sofia is Major Johannes Schalk's Stab./ZG 26 with I./ZG 26 under Hptm. Wilhelm Makrocki and II./ZG 26.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: To avoid being captured by the Americans and Canadians, 8 German merchant ships were scuttled by their own crews in various South American ports. German vessels "Leipzig", "Montserrate" and "Friesland" were scuttled off Peru, German vessel "Cerigo" scuttled off Ecuador, German vessel "Sesostris" scuttled off Venezuela and German vessels "Eisenach", "Hameln" and "Orinoco" were scuttled off Mexico.

German bombers sank British tanker "San Conrado" and Norwegian tanker "Hidlefjord" 45 miles west of Milford Haven, Wales, killing the entire crew of 29 of the latter. Three other tanks were also damaged during this attack.

NORTH AMERICA: 4th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron of 13th Composite Wing of 72nd Observation Group of US Army Air Corps was assigned to Losey Field in Puerto Rico.

The United States and Mexico signed an agreement in Washington allowing the reciprocal use of airfields and air space for the civil and military aircraft of both countries.

The US Navy took over San Francisco Bay's Treasure Island.

NORTH AFRICA: In Italian East Africa, advancing British tanks were met by 2 police officers from Asmara, declaring the Eritrean capital an open city. Troops of Indian 5th Division entered the city at 1000 hours, accepting the surrender of 5,000 Italian prisoners of war, plus 1,500,000 shells and 3,000,000 small arms rounds. Armored cars under Colonel Bernard Fletcher ("Flitforce") are dispatched along the Via Imperiale towards Adigrat to cut off Italian retreat South into neighboring Ethiopia. To the east, German merchant ships continued to leave the port of Massawa. British destroyer HMS "Kandahar" intercepted German ship "Bertram Rickmers", which was scuttled by her own crew.

Three sailors from HMAS "Hobart", (cruiser), who were captured after volunteering to man a shore-based gun in August 1940, were released from prisoner-of-war camp in Eritria, East Africa. They were PO H. Jones, AB H. C. Sweeney, and AB W. J. Hurren.

Rommel holds 5.Leichte Division at Mersa Brega. British commander in Libya General Philip Neame (holder of both an Olympic Gold Medal and Victoria Cross) orders British forces to make a fighting retreat to Agedabia, if attacked. They will then split to cover the coastal road to Benghazi and routes through the desert South of the Green Mountain. Neither part will be strong enough to resist the German attack but they are not sufficiently mobile to provide mutual support.

MIDDLE EAST: The Golden Square of Pan-Arabic colonels oust the regent of Iraq, Abd al-Ilah. Pro-German officers under Rashid Ali began their move against the government of Iraq. Rashid Ali declared himself the "Chief of the National Defence Government."

GERMANY: The Royal Air Force dropped the first 4,000-pound blockbuster bombs of the war, by Vickers Wellington medium bombers in a raid over Emden.

Kriegsmarine heavy cruiser "Admiral Scheer" reaches Kiel after successful patrol.

MEDITERRANEAN: Italian troop convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four transports escorted by Italian destroyers "Tarigo", "Euro", and "Baleno" and two torpedo boats.

Yugoslavian government decides full military mobilization will begin on 3 April. Dill confers with Prime Minister Simovic about military cooperation.

SOUTH PACIFIC: RAF Air Marshal Brooke-Popham arrives at Manila to confer with MacArthur and Admiral Hart.

Lady Bowen Services Hostel, also known as the 12th Australian Defence Canteen Services Hostel was established in Spring Hill, Brisbane. The Lady Bowen Club, No. 12 Service Club and Australian Army Canteens Service Recreation Centre were opened in Albert Park, Springhill, Brisbane.

ASIA: Battle of Shangkao: 19th Army Group of Chinese 9th War Area recovers Kaoan and Hsiangfukuan as Japanese 11th Army withdraws toward its bases.

UNITED KINGDOM: Railway traffic was machine-gunned by Luftwaffe aircraft near Berwick. It was estimated that by the end of the war, some 10,000 attacks on British Railways had taken place.

.

 

[parsifal]

02 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Vosper 70' Type MTB 35
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U Class submarine HMS UPROAR (P-31)

Losses
MSW trawlers CRAMOND ISLAND ( RN 180 grt) and MSW FORTUNA (RN 259 grt) were sunk by the LW about five miles 120° from St Abb's Head. FORTUNA was proceeding to the assistance of trawler CRAMOND ISLAND when sunk. The entire crew of 15 of trawler FORTUNA were lost. Two bodies washed ashore at Berwick on the 5th. Two ratings were killed and three ratings died of wounds on trawler CRAMOND ISLAND.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Convoy SC-26
U.46 made attacks on convoy SC.26, sinking Tkr BRITISH RELIANCE (UK 7000 grt). On passage from Aruba to the Clyde via Halifax, fully laden with oil, and with a crew of 50 aboard, at 2329 hrs, U-46 attacked convoy SC-26 SW of Iceland for the first time and reported a hit on the BRITISH RELIANCE and on a steamer of 5000 grt, but was not able to observe the ships sink. In fact, only the BRITISH RELIANCE was hit and foundered later. The master, 47 crew members and two passengers were picked up by SS TENNESEE and landed at Reykjavik. They were later brought to Gourock by the British Steamer ROYAL ULSTERMAN.

U-46 continued her attacks on the convoy during the early hours of the 3rd.

Steamer BEAVERDALE (UK 9957 grt) was sunk by U.48 in in the Nth Atlantic. On passage from St John to Liverpool via Halifax, with a mixed cargo, and a crew of 79 aboard, the ship was hit at 0100 hrs. The unescorted BEAVERDALE was hit amidships by one torpedo SE of Cape Farewell. At 0125 hrs, the U-boat began shelling the ship which exploded after 35 mins, heeled over to port side and sank. 20 crew members and one gunner were lost. The master and 25 survivors in the first lifeboat landed at Ondverdarnes, Iceland. The survivors in the second boat were picked up by the Icelandic trawler GULTOPPUR and landed at Reykjavik. They were later transferred to the British Steamers ROYAL SCOT and ROYAL ULSTERMAN and landed at Greenock on 17 April.

Steamer FERMAIN (UK 759 grt) was sunk by the LW in the SW approaches. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

UBOATS
At Sea 02 April 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-124

15 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
British steamer MELROSE ABBEY was damaged on a mine in the River Ythan (north of Aberdeen). The steamer settled onto the river bed. The steamer was refloated on 26 July and towed to Aberdeen for repair.

Northern Patrol
BB QUEEN ELIZABETH with DDs INGLEFIELD, ESKIMO, and ECLIPSE in attendance departed Scapa Flow. INGLEFIELD and ECLIPSE on the 6th were detached to Reykjavik, arriving early on the 7th, and operated under Flag Officer Iceland to screen cruisers in and out of Reykjavik. DD ESKIMO returned to Scapa Flow. The BB continued to Halifax to escort convoy TC.10 due to depart on the 10th

Northern Waters
BB KG V, CA LONDON, CLA DIDO, DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, MATABELE, and MASHONA departed Scapa Flow at 1100 to relieve BC HOOD and CLs NIGERIA and FIJI on the OG/HG.route. CL FIJI was ordered to Gibraltar to join temporarily Fce H.

The DDs were detached to Londonderry on the 6th to refuel, arriving at dawn on the 6th. They sailed again on the 7th and rejoined at 0937 on the 8th. On the 8th, the ships left patrol and BB KG V and DDs SOMALI and MASHONA had returned to Scapa Flow by evening on the 10th. DD MATABELE was diverted to Barrow on the 10th for refitting, calling at Belfast to refuel en route. DD BEDOUIN was detached on the 10th to investigate a report on a burning ship west of Flannan Island. The DD was unable to locate the ship and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 12th.

DD ERIDGE departed Scapa Flow to meet steamer AMSTERDAM off the entrance to Aberdeen and escort her to Lerwick. The ships arrived at Lerwick on the 3rd and departed later that day to return to Aberdeen. ERIDGE arrived back at Scapa Flow in the afternoon of the 4th.

CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy WN.7 n the Pentland Firth and remain in company until dark. She returned to Scapa predawn on the 3rd.

West Coast
OB.305 departed Liverpool, escort corvette ABELIA and ASW trawler ROWAN. The trawler was detached the next day. On the 3rd, DDs BROKE, DOUGLAS, ROXBOROUGH, SALISBURY, and VICEROY, corvette ANCHUSA, and ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN, ST KENAN, and ST ZENO joined the convoy. The escort was detached on the 6th when the convoy dispersed.

ML PLOVER laid minefield ZME.27 in the Irish Sea. The ML laid minefields ZME.28 on the 5th, ZME.29 on the 16th, ZME.30 on the 18th, and ZME.31 on the 21st, which completed the series.

British tkr WILD ROSE was damaged by German bombing twelve miles southeast of Tuskar Light House (at the southern entramce to the Irish Sea, off the coast of Ireland. The tanker was taken in tow and beached near Rosslare Harbour. The tanker was later refloated and towed to Dublin arriving on 4 May.

Med/Biscay
BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL (with 12 Hurricanes embarked from CVE ARGUS, after it was realized that ARGUS did not have the flight deck length to allow a full fuel load to be carried by the Ferrying aircraft), CL SHEFFIELD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, and FURY departed Gibraltar on Operation WINCH.

