This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

[Njaco]

April 15 Tuesday continued
WESTERN FRONT: Major Adolf Galland, Kommodore of JG 26, scores his sixtieth victory. Later on an invitation to Theo Osterkamp's birthday party at Le Touquet, Major Galland and his wingman, Lt. Westphal take off loaded with champagne and lobsters. But instead of a direct route, Major Galland flies over England. RAF Spitfires are sent to intercept him. During the battle Major Galland downs one Spitfire but the British are too many and Galland decides to break off the fight. Escaping the battle he almost crashes at the airfield when he forgets to lower his landing gear. Ground crews finally alert him to his mistake and he lands safely.

Major Galland's contemporary at JG 51, Kommodore Major Mölders downs a Hurricane of RAF No. 615 Squadron while flying his new Bf 109F 'Friedrich'. The Hurricane, Major Mölders sixty-third kill, goes down over Boulogne.

RAF Bomber Command sends 23 aircraft to attack Boulogne docks overnight and 14 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

NORTH AMERICA: President Roosevelt signs executive order allowing Navy, Marine Corps, and Army Air Corps individuals to sign contracts with the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO) in China for one year, after which time the men can rejoin their respective services with no loss in rank. This is the first step toward forming the American Volunteer Group (AVG), which will become known as the "Flying Tigers." Over half of the pilots in the AVG will be from the Navy and Marine Corps.

Test flight of the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 helicopter. America's first practical helicopter, it pioneered the single main rotor concept that became the predominant helicopter configuration throughout the world. The principles that were developed and demonstrated by the VS-300 had direct application in the design of the early mass-production helicopter, marking the beginning of the world's rotorcraft industry. Sikorsky fitted utility floats (also called pontoons) to the VS-300 and performed a water landing and takeoff, making it the first practical amphibious helicopter. The helicopter completes a 1 hour 5 minutes endurance flight at Stratford, Connecticut, piloted by Igor Sikorsky.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Italian submarine "Tazzoli" sank British ship "Aurillac" 500 miles west of Lisbon, Portugal, killing 1.

The British Royal Navy parks a tanker and a support ship in Hvalfjord, Iceland, as a refueling depot for convoy escort ships.

NORTH AFRICA: First Siege of Tobruk: Despite yesterday's setbacks, Rommel presses his attack on the Allied defensive perimeter. 1,000 Italian troops attacked Tobruk, Libya at 1730 hours, overrunning Australian defensive lines, but they were driven back at 1815 hours upon the arrival of an Australian reserve company and heavy artillery. 250 Italians were killed and 113 were captured in this failed attack.

RN warships including cruiser "Gloucester" bombard Axis positions along the coast of Cyrenaica.

EASTERN EUROPE: US Ambassador Laurence Steinhardt warns Soviets of impending German invasion. Josef Stalin prepares the country for war with Germany, including partial mobilization, transferring forces from Siberia to the west, sending 28 rifle divisions and four armies to the border with Germany, and begins assembling a fifth army near Moscow.

A German reconnaissance aircraft with a camera and exposed film of Soviet installations crashes near Rovno in the Soviet Union, but no Soviet attention to preparations for a possible German attack results.

GERMANY: RAF Bomber Command sends 96 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight (210 killed).

ASIA: The Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO) signs an agreement with the Chinese government to equip and administer the American Volunteer Group in China.


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[parsifal]

16 APRIL 1941
Losses
Steamer SWEDRU (UK 5379 grt). On 16 April she was attacked by a LW long range bomber (FW 200 Condor) from KG 40 while en route from Freetown to Liverpool in convoy SL69. Two 250 lb bombs (with ~15 second delay fuses) were dropped from 250ft, struck the bridge and exploded. The captain and other senior officers were instantly killed. She subsequently caught fire and the third Officer Ellis, R. C. ordered the boats away. 32 survivors were picked up by the corvette HMS GLADIOLUS. 17 crew and 7 passengers were lost. The steamer was sunk by HM ship on the 19th.

Steamer ANGELESEA ROSE (UK 1151 grt) was sunk by the LW Nth of St. Ives (on the nth side of Cornwall) when on voyage from Barry for Plymouth with a cargo of coal.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer AMIENS (UK 1548 grt), was also sunk in this attack
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer BOLETTE (Nor 1167 grt) was hit by 2 bombs from a German a/c 1941 off St. Ives, Cornwall near Lands End on a voyage from Workington for Devonport with a cargo of coal and sank with the loss of 8 crew. .

Steamer FAVORIT (Nor 2826 grt) was sunk by the LW NW of the Hebrides. Assigned as part of SC-27, she had suffered steering gear problems on the 7th that found her on her own on the 16th. when she was attacked by an aircraft at 10:40 GMT on the 16th, position 60 06N 08 32W. 2 bombs hit near No. 3 hatch, causing heavy damages and destroying the motor boat. The crew did not take to the boats immediately, as the ship was still being strafed and the a/c was strafing the decks. Rhe a/c dropped more bombs, 1 of which detonated in the sea on the starboard side, another on the foredeck. By then the starboard lifeboat had been manned and launched, but it was already full of water and capsized. The port boat had better luck and those who were in the water were subsequently picked up by this boat. The a/c now returned a 3rd time, dropping 2 bombs on the after deck, and she started to sink by the stern.

The captain and 10 men set sail in a southerly direction in the one surviving (but still leaking) shgips boat, in the hope of reaching an area with more traffic. The remaining survivors had been distributed on 2 rafts which were tied together, with 7 men on one, 11 on the other.

The lifeboat was spotted by an RAF flying boat which threw down food and medicines to them that same afternoon. At about 2330 that night they were rescued by the Hull trawler COMMANDER HORTON, en route from Iceland with fish. The people on the trawler told them that they had been hailed by a DD an hour earlier and told to keep a lookout for a lifeboat. Upon being notified about the rafts the trawler's captain did not think it advisable to go back and look for them as he knew that the DD would be out looking for them. In fact, the 18 on the rafts had already been picked up by DD LINCOLN that afternoon.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
Kiel: U-147

At Sea 16 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

20 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil and joined convoy EC.7 off May Island. The ship arrived at Scapa Flow on the 17th after this duty.

Northern Waters
CLA NAIAD arrived at Scapa Flow after refitting in the Tyne.

DD SOMALI departed Scapa Flow to join steamers AMSTERDAM and ARCHANGEL off Aberdeen at 2130 and escort them to Lerwick and Scapa Flow, respectively. The DD and steamer AMSTERDAM arrived at Lerwick on the 17th. They departed again at 2000 for Aberdeen. DD ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow on the 18th to relieve SOMALI, which arrived back at Scapa Flow later on the 18th. ANTHONY parted company with the steamer off Aberdeen on the 18th, arriving back at Scapa the same day.

DD ARROW departed Scapa Flow on the 18th to escort steamer ARCHANGEL to Aberdeen. The steamer was detached off Aberdeen and destroyer ARROW arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 19th.

West Coast
CVL FURIOUS, under repair at Belfast, was damaged by German bombing.

OB.311 departed Liverpool, escort ASW trawler NORTHERN SPRAY. The convoy was joined on the 17th by corvette MALLOW and on the 18th by corvette VIOLET and MSWs NIGER and SPEEDWELL. DDs MALCOLM, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN joined on the 19th. Corvette MALLOW and the trawler were detached on the 20th. On the 22nd, DD SCIMITAR and the MSWs were detached. The remainder of the escort was detached on the 25th when the convoy dispersed

SW Approaches
British trawler KING ATHELSTAN was damaged by the LW 3 miles off Ballinskelligs (off the sw coast of Ireland). The trawler was beached with hull damage. She was temporarily repaired and was able to proceed under her own steam

Med/Biscay
On this day, the decision to evacuate forces on mainland Greece was taken. The RN was becoming adept at reading when the british army had bitten off more than it could chew, as evacuation planning at Med flt HQ had been developing for some days!

British troopships GLENGYLE and GLENEARN departed Alexandria escorted by CLA CARLISLE and RAN DDs STUART and VOYAGER and RN WRYNECK, for a raid by special troops on Bardia. Submarine TRIUMPH had sailed on the 15th to act as a beacon for the operation. After dark, CARLISLE departed this force to join convoy AN.27. CLA COVENTRY departed Alexandria on the 16th to join the force at daylight on the 17th.

This operation was to be conducted during the night of 16/17 April, but was cancelled due to bad weather. During the night of 19/20 April, British commandoes did raid Bardia.

The raid was successful, but sixty seven men lost their way and were left behind. The remainder of the force were embarked and returned to Alexandria.

DD DECOY and gunboat LADYBIRD departed Tobruk at 1630 for a raid by special troops on Marakeb. The raid was carried out during the night of 16/17, but was unsuccessful. DECOY ran aground, but was gotten off without serious damage. Both ships returned to Alexandria.

DD HERO, operating in the Piraeus – Suda Bay area, was ordered to Kotor to embark the Yugoslavian King and Government and British diplomatic staff. However, the sailing was cancelled since it was unknown if Kotor was still in allied hands. The passengers relying on this transport did find their way out of Yugoslavia

Armed boarding vessel CHAKLA was grounded in a storm at Suda Bay. She was towed off by netlayer PROTECTOR.

Steamer MEMAS (Gk 4359 grt) was sunk by the LW at Chalkis (chief town of the island of Euboea, nth of Athens and situated on the Euripus Straits at its narrowest point)..
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Battle of the "Tarigo" convoy
RN DesFloot 14 intercepted an Axis supply convoy on passage from Naples to Tripoli off Kerkenah at 0158 on the 16th and attacked at 0210. The entire convoy including the three RM DDs in escort were sunk or disabled.

The convoy consisted of four German troopships (ADANA, ARTA, AEGINA and ISERLOHN) and an Italian ammunition ship (SABAUDIA). The convoy was escorted by three DDs; LUCA TARIGO(flagship), BALENOand LAMPO, under the command of Capitano Pietro de Cristofaro. The convoy was delayed by bad weather, sailing in the evening of 13 April.

The British had been alerted to the convoy's sailing by intercepted radio messages. On 15 April, a Malta based Maryland recon a/c sighted and shadowed the convoy. Two RA SM-79s that were ordered to provide air cover failed to materialise, apparently due to the continuing bad weather (though this does not make sense given the Marylands were airborner). During the night of 15–16 April, the convoy was intercepted by the DesFlot 14 commanded by Captain Philip Mack). At least three of these destroyers were equipped with radar, which was to prove decisive. The encounter took place as the Italian convoy maneuvered around the shallow waters surrounding the Kerkennah Islands.

By the use of the radar, the British force ambushed the Axis convoy in the dark. As the convoy passed a buoy marking sandbanks, the British opened fire at 2,000 yards and closing to as near as 50 yards. Three of the Axis transports were sunk, and the other two beached on the sandbar and became total losses as well.

LAMPO was run aground with heavy damage and losses, but she was later salvaged. BALENO sank in shallow waters. The flotilla commander, Capitano de Cristofaro, on board the TARIGO, had his leg shot off and later died of his wounds; he was posthumously awarded the Medaglia d'Oro (the highest Italian military decoration). While listing to port and sinking, TARIGO (now under the command of the only surviving officer, Ensign Ettore Bisagno) launched two torpedoes which hit HMS MOHAWK, which was was subsequently scuttled by HMS JERVIS, and settled on the sandy bottom at a depth of 12 meters. The outcome of the battle marked the end of the relatively unopposed Axis transport to Libya, which they had enjoyed since June 1940. It was a heavy defeat for the Axis forces, coming at a time when the allies were taking very heavy blows in the Balkans. Almost an entire Blackshirt Regt was lost in this attack.

Summary of losses:
Steamers ANDANA (Ger 4205 grt), sunk
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer AEGINA (Ger 2447 grt), sunk

Steamer ARTA (Ger 2452 grt), sunk
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

and Steamer ISERLOHN (Ger 3704 grt) sunk

Steamer SABAUDIA (FI 1590 grt) sunk
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Folgore Class DD LAMPO She was disabled and forced ashore with 141 of her 205 crew killed in action, but she was later salvaged and put back into service. She was eventually sunk by bombers on 30 April 1943 off Cape Bon, while carrying ammunition to Tunisia, with the loss of 60 out of 213 crewmen.

Navigatori Class DD LUCA TARIGO (RM 1900 grt), was able to hit HMS MOHAWK with torpedoes, crippling the RN DD (she had to be scuttled), before being torn to pieces and sunk.

Folgore Class DD BALENO (RM 1220grt) She was disabled on 16 April 1941 by RN DDs JERVIS, NUBIAN, MOHAWK AND JANUS ran aground and sank on the following morning. Only 37 of her crew survived.

Tribal Class DD MOHAWK (RN 1854 grt) was torpedoed by Italian destroyer TARIGO. 41 officers and crew lost. 161 crewman, including the CO were rescued. DD NUBIAN picked up survivors from the water whilst DD JERVIS rescued two men from r MOHAWK's fo'c'sle, before she took action to scuttle the MOHAWK.

RM DDs VIVALDI and DA NOLI were rushed to the scene to pick up survivors. When the threat of continued attack by RN units was realized, CL BANDE NERE and other units (BARBIANO and DI GUISSANO) departed Palermo to cover rescue operations. Over the next 7 days, DDs VIVALDI, DA NOLI, MALOCELLO, and DARDO, TBs CIGNO, CLIO, CENTAURO, MISSORI, PAPA, PERSEO, and PARTENOPE, hospital ships ARNO and GIUSEPPE ORLANDO, and rescue aircraft rescued 1248 troops (3000 had been aboard the ships).

Nth Atlantic
HX.121 departed Halifax, escort AMC CALIFORNIA and corvettes CHAMBLY, COLLINGWOOD, and ORILLIA. The corvettes were detached later that day. BB REVENGE joined the convoy on the 19th and was detached on the 23rd. DDs INGLEFIELD, MALCOLM, MAORI, and WATCHMAN and corvette VIOLET joined the convoy on the 25th. MAORI and WATCHMAN and corvette VIOLET were detached later that day. INGLEFIELD and MALCOLM were detached on the 28th. The AMC was detached on the 27th. DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, and ROXBOROUGH, corvettes GLADIOLUS, LOBELIA, and VERONICA, and ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN, ST KENAN, ST ZENO, and VIZALMA joined on the 28th for the home waters escort. Corvette ABELIA joined on the 29th. On the 30th, DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, and ROXBOROUGH, corvette VERONIA, and the ASW trawlers were detached. Corvette GLADIOLUS was detached on 1 May and corvette ABELIA on 2 May. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 3 May

Central Atlantic
DKM supply ship NORDMARK replenished RM subs ARCHIMEDE, GUGLIEMOTTI, and FERRARIS at sea on 16 and 17 April

BC RENOWN and CV ARK ROYAL arrived at Gibraltar from Bay of Biscay patrol.
Escorting DD FEARLESS was fired upon from Algeciras, but was not damaged.

Steamer SIR ERNEST CASSEL (SD 7739 grt) was sunk by DKM raider THOR. The entire crew was taken as prisoners of war. Their ultimate fate as crew working under a neutral flag is unknown.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 16 APRIL TO DAWN 17 APRIL 1941
Weather Thick fog at first, then cold and rough.
0941-1000 hrs Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
1000 hrs Southern Infantry Brigade sends out a message that three friendly destroyers are due.
1040-1100 hrs Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
0551-0616 hrs Air raid alert for a small formation of Messerschmitt 110 fighters which appear to the west of Malta as Wellington bombers are arriving. One Wellington is attacked by a ME 110 ten miles offshore. Other Wellingtons counter-attack with two good bursts of machine-gun fire and is last seen diving into the dawn mist. The attacked Wellington lands safely, with superficial damage.
OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 16 APRIL 1941
ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm Three aircraft in overnight operation against ships anchored off Tripoli with Wellington bombers of 148 Squadron but target ships swung bows on to the entrance making an attack impossible. Destroyers returned from night operation under cover of low cloud.
AIR HQ 69 Squadron Maryland reconnaissance of Tripoli Harbour. Maryland reconnaissance Palermo Harbour and aerodrome. 148 Squadron 7 Wellingtons night bombing attack on Tripoli Harbour with 830 Squadron FAA.
HAL FAR PM Four aircraft 830 Squadron on operational flight; one returned after 30 minutes, remainder safely after mission completed.

