lordroel
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Post by lordroel on May 11, 2021 2:47:34 GMT
Day 976 of World War II, May 11th 1942Battle of the Atlantic In the Atlantic 400 miles Northeast of Barbuda, U-502 sinks British MV Cape of Good Hope (carrying military supplies from USA to British 8th Army in Egypt). 1 lifeboat with 18 survivors lands at Tortola, Virgin Islands on 24 May. Another boat with 19 survivors lands after 18 days at Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Battle of the Mediterranean At noon, British destroyers HMS Kipling, Jackal, Jervis and Lively, which are searching for an Italian convoy to Benghazi, are detected by German reconnaissance aircraft from Crete. At 2.30 PM, 14 Ju88 bombers attack, carrying two 500kg and two 250kg bombs each. HMS Lively is hit and sinks at 3.30 PM 120 miles North of Sidi Barrani, Egypt (76 killed). At dusk, another 7 Ju88s attack 60 miles North of Sidi Barrani, sinking HMS Kipling (25 killed) and setting HMS Jackal on fire (15 killed). HMS Jervis rescues 630 survivors from the 3 ships and takes the burning HMS Jackal in tow. At Malta, Spitfires which arrived in Operation Bowery go into action during an axis bombing raid, shooting down 47 German aircraft and Italian CANT bombers (3 Spitfires shot down). This effectively ends daylight bombing of Malta. Black Sea campaign In the Black Sea, Luftwaffe aircraft sink Soviet gunboat Rion and barge Anakriya killing 400 wounded troops being evacuated from the Crimea. Pacific War ALASKA Photo: A U.S. Army Air Forces Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber (USAAF s/n 40-1447) on the airfield at Cold Bay, Alaska (USA), with a Mark XIII aerial torpedo hung below its bomb bay, 11 May 1942 CORAL SEA After floating for 4 days in the Coral Sea, the wreck of US oiler USS Neosho is located by Australian and American aircraft. At 1 PM, US destroyer USS Henley arrives and sinks USS Neosho with gunfire, after rescued the 123 survivors from Neosho and US destroyer USS Sims. Photo: The U.S. Navy fleet oiler USS Sabine (AO-25) approaches the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) for refueling on 11 May 1942. On deck are Douglas SBD-2/-3 Dauntless from Scouting Squadron 6 (VS-6) and Bombing Squadron 6 (VB-6). A Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat from Fighting Squadron 6 (VF-6) in foreground bears the old red-centered star markings
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on May 12, 2021 2:48:38 GMT
Day 977 of World War II, May 12th 1942Eastern FrontSoviet Southern and Southwestern Fronts begin the Kharkov offensive, attacking towards Kharkov out of the Izium salient. After 1 hour artillery barrage from 6.30 – 7.30 AM and 20 minutes of aerial bombardment, Soviet forces move forward at 7.30 AM supported by T34 and British lend lease Mark II Valentine tanks, making gains of 3-10 km. However, German 6th Army, under General Paulus, is preparing to launch its own offensive to cut off Soviet troops in the Izium salient. Soviets meet stiff German resistance, including 2 Sturer Emil self-propelled tank destroyers named Max and Moritz, and realize they are facing many more German troops than expected. Soviet 38th Army withdraws 3 tank Brigades to protect against a counterattack by German 3rd and 23rd Panzer Divisions in the Kharkov area. In the Crimea, Soviet troops withdraw from the Kerch Peninsula in the face of frontal attacks from German 11th Army. With this battle won, many aircraft from Wolfram von Richthofen’s Fliegerkorps VIII are immediately deployed to Kharkov to resist the Soviet offensive. Photo: German airfield in the Kerch Peninsula with two Junkers Ju 52 transports, May 1942 Battle of the Atlantic35 miles South of Cape Fear, North Carolina, U-558 sinks British anti-submarine trawler HMS Bedfordshire, which is on loan to the US Navy (all 37 hands lost). In the Gulf of St. Lawrence 50 miles Southwest of Anticosti Island, U-553 sinks Dutch SS Leto and British SS Nicoya. 2 miles off the entrance to Southwest Pass, Mississippi River, U-507 sinks US turbine tanker Virginia carrying 180,000 barrels of gasoline. In the Caribbean 90 miles North of Bonaire, U-69 sinks Norwegian tanker MV Lise with torpedoes and the deck gun (12 killed, 21 survivors including 5 on a raft who are not found until May 31). In the middle of the Atlantic 800 miles West of Ireland, U-94 and U-124 attack convoy ONS-92. U-94 sinks Panamanian SS Cocle at 3.40 AM (5 killed, 37 survivors). U-124 sinks British catapult armed merchant Empire Dell and British SS Llanover at 2 AM (2 dead, 92 survivors) and Greek SS Mount Parnes and British SS Cristales at 4 AM (all 115 hands survive). Soviet submarine K-23 attacks a German convoy off Nordkyn, Northern Norway. Convoy escorts UJ1101, UJ1108 and UJ1110 counterattack with depth charges and sink K-23 (all hands lost). Battle of the MediterraneanBritish destroyer HMS Jackal, damaged by bombers yesterday burns out of control while under tow by destroyer HMS Jervis. HMS Jervis torpedoes the wreck of HMS Jackal off Sidi Barrani, Egypt, and returns to Alexandria with 650 survivors from HMS Kipling, Jackal and Lively. A formation of fourteen Ju 52s from III./KGzbV 1, escorted by 2 Bf 110s, departed Maleme/Crete for Derna/Cyrenaica, each loaded with some 20 soldiers. The formation was intercepted 80km off the North African coast by 14 RAF Beaufighters and Kittyhawks and in the running battle, nine of the Junkers were shot down and another 2 had to make forced landings on the shore. All 9 Junkers were from 11. Staffel. North African campaign
Photo: Rhodesian troops of the 60th King's Royal Rifles in a Bedford MWD 15cwt truck in the Western Desert, 12 May 1942 United StatesPhoto: USS Massachusetts (BB-59) in Boston Harbor (USA), on 20 May 1942 Pacific War PHILIPPINES Last U.S. troops in Philippines surrender on Mindanao. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): B-17's fly their first mission in direct defense of the air cargo line to China when 4 B-17's from Dum Dum Airfield, India heavily damage the runways and set fire to several parked aircraft at Myitkyina, Burma. Myitkyina, which fell to the Japanese on 8 May, poses a serious fighter threat to the Allied base at Dinjan. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-17's and B-26's hit shipping in Simpson Harbor and the Lakunai Airfield. 30th Bombardment Squadron, 19th BG, transfers from Cloncurry to Longreach with B-17's. NEW GUINEA Following the failed invasion of Port Moresby, Papua, the Japanese plan to occupy Nauru and Ocean islands in the South Pacific. Troop transports Kinryū Maru and Takahata Maru depart Rabaul, escorted by cruiser Tatsuta, destroyers Uzuki and Yuzuki and minelayers Okinoshima and Tsugaru. At 4.52 AM 125 miles East of Rabaul, US submarine USS S-42 severely damages minelayer Okinoshima which is taken in tow by a destroyer. USS S-42 is counterattacked with depth charges by the escort ships for 6 hours causing major damage and forcing her to return to base at Brisbane, Australia. Japanese repair ship Shoei Maru is called out from Rabaul to assist Okinoshima. At 6.40 AM, Okinoshima capsizes and sinks in St. George's Channel. Repair ship Shoei Maru turns back to Rabaul but is hit by 2 torpedoes from US submarine USS S-44 at 9.57 AM and sinks at 2.40 PM. INDIAN OCEAN THEATRE - BATTLE OF MADAGASCAR Photo: At the end of Operation Ironclad, the Allied landings on Madagascar. As seen from the Dido Class cruiser HMS Hermione , HMS Ramillies about to enter French Bay Harbour, near Diego Suarez, Madagascar