On the 3rd, the fly off of the Hurricanes to Malta was successfully accomplished. The Force arrived back at Gibraltar on the 4th. ARK ROYAL and DDs FAULKNOR and FORTUNE were sent ahead to receive more a/c from CVL FURIOUS in Operation TENDER. 4 Swordfish, now fitted with ASV radar, of 825 Sqn and 10 Fulmars of 807 Sqn were transferred to ARK ROYAL and 4 Swordfish and 9 Skuas were transferred to CVL FURIOUS. The remainder of Force H arrived at Gibraltar an half hour later. After the transfer, FURIOUS, escorted by DDs FAULKNOR and FORTUNE, proceeded to join BC REPULSE, en route to England.

CL AJAX and RAN CL PERTH departed Piraeus to cover convoys ANF.24 and AG.10. They returned to Pireaus on the 5th. Convoy AS.23 was attacked by the LW in the Aegean.

The following ships were sunk in these attacks:

Steamer HOMEFIELD (UK 5324 grt) hit off Gavdo Island as with the rest of the convoy, HOMEFIELD was later scuttled by DD NUBIAN of the convoy ANF.24 escort. Her survivors were taken off by RAN DD VOYAGER.

Steamer COULOURAS XENOS (Gk 4914 grt), sunk off Gavdo Island.

Greek steamer TETI was damaged by near misses from the LW in these attacks off Gavdo Island. TETI was able to proceed to Crete. British steamer DEVIS in convoy ANF.24 was damaged by the LW off Gavdo Island. Corvette HYACINTH in the convoy ANF.24 escort attacked a submarine contact 170 miles sth of Scarpanto.

Steamer KARADJORDJE (Yug 1293 grt) and Steamer PRESTOLONASLEDNIK PETAR (Yug 1726 grt) were sunk by mining off Sibenik. The crews of both steamers were rescued.

KARADJORDJE

PRESTOLONASLEDNIK PETAR

A supply convoy for the Afrika Korps departed Naples with steamers ALICANTE, MARITZA, SANTA FE, PROCIDA, and TEMBIEN escort DDs SAETTA and TURBINE and TB ORSA for Tripoli, arriving on the 5th

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
RM DDs PANTERA, TIGRE, MANIN, BATTISTI, and SAURO departed Massawa to bombard Port Sudan.

Steamer GIUSEPPE MAZZINI (FI 7669 grt) and Steamer URANIA (FI 7099 grt) were sunk by British bombing near Dalac Island. The steamers were later salved by the British.

GIUSEPPE MAZZINI

[NO IMAGE OF THE URANIA]

Malta
Weather Fair.
1547-1621 hrs Air raid alert for 16 ME 109 and six CR 42s which carry out a fighter sweep 5 miles off the coast of Malta. 14 Hurricanes are scrambled and anti-aircraft guns open fire; no claims. An enemy Red Cross seaplane approaches to within five miles of the north coast, possibly searching for a fighter.

HAL FAR AM Ten Hurricanes fighters and two Skuas arrived from Gibraltar. One Hurricane crashed on landing; pilot uninjured. a/c repairable

LUQA 69 Squadron 1 Maryland photo-reconnaissance Naples at 6000 feet

Western Desert
German troops captured Agedabia and Zuetania in North Africa.

 

[Njaco]

April 2 Wednesday
GERMANY: The Luftwaffe makes aviation history when the Heinkel He 280 twin jet-engined fighter, the world's first jet combat fighter, the first twin-jet and the first jet other than a research aircraft, makes its maiden flight at Marienehe piloted by Fritz Schafer. The aircraft, flying without its engine cowlings because leaking fuel was collecting in them, reaches 485 mph. The flight lasts about three minutes but is enough to impress Ernst Heinkel and persuade him to show the jet to Generalluftzeugmeister Udet.

Battleship "Bismarck" received two aircraft.

WESTERN FRONT: During a sea-reconnaissance mission, a He 111 P-2 from 7./KG 55 is shot down by a Hurricane from RAF No 504 Squadron.

RAF Bomber Command sends 19 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

During one of his radio broadcasts, the anonymous pro-Nazi commentator derisively nicknamed Lord Haw-Haw confirmed his identity as William Joyce.

NORTH AFRICA: At dawn, British troops encounter German tanks and infantry probing in front of Agedabia. British fall back as ordered. Encouraged by this immediate withdrawal plus Luftwaffe reports of British armor moving away, Rommel orders 5.Leichte Division to advance. British 2nd Armoured Division withdraws inland to Antelat, uncovering the road to Benghazi. The 5.Leichte Division recaptures Agedabia from the British and fans out into three columns, two of which race across the desert in an attempt to cut off the retreating British, while the third pushes up the coast road towards Benghazi. In the first tank battle in the desert, 40 German and 14 British tanks tangle at dusk (Afrika Korps loses 3 tanks, British lose 5 with 1 damaged).

In Eritrea, Italian East Africa, Indian 7th Infantry Brigade and Free French Brigade d'Orient advanced toward Massawa. British troops offered surrender terms to Italian Rear Admiral Bonnetti, the commander of the Italian Red Sea Flotilla which had sortied out of Massawa on the previous day. Bonetti chose to press on with his planned attack on Port Sudan in British Sudan. Italian destroyers "Panera", "Tigre", "Manin", "Sauro", and "Battisti" prepared to attack the British facilities. British armored cars under Colonel Bernard Fletcher cut off the Italian retreat from Eritrea at Adigrat.

In Abyssinia, 11th African Division (now lead by 22nd East African Brigade) reaches the Awash River, 120 miles from Addis Ababa. Retreating Italians have blown bridges but they do not defend the river to prevent a crossing. British armoured cars under Colonel Bernard Fletcher ("Flitforce") reach Adigrat (just across the border from Eritrea), cutting off the Italian retreat from Eritrea and taking 3,500 prisoners.

Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down a Hurricane fighter near Tobruk, Libya at 1250 hours.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-48 sank British ship "Beaverdale" with one torpedo and deck gun 300 miles southwest of Iceland at 0150 hours; 21 were killed and 58 survived.

Allied convoy SC-26 ran into a patrol line formed by eight German submarines 460 miles southwest of Iceland. Overnight, German submarines U-46, U-69, U-73, and U-74 sank 6 merchant ships, damaged 1 merchant ship, and damaged the escorting British armed merchant cruiser HMS "Worcestershire"; 110 men were killed.

SOUTH PACIFIC: Canadian armed merchant cruiser "Prince Henry" intercepted two German merchant ships off Peru. The German ships were scuttled by their own crews to prevent capture.


MEDITERRANEAN: Operation Winch: RN Force H with carriers HMS "Argus" and HMS "Ark Royal", departs for Malta to deliver Hurricane fighters.

German bombers attacked Allied convoy AS23 25 miles south of Crete, Greece, sinking 2 freighters and damaging 2 others. HMAS "Voyager", (destroyer), sank the heavily damaged cargo ships "Homefield", and "Colourous Xenox", after the savage German air attacks. Meanwhile an Italian supply convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five freighters escorted by two destroyers.

Mussolini told Japanese Ambassador Matsuoka the U.S. was deliberately provoking war. Matsuoka also visited with the Pope at the Vatican and reported to Tokyo;

"The Pope took an utterly detached attitude, free of any favoritism regarding the European war, and approached the question from the point of view of a general peace throughout the world".

Greek government makes urgent request for US to supply weapons to equip new infantry divisions.

Yugoslavian military attaché reports German invasion will begin on 6 April but Prime Minister Simovic refuses to accept formal military agreement with the British.

MIDDLE EAST: Rashid Ali forms Government of National Defense in Baghdad. Newly appointed British ambassador Sir Kinahan Cornwallis arrives in Baghdad.

ASIA: Battle of Shangkao: 19th Army Group of Chinese 9th War Area recovers Hsishan, Wanshoukung, and Shihchachieh as Japanese 11th Army withdraws toward its bases.

UNITED KINGDOM: The boom defense vessel 'Cramond Island' (180t) was attacked and sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft off St Abbs Head and 'SS Fermain' (759t) cargo ship, Sunderland to Cowes with a cargo of coal, sunk by German aircraft, near the 'Royal Sovereign Lightvessel'.

.

 

[parsifal]

03 APRIL 1941 (Part I)
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIC U-564

Colourised Still from a famous wartime film that showed how the germans undertook torpedo reloads at sea. U-564 was among the first Uboats to use this technique


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl-P7Fhst60


This is the uncolourised excerpt from the same fillm. The references that neutral shipping was respected whenb this film was made (1942) was a complete fabrication. Since the entry of the US no such protection was given to any nation to U-Boat Attack. If you were in a war zone, you were attacked, regardless of nationality.

18 ships sunk, total tonnage 95,544 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 900 tons
4 ships damaged, total tonnage 28,907 GRT

Sunk on 14 June 1943 in the North Atlantic NW of Cape Ortegal by depth charges from a Coatal Command Whitley a/c (10 OTU RAF/G). 28 dead and 18 survivors.

