Saturday, 30 May 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—TF 17 (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher), formed around carrier Yorktown (CV-5), departs Pearl Harbor to join TF 16 northeast of Midway.

            Submarine Pompano (SS-181) sinks Japanese army transport Atsuta Maru in East China Sea east of Okinawa,26°07'N, 129°06'E, and survives counterattack by her victim's escort.

INDIAN OCEAN—Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-10 reconnoiters Diego Suarez.

ATLANTIC—Unarmed U.S. freighter Alcoa Shipper, en route to New York from Trinidad, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-404 at 37°49'N, 65°15'W; three men die in the initial explosion. The rapidity with which the ship sinks prevents the crew from launching boats, and four men are lost with the ship. U-404 provides the 25 survivors with rum, cigarettes and (for one ill-clad sailor) a pair of dungarees (see 1 June).

GULF OF MEXICO—Thirty-five survivors of U.S. freighter Alcoa Carrier, sunk by German submarine U-103 on 25 May, are rescued by Cuban gunboat and Navy patrol plane.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

INTERNATIONAL—During conferences with Air Chief Marshal Portal, General Arnold presents ‘Programme of Arrival of US Army Air Forces in the United Kingdom’ providing for 66 combat groups, exclusive of observation squadrons, by Mar 43.

TENTH AF—Myitkyina is again hit by Heavy Bombers. Again no activity is observed and the attacks are discontinued.

SEVENTH AF—Seventh AF begins flying B‑17’s from Oahu to Midway in face of expected attack on that island.

US ARMY

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA—Admiral Fletcher’s Yorktown force sails for Midway from Pearl Harbor. Japanese TF (2 transports, 2 carriers, 2 CA’s, 3 DD’s) leaves Japan for Aleutians, where it is to create a diversion for the invasion of Midway and land small forces on W Aleutians. Initial detachment of U.S. troops arrives at New Zealand.

INDIA—Chinese 113th Regiment, rear guard covering withdrawal of 38th Division and 5th Army from Burma, crosses the Chindwin.

LIBYA—Axis forces, in effort to consolidate bridgehead at gaps in mine fields, move W under attack by British Eighth Army and RAF. General Ritchie decides to counterattack on night of 31st, but accedes to request of corps commander to postpone attack 24 hours. 1st Armored Brigade, which has recently arrived in Libya, is used to bring other units up to strength.

GERMANY—RAF opens air offensive against Germany with attack of unprecedented scale against Cologne, night 30–31. Over 1,000 planes participate; more than 2,000 tons of bombs are dropped.

US MARINE CORPS

—