Cyrenaica
On 16 April, Rommel led an attack from the west, with the 132nd Armoured Division Ariete reinforced by the 62nd Infantry Regiment of the 102nd Motorised Division Trento. The 2/48th Australian Battalion counter-attacked and took 803 prisoners that evening. In the morning, the 132nd Armoured Division Ariete attacked again and some tanks reached the most advanced Australian posts, found that their infantry had not followed and retired after five tanks were knocked out. Morshead ordered the garrison to exploit Axis disorganisation and inability quickly to dig in on stony ground, with patrols and small sorties,which in the coming days the defenders carried out with great success.

Italian and allied accounts differ from the above for this attack. These other versions of the attack state that 'Trento' Division launched a courageous but futile attack against Tobruk. Despite the failure of Rommel to issue clear orders and a German Panzer unit failing to show up, the Italians press forward but are soon forced to stop and dispersed because of heavy artillery fire. Some accounts also claim the Germans opened fire on Trento, (San Jose News, 21 April 1941) The Australians reported at the time that "The Italians attacked our 48 Bn and whilst withdrawing they (the Italians) were fired upon by German tanks supposedly supporting the attack." ( 2/43rd Battalion War Diary) The Australians send out Bren-Gun carriers to outflank and capture the Italians caught in the crossfire. This extra firepower finally breaks the will of the Italians, and all firing ceases. Italian casualties turn out to be 24 dead, 112 wounded and 803 prisoners, including their commanding officer. The Italian colonel was furious at having his unit shot up from behind by supporting German tanks. It certainly looks that something more than a "friendly fire" incident occurred that day.

 

[parsifal]

17 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIc U-566

6 ships sunk, total tonnage 38,092 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 2,265 tons

Scuttled on 24 October 1943 in the North Atlantic west of Leixoes, , after being badly damaged by six DCs from a British Wellington a/c (179 Sqn RAF/A). 49 survivors (no casualties).

Losses
U.123 sank steamer VENEZUELA (SD 6991 grt) in the Nth Atlantic. Outward bound from Goteburg to Buenos Aires with a crew of 49 and a cargo of paper pulp, she was sailing independently. It is now believed her neutral identity was clearly displayed at the time of her loss, but virtually any ship in the Nth Atlantic was by now being attacked on sight by BDU. At 1550 hrs, U-123 fired a single G7a stern torpedo at the unescorted and neutral VENEZUELAand hit her amidships SSW of Rockall. The U-boat had spotted the ship at 0430 hours and decided to attack it because "she was not following the routes for neutral vessels", according to the U-123's log. The "mistake" was only noticed after the attack, however the boat still fired a further torpedoes to finish off the kill despite recording that she had made a mistake. The boat did however wait for the crew to abandon ship in lifeboats, before the U-boat fired a coup de grace which was a dud and at 1603 and 1626 hours two torpedoes that hit in a hold and the engine room and settled slowly. Because the ship remained afloat another torpedo was fired at 1727 hrs, which also was a dud but when the U-boat surfaced two hours later after reloading the torpedo tubes the ship was not longer visible. Aboard the VENEZUELA were eight passengers from the Finnish motor merchant CAROLINE THORDEN, which had been sunk by German He115 aircraft of KFlGr 706 near the Faroe Islands on 26 March. The entire crew was lost.

The German 2nd MTB Flotilla with S.41, S.42, S.43, S.55, and S.104 made a sortie against Convoy FS 464 off Great Yarmouth.

Steamer EFFRA (UK 1446 grt) was sunk by a DKM S-boat near Cross Sand Light Vessel. Two crew were missing.

Model of the EFFRA built in 1946

Steamer NEREUS (NL 1298 grt) was sunk by a DKM S-boat two miles south of No. 5 Buoy, Great Yarmouth. The crew was rescued.

British steamer ETHEL RADCLIFFE was damaged by German S-boat near No. 6 Buoy off Great Yarmouth. There were no casualties on the steamer. The steamer was towed to Yarmouth by ASW trawler SAPPHIRE .

The German S-boats were later engaged by British MGB.60, MGB.59, and MGB.64 which had sailed in Operation QE on the 16th.

Steamer MONTALTO (UK 623 grt) was sunk by the LW at Rochester. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Arrivals
Bergen; U-141, U-553

At Sea 17 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

20 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Waters
DD ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow at 1700 to refit at Devonport, arriving on the 19th. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to join convoy WN.15 and escort it to Methil. The convoy and escort arrived at Methil on the 18th.

West Coast
CA LONDON and CVE ARGUS departed the Clyde for Gibraltar. The carrier carried aircraft for Operation DUNLOP. She was joined on the 22nd by CL SHEFFIELD and DDs FAULKNOR and WRESTLER, which had departed Gibraltar on the 20th. The CA then joined convoy SL.71 and arrived back at Scapa Flow on 1 May.

Med/Biscay
DD KINGSTON, the last of the three K class DDs from the Red Sea, arrived at Alexandria to reinforce the Med Flt.

DD GREYHOUND and RAN DD VOYAGER carried out a sweep westwards from Tolmeita, sinking Barque ROMAGNA (FI 195 grt), carrying bombs and fuel for Derna.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TRUANT, on a reconnaissance mission off the Cyrenaican coast, sank ammunition barque VANNA (FI 279 grt) with bombs and fuel for Derna with gunfire off Appolonia.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TRUANT attacked steamer SAMOS (Ger 2576 grt) one mile west of Benghazi. The attack was unsuccessful, but the steamer went off course and was sunk on a magnetic mine on the 19th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Five British A lighters A.1, A.5, A.6, A.16, and A.19 of the 1st Tank Landing Craft Flotilla, escorted by sloop AUCKLAND and ASW whaler SOUTHERN MAID departed Alexandria on the 17th and arrived at Tobruk on the 18th. The A lighters departed Tobruk that evening for Suda Bay, led by ASW whaler SKUD V. A.1, A.6, A.16, and A.19 arrived on the 21st. A.5 was detached to Nauplia independently. A sixth lighter A.15 was delayed at Alexandria with mechanical problems, but later proceeded directly to Suda Bay.

Beograd Class DD ZAGREB (Yug 1210 grt) was scuttled in Kotor Harbour at the loss of two of her officers.

Beograd Class DD BEOGRAD (Yug 1210 grt) surrendered to Italian forces at Kotor. She was passed to Regia Marina, repaired and refitted, re-entering service in August 1942 as the SEBENICO

BEOGRAD as the Italian SEBENICO

Dubrovnik Class DD DUBROVNIK (Yug 1880 grt) was captured in Kotor Bay by Italian troops and 25/4/1941 commissioned by Italian Navy as PREMUDA. 9/9/1943 she was captured by German troops at Genoa and commissioned by Kriegsmarine as TA32. 24/4/1945 she was scuttled at Genoa..

Italian troops also captured the damaged DD LJUBJANA (Yuy 1220 grt) in dock at Sebenico Harbour. She was damaged in 1940 and had been under repair since that time, Renamed the LUBIANA in RM service, she was wrecked in a grounding at Split on 24 January 1940 and again in 1943, the second time resulting in her total loss.

Steamer DAMASKINI (Gk 1196 grt) was sunk by the LW in Oreos Channel, north of Euboea Island.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer PETRAKIS NOMIKOS (Gk 7020 grt) was badly damaged by air attack at Piraeus. The steamer was beached and bombed again on the 23rd. The vessel was was later salvaged by the Germans, renamed WILHELMSBURG. She was finally lost July 7th, 1943, when she was torpedoed and sunk by RN sub HMS RORQUAL five miles W. of Tenedos on a voyage from the Black Sea to Greece, with 8,000 tons of oil.

Central Atlantic
Submarine PANDORA arrived at Gibraltar escorting British oiler CAIRNDALE.

DDs KASHMIR and JACKAL and corvette SPIRAE arrived at Gibraltar escorting the 3rd ML Flotilla of ML.121, ML.129, ML.130, ML.132, ML.134, ML.135, and ML.168. These ships had departed the UK on the 12th.

Convoy SL.72 departed Freetown escorted by CL DRAGON to 19 April, DDs VIDETTE and WISHART for the day only, and corvettes ASPHODEL and CALENDULA for the day only. On the 19th, CL FIJI relieved DRAGON. FIJI continued with the convoy to 1 May. On the 20th, AMC DUNNOTTAR CASTLE joine to 11 May. DDs COLUMBIA escorted to 13 May, KEPPEL to 13 May, LINCOLN to 13 May, and SABRE to 12 May, sloop FLEETWOOD to 13 May, corvettes ALISMA to 13 May, DIANELLA to 13 May, and KINGCUP to 13 May, and ASWs MAN O.WAR to 13 May, ST LOMAN to 13 May, and WELLARD to 13 May joined the convoy, and arrived at Liverpool on 13 May.

Sth Atlantic
Steamer ZAMZAM (EG 8299 grt) was sunk by DKM raider ATLANTIS in the Sth Atlantic. The crew and passengers, including 138 Americans, were transferred to German supply ship DRESDEN and landed at St Jean de Ruz.

Ten minutes after shelling by ATLANTIS, Life photographer David Scherman in Lifeboat 1 took this picture of the stricken passenger ship ZAMZAM, with another lifeboat pulling for open sea.

Cyrenaica
After the failure to capture Tobruk off the march, Comando Supremo and OKW agreed that Tobruk should be captured and supplies accumulated, before the advance into Egypt was resumed. Rommel thought that Tobruk could only be taken by a deliberate attack, which could not begin until support units had arrived in the area and the Luftwaffe had been reinforced, particularly with transport aircraft to carry ammunition, fuel and water. On 27 April, Major-General Friedrich Paulus Deputy Chief of the General Staff, arrived from OKH in Berlin, to question Rommel on his intentions, impress on him that there was little more help available and to forecast the defensive possibilities of the area, if Sollum was lost. Paulus refused to allow an attack planned for 30 April, until he had studied the situation and on 29 April, allowed the attack to go ahead, as did Gariboldi who had arrived on 28 April. Nothing more ambitious than securing the Axis hold on the Egyptian frontier, from Siwa oasis north to Sollum was envisaged or undertaken. Along the engaged Tobruk front, Rommel ordered the italaians for the time being to take over the containment rings around the fortress and for the italians to concentrate on improving defensive works by digging in and also communications and road connections. The Australians also enaged in improving the defensive works and laying over 5000 additional mines around the perimeter, whilst also continuing the policy of aggressive patrolling which yielded considerable success in keeping the Axis forces off balance.

The Tobruk garrison's continued work on the defences and sowed minefields, concentrated firstly in the south-west, between the outer and inner perimeters. Twelve infantry tanks had been delivered among 5,000 tons of supplies landed during the month, despite Axis bombing of the harbour and the sinking of two supply ships. The Axis attack was to be made in the sw, either side of the hillock of Ras el Medauar, about two weeks after the previous attempt, using the 5th Light Division on the right and the 15th Panzer Division on the left, even though it had only recently arrived in Africa.

Malta

 

[Njaco]

April 16 Wednesday
UNITED KINGDOM: Kommodore Mölders of Stab./JG 51 downs two Hurricanes of RAF No. 601 Squadron with his new Bf 109F. The first RAF plane falls over Dungeness and the second is destroyed south of Le Touquet. He now has sixty-five kills against the Allies.

The Belfast Blitz: At 0500 hours, the German air raid on Belfast, Northern Ireland, which began at 2300 hours on the previous date ended; the 203 tons of high explosive bombs, 80 parachute mines, and 800 incendiary bombs dropped killed 758, wounded 1,500, and destroyed 56,000 homes; 100,000 residents were made homeless. British aircraft carrier "Furious", under repair at Belfast, was damaged by the German bombing. British vessels "Anglesea Rose" and "Amiens" were sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

At the end of the day and into the next day, 681 German aircraft bombed London, England, causing massive damage. Nearly 900 tonnes (992 short tons) of high explosive were dropped on the city. Parliament buildings and St. Paul's Cathedral suffer damage, and more than 2,250 fires are touched off by incendiary bombs.

The first US Lend-Lease food shipment arrived in Britain.

British Minister of Labour, Ernest Bevin, announced a National Registration of Women for war work. The first registrations, for women in the age group 20 and 21, was to commence on 19 April 1941.

NORTH AFRICA: First Siege of Tobruk: Determined to crack the perimeter at Tobruk, Rommel observes in person as troops of the Italian 62nd "Trento" Regiment attacked the besieged town in the late afternoon. They are shelled as they assemble for the attack, which drives off their tanks, and the infantry are pinned down with machinegun fire. The attack was driven back by the heavy artillery fire, and the entire 1st Battalion of the Italian 62nd Regiment was captured. Australian Bren gun carriers are sent out and round up the entire Battalion, (800 men including 25 officers). This is the second time in 2 days that Italian troops have dispersed when shelled and Rommel is losing faith in his ally.

MEDITERRANEAN: Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: Yugoslavs try to sign an armistice but their emissary does not have sufficient authority to sign the surrender and is sent to back Belgrade with a draft agreement. In Zagreb, Croatian leader Ante Pavelic formally came into power as the head of the Independent State of Croatia.

In Greece, while Allied troops retire towards Thermopylae, the defensive line in the North begins to crumble. German tanks and infantry attack the narrow Platamon pass between Mount Olympus and the Aegean Sea, forcing New Zealand troops to withdraw across the river in the steep Tempe Gorge (using a flat-bottomed ferry pulled by hand along ropes), a move that greatly alarmed Allied leadership. Realizing that German penetration along the coast will unhinge the Allied withdrawal, New Zealanders are ordered to sink the ferry and hold the Gorge "until 19th April even if it means extinction". Meanwhile, German 6th Mountain Division attacked across Mount Olympus using goat paths, taking heavy casualties.

The Battle of the Tarigo Convoy: Ultra intercepts of German radio signals alert Royal Navy to a convoy of 4 German troopships and 1 Italian ammunition ship carrying 15.Panzerdivision troops and light vehicles (but no tanks) from Naples to Tripoli. British destroyers HMS "Jervis", HMS "Janus", HMS "Nubian", and HMS "Mohawk", lie in wait after dark, unnoticed by the escort of 3 Italian destroyers which have no radar, as the convoy moves slowly through shallow waters near the Kerkennah Islands (East coast of Tunisia). British destroyers close to within 1 mile and sink all 5 transports and the Italian destroyers "Luca Tarigo", "Baleno", and "Lampo". (1800 German troops of 15.Panzerdivision and Italian sailors killed, 1200 survivors rescued by Italian warships and hospital ships). "Luca Tarigo" was able to fire two torpedoes at HMS "Mohawk", which hit and killed 43 men. HMS "Mohawk" would soon be scuttled in a hurry, leaving behind secret documents outlining Alexandria, Egypt defenses for Italian divers to capture shortly after.

Yugoslavian submarine "Nebojsa" and MTBs "Kajmakcalan" and "Durmitor" make a run for Crete to escape advancing Axis forces.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German armed merchant cruiser "Thor" stopped Swedish ship "Sir Ernest Cassell" with two warning shots 500 miles southwest of Cape Verde Islands. The crew of "Sir Ernest Cassell" was taken aboard, and the ship was scuttled with demolition charges.

EASTERN EUROPE: The German embassy in Moscow, Russia continued to report unexpectedly friendliness from the Soviets toward Germany.

NORTH AMERICA: Roosevelt outlined four essential points as a foundation for relations between nations. 1. territorial integrity, 2. Non-interference in the affairs of other countries, 3. Equal commercial opportunity, and 4. a status quo in the Pacific. The points were made as talks began in Washington between U.S. and Japanese officials.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Circus operation: Daylight raid by bombers to Berck-sur-Mer heavily escorted by fighters.

