May 1941

Air Operations, Europe

Among the targets for Bomber Command this month are Brest, Hamburg, Bremen and Cologne. Bomber Command is now able to send over 350 sorties on selected nights. In the month's operations 2690 sorties are flown, 2840 tons of bombs are dropped and 76 aircraft are lost.

Battle of the Atlantic

A new Newfoundland Escort Force, largely provided by the Canadian Navy, is established and after HX-126 and OB-318 have lost heavily in mid-ocean, a continuous escort is provided for eastbound convoys from Halifax. This begins with HX-129 which sets out on 27 May. The escort is provided in stages from Canada, Iceland and finally from Britain. Obviously these new requirements increase the strain on the escort forces and call for very careful organization so that, for example, destroyers with a comparatively limited margin of endurance are not kept waiting at a rendezvous for a convoy which has been delayed by bad weather or attack.

The Allies lose 58 ships of 325,500 tons to the U-boats during May, more that half of which fall to a six-strong group operating in the weakly protected waters off Freetown. During this operation U-107 sinks 14 ships in one patrol - a record total for the whole war. The total Allied shipping loss is 139 ships. (Allied Ships Lost to U-boats)

The Blitz

In the first week there are several heavy attacks on Liverpool in which 18 vessels are sunk in the harbor and 25 badly damaged. The port installations are reduced to 75 percent of their normal handling capacity. Belfast and the Clyde ports are also attacked. The raid on London on the night of the 10th of May is the last major attack for 3 years. The Houses of Parliament are damaged in this attack, the heaviest made on a British city in the whole campaign. On the night of the 30th of May Dublin is bombed in error by the Luftwaffe.

Europe, Resistance

The first 3 British Special Operations Executive (SOE) agents to become active are parachuted into France.

Secret War

Partly because of captures made during the month, the British code-breaking service begins to be able to decipher German naval messages regularly and promptly. This is not a continuous process, however. The code is altered daily and major changes are made every month. The keys to these changes are given only a limited issue and thus a U-boat setting out for a planned 6-week cruise would only be given the machine settings for a little more than this period. Captures are, therefore, of very limited value as well as being very difficult to achieve.

Thursday, May 1st

Air Operations, Mediterranean

Axis aircraft raid Valetta.

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Battle of the Atlantic

U-552 sinks the British steamer Nerissa (5583t) southeas of Rockall with the loss of 207 passengers and crew. 83 survivors are rescued by the British destroyer Veteran.
U-103 sinks the British steamer Samso (1494t) southwest of Freetown with the loss of 1 crewman. 19 survivors in lifeboats make it to French Guinea.
The British ocean boarding vessel Cacina captures the Italian tanker Sangro (6466t), which departed Teneriffe on 21 April for France. The vessel turns the tanker over to British ocean boarding vessel Camito for the voyage to Gibraltar. U-97 sinks the Camito (6833t) and the tanker on the 6th. Camito's prize crew on Sangro and all but 4 of Sangro's crew are lost. Only 2 of Camito's ship's company are lost. The rest are picked up by the British corvette Orchis.

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Britain, Home Front

Lord Brabazon is appointed Minister of Aircraft Production. The Ministry of War Transport is established combining the former ministries of Shipping and Transport.

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Greece

The Germans have failed in their intention of wiping out the entire British expeditionary force, but they do now occupy the whole Aegean coastline.

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The Blitz

Liverpool and Merseyside are hit in the first of seven consecutive night raids. (See May 7 for summary).

County Road Walton During the Blitz

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Iraq

British troops occupy Basra and several of the oil fields of Iraq. Fighting begins when Iraqi soldiers make a small attack on the British outpost at Rutba, west of Baghdad, about 125 miles from the Transjordan border. The pro-Axis government demands the withdrawal of all British troops and requests German military aid.

Iraqi forces are also established in positions around the Habbaniya airfield. The British use antiquated training planes and World War I artillery pieces to attack the Iraqis encircling them. This action allows the evacuation of women and children. The Iraqi forces amount to about 4 divisions in total, 2 of which are in the Baghdad area.

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Italian East Africa

The British increase the pressure on the Italian defenses under Amadeus, Duke of Aosta, in the Amba Alagi sector.

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Mediterranean

The German steamer Larissa (1819t) sinks on a mine in the Gulf of Volos.
The Italian steamer Serdica (1533t) is sunk by British bombing at Benghazi.

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North Africa

Rommel's attack on Tobruk continues. In an attempt to widen and deepen the gap, he continuously sends fresh troops into the front line, but the Australian forces fight fiercely and largely contain the attacks.

Rommel Near Tobruk

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Friday, May 2nd

Air Operations, Europe

The R.A.F. bombs Hamburg.

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Battle of the Atlantic

U-201 sinks the British tanker Capulet (8190t) which was torpedoed and abandoned on 28 April.

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The Blitz

Liverpool and Merseyside are hit in the second of seven consecutive night raids. (See May 7 for summary).

Houses Destroyed during the Blitz

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Germany, Home Front

The 'Oldenburg Plan' is introduced. The German Economic Staff formed to plan large-scale economic exploitation of conquered Russian territories reports: '...many millions of people will starve to death in Russia if we take out of the country the things necessary for us.'

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Sound Detector to Direct Anti-Aircraft Fire

Greece

The Allied evacuation is completed.

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Iraq

The British airfield at Habbaniyah is attacked by considerable Iraqi ground forces. The British have about 80 obsolescent aircraft at Habbaniyah, many of them training types. Despite their age and unsuitability they are immediately employed against the Iraqi forces with considerable success. The British are, therefore, encouraged to hold Habbaniyah although their ground force there is very small.

There are also some skirmishes at several points near the Persian Gulf, especially at Basra where there are riots and some shooting in opposition to further British landings.

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Captured Italian Equipment

Mediterranean

The British destroyer Jersey hits a mine and sinks at the entrance to Valletta Harbor, Malta. 35 of the crew are killed, 48 are wounded.
The British steamer Parracombe (4702t) carrying 21 Hurricanes and other stores bound for Malta in Convoy OG-59 sinks on a mine northeast of Cape Bon. 18 of her crew are interned at Bizerte.
The British ocean boarding vessel Hilary intercepts the Italian tanker Recco (5595t) in the middle of the Atlantic west of Portugal. The ship scuttles herself to avoid capture.

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North Africa

The fighting at Tobruk continues with little change in the positions on either side.

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Saturday, May 3rd

Battle of the Atlantic

U-103 sinks the British steamer Wray Castle (4253t) 110 miles south-southwest of Freetown with the loss of 1 crewman. 56 survivors are picked up by the Portuguese steamer Angola.
U-95 sinks the Norwegian steamer Taranger 150 miles southwest of Reykjavik with the loss of 1 of her crew. 32 survivors are picked up by the British corvette Begonia.
In a German bombing attack on Liverpool the Norwegian steamer Bra-Kar (3778t) is sunk along with several smaller ships. The British steamer Malakind (7649t) in port was loaded with ammunition. A partially deflated barrage balloon falls on deck and catches fire. The ship is abandoned shortly after midnight. It blows up about 0730 on the 4th. Several ships are lost in the explosion including the British steamer Elstree Grange (6598t), the British steamer Domino (1453t), the British steamer Europa (10,224t), and the British steamer Tacoma Star (7924t).
The Norwegian steamer Sitona (1143t) is badly damaged in a German air attack north of Norwich. The entire crew is rescued. The ship sinks on the 4th. The Norwegian steamer Trajan (1347t) is sunk in the same attack. Her entire crew is also rescued.

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The Blitz

Liverpool and Merseyside are hit in the third of seven consecutive night raids. (See May 7 for summary).

Castle Street at Cook Street

The Adelphi Hotel

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Greece

There is an imposing German-Italian parade in Athens to celebrate the Axis victory.

German Soldiers in a Greek Village

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Italian East Africa

The British forces begin attacks from the north against the Italian positions at Amba Alagi. This is the last important stand for the Italian forces. These positions guard passes in the road between Asmara and Addis Ababa. They are based on a number of steep and rugged hills and there are numerous caves. The position is very strong. The Italians repulse the initial two-pronged British attack.

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Mediterranean

In a British bombing attack at Tripoli the Italian steamer Birminia (5305t) is set on fire and then explodes. The Italian steamer Citta d'Bari (3339t) is lost in the explosion.
The Italian coastal steamer Giuseppe Orland (838t) is lost on a mine at Tripoli.

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Iraq

There are British attacks on the Iraqi positions around Habbaniyah and by air on the Iraqi Rashid airfield.

Damaged Artillery

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Secret War

Radio equipment recovered from 3 Heinkels shot down during the Liverpool raid enables the R.A.F. to jam the new Y-Gerät blind-bombing system.

