This day in the war in Europe 65 years ago

[Njaco]

WESTERN FRONT: The US Tenth Fleet was established, headquartered in Washington, D.C., under command of Adm. Ernest J. King. The role of Tenth Fleet was to coordinate American anti-submarine operations in Atlantic. Rear Admiral Francis S. Low, King's Assistant Chief of Staff (Anti-submarine), was appointed Chief of Staff Tenth Fleet. All anti-submarine resources from US Fleet headquarters were transferred intact to the Commander Tenth Fleet. Admiral King retained command in order to direct asset allocation between commands in the Atlantic. He also did this to take the lead in the struggle with the US Army Air Corps over control of squadrons assigned to anti-submarine duty. General George C. Marshall wished Army very long-range and long-range squadrons to be commanded by an army general officer and to create a Coastal Air Command under the command of the Army Air Corps, headed by Lieutenant General McNarney. King was adamantly opposed to this arrangement and carried on an active struggle to gain control over long-range, land-based aircraft for naval uses. Eventually, the US Army Air Corps withdrew from anti-submarine patrols and transferred its aircraft to the USN.
....The 'Benakat' left Capetown in a coastal convoy which was formed in the Table Bay, but left after three days to continue her voyage on the prescribed route to the destination. On 14 May the Admiralty radioed a new course. At 0728 on 20 May a torpedo struck her from 'U-197' on the starboard side, just before the bridge. The explosion caused very heavy damage, wrecked the starboard lifeboat and destroyed the starboard machinegun-platform, injuring the first and fourth mate (not seriously). After the hit no electric power was left, so the distress signal could only be send a few times. The ship began to list to starboard, and with some difficulty the crew succeeded in boarding the three remaining lifeboats and rowed away. About 20 minutes later a second torpedo hit the 'Benakat' on the starboard side and broke her in two. The bow section sank and the stern remained afloat. The U-boat surfaced and fired with the deck gun at the port side of the vessel until the stern sank.
....'U-258' was sunk in the North Atlantic by depth charges from an RAF 120 Sqn Liberator.
....The 524th, 525th, 526th and 527th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 379th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrived at Kimbolton, England from the US with B-17F's. They will fly their first mission on 29 May 43.

MEDITERRANEAN: In Sardinia during the night, Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) Wellingtons bombed Villacidro and Decimomannu Airfields. During the day, P-38s bombed Milis Airfield and targets of opportunity at Bonorva while B-25's bomb Villacidro, Alghero, and Decimomannu Airfields.
....In Italy, P-38s bombed the docks on the Gulf of Aranci, a railroad bridge NE of Perfugas, the Macomer rail junction, and targets of opportunity at Sassari, Bonnanaro, and Chilivani while B-17s struck Grosseto Airfield.
....The full weight of Allied air power was being thrown at airfields in Italy, Sicily and Sardinia in an attempt to neutralize the Luftwaffe and the Italian air force. Over the past 48 hours, at least 186 Axis aircraft were destroyed in day and night bombing. The most spectacular raid hit Grosseto airfield, 90 miles north of Rome. Flying Fortresses saturated the field and installations with fragmentation bombs, leaving 58 Italian bombers wrecked.
.... In the Mediterranean, P-38s and P-40s strafed and bombed Pantelleria Island.

ENGLAND: A Typhoon fighter based at Milfield airfield, near Wooler, crashed in Ford Westfield Woods. The aircraft had left Milfield when it reached about 200' the engine stalled and the machine crashed to the ground. The pilot, a Flight Lieutenant was killed.
....A father and son from Seaton Delaval in Northumberland were prosecuted by the Ministry of Labour and National Service, charged with being persistently late for work without a reasonable excuse. They were both fined 40s. (£2.00). - a sizeable sum for the period!

[Hugh Spencer]

21st May 1943
4 Mosquitoes bombed a railway target at Orleans. 1 aircraft was lost.
64 Wellingtons, 36 Stirlings and 4 Lancasters carried out extensive minelaying in the Frisians and the River Gironde and off La Palice. 4 aircraft were lost.