Type VIIC U-652

3 ships sunk, total tonnage 10,775 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 558 GRT
2 warships sunk, total tonnage 2,740 tons
2 ships damaged, total tonnage 9,918 GRT
1 auxiliary warship damaged, total tonnage 10,917 GRT

Scuttled at 1050 hrs on 2 June 1942 in the Med in the Gulf of Sollum, after being badly damaged by depth charges from a British Swordfish a/c (815 Sqn FAA/L). 46 survivors (no casualties).

Losses
River mouth patrol boat BAHRAM (RN 72 grt) was sunk in mining in North Channel, Spurn. (Nth Sea) with the loss of 8 crew, only one crewman survived.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.69 sank steamer DAPHNE (FN 1939 grt) not in Allied service, in the North Atlantic, whilst transporting Coal to to a northern Noregian port for shipment to Sweden and Finland. Despite being service a neutral, even a nation with pro-German sympathies some would say, this did not prevent her loss. No ship was safe in the declared area from August 1940. She had a complement of 22 at the time of her loss, and was sailing as an independent, unescorted ship in dangerous waters. She was clearly displaying her neutral ship markings when lost. Her entire crew of 22 perished in the attack. BDU awarded this kill to U-76 for some reason, I think to hide its loss, U-76 was lost two days later, and dead men don't speak.

Steamer CAIRNIE (UK 250 grt) was sunk by the LW six to eight miles SW of Tod Head. (off the east Coasty of Scotland near Montrose). The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer GREENAWN (UK 784 grt) was lost to unknown cause in the Nth Sea, also near Montrose.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Convoy SC-26
U.73 (some sources say U-74) sank steamer INDIER (Belg 5409 grt) Forty two crew from the Belgian steamer were lost. Four survivors were landed at Liverpool She was fully laden with steel when lost and had a crew of 46 at the time of her loss. She was on passage from Philadelphia to Glasgow, via New York and Halifax. At 0508 hrs, U-73 hit the WESTPOOL in convoy SC-26 with one torpedo and one minute later missed a presumed AMC with another. At 0512 hours, a third torpedo was fired which struck the INDIER under the bridge, causing the ship to sink within one minute over the bow. 42 men of the 44 crew members and two gunners on board were lost. The four survivors were picked up and landed at Liverpool.

U-74 sank steamer LEONIDAS Z. CAMBANIS (Gk 4274 grt). She had a a crew of 29 when lost, of which 2 were lost, and was fully loaded with wheat. She was on passage from Halifax to Swansea when lost. At 0500 and 0501 hrs, U-74 fired two torpedoes at the convoy SC-26 and observed two detonations and saw one ship sinking after ten minutes. Kentrat reported two ships sunk, but Uboat Net expresses the opinion that both torpedoes probably hit LEONIDAS Z. CAMBANIS .

U.74 damaged AMC WORCESTERSHIRE but this ship survived because U-74 was out of torpedoes. She was escorted to Liverpool by 2 DDs, undergoing one further attack, from U-69 on route, with no further damage inflicted. Ahe was repaired and returned to service..

U.73 sank steamer WESTPOOL (UK 5724 grt), with the loss of 35 men from a complement of 42. She was carrying scrap iron at the time of her loss and on passage from Baltimore to Leith via Halifax. At 0508 hrs the WESTPOOL in the reforming convoy SC-26 was hit by one torpedo from U-73 and sank in less than one minute SSW of Reykjavik. Eight crew members were picked up by and landed at Liverpool on 9 April.

U.73 sank tkr BRITISH VISCOUNT (UK 6895 grt). She was fully laden with fuel oil for the Admiralty, on passage from Curacao to Scapa via Halifax, with 48 crew aboard. 28 men died in the attack. t 0832 hrs the BRITISH VISCOUNT, dispersed from convoy SC-26 3 hrs before, was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-73 SSW of Iceland. The tkr caught fire, was abandoned and foundered a few hrs later. 18 crew members and two gunners were picked up by DD HAVELOCK and landed at Liverpool.

UBOATS
Departures
Lorient: U-52, U-108

At Sea 03 April 1941
U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-124

17 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
British steamer ASSUAN was damaged by the LW in attacks off Montrose in the nth Sea. The steamer was beached two miles east of Scurdy Ness. The steamer was refloated on the 4th and berthed at Montrose. She returned to service after being repaired

Northern Waters
CLA DIDO departed Scapa Flow for anti-aircraft duties at Loch Ewe. The cruiser departed on the 7th with convoy OG.58.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy WN.8 in the Pentland Firth and escort it to Methil, where they arrived on the 4th.

West Coast
OB.306 departed Liverpool, escort DDs ACHATES, BOADICEA, COLUMBIA, and ST FRANCIS, corvettes HEPATICA and WINDFLOWER, and ASW trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, and LADY MADELEINE. On the 4th, DD BROADWATER joined the escort was detached on the 7th. DD NIAGARA joined on the 5th and was detached with COLUMBIA on the 8th. BOADICEA was detached on the 6th. The remainder of the escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 9th.

Mine destructor ship BUSHWOOD was damaged in a collision in Bristol Channel. The ship was repaired at Cardiff from 29 April to 7 May.

British steamer GEDDINGTON COURT was damaged by the LW on the West Coast in the Bristol Channel.

SW Approaches
CL NIGERIA joined convoy HG.57 at sea. Convoy HG.58 departed Gibraltar escorted by sloop EGRET, corvettes ASPHODEL, AZALEA, COREOPSIS, and FLEUR DE LYS,Dutch submarine O.21, and ASW trawler ARCTIC RANGER. Corvette ASPHODEL was detached on the 5th for Freetown, corvette COREOPSIS on the 9th, corvettes AZALEA and FLEUR DE LYS on the 10th, and submarine O.21 on the 12th.

DDs CHELSEA, VERITY, VETERAN, and WOLVERINE joined the convoy on the 16th for the home waters run in. On the 18th, DD CHELSEA was detached, and arrived at Liverpool on the 20th with the sloop and the other 3 DDs.

Tanker THORN (DKM 5436 grt), which had been involved in refuelling ADMIRAL HIPPER on her recent sortie, was sunk by submarine TIGRIS 100 miles SW of St Nazaire.

Channel
Submarine UNDAUNTED departed Portsmouth for Gibraltar where she arrived on the 13th.

Med/Biscay
Italian submarine MICCA attacked two steamers in the Med without success.

ANF.24 was again attacked by LW Ju88s off Kithera and munitions ship NORTHERN PRINCE (UK 10,917 grt) was sunk in the Antikithera Straits, The cargo she carried was so desperately needed in Greece that part of her cargo intended for Egypt was not unloaded prior to sailing. The entire crew was rescued.

DDs JANUS and JAGUAR departed Alexandria for Port Said to guard against attack in the Red Sea from the RM Massawa based DDs. However this ordered was rescinded when word was received of the successful destruction of this force. The DDs were returned to Alexandria.

DDs GRIFFIN and GREYHOUND on patrol in the Straits of Jubal continued their duty until 4 April. On the 4th, both GREYHOUND and GRIFFIN as well as gunboats LADYBIRD and GNAT were ordered to return to Alexandria; all arriving on the 5th.

While minesweeping, MSW ABINGDON was damaged in by LW Dive bombers at Malta.

Nth Atlantic
U.73 badly damaged British steamer ATHENIC which was straggling behind convoy SC.26. The entire crew was rescued. However the steamer sank on the 5th (see entry on 4th April).

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
The surviving RM DDs of the Red sea Flotilla had remained at dock in Massawa until the very end of land operations in East Africa. Their commander ordered them to steam out on 2 April 1941, for an almost suicidal attack on Port Sudan.

The squadron was soon discovered by British air reconnaissance, and immediately bombed by Swordfish aircraft from CVL EAGLE. DD BATTISTI managed to reach the Arabian coast, where she was scuttled by her crew after engine failure. MANIN and SAURO were hit and sunk but did put up a spirited AA barrage. They are known to have continued firing their AA guns until they were sunk by the British planes

Sauro Class DD BATTISTI (RM 1040 grt), en route to again attempt to bombard Port Sudan, broke down and was scuttled by accompanying Italian destroyers.

The following ships were sunk either directly or indirectly as a result of these attacks

Western Desert
Axis troops marched toward Benghazi, Libya. British troops evacuated the city per General Philip Neame's orders.

 

[Njaco]

April 3 Thursday
UNITED KINGDOM: German aircraft conducted a heavy raid on Bristol, England during the night. Shortly after 2100 hours several targets were bombed in the Bristol area. Although ninety-four bombers were sent only eighty-six managed to find their targets. For several hours numerous bomber formations of 76 aircraft attacked including six He 111s of III./KG 26, sixteen Ju88s of II./KG 1, ten Ju 88s from III./KG 1 – which lost one bomber crashing into the sea off the Isle of Wight – ten Ju 88s of II./KG 76, fourteen He 111s with the special X-Verfahren guided radar from KGr 100, twelve He 111s of II./KG 27, eight Ju 88s of I./KG 54, eleven Ju 88s of II./KG 54 and six Ju 88s of KGr 806. Between 2120 and 2230 nine German aircraft attacked Hull, delivering seventeen HEs and 3,672 IBs. Once again the targets were the docks and industrial installations. About seventy fires were started, none of which reached considerable proportions. The auxiliary patrol vessel 'Fortuna' (259t) was also attacked and sunk by enemy aircraft off St Abbs Head.

