[Homer_J_Simpson]

This could be a first. The lead article ends on page 1.

Big Planes Vital – 2
Fugitive Sees Duke – 2-3
21 Bombers Join Hawaii Defenders after Secret Flight from Coast * – 3
The International Situation – 4
Hess Trip No Trick, Angell Declares – 4
Hull and Oumansky in Hour’s Discussion – 4
Tanks and Luck Aid Axis in Egypt – 5-6
British Home Guards Mounted for the King – 6
Nazis Lose Tanks in Tobruk action – 6-7
Loudon Says Dutch will Defend Indies – 7
Death of British Diplomat in Enemy Action Revealed – 7
3,000 Honor Harvey for Patriotic Aims – 7
The Texts of the Day’s War Communiques – 8

* Well, it was secret.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1941/may41/f15may41.htm

British launch Operation Brevity

Thursday, May 15, 1941 www.onwar.com

In North Africa... Wavell begins an operation code named Brevity. It is designed to capture Halfaya Pass and gain ground leading to the more open areas of the Cyrenaica Plateau. The information which has been received from the interception of German signals, especially from the recent reports of General Paulus on the situation in Africa, has convinced Churchill that the German forces are weak and overextended. General Gott commands the Brevity operation. His plan calls for mixed columns to advance to Halfaya Pass and Fort Capuzzo and for a tank force to move to Sidi Aziz. On the first day the forces on the coast reach and capture Halfaya, but the 22nd Guards Brigade is held up in heavy fighting at Capuzzo. The tank force on the left makes good ground initially but the approach of the German 8th Panzer Regiment causes the British to decide to withdraw during May 16th.

In Occupied Yugoslavia... An independent Kingdom of Croatia is established with Italian backing.

From London... The British government announces that German planes are arriving in Syria and using Syrian bases to move on to Iraq.

Over Syria... The RAF bombs Palmyra and Damascus airfields. These attacks continue over the next few days.

In the Mediterranean... There are powerful German air attacks on the island of Crete. These are in preparation for the coming landing and are designed to subdue the garrison and compel the RAF to withdraw its few aircraft from Crete.

[iowamark]

"Should plane carriers penetrate the screens of protection laid down by the Flying Fortresses and afterward by the medium bombers, it is said that they would be met by a horde of pursuit ships of the same type being operated quite successfully by the British pilots in the defense of Britain."

If only that were correct!