[Njaco]

WESTERN FRONT: The US VIII Fighter Command dispatched 105 P-47 Thunderbolts on a fighter sweep in the Ostend/Ghent area. They claimed no Luftwaffe aircraft but three P-47s were lost.
....'U-381' was listed as missing south of Greenland. There was no explanation for its loss.

EASTERN FRONT: Heavy fighting continued between the Germans and Russians in the Kuban.

GERMANY: The USAAF's VIII Bomber Command in England flew Mission Number 60: 98 B-17 Flying Fortresses were dispatched against the U-boat yards at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. 77 hit the target and claimed 47 Luftwaffe aircraft. Seven B-17s were lost. A second, smaller strike of 63 B-17s was dispatched against the U-boat yards at Emden, Germany. 46 bombed the target and claimed 31 Luftwaffe aircraft. Five B-17s were lost. At Wilhelmshaven German fighters were reported firing rockets.

MEDITERRANEAN: Admiral Rene Godfroy, after having his crews back pay made good by the British, formally announced that his French naval units, interned at Alexandria, would join the Allied cause.
....Submarine HMS 'Sickle' attacked 'U-755' but missed. 'Sickle' then torpedoed and sank 'U-303' south of Toulon.
....In Italy during the night , RAF Liberators, under operational control of IX Bomber Command, bombed Messina and Reggio di Calabria. During the day, B-24s hit Vila San Giovanni and Reggio di Calabria. Gunners claimed 4 Axis fighters destroyed.
....In Sardinia during the night, Wellingtons hit Villacidro and Decimomannu Airfields and targets of opportunity. During the day, B-25s and B-26s bombed the same airfields. In Sicily, B-17s hit hangars, repair shops, dispersal points, and a gun battery at Castelvetrano.
....In the Mediterranean, P-40s attacked gun positions and targets of opportunity on Pantelleria Island.
....The Luftwaffe carried out a raid by FW-190 fighter bombers against Malta.

[Hugh Spencer]

22nd May 1943
7 Mosquitoes went to attack railway workshops at Nantes but turned back because of fighter opposition. No losses.

[Njaco]

GERMANY: The General der Jagdfleiger Adolf Galland visited Lechfeld airfield to test fly the new Me 262 jer fighter (code 'PC+UD' werknummer 262 000004). After being instructed on tapping the brakes and getting airbourne, Galland spotted a prop-driven airplane flying near the airfield. Excited with the jet, Galland banked toward the small plane and engaged in a mock combat. He was very impressed with the handling and the quickness of the Me 262, stating that it felt, "as if an angel were pushing!" Upon landing he wrote a quick telegram to Generalluftzugmeister Milch; "The Me 262 is a tremendous stroke of fortune for us. It will guarantee us an unbelieveable advantage in operations, so long as the enemy sticks to piston propulsion. It opens up entirely new possibilities in tactics." He reached 520 mph and said that it would regain air superiority for Germany.
....As emergency services deliver bread, milk and coffee to households which have had their power supplies cut, Albert Speer, Hitler's armaments minister, pulled 7,000 men out of the Atlantic Wall defences in France to repair the breached Ruhr dams. At least 476 people died, and 156 were missing (91), after a nine-foot wave of 100 million cubic metres of water tore through the Mohne valley, wrecking road and rail bridges and flooding towns and villages. Among the dead were many slave labourers, including women from the Ukraine. A further 47 died in the Eder area.

WESTERN FRONT: German Admiral Karl Doenitz withdrew his U-boats from the North Atlantic after mounting losses. Two Grumman TBF Avengers of Composite Squadron Nine (VC-9) in the auxiliary aircraft carrier USS 'Bogue' (ACV-9) depth charge and damaged the German submarine 'U-569' in the North Atlantic. The sub was subsequently scuttled by her crew. 25 of the 46-man crew survived. This was the first U-boat sunk by an escort carrier on a hunter-killer patrol. 'U-305' was attacked twice by Avengers from USS 'Bogue'. The boat had to return to base.

