[Historical note: On this day Adolf Hitler issued an order to invade Yugoslavia. After Yugoslavia joined the Axis, against the wishes of the people and the King, 17-year-old King Peter and the military led a coup and overthrew the government. This enraged Hitler because he needed Yugoslavia on his side so he could help the Italians with campaign in Greece. Hitler put off the invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa) for this reason. The months-long delay caused by this decision may have cost Hitler the war in the east, which was always his true objective. Because he waited until June to invade the USSR, his armies got caught in the Russian winter and was ultimately defeated.]

(The report also claims that HMS Sturgeon sank a German 8,000 ton tanker. Sturgeon did fire on a tanker, but missed. I have no record of the RAF sinking a German ship on or about Mar. 26th.)

(The report claims that there is "concrete proof" that "well over 100 German merchant and war vessels have been destroyed as a result." It is difficult to determine how long it took for over 100 German ships to be sunk by mines, but it was not a quick process. The Germans, like the British, cleared minefields as quickly as they were identified. It was rare that a minefield would account for a high number of ships being sunk exactly for this reason. It was true that the Kiel Canal was closed on several occasions because of ships sunk by mines, but the report makes it seem like the 100 ships had been sunk in short order recently, which was not true. The report also claims that HMS Sturgeon sank an 8,000-ton German ship, which was not true. Sturgeon did fire on a German ship, but the torpedoes missed.)

(So says the British Ambassador to the U.S.A. Lord Halifax, sounds a lot like Volodymyr Zelenskyy today. We did not help England fight the war until we were attacked by Japan, no matter how many pleas were made, no matter how many civilians were killed by German bombers and we won't help Ukraine today, no matter how many cities are destroyed, no matter how many civilians are killed, no matter how many times Zelenskyy asks for help, we will not help, we will just say how much we "stand with Ukraine" but we will stand way in the back so we don't get hurt.)

(In his speech he was quoted as saying something that could have been said today about the Russo-Ukrainian War. He said; it was "Foolishness to believe that it is for us to choose whether or not we will be attacked by Nazi Germany or that we can avoid attack if we will avoid provocation. A dozen European countries prove the foolishness of that belief." He declared "We have no choice as to whether or not we will be attacked, that choice is Hitler's and he has already made it - not for Europe only, but for Africa and Asia and the world. Our only choice is to choose whether or not we will resist. And to choose in time while resistance is still possible, while others are still alive to stand beside us." While he was speaking about Hitler, this could easily be said about Putin today.)

(38,500 GRT destroyed yesterday.)

(Japan with you in joy and sorrow!)