Air Operations, Europe
- A Sunderland flying boat disperses a formation of 6 Ju-88s attacking a convoy in the North Sea. 1 Ju-88 is shot down and a second crash lands in Norway where the crew are interned.
- While shooting down an He-111 of the Yorkshire coast, a Spitfire is lost. This is the first one lost on home defense duty.
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]Allied Planning
Intelligence reports received in London advise of a concentration of German troops and vessels in northern German ports, suggesting readiness for a Scandinavian invasion. For this first amphibious operation of the war, the Germans will deploy 30 warships and the same number of U-boats plus many support vessels. As a consequence, the Allies choose to delay their Norwegian operation, leaving Hitler to land in Norway first.
[ | ]Battle of the Atlantic
- The British trawler Gorspen (208t) is badly damaged by German bombing and abandoned 31 miles northeast of the Outer Skerries. The entire crew is rescued.
- The British trawler Sansonnet (212t) is sunk by German bombing 18 miles southeast of Muckle Flugga.
| ]Britain, Politics
Lord Chatfield resigns his post as Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence. Although he has had a distinguished naval career, he has not been a success in this job. Churchill is appointed Chairman of the Ministerial Defense Committee-a significant increase in his responsibilities. The decision-making machinery is still clumsy, however, and there is need for an even stronger directing hand and for more provision for interservice cooperation.
One of Churchill's first acts in his new post is to obtain Cabinet consent for the mining of the Norwegian Leads, in line with the decision of the Allied Supreme War Council of March 28.
In the same Cabinet reshuffle Lord Woolton becomes Minister of Food. Perhaps his most famous initiative in this office is the invention of the 'Woolton Pie'-intended to be a nourishing and appetizing use of ration materials. It will not be widely liked. Also, Gen Sir Hugh Elles is appointed National Air Raid Precaution Controller.
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North Sea
The first convoy of ships leaves Germany for the invasion of Norway.
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