EASTERN FRONT: Finnish patrol boats were in action against their Soviet counterparts. VMV 17 was hit by gunfire, two men lost and one wounded, in addition two wounded in other boats. Two enemy boats were sunk. Soviet submarine Shch-408 of the Baltic Fleet was sunk off Vaindlo Island by the Finnish minelayer 'Ruotsinsalmi'.
....There were increasing signs that both sides were about to launch their long-prepared summer offensives on the Eastern front. Artillery barrages were rumbling all along the front, and there was intense aerial activity while the ground forces spared for position. The battle would centre on the great Soviet salient bulging into the German lines before Kursk. Hitler planned to launch Operation Citadel, a huge attack to cut off the salient, on 9 May, but postponed it on 5 May until mid-June to allow more preparation.
....Lt. Hans Strelow of JG 51 disappeared during combat against Soviet fighters. Shot down in enemy territory, he committed suicide before he could be captured by the Russians. He had destroyed 68 enemy planes during his career.
....An Fw 190 jabo, "Black 3" of 14(J)./JG 5 was lost to Soviet flak near Tayp Navolok, the pilot Claus Biwer losing his life.

MEDITERRANEAN: In Sicily, as a diversion for a convoy passing off Sicily during the night, Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) Wellingtons flew intrusion missions dropping bombs on Castelvetrano, Sciacca, Milo, and Bo Rizzo Airfields.

[Hugh Spencer]

23rd May 1943
After a 9 day break in major operations, Bomber Command despatched 826 aircraft on this raid to Dortmund, 343 Lancasters, 199 Halifaxes, 151 Wellingtons, 120 Stirlings and 13 Mosquitoes. 38 aircraft were lost. This raid involved the greatest number in a "non-1000" force so far in the war and the largest raid of the Battle of the Ruhr. The Pathfinders marked the target accurately in clear weather conditions and the ensuing attack proceeded according to plan. It was a very successful raid. Large areas in the centre, the north and the east of Dortmund were devastated. Mearly 2,000 buildings were completely destroyed. Many industrial premises were hit, particularly the large Hoesch steelworks which ceased production. 599 people were killed, 1275 were injured and the bodies of about 25 other people were never found. Dortmund was not attacked in strength again by Bomber Command until exactly 1 year after this raid. There is an interesting story to tell about a Wellington of 431 Squadron which took part in this raid.
Just after leaving the target the Wellington was coned by searchlights and hit several times by fragments of flak. The rear gunner reported that he thought the aircraft was on fire. The pilot twice put the aircraft into a steep dive to evade the searchlights but was not able to do so. There was some confusion over whether an order to bale out was given by the pilot and the pilot actually did leave the aircraft. The bomb aimer, Sergeant S.N. Sloan, an Englishman, took over the controls and eventually was able to shake off the searchlights. The navigator and wireless operator were still aboard and Sergeant Sloan flew the aircraft back to England and made a perfect landing at Cranwell. He was immediately awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, commissioned and posted to a pilot training course. The wireless operator, Flying Officer J.B.G. Bailey and the navigator, Sergeant G.C.W. Parslow received immediate awards of the DFC and the DFM respectively. They later became part of the crew of Wing Commander J. Coverdale, the squadron commander but were killed with Coverdale on the night of 21/22 June 1943 on a raid to Krefeld. Sergeant (later Flight Lieutenant) Sloan came back to Bomber Command as a Halifax pilot with 158 Squadron and flew on operations from January 1945 until the end of the war. In the post-war years he served with the King's Flight.
12 Venturas of 487 Squadron bombed a power station at Zeebrugge in the first operation for the squadron since its heavy losses on the Amsterdam raid 3 weeks earlier. The formation's bombs fell on to railway yards near the power station. No losses.

[Njaco]

WESTERN FRONT:German Admiral Karl Dönitz ordered all U-boats to be fitted with anti-aircraft guns.
.....A Fairey Swordfish Mk. II, aircraft "B" of No. 819 Squadron in the escort aircraft carrier HMS 'Archer', damaged the German submarine 'U-752' in the North Atlantic with rockets and the sub was scuttled by her crew. 17 of the 46-man crew survived. This was the first successful sinking of a U-boat using rockets.
....The 417th Night Fighter Squadron, US VIII Fighter Command based at Cranfield, England sent a detachment to Scorton, England to train with the RAF on Beaufighters.
....The personnel of III./JG 26 moved to new bases at Cuxhaven-Nordholz to support JG 1, III./JG 54 and JG 11 in Reichsverteidigung duties.

