Friday, 15 May 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine Tuna (SS-203) sinks Japanese transport Toyoharu Maru 65 miles off Sohuksando, Korea, 33°34'N,125°09'E.

ARCTIC—German planes bomb Allied shipping at Murmansk; U.S. freighter Yaka suffers a direct hit that causes extensive damage but no casualties to the 38 man merchant crew or the 11 man Armed Guard. The ship is beached to prevent loss.

ATLANTIC—U.S. freighter Nicarao is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-751 north of San Salvador, Bahamas, 25°20'N,74°19'W; eight of the 35 man merchant crew perish as they abandon ship. The four man Armed Guard survives intact (see 16 May).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

ARMY AIR FORCES—Interceptor and pursuit organizations of AAF are redesignated ‘fighter’.

US ARMY

NEW GUINEA—Australian 14th Brigade Group and 700 attached Australian AA troops start to Port Moresby to bolster positions there.

INDIA—General Alexander moves HQ from Burma to Imphal area of India. General Stilwell arrives in India.

LIBYA—British Eighth Army has completed most of its preparations for offensive, but Rommel’s forces are showing signs of forestalling it.

USSR—Germans announce capture of town and harbor of Kerch, in the Crimea. Red Army continues offensive toward Kharkov.

US MARINE CORPS

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Thursday, 14 May 1942

US NAVY

ATLANTIC—German submarine U-213 mines the waters off St. John's, Newfoundland.

            Norwegian freighter Havprins rescues 18 survivors of U.S. tanker Esso Houston, sunk by German submarine U-162 on 12 May; Havprins will transfer these men to Latvian freighter Everagra for transportation to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (see 17 May).

GULF OF MEXICO—Norwegian merchantman Norsol rescues two survivors from U.S. freighter David McKelvy, sunk the day before by German submarine U-506.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—General Eaker designated commander of Det HQ Eighth AF in addition to his duties as CG VIII Bomber Command. General Hunter assumes command of VIII Interceptor Command.

TENTH AF—Heavy Bombers pound Myitkyina for second time, scoring direct hits on runways and several buildings.

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s, B‑26’s, and B‑25’s attack Rabaul and Lae.

US ARMY

UNITED STATES—Legislation establishing Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) is enacted.

AUSTRALIA—U.S. 32d Division arrives.

BURMA—British Imperial forces withdrawing from Burma reach Tamu, Assam.

US MARINE CORPS

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Wednesday, 13 May 1942

US NAVY

GENERAL—Bureau of Navigation is renamed Bureau of Naval Personnel.

PACIFIC—Submarine Drum (SS-228) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Shonan Maru northeast of Mikimoto, Honshu, 34°00'N, 139°00'E.

            RAAF Hudsons bomb Japanese shipping off Ambon, N.E.I., sinking auxiliary Taifoku Maru and damaging gunboat Taiko Maru.

            Japanese merchant cargo vessel Nagasaki Maru is sunk by Japanese mine off Nagasaki, Japan.

ATLANTIC—French agree to immobilize aircraft carrier Béarn, light cruiser Emile Bertin, and training cruiser Jeanne D'Arc at Martinique, French West Indies.

            Unarmed U.S. freighter Norlantic is shelled by German submarine U-69 while en route to Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, from Pensacola, Florida, 12°13'N, 66°30'W; U-69 continues to shell the freighter as the latter's crew abandon ship. U-69 then torpedoes Norlantic and sinks her. Six of the freighter's 29 man crew perish in the attack (two below in the engine room and four trying to launch boats under fire); one sailor will die of wounds (see 16 and 24 May, and 19 June)

GULF OF MEXICO—Unarmed U.S. tanker Gulfprince is attacked by German submarine U-506 approximately six miles south of the Ship Shoals (Louisiana) Sea Bouy, 28°32'N, 91°00'W, but Gulfprince is skillfully handled and evades the first two torpedoes. The second pair only strike a glancing blow and Gulfprince escapes to reach New Orleans without further incident. Later, U-506 torpedoes and sinks unarmed tanker Gulfpenn at 28°29'N, 89°12'W; 12 men die in the initial explosion or perish with the ship. Of the 26 survivors, one dies of his injuries. Coast Guard plane directs Honduran freighter Telde toward the position of the survivors, and the merchantman rescues them. Still later, U-506 torpedoes U.S. freighter David McKelvy approximately 35 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi, 28°30'N, 89°55'W; explosion ignites the ship's cargo of 81,000 barrels of crude oil and forces the crew to abandon ship. U-506 retires without expending further torpedoes, apparently thinking the freighter doomed. Coast Guard cutter Boutwell (WPC-130) rescues survivors (see 14 and 29 May).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—Flying personnel of 15th Bomb Squadron, the first US bomb unit sent to UK, arrive at Newport, UK, without aircraft.

