April 18-21
Balkans, Greece
Greek positions are quickly collapsing as the German invaders advance. The British have fallen back from Mount Olympus to Thermopylae. A British evacuation appears inevitable as reinforcements from Egypt are canceled on the18th. King George assumes temporary charge of the government after the premier, Alexander Koryzis, commits suicide. A British evacuation is finalized after General Alexander Papagos, the Greek commander-in-chief, realizing the situation is hopeless, recommends a withdrawal on the 21st. Greek forces fighting in Albania surrender on the 20th.

April 21-30
Air War, Britain
Two raids on the nights of the 21st-22nd and 29th-30th against Plymouth by 640 bombers claim 750 lives and leave 30,000 homeless.

German parachutists engages in street fighting
with Allies in Corinth during
the invasion of Greece

April 21-27
Balkans, Greece
British forces leave their lines around Thermopylae on the 24th after Greek forces in Thrace capitulate. The British evacuation operation now begins, and some 43,000 men are rescued by the Royal Navy from ports and beaches in Eastern Greece, while under constant German air attack. Two destroyers and four transport ships are lost.

A German attack by paratroopers at Corinth on the 26th and an advance to Patras pose a threat to the British evacuation. German forces occupy Athens on the 27th, but the Greek government has already left for Crete. Campaign dead: Greek 15,700; Italian 13,755; German 1518; and British 900.

April 25
Politics, Germany
Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 28, ordering the airborne invasion of Crete, code-named Operation Mercury.

April 30
Africa, Libya
The most intense Axis attack on Tobruk to date commences but meets determined resistance from the defenders. Four days later Axis forces secure a salient on the southwestern area of the defensive peri-meter. Both sides then dig in for a lengthy campaign, with the garrison entirely dependent on supplies carried by the Royal Navy. German submarines, torpedo-boats, and medium and dive-bombers constantly threaten the supply vessels, which are especially vulnerable when unloading.

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