Air Operations, Europe

• The RAF drops 75,000 tea bags over Holland imprinted with the words: 'Holland will arise. Keep your courage up.' Blenheims attack shipping off the Dutch coast.
• The world's first experimental jet fighter, the He-280, makes its maiden flight at Rostock, Germany.

Battle of the Atlantic

• In an attack on Convoy SC-26 southwest of Iceland U-46 sinks the British tanker British Reliance (7000t). The entire crew of 50 is picked up by the British steamer Tennessee.
• U-48 sinks the British steamer Beaverdale (9957t) southeast of Cape Farewell with the loss of 21 of her crew. There are 58 survivors. Some make it in a lifeboat to Ondverdarnes, Iceland, some are picked up by the Icelandic trawler Gulltoppur.
• The British steamer Fermain (759t) is sunk by German bombing east-southeast of Eastbourne. The entire crew is rescued.

Diplomatic Relations

The Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Gen Sir John Dill, meets with the head of the Yugoslav government, Gen Dusan Simovic, in Belgrade for 'top secret' talks. Despite his assurances Gen Simovic will not enter into an official alliance with Britain.

Germany, Politics

Hitler appoints Nazi ideologist Alfred Rosenberg to be Reich Commissioner for the Eastern Territories. A firm believer in the policy of Lebensraum, he wrote in 1932: 'the understanding that the German nation, if it is not to perish in the truest sense fo the word, needs ground and soil for itself and its future generations, and the second sober perception that this soil can no more be conquered in Africa, but in Europe and first of all in the East - these organically determine the German foreign policy for centuries.' His published works include The Myth of the Twentieth Century, which declares the existence of two opposing races: the Aryan race, creater of all values and culture; and the Jewish race, the agent of cultural corruption.

Just prior to the invasion of the USSR, he stated that the job of feeding Germans was at the top of Germany's claim on the East; that there was no obligation to feed the Russian people; and that the Russians were in for many hard years. Rosenberg would be hanged by the Allies at Nuremberg in October 1946.

Hungary, Politics

The Hungarian Prime Minister, Count Pal Teleki, discovers that Gen Henrik Werth, COGS, has made secret arrangements for entry of German forces into Hungary. He denounces Werth as a traitor and commits suicide because he does not wish to lead his country in collaboration with Germany. The British government has warned him that Hungarian intervention in Yugoslavia will result in a British declaration of war. The regent, Adm Miklos Horthy, and the new prime minister, Laszlo Bardossy, continue to work with the Germans.

Italian East Africa

British troops push on from Asmara towards Massawa.

Mediterranean

• The carrier Ark Royal flies a small contingent of Hurricane fighters to Malta.
• German bombers attack Convoy AS-23 in the Aegean. The British steamer Homefield (5324t) and the Greek steamer Coulouras Xenos (4914t) off Gavdo Island.
• The Yugoslavian steamers Karadjordje (1293t) and Prestolonaslednik Petar (1726t) sink on mines off Sibenik. The crews of both steamers are rescued.

North Africa

The German advance begins to gather momentum. Adegabia is taken and the Germans now have the option of striking out across Cyrenaica on various routes or following the coast. In fact they will split their force and follow almost all these options. The German units divide into 3 columns taking 2 main routes to Msus and Mechili. Italian forces and a small German unit are sent along the coast to Benghazi under a German commander. Rommel flies from column to column in his scout plane, urging the advance on.

Wavell comes up to the front from Cairo and decides that O'Connor must be brought back from convalescence to replace Neame. In fact when he arrives O'Connor agrees to act only as an advisor. The exiguous British tank force is split up on Wavell's order and is further weakened by breakdowns, giving the Germans every opportunity to continue their advance.

Red Sea

5 Italian destroyers, Sauro, Manin, Tigre, Pantera and Battisti, in the harbor there sail towards Port Sudan. British reconnaissance planes spot them and they are in turn attacked by a squadron of torpedo-carrying aircraft and shelled by coastal batteries. Sauro and Manin are sunk by the attack. The other 3 are badly damaged and sink or are scuttled within the next 2 days.

The Italian steamers Giuseppe Mazzini (7669t) and Urania (7099t) are sunk by British bombing near Dalac Island.

United States, Politics

Roosevelt orders the transfer of 10 coastguard cutters to the Royal Navy. These are very useful vessels for escort work, having a long range and good seakeeping qualities. They will be in RN service by June.