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Sunday, May 4th

Battle of the Atlantic

U-38 sinks the Swedish steamer Japan (5230t) from dispersed convoy OB-310 about 250 miles northwest of Freetown. All 54 crew members make it to French Guinea where they are interned by Vichy French authorities.

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The Blitz

Liverpool and Merseyside are hit in the fourth of seven consecutive night raids. (See May 7 for summary). Also a target this night is Belfast. 200 bombers drop 235 tons of high explosives and 96,000 incendiaries. Targets include the docks, the shipyards and the city center. Transport facilities and utilities suffer heavy damage resulting in disruptions in service. About 150 people are killed with about the same number injured. Industry and work in the docks is affected but production is restored in a short time.

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Britain, Home Front

Robert Menzies, the Australian Prime Minister, just before he leaves Britain for Australia, praises Britain's women: 'I confess myself an enthusiast about the superb women of Great Britain. In some of the great industrial cities where many hundreds of bombs have fallen, where thousands of houses had been wiped out, where vast community funerals had been held and human anguish must have been supportable only because it was so widely shared, the quickest recognition and the brightest smiles were seen on the faces of toil-worn middle-aged women; faces transformed from homeliness to a sort of radiant beauty by sheer courage. I thank God for such people.'

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Germany, Home Front

In a speech at the Reichstag Hitler claims that the entire Balkan campaign has cost the German only 5,500 casualties and by withdrawing troops from North Africa to Greece, Churchill has made the 'biggest strategic mistake in history'. He also says, 'In this Jewish-capitalist age, the National Socialist state stands out as a solid monument to common sense. It will survive for 1,000 years.'

Speech at Reichstag

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Iraq

The main events are again British air operations. An airfield at Mosul which is being used by a small German force is one R.A.F. target. The German force is receiving supplies from and via Syria with the cooperation of the Vichy authorities.

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Italian East Africa

The Italian forces around Amba Alagi are driven off 3 hills in the west of their position by attacks from the 29th Indian Brigade.

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North Africa

Rommel halts his attack on Tobruk. The Germans will continue to hold the enclave in the perimeter that they have just won but will not be able to extend in at any time later in the siege. For both sides life at Tobruk settles down into a style not unlike the trench warfare of World War I. The ground is very hard, however, and this makes digging particularly difficuly so that trenches are often shallow at first. This means that their occupants must stay virtually motionless throughout the burning heat of the day. Neither side is well placed with regard to supplies or other personal comforts. Both sides soon adopt a policy of offensive night patrolling which means that there can be no relaxation.

Following this second failure to take Tobruk the Axis commanders consider a plan for reinforcing their forces in North Africa. The plan is to form an army of three corps, 2 Italian and 1 German, with 5 armored divisions, 7 motorized divisions and 4 non-motorized 'occupation' divisions. For the Italians alone this project would require the transportation to Africa of 100,000 ment, 14,000 trucks and 850 guns. This plan, however, is never put in place and the Axis forces in North Africa never achieve any of the numbers suggested in the plan.

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Monday, May 5th

Battle of the Atlantic

U-38 sinks the British steamer Queen Maud (4976t) about 200 miles west of Freetown with the loss of 1 crewman. 43 survivors are picked up by the Portuguese steamer Mirandella.
The British steamer Fair Head (1719t) is sunk by German bombing at Belfast with the loss of 2 of her crew.

Bismarck Inspection

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The Blitz

Liverpool and Merseyside are hit in the fifth of seven consecutive night raids. (See May 7 for summary). Clydeside is also a target as 280 planes drop 350 tons of high explosives and 47,000 incendiaries in a three and one half hour raid. There is damage at Yoker, in Rothesay Docks and in John Brown's Shipyard at Clydebank.

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Iraq

Iraqi troops abandon the heights around Habbinayah.

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Crete

Gen Freyberg is appointed C-in-C Allied forces in Crete. He tells Churchill that he thinks it possible to repulse an attempted invasion of the island by sea or by paratroopers provided he receives enough artillery, tanks, trucks and fighter aircraft. The R.A.F., after their heavy losses in Greece, are unwilling to set up permanent bases in Crete; they will provide their support from airfields in North Africa. The Royal Navy, running the gauntlet of Luftwaffe attacks, succeeds in transporting to the island 16 light tanks and 6 armored cars. Everyone is fully alive to the strategic importance of Crete, 600 miles from Alexandria and only a little more that 200 miles from Tobruk. The British fear is for North Africa, the German for the threat to the oil wells in Ploesti by British aircraft based on Crete.

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Italian East Africa

On the fifth anniversary of the Italian occupation, Emperor Haile Selassie triumphantly returns to his capital, Addis Ababa. In the battles at Amba Alagi the Italian Middle Hill position is taken.

Emperor Haile Selassie Back in Addis Ababa

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Mediterranean

The British steamer Empire Song (9228t) of Operation TIGER is lost on a mine in the Narrows off Malta with the loss of 18 of her crew. Her survivors are rescued by the British destroyer Foresight.
The British submarine Taku sinks the Italian steamer Cagiliari (2322t) in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

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North Africa

During the night supplies are brought to the besieged garrison in Tobruk by destroyer for the first time. From now until the end of the siege 2 destroyers will be used on such missions on most nights and at about weekly intervals reinforcements will be brought in and the wounded evacuated. This operation is nicknamed the 'Tobruk Ferry'.

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Secret War

Tokyo advises the Japanese ambassador in Washington that it appears that the United States Government is reading their coded messages. This information is correct, but subsequent investigations in Tokyo and Washington led the Japanese to believe that their Purple diplomatic code was not compromised. No effort is made to change it. The source of Tokyo's concern was probably the German ambassador in Washington who had been confronted by the Russian ambassador who was given knowledge of the impending German attack on the Soviet Union. This information was probably passed on by US Under Secretary of State Sumner Welles who had access to the 'Magic' intercepts of the Purple code and was anxious to cause damage to Soviet-German relations.

For the first time for many months the British try to run a convoy through the Mediterranean from Gibraltar to Egypt. Churchill is the driving force behind this decision and has ordered the operation because he wishes the supplies and tanks carried in the ships to form the basis of an offensive in the desert as soon as possible.

The operation is code named TIGER. There are 5 transports. On this day they pass Gibraltar and are joined by 1 battleship, a carrier from Force H and another battleship which is to go on to join the Mediterranean Fleet. With these heavy units are 4 cruisers and 7 destroyers. 6 more destroyers join the convoy from Gibraltar later in the day. Also this day 2 convoys leave Alexandria for Malta with an escort of 5 cruisers and 3 destroyers.

British Mediterranean Operations

To support this operation Cunningham takes the whole of the Mediterranean Fleet out with 3 battleships, his single carrier, 3 cruisers and 19 destroyers.

The British submarine Truant sinks the Italian steamer Bengasi (1716t) 3 miles southeast of Cavoli.

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Soviet Union, Politics

The Praesidium of the Supreme Soviet nominates Stalin President of the Council of People's Commissars. Previously Stalin had been content to hold only the office of General Secretary of the Communist Party.
The Soviet military attaché in Berlin, Captain Voronstov, advises Moscow: '... according to a statement of a certain German officer from Hitler's headquarters, Germany is preparing to invade the USSR on 14 May through Finland, the Baltic countries and Latvia. At the same time Moscow and Leningrad will be heavily raided and paratroopers landed in border cities....'

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United States, Policy

Secretary of War Stimson proposes the use of US Navy ships to protect British-bound convoys.

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Wednesday, May 7th

Battle of the Atlantic

In a special operation mounted for the purpose, the German trawler München, a weather ship, is captured northeast of Iceland. A boarding party from the British destroyer Somali find an intact German naval Enigma coding machine and cipher book. The cryptographic equipment proves useful in breaking the German naval code through Ultra interepts.
During the night the British destroyer Hurricane is sunk in a German air attack in the shallow waters off Liverpool. The destroyer is salvaged and returned to service January 1942.
In an attack on Convoy OB-319 U-94 sinks the British steamer Ixion (10,263t) and the Norwegian steamer Eastern Star 200 miles southwest of Reykjavik. All 105 crew of the Ixion are rescued by the British corvette Marigold and the entire crew of 40 from the Eastern Star are picked up by the British anti-submarine trawler Daneman.

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The Blitz

The Humber area suffers a major night bombing raid. This is the first of 2 consecutive night raids on Hull. In the 2-hour attack 110 tons of high explosives and about 10,000 incendiaries are dropped. 40,000 people are left homeless. Food supplies and marine engineering works are also hit.

