While the Germans advanced in Russia, their enemies in the Balkans began to stir again and the British were recovering from their defeats in the eastern Mediterranean. All through the autumn there were ominous signs in the Mediterranean, and in November, 1941, the British resumed their advance in North Africa which had been halted and driven back as a result of the diversion of forces to Greece. To counter this Hitler decided, at the end of October, to transfer a whole Air Corps to the Central Mediterranean. On 2nd December he gave the orders in the form of a Directive.