Photo: General views of the warships and British merchant ships in harbour at Diego Suarez, Madagascar after the French (Vichy France) had surrendered Photo: At the end of Operation Ironclad, the Allied landings on Madagascar. Aerial views of French Bay Harbour, Diego Suarez. General view of the warships and British Merchant ships in harbour CORAL SEA Photo: Grumman F4F 3 Wildcat VF-6 aboard CV 6 USS Enterprise 12th May 1942 Photo: Grumman F4F 3 Wildcat VF-6 Black 7 being launched from CV 6 USS Enterprise 12th May 1942
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on May 13, 2021 7:19:54 GMT
Day 978 of World War II, May 13th 1942Eastern Front Kharkov offensive - Soviets continue making slow progress towards Kharkov out of the Izium salient, advancing another 10km. German generals, including General Paulus, hold off launching a major counteroffensive, awaiting Luftwaffe aircraft from Fliegerkorps VIII to arrive from the Crimea. Photo: Soviet fortifications and barbed wire on the Kerch Peninsula, May 1942 Battle of the Atlantic Overnight, German armed merchant cruiser Stier attempts to break out into the Atlantic through the English Channel, escorted by torpedoboats Iltis, Kondor, Falke and Seeadler. 14-inch batteries at Dover fire on the convoy, without effect. British motor torpedo boats sneak up in dense fog off Cap Gris Nez and attack (MTB220 is hit and sinks). Torpedoboat Iltis is torpedoed by MTB.221 and sinks (115 killed) and MTB.219 sinks torpedoboat Seeadler (85 killed, some by machinegun fire from Stier as she passes in the confusion). Stier reaches Boulogne undamaged and torpedoboats Kondor and Falke return to the battlescene for survivors, rescuing 88 Germans and 3 from British MTB220. In the middle of the Atlantic 980 miles West of Ireland, U-94 attacks convoy ONS-92 again, sinking Swedish SS Tolken and British SS Batna (British rescue ship Bury picks up 75 survivors). U-128 attacks convoy SL-109 300 miles Northwest of the Cape Verde Islands sinking British SS Denpark (21 killed, 25 survivors picked up by the Danish merchant Nordlys and British merchant City of Windsor). In the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana, U-507 damages US tanker SS Gulf Prince carrying 71,000 barrels of crude oil at 12.30 PM and U-506 sinks US tanker SS Gulf Penn carrying 104,181 barrels of fuel oil at 9.38 PM. In the Caribbean 100 miles East of Bonaire, U-69 sinks American SS Norlantic (7 killed, 17 survivors in 2 lifeboats picked up by Dutch schooner Mississippi on 16 May, 2 men on a raft rescued by freighter Marpesia on May 24 and 3 men on a raft rescued by tug Crusader Kingston off the coast of Nicaragua on June 19 having drifted 1000 miles in 37 days). 200 miles East of Barbados, U-162 sinks US tanker SS Esso Houston while U-156 sinks British SS City of Melbourne and Dutch MV Koenjit. HMS Trinidad sails from Murmansk, USSR, for Britain after temporary repairs to torpedo damage caused by one of her own torpedoes during an engagement on March 29 with the German destroyers Z 24, Z 25 and Z 26. Photo: HMS Rodney underway after refitting at Liverpool Battle of the MediterraneanPhoto: A 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun and crew, Malta, 13 May 1942 Pacific War CHINA-BURMA-INDIA The Chinese 6th Division retreats across the Salwen River on the way to Kengtung in the Burma Theater. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-17's and B-26's hit shipping Simpson Harbor and the Lakunai Airfield. AUSTRALIA 30th Bombardment Squadron, 19th BG (Heavy), transfers from Cloncurry to Longreach with B-17's. JAPAN 20 miles off the Southeast coast of Japan US submarine USS Drum sinks Japanese cargo ship Shonan Maru. CORAL SEA Photo: The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) steaming in the Coral Sea area, 13 May 1942. Photographed from USS Enterprise (CV-6)
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on May 14, 2021 6:37:20 GMT
Day 979 of World War II, May 14th 1942Eastern FrontKharkov offensive - Soviets continue advancing West out of the Izium salient, but Soviet 28th Army, forming the Northern pincer advancing from another salient near Volchansk, is pounded to a standstill by Luftwaffe Fliegerkorps VIII, newly-arrived from the Crimea. Soviet fighters sent in to engage the Germans are decisively beaten despite being numerically superior. Hitler orders General Ewald von Kleist to counterattack with his 1st Panzergruppe. In the Black Sea, Soviet destroyer Dzerzhinski sinks on a Soviet mine near Sevastopol. Photo: Ju 88 from KG 3 in flight over Russia in 1942 Continuation War
Photo: German Gebirgsjäger troops of the XVIII Army Corps advancing towards Soviet positions, Louhi, in the direction to Jelettijärven, Karelia, 15 May 1942 Battle of the Atlantic In the English Channel, near Cherbourg, RAF aircraft sink minesweepers M26 and M256. In the North Sea, minesweeping trawler M-1307 German hits a mine and sinks. Battle of the CaribbeanIn the Gulf of Mexico, U-506 torpedoes US tanker SS David McKelvy, carrying 81,000 barrels of crude oil which explodes (17 killed, 25 survivors many horribly burned, 2 men survive in fresh water tanks in the ship´s bottom until the fire burns out). SS David McKelvy will be beached on the Louisiana coast but declared a total loss. U-564 sinks neutral Mexican tanker SS Potrero del Llano by mistake off the Southeast tip of Florida (13 dead, 22 survivors picked up by American patrol vessel USS PC-536 and taken to Miami). This incident will contribute to Mexico’s declaration of war against Germany in June. US Commander in Chief United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations (COMINCH-CNO) Admiral Ernest King recognises the unacceptable losses on the US East coast (109 ships in 4 months) and begrudgingly allows Vice-Admiral Adolphus Andrews, in command of Eastern Sea Frontier, to organise an interlocking convoy system running from Newport, Rhode Island, to Key West, Florida, consisting in part of small cutters and private vessels. Photo: Mexican oil tanker SS Potrero Del Llano burns near Miami, Florida on May 14, 1942 after being torpedoed by German U-boat U-564 50 miles West of Grenada, U-155 sinks Belgian MV Brabant. 14 miles Southwest by of Grand Cayman, U-125 sinks Honduran SS Comayagua. U-162 continues creating havoc off the coast of South America. 90 miles Northeast of Barbados, U-162 uses 6 torpedoes to sink British tanker SS British Colony, carrying 9800 tons of Admiralty fuel oil (4 lost, 43 survivors make land near Bridgetown, Barbados). Battle of the Mediterranean 5 miles off Port Said, Egypt, at the mouth of the Suez Canal, Allied convoy runs into a minefield laid by U-561 on April 14. Greek SS Mount Olympus sinks and Greek SS Fred is damaged. Norwegian SS Hav is towed to shore and beached but burns out and is a total loss. At 9 PM off Ras el Hilal, Libya, British submarine HMS Turbulent uses the deck gun to shell tiny Italian sailing vessel San Giusto, which is carrying 161 tons of gasoline and explodes. United States