Liverpool and Merseyside are hit for the seventh night in a row. During the week 860 tons of high explosives and 106,000 incendiaries are dropped. During the first two nights there is not only damage to industry, utilities and transport services but also to private and commercial property. Several public shelters are hit on the second night causing many casualties. The third night is the heaviest with almost 300 aircraft hitting Liverpool. There is heavy damage in the docks area. A big disaster occurs at Hudkisson No. 2 where the SS Malakand was moored carrying 1,000 tons of ammo blows up. The dock area is devastated. After the raids half of the 144 shipping berths are unusable and the ability to handle cargo is reduced by three-fourths. 57 vessels of various sizes are sunk or destroyed. On land railways are shattered and roads blocked. During the week 1,900 are killed, 1,450 are seriously injured and 70,000 people are left homeless as about 66,000 houses are destroyed. The Germans do lose 38 bombers during the week mostly to Beaufighters and Defiants.

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German Raiders

The British tanker British Emperor (3663t) is sunk by the German raider Pinguin in the Indian Ocean with the loss of 45 of the crew.

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Field Marshal List Reviews the Troops

Britain, Home Front

Churchill wins a Parliamentary vote of confidence by 447 votes to 3. 2 Labor members and a Communist oppose him.

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Iraq

Gen Edward P. Quinan takes command of the British forces in Iraq.

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Mediterranean

During the night part of Cunningham's force shells the harbor at Benghazi, sinking 2 ships.
The Italian submarine Tazzoli sinks the Norwegian steamer Ferlane (4310t) west of French Guinea. The entire crew are rescued.
The British minesweeper Stoke is sunk by German bombing at Tobruk with the loss of 21 of her crew. The British gunboat Ladybird rescues the survivors.
The Greek steamer Katina P. (1216t) is sunk in a German air attack at Astakos.
The Italian steamer Pascoli (2939t) sinks on a mine off Saseno.

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North Africa

On the Tobruk front there are exchanges of artillery fire, and the British positions are bombed.

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Thursday, May 8th

Air Operations, Europe

British bombers carry out a major raid on Hamburg. Bremen is also hit.

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Battle of the Atlantic

U-97 sinks the British steamer Ramillies (4553t) southeast of Cape Farewell with the loss of 29 of her crew. 12 survivors are picked up by the British steamer Geddington Court.
In German air raids on Liverpool, the British steamer Marton (4969t) and the British steamer Trentino (3079t) are sunk. No crew is aboard the Marton at the time and the entire crew of the Trentino are rescued.

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The Blitz

British radio counter-measures and decoy fires (code-named 'Starfish') foil an attempted night raid on the Rolls-Royce works at Derby. The German guidance beams or X-Gerät are successfully jammed. Many bombs are wasted on the Peak District, Nottingham and the agricultural Vale of Belvoir. Waddington airfield and village in Lincolnshire are bombed. 200 explosives and hundreds of incendiaries cause considerable damage at Leenside and the city center. In the raid at total of 135 high explosives and 7,000 incendiaries are dropped. 430 people are killed. About 50 people die when bombs make 2 direct hits on air raid shelters below Cooperative Society's Bakery in Meadow Lane. Moot Hall and Lace Market are among buildings hit. 2 churches including St Christopher's are destroyed. Hundreds become homeless as 350 houses are destroyed.

Air Victory for 255 Squadron

Fire in Hull

Hull is hit in a raid for the second night in a row. 120 aircraft drop 167 tons of high explosives and 20,000 incendiaries. There is great devastation especially to riverside buildings. Some of the great grain warehouses are destroyed. Many buildings in the city center are destroyed as a result of the numerous fires. 30,000 houses are destroyed leaving thousands homeless. Over the 2 nights 450 people are killed and a little less than that are injured.

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German Raiders

The British heavy cruiser Cornwall finds and sinks the German raider Pinguin near the Seychelles. The Pinguin has sunk 28 ships of 136,550 tons during its cruise. The cruiser rescues 60 of her crew and 22 prisoners, 10 from Clan Buchanan, 1 from Empire Light, and 11 from British Emperor. 341 of the crew are lost along with 200 prisoners, including 97 from Clan Buchanan.

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Indian Ocean

The first of the German raiders, converted merchantmen, is sunk. Pinquin is caught by the British cruiser Cornwall whose 8-inch shells explode 130 mines being carried by the raider. Capt Ernst Felix Krüder and 342 crew along with 200 Allied prisoners from captured ships go down with the ship.

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Iraq

German planes arrive at the airfield at Mosul in Iraq to being operations against the British. About 50 fighters are based here.

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Italian East Africa

The Amba Alagi fighting continues. The Indian forces take the Falagi Pass and 3 small peaks south of Amba Alagi itself.

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Mediterranean

There are air attacks on the eastward and westward bound convoys of Operation TIGER. The carrier with each convoy engages the attacking Italian planes.

The TIGER Convoy
The British submarine Truant intercepts the French steamer Gallium (1775t) en route from Bône to Sete and escorts her toward Gibraltar.

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North Africa

There is a strong offensive thrust by the British in an effort to reduce the pressure on Tobruk.

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Friday, May 9th

Air Operations, Europe

British bombers carry out a heavy raid on Bremen.

In a reprisal for the Hamburg raid the Germans attempt to hit the Rolls-Royce aircraft engine factory in the East Midlands. Radio Berlin reports extensive damage but the truth is that just a few farm animals are killed in the bombardment.

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Air Operations, North Africa

There is a British air raid on Derna.

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Battle of the Atlantic

U-boat Capture

In an attack on Convoy OB-318 U-110 sinks the British steamers Esmond (4976t) and Bengore Head (2609t) east of Cape Farewell. All 50 of the crew of the Esmond are rescued. 1 crewman is lost on the Bengore Head, 40 survivors are picked up by the Norwegian steamer Borgfred and the British corvette Aubretia. After sinking 2 ships from the convoy, U-110 under the command of Lt-Cdr Fritz Julius Lemp is forced to surface by a depth-charge attack from the British corvette Aubretia and destroyers Bulldog, Broadway and Amazon. She is then boarded and captured. Code books and an Enigma cipher machine are recovered. As well as providing useful information for general code breaking work, in this case the books are of considerable use in the imminent operations involving the Bismarck and her supply ships. The Bulldog takes the submarine in tow. The commanding officer and 14 of the crew are lost in the incident. 32 of the crew are rescued. U-110 sinks on 11 May.
U-201 sinks the British steamer Gregalia (5802t) from the same convoy east-northeast of Cape Farewell. Her crew of 66 are picked up by the British anti-submarine trawler Daneman.
The British mine destructor ship Queenworth (3010t) is sunk by German bombing east of Outer Dowsing Light Buoy. No crew are lost.
The French steamer Criton (4564t) is seized by the British armed merchant cruiser Cilicia off Freetown.
The Italian submarine Tazzoli sinks the Norwegian tanker Alfred Olsen (8817t) west of Freetown. The entire crew are rescued.

U-103 sinks the British steamer City of Winchester (7120t) about 400 miles south-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands with the loss of 6 of her crew. 96 survivors are picked up by the Norwegian steamer Herma.

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Italian East Africa

British pressure increases in all sectors of the Amba Alagi front.

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Mediterranean

1 of the TIGER transports sinks on a mine. Force H begins to return to Gibraltar.

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North Africa

The situation around Tobruk remains unchanged as the two sides exchange artillery fire.

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Saturday, May 10th

Air Operations, Europe

The R.A.F. make a heavy raid on Hamburg losing 5 aircraft in the operation.

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Axis Diplomacy

Adm Darlan, Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister for External and Internal Affairs meets Hitler at Berchtesgaden to discuss economic and military matters. In exchange for some formal concessions on the part of the Germans, he offers Hitler bases for the German army in Syria.
Rudolf Hess, the deputy leader of the Nazi Party and second in line to Göring as heir to Hitler, flies to Britain on a bizarre peace mission. Leaving from Augsburg, he drops by parachute from his damaged Me-110 at Eaglesham in Lanarkshire near Glasgow. This is not far from Dungavel House, home of the Duke of Hamilton whom he hopes to contact having met the Duke at the 1936 Olympics. He believes that there is a considerable body of British opinion that is opposed to Churchill but is also anti-Communist and therefore prepared to consider making common ground on these terms with Germany. He is captured by the Home Guard and asks to be taken to the Duke. He tells him who he is, and that he is the bearer of a peace plan. Britain, he maintains, will never be able to win a struggle with Germany, and it is desirable and necessary to find some form of agreement between the two countries to bring the conflict to an end. Churchill is not interested in any such discussions, and in any case Hess is speaking purely for himself.
He is immediately disowned by the German authorities (he has left a note explaining himself to Hitler). The official Nazi announcement says that Hess is suffering from 'a mental disorder'. Hess is therefore imprisoned, first in Buchanan Castle, later in the Tower of London, finally in a villa at Abergavenny in South Wales. On 10 October 1945 he is to be taken to Nuremberg to be tried with the other Nazi criminals by the Allies.

