military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (03/30/91)
Sunday, 30 March, 1941 Hitler grants approval for the army's plan for the invasion of Yugoslavia, and sets the launch date for 6 April. Rommel continues his advance in Libya, breaking through the British position at Mersa Brega. The British forces (units of the 2nd Armored Division) are forced to withdraw, leaving behind 80 light armored vehicles. The Italian submarine Ambra sinks the cruiser HMS Bonaventure off Sollum. British Wellington bombers drop the first 4000 lb bomb, nicknamed "Cookie," on Emden. The US government places 69 German, Italian, and Danish merchant ship under protective custody, and arrest 875 German and Italian seamen, charging them with attempts to sabotage their ships. Mexico, Costa Rica, and Venezuela also intern ships of these nations. The strike situation in America continues to worsen; 400,000 coal miners are off the job, and teargas is used against strikers at the Allis- Chalmers plant near Milwaukee. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Bill Thacker military@att.att.com Send submissions for "50 Years Ago" to military-request@att.att.com "Germany will not stand for being insulted." - German spokesman, on the possibility that Yugoslavia will not honor her joining of the Axis