London: Civilian pilots of the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) in a slow, unarmed aircraft are running the gauntlet of German fighters and antiaircraft guns to maintain communications with Sweden.

They take in news of Britain and important passengers and bring back ball-bearings vital to the defence industry. Their only aircraft so far is a Lockheed flown out of Poland by its crews when the Germans overran their country. With the identification letters of BG, it is known as "Bashful Gertie, the Terror of the Skagerrak."
The Polish airline LOT - Polskie Linie Lotnicze, purchased ten Lockheed Model 14-H Super Electras, msn 1421, before the war; they were registered SP-BNE to SP-BNH, SP-BNJ and SP-BNK, SP-BPK to SP-BPN. This aircraft was one of the ten. It had been registered SP-BNF in Polish service but was re-registered G-AGBG when it began service with British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). BOAC had acquired eight Model 14s for use, three former LOT Model 14-Hs and five former British Airways Model 14-WF62s.

     The US Navy also operated the Model 14 as the XR4O-1 and in the ASW role as the PBO-1. For further information about the USNs use of these aircraft, see my article at Tim Lanzendoerfer's excellent web site:

     http://www.microworks.net/pacific/aviation/PBO_Hudson.htm

GREECE: Athens: The British ambassador at Belgrade meets with Mr Eden. He says that the Yugoslavs are frightened of Germany and unsettled by internal politics. They may be willing to help if they knew of the British plans to help Greece. Mr Eden and the Greeks feared lest Germany should find out.

Eden also finds out from General Heywood that the Greek government had failed to carry out the agreement reached on 22nd February at Tatoi and that no order for the withdrawal of troops from Macedonia and Thrace had been given.

ALBANIA: Mussolini flies in, hoping his presence will raise the morale of his troops.

TURKEY: The authorities close the Dardanelles to shipping without a permit.

BULGARIA: Sofia: Germany officially admitted today that its troops (of the XII Army) had entered Bulgaria. According to a High Command communique: "The German army, in agreement with the Royal Bulgarian government, has been marching into Bulgaria since Saturday." In the Bulgarian parliament the Prime Minister, Professor Filov, said that Germany had asked permission to send in the troops on a temporary basis in order to "safeguard peace in the Balkans."

All day today the Germans have been pouring into Bulgaria by way of pontoon bridges across the Danube. Meanwhile there are reports that the vanguard of the German forces is already approaching the Greek frontier at four points. With the Luftwaffe present in strength, the German attack on Greece seems imminent.

Sofia: The American United Press News Agency reported:

We are reliably informed that the moment when Bulgaria joined the Tripartite Pact, Germany prepared to march into Bulgaria and informed the Greeks via diplomatic channels that within two weeks they had to either make peace or "bear the consequences."

EAST AFRICA: General Cunningham pushes light forces on to Ferfer [about 200 miles north of Mogadishu and Dolo.] which will complete the occupation of Italian Somaliland.

NORTH AFRICA: Wavell gives the War Cabinet an optimistic assessment of the situation. "...the enemy are short of transport. The distance from their base in Tripoli to Benghazi is 646 miles with only one road and inadequate water for 400 miles." Wavell was satisfied that the Axis would not try to recapture Benghazi.

Tripoli, LIBYA:

The Italian Stefani News Agency reports:

The fresh troops who have just arrived in Libya held a parade before high-ranking military men and civilian officials, to the applause of the people. Among those present were the C-in-C of the Italian North Africa troop, the Chief of the General Staff and the commander of the German armoured corps in North Africa.

LIBYA: The Australian 2/13th Battalion reaches Mersa Matruh.