Naturally the flight of Hitler's chosen deputy causes a world sensation and is taken as an indication of serious dissensions in the Nazi ranks. The prompt reaction by the Germans to this incident detracts from the propaganda value that the episode might have had for the British.

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Battle of the Atlantic

U-556 attacks the dispersed Convoy OB-318. She sinks the British steamer Empire Caribou (4861t) 465 miles southwest of Reykjanes and the Belgian steamer Gand (5086t) 210 miles southeast of Cape Farewell. 34 crewmen are lost from the British ship, 11 survivors are picked up by the British destroyer Malcolm. 1 crewman is lost on the Belgian ship, 43 survivors are rescued.
The British ocean boarding vessel Hilary captures the Italian tanker Gianna M. (5719t) 325 miles north of the Azores. The tanker is escorted to join Convoy HG-61 and arrives at Belfast on the 20th. The tanker is renamed Empire Control for British service.

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The Blitz

London is hit by another very heavy raid by the Germans. 507 bomber sorties drop 795 tons of bombs starting 2,200 fires from Hammersmith to Romford. Hundreds of streets are blocked and rail traffic is virtually halted. Among the damaged buildings are the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the British Museum, the War Office, the London Museum, the Royal Mint, the Law Courts, the Public Records Office, Mansion House, St James Palace and the Tower of London. Many churches and 14 hospitals are hit. 2,154 fires are started. 5,000 houses are destroyed leaving 12,000 homeless. Casualties are 1,436 killed and 1,792 injured. The Germans lose 8 aircraft. This turns out to be the last raid on London until July 27.

Salvation Army Headquarters Collapses

Heavy Casualties on London's Last Night

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Germany, Home Front

An experimental jet-powered fighter plane, the Me-163, is flown at 621 miles per hour. Work on this jet and the Me-262 is never accelerated despite the revolutionary qualities of the aircraft and the tremendous advantages the Luftwaffe would have enjoyed in defending Germany's cities and production facilities against Allied bombers in the years ahead.

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Iraq

British-led forces from the Jordanian Arab Legion take Rutba. A stronger detachment, Habforce, is being prepared for a move to Rutba. Part of this force, to be known as Kingcol, will them move on to relieve Habbaniyah.

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Italian East Africa

The Gumsa position is taken by British forces.

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Mediterranean

During the night Benghazi is again shelled.

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Sunday, May 11th

Air Operations, Europe

There are heavy R.A.F. night attacks on Hamburg and Bremen.

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Balkans

The Germans complete their occupation of the Aegean Islands.

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Battle of the Atlantic

U-110, commanded by Fritz Julius Lemp, sinks from the depth charge damage received on 9 May while on the way to Iceland. Throughout the war the Germans do not discover that U-110 has been captured. (It should be noted that the code details captured do not include the main code which will be used by the Bismarck. None of the Bismarck's messages will be successfully decoded by the British at the time.)
U-103 sinks the British steamer City of Shanghai (5828t) west of Freetown with the loss of 6 crewmen. 67 survivors are picked up by the Dutch steamer Stad Arnhem, the British steamer Richmond Castle and the Argentinian steamer Josefina S..
The British steamer Somerset (8790t) is sunk by German bombing west of Ireland. The entire crew is rescued.

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United States, Home Front

Former President Herbert Hoover says only by staying out of the war can the US aid Britain. He also says that America is unprepared even for an adequate defense and that the American people are not united. He predicts that an invasion of Europe will require 5 million US soldiers.

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Monday, May 12th

Battle of the Atlantic

The British steamer Richard de Larringa (5358t) is sunk by German bombing north of 20R Buoy, Tyne.

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Britain, Home Front

Charles Henry George Howard, Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire, a volunteer bomb-disposal officer, is killed attempting to defuse a delayed-action bomb in London.

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Diplomatic Relations

Japan proposes a general settlement of all its disputes with the US Ambassador Nomura says the proposals will lead to a 'just peace in the Pacific'.

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Iraq

German aircraft are reported to be present and operating out of Iraqi and Syrian bases.

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Mediterranean

All the ships in Operation TIGER have reached their destinations. The operation has brought 238 tanks and 43 Hurricanes to Egypt for the loss of 57 tanks.
The British submarine Undaunted, which left Malta 1 March, is lost due to unknown causes off Tripoli. The crew of 32 are lost with the submarine.
The British gunboat Ladybird is sunk at Tobruk by Italian aircraft with the loss of 4 of her crew. 14 of her crew are wounded.

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 16 January, 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Pacific

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

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Singapore

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

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Occupied France

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

Rounding Up Foreign Jews

Foreign Born Jews to be Deported

In preparation for the major offensive which the tanks from the Tiger convoy (see May 6-12) will allow, Wavell begins an operation code named Brevity. This will be the first British offensive against the Afrika Korps. It is designed to capture Halfaya Pass and gain ground leading to the more open areas of the Cyrenaica Plateau. Churchill's habit of describing the recently arrived tanks as 'Tiger Cubs' indicates the importance which he attaches to the coming offensive and foreshadows the rigor with which he will punish failure. The information which has been received from the interception of German signals, especially from the recent reports of Gen Friedrich von Paulus on the situation in Africa, has convinced Churchill that the German forces are weak and overextended.

Brig-Gen W.H.E. Gott commands the Brevity operation. His plan calls for mixed columns to advance to Halfaya Pass and Fort Capuzzo and for a tank force to move to Sidi Aziz. On the first day the forces on the coast reach and capture Halfaya, but the 22nd Guards Bde is held up in heavy fighting at Capuzzo. The tank force on the left makes good ground initially.

Convinced that he is faced with an attack on a large scale, Rommel launches an immediate counterattack, carried out by 3 armored regiments, the 2nd, 5th and 8th, and the 54th Inf Regt.

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United States, Home Front

Roosevelt orders the US Coast Guard board every French merchant ship in American ports including the liner Normandie placing them under US jurisdiction.

In a broadcast to the people of France, Roosevelt criticizes the Vichy government for its collaborationist policies toward Germany. 'The people of the United States can hardly believe that the present Government of France could be brought to lend itself to a plan of voluntary alliance, implied or otherwise, which would apparently deliver up France and its colonial empire, including French African colonies and their Atlantic coasts, with the menace which that involves to the peace and safety of the Western Hemisphere.'

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Yugoslavia, Politics

An independent Kingdom of Croatia, which also includes the Serbian provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is established with Italian backing. On 18 May the Duke of Spoleto is proclaimed king. He will never visit his kingdom.

The German counterattack is in full swing. The German armor is advancing on Fort Capuzzo and aims to get behind the British positions on Halfaya from the west. The British cannot withstand this counterattack and withdraw. In a short time Fort Capuzzo is back in German hands while the re-capture of Halfaya Pass is only a matter of days away. It only depends on how long it will take Col Cramer's 8th Regiment to surround the pass. The maneuver, however, is known to the English commanders and in fact Gen Gott orders the 3rd Coldstream Guards defending the pass to retreat.

The chief of the German general staff, Franz Halder, orders Rommel to leave the task of besieging Tobruk to the Italians and to concentrate his own troops on the operations round Sollum.

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Saturday, May 17th

Battle of the Atlantic

U-107 sinks the Dutch tanker Marisa (8029t) off the coast of west Africa with the loss of 2 of her crew. Some of the 47 survivors in 2 lifeboats are picked up by the British corvette Columbine and the British patrol yacht Surprise. A third lifeboat makes it to French Guinea.
The British steamer Statesman (7939t) is sunk by German bombing northwest of Ireland with the loss of 1 crewman.

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Crete

German preparations for the attack on the island are completed in Greece. The date for the operation fixed for 18 May is put off to the 20th. The air offensive continues.

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Diplomatic Relations

The USSR concludes its agreement with the Raschid Ali régime in Iraq.

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Iraq

Italian aircraft arrive to assist in Iraq's struggle against the British.

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Mediterranean

The British tanker Eleonora Maersk (10,694t) is sunk by German bombing in Suda Bay. 20 of the crew are lost, 7 are made prisoners of war and 17 are rescued. The Greek steamer Themoni (5719t) is also sunk in the German air attack.