EASTERN FRONT: Heavy fighting continued between the Germans and Russians in the Kuban.

ENGLAND: The last major raid of the war in the North-East caused the highest death toll. In its 35th raid of the war and its 11th of appreciable dimensions, eleven PMs, sixty-seven HEs, nine firepot HEs and about 600 IBs fell on Sunderland causing widespread damage. 84 people died and 221 were injured; among the dead were a group of joiners from Glasgow who were there to repair earlier bomb damage. Many casualties occurred when a PM landed on St George's Square. Three Public Shelters were hit; three died in the Bromarsh Shelter, North Bridge Street, five in Bonners Field Shelter, Monkwearmouth and thirteen in Lodge Terrace Shelter at Hendon. The Isolation Hospital (now Havelock Hospital) was evacuated because of an UXPM. Including those slightly damaged about 5,000 houses were involved in this last attack and, together with the attack of 15/16th May, about 15,000. The morale of the people was reported as excellent.
....Simultaneous lunchtime Luftwaffe attacks were launched against Hastings and Bournemouth. Hastings was attacked by 20 aircraft of II/SKG 10, with Bournemouth attacked by 26 from IV/SKG 10. At Hastings, anti-aircraft sites appeared to be the chosen targets but, for a change, these sites and the fighter standing patrol had received ample warning. The town was still bombed and the two German losses, one to a Typhoon, the other to anti-aircraft fire, occurred after the bombs had been dropped. The two Fw 190s lost on the Hastings raid were flown by Fw. Adam Fischer of 6./SKG 10 and Ofw. Herbert Dobroch.
....The peacefulness of a beautiful Sunday morning was abruptly shattered when the German aircraft, led by Lt. Leopold Wenger, conducted their most audacious raid on Bournemouth. Despite a six-minute warning, the attack on Bournemouth was a total success. Considerable damage was caused to the town centre with five buildings destroyed and a further 3,000 damaged. The Kingsway Hotel, the Congressional Church and Beales Department Store sustained significant bomb damage, but at the Landsdowne Circle the Metropole Hotel, being used by trainee RAF aircrew, was virtually destroyed when it took a direct hit. One Fw 190 of 15./SKG 10 was lost to AAA fire, flown by Uffz. Schmidt on his first operational flight. Casualties were high. Among the 128 killed that day were 51 service men. (C.Goss, and others )

UNITED STATES: The USS 'New Jersey' BB-62 was commissioned. The sister ships of the Iowa class were: USS 'Iowa', USS 'Missouri' and USS 'Wisconsin'. She displaces 45,000 tons, with a length of 887 feet 7 inches, a draft of 38 feet and beam of 108 feet 1 inch. Powered by 4 Westinghouse turbines fired by 8 boilers, with 212,000 shaft horsepower, she has a top speed of 33+ knots. She will carry a crew (WWII) of 120 officers and 3,000 enlisted men. Nine 16"/50 cal guns in 3 turrets are the main armament, with 20 5"/38 cal dual purpose guns in twin mounts for the secondary armament. AA weapons include 64 40mm AA guns in 16 quad mounts and 49 20mm AA guns. She carries 3 Vought OS2U Kingfisher floatplanes. The USS 'New Jersey' is now a floating museum on the Camden waterfront in New Jersey. Battleship New Jersey

MEDITERRANEAN: Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) B-25s and B-26s bombed the docks and airfield on Pantelleria Island and P-40s attacked gun positions on the island.
....In Italy, P-38s attacked the zinc works at Iglesias and Carloforte harbor on San Pietro Island.

GERMANY: During the heavy raid on Dortmund, the total weight of bombs dropped by RAF Bomber Command on Germany reached 100,000 tons. To mark the occasion, the Air Officer Commanding in Chief, RAF Bomber Command, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris sent this message; "In 1939, Goring promised that not a single enemy bomb would reach the Ruhr. Congratulations on having delivered the first 100,000 tons of bombs on Germany to refute him".

