Air Operations, Australia

A 49th Fighter Group P-40 downs an A6M Zero near Darwin at 1225.

Air Operations, New Guinea

5th Air Force B-17s, based in the Bismarcks, attack the Rabaul/Lakunai and Rabaul/Vunakunau airfields.

Battle of the Atlantic

• US ships operating off the American east coast are warned: 'Recent information indicates that enemy submarines, before proceeding to United States, are loading mines.' Navy intelligence has also learned that the Germans had secretly advised the government of Chile to keep its ships away from New York since Germany intends to mine the harbor. As it turned out, 2 U-boats carrying 66 mines to be floated in New York waters were sunk in the North Atlantic while en route.
• The German submarine U-157 is sunk by the Coast Guard cutter Thetis (PC-115) north of Cuba.

U-157

Caribbean

The US freighter Solon Thurman is torpedoed and sunk by U-159 off the Panama Canal Zone. The 53 men on board abandon ship.

Eastern Front

The slow German advance at Sevastopol begins to make headway as Fort Stalin falls to the 22nd Infantry Division of the LIV Corps after a furious battle.

Fallen Soviet Soldiers near Kerch

Mediterranean

In another Malta re-supply attempt, Operation VIGOROUS is even less successful than Operation HARPOON. Adm Vian has received reinforcements from the Eastern Fleet, so he can lead 8 cruisers and 26 destroyers to cover the 11 merchant ships. He sets sail on the 13th.

North Africa

Since the supply lines of XIII Corps are being threatened, the South African and British infantry begin to pull out of the Gazala Line and the Guards abandon Knightsbridge. The Guards fall back to Acroma. Despite Ultra knowledge that Rommel was primed for defense against an attack, Lt-Gen Sir Neil Ritchie orders about 300 of his tanks headlong into an ambush near El Adem. The Germans are waiting with 88-mm cannons and within a few hours knock out most of the British armor. In what is known as 'Black Saturday', the 8th Army loses 138 tanks before noon and have only 75 tanks operational by dusk.

The 21st Panzer seizes the western end of Rigel Ridge northwest of Knightsbridge after a stout defense by the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards, with support from the 6th South African Field Battery. Maj-Gen Herbert Lumsden orders the 2nd and 22nd Armored Brigades to assist resulting in more losses to anti-tank guns.

Knightsbridge is still held by the 201st Guards Brigade. Since Lumsden's armored units can no longer support them, they are in danger of being cut off. Lt-Gen William Gott orders the evacuation in the evening. Lt-Col Henry R. B. Foote of the 7th Royal Tanks successfully holds German armor to aid in the withdrawal.

Secret War

The British discover that the US Military Attaché in Cairo is sending messages which are being intercepted by the Germans and read to Rommel.

Pictures from an exhibit describing the event - left: officers examining wrapping used for the buried explosives. Clockwise from center top: shovels used by the saboteurs; the cap worn by George John Dasch, leader of the saboteurs; German cigarettes found in the dunes; and a satchel used to carry cash.

Pictures from the Exhibit Describing the Event

United States, Policy

President Roosevelt signs an executive order creating the Office of War Information under Elmer Davis to deal with dissemination of information both within the United States and in all foreign countries. The Office of Coordinator of Information is redesignated as the Office of Strategic Services under the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Office of Strategic Services has the following functions: collect and analyze strategic information and plan and operate special services. William J. Donovan is appointed director.