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Sunday, May 18th

Battle of the Atlantic

The battleship Bismarck leaves Gdynia in company with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen for an Atlantic cruise under the command of Adm Günther Lütjens. The operation is called RHEINÜBUNG, 'RHINE CROSSING'. Captain aboard the Bismarck is Capt Ernst Lindemann, and of the Prinz Eugen, Capt Helmuth Brinkmann. The giant battleship, 50,900 tons fully laden, is armed with 8 380-mm guns and 19 152-mm guns and is capable of a speed of 20 knots. She is on her first mission. Laid down in 1936, launched in 1939 and ready for service in the first months of 1941, the Bismarck is the very best that German shipyards can produce, which is why the ship's movements are so carefully watched by the British Admiralty, both by air reconnaissance and by reports sent in by spies.

German Battleship Bismarck

The news that the ship is leaving the harbor of Gdynia at once puts the British authorities on the alert. Their first move is to intensify their aerial reconnaissance so as to keep the dreaded enemy ship under observation. Various German supply ships are already at sea.

U-107 sinks the British steamer Piako (8286t) 130 miles southwest of Freetown with the loss of 10 of her crew. 65 survivors are rescued by the British sloop Bridgewater.

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Iraq

After outflanking an Iraqi blocking force the British relieving group, Kingcol, reaches Habbaniyah airfield.

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Mediterranean

The British submarine Tetrarch sinks the Italian steamer Giovinezza (2362t) off Benghazi.

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Syria

Gen Dentz broadcasts, warning his troops in Vichy-controlled Syria to meet force with force. Airfields in Syria are bombed again by the RAF.

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Yugoslavia, Politics

A Croat delegation arrives in Rome to offer the crown to the Duke of Spoleto. He is proclaimed King Tomislav II of Croatia. He will relinquish his throne in 1943.

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Monday, May 19th

Battle of the Atlantic

U-96 sinks the British steamer Empire Ridge (2922t) 90 miles west of Bloody Foreland with the loss of 31 of her crew. 2 survivors are picked up by the British destroyer Vanquisher.
The British steamer Winkfield (5279t) sinks on a mine southwest of the B4 Buoy in the Thames Estuary with the loss of 10 crewmen.

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Britain, Command

Prime Minister Churchill tells Sir John Dill, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, that the time has come for a change at the head of the British command in Africa. He intends to appoint Gen Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief in India, to replace Gen Wavell, but he agrees with Dill that this is not the best moment for such a step, since important operations are under way and others are about to be launched.

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Crete

The 6 British fighters left in Crete, having lost 29 to the Luftwaffe since the beginning of the month, are transferred to Egypt. It is felt that there is no point in sacrificing them in the light of the enemy's overwhelming superiority.

Germans Prepare to Invade Crete

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Italian East Africa

The formal surrender of the Italian forces at Amba Alagi takes place. The Allied forces have now killed or captured 230,000 of the Italian East Africa force. About 80,000 remain.

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Iraq

The British forces based at Habbaniyah airfield begin to operate more aggressively, attacking and capturing Fallujah. The British airfield is bombed by German planes.

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United States, Politics

The mayor of New York City, Fiorello La Guardia, is appointed head of the Office of Civilian Defense.

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Tuesday, May 20th

Air Operations, Mediterranean

German aircraft bomb the island of Malta hitting gun and searchlight positions and causing huge fires.

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Battle of the Atlantic

The Bismarck and Prince Eugen are reported in the Kattegat. The information reaches London with the cooperation of Intelligence officers of the Swedish navy.
In the South Atlantic the neutral Egyptian liner Zam-Zam is sunk by the German raider Atlantis. 140 US citizens are on board but none are killed.
The Italian submarine Otaria badly damages the British steamer Starcross (4662t), from Convoy SL-73, west of Ireland. The entire crew is rescued by the Canadian destroyer St Francis. The ship is scuttled by the convoy escort.
Several U-boats attack Convoy HX-126. U-94 sinks the British steamers Harpagus (5173t) and Norman Monarch (4718t) about 200 miles south-southeast of Cape Farewell. 58 of the crew are lost from the Hapargus, 40 are picked up by the British destroyer Burnham. The entire crew of the Norman Monarch are also picked up by the Burnham. Later U-94 sinks the Naval requisitioned Norwegian tanker John P. Pedersen (6128t) 160 miles south of Greenland with the loss of 22 of her crew. 16 survivors are picked up by the Dutch rescue ship Hontestroom.
U-556 sinks the British tanker British Security (8470t) and the British steamer Darlington Court (4974t) south of Cape Farewell. The entire crew of 53 from the tanker are lost. 28 of the crew of the Darlington Court are lost, 12 are picked up by the Dutch rescue ship Hontestroom.
U-111 sinks the British steamer Cockaponset (5995t) south-southeast of Cape Farewell. The entire crew of 41 are also picked up by the Hontestroom.
U-98 sinks the British steamer Rothermere (5356t) southeast of Cape Farewell with the loss of 22 of her crew. 34 survivors are picked up by the Icelandic steamer Bruarfoss.
U-109 sinks the British steamer Marconi (7402t) south-southeast of Cape Farewell with the loss of 22 crewmen. 56 survivors are picked up by the US Coast Guard patrol vessel General Greene.
U-103 sinks the Egyptian steamer Radames (3575t) west of Monrovia with the loss of 1 crewman.
U-138 sinks the British steamer Javanese Prince (8593t) 155 miles northwest of the Butt of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, with the loss of 1 of her crew. 58 survivors are picked up by the British destroyers Faulknor and Lincoln and the rescue tug Assurance.

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Bay of Biscay

4 Italian submarines arrive at Bordeaux from Massawa on the Red Sea which they had left in early March.

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Members of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS)

Crete

The German attack, Operation MERKUR, begins. 490 Ju-52 transports take off from several primitive strips near Athens. They tow 100 DFS gliders and land 6,000 paratroops and airborne infantry on and around Maleme airfield. There are airborne landings by forces of 7th Paratroop Div from Fliegerkorps XI. Gen Student is in command and has 5th Mountain Div in reserve. There is massive air support from Fliegerkorps VIII which has over 400 bombers and 200 fighters. Altogether the Germans employ about 23,000 troops. The garrison consists mostly of troops recently evacuated from Greece. There are strong Australian and New Zealand contingents among the 32,000 British and Empire troops and about 10,000 Greeks. All units are short of equipment and heavy weapons. Gen Freyberg is in command.

Heavy Casualties Suffered by German Paratroopers

Transport Glider in Crete

The attack begins at 5:30am with heavy air raids on the airfields ad Maleme and Haraklion. A second air attack occurs at 7:15am. The German object is to immobilize the British and in this they completely succeed. These are followed in the morning by airborne landings at Maleme and Canea.

In the afternoon there are further landings at Retimo and Heraklion. It is clear to both Allies and Germans that the battle for the island depends on control of the airfields and it is round these that the German attack concentrates. There is heavy fighting in all sectors, with the German forces suffering heavy losses. At Retimo and Heraklion the defending forces are successful in holding off the Germans and although fighting in these areas continues for several days it will not effect the outcome of the battle. The German forces near Canea are made to retreat inland but are not neutralized. At Maleme the fighting is very fierce and by the end of the day the airfield is virtually no man's land. The commander of the New Zealand battalion holding the airfield is slightly out of touch with the situation of his whole force, through no fault of his own, and decides to withdraw during the night. This comparatively minor move effectively decides the whole battle. The Germans recognize their lack of success in the other sectors and soon rush reinforcements in to the Maleme airfield.

The first convoys of German mountain troops and reinforcements leave the ports of Piraeus and Thessaloniki for Crete escorted by Italian destroyers. The first convoy suffers heavy losses, the second is forced to turn back, but others reach Milon on the evening of the 21st.

The British Mediterraniean Fleet is cruising off the island to prevent any German force arriving by sea.

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Mediterranean

The Italian destroyer escort Curatone sinks on a mine in the Gulf of Athens.
The Italian steamer Zeffiro (5165t) is sunk by a mine about 6 miles from Cape Bon in a new laid Italian minefield.

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Wednesday, May 21st

Battle of the Atlantic

British reconnaisance aircraft find the German ships Bismarck and Prinz Eugen near Bergen on the west coast of Norway. Their position is immediately reported to the Admiral commanding the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow. Later in the day, the Home Fleet mobilizes powerful forces; namely the 2 battleships King George V and the brand new Prince of Wales, the battlecruiser Hood, armed with 16-in guns, carrying the flag of Vice-Adm L. E. Holland, and Repulse, the aircraft carrier Victorious, the cruisers Norfolk and Suffolk, already patrolling the Denmark Strait, and 6 destroyers.
U-93 sinks the Dutch tanker Elusa (6235t) from Convoy HX-126 southeast of Greenland with the loss of 5 crewmen. 49 survivors make it to Reykjavik in lifeboats.
U-69 sinks the American steamer Robin Moor (4999t) and the British steamer Tewkesbury (4601t) about 700 miles off the west coast of Africa. The entire crew of 46 of the American ship are rescued a few days later in their lifeboats. The 42 survivors from the Tewkesbury are picked by the American steamers Exhibitor and Antinous.

