Timeline of World War II (1941) - April 1941

April 1941

• 1: British retreat after the losses at El Agheila, Libya. Rommel is surprised, then decides to continue his offensive.
  : During this month the heavy bombing of British cities continues, and convoy losses continue heavy.
  : In Iraq, pro-German Rashid Ali and other members of the "Golden Square" stage a military coup d'état and overthrow the regime of the pro-British Regent 'Abd al-Ilah. Rashid Ali names himself Chief of a "National Defence Government."
• 2: After taking Agedabia, Rommel decides to take all of Libya and moves his troops toward Benghazi. All of Cyrenaic (Libya) seems ready for the taking.
• 3: A pro-Axis government is installed in Iraq.
  : Bristol, England suffers another heavy air attack.
  : British troops take Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, from the Italian armies.
  : Rommel takes Benghazi, Libya; Tobruk will remain a threat for the next seven months.
• 4: Rommel is now about 200 miles east of El Agheila, heading for Tobruk and Egypt.
  : An Atlantic convoy suffers almost 50% losses to U-boat campaign.
• 6: Forces of Germany, Hungary, and Italy, moving through Romania and Hungary, initiate the invasions of Yugoslavia and Greece.
  : The Italian Army is driven out from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
  : The northern wing of Rommel's forces take Derna, on the Libyan coast. The southern wing moves toward Mechili, and takes it on the 8th.
• 7: The Luftwaffe begins a two-day assault on Belgrade, Yugoslavia; Hitler is infuriated by the Yugoslav resistance.
• 8: The Germans take Salonika, Greece.
• 10: Greenland is occupied by the United States. With the approval of a "free Denmark", the US will build naval and air bases as counters to the U-boat war.
  : While still being invaded, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia is split up by Germany and Italy. The Independent State of Croatia (Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH) is established under Ante Pavelić and his Ustaša.
  : Germans encircle the port of Tobruk, Libya, opening the siege; some of Rommel's forces move east to take Fort Capuzzo and Sollum, on the border with Egypt.
  : The destroyer USS Niblack attacks a German U-boat that had just sunk a Dutch freighter. The Niblack was picking up survivors of the freighter when it detected the U-boat preparing to attack. The Niblack attacked with depth charges and drove off the U-boat.
• 11: Though still a "neutral" nation, the United States begins sea patrols in Atlantic.
  : Heavy Luftwaffe raids on Coventry and Birmingham.
• 12: Belgrade, Yugoslavia surrenders.
  : The Germans defeat commonwealth forces at the Battle of Vevi.
• 13: Malta is bombed again; it continues to be a thorn in the side of German supply movements in the Mediterranean.
  : Japan and the Soviet Union sign a neutrality pact.
  : In Iraq, a small contingent of British reinforcements are air lifted to RAF Shaibah.
• 14: Rommel attacks Tobruk, but is forced to turn back. Other attacks, also failures, occur on the 16th and 30th.
  : LSSAH captures the strategic Kleisoura Pass and begins cutting the line of retreat for the Greek army in Albania
• 15: British destroyers intercept an Afrika Korps convoy and sink all five transports and the three covering Italian destroyers.
• 16: A heavy Luftwaffe raid on Belfast, Northern Ireland.
  : Germans continue the invasion southward into Yugoslavia; they cut off the Greek army in Albania, which had had notable success against the Italians in January.
• 17: Yugoslavia surrenders. A government in exile is formed in London. King Peter escapes to Greece.
• 18: Greek Prime Minister Alexandros Koryzis commits suicide; the British plan the major evacuation of Greece.
  : In Iraq, in accordance with the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty, British forces from India start to land at Basra.
• 19: London suffers one of the heaviest air raids in the war; St. Paul's is mildly damaged but remains closed; other Wren churches are heavily damaged or destroyed.
• 21: With their retreat cut off by the German advance, 223,000 Greek soldiers of the Greek army in Albania surrender.
• 22: The British, both military and civilian, begin to evacuate Greece.
• 23: Greek government is evacuated to Crete, which Churchill is determined to defend.
• 24: British and Australian forces evacuate from Greece to Crete and Egypt.
  : Plymouth suffers the third night of heavy bombing by the Luftwaffe.
• 25: Rommel wins an important victory at Halfaya Pass, close to the Egyptian border.
  : Axis forces defeat commonwealth forces at Thermopylae after Australian general George Vasey staunchly claims that they will not be beaten.
• 26: Rommel attacks the Gazala defence line and crosses into Egypt; Tobruk continues to hold however.
• 27: Athens is occupied by German troops. Greece surrenders.
  : Hurricane fighter planes are delivered as important reinforcements for besieged Malta.
• 30: Rommel is ordered to cease attacks on Tobruk after another failure.
  : In Iraq, Iraqi armed forces occupy the plateau to the south of the RAF Habbaniya air base and inform the base commander that all flying should cease immediately.