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[Njaco]

April 17 Thursday
UNITED KINGDOM: King Petar II of Yugoslavia arrived at London, England, via Athens, Greece.

The bombing of London, England, which began on the previous date ended before dawn. 1,179 were killed. Revenge for what Berlin said were RAF attacks on residential and cultural centers on April 9th and 10th, the German raids dropped hundreds of bombs over London, leveling whole streets and leaving a high number of dead and wounded as the result. Hardest hit were industrial sections of London, but numerous neighborhoods were devastated by the almost continuous rain of bombs falling on the city from dusk to dawn. The Admiralty (now the Old Admiralty) building, Whitehall, was damaged by German aircraft. Bombers of KG 55 that attacked London, suffer a He 111 from 6 Staffel destroyed when it crashes at Chartres airfield on the return flight.

Luftwaffe attacks Portsmouth overnight with 249 aircraft.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 35 aircraft to attack coastal targets including Cherbourg. Fw. Babenz of JG 26 records his first victory by shooting down a RAF Blenheim. RAF Bomber Command sends 13 aircraft to attack Rotterdam overnight.

I./JG 1 loses a pilot and plane when Ofhr. Friedhelm Gottschalk crashes into the North Sea flying Bf 109 'Yellow 5' and is killed.

MEDITERRANEAN: Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: Yugoslavia formally surrendered to Germany as Foreign Minister Cincar-Marcovic signed the armistice with German and Italian representatives in Belgrade. The Hungarians, technically "not at war with Yugoslavia", do not sign the armistice. Germans captured Yugoslavian destroyers "Beograd" and "Dubrovnik" at Kotor, but destroyer "Zagreb" was scuttled by her crew (2 killed in the process). In Greece, New Zealand 21st battalion reinforced by Australian 2/2nd Battalion demolished the Pinios River railway bridge and held the Tempe and Pinios Gorges, delaying the German advance down the Aegean coast, allowing other Allied troops to withdraw to new defenses on the Thermopylae line. British Prime Minister Churchill agreed to the proposal for the evacuation of Allied troops from mainland Greece to the island of Crete, should it become necessary; this plan was then communicated to the government of Greece shortly after.

Eighteen surviving Yugoslav Air Force aircraft flee Yugoslavia, bringing Yugoslav aerial resistance to the German invasion to an end. In its 11 days of combat, the Yugoslav Air Force attacked targets in Italy, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, and Greece and attacked German, Italian, and Hungarian troops.

British submarine HMS "Truant" sank Italian barque "Vanna" off the Libyan coast; "Vanna" was carrying ammunition and fuel to Derna, Libya.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German motor torpedo boats S.41 S.42 S.43 S.55, S.104 attacked Allied convoy FS464 off Great Yarmouth, England, sinking 2 small freighters and damaging a large steamer. The German S-boats were engaged by British motor gun boats MGB.60, MGB.59, and MGB.64, without success.

German submarine U-123 sank Swedish MV "Venezuela" 600 miles west of Ireland at 1730 hours; the crew of 49 abandoned ship in lifeboats, but they were never seen again.

German armed merchant cruiser "Atlantis" attacked Egyptian passenger liner "ZamZam" without warning 1,400 miles west of South Africa at 0600 hours, mistaking it for a British troop ship. All 129 crew and 202 passengers escaped in lifeboats before the Germans scuttled the ship with demolition charges. Life magazine photographer David Sherman, who was aboard "ZamZam" during the attack, took a photograph of "Atlantis".

MIDDLE EAST: Rashid Ali al-Gaylani's 16-day old Iraqi government submitted a request to Germany for military assistance in its attempt to remove British forces from Iraq. Meanwhile, Iraqi forces surrounded the RAF airbase at Habbaniya while British 1st Battalion King's Own Royal Regiment, originally based in Karachi, India, arrived at RAF Shaibah near Basra.

ASIA: Masafumi Arima became the deputy commanding officer of Yokosuka Naval Air Corps and the chief training officer of the same unit.

NORTH AFRICA: First Siege of Tobruk: The remnants of the 'Trento' Division launches a courageous but futile attack against Tobruk. Despite the failure of Rommel to issue clear orders and a German Panzer unit failing to show up, the Italians press forward. Again, the attack is broken up by British artillery fire but 6 tanks break through the wire, crossing an Allied minefield which fails to detonate. 7 British cruiser tanks engage the tanks while Australian troops again trap the following infantry in crossfire. The Australians send out Bren-Gun carriers to outflank and capture the Italians caught in the crossfire. This extra firepower finally breaks the will of the Italians, and all firing ceases. Only 1 Italian tank escapes back through the wire. Italian casualties turn out to be 24 dead, 112 wounded and 436 prisoners, including their commanding officer. The Italian colonel was so furious at having his unit shot up from behind by supporting German tanks that he fully cooperated with Tobruk Headquarters. After dark, there is a running tank exchange across the perimeter wire (3 of 12 Axis tanks destroyed). Rommel, running low on ammunition and other supplies, decides to wait until 15.Panzerdivision arrives in strength before making a concerted attack on Tobruk.

South African 1st Infantry Brigade probing General Frusci's Italian forces around Cambolcia Pass on the road to Dessie.

EASTERN EUROPE: SS-Untersturmfuehrer Maximilian Grabner at Auschwitz Concentration Camp announced that urns containing the ashes of Polish political prisoners who died at Auschwitz no longer needed to be sent to their families.

GERMANY: A large RAF bombing force struck Berlin in the heaviest raid to date. 118 aircraft were detailed to bomb the German capital. Of these were 50 Wellingtons (one lost), 39 Hampdens (two lost), 28 Whitleys (five lost) (all twin engined aircraft) and one Stirling (first operation). Three of the Hampden Squadrons RAF Nos. 44, 50 and 83 sustained casualties which accounted for 50% of the total Hampdens involved. One aircraft of RAF No. 83 Squadron reported "target location obviously impossible. Bombs dropped on a large town estimated to have been in Ruhr district." Over Berlin most crews found that thick haze and cloud made pinpointing the target difficult.

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[Njaco]

April 18 Friday
GERMANY: The Messerschmitt Me 262 prototype had its first test flight, although only with a piston engine at first. The Me 262 V1 example, bearing its Stammkennzeichen radio code letters of PC+UA, since its intended BMW 003 turbojets were not ready for fitting, used a conventional Junkers Jumo 210 engine mounted in the V1 prototype's nose, driving a propeller, to test the Me 262 V1 airframe. The V1 through V4 prototype airframes all possessed what would become an uncharacteristic feature for later jet aircraft designs, a fully retracting conventional two wheel gear setup with a retracting tailwheel.

A new night-fighter unit, NJG 4, is formed and Major Rudolf Stoltenhoff is posted as Kommodore. The unit is based at Metz flying Bf 110s and Do 217s.

NORTH AFRICA: First Siege of Tobruk: It is a quiet day at Tobruk after the fury of the Easter weekend. Rommel awaits the arrival of 15.Panzerdivision's heavy armor. Australian General Leslie Morshead (known as Ming the Merciless for his scowl), reorganized the defenses at Tobruk, Libya, creating additional reserve brigades and building secondary defensive lines, all in order to create additional depth to the city's defenses.

By this date, the Bf 110s of III./ZG 26 have shot down five Blenheims and three Hurricanes since 7 April, supporting Rommel's attacks near Marsa-el-Brega. The first fighters of I./JG 27 arrive at their new airfield at Ain-el-Gazala.

South African 1st Infantry Brigade probing General Frusci's Italian forces around Cambolcia Pass on the road to Dessie.

Britain warns that if Cairo is bombed, then the RAF will attack Rome.

MEDITERRANEAN: Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: German 3.Regiment and 2.Panzerdivision crossed the Pinios River in Greece while German 6.Gebirgs-Division crosses Mount Olympus to get behind the ANZAC defenders, putting the Australian and New Zealand troops at the Pinios Gorge in danger. Germans are converging from 3 directions on the strategically-important crossroads at the town of Larisa, through which all Allied troops are withdrawing towards Thermopylae. The Luftwaffe bombs and strafes the 70 mile long column of trucks on the road south but most Allied troops get away safely from the danger of entrapment. As German troops continued to move south in Greece, Prime Minister Alexandros Koryzis committed suicide in the evening. In response to this suicide, Athens was placed under martial law by the government to maintain stability. General Wilson in a meeting with Papagos, informed him that the British and Commonweath forces at Thermopylai would carry on fighting till the first week of May, providing that Greek forces from Albania could redeploy and cover the left flank.

German dive bombers sank empty British troopship HMS "Fiona" 50 miles northwest of Sidi Barrani, Egypt, killing 54.

British vessel "British Science" sunk by Axis aircraft off Crete.

Italian supply convoy departs Trapani for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian torpedo boats "La Farina", "Da Mosto", "Calliope", and "Orione". Another Italian supply convoy departs Palermo for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers "Aviere", "Geniere", "Grecale", and "Camicia Nera" and torpedo boat "Pleiadi".

Operation MD 2: British Mediterranean Fleet sailed from Alexandria with HM Battleships "Warspite", "Barham", "Valiant", HMS "Illustrious", HM Cruisers "Calcutta", "Gloucester", "Ajax", "Orion" and "Phoebe" screened by destroyers to provide cover for passage of HM Supply Ship "Breconshire" a newly built Glen Line ship of 10,000 tons and 18 knots, which had been commissioned as a supply ship, to Malta from Egypt and bring out empty ships in Convoy ME7 from Malta (Operation MD.2) and bombard Tripoli in Operation MD.3.

MIDDLE EAST: Indian 20th Infantry Brigade landed at Basra, Iraq unopposed. It was originally based in Karachi, India and had arrived in Iraq in 8 transports which were escorted by carrier HMS "Hermes", cruiser HMS "Emerald", cruiser HMNZS "Leander", 6 sloops, and gunboat HMS "Cockchafer".

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The United States declared that the Pan-American Security Zone, last defined with the 3 Oct 1939 Declaration of Panama, to be extended to 26 degrees west longitude, 2,300 nautical miles east of New York on the east coast of the United States. It was just 50 nautical miles short of Iceland, which was a major Allied convoy staging area.

Admiral Ernest J. King, commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, ordered U.S. ships and planes to attack any Axis ship within 25 miles of the western Hemisphere on the assumption it was hostile.

British submarine HMS "Urge" sank Italian tanker "Franco Martelli" in the Bay of Biscay north of Spain.

British destroyers HMS "Newark" and HMS "Volunteer" collided just off the northern coast of Ireland. Both were seriously damaged and would be under repair at Belfast until Aug 1941.

PACIFIC OCEAN: US Navy Admiral Kimmel wrote a letter to Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Stark requesting additional resources for base construction at Wake Island and for a US Marine Corps defense battalion to be stationed there.

NORTH AMERICA: The groundbreaking ceremony for the future Consolidated-Vultee aircraft plant in Fort Worth, Texas, United States was held, attended by General Gerald Brant and local civic leader Amon Carter.

US President Franklin Roosevelt told a Press Conference that he did not think that public opinion in America was yet fully aware of the gravity of the military crisis in Europe or its implications for the safety of the United States.

General Thomas Holcomb, Commandant of the US Marine Corps, insists African-Americans have no right to serve in the Marines.

Angler POW Escape: 80 prisoners attempted to escape from the Angler POW camp near Neys Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. The Angler Camp was designed to hold prisoners who were a threat to Canada. As a result, several German POWs were held there. A tunnel was dug 45 m (150 ft) long that reached outside the wall, with side tunnels entering some of the barracks. The ground under and around the camp was mostly sand, making it easier for the prisoners to dig a tunnel. The initial intent was for 100 prisoners to escape, but the escape was interrupted, when a guard heard noises made by the prisoners and alerted the rest of the camp. Most were quickly apprehended except for two who managed to get all the way to Medicine Hat, Alberta by train until they were recaptured. Though they were given 28 days of solitary confinement at the Camp for their actions, they were asked to sign autographs in Alberta before returning and were greeted upon their return by the Commandant who said, "As a sportsman, I congratulate you…" Horst Liebeck was sent back to Germany after the War with the other POWs, but he later returned to Canada and got a job there.

WESTERN FRONT: Vichy France announced its withdrawal from the League of Nations.

EASTERN EUROPE: German deserter warns the Soviets that Wehrmacht invasion will begin on 22 June.

In the village of Audrini, Latvia, Boleslavs Maikovskis, chief of police for the second precinct of Rezekne, ordered the arrest of all the 200-300 people in the village after Soviet partisans shot and killed several policemen. He also ordered every house to be burned down. 200 villagers were then executed, but he claimed to have nothing to do with the slaughter. He was charged with mass murder in Germany and his trial began in 1988 but in Feb 1994 the court ruled that he was too frail to continue.

ASIA: Major attack by Japanese aircraft against Chungking.

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[Njaco]

April 19 Saturday
NORTH AFRICA: I./JG 27 flies its first desert sorties from its new base at Ain-el-Gazala in Libya with the first Staffel shooting down four Hurricanes, two going to Oblt. Karl-Heinz Redlich. All three Staffeln of the Gruppe are being transferred to the area and are stationed on the African mainland to assist the Italians. Members of the Gruppe include Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Eduard 'Edu' Neumann, Oblt. Ludwig Franzisket (fourteen victories), Oblt. Karl-Heinz Redlich (ten victories), Lt. Willi Kothmann (seven victories), Oblt. Gerhard Homuth (fifteen victories), Obfw. Hans-Joachim Marseille (seven victories) and Hptm. Erich Gerlitz (three victories).

The Bardia Raid: Overnight, 450 British commandoes land at Bardia, Libya, from Landing Ship HMS "Glengyle", escorted by cruiser HMS "Coventry" and 3 destroyers. Finding Bardia unoccupied by German or Italian troops, they destroy a supply dump and a coastal artillery battery. While most men were successfully evacuated after the raid, 1 was killed by friendly fire and 67 were captured after getting lost and going to the wrong beach.

Lt.-General Erwin Rommel personally inspected the front lines in the Libyan-Egyptian border area. He observes the weakness of the British defenses on the escarpment from Sollum Southeast to Sofafi. He decides to attack here while he waits for reinforcements to deal with Tobruk.

Indian 5th Division (marching south from Amara, Eritrea, Italian East Africa) and British 1st South African Brigade (marching north from Addis Ababa, Abyssinia) attacked toward the 7,000-strong Italian garrison at Amba Alagi, Abyssinia. 1st South African Brigade are held at the city of Dessie, a regional Italian administrative center 130 miles South of Amba Alagi.

MEDITERRANEAN: Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: The Germans attack south through Greece on a wide front. German troops captured Larisa, Greece, theoretically allowing them to move south along the eastern coast of Greece, but their progress is hampered by roads and bridges that were destroyed by retreating Allied troops. Elsewhere, troops of German Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Regiment captured Ioannina 50 miles from the western coast of Greece. This also cuts off the retreat from Albania of Greek Army of Epirus, creating a gap in the center of Greece through which German armored columns pour south. British General Wavell flew to Athens, Greece for a meeting with King George II where the king agreed that the Allies could not hold Greece, and preparations should begin immediately to evacuate troops to Crete to prevent further destruction of the country. Wavell meets General Wilson and General Blamey, the commander of the Australian forces. They decide that it will probably be necessary to evacuate their troops from Greece, but promise the Greeks that they will keep fighting as long as the Greeks themselves do so. General Wilson was ordered to prepare for a stand at Thermopylae with a small rearguard force to protect the southward evacuation of British troops.

Operation MD3: HMS "Ajax", at Suda Bay with HM Battleships "Warspite", "Barham", "Valiant", and carrier HMS "Illustrious" sailed after destroyers had refueled as Force C with HMS "Formidable". HMS "Orion" and HMAS "Perth", screened by HM Destroyers "Decoy", "Defender", "Greyhound" and "Ilex" to provide air cover to major warships designated Force B during bombardment of Tripoli (Operation MD3).

