April 1-18
Politics, Iraq
Nationalist politician Rashid Ali and army officers hostile to Britain depose Regent Faisal and form a pro-Axis regime in Iraq. British troops begin arriving in Iraq on the 18th to safeguard access to key oil supplies.

German tanks crossing the desert

April 4
Africa, Libya
General Erwin Rommel's Axis troops are advancing across Libya in three groups. A predominantly Italian force on the coast takes Benghazi. Another group inland is advancing to Msus, while farther south a third force is also heading toward the same objective.

April 6-15
Balkans, Yugoslavia/Greece
Thirty-three German divisions, with Italian and Hungarian support, invade Yugoslavia from the north, east, and southeast. Aerial bombing centering on Belgrade dislocates the nation's military command and communication structure, and further undermines the ineffective mobilization of its 640,000-strong army. Major cities are quickly seized, including Zagreb, Belgrade, and Sarajevo, between the 10th and 15th.

In Greece, German forces attack the Greek Second Army on the fortified Metaxas Line along the country's northern border with Bulgaria. Air raids on Piraeus port destroy a British ammunition ship, which explodes and sinks 13 vessels. The Second Army, cut off after German forces reach the sea at Salonika on the 9th, soon surrenders. The British, after initially occupying positions between Mount Olympus and Salonika, are quickly forced back to a new defensive line just north of the mountain following the collapse of Greek forces on their left flank.

April 6-9
Africa, Ethiopia/Eritrea
British General Sir Alan Cunningham, after an impressive advance of over 1000 miles (1600 km) from Kenya, captures Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, and then continues to harass the retreating Italian forces. Allied forces in Eritrea then seize the port of Massawa on the 9th and capture 17 Axis merchant vessels and other assorted craft in the harbor.

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