June 9, 1942: Nimitz Changes Strategy

Tuesday 9 June 1942

Adolf Hitler at Reinhard Heydrich's funeral (Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe, sygn. 2-13241).

Battle of the Pacific: Learning of the Japanese capture of Kiska on 9 June 1942, Admiral Chester Nimitz cancels his orders to Admiral Jack Fletcher to take his three aircraft carriers (USS Enterprise, Hornet, and Saratoga) north to the Aleutians. Nimitz now does not want them exposed to Japanese land bombers operating from Kiska and Attu. This unknowingly frustrates a Japanese plan to ambush them with the reinforced fleet of Admiral Boshirō Hosogaya.

Nimitz now is thinking offensively (as is General Douglas MacArthur in Melbourne, who submitted his own proposal for an advance led by the Army on 8 June 1942). He wants to keep his carrier force intact for a thrust due west across the central Pacific. This Nimitz and his team in Hawaii see as the main Allied strategy from now on. This is contrary to MacArthur's proposal to advance north from Australia, setting up a classic "turf war" between the US Army and Navy.

The Japanese high command, despite the minor successes in the Aleutians, is reeling from the early June results at Midway. The solution is denial and a coverup. The Imperial Japanese Navy prepares a vague and unrealistic summary of the battle to the military liaison conference. Admiral Chūichi Nagumo takes his time preparing an accurate summary of Japanese losses. He remains completely unaware that the Americans knew his complete battle plan in May and thinks his force was only discovered on the 5th. The Japanese public is kept completely in the dark, with media focusing entirely on the Aleutians.

Artwork depicting "The Swoose" on the B-17D aircraft that carried Lyndon Baines Johnson to Port Moresby on 8 June 1942. The aircraft is currently being restored in Dayton, Ohio (U.S. Air Force photo courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force).

Navy Reserve Lieutenant Lyndon B. Johnson, the future President, makes an aerial inspection tour from his location in Townsville, Australia. Johnson already has had an interesting time Down Under, having helped to quell a mutiny by African-African troops on 22 May 1942. The B-26 Marauder flying the mission has engine trouble after departing from Port Moresby and has to return to base, but the USAAF 19th Bombardment Squadron of the 22nd Bomber Group completes its mission (flying from Townsville to Port Moresby for refueling) to bomb Lae, New Guinea. The Port Moresby stage of the mission has to be delayed for an hour to accommodate LBJ, who arrives from Townsville in General Brett's VIP B-17D "The Swoose." 

The mission is hazardous even though Johnson misses out on the actual bombing run. LBJ narrowly escapes death because he switches bombers at the last minute due to a pilot change, and the plane he leaves crashes into the sea off Salamaua, killing everyone on board. LBJ then also escapes potential harm when the B-17 on the flight back to Townsville gets lost and almost runs out of fuel. It has to make an emergency landing at remote Carisbrooke Station near Winton. This B-17D, incidentally, survives and is the property of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The strange sequence of events results in General MacArthur awarding Johnson a Silver Star, the Army's third-highest decoration. Johnson soon after heads back to D.C. in accordance with FDR's requirement that all members of Congress return to their legislative duties. He remains in the US Naval Reserve until January 1964.

The Japanese complete their occupation of the Philippines and declare it secure.

US 24-ton freighter Husky founders two miles off Cape Constantine in Nushagak Bay, Aleutian Islands. Everyone survives.

US submarine USS Trout (SS-202) picks up two survivors of the sunken Japanese heavy cruiser Mikuma.

There is fierce fighting near the town of Chuhsien, China. Both sides take heavy casualties.

Crash site of a B-17 near Whenuapai Aerodrome, Auckland, New Zealand, 9 June 1942. All 11 men on board are killed (Archives New Zealand Reference: ADQA 17211 AIR1 572 25/2/588).

Battle of the Indian Ocean: The Japanese Divine Dragon Operation No. 2 submarine force, in which the Japanese high command placed high hopes, remains operational in the Mozambique Channel. However,  it is now clear to the local commanders that the operation now has turned into a standard submarine patrol and that initial plans to target the British Far Eastern Fleet are obsolete. Accordingly, Lieutenant Commander Otani Kiyonori of I-18 has his men destroy and jettison mini-submarine M-18b, effectively ending the operation.

Around this time, British divers discover the remains of M-20b, which carried out the most successful attack at Diego Suarez. It is sitting upright on a reef in heavy surf (remnants remain there to this day). They salvage the propellers, now on display at the gravesite of its occupants, Lieutenant (j.g.) Akieda Saburo and POIC Takemoto Masami. They were killed on 2 June 1942 by a British patrol on the mainland while attempting to rendezvous with I-20.

The Japanese have not given up on the Indian Ocean by any means. On 5 June 1942, auxiliary cruisers Aikoku Maru and Hokoko Maru caught 6757-ton British passenger ship Elysia 350 miles northeast of Durban. They torpedoed it, and today it sinks, causing 22 deaths. 

Battleship HMS Ramillies, previously damaged by a Japanese mini-submarine in late May 1942, arrives in Durban for repairs accompanied by light cruiser Emerald and three destroyers. The damage ultimately will require a return to the UK at Portsmouth on 8 September that will last until the summer of 1943.

A new recruit, age 62, joins the Royal Navy, 9 June 1942. ""Owd Bob" drawing his petty officer's rig on board the Armed Merchant Cruiser Depot ship HMS MERSEY. Behind him is Tommy Harding, age 18, another new entry who volunteered for this special naval service." © IWM A 8807.

Eastern Front: German General Erich von Manstein's assault on Sevastopol has shown signs of turning into a battle of attrition, exactly what he didn't want. The priority is to take Sevastopol before the Case Blue offensive on the main front begins, and that now is looking doubtful. Luftwaffe General Wolfram von Richtofen begins changing attack priorities from assisting the front-line troops to attacking Soviet supply lines, a bad sign that the plan is faltering. The Luftwaffe is fully committed, flying 1044 sorties and dropping 954 tons of bombs, putting a strain on men, equipment, and logistics.

However, the German offensive is not dead, not by any means. General Franz Halder, remaining in East Prussia while the Fuhrer attends the Reinhard Heydrich funeral (see below), comments:

At Sevastopol, good progress despite strong enemy counter-attacks. Otherwise, all quiet. Army Group Center reports breakout of Cavalry Corps Belov to the south.

Halder does have his own grips about the Storfang operation. Writing about a meeting during the day with General Buhle, he comments acidly, "Report on Sevastopol. My suspicion that the Artillery Command is not of the best is confirmed."

The Red Navy is doing what it can to help its comrades ashore. Early in the morning, Soviet destroyers spot Axis mini-submarines operating from Yalta on their radar screens and unsuccessfully attack them. This new development induces Vice-Admiral Oktyabrskii to order his naval captains to concentrate less on offshore gunfire support of the army and more on keeping the sea lanes to Sevastopol clear. He also tells them to switch to area fire rather than targeted fire and cuts back on the number of surface vessel supply missions. This forces an increase in submarine supply missions. While they don't know it, the Axis mini-submariners thus achieve a tactical victory without sinking a single ship.

