Air Operations, Mediterranean

German and Italian aircraft bomb the air and naval bases on Malta. Since the first heavy German attack on the Illustrious on January 16, the British fighters on Malta have shot down 62 German aircraft and 15 Italian. The British have lost 32 Hurricanes in air combat and about the same number destroyed on the ground.

Axis Diplomacy

A German delegation arrives in Baghdad to arrange for a formal request from the Rashid Ali government for German troop intervention in Iraq. The situation in Baghdad is far from stable, however, and the forthcoming invasion of Crete, with its large manpower commitment, will preclude any immediate direct involvement in Iraq.

Battle of the Atlantic

The Norwegian steamer Karlander is badly damaged by German bombing northwest of Ireland. The entire crew are rescued and the ship is sunk by an escort vessel a little later in the day.

German Raiders

The German raider Atlantis sinks the British steamer Rabaul (6809t) in the South Atlantic with the loss of 9 of her crew. 1 crewman is taken prisoner, 46 others are rescued.

Iraq and Syria

The British government announces that German planes are arriving in Syria and using Syrian bases to move on to Iraq. The RAF, therefore, bombs Palmyra and Damascus airfields. These attacks continue over the next few days.

Italian East Africa

The South African force advancing north from Addis Ababa has now joined the Amba Alagi battle and moves to attack the Italian Triangle position. The attacks are held during the day but the Italians retire at night. Italian morale is now very low, largely because of the fierce and undisciplined conduct of some of the Ethiopian guerilla forces supporting the Allies.

Foreign Born Jews to be Deported

The deportation of foreign born Jewish men in occupied Paris was carried on 14 May 1941. Summons were sent to Czech, Austrian, and Polish Jews. They were instructed by the French prefecture of police to come to specific locations in the capital in order to have their papers examined. Approximately 5000 foreign born Jewish men between the ages of 18 and 40 reported to the various assembly points. Once arrived, they were forbidden to leave. The detainees were put on buses and driven to the Gare d'Austerlitz train station and immediately boarded onto four special trains bound for the internment camps of Beaune-la-Rolande and Pithiviers in the Loiret near Orleans.

Occupied France

1,500 Jews are arrested by the Gestapo in Paris.

Rounding Up Foreign Jews

Round up and deportation of Jews of foreign nationality from Paris, France In 1939, Paris was home to about 200,000 Jews, many of whom were East European Jews who had earlier immigrated to France or refugees who came in the wake of Hitler’s rise to power. The first major roundup of Parisian Jews of foreign nationality took place on May 14, 1941, when the French police arrested 3,747 Jews. They were interned in Pithiviers and Beaune-la-Rolande. Ultimately about 50,000 Parisian Jews perished during the Holocaust.

Pacific

The New Zealand auxiliary minesweeping trawler Puriri (927t) sinks on a mine off Aukland. The New Zealand light cruiser Achilles rescues the survivors.

Singapore

Large British Army, Navy and Air Force reinforcements arrive in Singapore.