[Njaco]

WESTERN FRONT: In the first three weeks of May, 31 German U-boats were sunk. Because of these mounting losses, Admiral Donitz had ordered all U-boat patrols in the north Atlantic to break off operations against the convoys, ending the battle of the Atlantic. Earlier in the day he had told U-boat commanders: "Only you can fight the enemy offensively and beat him ... the German nation has long felt that our arm is the sharpest and most decisive and that the outcome of the war depends on the success of failure of the BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC."
....As the day wore on Dönitz absorbed yesterday's news that two more U-boats had been sunk while attacking the convoy 'HX-239'. That brought the month's losses up to 33, but, worse than that, increasingly they were failing to get through the escorts. Just five days ago a pack of 33 U-boats attacked 'SC-130' and failed to sink a single ship. No fewer than five of the pack were sunk. One boat, 'U-954' sunk by a Coastal Command Liberator of 120 Squadron, took all hands to the bottom, including the grand admiral's 21-year-old son, Peter. Although he showed no emotion when told of his personal loss, Dönitz could not ignore the growing evidence that the two year battle to rupture the Allies' ocean supply lines was being lost. Radar and the increasing successes in breaking the Enigma codes have made the U-boats more vulnerable to the escorts. Equally, the escorts have been growing in power and effectiveness. Escort carriers, both British and American, have increased the extent of the routes which can be offered air support. And more effective anti-submarine weapons like the Hedgehog and the Squid have been introduced.
....The plain fact is that more U-boats have been operating here than at any time during the war, but the score of successful sinkings has been rapidly declining. With the month almost over, the Allies have lost less than one-third as much shipping as the 476,000 tons North Atlantic losses in March. By tonight the U-boats were moving to the South Atlantic to take up positions south of the Azores. A few remain to convince the Allies that the convoys are still in danger. They hope to tie up as many Allied escort ships as possible here for as long as they can.
.... 'U-441' shot down an RAF 228 Sqn Sunderland. It was the first success of the Flak boats. 'U-594' shot down an RAF 228 Sqn Sunderland. The entire aircrew was lost.
....A Bf 110 belonging to 6./ NJG 3 was seen circling Løjt Skovby when the left engine suffered a failure. It flew towards the east and then came back over Sønderskov and prepared to land. Pilot Obfw. Helmut Teichmann passed low over a farm and belly landed up a hill in a field. It skidded along for about 70-100 metres before it came to a halt. Obfw. Teichmann and Air gunner Lt. Josef Zeit were killed. The Ortskommandantur in Aabenraa was informed about the crash and soldiers were sent out to guard the wreck until it could be removed by Luftwaffe.
....A Ju 88A-4 belonging to 12./KG 30 made an emergency landing due to engine failure in a field near Arentsminde west of Fliegerhorst Aalborg West at 19:30 hours. It approached from the north and touched down in the northern end of the field and skidded along for about 80 metres before it came to a halt. The aircraft was 15% damaged and the crew were unharmed.


EASTERN FRONT: Dr. Josef Mengele takes up his new position at Auschwitz concentration camp. His sickening and grotesque “medical research” would lead to the death of several thousand Jews.

MEDITERRANEAN: In Italy, B-24s hit the Villa San Giovanni ferry slip and railroad yards, and ferry terminal and a nearby tanker at Reggio di Calabria. In Sardinia, P-40s, P-38s, B-25s, B-26s and B-17s, bombed targets including Carloforte harbor, factories, hangars, and oil dump at Alghero and the seaplane base at Porto Conte, the railroad bridge at Arbatax, the area near Macomer, the town of Iglesias,the harbor at La Maddalena Island, harbor, warehouses, and dump at Terranova, and the airfield at Olbia.
....During the night, Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) Wellingtons bombed the harbor and airfield at Pantelleria Island. During the day, NASAF and Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) fighters followed with more attacks on the airfield.

[Hugh Spencer]

25th May 1943
323 Lancasters, 169 Halifaxes, 142 Wellingtons, 113 Stirlings and 12 Mosquitoes attacked Dusseldorf. 27 aircraft were lost.
This raid was a failure. There were two layers of cloud over the target and the Pathfinders experienced great difficulty in marking it. It is believed that the Germans were also operating decoy markers and fire sites. The result was that the Main Force bombing was scattered over a wide area. There was no concentration in Dusseldorf which recorded only 50 to 100 buildings destroyed and some 30 people killed.
12 Mitchells attempted to raid Abbeville airfield but cloud over the target and flak disrupted the attack and only 5 aircraft bombed dispersal buildings near the airfield. 2 Mitchells were lost.
12 Bostons on a raid to Cherbourg abandoned the operation.