WESTERN FRONT: Overnight, RAF Bomber Command unsuccessfully sent 90 aircraft to attack Kriegsmarine cruisers "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" at Brest, France. Due to the raids, German naval staff and officers from "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" have been moved to the Continental Hotel but many are killed during dinner when bombs strike the hotel.

NORTH AFRICA: Churchill suggests that General O'Connor, who masterminded the successful Allied advance in January, is offered command in Libya. O'Connor refuses but nonetheless returns from convalescing in Cairo to advise General Neame. Rommel divides his force, sending 5.Leichte Division across the desert south of the Green Mountain while a mixed German/Italian unit heads along the coast road to Benghazi. Rommel flies around the battlefield in his Fiesler Storch light aircraft, giving orders and solving problems. When 5.Leichte Division tanks run low on petrol, he risks halting them for 24 hours and sends back trucks to bring more fuel. The British withdraw, following Neame's orders, but the retreat is disoriented and confused in the open desert. A supply dump at Msus with large quantities of much-needed fuel is blown up on the erroneous rumor of approaching German tanks. This will badly hamper the mobility of British armor in the coming days.

HMAS "Parramatta", (sloop), passed a flotilla of Italian destroyers at night while escorting a convoy off Port Sudan. No sighting report was made by either side.

Italian Admiral Mario Bonetti's fleet of 5 destroyers and smaller warships, which had sailed out of Massawa, Italian East Africa on the previous day, was detected and attacked by a force of British aircraft. Without air cover, one by one the Italian ships became so damaged by bomb hits that they had to be abandoned. Italian destroyers "Manin" and "Sauro" were sunk off Port Sudan by Fleet Air Arm aircraft from RN aircraft carrier "Eagle". Italian destroyers "Pantera", "Tigre" and "Battisti" were scuttled. The last survivor, the torpedo boat "Orsini", tried to flee back to Massawa but being badly damaged by the British air attacks, she eventually settled and had to be scuttled before reaching the port. With British ground forces only an hour away from entering the port the remaining Italian ships there ("Acerbi" and half a dozen small MAS boats) were destroyed with demolition charges.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-76 sank Finnish ship "Daphne" 150 miles south of Iceland, killing both crew members.

British submarine HMS "Tigris" sank German tanker "Thorn" 100 miles southwest of Saint-Nazaire, France.

MEDITERRANEAN: German bombers sank British munitions ship "Northern Prince" 17 miles west of Crete, Greece. All crew members survived.

Operation Winch. HMS "Argus" and HMS "Ark Royal" escorted by cruiser HMS "Renown" and HMS "Sheffield" plus 5 destroyers, ferrying 12 Hurricane fighters and 3 Skua dive bombers, successfully launched them to reinforce Malta, completing Operation Winch.

Operation Lustre: Australian 19th Infantry Brigade arriving Athens by sea from Egypt. General Papagos, General Wilson, and Yugoslavian General Jankovic confer on joint military operations.

MIDDLE EAST: The Iraqi Parliamentary government was overthrown by the military coup d'état that began two days prior. Rashid Ali had assurances from the Vichy officials in neighboring French Syria that German aircraft would operate out of Syrian bases in attacking the British in Iraq and that other German support would be forthcoming.

EASTERN EUROPE: Winston Churchill warned Joseph Stalin (via the Soviet ambassador in London Sir Stafford Cripps) German troop movements into Poland detected by British intelligence.

German troops crossed into Hungary while the Budapest government was still considering a grant of transit rights. Germany had demanded them in order to use Hungary as a military jumping-off point. Prime Minister Count Pál Teleki received a message from London that the UK will sever relations if Hungary does not resist passage of German troops. Prime Minister Teleki 61, commits suicide in protest when he realizes he is powerless to prevent Horthy and the Hungarian military from joining the German invasion of Yugoslavia. He committed suicide rather than agree to Adolf Hitler's demands. However, the Hungarian Chief of General Staff Horthy appoints pro-German Foreign Minister László Bárdossy to succeed Teleki as prime minister.

GERMANY: Hitler issued Directive No. 26, Co-operation with our Allies in the Balkans. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/26.html Details are given of operations against Yugoslavia: Hungary will re-take the Babat of Temesvar (lost to Yugoslavia after World War One), Bulgaria will gain the disputed area of Macedonia, and Rumania will guard frontiers with Russia and Yugoslavia.

Subhas Chandra Bose, traveling with diplomatic papers as an Italian embassy official, arrives in Berlin from India via Afghanistan and the Soviet Union.

ASIA: Battle of Shangkao ends as Japanese 11th Army returns to its bases after punitive expedition in which it was unable to capture Shangkao.

.

 

[parsifal]

03 APRIL 1941 (Part II)
OPERATIONS (Cont'd)
Red Sea/Indian Ocean (Cont'd)

Sauro Class DD MANIN (RM 1040 grt),

DD SAURO (RM 1040 grt)

These ships were sunk in the air attacks about 10 miles from Port Sudan. It was a more closely run thing than the history book otherwise suggest, and the Italian crews who undertook the operation fought very bravely.

The following ships, after being damaged in the above air attacks, were sunk by DD KINGSTON.

Leone Class DD TIGRE (RM 2300 grt)
[NO IMAGE]

Leone Class DD PANTERA (RM 2300 grt)

PANTERA prewar

Pacific/Australia
NZ manned CL LEANDER arrived at Colombo, and then departed the same day for Madras.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 3 APRIL TO DAWN 4 APRIL 1941

Weather Fair.
0800 hrs Two Italian SM 79 bombers escorted by six CR 42 fighters machine-gun the high speed launch which has been positioned 40 miles west of Malta in case of forced landings by the newly-arrived Hurricanes.

0901-0923 hrs Air raid alert for six Italian CR 42 fighters which approach the Island from the north and circle six miles east of Grand Harbour. Anti-aircraft guns at St Julians fire a pointer round; the fighters retreat. Four Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no engagement.

1323-1404 hrs Air raid alert for four JU 88 bombers escorted by 14 ME 109 fighters which approach the coast and bomb minesweeping trawlers Jade and Abingdon off the island of Filfla. Abingdon suffers seven near misses from bombs which cause superficial damage. The fighters also attack a RAF launch 40 miles off the coast. Anti-aircraft guns engage: one JU 88 is probably destroyed. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 3 APRIL 1941

AIR HQ Arrivals 12 Hurricane IIAs (the first for the TO) , 2 Skua arrive from CV ARK ROYAL . 69 Sqn Maryland reconnaissance of eastern coast of Tunisia for enemy shipping.

 

[Njaco]

April 4 Friday
UNITED KINGDOM: Another massive Luftwaffe attack at night with 83 aircraft on the Avonmouth and south-east Bristol area. Kampfgeschwader engaged in the attack include fifteen Ju 88s from I./KG 77, twelve Ju 88s from II./KG 77, six Ju 88s of III./KG 77, twelve He 111s from III./KG 26 who lose a Y-Verfahren guided Heinkel crashing near Hewish in Somerset, twelve He 111s of II./KG 27, ten X-Verfahren guided He 111s from KGr 100, nine Ju 88s of I./KG 54, sixteen Ju 88s of II./KG 54 and three Ju 88s from KGr 806. The eighty-five bombers begin their attack shortly after 2100 hours and continue until 0130 hours. Free French sloops "Conquerante" and "Suippe" were sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft at Falmouth.

Smoke Generators were used in Newcastle for the next ten days, starting today. Haslar Smoke Generators consumed fuel oil and water at 85 and 70 gallons per hour respectively. Countrywide the venture required 500 civilians and 10,000 members of the Army to operate and covered vital points in industrial towns and cities. None of the establishments protected by smoke screens - for example at Billingham, Derby, Newcastle and Nottingham - though the object of attention by the enemy, suffered important damage.

GERMANY: Hitler conferred with Ambassador Matsuoka in Berlin. At this meeting Hitler again urged the Japanese to attack the British and her Allies in Asia. Hitler denigrated the United States, apparently to ease Japans fears about possible U.S. entry in to a Pacific war. The German leader had previously told his guest;

"England has already lost the war. It is only a matter of having the intelligence to admit it. Germany had made her preparations so that no American could land in Europe. Germany would wage a vigorous war against Americans with U-Boats and the Luftwaffe, and with her greater experience . . .would be more than a match for America, entirely apart from the fact that German soldiers were, obviously, far superior to the Americans".

In the end Hitler assured Japan that Germany would fight against the United States if Japan got into a war with the U.S.

Hitler issued Directive No. 27, Plan of Attack on Greece. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/27.html

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 54 aircraft to attack Kriegsmarine warships at Brest overnight. Lt. Hans Hahn of I./NJG 2 downs two RAF Hampdens at night for his fifth and sixth victories.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarines continued their attack on Allied convoy SC-26 250 miles southwest of Iceland, which was initially intercepted two days prior. Between 0000 and 0344 hours, U-94 and U-98 sank three ships; 36 were killed and 70 survived. At 1956 hours, U-76 sank "Athenic"; the entire crew of 40 were rescued. Destroyer HMS "Wolverine" and sloop HMS "Scarborough" were able to locate U-76 and launched depth charges, damaging the submarine.

