Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Tedder is appointed C-in-C air forces in the Middle East.

People were taken completely by surprise by today's announcement that clothes are now rationed and that they must give up their margarine coupons to buy them until special ration cards have been printed. Each man, woman or child will be given 66 coupons to last until a year from today.

The number of coupons to be given up varies according to the garment and the consumer; for example a man's raincoat or overcoat requires 16 coupons, a woman's 14, and a child's 11. Men need 13 coupons for a jacket, eight for trousers and five for a waistcoat, so a three-piece suit takes 26. A woman can get a woollen dress for 11 coupons, and one in any other material for a skirt or a skirt for seven, a blouse for five, stockings for two, and shoes or boots for five. Men's shoes need seven, and a pair of socks three. Even a tie or two handkerchiefs need a coupon. So do two ounces of knitting wool.

Husbands can give up their coupons to their wives (and vice-versa), and both can give them up for their children. Second-hand clothes are unrationed. There was a run on second-hand shops today. None of the traders in Petticoat Lane market were taking coupons.

MALTA: Air Vice-Marshal Hugh Lloyd appointed Air Officer Commanding in succession to Air Commodore F. H. M. Maynard.

CRETE: The British Air Ministry announced:-

After twelve days of the bitterest fighting of the war so far, it has been decided to withdraw our forces from Crete. Although the enemy has suffered massive losses of men and material, we would not in the long term have been able to continue successful troop operations on the island without substantial support from the aerial and naval forces.

Approximately 15,000 British troops have already left Crete and arrived in Egypt. However, it must be mentioned that the battle on Crete has taken a heavy toll of our forces. It is believed in London that General Freyberg has left Crete altogether with our troops. An official report confirms that General Freyberg is still alive.

British Commonwealth losses amount to 1,742 dead and 1,737 wounded, while the German have lost 3,985 dead and missing and 2,131 wounded. The Germans have lost 220 planes to the RAF's 46. The Royal Navy has taken a severe pounding - three cruisers and six destroyers sunk and 17 ships crippled, with the loss of 2,011 lives.

As the last troops are carried from Crete, cruisers HMS Calcutta and HMS Coventry sail from Alexandria to provide AA cover. HMS Calcutta is struck by two bombs from a Ju. 88 and sinks within a few minutes 100 miles northwest of Alexandria at 31 55N, 28 05E. There are 255 survivors. (Alex Gordon)(108)

Some 15,000 troops are saved but at a cost to the RN of 2,000 men killed. Total warship casualties are

Battleships - 2 badly damaged;

Carriers - 1 badly damaged;

Cruisers - 3 sunk and 5 badly damaged;

Destroyers - 6 sunk and 5 badly damaged.

NORTH AFRICA: The balance of the 15th Panzer Division is now present in North Africa.

IRAQ: British forces enter Baghdad and the king is returned to power when Emir Abdul Illah for King Faisal returns.

U.S.A.: The First Issue of US Technical and Tactical Trends is published. (Bill Howard)

Japanese companies still hold approved licenses to purchase 7.1 million barrels of ordinary petroleum (gasoline) and 21.9 million barrels of crude oil. (Edward S. Miller)

Dallas Morning News headline: Darlan Accuses British of Piracy, Indicates Full Confidence in Axis. (Bernard de Neumann)

New York Times headline: "Darlan Threatens to Resist British -- Assailing Bombings, He Says French Will Force Respect -- Sfax is Raided Again" While it only includes excerpts of the Darlan's nearly 2,500 word statement, the article does note Darlan's anger at British actions against French interests including vessels seized while at sea, supposedly enumerating ships seized that totaled 792,00 tons and worth 120 billion francs. (Daniel Ross)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The US Coast Guard begins patrolling off Greenland with 4 cutters. The U.S. Coast Guard establishes the South Greenland Patrol consisting of the Coast Guard cutters USCGC Modoc (CGC-39) and USCGC Comanche (CGC-57); yard tug USCGC Raritan (CGC-72); along with the U.S. Navy's unclassified auxiliary vessel USS Bowdoin (IX-50), a schooner. The ships will patrol from Cape Brewster to Cape Farewell to Upernivik.