April 14th, 1941 (MONDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: London: Convinced that his troops have borne an unfair share of the fighting, the Australian Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, moves to end Churchill's "dictatorship" of the war.London: Churchill tells the MOI to stop publishing the demoralizing weekly figures for shipping losses.
YUGOSLAVIA: King Peter leaves Yugoslavia for Athens, Greece.
The Germans smash the southern army and pour through the Monastir Gap, cutting off the Greek army in Albania.
GREECE: German forces enter Katerini, Greece. (Steve Stattharos)
The formation of 'Savige Force' under the command of Brigadier S. G. Savige is completed. Savige Force is to protect the British left flank by blocking the routes leading from Grevena and Metsovon via Kalabaka into the Larissa plain. 1st Armoured Brigade is combined with 17th Australian Brigade to form the force.
LIBYA: Tobruk: Cpl John Hurst Edmondson (b. 1914), Australian Military Forces, despite being severely wounded, saved the life of his officer, who was being attacked by two enemy soldiers. He died shortly afterwards. (VC)
In the fiercest battle he has faced so far in this campaign, Rommel saw his tanks withdraw from Tobruk's hastily prepared defences under a withering hail of fire from British ant-tank guns and heavy artillery; and then watched them literally chased back into the desert in confusion by tank attacks on his flanks. Although his Afrika Korps had managed deep penetration into what eariler reconnaissance had selected as a "weak spot", their light tanks were no match for British gunnery. 17 were knocked out before General Olbrich, the Panzer commander, ordered the withdrawal
The indications are that Rommel is coming to the limit of his supply lines. His men are tired and his tanks are badly in need of servicing. The prospect here is of a long siege so long as Tobruk can be supplied from the sea.
EGYPT: King Farouk sends a secret message to Hitler expressing the hope that Egypt will soon be liberated from the "British yoke."
ICELAND: Secret talks between Iceland and the US. Iceland agrees not to resist US forces replacing the British forces on Iceland.
On PALMYRA ISLAND, a US Marine garrison designated Marine Detachment, 1st defence Battalion, is established for the defence of the island. (Richard Gaines)
U.S.A.: The USAAC places an order for 2,000 Vultee Model 74s.