The battlecruiser MHS Hood is sunk by the Bismarck . The Bismarck is sunk. The battleship was caught by the Home Fleet after it was seriously damaged by Swordfish torpedo bombers. 31 May 1941 Fall of Crete. 15 June 1941 Operation Battleaxe , a counterattack of the 8th Army in North Africa.
Little advance is made.
The RAF identifies a requirement for 350 high-altitude Spitfire Mk. VIs with pressure cabins. The Luftwaffe destroys more than 2000 Soviet aircraft on the ground and in the air. 5 July 1941 First flight of the Spitfire Mk. This is the high-altitude version of the Mk.