[Njaco]

WESTERN FRONT: 'U-467' was sunk SE of Iceland by a Fido homing torpedo from a USN VP 84 Catalina.

UNITED STATES: The TRIDENT Conference between Churchill and Roosevelt ended in Washington. The decision to invade northern France was concluded with May 1, 1944 being selected as D-Day. Decisions were also made regarding knocking Italy out of the war early, increasing aid to China and beginning offensive operations in the Pacific. Churchill’s plan to invade the Balkans was rejected. As well as this they agreed to step up the strategic bombing of Germany and occupied Europe as a preliminary to invasion; to bomb the Ploesti oilfields in Romania, from bases in the Mediterranean and to increase aid to China.
....Allied superiority over the enemy in munitions production was now beginning to tell, Churchill said Allied air power had become a decisive factor in the war, and the bombing campaign against Germany would be a 24-hours-a-day operation. War would continue until unconditional surrender was obtained "from all those who had molested us". Roosevelt then interrupted Churchill to say that "molested" was the best example of understatement he had heard.

NORTH AFRICA: Avro York Ascalon (LV 633) flew the Prime Minister and Allied commanders to Algiers via Gibraltar. This aircraft was flown by RAF No. 24 Squadron at Northolt and was furnished as a flying conference room.

EASTERN FRONT: Baltic Fleet and Ladoga Flotilla: The submarine "Sch-408" was sunk by aviation and surface ships gunfire of 'Ruotsinsalmi' and Patrol Boat 'VMV', close to Vaindlo lighthouse at Keri.
....Lt. Udo Cordes of 9(Eins.)./KG 3 was awarded the Ritterkreuz after 150 combat missions and 41 locomotive kills, 19 trains of which were 2 tank wagons and 3 were carrying ammunition. Until the award he had also destroyed 11 tanks, 2 flak emplacements and achieved 2 aerial victories. Lt. Cordes was one of the most successful Luftwaffe bomber pilots, known as "Der Lok-Toter."
....Oblt. Egon Albrecht, Staffelkapitaen of 1./ZG 1 was awarded the Ritterkreuz for 15 aerial victories plus 11 aircraft, 162 motor vehicles, 254 covered vehicles, 3 locomotives, 8 flak positions, 12 anti-tank gun positions and 8 infantry positions destroyed on the ground.

MEDITERRANEAN: 'U-414' was sunk in the western Mediterranean NW of Tenes by depth charges from corvette HMS 'Vetch'.
....B-24s attacked the Messina, Italy ferry docks and railroad yards. NASAF fighter, medium and heavy bombers bombed Terranova, a tunnel near Macomer, and Messina. In Sardinia during the night, Wellingtons bombed the docks and marshalling yard at Olbia. Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) fighters, medium and heavy bombers bombed Portoscuso, Porto Empedocle, Boccadifalco Airfield, Licata harbor, and Milo Airfield.
....Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) and NASAF P-40s and B-25s hit the airfield, shipping, and military concentrations on Pantelleria Island.

GERMANY: General Galland reported on the abilities of the Me 262:

"Most Esteemed Herr Generalfeldmarschall!
On Saturday, the 22d of the month, I tested the Me 262 at Augsburg in the presence of Oberst Petersen and other persons from the Technical Office. I would have preferred to report personally to the Generalfeldmarschall and also elaborate on other matters, however I was so occupied after my visit to Sicily that there was simply no time. The Reichsmarschall has ordered me to report today.

Concerning the Me 262, I beg to state the following:
1.) the aircraft represents an enormous leap forward; it would give us an unimaginable lead over the enemy if he adheres to the piston engine.
2.) In-flight handling of the airframe is impressive.
3.) The power plants are fully convincing, except during take-off and landing.
4.) The aircraft offers entirely new tactical prospects.

