May 24, Today in World War II History 1941 - The HMS Hood was sunk by the German battleship Bismarck in the North Atlantic. Only three people survived. May 24, 1941 - HMS Hood is sunk at the Battle of the Denmark Strait right. Sailing from Norway with the new battleship Bismarck and new heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, Adm. Gunther Lutjens was tasked with attacking Allied shipping in the Atlantic. Moving north around Iceland, the Germans were able to avoid detection due to foul weather. World War II: HMS Hood Sunk, Bismarck Escapes DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER Battle of the Denmark Strait, 24 May 1941 -- Sinking of HMS Hood. Battle of the Denmark Strait -- Sinking of HMS Hood HMS HOOD COLOUR FILM [YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtVDXntjMHI&feature=related[/YOUTUBE] The Mighty HMS HOOD 1918-1941 [YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ3mVZk9nnc&feature=related[/YOUTUBE] 1943 - German Admiral Doenitz ordered a halt to sub warfare due to heavy losses to the Axis since March. Karl Dönitz Karl Dönitz: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article Known as "Black May" for German U-Boats The supply situation in Britain was such that there was talk of being unable to continue the war effort, with supplies of fuel being particularly low. It appeared that Dönitz was winning the war. And yet the next two months would see a complete reversal of fortunes. In April, losses of U-boats increased while their kills of ships fell dramatically. Thirty-nine ships of 235,000 tons were sunk in the Atlantic, and 15 U-boats were destroyed. By May, wolf packs no longer had the advantage and that month was to become known as Black May for the U-Boat Arm (U-Boot Waffe). The turning point was the battle centered around the slow Convoy ONS 5 (April–May 1943), when a convoy of 43 merchantmen escorted by 16 warships was attacked by a pack of 30 U-boats. Although 13 merchant ships were sunk, six U-boats were sunk by the escorts or Allied aircraft. Despite a storm which scattered the convoy, the merchantmen reached the protection of land-based air cover causing Admiral Dönitz to call off the attack. Two weeks later, SC 130 saw five U-boats destroyed for no losses. Faced with disaster, Dönitz called off operations in the North Atlantic. In all, 43 U-boats were destroyed in May, 34 in the Atlantic. This was 25% of UbW's total operational strength. The Allies lost 58 ships in May, 34 ships (totalling 134,000 tons) of these in the Atlantic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Atlantic_(1939–1945) 1943 - Josef Mengele, known as "the Angel of Death," began working at the Nazi extermination camp at Auschwitz. Josef Mengele, Angel of Death Map of Nazi Concentration and Death Camps http://frank.mtsu.edu/~baustin/holocamp.html 24 May 1945, British troops capture German Gestapo chief Heinrich Himmler. He commits suicide upon capture by swallowing poison. http://www.answers.com/topic/heinrich-himmler The Bottom Link has great Pictures and Original Documents. PLUS the Original Arrest Report. http://wwii-netherlands-escape-lines.com/schrynemakers-family-in-wwii/himmlers-arrest-2/ '
I'm depressed that nothing significant happened on my birthday in World War II. Nothing except more people dying -_-
According to my thread in the Pacific war section: 1942 USN - Carriers Hornet and Enterprise move towards Pearl Harbor, where they will quickly be refitted and sent to Midway. The Japanese prepairing to attack Midway mistakenly believe these carriers are in the Solomons. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-26's and B-25 of the 3rd BG attack Lae Airfield, but heavy AA and at least 15 intercepting Zekes prevent accurate bombing. Several of the B-26's are shot down or badly damaged and forced to crashland. Lost are B-25C 41-12448 and B-25C 41-124562. Lost on a rescue mission to Aiyary Airstrip are: and A-24 41-15820. NZ: The Japanese submarine HIJMS I-21 launches a "Glen," to fly a reconnaissance mission over Auckland, New Zealand. 1943 ALASKA: 2 of 3 air-ground support missions to Attu, together 6 B-24's, 11 B-25's, and 1 F-5A, bomb Attu. The third mission is cancelled, except for 2 B-25's which do not hear the cancelling order. 3 B-24's and 14 P-38's fly 3 more air cover missions over Attu but make no contacts. On Attu Island in the Aleutian Islands, the Americans launch another attack on Fishhook Ridge in the morning but the Japanese repel the attackers. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-24's pound Lakunai Airfield while B-25's hit the runway at Gasmata. In Timor, B-25's bomb Penfoei. 1944 ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 2 bombers fly weather and photo reconnaissance over Shimushu Island and bomb the Matsuwa Island area. BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 20+ P-40s in the Myitkyina vicinity destroy 8 barracks buildings and knock out a railway bridge and a machinegun post; a single B-24 bombs Gwa in the Arakan area. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s from Makin pound Wotje and Jaluit Atolls, using Majuro as a shuttle base for rearming between the strikes. B-25s based at Engebi hit Ponape. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): In the Rabaul area of New Britain Island, 19 P-38s, P-40s and 22 B-25s attack Hospital Point gun positions; 2 other B-25s hit the town of Rabaul; fighter patrols hit various targets of opportunity in the Rabaul area and S New Ireland Island. In the Solomon Islands, 51 P-39s, P-40s, and P-38s, and a single B-24, attack various targets on Buka-Bougainville Islands including Buka Airfield, E Bougainville coastal bridges, and Lahan radar station. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): A-20s hit airfields at Namber and Kamiri; 200+ A-20s, P-38s, P-47s, P-39s and B-25s continue to blast targets of opportunity in the Wewak-Hansa Bay area throughout the day. PTO: The destroyer escort USS England sinks Japanese submarine HIJMS RO-116 225 miles NNW of Kavieng, New Ireland Island, Bismarck Archipelago. This is the fourth submarine involved in Operation "NA" sunk by USS England in five days. 1945 [To be posted]
