05-1942

WW2 War Diary for Sunday, May 31, 1942: Air War Germany: Mosquito high-speed bombers fly their first bombing sorties against German city (Cologne). Southeast Asia Burma: 400,000 refugees have crossed […]

WW2 War Diary for Saturday, May 30, 1942: Air War Germany – FIRST ‘THOUSAND BOMBER RAID’ ON COLOGNE (Operation Millenium): 1,046 RAF bombers (including 101 with Polish crews and 367

WW2 War Diary for Friday, May 29, 1942: Politics USA: Molotov, Russian Foreign Minister in Washington (until June 4). Home Fronts USA: Death of John Barrymore, actor and movie star;

WW2 War Diary for Thursday, May 28, 1942: Air War North Africa: RAF pounds Rommel’s Panzer’s as they attempt to pass through narrow gaps in British minefields. Sea War Pacific:

WW2 War Diary for Wednesday, May 27, 1942: North Africa Defence of Bir Hakeim: Free French Brigade under Koenig defies Rommel May 27-June 10 and rejects 3 surrender ultimatums. Stukas

WW2 War Diary for Saturday, May 26, 1942: North Africa Operation Theseus: Rommel attacks Gazala Line. Politics Anglo-Soviet ’20-year’ Mutual Assistance Treaty. Sweden: German Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer has secret ‘peace

WW2 War Diary for Monday, May 25, 1942: Sea War Pacific: Japanese repair ship Asahi (old battleship) sunk by American submarine Salmon in South China Sea. Home Fronts Australia: ‘Australia

WW2 War Diary for Sunday, May 24, 1942: Southeast Asia Burma: Stilwell arrives Delhi after 20 days’ trek through Burma-Assam jungle.

WW2 War Diary for Saturday, May 23, 1942: Eastern Front Ukraine: Panzer spearheads trap 2 Russian armies in Barvenkovo Salient (Germans take 214,000 PoWs by May 31). Home Front USA:

WW2 War Diary for Friday, May 22, 1942: Air War Southeast Asia: Lt.-Col. Kato, Japanese AAF fighter ‘ace’ (58 victories) disappears in his Nakajima Oscar fighter over Bay of Bengal.

WW2 War Diary for Thursday, May 21, 1942: Air War Mediterranean – Operation Herkules: planned German airborne invasion of Malta postponed indefinitely. Pacific Philippines: Japanese troops land in Leyte Gulf.

WW2 War Diary for Tuesday, May 19, 1942: Air War Canada: UN Air Training Conference in Ottawa, May 19-22 (enlarged Empire Air Training Scheme signed at Ottawa, June 5, 1942).

WW2 War Diary for Monday, May 18, 1942: Sea War Mediterranean: Admiral Harwood appointed C-in-C; Admiral Cunningham to head naval delegation to Washington. Politics Japan: Malik appointed Russian Ambassador in

WW2 War Diary for Saturday, May 16, 1942: Eastern Front Crimea: GERMANS CAPTURE KERCH – dashing Russian hopes that siege of Sebastopol can be lifted. Air War Southeast Asia: RAF

WW2 War Diary for Friday, May 15, 1942: Neutrals Vichy France: 3 Vichy French warships – carrier Bearn and 2 cruisers – immobilized at Martinique at insistence of US Government.

WW2 War Diary for Thursday, May 14, 1942: Sea War Mediterranean: Britsih sub Turbulent makes repeated attacks on heavily escorted Italian convoys making for Benghazi (May 14-29); sinking 3 merchant

WW2 War Diary for Wednesday, May 13, 1942: Sea War Atlantic: British MTBs sink torpedo boats Iltis and Seeadler (200 killed) escorting disguised raider Stier from Rotterdam to Bordeaux; MTB

WW2 War Diary for Tuesday, May 12, 1942: Eastern Front Ukraine: Russian ‘South-West Front’ (Army Group, approx. equal to a German or Anglo-American Army) launches counter-offensive from Barvenkovo Salient, south

WW2 War Diary for Monday, May 11, 1942: Sea War Mediterranean: British destroyers Lively, Kipling and Jackal bombed by Ju 88 bombers west of Alexandria. Sister ship Jervis rescues 630

WW2 War Diary for Sunday, May 10, 1942: Home Fronts Britain: Churchill warns Germany in broadcast that Britain will retaliate if poison gas is used on Russian Front (unknown to