World war II timeline - April 1941

1 April 1941	The Golden Square of Pan-Arabic colonels oust the regent of Iraq, Abd al-Ilah.
2 April 1941	German Africa Corps forces capture Agedabn from retreating British. Hungarian Prime Minister Count Teleki kills himself, rather than agree to Adolf Hitler's demand to allow passage of German troops to Yugoslavia. However, the Hungarian Chief of General Staff accedes to the demand.
3 April 1941	British Prime Minister Winston Churchill directs ambassador in Moscow Sir Stafford Cripps to deliver message to Josef Stalin warning of threat of German attack. Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 26: "Cooperation with our allies in the Balkans". Details are given of operations against Yugoslavia: Hungary will re-take the Babat of Temesvar (lost to Yugoslavia after World War One), Bulgaria will gain the disputed area of Macedonia, Rumania will guard frontiers with Russia and Yugoslavia.   German 3rd Recon Battalion gains Benghazi from the British.
4 April 1941	Quote by Adolf Hitler to Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka: "... Germany would... prompty take part in case of a conflict between Japan and America..." The Canadian federal cabinet introduces Order In Council PC 2385, The Merchant Seamen Order, giving authorities power to detain disobedient seamen from ships of any registry in Canadian ports. Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 27, ordering the destruction of the remaining Yugoslav forces, and the launching of a decisive attack against Anglo-Greek forces in northern Greece. General Olof Thörnell, commander of Swedish forces, issues a report to government, stating that Sweden should prepare to participate in a war against the Soviet Union, for the sake of Finland, Sweden's future position, and prestige in northern Europe. Benghazi falls to the Germans.
6 April 1941	Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union sign a treaty of friendship, providing for "amicable relations" in the event of foreign attack. The first wave of German Stuka bombers cross into Yugoslavia, beginning a three-day bombardment of Belgrade. The German 12th Army under Field Marshal List crosses from Bulgaria into the Macedonia area of Yugoslavia. German battle cruiser Gneisenau is hit by a torpedo from British Coastal Command aircraft in Brest Roads, sustaining extensive damage. British forces capture Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from Italy. German forces invade Greece. An ammunition ship in the Greek port of the Piraeus is hit by an air-raid, devastating the town.
7 April 1941	A column of German 12th Army crosses Vardar river in Greece. The German 12th Army captures Skopje, Yugoslavia. German submarine U-124 torpedoes and sinks Canadian merchant ship Portadoc west of Sierra Leone in the Central Atlantic Ocean. 229 British aircraft attack the Germany port of Kiel, temporarily halting submarine production.
8 April 1941	German tanks enter Salonika. The French Foreign Legion seizes the Eritrean port of Massaouah from Italian occupation. German 14th Corps under General von Kleist captures Nis, Yugoslavia. German forces break through the Metaxas Line in Greece. German General Erwin Rommel sends his main force to Mechili, attacking from east and west, forcing the surrender of British forces.
10 April 1941	The German 2nd Army begins its main advance in Greece. In Washington, USA, a treaty is signed with the Danish government for the US to take over protection of Greenland. British bombers score four hits on the German battle cruiser Gneisenau in Brest harbor, putting it out of action for several months.
12 April 1941	The German government demands the Danish Government try Minister Henrik de Kaufmann for treason for negotiating the treaty with the United States for protection of Greenland, and to announce that the Danish government is not bound by the treaty.
13 April 1941	The Yugoslav capital of Belgrade is occupied by German forces. Japan and the Soviet Union sign a five-year non-aggression pact.   The Canadian merchant ship SS Nerissa is torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic. Josef Stalin prepares the country for war with Germany, including partial mobilization, transferring forces from Siberia to the west, sending 28 rifle divisions and four armies to the border with Germany, and begins assembling a fifth army near Moscow. The British Royal Navy parks a tanker and a support ship in Hvalfjord, Iceland, as a refuelling depot for convoy escort ships.
16 April 1941	Near Kerkenah Islands in the Mediterranean, four British destroyers ambush a convoy of five merchant ships with three destroyers, sinking or setting all ships burning out-of-control within an hour. One British destroyer, the Mohawk is lost to two torpedoes.
17 April 1941	Yugoslavia signs an armistice with Germany.
19 April 1941	British Prime Minister Winston Churchill personally informs Josef Stalin of an impending German attack, based on "Ultra" intelligence intercepts.
20 April 1941	Greek armies on the Albanian front surrender to German forces.
21 April 1941	Adolf Hitler decides to attack Crete, to remove it as a base of British operations. Code name for the plan is Operation Mercury.
22 April 1941	Mainland Greece surrenders to Germany.
23 April 1941	Greece surrenders to Italy.
24 April 1941	The Greek government surrenders to Germany.
25 April 1941	British forces begin an evacuation of Greece. Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 28: Undertaking Mercury. Preparations are to be made to occupy the island of Crete.
26 April 1941	German forces capture Corinth, Greece.
27 April 1941	By mid-day, German panzer tanks enter Athens, Greece.
28 April 1941	British Prime Minister Winston Churchill directs his Chiefs of Staff not to make any further enhancements of defence of Malaya and Singapore.
30 April 1941	The USA proposes to transfer part of the US Pacific fleet to the Atlantic Ocean. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill supports the move. British Lieutenant General Bernard Cyril Freyberg takes command of 35,600 British, New Zealand, Australian, and Greek troops on Crete.