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s and B‑26’s hit shipping and airfield at Rabaul.

US ARMY

FIJI ISLANDS—Americans relieve New Zealand forces of responsibility for Fiji Islands. and prepare to reinforce positions there.

AUSTRALIA—Rear echelon of U.S. 41st Division arrives.

US MARINE CORPS

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Tuesday, 12 May 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine S-44 (SS-155) torpedoes and sinks Japanese repair ship Shoei Maru 15 miles southwest of Cape St. George, 05°06'S, 152°30'E, and survives counterattacks by her victim's escort. Shoei Maru had been en route to try and salvage the damaged minelayer Okinoshima. Attempt to save Okinoshima (damaged the previous day by submarine S-42), by transport Kinryu Maru and destroyer Mochizuki, fails, and the doomed minelayer sinks.

GULF OF MEXICO—Unarmed U.S. tanker Virginia is torpedoed by German submarine U-507 as the former lies-to approximately one and a half miles off Southwest Pass, Louisiana, 28°53'N, 89°29'W, awaiting the arrival of a pilot. The explosion of the second and third torpedoes ignites the tanker's cargo (150,000 barrels of gasoline), and the rapid spread of the fire prevents the crew from launching boats or rafts. Of Virginia's 41 man crew, 27 perish in the inferno. Motor torpedo boat PT-157 rescues the 14 survivors.

ATLANTIC—U.S. tanker Esso Houston is torpedoed by German submarine U-162 approximately 150 miles east of Barbados,12°12'N, 57°24'W, and abandoned. After the U-boat has administered the coup de grace to the tanker, she surfaces nearby and her commanding officer offers assistance, helpfully informing the ship's master that one of the lifeboats is sinking. Survivors (38 man civilian complement and 4 man Armed Guard) congregate in two lifeboats (see 14 and 17May).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—39 officers and 348 enlisted men of HQ and the bomber, fighter, and service commands arrive at High Wycombe, UK, where VIII Interceptor Command sets up HQ.

TENTH AF—Heavy Bombers fly their first mission in direct defense of air cargo line to China when 4 B‑17’s from Dum Dum airfield heavily damage runways and set fire to several parked aircraft at Myitkyina. Myitkyina, which fell to the Japanese on 8 May, poses serious fighter threat to Allied base at Dinjan.

US ARMY

BURMA—Japanese force heading for Kengtung crosses the Salween.

USSR—While Germans continue Crimean offensive toward Kerch, Red Army opens 2-pronged attack toward Kharkov, thrusting SW across upper Donets on N and northward from Izyum salient on S. Attack at first goes well.

UNITED KINGDOM—First large detachment of U.S. Eighth Air Force arrives.

US MARINE CORPS

Last U. S. troops in Philippines surrender on Mindanao.

Monday, 11 May 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—In the wake of the Battle of the Coral Sea, oiler Neosho (AO-23), damaged and adrift since 7 May and deemed beyond salvage, is scuttled by torpedoes and gunfire of destroyer Henley (DD-391), which rescues survivors from Neosho and Sims (DD-409). Among those men is the injured Chief Water tender Oscar V. Peterson, who dies of his wounds.

            Submarine S-42 (SS-153) torpedoes Japanese minelayer Okinoshima west of Buka Island, Solomons, 05°06'S,153°48'E (see 12 May).

            Japanese merchant cargo ship Oridono Maru is sunk by Japanese mine near Surabaya, Java, 07°00'S, 112°40'E.

