Air Operations, Europe

French Sud-Est LeO-451 medium bombers attack German motorized columns invading Belgium. 7 out of 8 RAF Battles are shot down while attacking German columns in Luxemburg. Do-17s wipe out No. 114 Sqn RAF, destroying 30 Blenheims. Belgian Battles make suicidal attacks on captured bridges over the Albert Canal. The RAF send 18 Whitley and 18 Hampden bombers to bomb communications in the München-Gladbach area. This night raid is directed against roads and rail facilities and is considered the first major attack by either side against a 'population center'. 3 bombers are lost.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The Dutch liners Veendam (15,450t) and Statendam (28,291t) are sunk at Rotterdam by German bombing.
• The Dutch steamer Stella (2818t) is sunk by German bombing at Flushing Roads.
• U-9 sinks the Estonian steamer Viiu (1908t) off the Westhinder Buoy and the British steamer Tringa (1930t) in the North Sea. 5 survivors from the Viiu are picked up by the British anti-submarine trawler Arctic Hunter 10 miles east of Noss Head. The Tringa loses 17 of her crew; 6 survivors are picked up by the British destroyer Malcolm.
• The Finnish steamer Sally (2533t) sinks on a mine in the Fairway north of Helsingor.

Britain, Home Front

Government appointments: Attlee, Lord Privy Seal; Alexander, First Lord of Admiralty; Eden, Secretary for War; Sinclair, Secretary for Air.

Caribbean

British and French troops land on the Dutch islands of Aruba and Curacao to protect the oil installations there, and also the approach to the Venezuelan fields.

Diplomatic Relations

Japanese Foreign Minister, Arita, warns the warring powers, the United States and Italy that Japan will not tolerate any change in the status quo in the Dutch East Indies.

Relations between the Allies and Italy had been strained before and since the outbreak of war, but it was not until May that the Italian press seriously began a campaign of hate against the Allies. The Italian people as a whole had little or no dislike of the Western powers, but amongst the student class officially inspired demonstrations against the Allies broke out in many Italian cities. The picture shows Italian students in Rome giving vent to their hatred for the Allies. Hate Campaign Against the Allies

Belgium

Belgian women tearfully have goodbye to husbands and sons leaving for the front line as the threat of invasion hung heavily over their homeland, on May 11, 1940. (AP Photo) Leaving for the Front

Western Front

The German offensive continues at high speed. Guderian's Pzr Corps disperses French horse cavalry and light mechanized forces in the Ardennes and 2 of his 3 Pzr divs reach the Semoy River, 16 miles north of Sedan. The advance in Holland is very rapid and even more of the Dutch army is put out of action. The French 7th Army reaches Breda in southwest Holland after making a rapid advance through Belgium. In Belgium the Germans are approaching the British and French positions which are now strongly held. In the evening the Belgian troops fall back from the Albert Canal towards the River Dyle. In their hurried retreat the Belgian troops fail to demolish many important bridges facilitating the German armor and infantry advance. Eben Emael falls to German attacks after some fruitless resistance. Liège is surrounded. Von Rundstedt's forces advance nearer to the Meuse. Heavy bombing raids are carried out on many Belgian towns. 3 divs of the British Expeditionary Force take up defensive positions on the left bank of the river Dyle between Wavre and Louvain.[MORE]

Germans capture the Albert Canal in Belgium