Elements of German 164th Infantry Division occupy island of Samothrace.

EASTERN EUROPE: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill personally informs Josef Stalin of an impending German attack, based on "Ultra" intelligence intercepts.

ASIA: 32nd and 83rd Sentais under the command of the China Expeditionary Army commander arrived in the area and were placed under the command of the 3rd Hikodan at Hsinhsiang airfield. The China Expeditionary Army then instructed the 3rd Hikoshidan, which had been supporting the Eastern Chekiang Province Operation with its main strength deployed at Ani and Hsinhsiang airfields to cooperate with ground forces of the North China Area Army.

The Japanese Army of the South China Theater launched the Fuzhou Operation. Fuchow remains an important regional port with an airfield. The 13th Troop of the Japanese Army launched the Zhedong (the eastern part of Zhejiang Province) Operation.

GERMANY: King Boris III of Bulgaria meets with Hitler as does the Hungarian minister.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 36 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

MIDDLE EAST: In Iraq, a British convoy begins to land troops from the 20th Indian Brigade at Basra. A small British contingent has already been sent in by air to protect the air base at Shaibah, near Basra. By the treaty of 1930 the British are entitled to send troops across Iraq to and from Palestine and with no prospect of immediate German help of any size Rashid Ali's new government cannot object at first to the British landings. In diplomatic exchanges they unsuccessfully oppose any addition to the British force.

In Iraq six RAF Gladiator aircraft reinforce Habbaniya from Egypt.

UNITED KINGDOM: The first registration of women for war work under a new Employment Order begins.

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[parsifal]

18 APRIL 1941
Losses
Submarine URGE, on passage to the Mediterranean, sank blockade runner tkr FRANCO MARTELLI (FI 10,535 grt) about 300 miles W of St. Nazaire. The vessel was on passage from Recife to Bordeaux carrying a precious cargo of petrol

FV GUIDO MOHRING (Ger 289 grt) was sunk by a torpedo near Port Ley.
[NO IMAGE]

Naval drifter YOUNG ERNIE (RN 88 grt) was sunk in a collision in the Tyne.
[NO IMAGE]

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient U-94
At Sea 18 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

19 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Baltic
FNFL sub MINERVE attacked unsuccessfully a German steamer two miles sw of Tungenes (SW Norway).

North Sea
CL MANCHESTER arrived at Scapa Flow at 0552 after refitting in the Tyne. DD SIKH departed the Tyne Scapa Flow, but was diverted to search for a dingy whilst on passage. The dingy was not found and destroyer SIKH arrived at Scapa Flow on the 19th.

DD WHITSHED and FNFL TB LA MELPOMENE were in a collision off Harwich. There was no damage to WHITSHED, but LA MELPOMENE was under repair at the Humber until 20 May.

West Coast
OB.312 departed Liverpool, escort DD WANDERER, corvettes DIANTHUS, MARIGOLD, NASTURTIUM,PERIWINKLE, and PRIMROSE, MSWs BRAMBLEHAZARD, and SPEEDY. DD SCIMITAR, corvette MALLOW, and ASW trawler NORTHERN WAVE joined on the 23rd. DDs INGLEFIELD and MAORI joined the convoy. On the 24th, all were detached except DD SCIMITAR, corvette MALLOW, and ASW trawler NORTHERN WAVE which were detached on the 25th when the convoy dispersed.

DDs NEWARK and VOLUNTEER collided north of Rathlin Island (nth of Northern Ireland). Both DDs were seriously damaged. Five ratings were lost in VOLUNTEER. The DDs were both repaired at Belfast, with NEWARK completing on 9 August and VOLUNTEER on 20 August.

ML TEVIOTBANK, escorted by sloops GUILLEMOTT and KITTIWAKE, laid mines in minefield BS.54 off the east coast of England. MDWs SNAEFELL and THAMES QUEEN also escorted the ships on the minelay.

British Tkr SCOTTISH MUSICIAN was damaged by the LW 3 miles 205° from St Ann's Head. One crewman and one gunner were lost. The tkr arrived at Newport on 2 May in tow.

Western Approaches
Panamanian steamer CSIKOS was damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches. Two crew were killed on the steamer. The steamer arrived at Lough Foyle in tow on the 19th

Med/Biscay
The Med Flt departed Alexandria to send supply ship BRECONSHIRE into Malta and bring out empty ships in Operation MD.2 . An extension to this plan was to bombard Tripoli in MD.3. BBs WARSPITE, VALIANT, and BARHAM, CV FORMIDABLE, CLAsPHOEBE and CALCUTTA, and DDs JUNO, JAGUAR, KINGSTON, KIMBERLEY, GRIFFIN, HAVOCK, HEREWARD, and ENCOUNTER departed at 0700. DD DEFENDER fouled the buoy on departure and joined the Fleet later in the day.
On the 18th, a Fulmar of 803 Sqn was lost when it crashed during landing. One crewman was rescued (wounded), but the observer was lost. The force arrived at Suda Bay at midday on the 19th. The DDs were refuelled. BB WARSPITE carried air compressors, timbers, and equipment to repair the CA YORK still laid up disabled at Suda. The fleet sailed at mid afternoon on the 19th.

RAN CL PERTH and DD HOTSPUR departed Alexandria at dusk on the 19th escorting supply ship BRECONSHIRE to join the Fleet sw of Kithera at daylight on the 20th. PHOEBE and CALCUTTA were detached during the morning of 19 April to join a convoy escorted by sloop FLAMINGO departing Athens. After passing the Kithera Straits, PHOEBE and CALCUTTA returned to the Main Flt and the convoy safely proceeded to Alexandria.

The resources of the Med flt at this time were beginning to be over stretched as demands on multiple crises began to have effect.

DDs JERVIS, JANUS, NUBIAN, and DIAMOND (having just completed her extended of refit) departed Malta at dark on the 19th escorting British steamers CITY OF LINCOLN, CLAN FERGUSON, CITY OF MANCHESTER, and PERTHSHIRE in convoy ME.7 ex-Valletta.

Meanwhile, CLs ORION, AJAX, GLOUCESTER and DDs HERO and HASTY rendezvoused with Cunningham on the 20th. At noon on the 20th, convoy ME.7 was met by the Main Force. DDs NUBIAN and DIAMOND took the convoy on to Alexandria, while DDs JERVIS and JANUS joined BB WARSPITE. The Tripoli bombardment was a substitute for the original plan of blocking the harbour. It had been planned that the demilitarized ex-BB CENTURION, coming round the Cape from England, was proposed for this purpose to be sunk in the channel. Later Churchill wanted BB BARHAM and CL CALEDON to be expended. This proposal was firmly rejected by Admiralty and Cunningham. In hindsight, Churchills idea did not seem worth the cost.

At dark on the 20th, FORMIDABLE,CLs ORION, RAN PERTH, and AJAX, and DDs GRIFFIN, KIMBERLEY, KINGSTON, and NUBIAN were detached for flying operations. FORMIDABLE aircraft dropped flares and attacked facitlities in the town .Lt J. H. Shears and P/T/Sub Lt (A) E. J. H. Dixon RNVR, of 806 Squadron from aircraft carrier FORMIDABLE were shot down and lost on the 20th. At about this time and simultaneous to the bombardment operation, supply ship BRECONSHIRE and DD ENCOUNTER were detached to Malta.

Early on the 21st, Tripoli was bombarded by Naval forces, consisting of BBs WARSPITE, BARHAM, and VALIANT, light cruiser GLOUCESTER, and DDs HASTY, HAVOCK, HEREWARD, HERO, HOTSPUR, JAGUAR, JANUS, JERVIS, and JUNO.

Submarine TRUANT acted as beacon ship. Submarine TRIUMPH was also at sea in the area. Italian TB PARTENOPE and six freighters were damaged in the bombardment, whilst for the allies, BB VALIANT detonated a mine. She sustained slight damage.
On the 21st, cruisers ORION, PERTH, GLOUCESTER, and AJAX were detached at dark to sweep to the northward of the Battle Fleet. DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO, and JAGUAR were detached to Malta on the 21st, arriving on the 22nd. CLs ORION, PERTH, GLOUCESTER, and AJAX rejoined the Battle Fleet at daylight on the 22nd. DD KANDAHAR joined the Fleet at noon on the 22nd and DD GRIFFIN was detached to reinforce convoy ANF.29 after oiling at Suda Bay.

CL GLOUCESTER and gunboat LADYBIRD bombarded Bardia, commencing at 0700. GLOUCESTER then set course for to Alexandria to refuel. However, that afternoon, orders wqere changed and GLOUCESTER was ordered to Malta, arriving on the 24th.

CL PERTH joined CLA PHOEBE in the Aegean. Meanwhile, ME.7 arrived at Alexandria on the /22nd. The Fleet arrived at Alexandria the next morning on the 23rd.

After delivering convoy AN.27 to Suda Bay, CLA CARLISLE and DDs ISIS and RAN VAMPIRE continued to Pireaus to escort convoy AS.26.

Convoy service ship FIONA (UK 2190 grt) was lost 50 miles 311° from Sidi Barrani Light to LOW divebombers. Griffiths, Lt J. Dorrance RNR, T/Lt W. E. Simkin RNR, P/T/Surgeon Lt A. K. Beardshaw RNVR, and forty nine ratings were lost on the ship. Lt J. B. Shillitoe RNR, died of wounds on the 23rd.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer BRITISH SCIENCE (UK 7138 grt) was sunk by the LW north of the Kithera Channel. The entire crew was rescued by DD HERO which took them to Suda Bay.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The following greek ships were lost on this day in the Greek TO:

Steamer FOKION (Gk 1158 grt)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer LEON (Gk 968grt)

Both were sunk by the LW near Psara, Euboea Island.

Steamer CHIOS (Gk 1121 grt) was sunk bythe LW at Eretria, near Chalkis.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer MOSCHA L. GOULANDRI (Gk 5199 grt) was badly damaged by the LW off Chalkis. The steamer was beached at Chalkis. She was bombed again on 20 and 23 April and written off as a total loss.

Steel flat PUNDUAH (UK 500 grt (est)) sank while in tow of HM ship in the Aegean
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

An Afrika Korps supply convoy of steamers ALICANTE, MARITZA, SANTA FE, and PROCIDA, escorted by DDs AVIERE, GENIERE, CAMICIA NERA, and GRECALE and TB PLEIADA departed Naples on the 14th and arrived at Palermo on the 17th to avoid contact with British forces. The convoy departed Palermo on the 18th for Tripoli, arriving on the 20th.

Italian tanker ALBERTO FASSIO departed Trapani with TB CLIMENE and joined an Italian convoy of NICOLO ODERO, MADDALENA ODERO, and ISARCO which sailed from Palermo on the 18th escorted by torpedo boats LA FARINA, MOSTO, and CALLIOPE for Tripoli. Tanker LUISIANO with TB ORIONE from Marilibia joined the convoy. The convoy arrived on the 21st.

Both convoys passed without event.

Central Atlantic
DD HIGHLANDER departed Gibraltar for Freetown.

Sth Atlantic
DD NAPIER, en route from England to the Mediterranean Fleet, was docked at Capetown from 18 to 20 April

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
NZ manned CL LEANDER arrived at Bahrein and Basra on the 18th where she joined CL EMERALD which also arrived on that day. RAN AMC KANIMBLA, corvette SNAPDRAGON, and gunboat COCKCHAFER were also at Basra. On the 12th convoy BM.7 departed Karachi with steamers LANCASHIRE, EL MADINA, EGRA, VAERLA, ROHNA, RAJULA, BAHADUR, JALAVIHAR, RISALDAR, and JALADUTA, with one Indian brigade and one artillery group for Malaya, escorted by RAN sloop YARRA, for Basra. Sloop FALMOUTH and RIN sloop LAWRENCE joined on the 17th off Basra.
On the 19th, the troops from the convoy were landed at Shatt el Arab. The cruisers remained there until 22 April.

Malta

 

[parsifal]

19 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIC U-372

Allied
MSW MMS-2
[NO IMAGFE FOUND]

Fisher 58' class MTB-273 and 274 (Ex-USN PT-3 and PT-4)

Losses
MSW trawler KOPANES (RN 351 grt), was sunk by the LW near 20.G Buoy, Coquet Island. There were no casualties on the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Dredger FRAVIS (UK 133 grt) was lost on a mine at Langstone Harbour (near Portsmouth).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
Bergen: U-553
Kiel: U-143

At Sea 19 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-552, U-553, UA

21 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Baltic
FNFL sub MINERVE sank aux MSW M.1101 (DKM 550 grt) sw of Norway. German tanker TIGER, being escorted by the minesweeper, was missed.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

North Sea
DD BEDOUIN departed Rosyth after boiler repairs. The DD arrived at Scapa Flow that evening.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow a to cover convoy EC.8 to Pentland Firth, and returned next morning

DD WILD SWAN, in drydock at London, was damaged by the near miss from LW a/c during the night of 19/20 April. She sustained no additional time out of service, completing repairs on the 26th. DD WINCHESTER, also under repair at London, was damaged by near misses.

Submarine SUNFISH, which had departed Portsmouth, collided with netlayer MINSTER in convoy in the North Sea. The damage was not severe, but opportunity was taken to conduct a refit while the ship was in port for the repair. The submarine was in dockyard hands at Tyneside from 24 April to 27 September.

Northern Patrol
CA NORFOLK and CLs GALATEA and ARETHUSA departed Icelandic waters. The CA had arrived at Hvalfjord on the 17th after convoy HX.119 escort.

BC HOOD, CL KENYA, and DDs COSSACK, ZULU, and MAORI had departed Scapa Flow on the 18th to relieve BB KG V on Biscay Patrol. They were diverted to support the cruiser patrol in the Iceland Faroes passage after the radio intercept reports on Bismarcks move north was reported. DD INGLEFIELD joined the battlecruiser HOOD force at sea. BC HOOD and DDs COSSACK, INGLEFIELD, MAORI, and ZULU arrived at Hvalfjord early on the 21st to remain at two hours' notice. .

CAs SUFFOLK and EXETER, CL EDINBURGH, and DDs TARTAR, ACHATES, INGLEFIELD, ECHO, and ANTHONY at Scapa Flow raised steam and departed Scapa Flow at 0606 also for deployment in or near the Northern Patrol areas.
Northern Waters
RN radio intercepts and radio signal fixing establishes that the DKM BB BISMARCK, two cruisers, and three Zerstorers had passed the Skaw. The Admiralty reported this movement at 0117.

DDs BEDOUIN, ARROW, and ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow late afternoon on the 20th to join BB KG V. They were to refuel at Londonderry, but they diverted to hunt a submarine in the Western Approaches. When it was decided the contact was a whale, they were sent to assist armed boarding vessel NORTHERN SKY attacking a U-Boat contact. The search was discontinued on the 21st and the DDs arrived at Scapa Flow at 2100 that evening.

CAs SUFFOLK and EXETER and DDs TARTAR, ACHATES, ECHO, and ANTHONY were ordered to return and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 21st. DD ANTHONY escorting EXETER arrived at mid afternoon. TARTAR arrived independently that evening. DDs ECHO and ACHATES escorting SUFFOLK arrived about an hour later. BB KG V and DDs ELECTRA, ESCAPADE, and MASHONA arrived at Scapa Flow on the afternoon of the 22nd.
West Coast
BB RODNEY and ORP DDs PIORUN and GARLAND, and RN DD SALADIN departed the Clyde. BC REPULSE departed Gibraltar on the 21st and was ordered to the Clyde with all dispatch. On the 21st, battleship RODNEY and her escorts were ordered to the Clyde. En route, they were diverted to Scapa Flow where they arrived on the 23rd at 0115.
SW Approaches
BB KG V and CL NIGERIA turned nth, but returned to their patrol area when it was realised they could not be in position in time. KG V and NIGERIA met DDs ELECTRA, ESCAPADE, and MASHONA on the 20th west of Ireland in the Nth Atlantic..

