Jubilant crowed in Skopje caring portraits of Bulgarian Tsar Boris III and Adolph Hitler. Macedonia had a significant Bulgarian minority and Bulgarian troops occupied much of it during the war. Given this, the region was at first sympathetic to the Axis in the form of Bulgaria. Tsar Boris was a popular figure in Bulgaria who did not live to see the war completed. He participated in the repression of his country's Jewish population but he would not agree to deportation to the death camps, nor would he agree to participate in the war against the Soviet Union. He died in 1943 shortly after meeting with Hitler and some have suspected he was poisoned.
Things were not going well for the Allies in the Balkans.
On this day Albania surrendered to Italy, something that was perhaps inevitable but which is remarkable not for occurring, but for how long Albania was able to manage to avoid that result. It had held out with Greek support until the German intervention in the war reversed Greek and Albanian fortunes in the region. Also on this day the Greek III Army Corps surrendered to the Germans.
On the same day, the Battle of Athens, an air battle over that city took place.
The British did conduct a successful commando raid at Bardia, behind German lines in North Africa, causing the Germans to have to detail troops to their rear.
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