Photo: The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3) off the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Washington (USA), on 14 May 1942. Saratoga had been torpedoed 11 January 1942. While under repair at Puget Sound, she was equipped with two Mark 37 gun directors and four 127 mm/38 twin gun turrets. Torpedo bulges were also fitted Photo: View of the aft flight deck of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3), taken at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Washington (USA), 14 May 1942 Photo: View of the forward flight deck of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3), taken at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Washington (USA), 14 May 1942. Note: Bombs on flight deck, crash barrier recessed in deck, 1.1" and 5"/38 guns in gun gallery Photo: Close-up view of the forward end of the bridge, looking aft, aboard the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3), taken at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Washington (USA), 14 May 1942. Note the ship's bell and the newly installed twin 127 mm/38 guns Photo: View of the island of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3), taken at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Washington (USA), 14 May 1942. Note the newly installed Mark 37 gun directors. CXAM radar was installed on the forward end of the stack, SC-1 on the aft end. Note the battleship in the right background which is most probably USS Nevada (BB-38) Pacific WarHAWAII The first Japanese coded radio messages are broken that indicate the upcoming Japanese operation at Midway. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): B-17's pound Myitkyina, Burma for the second time, scoring direct hits on runways and several buildings. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-17's, B-26's and B-25's attack Rabaul and Lae. KOREA US submarine USS Tuna sinks Japanese transport Toyoharu Maru 65 miles off Sohuksando, Korea.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on May 15, 2021 6:19:56 GMT
Day 980 of World War II, May 15th 1942Eastern FrontGerman 11th Army forces the last Soviet troops off the Kerch peninsula linking Crimea to the Caucasus. Soviet losses in the campaign to relieve Sevastopol are 190,000 men killed or captured plus 417 aircraft and several hundred tanks and artillery pieces captured or destroyed. Germans have 12,400 casualties but capture 220 Soviet field guns and 170 tanks. Further North around Kharkov, the Soviet offensive is running out of steam. Soviet attacks continue but meet stiffer German resistance on the ground and overwhelming superiority in the air. Photo: German machine gunner with MG 34 on the Eastern Front in 1942 Photo: German Panzer IV tank and infantry in battle on the Kerch Peninsula in May 1942 Battle of the Atlantic British cruiser HMS Trinidad is scuttled in the Barents Sea 170 miles North of Norway, to prevent further attacks on the stationary cruiser and her destroyer escort after being hit several times yesterday by German dive bombers and torpedo bombers (63 killed). After the crew is taken off by destroyers HMS Matchless, Foresight and Forester, the burning wreck of HMS Trinidad is sunk at dawn by 3 torpedoes from HMS Matchless. Photo: The British Fiji class cruiser HMS TRINIDAD stationary in Hvalfjörður, Iceland, circa 15 - 18 February 1942 German cruiser Lutzow, returning to service following torpedo damage from British torpedo bombers on June 12 1940, sails from Kiel, Germany, for Ofotfjord in Northern Norway to threaten Allied convoys to USSR. Battle of the Caribbean 420 miles Northeast of Barbados, U-156 sinks Norwegian MV Siljestad (2 killed). At 3 PM, Yugoslavian SS Kupa stops to pick up 31 survivors in 2 lifeboats and is promptly sunk by U-156 at 9 PM (2 more killed). All 31 from MV Siljestad in their 2 lifeboats and 39 Yugoslavs from SS Kupa in 2 more lifeboats make land after 5 - 10 days in Barbados and Venezuela. United StatesThe U.S. star insignia applied to aircraft is modified on all military aircraft by eliminating the red disc in the center of the star. The USN also orders that the red and white rudder stripes be eliminated. Photo: USS Aaron Ward (DD-483) probably photographed in New York Harbor, circa 15 May 1942. This image has been retouched by wartime censors to remove radar antennas atop the gun director and foremast Photo: USS Aaron Ward (DD 483) - view on board, looking aft from the bow, while the ship was in New York Harbor on 15 May 1942. Note her forward 5/38 gun mounts, with 5 powder canisters stacked on deck nearby; and Mark 37 gun director, with FD radar antenna, atop the pilothouse. The tug Robert Aikman and a Navy covered lighter (YF) are alongside. Fort Richmond, on Staten Island, is visible in the right distance Pacific War TIMOR Australian Sparrow Force on the island of Timor conducts a guerilla raid on Japanese barracks at Dili, Portuguese Timor. CHINA In Zhejiang-Jiangxi region of China, 180,000 Japanese troops (China Expeditionary Force), on a punitive campaign in response to the landing here of some US Doolittle Raiders, clashes with 300,000 poorly-equipped Chinese 3rd War Area troops. BURMA Having marched through Northern Burma on foot, British Burma Corps, commanded by General “Hap” Alexander, reaches Imphal in the state of Manipur in Northeast India. US General “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell and his headquarters group also arrive in India. Monsoon season halts the chasing Japanese on the Chindwin River in Burma. INDIA The first British units reach India as the retreat from Burma continues. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-25's, B-26's and and B-17's hit the airfield and storehouses at Lae and seaplane base at Deboyne. 64th Bombardment Squadron, 43d BG (Heavy), transfers from Sidney to Daly Waters, Australia with B-17's. Lost on a passenger flight is B-26 "Lil Deicer " 40-1390. Photo: The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) underway in the Southern Pacific, 15 May 1942, a week after the Battle of the Coral Sea and the day before she was recalled to Pearl Harbor to prepare for the Battle of Midway. A heavy cruiser and a destroyer are visible on the left Photo: The flight deck of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) on 15 May 1942. Visible are 15 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighters of fighting squadron VF-6 and six Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers of bombing squadron VB-6 and/or scouting squadron VS-6
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on May 16, 2021 6:12:57 GMT
Day 981 of World War II, May 16th 1942YouTube (Joseph Stalin Jumps the Gun)Eastern Front Kharkov offensive - Soviet 28th Army, the Northern pincer threatening Kharkov from the Volchansk salient, grinds to a standstill and goes over to the defensive. Southern pincer from the Izium salient continues to advance, with 6th Guards Cavalry Corps reaching the town of Krasnograd on the Berestovoy River. However, Soviet 21st and 23rd Tank Corps are still 15 miles behind the front and cannot reinforce the breakthrough. Meanwhile, German 1st Panzer Army prepares to counterattack and trap the Soviet troops in the giant Izium salient. Photo: German 15 cm sFH 18 howitzer with crew in 1942 on the Eastern Front Photo: German T-34 ‘Trophy Tank’ under wraps in Diemjansk, Russia. May 16th, 1942 Battle of the Atlantic German cruiser Prinz Eugen sails from Trondheim, Norway, returning to Kiel, Germany, for repairs to torpedo damage from British submarine HMS Trident on February 23. Battle of the Caribbean Gulf of Mexico - At midnight, U-507 sinks Honduran SS Amapala (1 killed, 56 survivors). At 11 AM off the Mississippi Delta, Louisiana, U-506 badly damages US tankers MV Sun and MV William C. McTarnahan. MV Sun reaches New Orleans for repairs under her own steam 14 hours later (all 48 hands survive). MV William C. McTarnahan (18 killed) is towed to Southwest Pass for repairs and 27 survivors on lifeboats and rafts are rescued by shrimp trawlers. 