The naval battle known as the Action of 4 April 1941 was fought in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. German raider "Thor" and British armed merchant cruiser "Voltaire" engaged in a 55-minute gun duel 900 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands at the distance of 9 kilometers. "Voltaire" was sunk, killing 74; "Thor" picked up 195 survivors.

German submarine U-97 sank British ship "Conus" 500 miles southwest of Iceland at 2006 hours, killing 59.

German submarine U-124 sank British ship "Marlene" 75 miles west of Freetown, Sierra Leone, British West Africa; 13 were killed, 47 survived.

NORTH AFRICA: German 3rd Recon Battalion gains Benghazi Libya, which was evacuated by British forces on the previous day. Rommel's forces then moved out swiftly along the coast and directly across the Cyrenaica desert. They pushed further east to the Green Mountain, where they were held by 3 companies of the Australian 9th Division. In the desert to the south, while German 5.Leichte Division was held in place waiting for a resupply of fuel, the British did not realize the German offensive through the desert had paused and continued to fall back. From the air, German Luftwaffe aircraft attacked a convoy of 21 trucks, destroying 1,600 gallons of gasoline.

After securing Asmara, Eritrea, Italian East Africa, Indian 5th Division moved east toward Massawa while Indian 4th Division was withdrawn from the region to reinforce Libya where a renewed Axis offensive was underway. Briggs Force approaches Massawa along the coast from the North, having advanced cross-country from Keren. 6 German and 7 Italian freighters were scuttled at Massawa to prevent Allied capture, while British RAF aircraft sank Italian torpedo boat "Acerbi" in the harbor. In Abyssinia, Italian troops were evacuated out of Addis Ababa as British 11th African Division advanced. South African Air Force aircraft conducted heavy attacks against Addis Ababa airfield. Italian garrison withdraws from Debra Markos due to activity of Wingate's Gideon Force. The Duke of Aosta retreats with Italian forces to mountain stronghold at Amba Alagi.

NORTH AMERICA: George Patton was promoted to the temporary rank of major general and takes command of 2nd Armored Division.

The Canadian federal cabinet introduces Order In Council PC 2385, The Merchant Seamen Order, giving authorities power to detain disobedient seamen from ships of any registry in Canadian ports.

MEDITERRANEAN: Italian bombers sank Greek torpedo boat "Proussa" and Greek freighter "Sussanna" off Corfu, Greece.

NORTHERN EUROPE: General Olof Thörnell, commander of Swedish forces, issues a report to government, stating that Sweden should prepare to participate in a war against the Soviet Union, for the sake of Finland, Sweden's future position, and prestige in northern Europe.

.

 

[parsifal]

04 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMS CROMER (J-128)

HDML 1006, 1016
[NO IMSGE FOUND]

Mk I Class LCTs 28, 29, 30
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Elco 70 ' type MGBs 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Losses
Sloops SUIPPE (FNFL 604 grt) and CONQUERANT (FNFL 860 grt) were sunk by German bombing at Falmouth.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

U.97 sank tkr CONUS (UK 8132 grt) in the Nth Atlantic. The entire crew of 59 were lost. She was outward bound, in ballast when sunk, on passage from Swansea to Curacao, and was attached to the recently dispersed convoy OB-304. At 1819 hrs on 4 April 1941 the CONUS, dispersed from convoy OB-304 was hit in the foreship by one G7e torpedo fired by U-97 and stopped SE of Cape Farewell. The U-boat then fired its last two torpedoes at the ship shortly after. The tanker capsized and sank within 10 minutes after the third torpedo hit.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

U.124 sank steamer MARLENE (UK 6507 grt) of West Africa. The ship was sailing independently at the time of her loss. She was on passage from Calcutta to a UK port, via Walvis Bay, and Freetown. She was fully loaded with general cargo and pig iron with a crew of 60. 13 crew were lost on the steamer. At 2302 hrs the unescorted MARLENE was struck under the bridge by one torpedo from U-124 SW of Freetown. The zigzagging ship had been spotted at 1608 hrs and missed by a first torpedo at 2059 hrs. 22 minutes after the first hit, she was struck by a coup de grace and remained afloat, but the crew began to abandon ship. At 2344 hours, the U-boat surfaced and began to shell the ship, but had to stop after 12 rounds of incendiary rounds were fired because the light for the gunsight stopped working. The MARLENE sank by the bow 5 mins after being hit by a third torpedo 0005 hrs on 5 April. Survivors were in the boats and landed at False Cape, Sierra Leone.

Steamer SALVUS (UK 4815 grt) was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea. Four crew were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Trawler WHITBY (UK 164 grt) was sunk by the LW 3 miles SSE of Blackwater Light Vessel. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Convoy SC-26
U.98 sank steamer HELLE (Nor 2467 grt), a straggler from convoy SC.26. The entire crew of 24 was rescued. At the time of her loss she was transporting a mixed cargo of wood pulp and steel , from Halifax to Liverpool. At 0029 hrs the HELLE, dispersed from convoy SC-26, was torpedoed and sunk by U-98. The 24 crew members abandoned ship in one lifeboat and were picked up in the morning by the RN DD HAVELOCK, which had been notified by the radio station at Resolution Island after the distress signals from the HELLE had been received.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

U.76 is credited with the sinking of steamer ATHENIC (UK 5351 grt), damaged the previous day by U-73, and a straggler from Convoy SC-26 on this day. However the steamer did not sink until the 5th.

Fully laden with a cargo of wheat and with a crew of 48 aboard, she was enroute from Portland to one of the ports of London, via Halifax at the time of her loss.

At 1956 hrs the unescorted ATHENIC, dispersed from convoy SC-26, was hit on the starboard side one stern torpedo from U-76 about 340 miles south of Reykjavik. The explosion opened a large hole, blew the hatch covers off and damaged the bridge, injuring the chief officer on watch. About 28 hours earlier, the ship picked up eleven survivors from LIGURIA which had been sunk by U-46 on 29 March, but one of them died of exposure. The master, 35 crew members, two gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 12pdr and two machine guns) and the ten survivors immediately abandoned ship in the lifeboats in very rough seas when she developed a list to starboard. At 20.35 hours, the ship was struck on the port side in #4 hold just abaft the engine room by a coup de grace and after 17 minutes she rolled over to starboard and sank.

U-76 left the area without questioning the survivors because the ATHENIC had sent distress signals and the Germans correctly assumed that escort ships from the dispersed convoy were heading for the scene. At dawn the next morning, the U-boat was located by the warships, forced to surface after several depth charge attacks and sank after the crew abandoned ship. The Germans were taken prisoner by Corvette HMS ARBUTUS, which subsequently searched for the lifeboats and picked up the survivors at 1415 hrs, landing them at Liverpool on 8 April.

U.94 sank steamer HARBLEDOWN (UK 5414 grt). She had a crew of 41 and was transporting wheat from Portland to London via Maine and Sydney Canada when lost. 14 crew and 2 gunners were lost on the steamer. At 0340 hrs the unescorted HARBLEDOWN, dispersed from SC-26 was torpedoed and sunk by U-94 SSW of Iceland.. Survivors were rescued by DD VETERAN and landed at Liverpool.

U.98 sank steamer WELCOMBE (UK 5122 grt) from convoy SC.26 in the Nth Atlantic.She had a crew of 41 and was fully laden with grain when lost. She was on passage from Baltimore to Loch Ewe via Halifax when lost. 20 crew were lost on the steamer. At 0344 hrs, U-98 fired a G7e torpedo at WELCOMBE in a group of ships from the recently dispersed convoy SC-26 SSW of REYJAVIK. She was hit underneath the stack and sank after 15 minutes. The ship had been missed by a first G7e torpedo at 0315 hrs. 19 crew members and two gunners were picked up by DD HAVELOCK and landed at Liverpool.

UBOATS
At Sea 04 April 1941
U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-124

17 Boats at Sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Waters
CLs ARETHUSA and GALATEA arrived at Scapa Flow

Western Approaches
Steamer CAPE VERDE was damaged by the LW in the EWestern Approaches

SW Approaches
BC REPULSE, CVE ARGUS, and troopship NARKUNDA with DDs HIGHLANDER, FURY, and VELOX departed Gibraltar for England. CVL FURIOUS departed la little later ater, escorted by DDs FAULKNOR and FORTUNE. The forces joined at sea. The DDs returned to Gibraltar.

Med/Biscay
BC RENOWN, CVs ARK ROYAL, CVL FURIOUS, CL SHEFFIELD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORTUNE, and FORESIGHT departed Gibraltar on Operation PRINCIPAL, an attack on Vichy BC DUNKERQUE. Submarines OLYMPUS and OTUS had already put to sea from Gibraltar on the 3rd for this operation. However operation PRINCIPAL was cancelled when it was found that the DUNKERQUE was not preparing to leave port. Submarines OLYMPUS and OTUS departed their patrols off Oran and proceeded to Malta and Gibraltar, respectively.

Submarine RORQUAL arrived at Malta after ML ops off western Sicily.

ASF.23 with one Greek and 2 British ships departed Piraeus escorted by CLA COVENTRY, DDs DECOY, HERO, and corvette SALVIA. Netlayer PROTECTOR sailed in the convoy to repair the boom defences at Suda Bay and transport motor generators for damaged cruiser YORK. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 7th.