Med/Biscay
British tanker DESMOULEA departed Suda Bay, in tow of armed boarding vessel CHAKLA and escorted by anti-submarine trawlers LYDIARD and AMBER. The tkr and the armed boarding vessel safely arrived at Port Said.

Steamer MARGIT (Pan 3257 grt) was sunk by German bombing at Kalkara Creek, Malta.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer TETI NOMIKOU (Gk 1822 grt) was sunk by the LW at Chalkis.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RM CruDiv 7 of CLs EUGENIO DE SAVOIA, DUCA D'AOSTA, MONTECUCCOLI, and ATTENDOLO and DDs PIGAFETTA, ZENO, DA MOSTA, DA VERAZZANO, DA RECCO, and PESSAGNO laid 321 mines and 492 explosive floats east of Cape Bon in barrages S.11, S.12, and S.13 from 19 to 23 April. The second half of the minefield with 740 mines were laid on 23/24 April.
Nth Atlantic
SC.29 departed Halifax, escort AMC RANPURA, corvettes COBALT and COLLINGWOOD, and submarine PORPOISE. The corvettes were detached that day. Submarine PORPOISE was detached on the 29th. On the 30th, DDs BURWELL and SCIMITAR and corvette MALLOW joined the convoy. On 1 May, DDs MALCOLM and WATCHMAN, corvette VIOLET, and ASW trawler NORTHERN WAVE joined the escort for the home waters run in. The AMC and the escorts joined on the 30th and 1 May were detached, replaced by DDs SALADIN, SKATE, VETERAN, and WATCHMAN, corvette WALLFLOWER, and MSWs HARRIER, SEAGULL, and SHARPSHOOTER. The escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 8 May.

Central Atlantic
DDs FEARLESS and KASHMIR departed Gibraltar to rendezvous with BC REPULSE and escort her to Gibraltar. Sloop ABERDEEN departed Gibraltar for Halifax with twenty six officers and thirty one ratings for Coast Guard cutters being commissioned

Malta


Cyrenaica
On 19 April, Hurricanes of 73 and 274 squadrons, intercepted a Stuka raid escorted by fighters. After another two days, 73 Squadron was down to five operational aircraft with very tired pilots. By 23 April, three more Hurricanes had been shot down and two damaged and on 25 April the squadron was withdrawn. The fighters of 274 Squadron stayed at Gerawla and 6 Squadron remained at Tobruk, to fly tactical reconnaissance sorties. Fighter cover could only be maintained at intervals by the last 14 Hurricanes in the desert; Axis airfields at Gazala, Derna and Benina, were bombed at dusk and night to limit Axis air attacks on Tobruk

The arrival of Me 109s to Cyrenaica had an immediate and decisive effect on the conduct of the air war in the TO. Pairing exceptional pilots with a very high quality fighter, in a TO where Spitfires were conspicuously absent, and against crews still learning their jobs (most of the MTO formations had been combed out several times for pilots to defend Britain)

The first Bf109 actions over tobruk occurred on the 19April, after the a/c had been fitted hastily with improvised air filters

From the allied standpoint, the TO was crying out for 1st line fighters better than the Hurricane Is that remained the dominant fighter for the allies backed up by the US made Tomahawks. Tactically, the allies misused their marked advantage in numbers, tying their fighters to close escort low alti tude and slow escort speeds.

Repeated requests for something better in the form of Spitfires were repeatedly denied by the leaders in London.

 

[parsifal]

20 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Fairmile B ML 228
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
U.73 sank steamer EMPIRE ENDURANCE (UK 8570 grt) in the north Atlantic.
Lost on the steamer were ML.1003 (RN 75 grt) and ML.1037 (RN.75 grt). She was also carrying military stores (including the MLs) and some general cargo when lost, and was sailing independently. She was the Ex-German ALSTER (captured during the Norwegian campaign and pressed into British service as the EMPIRE ENDURANCE.
At 0332 hrs the unescorted EMPIRE ENDURANCE was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-73 sw of Rockall. The ship had been missed with one G7a stern torpedo 7 minutes earlier. She broke in two and sank after being hit underneath the bridge by a coup de grace at 0357 hrs. Most of the survivoros were rescued by RCN Corvette HMCS TRILLIUM and landed at Greenock on 26 April. The corvette searched in vain for the lifeboat in charge of the master with 28 occupants. On 9 May this boat was found by the British motor passenger ship HIGHLAND BRIGADE. However, most survivors including the master had died of exposure and only seven crew members were still alive. Two of them died shortly after being picked up and another died in a hospital at Liverpool where the men were landed on 11 May.

Sailing Vessel R. S. JACKSON (UK 60 grt) was sunk by the LW in another attack on the London Docks.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Barges HARRY (UK 100 grt (est)) and PERCY (UK 100 grt (est))were sunk by German bombing at Nash and Miller Moorings, Shadwell, London. Both barges were raised and broken up.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
Kiel: U-138

At Sea 20 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-552, U-553, UA

21 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Western Approaches
BB RODNEY, arriving with convoy TC.10, rammed and sank ASW trawler TOPAZE (RN 608 grt) in an accidental collision off the Clyde. 17 of the crew were lost in the accident
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Armed boarding vessel NORTHERN SKY attacked a Uboat contact in the western approaches. DDs BEDOUIN, ARROW, and ESKIMO who had been sent to investigate a submarine contact reported by a/c, were diverted to assist NORTHERN SKY. Nothing was found and the search was abandoned on the 21st..

Channel
During the night of 20/21 April, DDs INTREPID and ICARUS laid minefield HB in the English Channel.

Med/Biscay
AS.26 of 14 British and 11 Greek ships departed Athens early on the 20th escort CLA CARLISLE and DDs ISIS and RAN VAMPIRE, and arrived at Alexandria on the 23rd.

Some sources say RHN DD PSARA was sunk by Italian air attack off Megara, but the Greeks themselves say she was sunk on the 14th April. RHN DD VASILEVS GEORGIOS I was unsuccessfully scuttled in the floating drydock at Salamis she was captured and put onto DKM service as the HERMES). Intention to sink the DD and drydock in deep water were cancelled when the dock was damaged in a bombing raid and could not be moved from its berth.

Minesweeper STOKE, en route to Alexandria, was damaged by near misses from LW a/c. The damage required two weeks to repair.

British troopship GLENROY ran aground in Boghas Pass when leaving harbour and could not be refloated until 25 April.

Steamer ASSIMINA BAIKA (Gk 1344grt ) was sunk by German bombing at Politika, north of Chalkis.

Steamer PTEROTI (Gk 176 grt) was sunk by the LW at Chalkis.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer MOSCHANTHI (Gk 311 grt) was sunk by the LW near Vostizza near Athens. She was raised and repaired by the Germans, as the UJ-2307
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Tkr CHRYSSOROI (Gk 379 grt) was sunk by the LW at Phleva.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer ITHAKI (Gk 675 grt) was sunk by the LW in Suda Bay.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Nth Atlantic
HX.122 departed Halifax, escort BB RAMILLIES, AMC ALAUNIA, and corvettes CHAMBLY and ORILLIA. The corvettes were detached later that day and the BB on the 23rd. DDs BROADWAY and BULLDOG, corvettes AUBRETIA, HOLLYHOCK, NIGELLA, and PICOTEE, and ASW trawlers DANEMAN and ST APOLLO were assigned as escort to the convoy once it was underway. This group, less PICOTEE, was detached on the 4th. On the 4th, DDs CALDWELL, CHESTERFIELD, ELECTRA, ESCAPADE, RAMSEY, and WALKER, corvettes CANDYTUFT, HONEYSUCKLE, and HYDRANGEA joined. The escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 8 May.
Central Atlantic
On 20 and 21 April, a German tkr replenished RM sub PERLA, supply ship ALSTERUFER, and surface raiders ATLANTIS and KORMORAN..

CL SHEFFIELD and DDs FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, and WRESTLER departed Gibraltar to join CVE ARGUS and CA LONDON. The CL and DDs relieved the CA and proceeded with ARGUS to Gibraltar.

Corvette AMARANTHUS departed Gibraltar for Freetown.

Malta

 

[Njaco]

April 20 Sunday
MEDITERRANEAN: Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: The Bf 110s of 5./ZG 26 escort Ju 87 Stukas to the Athens area in Greece and are intercepted by fifteen RAF Hurricanes. In a massive twenty minute air battle, known as the Battle of Athens, both sides suffer losses, but the British suffer the most when the Hurricane of South African Squadron Leader Marmaduke "Pat" Pattle, with about fifty victories to his credit, is shot down and killed over the Saronic Gulf off Piraeus, Greece, during a German bombing raid on the city. German and Italian records later confirm 27 aerial victories for him, although unofficial sources credit him with 44 and 50 victories, and as the leading Gloster Gladiator (15 kills) and Hawker Hurricane (35 kills) ace. Based on the unofficial totals, he is considered by some to be the Royal Air Force's World War II ace of aces. 100 Luftwaffe dive bombers attack Athens and Piraeus, Greece sinking Greek destroyer "Psara" with 37 killed. The Greek destroyer "Vasilefs Georgios" was scuttled in the Salamis Naval Base to prevent capture. The Germans later raised it and put it into service as "Hermes". On a ground strafing mission to the RAF airfield at Menidi, twelve RAF Blenheim bombers are destroyed on the ground. Victories went to several Zerstörer pilots along with some fighters from JG 27 who joined the battle late. 22 German aircraft were lost while the British lost 10 Hurricane fighters. Unable to withstand the German advances, British forces withdrew from Mount Olympus toward Thermopylae on the same day that King George II led a new government. Most Allied troops pass through Thermopylae, although the retreating column is still 10 miles long and under dive bomb attack. The Regia Aeronautica destroys hundreds of trucks packed with troops and equipment as the Greeks sought to escape across Perati Bridge. The 4th Bersaglieri Regiment overruns a Greek division and smash their way through the Greek Evzones rearguards with the use of flamethrowers. Many Greeks are burned alive in their bunkers. A war correspondent with the Italian spearheads reports that "Two regiments of the Evzones were wiped out almost to a man", and that "a single Greek battalion had 500 dead." To the north in Albania, Greek General Georgios Tsolakoglou, determined to deny the Italians the satisfaction of a victory he believed they had not earned, surrendered the Greek Epirus Army (the III Army Corps), without authorization, to the German Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Regiment. All Greek soldiers were allowed to return home, while officers were allowed to retain their side arms. Italian leader Mussolini protested, requesting that the surrender must be accepted by an Italian general.

Italian supply convoy departs Naples and Palermo for Tripoli with five transports escorted by four destroyers as Italian supply convoys arrive Tripoli from Palermo and Trapani.

HMAS "Vampire", (destroyer), took off the crew of the burning tanker "British Judge", while under heavy air attack north of Crete.

NORTH AFRICA: Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighters from the newly arrived 1st Staffel of JG 27 shoot down a RAF Wellington. British CIC Middle East, General Wavell, is aware that Rommel's Afrika Korps is receiving a full Panzer division to reinforce the under strength 5.Leichte Division. Worried about holding Tobruk and the Egyptian frontier due to the parlous state of his worn out armour, he appeals to London for more tanks particularly the fast but lightly armoured cruiser tanks. Churchill has always wanted to send tanks through the Mediterranean, so he redirects a convoy that is set to sail for Egypt via Cape of Good Hope, reducing the travel time from 50 days to 10 days (Operation Tiger). He adds an additional ship to carry 67 more cruiser tanks, realizing that "all may turn on a few hundred armoured vehicles" (total, 295 tanks).

South African 1st Infantry Brigade probing General Frusci's Italian forces around Cambolcia Pass on the road to Dessie. Indian 29th Infantry Brigade advancing toward Amba Alagi from the north.

ASIA: Japanese forces land at several places on the Fukien and Chekiang coast. They occupy Ningpo (Ningbo), Wenchow and Haimen, then advance into the interior. Fuchow is occupied.

UNITED KINGDOM: This day was Hitler's birthday and the Luftwaffe celebrated the event by dropping 1,000 tons of bombs on London. 712 German bombers conducted a heavy raid on London, England, starting in the evening hours of the day before. Although the primary target was the London docks, the Old Place School in Poplar, East London, which was being used as a sub-fire station, was struck by a stray bomb, killing 13 London firefighters of both genders and 21 male Beckenham firemen. Many schools in the city were standing empty, the children already evacuated to the country. The Old Palace School in St. Leonard's Street, Poplar, was now sub-station 24U of the London Auxiliary Fire Service. The playground was ideal for training and the parking of fire appliances. Fire service crews were standing by in anticipation of a heavy raid on the Capital. At precisely 0153 hours, a land mine, dropped from a Luftwaffe bomber, scored a direct hit on the school. Thirty two firemen and two fire women were killed. The bodies of the two firewomen, mother of three Winifred Peters and twenty one year old Hilda Dupree, on duty in the watch room, were never found. It was the largest single loss of firefighters in British history.

Via a speech made in Ireland, Irish Prime Minister Eamon De Valera protested the German bombing of Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom;

"...they are our people", he said, "we are one and the same people, and their sorrows in the present instance are also our sorrows".

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-73 sank British ship "Empire Endurance" 400 miles west of Ireland at 0332 hours; the ship was the former German ship "Alster", having been captured in Norway in the previous year. 65 were killed and the military supplies destined for Egypt were lost.

British anti-submarine trawler HMT "Topaze" was accidentally rammed by British battleship HMS "Rodney" and sank in the Clyde Estuary, Scotland, killing 18.

GERMANY: Admiral Erich Raeder confers with Hitler regarding Soviet-Japanese Pact and cooperation with Japan. Raeder attempted to convince Adolf Hitler to allow German submarines to attack American ships. Hitler rejected the request, citing his unwillingness to provoke the Americans to fully enter the war.

Count Galeazzo Ciano meets with Hitler.

RAF Bomber Command sends 61 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft to attack Rotterdam overnight and 22 aircraft to attack coastal targets. RAF Fighter Command conducts a sweep over northern France.

Captain Peter Churchill was landed by RN submarine "Unbroken" and evacuated French General Francois d'Astier de La Vigerie overnight.

.

 

[Njaco]

April 21 Monday
MEDITERRANEAN: Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: Anxious to avoid dealing with the Italians, General Tsolakoglou had the previous day offered to surrender the whole Greek Army to SS General Josef "Sepp" Dietrich. To his dismay, the Germans turned their backs on the Greeks. Ioannina and the Port of Kalamatas in southern Greece come under attack from Luftwaffe bombers. German officers imposed stringent new terms on the surrender of remnants of the Greek Epirus Army and Western Macedonia Army which General Tsolakoglou signed under duress in Ioannina. The Regia Aeronautica mercilessly bombs Ioannina and Arta, forcing the Greek generals to admit defeat to General Alberto Ferrero, Chief of Staff of the Italian Army in Albania. The capital of Epirus blazed. Two bombs fell on the operating theatre of the 1st Military Hospital, killing a great number of people. Arta was also hit. British and ANZAC troops have withdrawn past the fearsome cliffs at Thermopylae which are now held against German attack by a rearguard force. At 1800 hours, the first German attempts to cross the valley are broken up by 2 Australian 25-pounder field guns. Luftwaffe aircraft, flying from hastily constructed airfields, attack the cliffs at Thermopylae and harass shipping off the coast. German air and ground forces attacked British, Australian, and New Zealand troops at Thermopylae as Dive bombers sank Greek torpedo boat "Thyella", hospital ship "Ellenis", hospital ship "Esperos", and several freighters. Operating unopposed, German aircraft sink 23 ships in Greek waters, including a Greek destroyer and two hospital ships.

