Australia’s War Diary

North Africa. 3 Squadron RAAF withdraws from Benina to Sceleidima and then to Gut es Sultan. During the afternoon 7 Hurricanes with 4 from 73 Squadron RAF bounce eight Stukas escorted by Bf 110s. P/O Peter Turnbull claims 4 of the escorts and F/Lt Gordon Steege one. Of the Stukas, F/LtAlan Rawlinson shoots down 2 and F/Lt Smith 1. Three are claimed as probables. Crete. LtA R Ramsey of 805 Squadron FAA is covering a convoy as it approaches the Antikythera Channel when two Ju 88s attack the ships. In spite of his slow Fulmar he shoots down one and chases off the other.

April 4 – North Africa. Italian and German forces retake Benghazi. April 5 – North Africa. During three patrols over the Saree Pass covering the withdrawal of the Australian 9th Division, 3 Squadron, operating from Maraua with 73 Squadron, has another highly successful day. Out of 14 kills the Australians score 10, all Stukas. F/Lt John “Jock” Perrin, 3; F/O John Jackson, 2; F/Os Ellerton, Kloster and Jewell, 1 each. The remaining 2 are credited to lost pilots, Victorian F/Lt A Edwards, who is picked up by the British 2nd Armoured Division but later captured, and S/Ldr D Campbell who is KIA. Afterwards the Hurricanes fly to their new base at Martuba.

April 6 – Balkans. The Germans invade Yugoslavia and Greece. Blitzkreig tactics are again employed with overwhelming success. North Africa. The Australian 9th Division begins to pull back from Derna to Tobruk.

April 6/7 – Greece. A German night attack on Piraeus practically destroys the port when the 7,649 tonne Clan Fraser carrying 254 tonnes of TNT explodes. Eleven merchant vessels are destroyed with 2 tugs, 60 lighters and 25 caiques. Many others are damaged. The blasts are so severe that windows in Athens, 11km distant, are shattered.

April 7 – North Africa. 3 Squadron strafes near Mechilli destroying two Ju 52s on the ground. F/O E Knowles force lands behind Allied lines because of engine failure.

April 8 – North Africa. The 9th Division completes its withdrawal into Tobruk. 3 Squadron flies offensive patrols over Mechiii during the day. F/O W Jewell force lands because of engine failure. The squadron is then ordered back into Egypt to protect Salum with the additional duty of reinforcing 73 Squadron providing air cover for Tobruk when required.

Britain. Fighter Command’s first RAAF squadron, No 452, forms at Kirton-in-Lindsey. It will be equipped with Spitfire Is. Initially, although the pilots are EATS trained Australians, the CO, S/Ldr R G Dutton, flight commanders and ground crew are all British. April 9-Greece. German spearheads reach the sea at Salonika. Greek forces in eastern Macedonia capitulate.

Britain. In reply to PrimeMinisterMenzies’ request, British Chiefs of Staff reject the use of Hawker Hurricanes in the Far East because they could only be provided at the expense of the RAF in the Middle East. They claim that the Brewster Buffalo will prove more than a match for Japanese aircraft.

April 10 – Greece. Australian troops make first contact with the Germans at Vevi.

North Africa. Tobruk is now under siege but defences have been well prepared. Inside is the Australian 9th Division supported by a British infantry brigade, an anti-aircraft regiment and a tank regiment all commanded by General Leslie Morshead.

April 11-North Africa. Rommel makes a violent but unsuccessful attack against Tobruk.

April 12 – Greece. The Australians and New Zealanders, now renamed the Anzac Corps, are ordered to hold the Olympus Aliakmon line.

Malta. S/Ldr Ernest “Titch” Whiteley of 69 Squadron on reconnaissance in a Maryland reports a convoy of 5 freighters escorted by 3 destroyers south-west of Pantelleria. It is shadowed and unsuccessfully attacked by torpedo carrying FAA Swordfish. Two Swordfish are lost.