GA.10 of British steamer CAMERONIA and Dutch steamer PENNLAND escorted by CLA CARLISLE, DDs ILEX, NUBIAN, and HEREWARD, arrived at Alexandria on the 6th. NUBIAN and corvette HYACINTH of convoy ANF.24 attacked a submarine contact off Phleva Is.

DD JANUS departed Alexandria for Port Said for escort duty in convoy AN.25.

Submarine PARTHIAN departed Alexandria for Port Said for docking and repairs.

RAN DDs VENDETTA and WATERHEN departed Alexandria to reinforce the Inshore Squadron.

Ex-Austrian TB PROUSA (RHN 120 grt) built in 1913 and steamer SUSSANNA (Gk 932 grt) was sunk by German bombing at Corfu.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Central Atlantic
AMC VOLTAIRE (RN 13245 grt) engaged DKM Raider THOR, which was hit once by VOLTAIRE, but the British ship was sunk. 234 of the crew were lost or killed. THOR survived the engagement and rescued over 75% of the VOLTAIRES crew. Canadian armed merchant cruiser PRINCE HENRY reported oil and wreckage on 7 and 9 April at this location, but there was no information on the AMC. Cruiser VOLTAIRE was not reported missing until 3 May

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
Giuseppe Sirtori Class TB GIOVANNI ACERBI (FI 669 grt) was sunk at Massawa.

Lead Ship of the class GIUSEPPE SIRTORI

German and Italian steamers were scuttled at Massawa.
Steamer CREFELD (Ger 8045 grt) was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Steamer FRAUENFELS (Ger 7487 grt) was scuttled at Massawa. The steamer was salved as EMPIRE NIGER.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Steamer GERA (Ger 5155 grt) was scuttled at Massawa. The steamer was salved as EMPIRE INDUS.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Steamer LICHTENFELS (Ger 7566 grt) was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Steamer LIEBENFELS (Ger 6318 grt) was scuttled at Massawa. The steamer was salved at EMPIRE NILE.

German steamer OLIVA (7885grt) was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Steamer ADUA (FI 3564 grt) was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Steamer BRENTA (FI 5400 grt) was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Steamer ARABIA (FI 5943 grt) was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Steamer ROMOLO GESSI (FI 5148 grt) was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Coastal steamer IMPERO (FI 488 grt) was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Steamer VESUVIO (FI 5430 grt) was scuttled at Massawa. The steamer was later salved.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Steamer XXIII MARZO (FI 5006 grt) was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

RAN CA CANBERRA departed Mauritius escorting British steamer TALAMBA, carrying 910 troops. The cruiser escorted the steamer to the Seychilles where 500 more personnel were embarked. CL GLASGOW escorted the steamer from the Seychilles until rendezvousing with convoy WS.6. The steamer continued on to the Middle East arriving on the 29th.

Pacific/Australia
Mooring vessel BUFFALO (UK 750 grt) departed Singapore on the 5th to salvage a Blenheim a/c of 27 Sqn which had crashed sth of Siglap Obelisk. She carried a dockyard party of 19, an officer and a signalman from CL DAUNTLESS, and 25 RAF personnel of RAF 151 Maintenance Unit. The vessel struck a mine in Minefield 3, laid by DD STRONGHOLD in March, and sank. 32 of those aboard lost their lives, and a further 25 were injured.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Elements of the US Pacific Flt were ordered to the Atlantic on the 4th over strong opposition from Admiral King. Units involved were BBs IDAHO, MISSISSIPPI, and NEW MEXICO, CV YORKTOWN, CL s PHILADELPHIA, BROOKLYN, SAVANNAH, and NASHVILLE, and DDs LANG, STERETT, WILSON, WINSLOW, WAINWRIGHT, STACK, MORRIS, BUCK, and ROE. DD WARRINGTON departed Pearl Harbour on the 18th. CV YORKTOWN departed Pearl Harbour on the 20th with DDs MAYRANT, TRIPPE, RHIND, MUSTIN, RUSSELL, and JOUETT. The carrier arrived at Bermuda on 12 May. BB MISSISSIPPI, CL SAVANNAH, and DDs WILSON, STERETT, and LANG departed Pearl Harbour on 19 May and arrived at Guantanamo on 5 June. NEW MEXICO and CL NASHVILLE departed Pearl Harbour on 20 May and arrived at Norfolk on 16 June. BB IDAHO and CL s PHILADELPHIA and BROOKLYN departed Pearl Harbour on 22 May for Norfolk, arriving on 16 June. CL SAVANNAH later arrived at Boston on 17 June. NASHVILLE later arrived at Boston on 19 June. PHILADELPHIA arrived at Boston on 18 June.

From San Diego, DDs SIMS, ANDERSON, HUGHES, and HAMMANN departed on 29 May for the Atlantic.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 4 APRIL TO DAWN 5 APRIL 1941

Weather Fair.
Aircraft are reported several times in the vicinity of the Island but no air raids materialise.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 4 APRIL 1941
AIR HQ 69 Squadron 0810-1455 hrs Maryland intending reconnaissance of Spezia was impeded by clouds and surveyed Maddalena Harbour instead. 0846-1430 hrs Maryland photo-reconnaissance Bari and Brindisi harbours. 1435 hrs Maryland reconnaissance between Malta and Tunisian coast for enemy shipping.

Cyrenaica
Axis troops captured Benghazi, Libya, which was evacuated by British forces on the previous day. They pushed further east to the Green Mountain, where they were held by just 3 companies of the Australian 9th Division. In the desert to the south, while German 5th Light Division was held in place waiting for a resupply of fuel, the British did not realize the German offensive through the desert had paused and continued to fall back. From the air, German Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed a convoy of 21 trucks, destroying 1,600 gallons of gasoline

 

[Njaco]

April 5 Saturday
MEDITERRANEAN: In preparation for the assault on the Balkans and Greece, the Luftwaffe transfers several single and twin-engined Geschwaders to the area. The III Gruppe of JG 54 led by Hptm. Arnold Lignitz, along with the 4 Staffel from the II Gruppe arrive at Arad in Rumania along with the Stab and III./SKG 77 under Major Graf Clemens von Schönborn-Wiesentheid.

All British, Australian and New Zealand forces in Greece came under command of the veteran Australian, General (later Field Marshal Sir) Thomas Blamey to form the 1st Australian Corps. Henry Maitland Wilson officially took command of the British "W" Force in Greece. General Carton de Wiart was appointed head of British military mission to Yugoslavia.

1st Battalion of British Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment arrived to garrison Lemnos Island.

German commandos secure docks along the Danube River in preparation for Germany's invasion of the Balkans.

EASTERN EUROPE: At Moscow, Russia, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union entered into a non-aggression treaty. The pact marked a crucial point in the rupture between Germany and Russia. Agent reports to Stalin from Prague that Germany will invade Soviet Union on 15 May.

The German embassy in Moscow, Russia reported that Soviet exports to Germany had dramatically increased in the month of Mar 1941, but the flow of goods from Germany to the Soviet Union had slowed.

NORTH AFRICA: Axis forces advanced toward Msus and Mechili in Libya.

Indian 5th Division reached Massawa, Eritrea, Italian East Africa. Italian Admiral Bonetti, the head of the 10,000-strong garrison who had ignored surrender demands previously, asked for surrender terms at 1330 hours. Before the Allies responded, however, his superiors in Rome, Italy ordered him to fight until the last man. East African 22nd Infantry Brigade crosses the Awash River and advances toward Addis Ababa. South African Air Force aircraft conducted heavy attacks against Addis Ababa airfield

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Before dawn, shortly after midnight, British destroyer HMS "Wolverine", corvette HMS "Arbutus", and sloop HMS "Scarborough", escorting Allied convoy SC-26, forced German submarine U-76 to surface 250 miles south of Iceland. The German crew scuttled the submarine to prevent capture. During the attack on the submarine, 1 German crewman was killed; the 42 survivors were captured by the British.

German submarine U-105 sank British ship "Ena de Larrinaga" 800 miles northwest of Natal, Brazil at 0338 hours; 5 were killed, 38 survived.

NORTH AMERICA: The US Congress passed the "Fifth Supplemental National Defense Appropriation Act, 1941", which allocated US$14,575,000 for establishing a Marine Corps training ground on the east coast of the United States.

WESTERN FRONT: Operation Savanna ended with the main Allied objective having failed. Captain Georges Bergé saw Geoffrey Appleyard of the SOE's Small Scale Raiding Force paddling ashore after launching from the submarine HMS "Tigris". Unfortunately, two other kayaks were damaged being launched so only Bergé and Forman could be extracted. Joël Le Tac (fr) remained behind and made his way to a safehouse in Paris and continued as an SOE operative.

RN Force H patrols off Bay of Biscay to contain Kriegsmarine warships at Brest.

ASIA: Japan declared it would control all rubber exports from Thailand, Indochina and the Dutch East Indies through a Japanese association of rubber dealers. Japan was reduced to a month's supply of rubber stocks.

SOUTH PACIFIC: In Australia, the trading schooner "Gerard" was commissioned into the RAN as an auxiliary patrol vessel.