Operation MD3: British battleships HMS "Warspite", HMS "Barham", and HMS "Valiant", supported by cruiser HMS "Gloucester" and 9 destroyers, bombarded Tripoli before dawn. Albacores of 826 and 829 NAS and Fulmars of 803 and 806 NAS from carrier HMS "Formidable" dropped flares to aid the bombardment as it took place before dawn. Italian torpedo boat "Partenope" and 6 freighters were damaged. HMAS "Perth", (cruiser), and HM Ships "Ajax" and "Orion", (cruisers), provided support for the bombardment. Adm Sir Andrew Cunningham has only undertaken this operation under protest and with direct orders from Churchill. At first Churchill wished to try to block the post by sinking the battleship "Barham" in the entrance to Tripoli Harbor.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers "Folgore", "Saetta", "Strale", and "Turbine" with two cruisers and two destroyers providing support.

The He 111 bombers from the II Gruppe of Oberst Hans-Joachim Rath's KG 4 move to new airbases at Zilistea.

NORTH AFRICA: 24 German bombers escorted by 21 fighters attacked Tobruk, Libya, sinking 2 ships and damaging another 2. RAF Hurricane fighters of No. 73 and No. 273 Squadrons shot down 4 German aircraft. Major Eduard Neumann's I./JG 27 finishes arriving at its new desert home at Ain-el-Gazala in North Africa and continues with operations at Gruppe strength. An Allied Hurricane falls to fighters of 1./JG 27 during one of the day's missions.

General Carton de Wiart, head of British mission to Yugoslavia, is captured by Italians after his airplane crashes at sea off Tobruk. After refuelling in Malta, the Wellington Bomber left for Cairo with enemy territory to the north and south. Both engines failed off the coast of Italian-controlled Libya, and the plane crash landed in the sea about a mile from land. Carton de Wiart was knocked unconscious, but the cold water brought him to. When the plane broke up and sank, he and the rest aboard were forced to swim to shore. They were captured by the Italian authorities.

Gold Coast 24th Infantry Brigade reaches Italian positions at Wadara in Galla-Sidamo. South African 1st Infantry Brigade attacking General Frusci's Italian forces around Cambolcia Pass on the road to Dessie.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 36 aircraft to attack coastal targets. Lt Heinz Bär of 1./JG 51 destroys a RAF aircraft to bring his score to fifteen kills.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: HMCS "Trillium" rescued 24 survivors of the British merchant ship "Empire Endurance", which was sunk between Iceland and Ireland on the previous day by German submarine U-73.

German submarine U-107 sank British ship "Calchas" 300 miles north of the Cape Verde Islands at 1500 hours; 24 were killed, 89 survived.

SOUTH PACIFIC: US Marine Corps established the temporary command Marine Aircraft, South Pacific to assist with administrative and logistical duties of 1st and 2nd Marine Aircraft Wings.

British, Dutch, and American conference on joint defense policy in the Far East at Singapore.

ASIA: The town of Nigata and the village of Hiro were merged into Kure, Japan.

NORTH AMERICA: The writer Rex Stout made a speech in New York City in which he attacked the isolationist activism of Charles Lindbergh, saying;

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

UNITED KINGDOM: Montgomery takes command of British XII Corps.


.

 

[parsifal]

21 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Gar Class Sub USS GUDGEON (SS 211)

Losses
Tug REGENCY (UK 76 grt) was sunk on a mine off Dagenham. The tug was also towing three or four barges which also sank. One tug crewman and one lighterman were lost. The tug and one of the barges were later raised and repaired.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.107 sank steamer CALCHAS (UK 10,305 grt) in the central Atlantic off the WQesta African Coast. The ship had been on passage from Sydney Australia to Liverpool via Freetown, and transporting a cargo of wheat, butter, steel and mixed cargo. She had a complement of 117 aboard. She was sailing independently when lost. At 1420 hrs the unescorted CALCHAS was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-107 about 550 miles north of the Cape Verde Islands. The ship stopped and sank after being hit amidships by a coup de grace at 1458 hrs. The master, 25 crew members, one gunner and one of the nine passengers were lost. 33 survivors landed at Sal Maria Island, Cape Verde on 4 May. 23 survivors landed at Boavista Island, Cape Verde and 33 survivors landed at St. Louis, Senegal after sailing 650 miles in 16 days. Two Chinese crew members died of exhaustion after reaching land.

UBOATS
At Sea 21 April1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-552, U-553, UA

21 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
British fishing vessel ALPHA was damaged on a mine in Whittaker Channel, Essex.

Northern Waters
DD BLANKNEY departed Scapa Flow for work up. The DD returned at noon on the 22nd.

SW Approaches
RM sub CAPPELLINI attacked two large liners, escorted by 3 DDs in 54N, 18W without success.

Channel
CA KENT, under repair at Plymouth, was damaged by the LW. During the night of 21/22 April, DD LEEDS was damaged in a bombing raid on Plymouth. The DD was under repair until December 1941. British tkr BRITISH RENOWN was damaged by German bombing three miles southeast of Dartmouth. The tanker put back to Dartmouth with her engine room flooded. She was repaired at Falmouth.

British steamer MAIDSTONE was damaged by the LW at Plymouth. The steamer was repaired at Falmouth.

Med/Biscay
AN.29 departed Alexandria and Port Said escorted by RAN DDs WATERHEN and VENDETTA and sloop GRIMSBY. CLA PHOEBE provided escort for the convoy on the 23rd. The convoy arrived at Suda Bay on the 24th with steamers Greek THEMONI, Dutch ZEELAND, British KIRKLAND, British RUNO, and British ARAYBANK.

Sloop AUCKLAND arrived at Suda Bay with the five A lighters from Tobruk.

DD GREYHOUND was near missed by bombing at Mersa Matruh. The DD returned to Alexandria.

Submarine TRUANT attacked Italian tanker PROMETEO off Tripoli. The torpedoes missed, but the tanker in evading ran aground. The tanker was later salvaged.

Hospital ship ESPEROS (Gk 1461 grt), while anchored off Missolonghi taking on wounded, was sunk by the LW. The ship was clearly marked as a hospital ship when lost.

Hospital ship ELLENIS (Gk 876 grt) was damaged by German bombing near Patras. The ship was brought to Patras and disembarked the wounded. The steamer was sunk later in the month. She was clearly marked as a hospital ship. ELLENIS was later refloated by the Germans.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

(Recent research by George Karelas and others suggests these attacks were deliberate)

Steamer IONNA (Gk 1192 grt) was sunk by the LW at Patras.

Steamer ARCHON (Gk 1364 grt), formerly the SINELOA, was sunk by the LW at Euboea.

Submarine UNDAUNTED arrived at Malta from Gibraltar to join the SubFlot 1

British tanker BRITISH LORD in convoy AS.26 was damaged by the LW. One crewman was lost. RAN DD VAMPIRE took off the crew. The tanker taken in tow by sloop AUCKLAND. On the 24th, netlayer PROTECTOR relieved sloop AUCKLAND for duty with convoy AG.15. The two ships were escorted by RAN DD VOYAGER.
The tkr and netlayer arrived at Alexandria on the 25th. The tanker went on to Port Said arriving on the 29th. She was later towed to Bombay for repairs.

An axis supply convoy departed Naples with transports CASTELLON, ARCTURUS, LEVERKUSEN, and GIULIA escorted by DDs STRALE, FOLGORE, TURBINE, and SAETTA. Distant cover was given the convoy by CLs BANDE NERE and CARDONA and DDs SCIROCCO and MAESTRALE.

On the 23rd, RN DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, JANUS, and JUNO departed Malta to attack this convoy. On the 23rd, the destroyers sank Armed Motor Ship EGEO (FI 3311 grt), which departed Benghazi without escort on the 21st for Tripoli, near the convoy 80 miles 10° from Tripoli, but the convoy itself escaped damage. The convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 24th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Central Atlantic
BC REPULSE and DDs FEARLESS and KASHMIR arrived at Gibraltar. After refuelling, the BC departed Gibraltar later that day to take up patrol positions in the Central Atlantic


Cyrenaica
Tobruk came under sustained and heavy air attack, with the attackers concentrating their efforts on the harbour.

Steamer BANKURA (UK 3185 grt) was badly damaged by bombing at Tobruk. The entire crew were rescued. The steamer was subsequently damaged in further attacks and became a total loss.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer URANIA (UK 1953 grt) was sunk by the LW at Tobruk.

Malta

 

[Njaco]

April 22 Tuesday
UNITED KINGDOM: The Plymouth Blitz: Starting after sundown and lasting until the next day, 120 German bombers attacked Plymouth, England, damaging cruiser HMS "Kent", destroyer HMS "Lewes", and destroyer HMS "Leeds". The royal dockyards at HMNB Devonport were the main target in order to facilitate Nazi German efforts during the Battle of the Atlantic. Despite this, civilian casualties were very high and the dockyards continued in operation. The communal air-raid shelter at Portland Square took a direct hit which killed 72 people. In the early 2000s (decade) this was commemorated by the University of Plymouth, which named a new building on the site after the incident, and also commissioned a local artist to create a commemorative piece. KG 55 loses two He 111s during the night. The Blitz is part of five devastating night raids, April 21-22 to April 29-30 by total of 640 bombers (17 lost). Few public buildings or houses escape damage; 750 killed, 30,000 homeless.

GERMANY: Lt. Gerhard Krems from the Stabstaffel of KG 27 is awarded the Bomber Aircrew Qualification Clasp in Bronze for completing twenty operations.

The Soviet Union protested to Germany regarding border violations by German troops and aircraft. 80 such incidents have taken place between March 27 - April 18. Among the evidence presented was a downed German aircraft in Soviet territory which contained maps of the Soviet Union, aerial photographic equipment, and rolls of exposed film. The Soviets, however, remained generally friendly toward Germany.

Erich Raeder reported to Adolf Hitler regarding American belligerency despite neutrality pledges.

MEDITERRANEAN: Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: German aircraft attacked British-controlled airfields near Athens, Greece, forcing remaining British fighters in the region to be withdrawn to Argos in southern Greece. In the Saronic Gulf, German dive bombers sank Greek minelayer "Aliakmon", hospital ship "Sokratis", 11 freighters, and 1 tanker. At 1800 hours, 35 German dive bombers sank Greek destroyer "Hydra" at Piraeus; sinking her in 15 minutes (41 killed, 115 survivors reach the small nearby Island of Lagossa). Further south, German aircraft damaged cruiser HMS "York" at Suda Bay, Crete with near misses. Finally, on the same day, Yugoslavian torpedo boats "Kajmakcalan" and "Durmitor" arrived at Suda Bay and joined the Allied fleet. The Commanding Officer of the 139th Infantry Regiment ('Bari' Division), Lieutenant-Colonel Achille Lauro is gravely wounded and posthumously awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valour, for his outstanding leadership in the Battle of Ponte Perati.

Operation MD3: British warships continued to bombard Tripoli, Libya. On the return trip, battleship HMS "Valiant" hit a mine and was lightly damaged.

NORTH AFRICA: At Tobruk, Australians conduct aggressive patrolling beyond the perimeter wire, remembering that control of no-man's land was essential to the capture of Bardia and Tobruk from the Italians. At dawn, General Morshead sends out 3 raids on Axis positions in front of the wire, including Carrier Hill (named after a wrecked carrier) which is sheltering Italian infantry and a field gun battery. 455 Italian prisoners are captured and artillery and anti-aircraft guns destroyed (27 Aussies killed, 28 wounded). From above, approximately 30 Luftwaffe and Italian Ju 87s bombed Tobruk harbor, hitting British hospital ship "Vita", (437 patients, 6 doctors & 6 nurses taken off by Australian destroyer HMAS "Waterhen").

Erwin Rommel received the Gold Medal of Military Valor in Silver.

British 1st South African Brigade captured Camboicia Pass, Abyssinia and 1,200 Italian prisoners of war.

NORTH AMERICA: The US Congress passed an act that would increase the authorized enlisted strength of the US Navy and the US Marine Corps; the latter's active list was to be 20% of the former.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 26 aircraft to attack warships at Brest overnight and 14 aircraft on coastal sweeps off Norway.

.

 

[parsifal]

22 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Benson Class DD USS WILKES (DD 441)

Allied
Dance Class ASW Trawler TANGO (T-146)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
Steam barge CORONATION OF LEEDS (UK 87 grt) was lost on a mine off Thames Haven. The crew of three were all lost. The afterpart of the barge was raised on 5 September 1941.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
Kiel: U-201
At Sea 22 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-553, UA

22 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer OBRA (Ger 551grt) was sunk on a mine off Greifswald.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

North Sea
British Steamer ANTONIO was damaged by the LW off T.2 Buoy, Tyne. The steamer arrived at Shields on the 23rd in tow.

British steamer CROHAM (391grt) was damaged by German bombing at Peterhead (a town on the east Scotland coast nth of Aberdeen).

Northern Patrol
MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, MENETHEUS, and PORT QUEBEC, escort DDs ACHATES, ANTHONY, BRIGHTON, and ST MARYS departed Loch Alsh for minelaying mission SN.71. The operation was covered by CLs KENYA and EDINBURGH from the Iceland - Faroes patrol.

DDs COSSACK and ZULU departed Hvalfjord on the 25th to carry out an ASW sweep in the line of advance of the MLs. On completion of the sweep, DDs COSSACK and ZULU relieved DDs ANTHONY and ACHATES which proceeded to Reykjavik. British minefield SN.71 was completed on the 26th. The cruisers proceeded to Scapa Flow after the minelay, arriving on the 29th. COSSACK and ZULU returned to Scapa Flow on the 29th.
Northern Waters
CL BIRMINGHAM arrived at Scapa Flow after being away on escort duties since 8 February. DDs WALPOLE and ST ALBANS departed Sheerness to work up at Scapa Flow, and arrived on the 23rd. DDs ACHATES and ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 1500 to join convoy WN.17 in the Pentland Firth. Fog delayed the arrival of the convoy and the ship arrived back at Scapa Flow later that evening.

West Coast
OB.313 departed Liverpool, escort corvette ALISMA. On the 23rd, DDs KEPPEL, LINCOLN, SABRE, and SHERWOOD, sloop FLEETWOOD, corvettes DIANELLA, KINGCUP, and SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSE, NORTHERN DAWN, and WELLARD joined the escort. On the 27th, the escort, except DDs LINCOLN and SHERWOOD and corvettes ALISMA and SUNFLOWER, were detached. The remaining escort was detached on the 28th when the convoy dispersed.

DD LEWES was damaged by bombing at Devonport. The DD was not restored to service until February 1942. Salvage vessel MISS ELAINE was sunk by the LW at Plymouth. However the vessel was raised on 14 May and repaired at Southampton.
Med/Biscay
British hospital ship VITA was deliberately targeted by LW Stukas off Tobruk. She was badly damaged in the attack RAN DD WATERHEN attempted to tow the ship without success. The DD took off 437 patients, six doctors, six nurses, and 47 sick berth ratings to Alexandria.

HMAS WATERHEN attempting to take the VITA in tow off Tobruk

RHN DD LEON was badly damaged by the LW at Suda Bay.

Pre-WWI DD THYELLA (RHN 350 grt) was sunk in Vouliagmeni Bay and KIOS was sunk by German bombing the Gulf of Athens.

THYELLA at her launch at Yarrow in 1907

From 22 to 25 April, The following RHN TBs were sunk in the Gulf of Athens by LW and RA a/c

TB AIGLI (RHN 120 grt), built in 1913
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Aigli Class TB ALKYONE (RHN 120 grt),
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Aigli Class TB ARETHOUSA (RHN 120 grt),
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

and Aigli Class TB DORIS (RHN 120 grt)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

AG.13 with troopship ULSTER PRINCE and commanding landing ships GLENGYLE and GLENEARN departed Alexandria at noon for Suda Baye scort RAN DDs STUART and VOYAGER. The convoy proceeded directly to the beaches at Raphtis and Nauplia for Operation DEMON.

MSWs ABERDARE, HARROW, and WIDNES, from the East Indies Station, arrived at Alexandria for duty with the Med Flt.

DD YDRA (or HYDRA) (RHN 1350 grt) sunk by the LW near the island of Melos off Athens.

YDRA (D-97) with her sister ship PSARA in the background. These were an Italian design of four units, all built at Odero shipyard.