LIV Corps continues to make slow progress in the north, assisted greatly by an intense artillery bombardment laid down by the biggest guns ever used in combat. The 132nd Infantry clears a key obstacle, the Haccius Ridge, and the 22nd Infantry Division destroys the elite Soviet 79th Naval Infantry Brigade.

General Paulus' Sixth Army counterattacks against Red Army forces in the Kharkov sector. Paulus has plenty of troops because Sixth Army is fated to lead the Case Blue offensive toward Stalingrad. During this attack, Uffz. Wilhelm Crinius of 3./JG 53 shoots down two Soviet Il-2 Shturmovik ground-attack planes for his first two victories.

European Air Operations: Weather is poor on the Channel Front, with 10/10ths cloud cover down to 1500 feet and getting worse as the day proceeds.

A Polish squadron raids Essen. British Wellington IV R1725 crashes into the North Sea, 20 km west of Texel, Netherlands, while en route to bomb Essen. All six crewmen perish. Another Wellington targeting Essen, IV Z1412, is shot down by the nightfighter pilot Oblt. L.Fellerer of II/NJG 2. it crashlands on the beach 2 km west of St. Maartensvlotbrug. The five crewmen survive. A Wellington manages to make it back for a crashlanding after being attacked three times by Me-110 night fighters from below and astern, and the odds of survival are so iffy that the copilot bails out 20 miles west of Essen after the bombing run.

"36th Bombardment Squadron LB-30 Liberator and a Boeing B-17E Fortress (41-9126) at Fort Glenn Army Air Base, Alaska, June 1942. 9126 was lost Aug 28, 1942." USAAF photo via Chloe, John Hale, (1984), Top Cover for America. the Air Force in Alaska. 1920–1983, Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, ISBN 0-933126-47-6.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-124 (Kptlt. Johann Mohr), on its ninth patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 940-ton French corvette FFL Mimosa (K11, Captain Roger R.L. Birot) 600 miles southeast of Cape Farewell in the British Isles. The Mimosa is an escort for Convoy ONS-100 and sinks within three minutes because the depth charges falling off the ship explode. The other escorts don't even notice the ship is missing until dawn breaks. There are 65-67 deaths and only four surviving French sailors, who are picked up by HMCS Assiniboine.

U-502 (Kptlt. Jürgen von Rosenstiel), on its fourth patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes 6589-ton US tanker Franklin K. Lane 35-40 miles (65 km) northeast of La Guiara and Cape Blanco, Venezuela. It is scuttled by the British destroyer HMS Churchill. The ship, a member of Convoy TO-5, is carrying 73,000 barrels of crude oil to Aruba for processing. There are four deaths and 37 survivors.

U-502 also gets another victim from the same convoy today, 5085-ton Belgian freighter Bruxelles. The ship manages to evade two torpedoes, but a third one blows a seven-meter (yard) hole in the side and the ship sinks within four minutes. The crew acts quickly and manages to launch lifeboats. Destroyer Churchill picks them up quickly. There are 53 survivors and one death.

U-432 (Kptlt. Heinz-Otto Schultze), on its fifth patrol out of La Pallice, torpedoes and damages 7073-ton Norwegian freighter Kronprinsen of Convoy BX-23A south of Cape Sable. The ship is taken in tow and beached at West Pubnico, Nova Scotia. Ultimately, the ship is repaired and returned to service.

U-432 also damages 8593-ton British freighter Malayan Prince with a torpedo that misses the Kronprinsen. The ship manages to remain with the convoy and is later repaired and returned to service in July 1942.

Four-stack destroyer USS Southard (DMS-10), Mare Island, 9 June 1942. She has just been converted into a minesweeper (Rickard, J (15 September 2018), USS Southard (DMS-10), Mare Island, 9 June 1942).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Early in the morning, the Luftwaffe sends 20 Junkers Ju 88 and 40 Ju 87 Stukas escorted by 50 Bf 109 and Me 110 fighters against the Free French in Bir Hakeim. However, thick smoke and dust force them to turn back. A second attack around noontime by 124 Stukas and 76 Ju 88s, escorted by 168 Bf 109s, has more luck. During this attack, Oblt. Hans-Joachim Marseilles of 3./JG 27 downs four RAF planes.

German artillery also opens up on the fortifications in the morning as General Erwin Rommel readies a final assault. After the planes and big guns have softened up the defenses, units of the 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions, the 90th Light Division, and Italian infantry launch a two-pronged attack.

Rommel's objective is the "high ground" near the fortress, a small rise called Point 186. The Italian Trieste Division makes good progress, overrunning a reinforced French force that is hampered by supply issues. The German advance gains steam in the afternoon when the 15th Panzer breaches the French line in the center, forcing a desperate counterattack with Bren Carriers that succeeds. Oberstleutnant Ernst-Günther Baade leads the Rifle Regiment 115 to within 200 meters (yards) of the fortress by dusk.

Overhead, the Luftwaffe establishes dominance due to previous losses in the RAF Desert Air Force despite frantic pleas for cover from French General Kœnig. The French are low on supplies and everyone can see the writing on the wall. British Major-General Frank Messervy, commander of the 7th Armoured Division, reports that a breakout should be attempted, and at 23:00 Kœnig signals for permission to evacuate the fortress. Lieutenant-General Neil Ritchie, commander of the 8th Army, replies that he'll prepare a thrust from the south but the fortress will have to hold out for another day or two. 

With water and ammunition running out and casualties mounting, Kœnig orders a breakout anyway. The French formation quickly loses coherence in the darkness and the Axis forces react quickly. The retreat turns into desperate hand-to-hand combat but does make progress into the early morning hours of the 10th.

Italian Caproni bombers catch 1584-ton Swedish freighter Stureborg in the eastern Mediterranean and sink it with torpedoes and bombs. There are 20 deaths and only one survivor, whose raft reaches land near Gaza. Ten men in total started out on the raft but nine perished because it drifted for 19 days and they had no food or water.

U-83 (Kptlt. Hans-Werner Kraus), on its eighth patrol out of Salamis, shells and sinks 175-ton Palestinian sailing ship Typhoon four miles southeast of Sidon, Lebanon. Everyone survives.

RAF Catalinas of No. 240 Squadron sinks Italian submarine Zaffiro in the western Mediterranean southeast of Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands. There are no survivors.

Survivors of the destroyer USS Hammann (DD-412), torpedoed and sunk on 6 June 1942 at the Battle of Midway, are brought ashore at Pearl Harbor, 9 June 1942 (Naval History and Heritage Command 80-G-312064).

Joint Allied Planning: The United States and British governments form the Combined Production and Resources Board. The purpose is to plan and coordinate production in each country to best serve war needs. It operates independently and competes with the Combined Munitions Assignment Board, which is under the jurisdiction of the Combined Chiefs of Staff. President Roosevelt's crony Harry Hopkins is the American leader behind the scenes, though Donald Nelson is the chair. 

While sometimes criticized as ineffective, the Board changes the military procurement process based on statistical analysis and perceived priorities. It provides some order to the former chaotic ordering system directly to industry used by the militaries of the respective countries. British representatives tend to feel the Board favors the US and prefer to exert their influence through the Munitions Board because they feel the Combined Chiefs give them more of an equal say. Canada feels left out and eventually is admitted to the Board as an equal partner. 