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[parsifal]

05 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIC U-431
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

6 ships sunk, total tonnage 7,679 GRT
Sunk on 21 October 1943 in the Med east of Cartagena, Spain, by aWellington a/c 179 Sqn RAF. 52 dead (all hands lost).

Allied
HDML 1013
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
U.105 sank steamer ENA DE LARRINAGA (UK 5200 grt) in the central Atlantic. Five crew were lost on the steamer. Thirty eight crew were rescued. She was outward bound from Hull to Buenos Aires, carrying mixed cargo and coal. She was sailing independently at the time of her loss. At 0338 hrs on 5 April 1941 the unescorted ENA DE LARRINAGA was hit aft by one G7a torpedo from U-105 and sank slowly on an even keel 205 miles east of St. Paul Rocks. The U-boat had spotted the ship about 10 hours earlier and decided to wait for the night to attack. The master and 18 survivors were rescued after 13 days and landed at Rio de Fogo near Toures, Brazil. The chief officer and 18 survivors were picked up by the Brazilian steam passenger ship ALMIRANTE ALEXANDRO and landed at Pernambuco. The master Reginald S. Craston was awarded an OBE and the Lloyd's War Medal for bravery at sea.

Type VIIC Uboat U.76 (DKM 740 GRT) was sunk by DD WOLVERINE and sloop SCARBOROUGH, escorting convoy SC.26, sth of Iceland. Corvette ARBUTUS was also involved in the attack. The commanding officer, three other officers, and thirty ratings from the submarine were rescued. One crewman was lost.

Steamer ST CLEMENT (UK 450 grt) was sunk by the LW in air attack 20 miles SE of Peterhead (just nth of Aberdeen). Chief Engineer was lost.

Steamer RATTRAY HEAD (UK 496grt) was sunk by the LW eight miles ENE of Aberdeen. Three crew were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
At Sea 05 April 1941
U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-124

16 Boats at Sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil at 0630 to meet convoy EC.2 and provide cover to the Pentland Firth.

ML TEVIOTBANK, escorted by patrol sloop SHELDRAKE and FNFL TB LA MELPOMENE, laid minefield BS.53 off the east coast of England.

Northern Patrol
CLs AURORA and GALATEA departed Scapa Flow to support ML opn SN.8 in the Denmark Strait. MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, AGAMEMNON, PORT QUEBEC, and MENESTHEUS, escorted by DDs COSSACK and ANTHONY, which had departed Scapa Flow on the 4th and arrived at Loch Alsh at 1630, LANCASTER, and ST MARYS, departed Loch Alsh on the 5th for ML operation SN.8. ML AGAMEMNON was carrying a reduced load of mines due to collision damage with DD CASTLETON. The operation was carried out on the 6th without incident. CAs NORFOLK from the Denmark Straitpatrol and SUFFOLK departed Scapa Flow on the 5th provided cover for the operation. CA NORFOLK arrived at Hvalfjord at 0540/8th.

CLs AURORA and GALATEA returned to Scapa Flow on the 8th. CA SUFFOLK and DD COSSACK arrived at Scapa Flow later on the e 8th and DD ANTHONY arrived later still..

BB RESOLUTION with DDs PIORUN, GARLAND, LEGION, and LEOPARD departed Greenock for Hvalfjord. DDs ACTIVE and ECHO relieved the BB escort off Iceland for refuelling. The BB after a few days in the Denmark Strait pressed on to Halifax, then Philadelphia for refitting.

Northern Waters
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to cover convoy WN.9 from the Pentland Firth.

At 1000 on the 6th, the ship transferred to convoy EN.95 and covered her to the north. After departing convoy EN.95 in Pentland Firth, the ship returned to Scapa Flow on the 7th.

West Coast
RCN DD ASSINIBOINE was damaged in a collision with British steamer LAIRDSWOOD in the Irish Sea. The DD was escorting British steamer GLENARTNEY to Gibraltar. DD BOREAS relieved her of the escort duty. ASSINIBOINE was repaired at Greenock from 8 April to 18 May.

Channel
The Admiralty reported that 6 enemy DDs passed through the Straits of Dover at about 1900, possibly en route to Brest. Three of the DDs were reported entering Cherbourg at 0720/6th. This was viewed as a prelude to the sailing of German warships from Brest. DDs KELLY and KASHMIR departed Plymouth and rendezvoused with DDs KELVIN and JACKAL ten miles 130° from Wolf Rock. No contact was made with the German ships.

Med/Biscay
CL FIJI arrived at Gibraltar.

AN.25 of one Greek AND five British shipS departed Alexandria escorted by CLA COVENTRY and DDs JERVIS and JANUS. The DDs also were carrying mines and special stores for the Fleet Air Arm in Greece, and arrived at Piraeus on the 9th. COVENTRY proceeding to Suda Bay after completion of the escort.

Steamer SIFNOS (Gk 2290 grt) was sunk by the LW at Milos. Some sources claim she was lost on the 23 April. She was loaded with about 600 tons of oil in drums, soap, wine, and other goods. Discharging port would be Piraeus. She called at Suda for coaling and supply of 20 tons of fresh water. On the day of her loss around 0820 hrs she arrived at the entrance of Adamas bay, Milos where she was attacked by LW Ju-88s. The ship was hit in her engine room and her Master (E. Moscholios) turned her to starboard so as to run her aground on the nearby shore. However she did not make it as a second bomb exploded in the aft hold sending the ship down fairly quickly. Of her crew of nine, four lost their lives.

Malta
Weather Fair.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 5 APRIL 1941

AIR HQ 69 Squadron Maryland photo-reconnaissance Tripoli, Mellaha, Lampedusa. At Tripoli: 14 DDs or TBs, 23 merchant vessels. Maryland photo-reconnaissance Spezia.

Cyrenaica

Axis forces advanced toward Msus and Mechili in Libya.

 

[Njaco]

April 6 Sunday
INVASION OF YUGOLSLAVIA AND GREECE (BALKANS)
MEDITERRANEAN: Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita/ The April War: Hitler invades Yugoslavia and the Balkans. The German plan consists of a two-pronged attack with one striking from Austria into Yugoslavia and a second force moving through the Rupel Pass from Bulgaria into Greece. Yugoslavia will be crushed from all sides in a classic blitzkrieg. The invasion was spearheaded by the German 2.Armee, with elements of the 12.Armee under Field Marshal List, a panzer group and an independent panzer corps combined with overwhelming Luftwaffe support. The 19 German divisions included five panzer divisions, two motorised infantry divisions and two mountain divisions. The German force also included three well-equipped independent motorised infantry regiments and was supported by over 750 aircraft. The Italian 2nd Army and 9th Army committed a total of 22 divisions and 666 aircraft to the operation. The Hungarian 3rd Army also participated in the invasion, with support available from over 500 aircraft. During the April War, the Führer Headquarters (FHQ) was codenamed Frühlingssturm (Spring Storm) and consisted of the Führersonderzug (Special Führer's Train) codenamed "Amerika" stationed in Mönichkirchen alongside the special train "Atlas" of the Armed Forces Operations Staff (Wehrmachtführungsstabes, WFSt).

Unternehmen 25: The invasion commenced with an overwhelming air attack on Belgrade and facilities of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force (VVKJ) by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) and attacks by German land forces from southwestern Bulgaria. These attacks were followed by German thrusts from Romania, Hungary and the Ostmark. Italian forces were limited to air and artillery attacks. German armoured columns from Bulgaria bypass antiquated Yugoslav mountain defenses and rush down the river valleys almost 100 miles towards Greece, reaching Skopje and Veles in Southern Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav Supreme Command committed numerous forces from its strategic reserves, including the 2nd Cavalry Division, but these were harassed by the Luftwaffe during transit to the front and did not get through in any real quantities. Having reached Niš from its initial attacks from Bulgaria and broken the Yugoslav defences, the German 14th Motorised Corps headed north in the direction of Belgrade. The German 46.Panzerkorps had advanced across the Slavonian plain from Austria to attack Belgrade from the west, whilst the 41.Panzerkorps threatened the city from the north after launching its offensive drive from Romania and Hungary.

Unternehmen Marita: Hungarian, and Italian forces along with German mountain troops invade Greece from Bulgaria but they are quickly held at the Metaxas Line. 2 forts in the Metaxas Line are destroyed by German bombing. The German unit detailed for the invasion of Greece was the 12.Armee under Field-Marshal Wilhelm List, with a total of 15 divisions and other elements. Of those the XVIII and XXX Corps were to be used against Metaxas Line. The Greek units responsible for the Metaxas Line were the Eastern Macedonia Army Section under Lieutenant General Konstantinos Bakopoulos and the independent Evros Brigade under Major General Ioannis Zisis. The Yugoslav force that contributed directly to the defence of Metaxas Line was the 20th "Bregalnička" Infantry Division, part of the 3rd Territorial Army of the Yugoslav army. It confronted the German 2.Panzerdivision, which would attempt to outflank the entire Greek position crossing into Greece from Yugoslav territory. British 'W' Force consisting of British 1st Armored Brigade, Australian 16th Infantry Brigade and 19th Infantry Brigade, NZ 4th Infantry Brigade, 5th Infantry Brigade, and 6th Infantry Brigade were to hold the Aliakmon Line in northern Greece. The XL Panzer Corps — planned to attack across southern Yugoslavia — began their assault at 0530 hours. They pushed across the Bulgarian frontier at two separate points. The 2.Panzerdivision (XVIII Mountain Corps) entered Yugoslavia from the east in the morning and advanced westward through the Struma Valley. It encountered little resistance, but was delayed by road clearance demolitions, mines and mud. As the Yugoslavia defenses collapsed, the 2.Panzerdivision swung south and moved behind the Metaxas line toward Salonika.

