WAR DEPARTMENT
WAR DEPARTMENT GENERAL STAFF
MILITARY INTELLIGENCE DIVISION
WASH I NGTON
March lO, 1941
Subject: The Mediteranean Situation.
Two German movements southvrard into the
Mediteranean world are now in full swing.
A German army or army group, under General
Field Marshal List, consisting of 16divisions, three of
which are motorized and five armored, has crossed the
Danube and occupiedBulgaria. This movement southward,
which is still in progress, has been coverod by strong
concentrations of the Bulgarian army in the upper reaches
of the Maritza valley and to the north of Adrianople.
The direction of the German advance is still obscure.
However, a part of the German army appears to be
taking position in the Struma valley to the northeast of
Salonika and, hence constituting itself as a major threat
to Greece. The German advance through Bulgariais
being protected by strong German air forces, the Fourth
Air Fleet, under the command of General of Flyers Loehr.
Twelve German divisions remain behind in Romania. This
latter force continues to receive reinforcements from interior
Germany.
A second German army of undetermined strength
is moving southward from Italy and Sicily into Libya. Very
corfused and contradictory reports from different European
capitals speak of the strength of this army as being
somewhere between 3 and 12 divisions, a large part of which
are mechanized. Italian reinforcements are also being sent to
Libya The transport movement between Sicily and Tripoli
is being covered by strong German and Italian air forces
under the command of General of Flyers Geissler.
British submarines have inflicted losses on the Italian
ships comprising the convoys, but the German movement
southward has not thereby been interrupted. At the present
time there appears to be not more than two armored
divisions of reduced strength in Libya.
German mechanized unites are no in contact with
British outposts to the southwest of Agheila. The German
air force base in Libya appears to have secure air supremacy
as far east as Bengazi The British state that, due to constant
German air attacks, the