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.