The real weakness of the Board is that its leaders don't really have much of an idea themselves of what the war effort needs or where the war is going until it is really too far along to matter. As the military strategy and objectives change - sometimes at the last minute - the Board must follow along and thus always is a step behind actual needs. Its findings also have to be implemented by the respective governments which may not necessarily agree completely with its decisions and thus may not treat them with a sense of urgency.

US Military: The Navy establishes a naval operating base at Kodiak, Alaska.

Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler leads the procession at Reinhard Heydrich's Berlin funeral on 9 June 1942. Visible in the front row from left are Robert Ley, Karl-Hermann Frank, Erhard Milch, Sepp Dietrich, Sergeant Heinz Heydrich (Reinhard's younger brother), police chief Kurt Daluege (Heydrich's successor in Bohemia and Moravia), and Wilhelm Frick (Federal Archive Picture 121-1344).

German Homefront: The government holds the second funeral for Reinhard Heydrich, who was shot by British agents on 27 May 1942. This second funeral is in Berlin (the first, on 7 June, was in Prague). All of the top Reich officials attend, including Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goering. Hitler awards Heydrich the German Order, the highest honor in the Third Reich, posthumously. After the ceremony, Heinrich Himmler tells his subordinates to ramp up the Holocaust.

Heydrich is interred in a plot at the Invalidenfriedhof in Berlin. The location, once well known, since the war has become secret to prevent fascist gatherings.

Privately, Hitler blames Heydrich's own lax security precautions on his demise. He tells his cronies that a man as important to the war effort as Heydrich never should have been driving in an unguarded open-air car through streets filled with people. Hitler, of course, is (rightly) paranoid about his own personal security and routinely changes his routes and timing to frustrate would-be assassins. This already has saved his life at least once, when he evaded a bomb planted at the Munich Brown House (Braunes Haus) on 8 November 1939.

Due to the Gestapo's mistaken belief that the Heydrich assassins operated from the town of Lidice, the local German authorities begin to obliterate it today. Today and tomorrow, they kill 199 men and deport 195 women to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. There are 95 children in the town, 81 of whom later perish at the Chelmno camp. Eight are adopted by German families. The German security forces also prepare to destroy the town of Ležáky.

The two agents who assassinated Heydrich, Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš, remain at large despite a massive German manhunt. The local authorities make it clear to the Czech people that if they are not turned over, more blood will be spilled. They also promise a bounty of a million Reichsmarks. Since everyone knows the German threats are not just empty words and Lidice is the proof, this reaches some receptive ears.

Platforms 2 and 3 of Paddington Station, London, UK, 9 June 1942 (Science & Society 10442395).

American Homefront: Lord Louis Mountbatten, Chief of the British Commandos, arrived in Washington for tactical conversations with US officers. Also returning from London are Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower, Henry "Hap" Arnold, and Mark Clark.

Ronald Reagan, who enlisted in the USAAF on 15 May 1942 as a private, receives a transfer to become the public relations officer for the First Motion Picture Unit in Burbank, California, under director John Ford. In this role, Reagan will be instrumental in "discovering" a young aviation worker in Burbank who will turn into film star Marilyn Monroe. He ends the war with the rank of Captain.

Future History: Heydrich's death leads to a series of prolonged court cases in the 1950s by his widow, Lina. She successfully argues to the West German government that she is entitled to a full pension as she widow of a German general. She writes a 1976 memoir, Leben mit einem Kriegsverbrecher (Living With a War Criminal), remarries, and passes away in 1985. Three of their four children survive the war.

Raymond "Ossie" Clark is born in Warrington, Lancashire, England. He becomes a top fashion designer during the "Carnaby Street" height of British fashion in the Swinging Sixties. He passes away on 6 August 1996 after being stabbed by a former lover.

Adolf Hitler gives a memorial address at the funeral of Reinhard Heydrich in the New Reich Chancellery, 9 June 1942 (Federal Archive Image 146-1969-052-69).

2021

June 7, 1942: Manstein Attacks Sevastopol in Crimea

Sunday 7 June 1942

"USS Portland (CA-33), at right, transfers USS Yorktown survivors to USS Fulton (AS-11) on 7 June 1942, following the battle of Midway. Fulton transported the men to Pearl Harbor." Naval History and Heritage Command 80-G-312028.

Battle of the Pacific: US aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5) sinks just after dawn on 7 June 1942, marking the definitive end of the Battle of Midway. Yorktown capsizes due to the combined effects of previous Japanese naval air strikes and torpedoes from I-168. The Battle of Midway has been a decisive American victory, with the Japanese losing four fleet aircraft carriers and a cruiser.

Continuing with their grand operational plan whose main component already has been thwarted at Midway, the Japanese occupy Attu Island in the Aleutians. There is no opposition to the 1143 men of the North Sea Detachment, and it is unclear if the US even knows about this latest invasion for a day or two. There are only 44 US civilians and 42 Aleut natives on Attu. One US civilian, Charles Jones, dies during the Attu invasion of unknown causes. The Japanese send everyone to camps in Japan, with only 25 of the 86 inhabitants surviving the war. The Japanese also capture nine of ten US Navy sailors manning a weather station on Kiska, with the tenth man (wearing a summer uniform) evading capture in the interior for 45 days.

The Japanese now occupy two islands at the extreme end of the Aleutian Island chain (Attu and Kiska). The Japanese high command anticipates that the US Navy will intervene and sends two light carriers to the vicinity in order to stage an ambush. In fact, Admiral Chester Nimitz does intend to send USS Enterprise and Hornet to the Aleutians, but he has not yet issued the necessary orders.

While Admiral Raymond A. Spruance has chosen not to pursue the retreating Japanese fleet - a decision for which he receives criticism - the US Army Air Force decides otherwise. Major General Clarence L. Tinker, Commander, 7th Air Force, personally leads a bomber strike from Hawaii. He perishes when his plane crashes near Midway.

"Located in the southeast room of the visitors building of Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. Map was designed by Margaret Bruton and fabricated by P. Grassi American Terrazzo Company of South Francisco." Naval History and Heritage Command NH 114452.

Admiral Frank Fletcher, who ceded command of US Task Force 18 around Midway Island due to the loss of his ship, the Yorktown, transfers his flag to aircraft carrier Saratoga, which has recently arrived from the US west coast. Saratoga departs Pearl Harbor today carrying replacement aircraft for the two remaining carriers involved in the battle. Fletcher thus is able to resume command of the task force on 8 June. He learns that Spruance has withdrawn to the east in order to refuel his ships and quickly orders search missions for the Japanese, who are heading back to Japan. However, the opportunity to continue the battle and "finish off the Japanese" has been lost.

While he has presided over the dramatic victory off Midway, Spruance manages to destroy much of the reputation he could have gained. This is due to his perceived lack of aggressiveness following the heat of the battle. Spruance's "discretion is the better part of valor" approach is controversial - then and now - and contrasts poorly with the aggressive tactics of Admiral "Bull" Halsey, who was unable to command the fleet at Midway due to health concerns. Now that Fletcher is back in command, Spruance is quickly reassigned from his field command to serve as Admiral Nimitz's chief of staff, though he does recover to have some important commands in 1943-1945.