The Robin Moor

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Crete

During the previous night ships of the Royal Navy are sighted off the north coast of Crete. At dawn aircraft of VIII Fliegerkorps go into the attack, sinking the British destroyer Juno and damaging the cruiser Ajax. 128 men are lost on the destroyer, 21 wounded and 15 others are picked up by the British destroyers Kandahar, Kingston and Nubian.

The Germans consolidate their hold on Maleme. Airborne troops storm Hill 107 overlooking the Maleme airfield. The first troops of the 5th Mountain Div are flown in. During the night the nearby New Zealand forces counterattack and although they have some success they do not penetrate to the airfield.

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Mediterranean

The carriers Ark Royal and Furious fly off a cargo of 48 Hurricanes to Malta. In the air fighting since January the Germans have lost 62 aircraft and the Italians 15. The British losses in the air have been 32 machines, as well as an equal number destroyed on the ground.
British 'Force D' consisting of 3 cruisers, and 4 destroyers, scatters the seaborne invasion fleet north of Crete. During the night they destroy 10 converted fishing boats.

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North Africa

There is an exchange of artillery fire on the Tobruk front, while German and Italian aircraft bomb gun positions and supply depots.

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The Bismarck in Norway

Occupied Norway

Reichsführer-SS Himmler attends the oath-taking ceremony of the Norwegian SS in Norway, where he addresses the assembled volunteers: 'The formation of the Norges SS is a new and important step forward for the Germanic community. The honor of its foundation will fall upon Norway.'

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Thursday, May 22nd

Air Operations, Mediterranean

The Luftwaffe launches a series of attacks on ships of the Royal Navy at Crete by bombers, fighter-bombers and Stukas. Bombs from the Stukas sink the cruiser Gloucester with a loss of 693 killed and the destroyer Greyhound. The cruiser Fiji is crippled and abandoned, the battleship Warspite is damaged along with 3 other ships.

British Cruiser Gloucester Under Attack

British Cruiser <i>Gloucester</i> Under Attack

Sinking of the Gloucester

During the night 3 British destroyers shell the airborne forces on Maleme airfield. The British destroyers Decoy and Hero evacuate King George of Greece and his staff from the island.

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Air Operations, North Africa

There are British air raids on Benghazi.

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Battle of the Atlantic

U-111 sinks the British steamer Barnby southwest of Iceland with the loss of 1 crewman. 44 survivors land at Reykjavik.
U-103 sinks the British tanker British Grenadier (6857t) southwest of Freetown. All 49 of the crew are picked up by the Portuguese steamer Ganda and the Spanish tanker Jose Calvo Sotelo.
The German steamer Ditmar Koel (5088t) sinks on a mine near Juist, East Frisian Islands.

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Crete

Ju-52s land reinforcements at Malema. There is little change in the Allied positions, but in the face of the growing strength and complete air superiority, Freyberg cancels a further counterattack during the night and orders a withdrawal instead. Also during the night, King George of Greece is evacuated from the island to Egypt.

Ju-52 Transport in Crete

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Germany, Preparations

Kesselring, CO Luftflotte 2, moves into his new HQ at Poznan, Poland. This signifies the completion of the large-scale transfer of German air forces from the West to the 'Russian Front'.

Italian East Africa

British pressure increases on the Italian defenders in the Galla Sidamo sector.

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Mediterranean

German convoys sailing for Crete with mountain troops and supplies are harassed by the Royal Navy.
The British destroyer Greyhound is sunk in a German air attack with the loss of 77 of her crew. Survivors are picked up by the British destroyers Kandahar and Kingston. German air attacks claime the British light cruiser Gloucester with the loss of 676 of her crew and the British light cruiser Fiji with the loss of 257 of her 780 man crew.

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Friday, May 23rd

Battle of the Atlantic

Around noon the German battleship Bismarck and her consort, Prinz Eugen, enter the Denmark Strait after rounding Iceland to the north. The minefields that the British have laid along the coast of Iceland, of which the Kriegsmarine is well aware, compel the 2 warships to pass well out to sea, right in the middle of the channel. The sky is unusually clear.

At 7:22pm the 2 German ships are sighted by the patrolling British cruiser Suffolk. Word is immeadiately sent to the other 3 ships in the British formation.

An hour later the Norfolk also sights the German ships 6 miles away and signals their positions to the flagship. Within a few minutes the Bismarck approaches and opens fire on the Norfolk. The British cruiser manages to escape from the Bismarck's broadsides.

The Hood from the Prince of Wales

The <i>Hood</i> from the <i>Prince of Wales</i>

At this point Adm Lütjens, commanding the German ships, realizes that every little change of coarse and speed by his ships is observed and signaled to the British flagship; he may wonder whether he ought to abandon the plan of reaching the Atlantic and return to Germany. He decides, however, to press on.

At midnight, Vice-Adm Holland calculated from the Suffolk's signals that the Hood is only 120 miles from the Bismarck. The information flow from the 2 cruisers, however, stops as they have lost contact with the German ships.

U-38 sinks the Dutch steamer Berhala (6622t) from dispersed Convoy OB-381 250 miles from Freetown with the loss of 3 crewmen. 59 survivors are picked up by a British warship and taken to Freetown.

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Mediterranean

Stukas attack and sink the destroyers Kashmir and Kelly near Crete. Lord Louis Mountbatten is aboard Kelly. In Suda Bay Me-109s destroy 5 British MTBs.

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Crete

The Germans continue to exploit their hold on Maleme, sending in artillery units and fighter aircraft. Hurricane aircraft equipped with supplementary fuel tanks attack Maleme airfield. Some manage to land at Haraklion, under fire by the Germans, but not for long. Later in the day the first German fighters succeed in landing at Maleme.

Soldiers Spread the Swastika across Boats

Gen Ringel, in command of the German operations in Crete, receives reinforcements of mountain troops and decides to clean up the whole western part of the island. The British have formed a defensive line running from the coast to the hills, in the area near Galatas. Ringel decides to split the forces in the Maleme sector in two: the paratroops are to attack along the northern coastal road while the mountain infantry move south into the rough interior to take the British in the flank. The same evening the 'western group' joins up with the 3rd Parachute Regt at Canea.

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Saturday, May 24th

Battle of the Atlantic

At 2:47am the Suffolk finds the 2 German ships on her radar. Continuing her present course the Bismarck will come in contact with Hood about 5:30am. At 5:35am the Hood and the battleship Prince of Wales sight the 2 German ships to the northwest. At 5:52am the Hood and the Prince of Wales along with their escort of destoyers come up and engage the German ships. At 6:00am a shell from Bismarck passes through the light armor of the Hood and explodes in the stern magazine. The ship blows up and sinks almost immediately. The location is in the Denmark Strait, east of Greenland. Only 3 men from the Hood's complement of 1416 are saved. In a short time the Prince of Wales is also hit a number of times and Capt Leach decides to break off the action and withdraw. The Bismarck does not try to pursue and the British battleship is able to meet up with the Norfolk and Suffolk without further trouble. The 2 British cruisers continue to shadow the German battleship which is making for the Bay of Biscay.

Bismarck Firing

The Hood On Fire

Various theories try to explain how the Hood was destroyed so quickly. Certainly the ship's armor was inadequate by 1941 standards and the Hood was long overdue for her planned modernization. It is possible that a shell from the Bismarck penetrated the magazine but a more plausible explanation is that a shell set fire to some antiaircraft rocket ammunition and that this fire spread to the magazine.

The Prince of Wales is very new and has sailed from Scapa with some dockyard men still aboard working on the guns. In the action one of the guns jams and cannot be used. This contributes to the decision to break off the action. There has been no time for the crew to train properly and this state of affairs will prevail for the rest of the ship's life. Although the ships of the King George V Class are generally sound, they all require a generous working-up period before they are fully efficient.

However, the defects of the ships are not the only reason for the Bismarck's success. Adm Holland led his ships into the battle in such a way that not all their heavy guns could bear, nor does he seem to have made full allowance for the possible effects of plunging long-range fire on the comparatively thin deck armor of the Hood.

After the action the British cruisers continue to shadow the German ships. During the afternoon the British Admiralty calls up the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, the battleships Ramillies and Rodney, the battlecruiser Renown, the cruiser Sheffield and 6 destroyers, all belonging to 'Force H', stationed at Gibraltar. Almost half the British fleet is now hunting the most powerful battleship in the world.