April 14 – North Africa. Near Tobruk F/O Wilfred Arthur and Lt A Tennant, a South African flying with 3 Squadron, are attacked by three Bf 110s. Each man claims a probable. German records admit losing one Messerschmitt.

April 15 – Greece. The RAF suffers a crippling blow when 30 fighters and bombers are destroyed on Larissa airfield.

Sgt Vernon Hudson RAAF, a Blenheim pilot of 11 Squadron, is flying the unit’sMagister from Almyros to Larissa to collect operational orders from Wing HQ when he is attacked by Bf 109s. Although not hit, he is forced down short of the airfield. Ten minutes later he takes off and reaches Larissa just in time for another heavy raid. The Magister collects a few holes but Hudson is able to leave for Almyros shortly afterwards.

NorthAfrica. The new CO of 3 Squadron, S/Ldr Peter Jeffrey, surprises four unescorted Ju 52s. He shoots one down and, finding the others have landed, strafes and leaves them all in flames. Malta. “Titch” Whiteley of 69 Squadron again finds 5 enemy freighters escorted by 3 destroyers, this time in bad weather off the coast of Tunisia. He shadows them until relieved by another Maryland. Meanwhile, the 14th Destroyer Flotilla is dispatched from Malta and during a night battle it sinks every Italian ship for the loss of one destroyer.

Britain. RAF Coastal Command comes under Admiralty operational control in a bid to increase its effectiveness in the battle against U-boats.

April 16 – Greece. Two Hurricanes of 80 Squadron intercept twenty Ju 88s over Khalkis. Victorian, F/O G F Graham destroys one and AA accounts for another.

The C-iri-C Middle East, General Wavell, orders that the 7th Australian Division and the Polish Brigade will not sail from Egypt to Greece. This decision in effect abandons the Greek campaign. April 17-Balkans. Yugoslavia surrenders.

Crete. Lt A R Ramsey of 805 Squadron intercepts a reconnaissance Ju 88 but the slowness of his Fulmar all CJWs the enemy to escape without apparent damage.

April 18-Greece. Greek Prime Minister Alexandros Korizis commits suicide.

April 19 – Greece. Wavell gives orders for the evacuation of all British forces from Greece. The Anzac Corps is deployed as rearguard at Thermopylae to protect the re-embarkation. Its stand there will last until the 24th. In western Macedonia, the Greek army surrenders to the Germans.

April 20-Malta. Over Valetta, 2 Hurricanes attack an Italian raid of three SM. 79s, nine CR. 42s and fifteen MC. 200s. Queenslander P/O John “Tiger” Pain of 261 Squadron destroys one, possibly two, CR. 42s.

Greece. Heavy aerial fighting over Athens and F/O G F Graham of 80 Squadron is involved. Out of 15 Hurricanes, 8 are lost and 1 badly damaged (Germans claim 14 Hurricanes and 1 Spitfire). Hurricane pilots claim 20 destroyed and 8 probables (actual Luftwaffe losses 14). KIA is highest scoring RAF ace, South African S/Ldr M T Pattie DFC and bar.

Sgt Vernon Hudson lands his Blenheim at Menidi and taxis to safety just before the airfield is heavily strafed by Bf 11Os. It is the Australian’s second close call in four days and he receives the nickname “Lucky”. Four Blenheims are destroyed and six damaged. Three other aircraft are also destroyed.

North Africa. 3 Squadron RAAF is ordered to hand over all its Hurricanes to 274 Squadron RAF and go on leave to Aboukir before equipping with Curtiss Tomahawks. During its first tour of duty it has destroyed 47 enemy aircraft, probably destroyed 1 O and damaged 13 for the loss 12 aircraft and 6 pilots.

