German Mechanized units in Bulgaria - in some cases, the stories were true.
German Mechanized units in the Balkans – in some cases, the stories were true.

– News for April 13, 1941 – NBC Blue Network – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –

Another day inching closer to a World at War.

This April 13th in 1941 was filled with stories of the situation in The Balkans, the German action in Greece, the fighting in East Africa, the signing of the Japanese/Soviet Pact and the implications that would have on future events in the Far East.

Stories filled the news with reports of evacuating Yugoslav troops, forced to retreat in the face of, as one Yugoslav soldier put it “the sky black with German bombers”. The Blitzkrieg method of fighting this new war was effective, but so were the new guerrilla methods, as was demonstrated by the Tetnicze, a group of dedicated Serbian peasants against the Germans.

Aside from The Balkans, news of the Russo/Japanese non-aggression and mutual friendship Pact Treaty signing was met with speculation over what Moscow had in mind when it handed Japan a free-hand in the affairs of Southeast Asia. It was the latest in a series of treaties and non-aggression pacts the Russians had signed with the Germans, Italians and now Japanese; making the Axis/Soviet non-aggression alliance complete and would doom China’s nearly 4 year fight against Japanese occupation. Japan’s Prince Konoye hailed the signing as a natural alliance with Germany and Italy, saying it was not only of epic-making significance in the Russian-Japanese relations, but would also hasten world peace. Germany hailed the pact, saying it completely changed the situation in the Far East, and would free Japan’s hands to concentrate on pursuing the New Order polices in the Far East in the face of Anglo-American opposition.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill – despite it being an Easter Sunday, there was major concern over the latest news regarding the Russo-Japanese Neutrality Pact signing as well as repercussions around Denmark’s repudiation of the signed agreement between Washington and the Danish Foreign Minister, under which the U.S. took over protection of Greenland. The Danish Foreign Minister, it was reported, acted on his own and without the acknowledgement of Copenhagen.

A day busily unfolding in the Balkans – and an Easter Sunday at that, this April 13th in 1941 as reported by the News Of The World from The Blue Network.

If you like what Past Daily does every day, you might want to consider giving it your support by becoming a Subscriber through Patreon. For as little as one cup of coffee a month you help keep Past Daily up and running, giving you history you probably haven’t heard before – music you probably weren’t aware existed – people and places you may have forgotten completely about. We do it all here – all day, every day. So, chipping in is a huge help and it’s easy – all you have to do is click on the Red Box just below (“Become A Patron”) and make your pledge. You can even try us out for free for 7 days. You get e-mail alerts every time we post something (three times a day or more) – ability to download all the sounds you hear (you can’t otherwise) and being part of something we hope makes a difference. So, mull it around for a bit and become part of the family. We’d love to have you!