200 miles East of the Bahamas, U-751 sinks American SS Nicarao, carrying 500 tons of fruit, bananas, coconuts and charcoal from Kingston, Jamaica, to Jacksonville, Florida (8 killed, 31 survivors picked up at midnight by US tanker Esso Augusta). United KingdomPhoto: Winston Churchill stands with Major-General Brian Horrocks (nearest camera) on a Covenanter tank of 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards, 27th Armoured Brigade, to take the salute at an inspection of 9th Armoured Division near Newmarket, Suffolk, 16 May 1942 Pacific War CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): HQ 10th Air Force completes its move from the US to New Delhi, India. B-17's again strike the airfield at Myitkyina, Burma, pounding runways and buildings. Subsequent reconnaissance indicates that the runways are unusable. SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7th Air Force): 68th Fighter Squadron, 58th Fighter Group, transfers from Amberly Field, Australia to Tongatabu, Tonga with P-40's. NEW GUINEA (5th Air Force): B-26's and and B-17's hit the airfield and storehouses at Lae. 3rd BG B-25s fly two sorties against Lae. The morning strike took off at 6:00am armed with twleve 100 lbs bombs. Led by led by Cpt. H. F. Lowery. Over Salamaua bad weather was encountered and the first flight split off in search of enemy shipping. Lt. Feltham assumed the lead and by following the coastline from Salamaua to Lae succeeded in wading the worst of bad tropical thunderstorms. Breaking out of a storm the flight spotted Lae * five miles ahead, just as Zeros took off to intercept them head on. The bombing run was made at 800' against anti-aircraft positions and supply dumps. After the attack the formation was scattered and returned individually. In an afternoon sortie, the B-25s return to bomb Lae Airfield again from 2,400', lost on the return flight is B-25C 41-12478 force landing at Aiyary Airstrip. Also bombers hit the seaplane base at Deboyne. AUSTRALIA 64th Bombardment Squadron, 43d BG (Heavy), transfers from Sidney to Daly Waters, Australia with B-17's.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on May 17, 2021 2:47:19 GMT
Day 982 of World War II, May 17th 1942Eastern FrontBattle of Kharkov - German 1st Panzer Army attacks into the base of the Izium salient, aiming to halt the Soviet offensive and encircle their Armies. After a 90 minute artillery barrage, tanks of Kleist's 3rd Panzer Corps attack with air support and crush the Soviet defenses on the edge of the salient, opening a 12 mile wide breach and advancing 10 miles to capture Barvenkovo. Despite this, Soviet forces continue pushing West, deeper into the pocket. Map: Kharkov offensive 1942 Air War over Europe Ramrod 33' is flown by RAF No. 226 Sqn. against Boulgne Docks. Forty 500-lb bombs fall on shipping, the quayside, nearby railway station and south end of tidal basin. Boston III (W8368 'K') flown by Plt. Off. O'Malley is hit by flak and has to belly-land near RAF Manston. After the bombing, over 15 enemy fighters are spotted near Le Touquet. Kenley Wing giving top cover for the Bostons is vectored to Guines where 602 Sqn. dive upon ten Fw 190s only to be bounced by another fifteen. Sqn. Ldr. Finucane claimed one enemy destroyed while eight RAF fighters were lost. One lost was in the sea of Cap Gris Nez, the pilot Flt. Lt. Major died in the sea before the rescue launch could reach him. Photo: Fine screen halftone reproduction of a British Royal Air Force reconnaissance photograph of the Westhaven basin at Bremen, Germany, May 1942. Ships present include the nearly complete heavy cruiser Seydlitz (launched in 1939 but never finished) and three destroyers. The destroyer alongside Seydlitz is probably Z 34, which had been launched on 5 May, three days before the photograph was taken. Her machinery spaces are still open and no guns appear to be on board. The other two destroyers, moored side-by-side at the head of the basin, are probably Z 32, inboard with smokestacks in place, and Z 33, outboard with smokestacks not yet installed Battle of the Atlantic 480 miles East of Long Island, New York, U-135 sinks British lend-lease ship SS Fort Qu´Appelle on her maiden voyage (14 killed, 11 picked up by Canadian minesweeper HMCS Melville). 100 miles South, U-653 sinks British MV Peisander (all 65 hands picked up by US Coast Guard cutter General Greene). In the evening, 18 RAF bombers unsuccessfully attack German cruiser Prinz Eugen sails South along the Norwegian coast from Trondheim towards Kiel, Germany (3 aircraft shot down). Another 30 RAF aircraft are intercepted by Luftwaffe Me109 fighters and prevented from reaching Prinz Eugen (4 RAF aircraft and 3 Me109s are shot down in the resulting dogfight). Photo: RAF Bristol Beaufort crews preparing for a raid on the German battleship ‘Prinz Eugen’ On 17th May, 1942 Battle of the Caribbean200 miles South of Grand Cayman Island, U-103 uses the deck gun to sink American SS Ruth Lykes carrying 39,136 bags of coffee from Colombia to Houston (6 killed, 26 survivors). Near Grenada, U-155 sinks British tanker MV San Victorio on her maiden voyage at 2.17 AM (52 killed, 1 survivor gunner Anthony Ryan is picked up by US patrol yacht USS Turquoise and landed at Trinidad) and American MV Challenger at 9.52 AM (8 dead and 56 survivors in 2 lifeboats picked up 11 hours later by USS Turquoise). In the Gulf of Mexico 75 miles South of the Mississippi River Delta, U-506 sinks US tanker SS Gulfoil (21 killed, 19 survivors on 2 liferafts picked up after 35 hours by US tanker SS Benjamin Brewster and taken to Galveston, Texas). 500 miles East of Barbados, U-156 sinks British SS Barrdale (1 dead, 52 survivors including 1 rescued by the U-boat picked up by Argentinian passenger ship MV Rio Iguazi and landed at Pernambuco, Brazil). Pacific War PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7th Air Force): The 7th Air Force is placed on alert in anticipation of a possible attack on Midway. For the next 10 days the old B-18's on hand are used on sea searches to supplement the B-17's. VII Bomber Command receives an influx of B-17's during this period, and the 72d Bombardment Squadron, 5th BG (Heavy), is converted from B-18's to B-17's. AUSTRALIA HQ 19th Bombardment Group and 93rd Bombardment Squadron transfers from Garbutt Field to Longreach with B-17's. Detachment of 28th Bombardment Squadron, 19th BG (Heavy), ceases operating from Perth and returns to Longreach with B-17's. B-17's bomb shipping in Koepang Bay, Timor. JAPAN Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku arrives back in Japan for repairs after the Battle of the Coral Sea. US submarine USS Triton searches but fails to find Shokaku. However, 430 miles Northwest of Okinawa, Japanese submarine I-64 surfaces in front of USS Triton which sinks I-64 from 6,200 yards with the last torpedo (all 81 hands lost). Photo: Imperial Japanese Navy Destroyer Akizuki (Akizuki-class) on trial run off Miyazu Bay TRUK ATOLL 70 miles South of the Japanese naval base at Truk, US submarine USS Tautog intercepts Japanese submarines returning from the Battle of the Coral Sea. At 6.48 AM, USS Tautog fires at I-22 and I-24, but misses. At 11.07 AM, USS Tautog sinks I-28 (all 88 hands lost). SOUTH CHINA SEA US submarine USS Skipjack sinks the Japanese troop transport Tazan Maru in the Southern part of the South China Sea between French Indochina, Malaya and Dutch East Indies.
