So Hitler promised territorial gains, and pressurised Hungary (20 November 1940), Rumania (23 November 1940), and Bulgaria (1 March 1941) to join the Axis Camp. The Germans were worried that the British Blenheim and Wellington bombers would subsequently mount an attack on the vital Ploesti oilfields in Rumania. In hindsight it can be said that the Italians had blundered by not capturing Malta after joining the War. The British were able to mount upto 50 offensive sorties per day by February 1941, using 80 odd aircraft. Further concern was caused by the buildup of the RAF in Greece following the Italian invasion. Coupled with the setbacks against British Commonwealth forces in North Africa, Il Duce’s regime in Italy had become very unpopular and was seen as tottering in the eyes of the Fuhrer in Berlin. The Italians suffered combat losses of 89,696 personnel and 12,368 ‘frostbite’ cases. The Italians further invaded Greece from Albania in end October 1940, but the Greeks put up a stout defence and repelled the invasion by February 1941, capturing considerable stretches of Albanian border territory. The German Navy then started the crippling U-boat campaign on the cross Atlantic supply convoys to England, which lasted for over three years.Īfter Germany had invaded and annexed Czechoslovakia in March 1939, Fascist Italy attacked and annexed tiny Albania in April 1939 to bolster national prestige. The British stamped their supremacy at sea in the North Atlantic by hunting down and sinking the German capital ships Graf Spee and Bismarck. The heavy German losses in air assets (1977 attack aircrafts & 3510 trained aircrew) negated German plans for the envisaged follow-up amphibious invasion of England. Thereafter, the Luftwaffe launched the air-offensive on Britain during August to October 1940 period, but contrary to expectations it did not succeed in wiping out the RAF. Germany had overrun France during May-June 1940, and was in control of Western Europe. Benito Mussolini, the Fascist dictator of Italy (Il Deuce-The Leader) appreciated that it was an ideal time to conquer the littoral area around the Mediterranean. Italy had joined the Second World War on 10 June 1940.
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