During the battle for the bunker Beles of the Metaxas Line, Sergeant Dimitrios Itsios of the Greek Army was ordered to cover the retreat of his unit from a pillbox with an MG and then retreat once they got a chance. Five other soldiers were with him. After some time and with the Germans sending wave after wave at the pillbox, he ordered his fellow soldiers to fall back. Three of them obeyed but the other two who came from the same town where Itsios lived, refused and continued fighting with him. They only stopped fighting when they had no ammunition left. 38,000 bullets were fired and more than 230 Germans were laying dead in front of the pillbox.

The Germans captured Itsios and the other 2 soldiers. General Schörner himself showed up and asked him where his commanding officer was.

''There is none'', he replied, 'I'm in charge here''

General Schörner continued ''Congratulations. With your resistance you revived the spirit of your ancestors.''

''I only did my duty'' said Itsios.

''And I must do mine. You cost me 200 of my men'' General Schörner replied and gave the order for his execution on the spot. The other two soldiers weren't harmed and told the story to their relatives when they got back home.

Again the Luftwaffe would continue the Blitzkrieg style by bombing the ground forces and gaining air superiority over the front. The 400 aircraft of Luftflotte IV assembled for the assault flew missions from airfields in Bulgaria, Rumania and Austria. Tactical control of all close-support aircraft was placed under the command of General Wolfram von Richthofen and his VIII Fliegerkorps. The Luftwaffe swiftly destroyed Yugoslavian Air Force on the ground. Luftwaffe dive-bombers and ground-attack fighters destroyed 26 of the Yugoslav Dorniers in the initial assault on their airfields, but the remaining aircraft were able to effectively hit back with numerous attacks on German mechanized columns and upon Bulgarian airfields.

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[Njaco]

April 6 Sunday continued
INVASION OF YUGOLSLAVIA AND GREECE (BALKANS)
MEDITERRANEAN: Unternehmen Strafgericht: One of the first missions flown by Luftflotte IV is an attack on Belgrade, the capital of Yugoslavia. Flying in relays from airfields in Austria and Romania, 300 aircraft, of which a quarter were Junkers Ju 87 Stukas, protected by a heavy fighter escort began the attack. The dive-bombers were to silence the Yugoslav anti-aircraft defences while the medium bombers consisting mainly Dornier Do 17s and Junkers Ju 88 attacked the city. The initial raid was carried out at 15-minute intervals in three distinct waves, each lasting for approximately 20 minutes. Thus, the city was subjected to a rain of bombs for almost one and a half hours. The German bombers directed their main effort against the center of the city, where the principal government buildings were located. When the attack was over, some 4,000 inhabitants lay dead under the debris. This blow virtually destroyed all means of communication between the Yugoslav high command and the forces in the field, although most of the elements of the general staff managed to escape to one of the suburbs.

The VVKJ put up its Belgrade defence interceptors from the six squadrons of the 32nd and 51st Fighter Groups to attack each wave of bombers, although as the day wore on the four squadrons from the 31st and 52nd Fighter Groups, based in central Serbia, also took part. The Messerschmitt 109E, Hurricane Is and Rogozarski IK-3 fighters scored at least twenty "kills" amongst the attacking bombers and their escorting fighters.

On a mission to strafe the airfield at Podgorica, 7./JG 26 shoot down the only airplanes to defend the airbase, two Avia BH 33Es of Ind. Fighter Esk. 81 (Bomber) Group. Oblt. Mietusch claims one of the Yugoslavian biplane fighters. Lt. Fritz Geisshardt of I(J)./LG 2 shoots down four Yugoslav Hawker Furies while Uffz. Steigleder of I./ZG 26 destroys a pair of Yugoslav Bf 109s. In the afternoon, Bf 109s of 8./JG 27 conduct a ground attack mission in the Rupel Pass. But the formation is bounced by Hurricanes of RAF No. 33 Squadron and four Messerschmitts are shot down with three pilots killed.

Six Wellington bombers of RAF No. 37 Squadron, flying from Greece, attack Sofia while Blenheim bombers of RAF No. 84 Squadron, flying from Greece, attack a rail station in Bulgaria.

During the night Lt. Hajo Herrmann led 7./KG 30 on an attack on the Greek port of Piraeus near Athens that was being used by the British. Lt. Herrmann flew his Ju 88 over the ships in harbor and dropped a 250lb bomb on the freighter 'Clan Fraser' as the ship was unloading ammunition and explosives. The direct hit on the 12,000 ton ship laden with TNT fully destroyed the freighter and the resulting explosion sank a further ten ships and damaged the harbor facilities from end to end rendering them useless for the next several weeks. 60 lighters were lost in the blast and an ammunition train was ignited on shore. The accident created a logistical hard ship for the British in the crucial days ahead. Boats from HMAS "Perth", (cruiser), were involved in the rescue of survivors of the ships sunk in the Harbour. Over 200 of "Perth's" crew were ashore at the time of the raid, but she suffered no casualties.

HMAS "Vendetta", (destroyer), survived a submarine attack while on passage from Sollum to Tobruk. The torpedo passed "Vendetta's" bows, 'with several metres to spare'.

NORTH AFRICA: British and Australians withdraw in panic from Barce and Derna towards Tobruk, as German advances through the desert South of Green Mountain threaten to cut off their retreat along the coast. On the same day, Axis troops captured Msus, Libya, a major fuel and supply dump. The fuel was destroyed by the Allies before German capture. By 1700 hours, Germans surround British forces at the old desert fort at Mechili but British Brigadier Vaughn refuses German demands for surrender. After dark, British generals General Neame and O'Connor began evacuating themselves to Tmimi west of Tobruk, getting lost in the retreat.

South African Air Force aircraft conducted heavy attacks against Addis Ababa airfield. British 11th African Division advances 120 miles in 2 days to reach the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, but find it unoccupied. The Italian garrison originally based in Addis Ababa had withdrawn north to Gondar and Amba Alagi. The Duke of Aosta is withdrawing to the north toward Amba Alagi with the remains of the main Italian force. General Frusci is in tactical command of these troops. Italian forces continued to hold out in Galla-Sidamo (General Gazzera), Gondar (General Nasi), and at Amba Alagi (Duke of Aosta). Emperor Haile Selassie's troops occupy the Italian forts at Debra Markos, after their epic march through the Abyssinian hinterland, relying on camels to carry all their supplies with Wingate and Gideon Force. General Cunningham's African force has advanced 1,725 miles from Kenya in 72 days, capturing 22,000 Italian and colonial prisoners.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: British armed merchant cruiser HMS "Comorin", carrying military personnel for British West Africa, caught fire 450 miles west of Ireland; 20 were killed, 405 survived. German submarine U-94 sank Norwegian tanker "Lincoln Ellsworth" 100 miles southwest of Ireland at 1700 hours with 2 torpedoes and 121 rounds from the deck gun. The entire crew survived in 2 lifeboats.

WESTERN FRONT: 71 RAF Beaufort aircraft torpedoed German battlecruiser "Gneisenau" at Brest, France, waiting to have an unexploded bomb removed before entering dry dock, sustaining extensive damage. During this attack, Flying Officer Kenneth Campbell of No. 22 Squadron RAF Coastal Command, who scored the hit with an Mk XII torpedo, was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed with the loss of the entire crew. Campbell would be awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his gallantry.

RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack Rotterdam, Calais and other targets overnight. RAF Bomber Command sent 14 aircraft to attack coastal targets. There were also several RAF Fighter Command Rhubarb operations.

EASTERN EUROPE: A transport of 1,021 prisoners from Pawiak Prison in Warsaw, Poland arrived at Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Famous actors Bronislaw Dardzinski, Tadeusz Hertman Kanski, Stefan Jaracz, Zbigniew Nowakowski, and Leon Schiller were among them, arrested for the murder of actor Igo Sym who collaborated with German propaganda efforts.

At 0130 hours in Moscow, the Soviet Union and the new government of Yugoslavia signed a treaty of friendship and non-aggression. The treaty was backdated to April 5, possibly in anticipation of a German attack and the Russians wanting to avoid any impression that the agreement was signed while Yugoslavia was at war.

Agent Dora reports to Stalin from Switzerland that Germany will invade Soviet Union on 15 June.

NORTH AMERICA: US Secretary of State Cordell Hull denounces German invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece. Yugoslavian military attaché urgently requests over 700 aircraft, 100 tanks, and other weapons.

SOUTH PACIFIC: A Seagull amphibian from HMAS "Australia", (cruiser), crashed and sank when taking off in Cook Strait. HMAS "Hobart", (cruiser), was in company with "Australia", and landed its Seagull aircraft on the water and was able to rescue the observer and air-gunner, but the pilot went down with the aircraft.

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