The Bismarck has been hit 3 times, which has caused the loss of some fuel and the contamination of more. Lütjens therefore decides to put in to Brest. During the night 8 Swordfish from the Home Fleet carrier Victorious attack and hit Bismarck with 1 torpedo. The damage is negligible. Later in the night Prinz Eugen slips away to operate independently, and later still contact is lost between the shadowing British cruisers and the Bismarck.

Swordfish on the Flight Deck of the Victorious

Swordfish on the Flight Deck of the <i>Victorious</i>

U-38 sinks the British steamer Vulcain (4362t) 165 miles northwest of Freetown with the loss of 7 of her crew. 35 survivors make it to Boffa, French West Africa, in lifeboats.
U-103 sinks the Greek steamer Marionga (4236t) 30 miles west-southwest of Buchanan, Liberia. 26 of her crew are lost, 3 are picked up by the British steamer City of Rangoon and 2 land at Monrovia 10 June.
The Greek steamer Matronna (2846t) is sunk by German bombing all Milford Haven. The entire crew is rescued.

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German Raiders

The German raider Atlantis sinks the British steamer Trafalgar (4530t) in the South Atlantic with the loss of 12 of her crew.

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Crete

The Allied forces in the Canea area are now in positions around Galatas. The German buildup at Maleme continues. Adm Cunningham tells London that he is no longer in a position to bar the way to the German convoys except at the risk of extremely heavy losses. London's answer is categorical: at all costs the Royal Navy and the R.A.F. must prevent the Germans form receiving reinforcements by sea.

Bitter fighting continues throughout the island, the paratroops against the British and Anzacs, the mountain troops facing the Greeks who have taken up positions in the mountains. By the evening the situation at Retimo and Haraklion is still critical; the German troops in the Heraklion sector have been reinforced by another parachute battalion during the day.

Gen Kurt Student Arrives in Crete

The Greek government leaves for Cairo.

Gen Freyberg asks Wavell for massive intervention by the R.A.F. in support of the ground troops. In the evening the British land 2 commando battalions in Suda under the command of Col Laycock.

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Italian East Africa

In southern Abyssinia Soddu falls to the Allied forces. In this area Gen Gazzera leads seven weak Italian divisions. The attacking Allied force is made up of the 11th and 12th African Divs.

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Mediterranean

The British Upholder attacks an Italian convoy east of Sicily, sinking the troopship Conte Rosso (17,900 t); 800 are drowned.

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Sunday, May 25th

Battle of the Atlantic

At 3:16am the Suffolk loses contact with the Bismarck as the German ship seems to have evaporated. At 8:10am Swordfish take off again from the Victorious in search of the enemy ship, but it's of no use. The German ship cannot be located. For much of the day the British commanders are in the dark as to Bismarck's position but Lütjens breaks radio silence to report and is picked up on the British direction-finding equipment. This information is passed to Adm Tovey but is at first misinterpreted, perhaps because the radio bearings are plotted on an unsuitable navigation chart. Tovey now has King George V and Rodney, but both are short of fuel and by this mistake they lose their chance of meeting the Bismarck unless her speed can be reduced. During the operation the British have been most worried to protect the convoy lanes and block the Bismarck's return home by the northern routes. The best dispositions to prevent the Bismarck reaching Brest have not yet been made.
U-103 sinks the Dutch steamer Wangi Wangi (7789t) 90 miles south of Monrovia, Liberia with the loss of 1 crewman. 92 survivors make it to Liberia in lifeboats the next day.
The German steamer Silvia (1049t) is sunk by bombing near Den Helder

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Crete

The German forces now really go over to the offensive. Their objectives are Alikianou, from which they can advance and cut the main road to the island south of Suda Bay, Galatas, southwest of Canea, and the village of Carceri, near Galatas, In the evening they take the position at Galatas, despite British counterattacks with the bayonet; they lose it for a while but re-take it after savage fighting. The fighting is very intense and the town changes hands several times during the next two days. Inland they fail to reach their objective at Alikianou, tenaciously defended by the Greek 8th Regiment.

British Soldiers Surrender to German Paratroopers

King George of the Helenes and his ministers escape from Crete to Egypt.

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Mediterranean

During the night 3 groups of Italian 'frogmen', under the command of Lt Decio Cataliani, succeed in entering Gibraltar harbor in their E-Boats, but their operation fails as a result of the defective working of the 'pigs' or low velocity torpedoes.
The British tanker Helka (3471t) and the British sloop Grimsby are sunk by Italian bombers about 40 miles northeast of Tobruk. 2 crewmen are lost on the tanker and 11 on the sloop.
The Greek steamer Leros (846t) is sunk by German bombing at Heraklion.

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Monday, May 26th

Air Operations, Mediterranean

Aircraft from the carrier Formidable attack the Stuka base at Scarpanto in the Italian Dodecanese. The carrier is hit twice by air attacks. Damage is severe enough that the carrier is sent to the US for repairs.

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Battle of the Atlantic

Force H has been hurrying north over the past few days searching for Bismarck when on this day at 7:36am a Catalina aircraft finds Bismarck only 700 miles from Brest and about 130 miles from Adm Tovey's King George V. it is clear that the aircraft of the Ark Royal offer the best chance of slowing the German ship so that she can be caught. At 2:30pm 15 torpedo-carrying Swordfish take off from the aircraft carrier Ark Royal to try to finish off the Bismarck before she can seek protection under the umbrella of German bombers from bases in France.

RAF-Manned Catalina Spots the Bismarck

RAF-Manned Catalina Spots the <i>Bismarck</i>

The Bismarck Takes a Pounding

The weather is very bad with low, dense cloud that makes observation almost impossible. Suddenly the British aircraft find a gap in the clouds and spot a ship. They launch their torpedoes, but their target turns out to be the British cruiser Sheffield. The attack fails because of evasive action taken by Sheffield and defects in the magnetic exploders of the torpedoes, so simple contact type are substituted for a second strike. At 7:00 pm the 15 Swordfish find the correct target and score 2 hits. One hit wrecks the German battleship's steering and practically brings her to a halt. During the night the Bismarck is further harried by torpedo and gunfire attacks by 5 British destroyers. It is not clear whether they score any torpedo hits.

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Crete

Seeing how the situation has deteriorated near the end of the day, Freyberg raises the question of a withdrawal from the island. During the night most of the Allied forces withdraw from the Galatas position amid some confusion about the exact nature of their orders.

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Indian Ocean

The Dutch gunboat Van Kinsbergen captures the Vichy French steamer Winnipeg (8379t) east of Madagascar.

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Mediterranean

The Greek steamer Rokos is sunk by German bombing in Suda Bay.

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Tuesday, May 27th

Battle of the Atlantic

At 8:15am the cruiser Norfolk signals the exact position of the Bismarck to the Rodney and King George V who have come upon the scene. At 8:47am Rodney opens fire followed immediately afterward by King George V. A short time later the Norfolk and the Dorsetshire also join in. The Bismarck replies with very precise salvos, but the hail of shells now striking her steadily reduces her offensive power. In a gun battle lasting less than 2 hours, the Bismarck is reduced to a silent wreck. At 10:15am the cruiser Dorsetshire is ordered to approach the Bismarck and finish her off with torpedoes. At 10:40am the Bismarck capsizes and sinks. Of about 2,300 in her complement only 110 are picked up by the Dorsetshire and the destroyer Maori. Among the casualties are Adm Lütjens and the captain of the ship, Capt Lindemann.

Bismarck Receives a Direct Hit
U-107 sinks the British steamer Colonial (5108t) 200 miles west-northwest of Freetown. All 100 survivors are picked up by the British target ship Centurion.
The Norwegian steamer Royksund (695t) is sunk by German bombing in the Irish sea with the loss of 6 of her crew. 10 survivors are picked up by the British destroyer Cleveland.

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Iraq

British forces begin to advance from their positions around Habbaniyah and Fallujah toward the capital, Baghdad.

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Crete

The Germans take Canea and Suda. The Allied forces are now largely split up and moving in a disorganized manner in the direction of Sfakia to be evacuated. The evacuation is authorized by Wavell after he has consulted with London. Gen Freyberg draws up the plans for the withdrawal. It will be carried out over several nights on board ships provided by Adm Cunningham, from the small ports of Ierapetra and Sfakia. The commando units and the Royal Marines will protect the withdrawal and embarkation of other forces.

