19 Apr 1941
  • German troops captured Larisa, Greece, theoretically allowing them to move south along the eastern coast of Greece, thus this movement was to be hampered by roads and bridges that were destroyed by retreating Allied troops. Elsewhere, troops of German Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Regiment captured Ioannina 50 miles from the western coast of Greece, further frustrating the southward retreat of Greek Epirus Army from Albania. British General Wavell flew to Athens, Greece for a meeting with King George II where the king agreed that the Allies could not hold Greece, and preparations should begin immediately to evacuate troops to Crete to prevent further destruction of the country. General Wilson was ordered to prepare for a stand at Thermopylae with a small rearguard force to protect the southward evacuation of British troops. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
  • 450 British commandos conducted an amphibious raid against Axis forces in Bardia, Libya. An Italian supply dump and a coastal artillery battery were destroyed. While most men were successfully evacuated after the raid, 1 was killed by friendly fire and 67 were captured after getting lost and going to the wrong beach. ww2dbase [Bardia Raid | CPC]
  • Erwin Rommel personally inspected the front lines in the Libyan-Egyptian border area. ww2dbase [Erwin Rommel | CPC]
Ethiopia
  • Indian 5th Division (marching south from Amara, Eritrea, Italian East Africa) and British 1st South African Brigade (marching north from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) attacked toward the 7,000-strong Italian garrison at Amba Alagi, Ethiopia. ww2dbase [Invasion of Italian East Africa | Amba Alagi | CPC]
United Kingdom
  • 712 German bombers conducted a heavy raid on London, England, United Kingdom starting in the evening hours. Although the primary target was the London docks, the Old Place School in Poplar, East London, which was being used as a sub-fire station, was struck by a stray bomb, killing 13 London firefighters of both genders and 21 male Beckenham firemen; it was the largest single loss of firefighters in British history. The bombing continued past midnight. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | London, England | TH]



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Troops of US 630th Tank Destroyer Battalion, all vehicles lost in combat, manning the front line near Bastogne, Belgium, 20 Dec 1944

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