GULF OF MEXICO—U.S. motor tanker Aurora, torpedoed and shelled by German submarine U-506 the previous day, is brought to Southwest Pass, Louisiana, under tow of Coast Guard tug Tuckahoe (WYT-89). Civilian tug Robert W. Wilmot aids Tuckahoe but Aurora drifts onto a shoal at the entrance of the Pass. Subsequently, however, Aurora is salvaged and returns to service as Jamestown.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—The transport Andes docks in UK, carrying about 1,800 personnel for various Eighth AF units. This is first large shipment of AAF troops to UK.

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s attack shipping at Kessa in N Solomons while B‑26’s hit seaplane base at Deboyne Island.

US ARMY

CHINA—In retaliation for the Doolittle raid, Japanese launch strong drive in Chekiang Province.

MEDITERRANEAN—3 of 4 British DD’s attempting to halt enemy convoy are lost to Axis aircraft.

US MARINE CORPS

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Sunday, 10 May 1942

US NAVY

ATLANTIC—Carrier Ranger (CV-4) in TF 36 launches 68 USAAF P-40 fighters off Accra, Gold Coast of Africa. She had transported them from Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island.

GULF OF MEXICO—U.S. motor tanker Aurora is torpedoed and shelled by German submarine U-506 approximately 40 miles off Southwest Pass, Louisiana, 28°35'N, 90°00'W, and abandoned. Coastal yacht Onyx (PYc-5) and district patrol craftYP-157 rescue the 38 merchant seamen (one of whom dies later of wounds) and the 12 man Armed Guard. Coast Guard tug Tuckahoe (WYT-89) arrives on the scene to tow the damaged ship, and upon her arrival provides a fire and rescue party with hoses and extinguishers. Onyx and YP-157 convoy Tuckahoe and Aurora toward Southwest Pass (see 11 May).

PACIFIC—Submarine Silversides (SS-236) engages Japanese guard boat No.5 Ebisu Maru in a surface gunnery action 540 miles north of Marcus Island, 33°14'N, 150°58'E, and sets her afire. As Silversides closes in to finish off her quarry, however, machine gun fire from No.5 Ebisu Maru (which reaches port in a heavily damaged condition) kills one submariner.

            Survivors (39 man crew and six of the 11 man Armed Guard) of U.S. freighter John Adams, torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-21 on 5 May, are rescued. One boat with survivors is recovered at sea; two boats reach Nouméa, New Caledonia.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

FIFTH AF—B‑25’s bomb seaplane base at Deboyne Island.

US ARMY

PHILLIPINE ISLANDS—General Sharp directs Visayan-Mindanao Force to surrender. These, as well as small forces holding out on Luzon and Palawan, are reluctant to yield but do so gradually during period 10 May–9 June.

BURMA—Japanese attack British covering force at Shwegyin.

US MARINE CORPS

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Saturday, 9 May 1942

US NAVY

MEDITERRANEAN—Operation BOWERY: in the second attempt to bolster fighter strength on besieged Malta, carrier Wasp (CV-7) launches 47 RAF Spitfires; British carrier HMS Eagle accompanies Wasp and launches 17 additional Spitfires. The success of the American carrier's second ferry mission prompts Prime Minister Churchill to observe: "Who said a Wasp couldn't sting twice?" Unlike the first ferry operation, the Spitfires are speedily serviced and readied for action, and take a heavy toll of Axis bombers on this day and the next. "Daylight raiding," Malta's war diary notes laconically, “was brought to an abrupt end."

ATLANTIC—Coast Guard cutter Icarus (WPC-110) sinks German submarine U-352 off Cape Lookout, North Carolina, 34°12'N,76°35'W.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

TENTH AF—During 8/9 May, 6 B‑17’s bomb Mingaladon and attack the docks at Rangoon.

FIFTH AF—8 B‑26’s and a single B‑17 attack shipping and seaplanes at Deboyne Island.

US ARMY

MINDANAO—Japanese take Dalirig and rout defenders. Although forces defending Puntian sector are still intact, their position is untenable and Mindanao campaign is virtually over.

NEW GUINEA—Japanese Imperial General Headquarters orders invasion of Port Moresby suspended temporarily.

TONGA ISLANDS—U.S. troop detachment arrives at Tongatabu.

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS—U.S. troops arrive on the Galápagos Islands., off W coast of South America.

US MARINE CORPS

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