Steamer ATHINAI (Gk 968 grt) was sunk by the LW in Itea Harbour (east of Patrai).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer AVLIS (Gk 223 grt) was sunk by the LW at Raphina.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer AGHIOS MARKOS (Gk 4514 grt) was sunk by the LW at Peristeri (Salamis Island).

(Note: I am very uncertain that this is an image of the 1941 AGHIOS MARKOS)

Steamer FRINTON (Gk 1361 grt) was sunk by the LW at Megalo Pefko )a small town on the west Coast of the Peloponnese.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer IOANNIS NOMICOS (Gk 637 grt) was sunk by the LW near Rhion, in the Gulf of Corinth. The wreck of this ship is described as "completely ruined" in dive guides.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer PANCRATION (Gk 2171 grt) was sunk by the LW at Milos (mid point between Athens and Crete).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Hospital ship SOKRATIS (Gk 1134 grt), (or SOCRATES) clearly marked (according to Keralas) with international recognition symbils was sunk by the LW at Antikyra, Gulf of Corinth.

Tkr THEODORA (Gk 1054 grt) was near missed by a German bomb at Antikyra, Gulf of Corinth. This near miss killed the Master and twelve crew. The remainder of the crew attempted to move the tanker away from burning THEDOL 2. However, THEODORA also caught fire and was lost.

"SOCRATES" being bombed by the Luftwaffe, while "THEODORA" is sinking. Photo taken from one of the 87 Stukas involved in these attacks)
(Source: http://pierrekosmidis.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/uncovered-air-attacks-against-hospital.html

Tkr THEDOL 2 (Gk 657 grt) was sunk by the LW at Antikyra, Gulf of Corinth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer THRAKI (Gk 1511 grt) was sunk by the LW near Sombraina, Gulf of Corinth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer THASSOS (Gk 1565 grt) was sunk by the LW at Megara.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer TETI (Gk 2747 grt) was badly damaged by German bombing in Greek waters. The steamer was grounded to avoid sinking. She was captured and repaired and then used by the Germans. She was finally lost whilst in German service off Vols, running aground on the 22 October 1942.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer MESSARYA NOMIKOU (Gk 985 grt) was sunk by the LW at Nafpactos. The steamer was salved by the Germans for their use.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer SIFNOS (Gk 315 grt) was sunk by the LW at Suda Bay. Around 0820 hrs she arrived at the entrance of Adamas Bay, Melos where she was attacked by LW divebombers. The ship was hit in her engine room and her Master turned her to starboard with the intent 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. Some sources say she was raised and used by the Germans, but the wreck was located and identified in this location by divers in 2007.

RHN DD VASILISSA OLGA (sister ship to the captured VASILEFS GEORGIOS) departed Greece with the King of Greece and the government. The destroyer safely arrived at Suda Bay.
Yugoslav ORJEN Class Torpedo Boats (large MTBs really) KAJMAKCALAN and DURMITOR arrived at Suda Bay after escaping from Yugoslavia, via Navarino Bay. After this escape they were renamed TC5 and TC6, later TC391and TC392. They were a very goods design, not , are handed over for scrapping until 1962-1963

CA YORK and netlayer PROTECTOR, (which was assisting YORK), were damaged by near misses from the LW at Suda Bay. A lighter A.16 alongside the cruiser was also damaged. The lighter was scuttled on 2 June.

ANF.29 departed Alexandria for SudaBay with Dutch steamer PENNLAND and British steamers THURLAND CASTLE and DELANE. The convoy was escorted by CLA COVENTRY and DDs WRYNECK and DIAMOND. LSI GLENROY had run aground leaving Alexandria in Boghas Pass on the 20th. Her beach party was transferred to steamer THURLAND CASTLE. DD GRIFFIN joined the convoy at sea. ANF.29 arrived at Suda Bay on the 25th.

Two A lighters departed Alexandria for Suda Bay escorted by two ASW trawlers.

Submarine REGENT departed Malta on the 17th for Kotor in hopes of effecting a rescue of the British Minister to Yugoslavian and British civilians. Lt D. Lambert was sent ashore to contact the British Minister, but taken prisoner. He was later exchanged on 11 December for the Italian officer taken on board REGENT when Lambert had been sent ashore. Departing the area, submarine REGENT was damaged by a near miss of an air bomb. The commanding officer, Lt Cdr H. C. Browne, and a rating were seriously wounded by machine gun fire from the shore. The submarine arrived back at Malta on the 27th.

Steamer SERAFIN TOPIC (Yug 4294 grt) was interned by Algerian authorities at Oran.. She was handed over to the Italians and renamed COSALLA for Italian use.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Vichy subs ORPHEE, MEDUSE, and ANTIOPE departed Casablanca, escorted by minesweeper LA BOUDEUSE. The ships passed Gibraltar on the 23rd and arrived at Oran on the 24th. ORPHEE and MEDUSE were placed in caretaker status at Oran. They relieved submarines DIANE and EURYDICE which departed Oran, with submarine ANTIOPE on 10 May and arrived Toulon on 14 May.

Pacific/Australia
Steamer TOMISLAV (Yug 5387 grt) was seized by Italian Marines at Shanghai. The ship was renamed VENEZIA GIULA for Italian use and was later transferred to Japan as TEIAN MARU.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Malta

 

[Njaco]

April 23 Wednesday
UNITED KINGDOM: Hermann-Friedrich Joppien of JG 51 and a friend of Helmut Wick, scores his seventieth victory. Lt. Gerhard Krems of Stabstaffel./KG 27 completes his thirty-ninth mission over England then stands down as the Kampfgeschwader prepares to move east for the invasion of Russia.

MEDITERRANEAN: Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: Athens, Greece falls to the German Army. From the town of Ioannina, German troops rush down the West (Ionian) coast towards Delphi and the Peloponnese peninsula, both of which flank Allied positions at Thermopylae and threaten the evacuation. Bulgarian 2nd Army begins occupying Thrace. Meanwhile, German paratroopers landed on Aegean Islands. On the same day, German bombers sank Greek torpedo boat "Kios", minelayer "Nestos", hospital ship "Policos", battleship "Kilkis", battleship "Lemnos", 12 freighters, and 1 tanker; damaged Greek torpedo boat "Doris" was scuttled to prevent capture. "Lemnos" was beached at Salamis, Greece during a German air raid to prevent sinking. At Mussolini's insistence, a second Greek surrender document was signed up in Thessaloniki that included the Italians. King George II of Greece, Crown Prince Paul, Prime Minister Emmanuel Tsouderos and other important figures of the Greek government were evacuated by the RAF to Crete, where an attempt to evacuate personnel from Crete to Egypt had begun; King George II instructed that his wine cellar should be distributed to the Allied troops who fought to defend his country (1 bottle for each soldier, 2 for officers). The British find they cannot continue to conduct air operations from their airfields around the city and move to Argos in southern Greece. The Bf 109s of JG 77 and the Bf 110s of ZG 26 find the British airfield and destroy thirteen Hurricanes on the ground (forcing the survivors to evacuate to Crete). In an air battle over the airfield, Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Fritz-Heinz Lange destroys a Hurricane in the air but is then shot down himself and killed. Hptm. Helmut Henz is named Gruppenkommandeur in his place.

Hostilities on the Albanian front are finally declared at an end at 14.45 hours local time with the Italian high command reporting that:

"The enemy Army of the Epirus and Macedonia has laid down its arms. The capitulation was made at 9.45 last night by a Greek military delegation to the command of the Italian Eleventh Army on the Epirus front."

An Axis convoy was spotted by British aircraft in the Mediterranean Sea sailing toward Tripoli, Libya. British destroyers HMS "Jervis", HMS "Jaguar", HMS "Janus", and HMS" Juno" failed to intercept. Overnight, however, destroyer HMS "Juno" was able to find and sink empty Italian troopship "Egeo" off the Libyan coast.

NORTH AFRICA: Rommel visits Carrier Hill at Tobruk and finds the Italian Fabris Battalion missing (captured in the Australian raid yesterday). Worried by Allied patrolling at Tobruk and on the Egyptian frontier, Rommel requests more troops and air cover. Instead, German Chief-of-Staff General Franz Halder sends General Friedrich von Paulus to North Africa to "correct matters which had got out of hand;

"If I go to North Africa, I must have command authority. Brauchitsch has reservations, and mentions difficulties with the Italian High Command. I know this is only a pretext, but perhaps it would be preferable to sent Generalleutant Paulus. He is on friendly terms with Rommel, from former times and may be in a position to use his personal influence to put an end to the initiatives of this lunatic."

From the diary of Field Marshal Von Manstein.

Approximately 20 Luftwaffe and Italian Ju 87s attack Tobruk habour in waves, sinking more ships but anti-aircraft guns and RAF Hurricanes shoot down 6 German aircraft.

The whole of I./JG 27 takes to the skies destroying two Blenheims and five Hurricanes. Oblt. Franzisket and Lt. von Moller each score two victories. Obfw. Hans-Joachim Marseille scored his 8th kill, a British Hurricane II fighter, over Tobruk, Libya during the morning sortie. In the afternoon sortie, he was shot down and safely landed in German territory.

NORTH AMERICA: The America First Committee holds its first mass rally in New York City, with Charles Lindbergh as keynote speaker. At the meeting Charles Lindbergh addresses 30,000 people and publicly called for the United States to stay out of the war. He condemns Britain for having 'encouraged the smaller nations of Europe to fight against hopeless odds', and warns that the British are attempting to drag the USA into the 'fiasco of this war'.

GERMANY: German armed merchant cruiser "Thor" arrived at Hamburg, Germany, ending a 322-day raiding mission that covered 57,532 miles which saw the sinking of 11 merchant ships and 1 British armed merchant cruiser.

EASTERN EUROPE: Soviet agent reports to Stalin from Prague that Germany will invade in May. The German build up for Operation 'Barbarossa' continues with 59 divisions now deployed along the border with the Soviet Union.

Bulgaria signs contract for delivery of captured French tanks from Germany.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 67 aircraft to attack warships at Brest overnight and 37 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

MIDDLE EAST: Rashid Ali appeals again to Germany and Italy for military assistance. General Blamey appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Middle East.

ASIA: Chiang Kai-shek admonishes the US for not delivering promised aid.

.

 

[Njaco]

April 24 Thursday
MEDITERRANEAN: Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita:
The Battle of Thermopylae: When the order to retreat was received on the morning of the 23rd, it was decided that each of the two Allied positions was to be held by one brigade each. These brigades, the Australian 19th and 6th New Zealand were to hold the passes as long as possible, allowing the other units to withdraw. General Vasey, commander of the 19th Brigade said: "Here we bloody well are and here we bloody well stay!" This was interpreted by his brigade major as the "Brigade will hold its present defensive positions come what may". The Germans attacked on 24 April, met fierce resistance, lost 15 tanks and sustained considerable casualties. The Australians and New Zealanders held out the entire day. With the delaying action accomplished, they retreated in the direction of the evacuation beaches and set up another rearguard at Thebes.

Operation Demon: The British begin evacuating Greece by sea and head for Crete and 13,500 troops are taken from Raphtis (South of Athens) and Nauplia (Peloponnese peninsula) overnight. HMAS "Perth", (cruiser), and HMA Ships "Stuart", "Vampire", "Vendetta", "Voyager", and "Waterhen", (destroyers) all took part in evacuating troops from Greece, HMAS "Perth" from Port Rafti, whilst HMA "Stuart", and HMA "Voyager" the port of Navplion embarking 301 troops, plus a party of Australian, New Zealand, and British nurses. HMAS "Vendetta",, (destroyer), evacuated 350 ANZAC troops from the beach at Megara, in Greece. Another 70 were taken off by sister ship HMAS "Waterhen", which was giving seaward cover to the evacuation. German paratroopers captured the Corinth Canal in Greece. Meanwhile, the Luftwaffe again mauls shipping off the Greek coast. German aircraft sank hospital ship "Andros" and 11 freighters off the coast and damaged British cruiser HMS "York" and submarine HMS "Rover" at Suda Bay, Crete. Greek torpedo boats "Aigli", "Alkyoni", and "Arethousa" were scuttled to prevent capture. British troops held off German attacks through the afternoon at Thermopylae, destroying 15 German tanks, before withdrawing after sundown. At 1900 hours, Greek luxury yacht "Hellas" was bombed at Piraeus while boarding 500 British civilians and 400 wounded Allied soldiers, killing 500. During the British withdraw, the Jabos of II./JG 77 attack the shipping off the coast of Greece. Hptm. Wolf-Dietrich Huy succeeds in sinking a 20,000 ton troop transport in the Bay of Nauplion.

Operation Dunlop: Force H with aircraft carrier "Ark Royal" departs Gibraltar to deliver 22 Hurricane fighters to Malta. Bristol Blenheims and Beaufighters were also flown in. Three battleships and an aircraft carrier covered the fast transport HMS "Breconshire" from Alexandria to Malta. The operation was coordinated with four ship convoy ME 7 from Malta to Alexandria.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: US Navy extended its range for Neutrality Patrols to as far east as Iceland and as far south as Rio de Janeiro. Roosevelt formally orders US warships to report the movements of German warships west of Iceland. This is happening unofficially already. The information is usually passed one way or another to the British.

EASTERN EUROPE: The German Naval Attaché in Moscow, Russia reported back to German Navy headquarters that it had been learned that the British had deduced the German invasion of the Soviet Union to take place around 26 Jun 1941, and the British had shared this information with the Soviet Union.

NORTH AFRICA: At 0700 hours Italian infantry attack the Tobruk defenses at 2 points after an artillery barrage at dawn. Advancing in suicidally close formation, they are broken up by Australian small arms fire from the forward gun pits and British artillery fire from the rear. The attacks are over within an hour (107 Italian POWs captured).

Approximately 18 Luftwaffe and Italian Ju 87s attack Tobruk.

Indian 29th Infantry Brigade advancing southward toward Amba Alagi.

NORTH AMERICA: The first M3 tank constructed at the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant in Michigan, United States was delivered to the US Army.

In a statement, Frank Knox, the United States Secretary for the Navy, proclaimed:

"We can no longer occupy the immoral and craven position of asking others to make all the sacrifices for this victory which we recognize as so essential to us."

GERMANY: Hitler and Hungarian leader Admiral Horthy confer and dine in the Fuhrer's train near Graz (Austria). Horthy lavishes praise on the Fuhrer, but Hitler refuses to be drawn into promising major territorial concessions in return for Hungarian participation in Operation Barbarossa.

RAF Bomber Command sends 69 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft to attack Le Havre overnight and 24 aircraft to attack coastal targets. RAF Fighter Command conducted Rhubarb operations.

UNITED KINGDOM: A German night fighter attacked a training aircraft near Church Fenton airfield.

Dutch Prince Bernhard became an RAF pilot.

.

 

[parsifal]

23 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Black Swan Class Sloop RIN SUTLEDGE (U-95)

Losses


UBOATS
At Sea 23 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-553, UA

22 boats at sea

U-101 encountered a British submarine in the Nth Atlantic, which fired two torpedoes, but both missed.

OPERATIONS
Baltic
DKM CA PRINZ EUGEN was mined in the Baltic during preparations for a sortie with BB BISMARCK into the Atlantic.

North Sea
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 0600 and joined convoy WN.17 in the Pentland Firth. The ship later transferred to convoy EC.10 off Buchan Ness. ALYNBANK transferred to convoy WN.18 on the 24th. The convoy with ship ALYNBANK arrived at Methil on the 25th.

Northern Patrol

Northern Waters
BB RODNEY arrived at Scapa Flow after having been detached on escort duties since 9 March. DD ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow to rendezvous with steamers AMSTERDAM and ARCHANGEL and escort them to Kirkwall and Scapa Flow, respectively. The DD returned to Scapa Flow on the 24th.

DD SALADIN and ORP DDs PIORUN and GARLAND departed Scapa Flow at 0600. The RN DD for Londonderry and the Polish DDs for Greenock.