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Post by lordroel on May 18, 2021 2:47:40 GMT
Day 983 of World War II, May 18th 1942Eastern FrontBattle of Kharkov - German 14th and 16th Panzer Divisions (1st Panzer Army) continue cutting into the Southern side of the Izium salient. The rapid German advance forces the Soviets to evacuate forward airfields at Izyum and Petrovskaia, reducing effective air support for the ground forces. Luftwaffe aircraft exploit this ruthlessly, destroying 130 tanks and 500 other vehicles. Strangely, Soviet 21st and 23rd Tank Corps continue their offensive, pushing further West. Continuation WarPhoto: Laying sea mines aboard Finnish minelayer Ruotsinsalmi Black Sea campaign 10 miles off Burgas on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, Soviet submarine ShCh-205 sinks Turkish merchant SS Duatepe with torpedoes and schooner Kaynardzha with the deck gun. Small Turkish ships are believed to be carrying war material to German forces in the Crimea and on the Northern shores of the Black Sea. Battle of the Atlantic German cruiser Prinz Eugen arrives at Kiel, Germany, from Norway. U-162 concludes a successful patrol off the Northern coast of South America near Barbados (sinking 9 ships for 47,181 tons). At 2.10 AM, U-162 sinks Norwegian tanker MV Beth (now a British Royal Fleet Auxiliary) carrying 10,109 tons of fuel oil. In the Atlantic 460 miles East of Martinique, U-156 sinks American SS Quaker City at 10.18 AM (10 killed, 29 survivors drift in 4 lifeboats for 4 to 8 days and 1 man later dies of his injuries). From 6.52 PM until 7.39 next morning, U-156 hits British tanker MV San Eliseo with 4 torpedoes but fails to sink the tanker which sails on and arrives at Barbados on May 20 for temporary repairs (returned to service after permanent repairs in USA). Battle of the MediterraneanBritish submarine HMS Turbulent arrives in the Gulf of Sirte for her 5th patrol. At 5.10 AM 50 miles Northwest of Benghazi, Libya, HMS Turbulent sinks Italian SS Bolsena which has been ferrying supplies from Italy to Rommel in Libya. After delivering 64 Spitfires on 9 May, the Royal Navy carrier HMS "Eagle" returned to Malta with 17 Spitfires in an operation codenamed "Operation LB". With a total of 76 Spitfires now available for operations, the island was heavily reinforced and marked a turning point for control of the skies over Malta. Admiral Harwood assumes command of the British Mediterranean Fleet. Battle of the Caribbean25 miles Northwest of North Caicos, U-558 sinks Dutch SS Fauna. 125 miles South of Cape Frances, Cuba, U-125 sinks US tanker MV Mercury Sun at 6.06 AM and American SS William J. Salman at 9.50 PM. United States/Panama relationsThe US and Panama sign an agreement concerning the use of Panama defense areas by US forces. Pacific War NEW GUINEA Following the disruption of the Japanese invasion of Port Moresby, Papua, by the Battle of the Coral Sea, both Japan and the Allies move to secure Port Moresby. Australian 14th Militia Brigade moves there from Australia, while Japanese plan an overland attack from the North shore across the Owen Stanley mountain range. CORAL SEA Photo: A U.S. Navy Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighter of Fighting Squadron 6 (VF-6) takes off from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6), while she was operating in the Coral Sea area, 18 May 1942
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on May 19, 2021 2:47:32 GMT
Day 984 of World War II, May 19th 1942Eastern Front Battle of Kharkov - German General Paulus’ 6th Army, which has held the gap between the 2 Soviet salients, attacks the Northern flank of the larger Izium salient while German 1st Panzer Army continues cutting into the Southern side. Realising the possible encirclement of Soviet forces in the Izium salient, Stalin finally authorises the local commander Marshal Semyon Timoshenko to halt the offensive and more vigourously resist the German flanking attacks. German air superiority prevents the rapid deployment of the Soviet tanks from the Westward attack to the defensive. Air War over EuropeOvernight, RAF sends 197 aircraft (105 Wellingtons, 31 Stirlings, 29 Halifaxes, 15 Hampdens, 13 Lancasters, 4 Manchesters) to raid Mannheim, Germany, but most bombs miss the town. 600 incendiaries cause fires in docks, killing 2 firemen. 4 Halifaxes, 4 Stirlings and 3 Wellingtons are lost. Luftwaffe aircraft attack Hull. Photo: Spitfire Mk Vs of No. 91 Squadron lined up at Hawkinge, May 1942. Standing nearest the camera is the Squadrons Commanding Officer, Squadron Leader R W Oxspring, in front of his personal aircraft, a Mark VC, AB216: DL-Z. Next to him, in front of another Mark VC, is the 'B' Flight commander, Flight-Lieutenant F H Silk. The remaining aircraft are Mark VBs Battle of the Atlantic600 miles North of Natal, Brazil, Italian submarine Cappellini uses torpedoes and shellfire to sink neutral Swedish ship MV Tisnaren despite large, illuminated Swedish flags painted on the sides (all 40 hands rescued). MV Tisnaren is carrying a cargo of Scotch whiskey from Manchester, England, to South America. While at anchor at Hvalfjordur, Iceland, some of the crewmen of the U.S. freighter SS 'Ironclad' break into a cargo of liquor that is being shipped to the U.S. Ambassador in Moscow resulting in fights among the crew. The officer in command of the Armed Guard reports the incident to the battleship USS 'Washington' and a detachment of Marines board the ship and restore order. Battle of the Caribbean Between Jamaica and Haiti, U-751 sinks American SS Isabela (3 dead, 34 survivors in 2 lifeboats reach Haiti.). Gulf of Mexico. 