Japanese submarine I-26 (Cdr Yokota) torpedoes and sinks 3545-ton US refrigerated freighter Coast Trader thirty miles off the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the US west coast. The ship is carrying refrigerated ammonia, which leaks due to the explosion and incapacitates some of the crew. There is one death. The remaining 56 men make it to a lifeboat, which local fishing vessel Virginia I tows to Neah Bay, and two rafts that Canadian corvette Edmunston (K-106) finds.

US submarine Grouper (SS-214) is mistakenly bombed by USAAF B-17 bombers looking for the Japanese fleet. It escapes undamaged, reflecting typical poor aim by level bombers against shipping in the Pacific.

"USS Yorktown (CV-5) sinking, just after dawn on 7 June 1942, as seen from an accompanying destroyer." Naval History and Heritage Command NH 106000.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: Japanese submarine I-18 shells and sinks 2158-ton Norwegian freighter Wilford in the Indian Ocean off the Mozambique Coast. There are nine deaths and 34 survivors. All but two of the survivors, who are picked up by a Marinha Portuguesa gunboat, reach land in their lifeboats.

Eastern Front: In Crimea, German General Erich von Manstein begins Unternehmen Störfang (Operation Sturgeon Catch), the assault on Sevastopol. The port is well-defended, surrounded by rugged forests and bunkers that include 11 batteries and strong points north of Severnaya Bay.

The German 11th Army is weak, with many divisions seriously understrength. This is because Adolf Hitler is husbanding his fresh troops for the grand offensive, Case Blue, that he plans to launch in a few weeks. There are many fresh divisions and thousands of idle troops just north of the Crimea. It is an artificial manpower shortage, as opposed to the real one that are to come. Thus, Manstein must rely heavily on his artillery and airpower to make up for a weak thrust on land. Assisting the Germans are units of the Romanian Army, including the 1st Mountain Division and 18th Division, which are strong but lack their own artillery and air support.

Lahti L-39 anti-tank gun in use, 7 June 1942 (Martin Persson, SA-kuva).

Aiding the assault are the Germans' heavy artillery that includes an 800 mm gun (Schwere Gustav), three 600 mm guns (Karl-Gerät self-propelled mortars), two 280 mm railway guns, two 420 mm guns, two 355 mm howitzers, and four 305 mm mortars. These massive artillery pieces have been firing at the Soviet defenses for days and have destroyed some key Soviet bunkers. The Luftwaffe's 8th Air Corps already has flown 3,069 sorties against the port, dropping 2,264 tons of high explosives and 23,800 incendiary bombs.

Following the massive preparatory bombardment, German 30 Corps attacks in the south while LIV Corps does so in the north. The southern attack stalls, but the LIV Corps makes good progress (this is the sector where the heaviest artillery has is located). The 132nd Infantry Division heads down the river while the 22nd Infantry Division attacks further east. The Soviets have planted numerous minefields that slow the Axis troops down. 

For Manstein, it is a mixed picture, with some advances in the north, few gains in the south, and failed attacks by the German 24th and 50th Infantry Divisions. In LIV Corps' four divisions alone there are 2,357 casualties, including 340 men killed. In addition, some of the units are running low on ammunition. However, the Germans take the key Red Army defensive position at Belbek, and Red Army casualties also have been severe. With his attempt at a quick victory a failure, Manstein now is looking at a depressing battle of attrition against the numerous enemy forces unless he can get the attack moving in the coming days.

Focke-Wulf Fw-190A-2, 7./JG2, Theville, France, June 1942. The plane is still a bit of a mystery to Allied forces at this time.

European Air Operations: The weather is poor (10/10), with clouds down to 2000 feet. There are few operations during the day, typical during a relatively quiet spring 1942 on the Channel Front.

After dark, RAF Bomber Command attacks the German port of Emden. On the way back to base at 00:47, Luftwaffe pilot Oblt. Ludwig Becker of 6./NJG 2 in a Bf 110 shoots down a Wellington III (X3279) into the Waddenzee. All six crewmen perish.

Hptm. Johannes Seifert of I./JG 26 (KIA 25 November 1943) is awarded the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross) for 36 victories.

A US Navy Vought OS2U Kingfisher seaplane on the ramp at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, 7 June 1942 (US Navy). 

Battle of the Atlantic: U-653 (Kptlt. Gerhard Feiler), on its third patrol out of Brest, torpedoes and sinks seaplane tender USS Gannet (AVP-8) northwest of Bermuda. The ship sinks within four minutes. PBM Mariner seaplanes of VP-74 rescue 22 men, while USS Hamilton picks up 40 more. There are 16 deaths. 

U-159 (Kptlt. Helmut Friedrich Witte), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 3382-ton US freighter Edith 200 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. The ship sinks within twelve minutes. Witte surfaces after the attack to question the survivors and give them direction. He also, in an unusual move, scavenges various supplies that are bobbing in the water such as food, clothing, and even toys. The ship's survivors make it to Black River, Jamaica, in a week.

Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci torpedoes and sinks 6956-ton British freighter Chile 350 miles southwest of Monrovia, Liberia. There are five deaths and 39 survivors.

U-107 (Kptlt. Harald Gelhaus), on its sixth patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 3910-ton Honduran freighter Castilla near Jamaica. The ship sinks within minutes and no lifeboats can be launched. There are 24 dead and 35 survivors, who are picked up by USS Nike (WPC 112).

U-107 also torpedoes and sinks 3249-ton US freighter Sterling Steel Bridge (formerly Suwied) near Cozumel, Mexico. The ship sinks within three minutes, preventing any distress calls. There are six dead and 27 survivors. The survivors are picked up after 19 hours by USCGC Nemesis (WPC 111). This sinking, which occurs around midnight, is sometimes cited as occurring on 8 June.

U-158 (Kptlt. Erwin Rostin), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 5234-ton Panamanian freighter Hermis due west of Havana, Cuba and due north of the extreme western tip of Cuba. Despite being hit by two torpedoes, the ship remains afloat and steaming in a circle, so Rostin surfaces and shells the freighter, setting it on fire, but it remains afloat for 12 more hours. There are one death and 46 survivors, who are picked up by US Army transport Toloa and taken to Kingston, Jamaica.

German 2967-ton freighter Joao Pessoa strikes rocks and sinks two miles from San Sebastian, Spain. Casualties are unknown.

Launch of USS Taylor (DD-468) at the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, on 7 June 1942. The ship is named after  Rear Admiral William Rogers Taylor (US Taylor Reunion Association).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Axis forces around Bir Hakeim continue small-scale attacks. The 90th Light Division has managed to send pioneers through one minefield and into an interior minefield within about 800 meters (900 yards) of the fortress. The Free French garrison, while low on supplies, continues to hold out. During the day, the British Desert Air Force (DAF) launches several attacks against the exposed pioneers, while Luftwaffe Stukas pound the fort.

Much of the fighting at this stage of the battle revolves around supply lines, which are of vital concern in the desert. The British launch minor attacks by the 7th Motor Brigade and 29th Indian Infantry Brigade against Axis supply lines without much success. One last convoy manages to get through to Bir Hakeim in heavy fog after dark. Meanwhile, German General Erwin Rommel use the fog to reposition his forces for a determined assault on Bir Hakeim from the north on the 8th.

