Air Operations, Europe

90 German aircraft raid Athens. A small force of Hurricanes shoot down 15. Squadron Leader Pattle, the RAF's top-scoring fighter pilot with 41 victories, is killed.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-73 sinks the British steamer Empire Endurance (8570t) southwest of Rockall with the loss of 65 on board. 2 motor launches are also lost with the ship. 29 survivors are picked up by the British passenger ship Highland Brigade and the Canadian corvette Trillium.

Diplomatic Relations

The US and Canada agree on joint production of war materials for Britain.

Greece

The Greek forces in Epirus that have been fighting in the Albanian campaign are forced to surrender to the SS Adolf Hitler Div. Those fighting in Macedonia also capitulate.

Hammered by Stukas, the British retire on Nauplia, Kalamata and Monemvasia, the points fixed for their re-embarkation. The rearguard holds firm at Thermopylae which they hold until the 24th.

India, Home Front

Nearly 400 casualties occur during rioting over the past couple of days between Sikhs and Moslems at Ahmedabad, Bombay.

Mediterranean

• Tripoli is bombarded. The British battleships Warspite, Valiant, Barham and the cruiser Gloucester fire 350 tons of shells, damaging 7 ships and setting fire to oil installations. Valiant is damaged by a mine while returning to Alexandria.
• The Greek destroyer Psara is sunk by an Italian air attack off Megara.
• German air attacks sink the Greek steamer Assimina Baika (1344t) at Politika, north of Chalkis, and the Greek steamer Ithaki (675t) in Suda Bay.

North Africa

A strong British commando force tries to land at Bardia in an effort to bring relief to the defenders of Tobruk, but is driven off by the German-Italian forces. Rommel decides not to attack Tobruk again until he can use the 15th Pzr Div, which is on its way from Italy.

The commander-in-chief of the British forces, Gen Sir Archibald Wavell, asks Churchill for tank reinforcements to deal with the situation in Libya.