West Coast
OB.314 departed Liverpool, escort DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, and ROXBOROUGH, corvettes ABELIA, GLADIOLUS, and VERONICA, MSW NIGELLA, and ASW trawlers NOTTS COUNTY, ST ELSTAN, ST KENAN, ST ZENO, and VIZALMA. On the 27th, DDs AMAZON and CHESTERFIELD joined the convoy and on the 28th, corvettes HOLLYHOCK and NIGELLA joined. The escorts, except DDs AMAZON and CHESTERFIELD and corvettes HOLLYHOCK and NIGELLA, were detached on the 28th. The remainder of the escort was detached on the 30th when the convoy dispersed.

Med/Biscay
At Tripoli, corvette GLOXINIA, MSW FAREHAM, and ASW whaler SOUTHERN SEA were near missed by LW airstrikes. GLOXINIA sustained damage from the near misses.

British A lighters arrived off the Greek coast. A.1 (T/Sub Lt L. D. Peters RNVR) and A.19 (T/Skipper R. S. Cooper RNR, Lt Cdr P. C. Hutton DSC, (emergency), Commander of the 1st TLC Flotilla aboard) were attacked off Megara by German bombing. A.1 was badly damaged and later scuttled. A 6 (T/Sub Lt J. D. Sutton RNVR) off Raphtis was bombed and strafed, but escaped serious damage.

Pre-Dreadnought KILKIS (RHN 12500 grt) was sunk by the LW at Salamis

Pre-Dreadnought LEMNOS (RHN 12500 grt) was sunk by the LW at Salamis.

Steamer SANTA CLARA VALLEY (UK 4665g rt) was sunk by the LW in Nauplia Bay. One crewman, one military personnel, and five muleteers were lost on the steamer.

Steamer ASSIMI (Gk 722 grt) was sunk by the LW at Krioneri, in the Northern harbour of Patras. She was possibly salvaged after war..
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer ELVIRA (Gk 372 grt) was sunk by the LW at Chalkis.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Tkr KATERINA (Gk 2398 grt) was sunk by the LW at Methana (Piraeus).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
Steamer KERKYRA (Gk 1461 grt) was sunk by the LW off Punta gun emplacement on Salamis.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer KYMA (Gk 223 grt) was sunk by the LW at Patras.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
The following two ships were sunk at Trisonis, 7 miles nth of Patrai:

Steamer MACEDONIA (Gk 1839grt). She was raised and put into German service, finally being permanently sunk 13 December 1942after being torpedoed by RN Sub HMS UMBRIA.

Steamer NICOLAOS NOMICOS (Gk 625 grt). The ship was refloated and towed to Piraeus for drydocking. However she was found to be too mheavily damaged to be economically repaired and was scrapped by the Germans.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer NICOLAOU GEORGIOS (Gk 4108 grt) was sunk by German bombing at Navplion. She was loaded with munitions when sunk and blew up when she sank.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Hospital ship POLICOS (Gk 875 grt) was sunk by German bombing at Methana. She was clearly visible and marked as a Hospital ship when attacked.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The following two ships were sunk in air attacks by the LW at Megara
Steamers STATHIS A. (Gk 385 grt)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer HYDRA (Gk 231 grt)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer ATHINAS. (Gk 273 grt) was sunk by the LW at Psathopirgos. The steamer was subsequently raised and put into German service.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer KRITI (Gk 1028 grt) was sunk by the LW at Antirion. She was later raised and taken to Italy where she was used by the Italians.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Sub TORBAY departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Sub UNBEATEN departed Gibraltar for Malta.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Basra to Colombo. En route, the cruiser operated in Raider Hunting Group V built around CVL EAGLE and CAs CORNWALL and HAWKINS. On the 26th, a Swordfish from EAGLE of 813 Sqn ditched during a search operation. A/Sub Lt (A) J. L. Cullen, P/A/Sub Lt (A) J. D. Rowland RNVR, and Leading Airman B. K. J. Willis were picked up by British steamer MATHURA and taken to Aden. At some point before the 29th LEANDER was detached from the hunter group and proceeded to Volombo, arriving on the 29th.

Malta

 

[parsifal]

24 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type IXc U-127,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
No ships sunk in her career
Sunk on 15 December 1941 in the North Atlantic west of Gibraltar, by depth charges from the Australian DD HMAS NESTOR. 51 dead (all hands lost).

Type VIIc U-567
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
2 ships sunk, total tonnage 6,809 GRT
Sunk on 21 December 1941 in the Nth Atlantic NE of the Azores, by depth charges from the British sloop HMS DEPTFORD. 47 dead (all hands lost).

Other vessels added to the Kriegsmarine in April
(3 April ) Type M-35 MSW M202
(10 April )R Boats R70, 71, 72, 73, 74
(19 April): S Boat S-44
(21 April) Type M-35 MSW M253
(28 April) S-Boat S-45

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS POLYANYHUS (K-47)

Losses


UBOATS
Arrivals
Bergen: U-138
St. Nazaire: U-73

At Sea 24 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-553, UA

21 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
DDrs INGLEFIELD and MAORI departed Hvalfjord at 0200 and joined convoy HX.120 as an ASW striking force, one of the first to be formed. However, the DDs were diverted to join convoy OB.312. They remained with this convoy until departing this convoy at daybreak on the 25th to join convoy HX.121. They parted company with convoy HX.121 at longitude 8 at 2130/29th and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 30th.

Northern Waters
AA ship HMS POZARICA (converted to this role in August 1940) departed Scapa Flow at 0500 to join convoy WN.18. The ship then proceeded to Chatham for alterations.

British steamer DOLIUS was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea. The steamer was able to proceed to Leith.

SW Approaches
HG.60 departed Gibraltar escort DD FIREDRAKE, sloop WELLINGTON, corvettes COREOPSIS, FLEUR DE LYS, and SPIRAEA, and Dutch submarine O.23. FIREDRAKE was detached on the 28th, the corvettes on the 30th, and the submarine on 2 May. On 7 May, the convoy was joined by DDr BOADICEA, sloop EGRET, corvettes SNOWFLOWER, TRILLIUM, and WINDFLOWER, and ASW trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, and LADY MADELEINE. Destroyer NIAGARA joined on 9 May, and arrived at Liverpool on 12 May.

Med/Biscay
Yugoslav submarine NEBOJSCA arrived at Suda Bay. The submarine was found to be unserviceable and was never used operationally.

Steamer CAVALLO (UK 2269 grt) was badly damaged by the LW at Navplion.
The steamer had been attacked on the 23rd, but not hit. However, the crew had abandoned the steamer. The steamer sank on the 25th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
Armed yacht CALANTHE (RN 370 grt) was sunk by the LW off Milos. Four crewman and a gunner were killed on the yacht.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
Pilo class TB SIMONE SCHIAFFINO (RM 912 grt) was sunk on an Italian mine off Cape Bon.

Submarine ROVER, alongside heavy cruiser YORK supplying power to the cruiser, was badly damaged by the LW in sustained air attacks at Suda Bay. The submarine was beached. The cruiser was further damaged by the near misses. The sub was towed by DD GRIFFIN and escorted by netlayer PROTECTOR and MSW trawler MUROTO to Alexandria arriving on the 29th. The submarine was temporarily repaired at Port Said completing on 6 July. The submarine departed Port Said on 10 July. She was towed to Singapore for refitting arriving on 31 July.

ROVER was towed from Singapore on 29 January 1942 to Batavia by destroyer EXPRESS. She was towed from Batavia on 14 February by steamer CITY OF PRETORIA (8049grt) to Trincomalee, arriving on 21 February. The submarine was taken to Bombay for repairs. The submarine arrived at Bombay on 4 March 1942.

Naval tanker BRAMBLELEAF, escorted by DDs ISIS, HERO, HEREWARD, and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria on the 24th and arrived at Suda Bay, arrived very early in the morning on the 26th. The DDs joined the Vice Admiral, Light Forces on cruiser ORION. The ORION and DDs DECOY, HASTY, and HAVOCK had only just arrived at suda from Alexandria herself. DD DEFENDER from Tobruk joined early on the 25th. The ships arrived at around 1800 on the 25th.

RAN CL PERTH joined CLA PHOEBE at Suda Bay to patrol Kithera Straits and to cover convoy AG.13.

Convoy AG.14 of troopships Dutch COSTA RICA, British CITY OF LINCOLN, British DILWARA, British SALWEEN, Egyptian KHEDIVE ISMAEL, and Dutch SLAMAT departed Alexandria escorted by CLA CARLISLE and DDs KANDAHAR and KINGSTON entering the Aegean on the 26th. The convoy did not go into Suda Bay.

Convoy AG.15 departed Alexandria escorted by DD KIMBERLEY and RAN DD VAMPIRE. Sloop AUCKLAND, after being relieved of the tow of tanker BRITISH LORD, refuelled at Suda Bay and joined the convoy. AG.15 arrived at Suda Bay during the afternoon of the 26th with troopships Greek IONIA, Greek CORINTHIA, British ITRIA, British COMLIEBANK, British BELRAY, and Dutch ELEONORA MAERSK. The convoy was escorted by DD KIMBERLEY and sloop AUCKLAND. The escort ships joined Vice Admiral, Light Forces on cruiser ORION.

DD VAMPIRE of this convoy had been detached en route to aid British steamer SCOTTISH PRINCE, bombed on the 26th. VAMPIRE relieved DD HASTY which had been standing by. Sloop GRIMSBY also later joined. VAMPIRE, along with sloop GRIMSBY, and bomb damaged SCOTTISH PRINCE arrived at 0610 on the 27th at Suda Bay.

During the night of 24/25 April in Operation DEMON evacuations of British troops from Greece began. The ships involved departed Suda Bay on the 24th. From Raphtis:CLA CALCUTTA, commando ship GLENGYLE, and corvette SALVIA. Australian CL PERTH was at Raphtis in a support role and did not embark any troops.

From Navplion: PHOEBE, commando ship GLENEARN (damaged en route on the 24th by the LW, but able to continue), troopship ULSTER PRINCE (grounded at Navplion. Corvette HYACINTH and lighter A 5 attempted to tow her clear without success. The troopship was bombed and set afire on the 25th), destroyers STUART and VOYAGER, and corvette HYACINTH.

Command Ship GLENEARN was heavily damaged but survived

A total of 13,500 troops were brought off from Raphtis and Nauplia.

Submarine OTUS was under repair at Gibraltar from 24 April to 12 July for the removed of her main motor armature.

WWI era TB PERGAMOS (RHN 243 grt) was sunk by German bombing at Salamis.

Hospital ship ANDROS (Gk 2068 grt) was sunk by LW in apparently deliberate attacks off Loutraki, Gulf of Corinth.

Steamer HELLAS (Gk 2295 grt) was sunk by the LW at Piraeus.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer KEHREA (Gk 1968 grt) was sunk by the LW in the anchorage, Bay of Frangolimano (a small harbour on the eastern side of the Isthmus of Corinth).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer KYRIAKI (Gk 5528 grt) was sunk by the LW at Suda Bay. There were no casualties.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer MANNA (Gk 238 grt) was sunk by the LW at Aedipsos (a port at the northern end of Euboea).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer PETROS (Gk 634 grt) was sunk by the LW at Porto Heli (a port in the province of Argolis, in the Peloponnese, on the Aegean coast). The steamer was refloated by the Germans , but found too damaged to be returned to service. She was scrapped at Piraeus.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer POPI S. (Gk 2083 grt) was sunk by the LW at Milos Island.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer PYLAROS (Gk 932 grt) was sunk by the LW at Galaxeidion (northern coast of the Gulf Of Corinth .
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer SPETSAI (Gk 379 grt) was sunk by the LW at Psathopyrgos, Gulf of Corinth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer POINT JUDITH (Gk 4810 grt) was sunk by the LW at Kythnos Island. The entire crew was rescued. Date of loss is also sometimes given as 26 April.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Nth Atlantic
TF 3 (Rear Admiral Jones H. Ingram) with USN CLs MEMPHIS, CINCINNATI, OMAHA, and MILWAUKEE and DDs SOMERS, JOUETT, DAVIS, WINSLOW, and MOFFETT sailed from Newport R. I. to patrol Trinidad, Cape San Roque, and Cape.

Central Atlantic
CVE ARGUS, CL SHEFFIELD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, and WRESTLER arrived at Gibraltar. CLA DIDO, ML cruiser ABDIEL, and DDs KELLY, KIPLING, KELVIN, and JERSEY arrived at Gibraltar from the UK.

Malta

 

[Njaco]

April 25 Friday
GERMANY: Hitler signs his Directive No. 28 For the Invasion of Crete http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/28.html which contains the following:

"As a base for air warfare against Great Britain in the Eastern Mediterranean we must prepare to occupy the island of Crete (Operation Mercury). . . Command of this operation is entrusted to the Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe who will employ for the purpose, primarily, the airborne forces and the air forces stationed in the Mediterranean area . . ." The basic plan is to involve 22,750 paratroops, 650 combat aircraft and is to be launched on 18th May 1941, although this is put back to 20th May 1941.

RAF Bomber Command sends 69 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: Allied rearguard forces from Thermopylae, traveled 100 miles within 12 hours and reached the Greek capital of Athens around noon time. While crowds welcomed their arrival, diplomats of various countries burned papers as Axis capture was imminent. Allied evacuation (Operation Demon) continues but only 5500 troops leave from beaches South of Athens after troopship "Pennland" was damaged by German aircraft while attempting to evacuate troops, resulting in 4 deaths (347 rescued by destroyer HMS "Griffin"). Luftwaffe reconnaissance identifies the evacuation beaches but British will change the embarkation points using Ultra intercepts. Out at sea, German aircraft sank 6 merchant ships and 1 yacht; 6 Greek destroyers and 5 submarines were able to escape toward Alexandria, Egypt. British vessel "Ulster Prince" bombed and destroyed by Axis aircraft.

The German 8.Panzerregiment departed Italy in three convoys for North Africa. The Convoy departs for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian destroyers "Fulmine" and "Euro" and three torpedo boats supported by three cruisers and three more destroyers.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-103 sank Norwegian ship "Polyana" 200 miles southwest of Cape Verde Islands at 0038 hours, killing the entire crew of 25.

NORTH AFRICA: Frustrated by the lack of progress at Tobruk, Rommel resumes the offensive along the Libyan/Egyptian border. The British Mobile Force columns based at Halfaya, Sofafi, Buq Buq and Sidi Barrani began to harass the Germans in the area around Capuzzo and Sollum and after an ambush near Sidi Azeiz, the local German commander sent an alarmist report to Rommel, leading to an attack by Group Herff that pushed the British back to Buq Buq and Sofafi. German troops engaged the British patrols near Fort Capuzzo forcing the British to withdraw to prepared defenses where the desert plain drops towards the coast through Halfaya Pass. German Group Herff then attacked toward Halfaya Pass. The 2 remaining Hurricane fighters in Tobruk were withdrawn to Egypt to join the mere 13 Hurricane fighters there, leaving Tobruk with only Lysander aircraft to perform artillery spotting duties and no aircraft capable of air defense. Luftwaffe will control the skies over Tobruk. Out at sea, British submarine HMS "Upholder" sank Italian ship "Antonietta Lauro" off the Tunisian island of Kerkenah.

NORTH AMERICA: During a press conference, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt seemed to compare Charles Lindbergh to Clement Vallandigham and the Copperheads of the American Civil War. Without using Lindbergh's name, Roosevelt said;

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

In response, Lindbergh resigns his commission in the U.S. Army Air Corps Reserve on April 28.

UNITED KINGDOM: An indication that the Germans were considering Crete, Greece as a target for major parachute assault was discovered by the code-breakers at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park in Britain through an interception of the German Luftwaffe's lax cypher discipline.

Luftwaffe attacks Sunderland with 57 aircraft overnight.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 27 aircraft to attack coastal targets during the day.


SOUTH PACIFIC: Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) established.

.