Besieged within Bir Hakeim, Brigadier General Marie-Pierre Koenig requests permission to withdraw due to his supply problems. Lieutenant-General Neil Ritchie, commanding the British Eighth Army, denies the request. Ritchie has his reasons - he anticipates the loss of Libya and needs to buy time while he builds a last-ditch defensive position at the little Egyptian town of El Alamein. Koenig, knowing that he can't hold out much longer, begins contemplating a breakout.

Italian submarine Sebastiano Veniero (Cdr Elio Zappetti) is lost due to two Catalina attacks of RAF No. 240 Squadron between the Balearic Islands and Sardinia around noontime. All 57-58 men on board perish.

USS Gannet, sunk by U-653 on 7 June 1942.

Special Operations: British Commandos execute Operation Albumen, another in a long sequence of overnight operations against Axis coastal targets. This one is on the Greek island of Crete, where Luftwaffe forces have been supporting the currently successful campaign of German General Erwin Rommel in Libya. Operation Albumen has several different coordinated sabotage operations.

Led by Captain G.I.A. Duncan of the Black Watch and assisted by local partisans, the Commandos destroy five aircraft and damage 29 others, along with several vehicles and stores, at Kastelli. At Heraklion, George Jellico leads members of the Free French Forces and Hellenic Army to plant Lewes bombs, destroying about 20 Junkers Ju 88 medium bombers. Similar attacks at Tympaki and Maleme do not accomplish anything because there were no aircraft at the former location and the latter was too well guarded. The Germans lose a dozen soldiers.

Aside from the damage caused directly by Operation Albumen, there are some lasting consequences. While the Commandos escape, the German authorities take and execute 50 local hostages. German Crete commander General Alexander Andrae ultimately is replaced by General Bruno Bräuer in November 1942 partly as a consequence of this raid.

Funeral procession of Reinhard Heydrich in Prague, 7 June 1942. Note his flag-draped coffin on a caisson on the left.

German Homefront: The German authorities in Prague hold a massive, ostentatious funeral for assassinated Reichsprotektor Reinhard Heydrich. Afterward, the coffin is sent by train to Berlin for a second funeral to be held on 9 June. The second funeral is planned to be even more elaborate and ostentatious and is to be attended by the entire Reich leadership including Adolf Hitler. The Prague authorities continue to search for the assassins, who remain in the city moving between safe houses. Severe reprisals are in progress, with many more planned.

British Homefront: Scientist Alan Blumlein, the inventor of stereo sound recording among many other things, dies when a Halifax bomber in which he is testing H2S airborne radar crashes in Herefordshire. The crash apparently is due to improper aircraft maintenance. Due to Blumlein's importance to the war effect, the British government does not announce Blumlein's death until 1945. This delay leads to various conspiracy theories about the true cause of Blumlein's death. In 2017, the US Recording Academy posthumously awards Alan Blumlein a Technical Grammy for his contributions to the recording field.

The 7 June 1942 Chicago Sunday Tribune, featuring the article in the center "Navy Had Word of Japanese Plan to Strike at Sea" which almost got the reporter and newspaper in big trouble.

American Homefront: In a remarkable journalistic coup, the Chicago Tribune breaks the news of the codebreaking that contributed heavily to the US Navy victory in the Battle of Midway. Under the headline "Navy Had Word of Japanese Plan to Strike at Sea," the article describes how Naval Intelligence allowed Admiral Nimitz to pre-position his forces to ambush the Japanese fleet. While this article displays a clear breach of critical military security that might aid the Japanese, nothing comes of it. The Japanese military shows no signs of becoming aware that the Americans have broken their codes.

In Great Britain, Winston Churchill is known for having a short fuse with regard to sensitive press leaks like this. His government engages in many displays of censorship and attempted censorship. However, the US government ultimately lets the matter pass because events show that the disclosures do not interfere with the war effort.

Future History: Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi is born in Qasr Abu Hadi, Sirte, Italian Libya. From a poor tribal family, he joins the Libyan military in 1963. In 1964, Muammar Gaddafi forms the "Central Committee of the Free Officers Movement," a revolutionary group styled after the teachings of a former Egyptian leader. In mid-1969, while Libyan King Idris is on vacation in Turkey and Greece, Gaddafi leads a bloodless coup and established the Libyan Arab Republic. Self-styled as the "Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution of Libya," Muammar Gaddafi thereafter rules Libya as a dictator. He develops a cult of personality and remains in power until 20 October 2011, when Muammar Gaddafi perishes while trying to flee from an insurrection.

The 7 June 1942 Cincinnati Enquirer headlines the Battle of Midway as "Avenging" Pearl Harbor. It even reprints its front page from the Pearl Harbor report on this front page to hammer home that point. Unusually for this stage of the war, the report actually underplays the American victory, claiming only "2 or 3" Japanese carriers sunk when actually four were sunk. Still, this is very accurate reporting this close to the actual battle.

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May 12, 1942: Soviets Attack At Kharkov

Tuesday 12 May 1942

A wartime press photograph of Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill on 12 May 1942. He is addressing the Parliamentary Home Guard in London while carrying his gas mask.

Battle of the Pacific: Despite the failure of Operation Mo during the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Japanese continue with Operation RY on 12 May 1942. This was intended as a follow-up to the Port Moresby invasion, but since that invasion was stopped by the US fleet, Operation Ry takes center stage. This is an invasion of Nauru and Ocean Island for their phosphate deposits.

Despite the fact that the Japanese invasion fleet is at sea from Rabaul, Operation RY already is in trouble. Just as the invasion of Port Moresby had to be postponed indefinitely (to 3 July), Operation RY also is postponed today. This is due to the sinking of the Japanese flagship, minelayer Okinoshima, by S-42. While the Japanese don't know this, US Admiral "Bull" Halsey is fast approaching with his Task Force 16 and is almost ready to engage the invasion force. The Japanese fix a new date of 17 May for the Operation RY invasion, but Halsey aboard USS Enterprise and accompanying aircraft carrier Hornet (the units that launched the Doolittle Raid on 18 April) will have something to say about that if it proceeds.

The U.S. Navy escort carrier USS Charger (AVG-30) at anchor on 12 May 1942. She is painted in Camouflage Measure 12 (Modified) (Naval History and Heritage Command NH 55073).

Battle of the Indian Ocean: The monsoon season begins today in Burma, slowing operations just as the spring thaw ("rasputitsa") has done recently in the Soviet Union. The Japanese expand their control in eastern Burma by crossing the Salween River. Their next objective in this region is Kengtung. The 2nd Burma Infantry Brigade completes a long march north through the Myitha Valley and joins with the Chin Hills Battalion, Burma Frontier Force about 15 miles south of Kalemyo. Here, the 2nd Brigade can take trucks to the border town of Tamu where the British are assembling a frontier force to defend India.

The pilots of the U.S. Marine Corps scout bomber squadron VMSB-241 on Midway between 17 April (when Henderson took command) and 28 May 1942 (when Frazer and Smith were detached). Those marked with an “x” were killed during the upcoming Battle of Midway, 4-6 June 1942 (U.S. Navy photo 80-G-40283/Everett Collection Historical (USN reference number may be wrong)).