Waiting for a Signal

Meanwhile the Germans attack in the area of Pirgos. The Australians and New Zealanders are taken by surprise, but they fight back courageously and for a time succeed in driving the enemy back. However, Freyberg has to withdraw all the forces he can in order to establish a defensive line north of the ports chosen for re-embarkation. This enables the Germans to cut off 1 battalion from the rest of the British forces in the area of Stilos. The forces defending Retimo and Haraklion begin to run short of ammunition. The Germans also attack at Canea and at the end of the day they occupy Suda Bay.

The battleship Barham is damaged by air attack.

German Troops Enter Canea

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Mediterranean

German bombing sinks the Greek steamers Antonios (1187t) and Julia (4352t) in Suda Bay. The crews land safely in Crete.

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North Africa

Rommel has reinforced his troops on the Egyptian border and his 2 panzer regiments re-take Halfaya Pass in a converging attack. The Germans begin work to fortify their new position, especially by digging in their 88mm guns.

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United States, Politics

Pres Roosevelt declares that 'an unlimited national emergency now exists.' The government now assumes wide-ranging powers over the economy and vows to resist any German act of aggression. The President also asks for a vigorous shipbuilding program to replace the growing losses.

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Wednesday, May 28th

Battle of the Atlantic

The British light cruiser Edinburgh intercepts the German steamer Lech (3290t) 400 miles north of the Azores. The German ship scuttles herself.
U-107 sinks the Greek steamer Papalemos (3748t) just off the coast of west Africa with the loss of 2 of her crew. 27 survivors make it to the coast in lifeboats.

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Crete

Gen Ringel, not realizing how desperate a state the enemy is in, instead of moving all his troops to the south of the island where the British are assembling for evacuation, concentrates them in the north towards Retimo and Heraklion, ordering his mountain troops to support the attacks on those two places. The Allied forces fight some small, rearguard actions to cover their retreat to the evacuation beaches at Sfakia. Evacuations from Sfakia take place each of the next 4 nights.

During the night the Heraklion garrison of 4,000 men is taken off by a force of cruisers and destroyers. These ships are heavily attacked while withdrawing. In the course of the evacuations the anti-aircraft cruiser Calcutta and the destroyers Greyhound, Hereward and Imperial are lost.

Troops Being Evacuated on a British Corvette

British Wounded Evacuated to Alexandria

The Italians land at Sitia, near the northeastern tip of the island, a contingent of 2,700 men who had left Rhodes the previous day on board 13 small craft escorted by 5 destroyers and 6 submarines.

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Iraq

The Allied forces occupy Ur. The 20th Indian Brigade has made this advance from Basra but can go no further for the moment because repairs to roads and railroad tracks are needed.

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Mediterranean

The Greek steamer Georgos (667t) is sunk by German bombing at Candia.

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Thursday, May 29th

Battle of the Atlantic

U-557 sinks the British steamer Empire Storm (7290t), a straggler from Convoy HX-128, south of Cape Farewell with the loss of 3 crewmen. 40 survivors are picked up by the Norwegian steamer Marita.
U-38 sinks the British steamer Tabaristan (6251t) 250 miles southwest of Freetown with the loss of 21 of her crew. 39 survivors are picked up by the British anti-submarine trawler Bengali.

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Crete

British resistance is confined to Heraklion, Retimo and the Askifou Plain, to divert the Germans and protect the embarkation operation. Embarkation continues throughout the night. The cruisers Phoebe, Perth, Glengyle, Coventry and Calcutta, with 3 destroyers, take on board some 6,000 men at Sfakia. Crossing the Mediterranean the Perth is hit and seriously damaged by a Ju-88.

More Evacuations from Crete

Germans Round Up More Prisoners

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Mediterranean

The British anti-submarine trawler Sindonis (913t) is sunk by German bombing in Tobruk harbor.

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Friday, May 30th

Battle of the Atlantic

The Italian submarine Marconi sinks the British naval tanker Cairndale (8129t) 170 miles west-southwest of Trafalgar with the loss of 5 of her crew.
U-38 sinks the British steamer Empire Protector (6181t) southwest of Freetown with the loss of 5 crewmen. 33 survivors are picked up by the Dutch steamer Arundo.
U-106 sinks the British steamer Silveryew (6373t) west of the Cape Verde Islands with the loss of 1 crewman. 53 survivors make landfall at San Antonio, Cape Verde Islands.
The British steamer Westavon (2842t) sinks on a mine north of Margate. The entire crew is rescued.

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Crete

The Germans take Retimo and Heraklion. 2 more British destroyers are hit by German aircraft on their way to the embarkation points. The evacuation proceeds; Gen Freyberg embarks. Some 9,000 troops, some of them separated from their units, still remain on the island.

Germans Looking for More Allied Troops

6,000 Allied Troops Leave Sphakia

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Iraq

Although the main Allied force is held up at Ur and the small British force from Habbaniyah is only advancing very slowly. Rashid Ali gives up the struggle and flees to Iran. An armistice is agreed on the 31st. The British right to station troops in the country is confirmed and the Iraqis undertake to do nothing to help the Axis.

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Mediterranean

The Bulgarian steamer Knyaguinya Maria Luisa (3821t) is sunk near Piraeus by a torpedo from a British Wellington aircraft. The steamer blows up and sinks the German steamer Alicante (2140t) and the Romanian steamer Jiul (3127t) nearby.

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North Africa

A report by the Italian Supreme Command considers an attack in force on the fortress of Tobruk to be 'inadvisable': 'Unless the enemy forces receive substantial reinforcements it is felt that the situation can be regarded with calm... Only in the event of the enemy receiving large reinforcements, with an obvious aggressive intention, and we ourselves receiving only modest reinforcements (or none at all), could the situation be reversed and become sufficiently dangerous to make it necessary for us to raise the siege of Tobruk.'

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Saturday, May 31st

Air Operations, Europe

The Luftwaffe mistakenly bombs Dublin, Ireland, killing 28 people.

World War II Comes to Ireland

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Battle of the Atlantic

U-38 sinks the Norwegian steamer Rinda (6029t) off Liberia with the loss of 13 of her crew. 18 survivors are picked up by the British anti-submarine trawler Pict.
U-69 sinks the British steamer Sangara (5445t) in the harbor of Accra with the loss of 1 of her crew. She is later salvaged.
U-106 sinks the British steamer Clan MacDougall (6843t) north of the Cape Verde Islands with the loss of 2 crewmen. 85 survivors make landfall in the Cape Verde Islands.

U-107 sinks the British steamer Sire (5664t) west-southwest of Freetown with the loss of 3 crewmen. 46 survivors are picked up by the British corvette Marguerite.

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Crete

The last detachments of British troops not separated from their units move as quickly as possible to Sfakia, but there is not room on the ships for all the ment awaiting embarkation.

Nazis Control Crete

Destroyer with Crete Evacuees

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Mediterranean

The following ships are seized at Suda Bay and taken for German and Italian use: British steamer Araubank (7258t), British steamer Dalesman (6343t), Greek steamer Nicolauou Ourania (6397t) and British tanker Olna (7073t).

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Vichy France

Adm Darlan makes a virulent anti-British speech. The French press becomes increasingly pro-Axis.

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Chronology of World War II

May 1941

Air Operations, Europe

Battle of the Atlantic

The Blitz

Europe, Resistance

Secret War

Thursday, May 1st

Air Operations, Mediterranean

Battle of the Atlantic

Britain, Home Front

Greece

The Blitz

County Road Walton During the Blitz

Iraq

Italian East Africa

Mediterranean

North Africa

Rommel Near Tobruk

Friday, May 2nd

Air Operations, Europe

Battle of the Atlantic

The Blitz

Houses Destroyed during the Blitz

Germany, Home Front

Sound Detector to Direct Anti-Aircraft Fire

Greece

Iraq

Captured Italian Equipment

Mediterranean

North Africa

Saturday, May 3rd

Battle of the Atlantic

The Blitz

Castle Street at Cook Street

The Adelphi Hotel

Greece

German Soldiers in a Greek Village

Italian East Africa

Mediterranean

Iraq

Damaged Artillery

Secret War

Sunday, May 4th

Battle of the Atlantic

The Blitz

Britain, Home Front

Germany, Home Front

Speech at Reichstag

Iraq

Italian East Africa

North Africa

Monday, May 5th

Battle of the Atlantic

Bismarck Inspection

The Blitz

Iraq

Crete

Italian East Africa

Emperor Haile Selassie Back in Addis Ababa

Mediterranean

North Africa

Secret War

Tuesday, May 6th

Air Operations, Mediterranean

Battle of the Atlantic

The Blitz

Crete

Iraq

Mediterranean

British Mediterranean Operations

Soviet Union, Politics

United States, Policy

Wednesday, May 7th

Battle of the Atlantic

The Blitz

German Raiders

Field Marshal List Reviews the Troops

Britain, Home Front

Iraq