100 miles North of Cancun, Mexico, U-103 sinks American SS Ogontz. The crew abandons ship in 2 lifeboats and 2 rafts but a falling mast sinks 1 lifeboat (19 killed, 22 survivors picked up next day by American tanker SS Esso Dover). At 8.56 AM 10 miles off the coast of Louisiana, U-506 sinks American passenger/cargo ship SS Heredia carrying 9 passengers and 1500 tons of bananas and coffee from Guatemala (36 killed, 26 survivors). Battle of the MediterraneanIn the Adriatic Sea 20 miles East of Bari, Italy, British submarine HMS Thrasher sinks Italian merchant Penelope. Panama (6th Air Force): 31st Fighter Squadron, 37th Fighter Group, transfers from Chorrera, Panama to Albrook Field, Canal Zone with P-39's and P-40's. Pacific War AUSTRALIA B-17's attack the airfield and AA guns at Koepang, Timor. UNITED STATES President Roosevelt presents the medal of honor to General James Doolittle for his bombing of Tokyo on April 18, 1942, Japan. Doolittle viewed the raid as a failure because of its lost of fifteen of the sixteen planes, and lack of serious damage. Photo: President Franklin Roosevelt presenting the Medal of Honor to Brigadier General James Doolittle for Doolittle’s role in leading a bomber attack on Tokyo one month earlier, White House, Washington DC, United States, 19 May 1942 SOUTH PACIFIC Photo: The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Monssen (DD-436) passing guard mail to the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6), during operations in the South Pacific, 19 May 1942
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on May 20, 2021 2:52:01 GMT
Day 985 of World War II, May 20th 1942Eastern FrontBattle of Kharkov - German 6th Army and 1st Panzer Army continue closing the trap on Soviet forces in the Izium salient. 14th Panzer Division captures Protopopovka, narrowing the gap to only 12 miles. Soviet withdrawal out of the salient is hampered by the Luftwaffe. Ju88 bombers pummel retreating Soviet tanks and armoured columns, while Ju87 Stuka dive bombers destroy 5 bridges over the Donets River and damage 4 more to prevent Soviet forces escaping from the pocket. Battle of the Atlantic 500 miles East of Bermuda, U-108 sinks Norwegian tanker MV Norland (all 48 hands escape in 3 lifeboats and survive) and U-158 sinks British tanker MV Darina (6 killed, 50 survivors rescued up to 6 days later), both dispersed from convoy ON-93. In the middle of the South Atlantic at 6.45 PM, German armed merchant cruiser Michel stops Norwegian SS Kattegat with shellfire. Michel sinks SS Kattegat after taking off all 32 crew, who suffer various ordeals as they are sent to Japan, France and back to Norway. Battle of the Mediterranean 10 miles off Sollum, Egypt, U-431 sinks British SS Eocene (all 35 crew, 6 gunners and 2 army engineers picked up by British anti-submarine whaler HMS Cocker and taken to Tobruk). Battle of the Caribbean 40 miles Southwest of Grenada, U-155 torpedoes Panamanian tanker SS Sylvan Arrow (1 killed, 43 survivors are picked up by US destroyer USS Barney and taken to Port of Spain, Trinidad). The captain and 11 crew return to salvage the wreck of SS Sylvan Arrow, which is taken in tow by a tug on May 26 but breaks up and sinks on May 28. The captain and 11 crew will be taken to Curaçao sent to USA on Dutch passenger steamer SS Crijnssen, but their adventure is only just beginning. In the Gulf of Mexico, U-753 sinks American SS George Calvert on her maiden voyage 50 miles Northwest of Cuba and U-506 torpedoes US tanker SS Halo which explodes and sinks rapidly 50 miles South of Louisiana (19 killed immediately, 23 survivors drift for 5-7 days but only 3 ultimately survive). United States Photo: The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS San Francisco (CA-38) off the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California (USA), on 20 May 1942 Pacific War SW PACIFIC Admiral John S McCain, USN, in seaplane tender USS TANGIER at Noumea, New Caledonia Island, assumes command as Commander Aircraft South Pacific Forces (COMAIRSOPAC). This new command is established to direct the operations of tender and shore-based aviation in the South Pacific Area. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): 11th Bombardment Squadron, 7th BG (Heavy), arrives at Karachi, India from the US with B-17's; first mission is 3 Jun. AUSTRALIA B-17's attack the airfield and AA guns at Koepang, Timor. Ground echelon of 69th Bombardment Squadron, 38th BG (Medium), transfers from Amberley Field, Australia to New Caledonia ; air echelon is at Hickam Field, Territory of Hawaii with B-26's.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on May 21, 2021 6:14:20 GMT
Day 986 of World War II, May 21st 1942Eastern FrontBattle of Kharkov - German 6th Army and 1st Panzer Army continue closing the gap in the Izium salient, to prevent Soviet forces escaping from the pocket. Photo: German Gebirgsjäger attacking behind a Panzer I Ausf. B at Jeletozero village in the Louhksky District, Soviet Union
 Battle of the Atlantic U-159 attacks convoy OS-28 140 miles East of the Azores sinking British SS New Brunswick (3 dead and 59 survivors) and badly damaging British fleet oiler RFA Montenol (3 dead, 61 survivors picked up by British sloop HMS Wellington), which is abandoned and later scuttled. Battle of the Caribbean U-69 sinks Canadian SS Torondoc 60 miles Northwest of Martinique at 7.53 AM (all 21 hands escape in a 4 lifeboats and 2 rafts and are questioned by the U-boat but never seen again) and U-558 sinks Canadian SS Troisdoc 40 miles Northwest of Jamaica with shellfire at 7.17 PM (all 18 hands picked up by US Coast Guard cutter USS Mohawk). At 6.29 PM, U-156 sinks Dominican SS Presidente Trujillo just after leaving Fort de France, Martinique (24 dead, 15 survivors). 40 miles West of Cuba, U-103 sinks American steamers SS Clare at 3.48 AM (all 40 hands reach Cuba) and SS Elizabeth at 04.15 hours (6 killed, 36 survivors). 75 miles further North at 4.21 AM, U-106 sinks neutral Mexican tanker SS Faja de Oro (10 killed, 27 survivors) which will, along with the sinking of Potrero del Llano by U-564 on May 14, lead to Mexico declaring war on Germany. United States
Photo: "New River, North Carolina. Marine amphibian tractor. The soldiers of the sea have a new troop carrier that serves them well on land and in the water. A special Marine unit, training with an amphibian tractor at New River, North Carolina, is on its way from a battleship to establish a beachhead"
 Pacific War PHILIPPINE ISLANDS Japanese occupy Leyte Island and Samar Island, in the central Philippine Islands, unopposed following the US surrender on May 6. NEW GUINEA (5th Air Force): B-26's bomb aircraft at Lae.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on May 22, 2021 8:05:11 GMT