Eastern Front: Marshal Semyon Timoshenko launches a major offensive to recover the Ukrainian city of Kharkov, a major industrial center and the fourth city of the Soviet Union. His military commissar is native Nikita Khrushchev, who has great powers as Timoshenko's political "minder." Timoshenko has built up a 3:2 advantage in infantry and 2:1 in tanks at the attack points.

The Soviet attack begins with an hour-long artillery barrage at 06:30, then a twenty-minute air assault. This effective preparation sharply limits the Wehrmacht's response, and the subsequent ground assault makes good progress. There are two main lines of attack, from the Volchansk (north of Kharkov) and Barvenkovo (south) areas, which are intended to converge and form a pincer trapping the German forward units. The infantry units make such good progress during the morning that Timoshenko prepares his second echelon, usually kept in reserve for an eventual breakthrough, for immediate use.

While caught largely by surprise (some Germans apparently did have some knowledge that an attack was coming), the Sixth Army under General Paulus recovers fairly quickly. The Luftwaffe has sufficient fighters in the area to establish aerial supremacy, but the bombers remain to the south in Crimea with General Erich von Manstein's 11th Army. Thus, the effectiveness of German control of the air is less than it could be. The Wehrmacht infantry also is able to launch some local counterattacks, including three near the Soviet village of Nepokrytaia.

The attack is proceeding north and south of Kharkov, with the main effort to the south. The goal is to engulf the city. Soviet tanks range within eleven miles of the city. To protect the city, Army Group South commander Field Marshal Fedor von Bock releases the 23rd Panzer Division and the 71st and 113th Infantry Divisions. At the end of the day, the Red Army has advanced 10 km (6.2 miles). However, it fails to score a clean breakthrough.

Russia, Crimea, Kerch peninsula - Panzer IV (turret number 924) and mounted infantry in combat, May 1942 (Federal Archive B 145 Fig. F016223-0024).

The May 1942 Soviet Kharkov offensive is doomed to failure even before it begins for a very specific reason. The Germans at Adolf Hitler's insistence have been flooding the Army Group South rear areas with troops preparing for the grand summer offensive, Case Blue, that he intends to be the decisive campaign of the war. Paulus has been planning a preliminary offensive in the exact area of the Soviet attack, Operation Fridericus, and thus has units that are at full strength. In fact, the three divisions that Bock releases today to save Kharkov were intended to spearhead Fridericus and thus are fully staffed and ready for action. The real question is what effect this Soviet attack will have on Hitler's grand strategy for the summer, but the Red Army offensive is driving into a dead end.

At Fuhrer Headquarters, General Franz Halder writes in his war diary, 

Heavy attacks at Volchansk and in VIII Corps sector against Sixth Army, objective Kharkov. The enemy used 100 tanks in each attack and has scored considerable initial successes. Air Force units must be diverted from the Crimea to this battle area. 23rd Armored Division is released for commitment at the front.

While Halder sees the necessity of transferring Luftwaffe units to the Kharkov battle, Hitler insists that they remain in Crimea until that battle is completely won.

In Crimea, Manstein's Operation Trappenjagd is proceeding toward a quick and successful conclusion. The Germans have trapped the Soviet 51st Army in a pocket on the northern half of the line (at the Parpach narrows) while other units (22nd Panzer Division and the 132nd and 170th Infantry Divisions) are making good progress toward the ultimate objective, Kerch. One German unit, the Grodeck Brigade, already has penetrated the second Soviet defensive line (the "Sultanovka Line") and that line shows little chance of holding once the other Wehrmacht divisions attack. Halder writes, "Good progress on the Kerch peninsula: 29,000 prisoners, 220 guns, 170 tanks, etc."

European Air Operations: There are no operations due to inclement weather.

USS Massachusetts. "Entering Boston Harbor, Massachusetts, after leaving the Fore River Shipyard at Quincy, 12 May 1942. Photographed from an altitude of approximately 400 feet. Note harbor defense net system at top, with a Net Tender (AN) in attendance." (Naval History and Heritage Command NH 97254).

Battle of the Atlantic: Wolfpack Hecht attacks Convoy ON-92 in the mid-Atlantic southeast of Cape Farewell with great success, sinking five ships and possibly damaging a sixth in a night of savagery. U-124 (Kptlt. Johann Mohr), on its ninth patrol out of Lorient, has a big night, sinking four ships of the convoy. The four victims of U-124 (16,100 tons in total) are:

• 7065-ton British CAM ship Empire Dell (2 dead 46 survivors)
• 4959-ton British freighter Llanover (all 46 survive)
• 5389-ton British Cristales (all 82 survive)
• 4371-ton Greek freighter Mount Parnes (all 33 survive)

U-94 (Oblt. Otto Ites), on its ninth patrol out of St. Nazaire, torpedoes accompanies U-124 and sinks 5630-ton Panamanian freighter Cocle, which is traveling with convoy ON 92 midway between Ireland and Nova Scotia. There are five deaths and 37 survivors, who are rescued by British freighter Bury. Cocle served as the flag ship for Admiral Richard E. Byrd during his Second Arctic Expedition. There are five dead and 37 survivors.

The "Battle of the St. Lawrence Seaway" opens today with the sinking of 5364-ton British freighter Nicoya by U-553. It sinks south of Anticosti, Quebec, Canada. There are six deaths and 82 survivors.

U-553 also torpedoes and sinks 4712-ton Dutch freighter Leto 8 nautical miles north of Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec, Canada. There are 12 deaths and 41 survivors.

U-507 torpedoes and sinks 10,731-ton US tanker Virginia about one and a half miles off Southwest Pass, Louisiana, in the Gulf of Mexico. the three torpedoes set off a massive fireball that prevents the launch of lifeboats. There are 27 deaths and 14 survivors, who are rescued by motor torpedo boat USS PT-157.

German patrol boats UJ 1101, UJ 1108, and UJ 1110 sink Soviet Northern Fleet submarine K-23 off Nordkinn Cape in the Barents Sea. All 71 men aboard the submarine perish. 

Luftwaffe planes bomb and sink 424-ton Soviet patrol boat Brilliant in or near the Iokanga River near the Barents Sea. It is raised on 25 September 1942 and returned to service in June 1944.

"Rhodesian troops of the 60th King's Royal Rifles training with a 2-inch mortar, 12 May 1942." North Africa. © IWM E 11699.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Luftwaffe sends fourteen Junkers Ju 52 transport planes of III./KGzbV 1 from Maleme/Crete heading to Derna Cyrenaica. Each carries a standard complement of 20 soldiers. About 80 km off the North Africa coast, a formation of 14 Beaufighter and Kittyhawk fighters intercepts the German planes. A one-sided battle ensues in which nine of the virtually defenseless Ju 52 transport planes are shot down and another 2 are forced to land on the shoreline.

The Luftwaffe's raids on three Royal Navy destroyers north of Mersa Matruh, Egypt, claim their final victim during the early morning hours of 12 May. Badly damaged destroyer HMS Jackal is taken under tow by fellow destroyer Jervis, but the damage proves to be too great. After the Jackal's crew abandons the ship, Jervis scuttles it with a torpedo. There are nine dead. This completes the Luftwaffe's sinking of three of four destroyers that had been stalking an Italian convoy to North Africa.

