Air Operations, Europe
The RAF bomb oil installations in northwest Germany.
[
| 
]Battle of the Atlantic
- U-37 sinks 9 merchant ships off northwest Spain between May 19 and Jun 2. The first ship sunk is the Swedish steamer Erik Frisell (5066t) in the North Sea. All 34 of the crew are rescued by the British armed trawler Cobbers and landed at Stornoway.
- The British minelayer Princess Victoria (2197t) sinks on a mine at the entrance to the Humber.
- The British destroyer Whitley is badly damaged by German bombing 2 miles east of Nieuport with the loss of 4 crewmen. Her crew is taken off by the British destroyer Vimiera. The Whitley is determined to be beyond salvage by the British destroyer Keith and is shelled to prevent her use by the Germans.
- The Belgian steamer Vlaanderen IV (647t) is sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk.
- The French auxiliary minesweeper Augustin Normand (175t) is sunk by German bombing near Le Havre.
| ]Britain, Home Front
Churchill makest to first of his prime ministerial radio broadcasts to the British public.
[ | ]Western Front
The 9 German Panzer divs halt in positions between Peronne and St Quentin to regroup but some of Guderian's troops are still pushing forward. After obtaining permission from his immediate superior, Gen Hermann Hoth (Commander of the XV Arm Corps), Rommel's 7th Pzr Div makes a small advance in the direction of Arras with the intention of occupying the dominating heights there. De Gaulle's 4th Arm Div again attacks north from around Laon. It makes very good progress against gradually stiffening resistance. Some French tanks threaten Guderian's HQ and he summons assistance from 10th Pzr Div, but Stukas halt the French advance before the 10th Pzr arrives. De Gaulle is ordered to retire before any real gains can be achieved.
|
The possibility that it will be necessary to evacuate the BEF is raised for the first time in telephone conversations between London and the commanders in the field. The government are still optimistic at this stage. The main British forces are now in positions along the Scheldt.[MORE]
|
| ]