Day 987 of World War II, May 22nd 1942Eastern FrontBattle of Kharkov - German 14th and 16th Panzer Divisions chew through to Chepel and Bayrak from the South, while 3rd and 23rd Panzer Divisions, redeployed from the Northern salient, cross of the Donets River from the North at Chervonyi Donets and Krasnaia Gusarovka. They are only 5 miles apart. Soviet 38th Army, attempting to break through the narrowing neck and link up with the forces in the pocket, recaptures Chepel but can get no further. Air War over EuropeRAF Blenheim bombers (60 Squadron) fly from India across the Bay of Bengal to bomb Akyab (now Sitwe) on the coast of Burma. On the return flight, a lone Blenheim is attacked by 5 Nakajima Ki-43 fighters (64 Sentai) from Akyab. The Blenheim is saved by gunner Flight Sergeant Jock McLuckie who shoots down Japanese ace Lt. Colonel Tateo Katō, commander of 64th Sentai, and damages 2 other Ki-43s. Katō will be promoted posthumously 2 ranks to Major General and honored with a State Shinto ceremony at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine in October 1942. Rare propaganda fotage of Kato. Battle of the Atlantic 200 miles East of Cape May, New Jersey, U-588 sinks American SS Plow City (1 killed; 30 survivors in 2 lifeboats, including 1 man who is questioned aboard the U-boat, are picked up after 5 days by US patrol yacht USS Sapphire). 465 miles Southeast of Bermuda, U-158 sinks Canadian SS Frank B. Baird with the deck gun (all 23 hands picked up by Norwegian merchant Talisman). Photo: HMS Buxton, British Town class destroyer, Liverpool, May 22nd 1942 Battle of the Caribbean In the Gulf of Mexico 90 miles North of Cuba, U-753 stops British WWI-era 140 foot 3-masted schooner E.P. Theriault with gunfire and attempts to scuttle her with demolition charges. Badly damaged, E.P. Theriault remains afloat and drifts onto the Cuban Coast, where she is salvaged, repaired and returned to service as Ofelia Gancedo. Battle of the MediterraneanPhoto: Instructors address troops from a Matilda tank in distinctive Malta camouflage Photo: Matilda tanks, painted in distinctive Malta camouflage, give a gunnery demonstraion during a training exercise Photo: A 3-inch mortar team laying a smoke screen during a demonstration exercise. Note helmet camouflage MexicoMexico formally declared war on Germany, Italy, and Japan in support of the Allies, following losses of oil ships in the Gulf of Mexico, most notably the Potrero del Llano on May 14th 1942 and the Faja de Oro on May 21st 1942, to German submarine attacks. YouTube(Mexico Declares War On Axis, 1942)Pacific War PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7th Air Force): In Territory of Hawaii, 19th Fighter Squadron, 18th Fighter Group, transfers from Bellows Field to Kualoa Field with P-40's; air echelon of 69th Bombardment Squadron, 38th BG (Medium), arrives at Hickam Field with B-26's; ground echelon is on New Caledonia ; and 73d Fighter Squadron, 18th Fighter Group, transfers from Wheeler Field to Bellow Field with P-40's. NEW GUINEA (5th Air Force): B-17's pound Lakunai Airfield while 22nd BG B-26's and 3rd BG B-25s of the hit the airfield at Lae and attack shipping in the harbor. Lost are B-25C 41-12981, B-25D 41-29692.
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Post by lordroel on May 23, 2021 6:39:43 GMT
Day 988 of World War II, May 23rd 1942YouTube (AF is short of fresh water)Eastern FrontBattle of Kharkov - German 14th and 16th Panzer Divisions from the South and 3rd and 23rd Panzer from the North meet, encircling Soviet 6th and 57th Armies. They quickly widen the gap, with 14th Panzer recapturing Chepel, preventing Soviet 38th Army counterattacks to break through from the East. Air War over Europe Photo: The first production Beaufighter Mark IIF night fighter, R2270, fitted with dihedral tailplanes and equipped with AI Mark IV radar, in flight. This aircraft served with No. 406 Squadron RCAF Black Sea campaignOff Burgas on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, Soviet submarine ShCh-205 sinks Turkish merchant SS Safak (possibly carrying war material to German forces on the Black Sea). Battle of the Atlantic150 miles southeast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, U-432 sinks British SS Zurichmoor (all 45 hands lost). At 10 PM in the same area, U-588 sinks British SS Margot (1 killed, 44 survivors picked up 4 days later by Swedish merchant MV Sagoland). Battle of the CaribbeanAt 9.26 AM 100 miles East of Cozumel, Mexico, U-103 sinks US tanker SS Samuel Q Brown (2 killed, 53 survivors spotted by a US Navy patrol plane from Upham, Canal Zone and picked up by the plane and US destroyer USS Goff). At 10 PM just off St. Vincent, U-155 sinks Panamanian SS Watsonville. Battle of the MediterraneanPhoto: A13 Cruiser tank on a firing range, Malta Photo: A British Light Tank Mk VI, wearing distinctive camouflage, on a firing range on Malta North African campaignIn Libya, Rommel’s Panzer Army Africa and General Neil Ritchie’s British 8th Army face each other along a line running from Gazala on the coast 40 miles inland to Bir Hacheim on the edge of the Great Sand Sea. Both sides are preparing major offensives; Rommel with 560 tanks including 228 Italian light tanks while Ritchie has amassed 850 tanks (including 167 of the faster, better armoured American M3 “Grant” tanks sporting a turret-mounted 37mm cannon and a 75-mm gun on the side of the hull). Photo: Rhodesian troops of the 60th King's Royal Rifles fire a Bren gun during a training exercise United StatesUnited States: USS Quincy (CA-39) iIn New York Harbor, 23 May 1942, after her last overhaul. HMS Biter (British Escort Aircraft Carrier, 1942) is in the left background, partially hidden by Quincy's bow Pacific War AUSTRALIA The Japanese submarine I-29 launches a Yokosuka "Glen," to fly a reconnaissance mission over Sydney, Australia. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7th Air Force): 31st Bombardment Squadron, 5th BG (Heavy), transfers from Hickam Field to Kipapa, Territory of Hawaii with B-17's and B-18's. NEW GUINEA Five B-25's of the 3rd BG strike the airfield and buildings at Lae.
