Chronology of main events from June 1940
| 1940 | General | Mediterranean Sea | Egypt and the desert | Red Sea and East Africa | Balkans |
| June | 11 Italy enters the war 22 Franco-German armistice 24 Franco-Italian armistice 28 His Majesty’s Government recognises General de Gaulle | 23 Admiral Somerville’s Force H begins to assemble at Gibraltar | Frontier action | Success against Italian submarines | |
| July | 1 Rumania denounces Anglo- French guarantee Battle of Britain begins | 3 Action against French warships at Oran 4 French ships at Alexandria demilitarized 9 Fleet action off Calabria 19 Action off Cape Spada |
Frontier operations: Sudan: 4 Loss of Kassala and Gallabat Kenya: 15 Loss of Moyale Khartoum: 3 Emporer Haile Selassie arrives from England |
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| Aug | 26 French Equatorial Africa declares for de Gaulle 30 Second ‘Vienna Award’ announced |
1 HMS Argus flies Hurricanes to Malta |
5 General Legentilhomme leaves Jibuti 5–19 Loss of British Somaliland Sudan: 12 Sandford’s Mission enters Ethiopia |
15 Loss of Greek cruiser Helle | |
| Sept | 23/25 General de Gaulle’s unsuccesful expedition to Dakar 27 Germany, Italy and Japan sign a ten-year Pact |
5 Naval reinforcements including HMS Illustrious reach Alexandria |
13/18 Italian advance, into Egypt 20 First aircraft leave for Egypt along the Takoradi reinforcement route | ||
| Oct | 23 Meeting between Hitler and Franco | 16 Mr Eden’s three- weeks tour begins | German troops enter Rumania 28 Italians invade Greece 29 British advanced parties reach Crete | ||
| Nov | 4 Spain assumes control of Tangier |
11 Fleet Air Arm’s attack at Taranto 17 HMS Argus flies Hurricanes to Malta 27 Action off Cape Spartivento, Sardinia |
Sudan: 6/9 Action at Gallabat |
4 Royal Air Force begin to operate in Greece 8 Italian offensive collapses 18 Greek counter-stroke begins; British Liasion Mission to Turkey | |
| Dec | Several changes in Italian High Command 11 Hitler’s plans to capture Gibraltar cancelled 18 Hitler issues directive for invasion of Russia | 9 First British offensive begins 16 Capture of Sollum |
Kenya: 16 Raid on El Wak |
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| 1941 | |||||
| Jan | 10 Lend-Lease Bill before Congress |
11 First attack by the Luftwaffe from Sicily 12/23 HMS Illustrious at Malta |
4 Capture of Bardia 11 Long Range Desert Group raids Murzuk 22 Capture of Tobruk 29 Aerial mining of the Suez Canal begins |
British offensive begins: Sudan: 19 Capture of Kassala Kenya: Capture of 18 Mega and 22 Moyale |
13 British offer of troops to Greece declined 29 Death of General Metaxas 31 Mr. Churchill’s appeal to the Turkish President |
| Feb | 12 Mr. Eden and General Dill leave England for the Middle East | 9 Bombardment of Genoa 17 Attempted landing on Kaso 25 Landing on Castelorizo | 6 Capture of Benghazi 5/7 Battle of Beda Fomm 12 General Rommel arrives at Tripoli |
Sudan: Actions at 1 Agordat and 2 Barentu 3 Battle of Keren begins 23 Emperor enters Kenya: 19 Crossing of River Juba Capture of 14 Kismayu and 25 Mogadishu |
22 The Eden Mission in Athens; 26 Ankara |
| Mar | 1 Bulgaria joins the Axis | 1 Capture of Kufra by the Free French | 27 Capture of Keren | 2 The Eden Mission in returns to Athens 5 Sailing of the British forces for Greece begins | |
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11 Lend-Lease Act signed by President Roosevelt 27 Yugoslav coup d’état |
28 Battle of Matapan | 30 Axis offensive begins | 9/16 Italian offensive in Albania | ||
| Apr |
3 Coup d’état in Iraq |
21 Bombardment of Tripoli | 10 Tobruk cut off and besieged | Capture of 1 Asmara 8 Massawa and 5 Addis Ababa 11 Red Sea opened to United States shipping | 6 Germans invade Greece 23 Greek Government goes to Crete 27 Germans enter Athens |
| May | 2 Iraq forces attack Habbaniya | Successful passage of TIGER convoy | Fighting at Sollum and Halfaya | 16 Duke of Aosta surenders at Amba Alagi | 20 Germans invade Crete |
Thick line denotes end of the present volume.
[Table data consolidated on page 452]
[Table data consolidated on page 452]
[Table data consolidated on page 452]
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