I beg to submit the following proposal; The Fw 190D is under development, its performance should match the Me 209's in all respects. The performance of the two types, however, will not be superior to the enemy's models, particularly at altitude. The only progress seems to be in armament and higher speeds. Conclusion:
a.) Me 209 be discontinued.
b.) Total fighter production to switch from the Fw 190 with BMW 801 to the Fw 190 with DB 603 and Jumo 213 engines.
c.) The construction and industrial capacities thus released to be concentrated on the Me 262 with immediate effect.

I shall report on my return.
Heil Hitler! Herr Generalfeldmarschall your most obediant servant.
Galland."

[Njaco]

GERMANY: Albert Speer, Germany’s armaments minister agrees to fund a new program to develop pilotless planes. The project would lead to the development of the V1 ‘buzz bomb’ and the V2 ballistic missile.
....Reichsmarschall Goring met with Hitler to discuss the Me 262. Hitler forbid any production of the jet as a fighter until he personally assessed the plane, stating; "Nothing will be done with the new fighter until I have decided on its merits!"

UNITED STATES: Roosevelt and Churchill agree to collaborate on the development of the atomic bomb after a year of working separately.

EASTERN FRONT: The Red Army began an offensive against the German forces isolated in the Kuban bridgehead between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
.... "Krasnogvardeetz" of the Volga Flotilla was mined close to Besimyannii Is., in the Stalingrad area.
....1,042 Gypsies were executed in gas chamber at Auschwitz after typhoid breaks out.

MEDITERRANEAN: During an air attack by an RAF 500 Sqn Hudson in the Mediterranean one man was killed and two men wounded on 'U-755'. The boat was forced to return to port due to heavy damage but was sunk 2 days later.
....The first through convoy to complete the Mediterranean passage since 1941 arrives at Alexandria without loss; it left Gibraltar on 17 May.
....In Sardinia, Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) medium and heavy bombers hit the airfields at Ponte Olivo, Biscari, and Comiso. P-38s hit Porto Ponte Romano shipping, and Villacidro Airfield. NASAF P-40s attacked gun emplacements, trucks, and troops on the SE coast of Pantelleria Island. Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) P-40s also bombed Pantelleria. In Italy, NASAF P-38s hit the Tirso power dam and the Golfo Aranci harbor.

WESTERN FRONT: 'U-436' was sunk in the North Atlantic west of Cape Ortegal, Spain by depth charges from frigate HMS 'Test' and corvette HMS 'Hyderabad'.
....The 'Oost Vlaanderen' was part of a German convoy on the way from St Malo in northern France to St Peter Port in Guernsey, carrying a cargo of guns and cement for the German fortifications. Just 1.5 miles outside St Peter Port, it was attacked by RAF aircraft and holed at the waterline on the port side and sank.
....II./JG 1 was engaged in the late afternoon in fierce combat with a group of 40 p-47s and Spitfires. Lt. Otto Bach of 5./JG 1 was credited with shooting down a Spitfire as was Fw. Flecks. Strangely, Allied Fighter Command records list nothing about this engagement.

[Hugh Spencer]

27th May 1943
274 Lancasters, 151 Halifaxes, 81 Wellingtons and 12 Mosquitoes attacked Essen, 23 aircraft were lost. The weather was cloudy and sky-marking had to be used. The main bombing was scattered with many aircraft undershooting. The limited damage caused in Essen was mainly in the central and northern districts. 488 buildings were destroyed, 196 people were killed and 547 injured. Bombs fell in 10 surrounding Ruhr towns.
14 Mosquitoes of 105 and 139 Squadrons were despatched to fly at low level and attack a glass works and the Zeiss optical instruments factory at Jena. These were the last operations flown by the two squadrons with 2 Group before the coming transfer to 8 Group. The round flight from the Dutch coast was more than 500 miles. 2 Mosquitoes of 139 Squadron collided on the outward flight near Paderborn and crashed. Another Mosquito of 105 Squadron was also lost. 11 aircraft bombed the 2 targets with great accuracy. On the return to England 2 more Mosquitoes, 1 from each squadron, crashed in Norfolk and all the crews were killed.
23 aircraft went minelaying in the Frisians, 1 aircraft was lost.

