Air Operations, Europe
Because of thunderstorms and low clouds over the target forces Air Marshal Harris to postpone the 'thousand-bomber raid' against one of Germany's most highly industrialized cities.
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]Air Operations, Mediterranean
Waves of British bombers attack Messina, Catania and Syracusa in Sicily.
[ | ]Air Operations, New Guinea
5th Air Force B-17s bomb Rabaul.
[ | ]Arctic
7 He-111s and 111 Ju-88s sink 5 ships of Convoy PQ-16.
[ | ]Battle of the Atlantic
The British minesweeper Fitzroy sinks on a mine off Great Yarmouth with the loss of 13 crewmen.
[ | ] Combined Operations Exercise on the Isle of Wight |
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China
The Chinese evacuate Kinhwa after fierce fighting and severe Japanese bombing.
[ | ]Czechoslovakia, Resistance
(29th?)2 Czech patriots, Jan Kubis and Josef Gabcik, dropped by parachute from a British aircraft, attempt to assassinate Reichsprotektor Reinhard Heydrich. He is ambushed near Prague while driving to his country residence at Penenske Brezany. The blast severs Heydrich's spine. The Czechs escape and Himmler's deputy dies of wounds on June 4(3?) at age 38.
A plan, implemented in London for the assassination of Heydrich, is carried out by British-trained Czech assassins.
This decision has always caused speculation, as he was the only Nazi leader thus targeted. In late spring of 1942, a section of Czech soldiers flew from England and were dropped outside Prague. Heydrich, possibly through bravado, rode in an open-topped unprotected car on his war from his residence to the palace. The assassination team struck during the journey. His car was mcahine-gunned on the Kirchmayer Boulevard. Heydrich was injured and drew his pistol. Then the Czech Sten gun jammed. Heydrich was about to pursue the assassin with a grenade, thrown by another member, Kubis, exploded, impregnating him with horsehair stuffing and pieces of metal springs from the car seat.
At 21:10 hours that evening, Karl Hermann Frank, former deputy leader of the Sudeten German Party, Secretary of State and Chief of Police in Bohemia and Moravia under Heydrich, was ordered by Himmler via telegram to arrest 10,000 hostages from among the Czech intelligentsia and to shoot 100 of the most important that same night.
Village of Lidice, Czechoslovakia |
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| The village of Lidice, Czechoslovakia, before it was burned the ground by the Germans in 1942. On May 27, 1942, a high-ranking Nazi official named Reinhard Heydrich was assassinated, and soon after, Adolf Hitler himself reportedly ordered that any village found harboring the assassins should be leveled, all male residents executed, females shipped off to concentration camps, and acceptable children given to German families. The village of Lidice, reportedly home to Czech resistance fighters, was chosen, and Hitler’s orders were carried out starting on June 10, 1942, when all 192 men over 16 years of age were executed. (AP Photo/Czech News Agency) |
]Eastern Front
SOUTHERN SECTORThe shocked remnants of the Izyum grouping continue their vain attempts to escape. Bloodied and defeated, few manage to escape the German defensive fire and air attacks.
German Soldiers Inspecting Destroyed Soviet Tank |
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| ]Gulf of Mexico
The unarmed US freighter Alcoa Pilgrim (6759t), en route to Mobile, Alabama from Trinidad, is torpedoed and sunk by U-502. The ship sinks so fast there is not time to launch lifeboats. 31 of her 40-man crew are lost.
[ | ]Japan, Home Front
Prime Minister Tojo claims, in a speech to the Imperial Diet, that Japan stands on the verge of 'ultimate victory'. Australia lies defenseless and must 'reconsider her attitude. . . or suffer the consequences. Japan will never sheathe the sword of righteousness until the influence of the Anglo-American Powers. . . has been completely uprooted.'
[ | ]New Caledonia
The Americal Division under Gen Alexander M. Patch is activated in New Caledonia. (Americal is an amalgamation of the words 'America' and 'Caledonia').
[]North Africa
Early in the morning Rommel's tanks are south of Bir Hacheim with the Italian Ariete Div. The other Italian division, Treiste, moves northeast instead of southeast and runs into the British 40th(?) Brigade. The British flank in the south has been turned. Rommel's armor turns north and rapidly defeats 3rd Indian and 7th Motorized Brigades. His intention now is to use the 90th Light Div against Tobruk, to confuse the enemy's line of communications, while the Italian Ariete Div deals with Bir Hacheim. In various engagements that follow with British armor both sides lose heavily but the British are better able to absorb such losses. Ariete are meant to eliminate the Free French at Bir Hacheim but fail to do so and 90th Light swing furthest to the east in a diversionary role. The two armored division of the Afrika Korps, the 15th and the 21st, move north to surround the main body of the British 8th Army.
At 6:30a.m. Rommel sends in the German 21st Pzr and the Italian Ariete Divs against the positions of the 3rd Indian Brigade, south of Bir Hacheim. The surprise is complete as the British troops are having breakfast.
Meanwhile the German 90th Light Div advances towards Tobruk, forcing the position held by the British 7th Motorized Brigade at Retma. The British manage to break away and take refuge at Bir el Gubi. The Ariete Div's attack on Bir Hacheim is fought off by the Free French Brigade, and the 2 panzer divisions are hit in the flanks by the British 2nd Armored Brigade from the right and the 1st Army Tank Brigade from the left.
Rommel's position has become difficult for he has lost about a third of his tanks and fuel is running low. He is in danger of being halted and cut off in territory controlled by the British. The 90th Light Div is also dangerously exposed without cover from the armored divisions.
On the German left, in the Gazala sector, Axis troops have reached the coastal escarpment and control the 'Via Balboa', the coast road which is the only road the enemy can use to retire.[MORE]
[ | ]Occupied France
Deportations to Germany of members of the resistance movement begin.
[ | ]Pacific
The Japanese aircraft carrier force under the command of Vice-Adm Chuichi Nagumo sails from Japan with 21 other ships. This force will be followed at a distance of 600 miles by the bulk of the Imperial Fleet under Yamamoto, all moving toward Midway. The other groups are commanded by Rear-Adm Raizo Tanaka, Rear-Adm Takeo Kurita and Vice-Adm Nobutake Kondo. The Midway Invasion Fleet puts to sea from Saipan and Guam with transports carrying 5,000 men escorted by cruisers and destroyers. The invasion force for the Aleutians also sails in 2 groups from Ominato.
Under orders from Adm Nimitz, Rear-Adm Robert A. Theobald organizes Task Force 9 to defend the Aleutians. It is composed of surface and air strike groups. Theobold believes Dutch Harbor is the Japanese objective, despite information from Nimitz's headquarters that the islands of Attu and Kiska are the targets of the Japanese invasion fleet.
[ | ]Pearl Harbor
The damaged carrier Yorktown arrives at Pearl Harbor for emergency repairs. They are completed in 48 hours.
[]South Africa, Home Front
In order to save paper it is announced the postage stamps will be reduced in size by 50%.
[ | ] Doris "Dorie" Miller Awarded the Navy Cross |
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