Diary April 6, 1941

04-1941, War Diary, Year 1941 / 1 minute of reading

In the morning German incendiary bombs are dropped on Belgrade.

Diary for Sunday, April 6, 1941:

Balkans

GERMAN INVASION OF YUGOSLAVIA AND GREECE: Germans employ 15 divisions (with 5 Panzer divisions) and 800 aircraft. Yugoslav Government flees from Belgrade to Uzice.

Air War

Europe: LUFTWAFFE DESTROYS BELGRADE (Operation Bestrafung = ‘Punishment’) and raids Yugoslav air bases. German bombers and Ju 87 Stukas fly 500 sorties against undefended Yugoslav capital, starting huge fires, destroying many public buildings and hospitals and Royal Palace; fleeing civilians strafed (raids repeated April 7-8). Approx. 17,000 killed, April 6-8.
British munition ship Clan Fraser explodes during German raid on Piraeus (night April 6-7) wrecking harbour, sinking 13 other ships and inflicting heavy casualties.
RAF Beaufort torpedo-bomber hits battlecruiser Gneisenau at Brest.
Wellington bombers attacking Sofia (Bulgaria).

North Africa

Rommel captures Mechili, south of Derna.

Sea War

Atlantic: Armed merchant cruiser Comorin (15,400 t.) destroyed by fire from an accident.

Politics

US Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, describes German invasion of Balkans as ‘barbarous’.

About The Author

Kretaner

My name is Norman 'Kretaner' and since my childhood I am interested in history and strategy games. Later, I have learned programming and the development of computer games, and finally with the Internet, also web design. I'm in the fortunate position to combine all my interests with my work and to live on a place of my choice, on Crete. All information, figures, specifications and statistics used here had been compiled from a variety of sources and the large, over decades collected, library of the author about military history, WW2 and weapons.