[Njaco]

EASTERN FRONT:The German 17.Armee suspended offensive operations after making no progress. The Soviets began their own operations in the Kuban, and also met stiff resistance.

MEDITERRANEAN: For the first time in the war, small parties of British troops were para-dropped into Yugoslavia to coordinate sabotage and guerrilla activities with Tito’s partisans. The partisans have been in heavy fighting now for ten days and prepared to breakout now that the British have arrived.
....For the first time since Italy came into the war, the Italian government admitted to the world that its people were rebelling against the Mussolini regime and staging strikes. Strikes were forbidden years ago by the Fascist government, and a public decree today ordered all strikers to return to work at once. Fear of an Allied invasion was driving thousands of Italians away from the south of the country.
....The destroyer FS 'Leopard' was stranded and wrecked North of Benghazi. The wreck was destroyed on 19 June 1943.
....Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) P-40s bombed the harbor defenses on Pantelleria Island and Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) P-40s attacked targets on the S coast of Pantelleria. In Sardinia, NASAF B-25s and B-26s hit Villacidro and Decimomannu Airfields.

WESTERN FRONT: Looted works of art deemed "Unfit for sale" are brought by military trucks to the Jeu de Paume, and in the garden within the courtyard there, a bonfire is lit and the paintings burnt. Between five and six hundred works by amongst others, Masson, Miro, Pacabia (whose daughter Jeannine is in the resistance network with which Samuel Beckett has contact), Suzanne Valadon, Klee, Max Ernst, Picasso, Kisling (the man himself, a Jew, has been denounced by the model he so delighted in painting), Léger, La Fresnaye and Mané-Katz are destroyed.
....The 'Sicilia' was stopped by 'U-181' by shots across her bow and was sunk by a torpedo at 0829 hours after the crew had abandoned ship.

[Hugh Spencer]

28th May 1943
12 Venturas bombed a power station at Zeebrugge, 1 aircraft lost.
34 aircraft went minelaying in the Frisians, off Brittany ports and in the River Gironde. No losses.

[Njaco]

WESTERN FRONT: RAF 315 (Polish) Squadron flew a circus over St. Omer. During a fight with Bf-109s, F/Sgt Rogowski was shot and KIA over Bergues near Calais.
.... 'U-154' fired six torpedoes at Convoy 'BT-14' about 125 miles east of Fortaleza, Brazil and reported one tanker damaged, one freighter sunk, one tanker probably sunk and two more freighters sunk. In fact each of the three ships - 'Florida' in station #53, 'Cardinal Gibbons' in station #61 and 'John Worthington' in station #42 were hit by one torpedo and all reached port safely, but the last ship was never repaired. The 'Cardinal Gibbons' was struck on the starboard side abaft the stem and a hole was ripped in the forepeak tank containing fresh water. The eight officers, 35 crewmen and 27 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in and nine 20mm guns) remained on board and suffered no injuries. The vessel remained on course and arrived in Port of Spain, Trinidad on 5 June. The 'Florida' was struck forward of the after peak on the starboard side 15 feet beneath the waterline. The explosion opened a hole 16 feet by six feet and broke her back. The ship lost way as water filled the engine room and the stern settled until the stern gun platform was awash. 15 minutes after the attack, the eight officers, 34 crewmen and 27 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) abandoned ship in three lifeboats. A fourth boat swamped in the moderate seas. All hands were picked up by USS 'PC-592' and landed at Fortaleza the same day. A salvage crew boarded the tanker and corvette USS 'Saucy' towed her into Fortaleza. The salvage ship USS 'Crusader' later towed the 'Florida' to San Juan, Puerto Rico for temporary repairs. Permanent repairs were done at Chester, Pennsylvania, after which the tanker returned to service. The 'John Worthington' was struck by one torpedo at the #8 tank. The explosion blew a hole 30 feet by 10 feet in her side, buckled the deck and pushed fragments out the port side. The ship veered 30° to starboard, but regained her course and continued on her way, rejoining the convoy the next morning. Only a few of the eight officers, 34 crewmen and 14 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in, two .50cal and two .30cal guns) suffered slight injuries. After temporary repairs at Trinidad the ship was sailed on 10 June to Galveston, Texas for major repairs, arriving on 21 June. But the tanker was never repa