April 21 – Singapore. Another conference is held lasting until the 24th to “prepare plans for conducting military operations in the Far East on the basis of Anglo-United States-Dutch cooperation” if Japan attacks the Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaya, etc. April 22 – Greece. Sgt Vernon “Lucky” Hudson has more miraculous escapes. Between raids the few remaining Blenheims of 11, 84 and 211 Squadrons begin evacuating personnel to Heraklion in Crete, each aircraft carrying 9 passengers at a time. On his way back to Menidi for another load, Hudson’s Blenheim, L1481, is shot up by five CR. 42s. He force lands on the water near a small ship and is rescued – temporarily. The vessel is later bombed by Stukas and abandoned in flames. As Hudson and the crew swim to safety they are strafed. Surviving again and reaching shore, he eventually hitches a ride on another Blenheim bound for Crete. This too is attacked and badly damaged, by aBf 110, but it manages to reach Heraklion safely. Vernon Hudson will receive a DFM for his exploits in Greece. 112 Squadron’s remaining Gladiators (F/Lt Charles Fry) fly to Heraklion in Crete.

April 24 – Greece. German attacks at Thermopylae are held off. At night the main evacuation of British forces begins.

April 27 – Malta. Operation “Dunlop”. 24 Hurricanes are flown off carrier HMSArkRoyal, 23 reach the island. Sgt F G Sheppard is an Australian newcomer. The men and machines will become 185 Squadron and will operate from Takali and Hal Far. A Sunderland of 228 Squadron which had guided a Hurricane flight in lands at Kalafrana but is immediately strafed and destroyed by two Bf 109s. Greece. The Germans enter Athens. Covering the evacuation convoys, three Blenheim IVFs of 203 Squadron attack and disrupt a formation of 20 Stukas covered by sixBf 11Os and some Bf 109s. Blenheim L9237 flown by F/Lt J C Whittall of Neutral Bay, NSW is seen to close in on a Bf 110 and fire, but the Blenheim disappears in a steep dive. Whittall and hiscrew are never seen again. April 28 – Gibraltar. Sunderland P9600/RB-E of 10 Squadron RAAF, captained by S/Ldr Ivan Podger on detachment at Gibralta, delivers maintenance crews for a Beaufighter unit. Crete. At Heraklion 112 Squadron has only 6 of its 14 Gladiators serviceable. In view of the worsening situation, half of its pilots and ground crew are withdrawn to Egypt leaving Newcastle’s F/Lt Charles Fry in charge of 10 pilots and hoping for the early arrival of promised Hurricanes.

Seagull amphibian A2-17, which had been detached from HMAS Perth to carry out reconnaissance operations from Suda Bay and to make way for the installation of more AA guns on the cruiser, is attacked by two Ju 88s while reconnoitring the island of Kithera to the north. After a long chase F/Lt E Beaumont RAAF has to bring the burning amphibian down into the water. He and his crew, Sub-Lt G Brian RN and Petty Officer D Bowden RAN, scramble into their dinghy just before the blazing hulk sinks. They are rescued by a destroyer during the night.

April 28/29 – Greece. Last night of the evacuation of British and Anzac troops. Officially, 50,662 have been embarked safely. Two destroyers and four transports carrying around 500 troops have been lost. For 5,200 casualties the Germans have conquered Greece and Yugoslavia in less than a month.

April 30-Atlantic. This month Li-boats have sunk 43 ships, only 1 0 of which were in convoys. German aircraft have sunk a total of 116 vessels in all theatres.

Britain. During the month, although some Luftwaffe units have been withdrawn for operations in the Balkans, the Blitz has continued. London in particular has suffered 700+ sorties on the nights of 16/17 and 19/20. In reply, RAF Bomber Command has targeted, among others, Brest, Kiel, Emden, Wilhelmshaven and Mannheim.

Australia. Bound for the Middle East are 64 ground staff for 3 Squadron; 279 for 450 Squadron; 270 for 451 Squadron; and 25 for No 1 Air Ambulance Unit. North Africa. In the last 3 weeks German aircraft have launched 677 sorties against Tobruk. Approximately 70 aircraft have been claimed destroyed by defending fighters and anti-aircraft batteries. At dusk, after heavy shelling, the Germans launch another major attack . . .