Air Operations, Mediterranean

German and Italian air formations attack more targets on the island of Malta.

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-103 sinks the British steamer Surat (5529t) northwest of Freetown with the loss of 4 of her crew. 61 survivors are picked up by the British hopper barge Foremost 102 and landed at Freetown. U-103 next sinks the British steamer Dunkwa (4752t) 216 miles west-northwest of Freetown with the loss of 8 of her crew. 39 survivors are picked up by the Dutch steamer Polydorus.
• U-105 sinks the British steamer Oakdene (4255t) northwest of St Paul Rocks. All 35 of her crew are picked up by the British cruiser Dorsetshire.

The Blitz

Liverpool and Merseyside are hit in the sixth of seven consecutive night raids. (See May 7 for summary). Clydeside is the target again for the second straight night. 232 bombers make the raid. There is severe damage at Greenock. Many fires are started followed by a large explosion when the gas works are hit. About 300 people are killed with a little more seriously injured.

Crete

Gen Freyberg is informed of the details of Operation Merkur, the German plan for the invasion of Crete, by the British Secret Service.

Iraq

The British forces consolidate their hold on Habbaniyah airfield, driving the Iraqis back from Sin el Dhibban toward Fallujah, nearer the capital. The 21st Indian Bde arrives at Basra.

Mediterranean

For the first time for many months the British try to run a convoy through the Mediterranean from Gibraltar to Egypt. Churchill is the driving force behind this decision and has ordered the operation because he wishes the supplies and tanks carried in the ships to form the basis of an offensive in the desert as soon as possible.

The operation is code named TIGER. There are 5 transports. On this day they pass Gibraltar and are joined by 1 battleship, a carrier from Force H and another battleship which is to go on to join the Mediterranean Fleet. With these heavy units are 4 cruisers and 7 destroyers. 6 more destroyers join the convoy from Gibraltar later in the day. Also this day 2 convoys leave Alexandria for Malta with an escort of 5 cruisers and 3 destroyers.

British Mediterranean Operations

A five ship supply convoy from Gibraltar to Alexandria (Operation TIGER) coincided with reinforcements for the Mediterranean Fleet, six ship convoy MW-7 from Egypt to Malta, and 48 more Hurricanes flown off the British carriers Ark Royal and Furious (Operation SPLICE). The only loss was the 9,200 long tons (9,300t) cargo ship Empire Song, which hit a mine and sank with a cargo of 57 tanks, 10 aircraft and several trucks. TIGER was transporting tanks (Matildas and the new Crusader tanks) needed for the operations in North Africa, these had been intended to be sent via the Cape but were diverted via the Mediterranean at Churchill's insistence. Over 200 tanks reached Alexandria on 12 May.

To support this operation Cunningham takes the whole of the Mediterranean Fleet out with 3 battleships, his single carrier, 3 cruisers and 19 destroyers.

The British submarine Truant sinks the Italian steamer Bengasi (1716t) 3 miles southeast of Cavoli.

Soviet Union, Politics

• The Praesidium of the Supreme Soviet nominates Stalin President of the Council of People's Commissars. Previously Stalin had been content to hold only the office of General Secretary of the Communist Party.
• The Soviet military attaché in Berlin, Captain Voronstov, advises Moscow: '... according to a statement of a certain German officer from Hitler's headquarters, Germany is preparing to invade the USSR on May 14 through Finland, the Baltic countries and Latvia. At the same time Moscow and Leningrad will be heavily raided and paratroopers landed in border cities....'

United States, Policy

Secretary of War Stimson proposes the use of US Navy ships to protect British-bound convoys.