Saturday, May 23, 2026

Sunday, 24 May 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine Pompano (SS-181) sinks Japanese merchant fishing boat Kotoku Maru, 25°16'N, 122°41'E.

            Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-21 reconnoiters Auckland, New Zealand.

CARIBBEAN—Unarmed U.S. freighter Beatrice is torpedoed by German submarine U-558 at 17°23'N, 76°58'W, but the torpedo fails to explode. U-558 then surfaces to shell the ship, which is abandoned under fire with the loss of one man. A PBY arrives on the scene and drives off the submarine. Of the 30 survivors, 21 men in a lifeboat reach Pigeon Island, Jamaica; British patrol craft Hauken rescues the remaining nine sailors. Beatrice sinks the next morning.

            Steamship Marpesia rescues two survivors on a raft from U.S. freighter Norlantic, sunk by German submarine U-69 on 13 May.

            Destroyer Goff (DD-247) rescues 48 survivors of U.S. tanker Samuel Q. Brown, torpedoed by German submarine U-103 the previous day (see 25 May).

ATLANTIC—Fifteen survivors from U.S. freighter Quaker City, sunk by German submarine U-156 on 18 May reach safety at Barbados (see 26 May).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—VIII AF Bomber Command, under overall logistical control of SOS, is given primary responsibility for all supply and maintenance peculiar to AAF, thus leaving much logistical autonomy to AAFIB.

FIFTH AF—B‑26’s attack Lae airfield but heavy AA and at least 15 intercepting Zeros prevent accurate bombing. Several of the Medium Bombers are shot down or badly damaged and forced to crash-land.

ZONE OF THE INTERIOR—Deployment of air units from eastern US is begun as a result of threat of a naval attack on the W coast. 12th Bomb Group begins movement from Louisianna to California.

US ARMY

US MARINE CORPS

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