The air battle over Malta heats up even further today as the Luftwaffe shoots down nine Supermarine Spitfires and damages another two on the ground. Despite the losses, the RAF planes still badly disrupt the Axis attempts to bomb the island. The British still have dozens of operational Spitfires after the recent deliveries.

Men of US 1st Provisional Marine Battalion arriving at Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, 12 May 1942 (The United States Marine Corps Frederick and Henry Strybing Collection).

Battle of the Black Sea: German aircraft sink several Soviet transport ships at or near Kerch that are ferrying wounded soldiers back to the mainland. They are:

• Soviet ship Berezan
• 712-ton Krasny Flot
• 348-ton Krasny Moryak
• Soviet patrol boat PK-083
• Soviet patrol boat SKA-0133
• Soviet patrol boat SKA-0183
• Soviet patrol boat SKA-0411
• Soviet patrol boat SKA-0611
• Soviet patrol boat SKA-0811. 

German Military: Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7./JG 54 on the Eastern Front becomes the 6th fighter pilot in aviation history to reach 100 victories. While flying his Bf 109F-4, Ostermann is badly wounded in the right arm and upper thigh but makes it back to base and goes to the hospital for an extended stay. For this, Ostermann will receive the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords at the hands of Adolf Hitler in June 1942.

US Military: Aircraft of the 8th Army Air Force begin arriving in Great Britain. Planes with sufficient range to fly use the South Atlantic air ferry route linking the US with West Africa via Natal, Brazil.

Holocaust: At Auschwitz Birkenau, 1500 Polish Jews are killed in gas chambers. This is considered the beginning of the final phase of mass murder in the Third Reich.

Japanese-American soldier, 12 May 1942 (National Archives 537850).

American Homefront: 20th Century Fox and Darryl F. Zanuck release "This Above All," directed by Anatole Litvak and starring Tyrone Power and Joan Fontaine. It is a wartime romance that serves various propaganda purposes by showing a wealthy woman who joins the  Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), a hero who wins a medal at Dunkirk, and so forth. The film goes on to win an Oscar for art direction and is nominated in several other technical categories. 

Future History: Ian Robins Dury is born in Harrow, Middlesex, England, the son of a local bus driver. He becomes a major figure during the punk/new wave eras of rock music, including being the frontman for Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Dury also branches out into acting, including a role in Peter Greenaway's The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989). Ian Dury passes away in 2000 at the age of 57.

21-year-old Artur Paraszewski, gassed at Auschwitz on 12 May 1942 (Auschwitz Memorial/Muzeum Auschwitz).

May 1942

May 1, 1942: Japanese Take Mandalay

May 2, 1942: Cruiser Edinburgh Sunk

May 3, 1942: Japanese Take Tulagi

May 4, 1942: Fletcher Attacks at Tulagi

May 5, 1942: British Invade Madagascar

May 6, 1942: Corregidor Falls to Japan

May 7, 1942: Scratch One Flattop!

May 8, 1942: Lexington Sunk in the Coral Sea

May 9, 1942: Manstein on the Attack in Crimea

May 10, 1942: Spitfires Rule Over Malta

May 11, 1942: First Japanese Retreat at Deboyne

May 12, 1942: Soviets Attack At Kharkov

May 13, 1942: Crisis at Kharkov

May 14, 1942: Where in the World is AF

May 15, 1942: Germans Take Kerch

May 16, 1942: Sobibor Begins Operation

May 17, 1942: Germans Counterattack at Kharkov

May 18, 1942: Soviet Command Confusion 

May 19, 1942: Soviet Panic at Kharkov

May 20, 1942: Churchill and Molotov Negotiate

May 21, 1942: U-106 Sinks the Wrong Tanker

May 22, 1942: AF is Midway!

May 23, 1942: German Forces Surround Soviet Armies at Kharkov

May 24, 1942: German Anti-Partisan Operations in Full Swing

May 25, 1942: Soviet Breakout at Kharkov Fails

May 26, 1942: Rommel Pounces in North Africa

May 27, 1942: Heydrich Fatally Wounded in Prague

May 28, 1942: German Victory At Kharkov

May 29, 1942: Japanese at Madagascar

May 30, 1942: First RAF Thousand-Plane Raid

May 31, 1942: The Attack on Sydney Harbour

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May 9, 1942: Manstein on the Attack in Crimea

Saturday 9 May 1942

"German U-boat, U-352, May 1942. 33 German prisoners were brought ashore at the Navy Yard, Charleston, South Carolina, by US Coast Guard cutter Icarus (WPC-110) after the sinking of the German submarine, U-352, off the Atlantic coast on 9 May 1942. The Executive Officer of the German submarine repeats in German the instructions given to him by US Navy officers as the crew eat “chow.”" Naval History and Heritage Command 80-G-41304.

Battle of the Pacific: Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher takes Task Force 17 out of the Coral Sea on 9 May 1942, ending the Battle of the Coral Sea. With only one fleet carrier, USS Yorktown left, Fletcher proceeds south of New New Caledonia and proceeds toward Tongatabu to refuel. Australian Rear Admiral John Crace, in charge of Task Force 44, keeps his cruiser force in the area throughout the day to guard Port Moresby.

The Japanese fleet is short of fuel, so Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi's Carrier Strike Force, also down to one carrier (Zuikaku), spends the day refueling. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto has ordered him to pursue and engage the Allied warships again. In the evening, Takagi heads southeast with his refueled ships, then turns southwest toward the Coral Sea. The invasion of Port Moresby remains on hold unless and until Takagi can eliminate the Allied forces.

The Japanese recently set up a seaplane base in the Deboyne Islands during the opening stages of Operation Mo in order to assist with the invasion of Port Moresby. Today, the Allies begin a series of air raids on the base that damage seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru and eventually force the Japanese to leave.

Having taken the US island fortress of Corregidor, the Japanese seek complete control of the Philippines by taking Dalirig on Mindanao.

Manila, the Philippines during the Japanese occupation, 9 May 1942.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: The Burma Corps continues withdrawing west across the Chindwin River. Today, the divisional headquarters and the 13th Indian Infantry Brigade makes the crossing. Their destination is the border town of Tamu, which is not that far but will require traversing some rough, roadless terrain

USS Albacore in Measure 9 camouflage (dull black) off Groton, 9 May 1942.

Eastern Front: It is day two of the German offensive in Crimea and everything is going the Wehrmacht's way. General Franz Halder's war diary entry is short and succinct: "Breakthrough on the southern wing. The attack is making good progress. All quiet on the rest of the front."

General Erich von Manstein's attempt to clear the Kerch peninsula, Operation Trappenjagd ("Bustard Hunt"), continues on 9 May with great success. In some ways, the operation resembles the opening days of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, with crushing German domination sweeping aside all opposition. Where the Germans attack, the Red Army gives way, and casualties are light.

