World War II Database

• Home
• » Events
• » WW2 Timeline
• » 10 Apr 1941

• The Germany Navy, Kriegsmarine, ordered the construction of 60 submarines. ww2dbase [CPC]
• In Yugoslavia, German troops capture the Croatian capital of Zagreb; Croatian Fascist chief Ante Pavelic returned from exile to proclaim the independent state of Croatia. Further South, German 9th Panzer Division and Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Regiment moved through the Monastir Gap, moved across the Greek border, and captured the town of Florina. British troops fell back from the Aliakmon Line southwest of Salonika, Greece. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
• Franklin Roosevelt approved the transfer of 10 Lake-class Coast Guard Cutters to the British Royal Navy; the transfers were completed between 30 Apr and 30 May 1941. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
• Seiichi Ito was named the chief of staff of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet. ww2dbase [CPC]
• The German 15th Panzer Division under General Heinrich von Prittwitz und Gaffron attacked Tobruk, Libya from the west. Prittwitz was killed while personally leading a reconnaissance mission by armored cars. ww2dbase [Siege of Tobruk | CPC]
• Overnight, RAF aircraft attacked German battlecruisers in Brest, France, hitting Gneisenau with 4 bombs and causing extensive damage. ww2dbase [Gneisenau | CPC]
• 206 Luftwaffe aircraft attacked Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, dropping 246 tons of high explosive bombs and 1,183 incendiary bombs. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
• German submarine U-107 sank British tanker Duffield at 0345 hours; 25 were killed, 28 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
• German submarine U-52 sank Dutch ship Saleier 500 miles southwest of Iceland at 1955 hours. The entire crew of 63 abandoned ship in 3 lifeboats and were rescued by American destroyer USS Niblack. ww2dbase [CPC]
• American destroyer USS USS Niblack attacked a German submarine off Iceland; the submarine escaped without being damaged. It was the first shot fired between the US and Germany. ww2dbase [Invasion and Occupation of Iceland | CPC]
• Chuichi Nagumo was named the commanding officer of the First Air Fleet. ww2dbase [Chuichi Nagumo | CPC]
• Korechika Anami was made the commanding officer of 11th Army. ww2dbase [Korechika Anami | CPC]

• Teiichi Yoshimoto was named the chief of staff of Kenkichi Ueda (Japanese Kwantung Army in northeastern China). ww2dbase [CPC]

• Nigerian troops of the British 11th African Division marched from Addis Ababa toward Jimma in Ethiopia, while Indian 5th Division marched from Massawa, Eritrea toward Amara, Ethiopia. At Assab, Eritrea, Italians scutled 7 freighters to prevent capture. ww2dbase [Invasion of Italian East Africa | CPC]

• Maggiore Baracca departed Le Verdon-sur-Mer, France at 1500 hours, starting her fourth war patrol. ww2dbase [Maggiore Baracca | Le Verdon-sur-Mer, Aquitaine | CPC]

• Overnight, RAF aircraft attacked Berlin, Germany, destroying the historical Opera House. It would be restored by 1943, but would again be bombed in Feb 1945. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | Berlin | CPC]
• Paul von Kleist was mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht daily radio report. ww2dbase [Paul von Kleist | CPC]
• U-132 was launched at the Bremer Vulkan shipyard in Bremen, Germany. ww2dbase [Bremer Vulkan AG | U-132 | Bremen, Weser-Ems | CPC]

• Akagi became the flagship of the newly organized First Air Fleet and assigned to Carrier Division 1. She spent the next few weeks in and around Yokosuka, Japan and off Kyushu. ww2dbase [Akagi | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]
• Kaga was assigned to Carrier Division 1 of the Japanese Navy First Air Fleet. ww2dbase [Kaga | CPC]

• Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld shot down a British Wellington bomber shortly after 0000 hours over the IJsselmeer in the Netherlands. ww2dbase [Egmont | CPC]

10 Apr 1941 Interactive Map