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Post by lordroel on May 24, 2021 6:17:15 GMT
Day 989 of World War II, May 24th 1942Eastern FrontBattle of Kharkov - Germans quickly begin reducing the Soviet Armies encircled in the Izium pocket, using artillery, tanks and Luftwaffe bombing. Battle of the CaribbeanPM 100 miles South of Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic, U-502 sinks neutral Brazilian SS Gonçalves Dias by mistake (6 dead, 39 survivors). At 4.40 PM 60 miles Northwest of Grand Cayman Island, U-103 sinks Dutch MV Hector (2 killed, 29 survivors picked up by American tanker FQ Barstow). Battle of the MediterraneanPhoto: A Matilda tank during an exercise in the Maltese countryside, 24 May 1942. Note the distinctive camouflage, and its inspiration - a stone wall - behind Photo: A camouflaged Bren gun carrier during an exercise in the Maltese countryside, 24 May 1942 Photo: A Light Tank Mk VIs during an exercise in the Maltese countryside, 24 May 1942. Foreground vehicle is a Mk VIC with 15mm Besa MG North African campaignIn Libya, General Neil Ritchie prepares with typical British thoroughness for an offensive against Rommel, finalizing all the details for a massive attack in June. In addition to 850 tanks, he has amassed huge stockpiles of supplies and munitions at Tobruk and created supply dumps in the desert. Just in case Rommel should attack first, British defenses on the Gazala-Bir Hacheim line consist of a series of dug-in infantry “boxes” (well-provisioned trench systems equipped with artillery, anti-tank guns and anti-aircraft guns) interspersed with large, densely-sown minefields. Most of Ritchie’s troops are concentrated near the coast, but further inland the “boxes” are too far apart to provide mutual support. Most of the British tanks (1st and 7th Armoured Divisions) wait 20 miles behind this line as a mobile reserve. Pacific War HAWAII Carriers Hornet and Enterprise move towards Pearl Harbor, where they will quickly be refitted and sent to Midway. The Japanese prepairing to attack Midway mistakenly believe these carriers are in the Solomons. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-26's and B-25 of the 3rd BG attack Lae Airfield, but heavy AA and at least 15 intercepting Zekes prevent accurate bombing. Several of the B-26's are shot down or badly damaged and forced to crashland. Lost are B-25C 41-12448 and B-25C 41-124562. Lost on a rescue mission to Aiyary Airstrip are: and A-24 41-15820. NEW ZEELAND Japanese submarine I-21 launches its floatplane to reconnoiter Auckland, New Zealand. In a case of mistaken identity, New Zealanders turn on the landing lights at Auckland airport. I-9 launches its floatplane to reconnoiter Kiska Island and Amchitka Island (part of USA at the western end of the Aleutian Islands). FORMOSA 20 miles Northeast of Formosa (Taiwan), US submarine USS Pompano sinks Japanese fishing vessel Kotoku Maru with the deck gun.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on May 25, 2021 2:49:40 GMT
Day 990 of World War II, May 25th 1942Eastern FrontBattle of Kharkov - Soviet troops encircled in the Izium pocket attempt an organized breakout. Deprived of tanks and armoured vehicles by previous Luftwaffe bombing, Soviet infantry launch frontal assaults East towards Chepel. They are slaughtered by Germans shelling and bombing even before they leave the assembly areas. German pressure on all sides contracts the pocket to a strip 10 miles by 2 miles. Battle of the AtlanticConvoy PQ16 (21 American, 4 Soviet, 8 British, 1 Dutch and 1 Panamanian merchant ships, escorted by British CAM ship Empire Lawrence) from Iceland to Archangel and Murmansk, USSR, is spotted by a German Focke-Wulf 200 reconnaissance aircraft 475 miles Northeast of Iceland. In the evening, He111 torpedo-bombers and Ju88 bombers attack the convoy. A near miss damages American SS Carlton which is towed back to Iceland. A Hurricane launched by Empire Lawrence shoots down 1 Heinkel. Photo: Combined British and American fleet cover Russian convoy, On board HMS Victorious at sea and at Hvalfjord, Iceland. Original description: The convoy will sail at dusk. A striking silhouette of the convoy at it's rendezvous, waiting for the order to sail. All these ships are loaded with vital war supplies for Russia 10 miles of the coast of New Jersey, U-593 sinks Panamanian tanker MV Persephone carrying 80,000 barrels of crude oil (9 dead and 28 survivors). MV Persephone breaks in 2 and sinks in only 50 feet of water where she is broken up and recycled. Battle of the Caribbean50 miles Southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, U-558 sinks American SS Beatrice (1 killed, 30 survivors). At 3.52 PM off Martinique, U-156 hits US destroyer USS Blakeley with a torpedo that blows away 60 feet of bow (6 killed, 116 survivors). USS Blakeley reaches Port de France, Martinique, for emergency repairs then limps back to Philadelphia with additional repairs in Port Castries, Santa Lucia, and in San Juan, Puerto Rico. USS Blakeley will be repaired with the bow donated by her sister ship USS Taylor and return to service in September. Battle of the MediterraneanPhoto: ML's from Gibraltar setting out on a night patrol of the Mediterranean. They remain out all night on the look-out for enemy aircraft North African campaignPhoto: Sand mats being used to help an LRDG Chevrolet 30cwt truck pass over soft sand, 25 May 1942 Photo: An LRDG patrol leaving Siwa oasis, 25 May 1942 Photo: An LRDG patrol fire a Vickers machine gun from the back of one of their Chevrolet 30cwt trucks, 25 May 1942 Pacific War MIDWAY ISLANDS OPERATIONS Japanese submarine I-9 launches its floatplane to reconnoiter airfields on Adak Island and Kanaga Island (part of USA at the western end of the Aleutian Islands). Japanese Northern Area Fleet (2 small aircraft carriers, 5 cruisers, 12 destroyers, 6 submarines, and 4 troop transports, commanded by Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya) leaves Japan for the invasion of the Aleutian Islands (which is a diversion to draw US warships away from the planned Japanese attack on Midway Atoll). The light cruiser USS St. Louis, part of a reinforcement group carrying Marine aircraft and personnel to Midway, disembarks Companies C and D of the Second Marine Raider Battalion and a 37mm gun battery of the Third Defense Battalion. AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (11th Air Force): 11th Fighter Squadron, 28th Composite Group, based at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage, Territory of Alaska with P-40's sends a detachment to Cold Bay. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): 4 B-17's bomb Rangoon, Burma during the night of 24/25 May. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-17's bomb Vunakanau Airfield. B-25s of the 3rd BG attack Lae. Lost are B-25C 41-12441, B-25C 41-12450, B-25C 41-12466 and B-25C 41-12498. Force landed near Port Moresby is B-25C "Irene" 41-12442. At Aiyary Airfield the surviving A-24 41-15822 crashes on take off. JAPAN US submarines have a busy day. 125 miles Southwest of Tokyo, Japan, USS Drum sinks Japanese merchant Kitakata Maru. 50 miles West of Okinawa, Japan, USS Pompano sinks small Japanese tanker Tokyo Maru. 440 miles Southwest of Ulithi, Caroline Islands, USS Tautog sinks Japanese merchant Shoka Maru. INDIA General Sun Li Jen’s Chinese 38th Infantry Division crosses into India, having withdrawn from Burma along with British and Indian forces. In India, Chinese 30th, 22nd and 38th Divisions will be incorporated into X Force while General Sun Li Jen builds an unlikely relationship with American General “Vinegar” Joe Stilwell.
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