German engineers have successfully created an opening through the Soviet anti-tank ditch in the south. Manstein uses it to commit the 22nd Panzer Division in a move east, then north to the Sea of Azov coast. This maneuver eventually traps the Soviet 51st Army in a pocket, isolating about one-third of the Soviet strength. The 44th Army in the south is in disarray, and the 47th Army in reserve at Kerch is slow to react, hampered by Luftwaffe attacks on the roads.

Colonel-General Erich von Manstein, left, and Luftwaffe commander Wolfram von Richthofen in Crimea, May 1942 (Cherry, Federal Archive Image 183-B18908).

The Red Army counterattacks with its armor, but the Luftwaffe has complete aerial superiority and, with little tree cover, an open field of fire on the roads. Luftwaffe General Wolfram von Richthofen has assembled overwhelming power from units that have returned from the Reich after being refurbished over the winter. German planes down 25 Soviet planes over the breakthrough point and wreak havoc on the counterattacking Red Army tanks. The Luftwaffe launches 1700 sorties during the day, not far under the 2100 sorties on the first day of the offensive. Overall, the Luftwaffe claims 52 Soviet planes shot down during the day for only two losses. A rainstorm during the evening effectively ends operations for the day.

General Hans Zorn, the commander of the breakout attempt from the Demyansk pocket that ultimately led to its relief (in conjunction with Seydlitz's advance to Ramushevo), visits Fuhrer Headquarters in East Prussia. Halder writes that he looks "Quite worn!"

European Air Operations: After 12 Boston bombers attack Bruges oil storage tanks and Hazebrouck railway yards, it is a quiet night. The only activity by either side is a mission by 20 RAF bombers to lay mines off Denmark and Germany. There are no losses.

German U-boat, U-352, May 1942. 33 German prisoners were brought ashore at the Navy Yard, Charleston, South Carolina, by US Coast Guard cutter Icarus (WPC-110) after the sinking of the German submarine, U-352, off the Atlantic coast on 9 May 1942. US Marines, with fixed bayonets, stand guard as prisoners are lined up in front of the Coast Guard cutter (Naval History and Heritage Command 80-G-41302).

Battle of the Atlantic: U-352 (Kptlt. Hellmut Rathke), on its send patrol out of St. Nazaire, is depth-charged and sunk near Morehead City, North Carolina by US Coast Guard ship Icarus. There are 15 deaths and 33 survivors. The submarine ends its career with no victories.

U-162 (FrgKpt. Jürgen Wattenberg), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 1905-ton Canadian freighter Mount Louis south of Trinidad. There are 13 deaths and 8 survivors, who are rescued by Canadian freighter Mona Marie.

U-564 (Kptlt. Reinhard Suhren), on its fifth patrol out of Brest, torpedoes and sinks 7138-ton Panamanian tanker Lubrafol three nautical miles off Delray Beach, Florida. There are 13 deaths and 31 survivors, who are rescued by US Coast Guard ships. Lubrafol does not actually sink today, but it is a burning wreck with no hope of salvage until it finally does go under on 11 May.

Near Bir Hacheim in North Africa, a German soldier wearing a pith helmet mans a 7.92mm machine gun MG15 with tripod on a motor vehicle, May 1942 (Zwilling, Ernst A., Federal Archive Image 101I-443-1551-06A)

U-69 (Oblt. Ulrich Gräf), on its eighth patrol out of St. Nazaire, torpedoes and sinks 6825-ton Norwegian tanker Lise northeast of Aruba. There are 12 deaths and 33 survivors, many of whom are rescued by two Dutch ships while others make it to shore in lifeboats. Some sources place this sinking on 12 May.

U-125 (Kptlt. Ulrich Folkers), on its fourth patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 11,941-ton Canadian tanker Calgarolite 50 nautical miles (93 km) southwest of Grand Cayman Island. Folkers surfaces when the tanker does not sink right away and uses his deck gun to finish the job. All 45 crewmen survive.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 928-ton Norwegian freighter Douro midway between Iceland and Scotland. There are ten deaths and ten survivors, who are rescued by Icelandic trawler Gyllir.

German 125-ton minesweeper R-45 collides with a minesweeper tender off Dunkirk, France, and sinks. Also sunk in the collision is 508-ton M-533.

British Spitfire V fighter taking off from carrier USS Wasp for Malta, 9 May 1942 (US National Archives).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The US Navy and Royal Navy mount another carrier ferry mission to Malta today. This is Operation Bowery. USS Wasp and HMS Eagle launch 64 Supermarine Spitfires, with 58 actually making it to the island. Despite the losses, this is much more successful than Operation Calendar, when a similar ferrying mission resulted in disaster when the fighters were quickly attacked and mostly destroyed by the Luftwaffe. Operation Bowery is a successful mission that builds on the learning experience of Operation Calendar. 

This mission leads Prime Minister Winston Churchill to comment, "Who said a Wasp couldn't sting twice?" The presence of the Spitfires essentially ends the daylight bombing campaign against Malta.

An internee awaiting the evacuation bus, 9 May 1942.

American Homefront: "Tangerine" by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra with Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell becomes the No. 1 song on the Billboard chart. It knocks off "Moonlight Cocktail" by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra with Ray Eberle and the Modernaires after ten weeks. Ray Eberle and Bob Eberly are brothers despite the slight differences in their last names, Bob just changed his for professional purposes.

Thoroughbred Alsab wins the Preakness, spoiling the chance of Shut Out to win the Triple Crown.

Future History: John David Ashcroft is born in Chicago, Illinois. He becomes a politician from Missouri who becomes Governor of that state, a US Senator, and the US Attorney General from 2001-2005.

May 1942

May 1, 1942: Japanese Take Mandalay

May 2, 1942: Cruiser Edinburgh Sunk

May 3, 1942: Japanese Take Tulagi

May 4, 1942: Fletcher Attacks at Tulagi

May 5, 1942: British Invade Madagascar

May 6, 1942: Corregidor Falls to Japan

May 7, 1942: Scratch One Flattop!

May 8, 1942: Lexington Sunk in the Coral Sea

May 9, 1942: Manstein on the Attack in Crimea

May 10, 1942: Spitfires Rule Over Malta

May 11, 1942: First Japanese Retreat at Deboyne

May 12, 1942: Soviets Attack At Kharkov

May 13, 1942: Crisis at Kharkov

May 14, 1942: Where in the World is AF

May 15, 1942: Germans Take Kerch

May 16, 1942: Sobibor Begins Operation

May 17, 1942: Germans Counterattack at Kharkov

May 18, 1942: Soviet Command Confusion 

May 19, 1942: Soviet Panic at Kharkov

May 20, 1942: Churchill and Molotov Negotiate

May 21, 1942: U-106 Sinks the Wrong Tanker

May 22, 1942: AF is Midway!

May 23, 1942: German Forces Surround Soviet Armies at Kharkov

May 24, 1942: German Anti-Partisan Operations in Full Swing

May 25, 1942: Soviet Breakout at Kharkov Fails

May 26, 1942: Rommel Pounces in North Africa

May 27, 1942: Heydrich Fatally Wounded in Prague

May 28, 1942: German Victory At Kharkov

May 29, 1942: Japanese at Madagascar

May 30, 1942: First RAF Thousand-Plane Raid

May 31, 1942: The Attack on Sydney Harbour

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