NAZI TANK FORCE MOVES EAST IN LIBYA; BOMB WOUNDS REICH’S CHIEF IN PRAGUE (5/28/42)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 5/28/42 | Robert P. Post, Daniel T. Brigham, Ralph Parker, Frank L. Kluckhohn, Byron Darnton

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile. Also visit our general discussion thread

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
Southwest Russia, 1942: German Summer Offensive, Operations, 7 May-23 July 1942
North Africa, 1940: Rommel’s Second Offensive, 21 January-7 July 1942

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Action in Desert (Post) – 2-3
Heydrich of Gestapo Hurt; Big Reward Up for Assailant (Brigham) – 3-4
Russians Advance in Fierce Battles (Parker) – 4-5
War News Summarized – 4
Nazis ‘Annihilate’ Trapped Russians – 5
Russians Press for a Second Front; Allies Bid them Admit Observers (Kluckhohn) – 7
Japanese, Raiding Port Moresby As They Promised, Get a Surprise (Darnton) – 8
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on Fighting in Various Zones – 9-10

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/may42/f28may42.htm

British tanks battle panzers in the desert
Thursday, May 28, 1942 www.onwar.com

In North Africa... Lack of fuel forces the halt of some of Rommel’s Panzer at Rigel Ridge. Despite the shortages, attacks continue towards Acroma. British and German armor engage in limited action near Bir El Harmat.

In the Pacific... The rest of the Japanese forces directed at Midway set out. Admiral Yamamato, commanding the operation overall, believes that, if the plan to invade the island succeeds, the American fleet can be forced into a decisive engagement and that their defeat will force a truce before American production can swamp the Japanese war effort.

In Hawaii... Task Force 16 sails from Oahu for Midway with the carriers Enterprise and Hornet and escorts. Admiral Fletcher’s Task Force 17 follows after miraculously quick repairs to the Yorktown.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/frame.htm

May 28th, 1942

UNITED KINGDOM:
Minesweeping trawlers HMS Unst and Gairsay launched.

Destroyer HMS Tuscan launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

GERMANY: Berlin: Goebbels writes that “10 Jews in a concentration camp or 6 feet under are preferable to one roaming at large.”
U-225, U-384 launched.

U-624 commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

BALTIC SEA: Soviet submarine M-95 is sunk by depth charges east of Suursaari by Tupolev SB-2 code SB-1 from 2/LeLv 6. (Mikko Härmeinen)

NORWAY: 258 Jews are executed by the SS to avenge an alleged plot to blow up a Nazi anti-Bolshevist exhibition.
NORTH AFRICA: As supplies, especially fuel, run low the German attack is disrupted, but fighting continues on Rigel Ridge, and near Bir Harmat.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Those Imperial Japanese Naval forces that have not previously sailed, leave today for the Midway operation.

US TF 16, carriers Enterprise and Hornet under Admiral Spruance, sail from Pearl Harbor for Midway. Admiral Fletcher will leave later with the Yorktown and TF 17.

The Enterprise Air Group in USS Enterprise (CV-6) consists of Bombing Squadron Six (VB-6) with SBD Dauntless, Fighting Squadron Six (VF-6) with F4F Wildcats, Scouting Squadron Six (VS-6) with SBDs, and Torpedo Squadron Six (VT-6) with TBD Devastators. The Hornet Air Group in USS Hornet (CV-8) consists of VB-8 with SBDs, VF-8 with F4Fs, VS-8 with SBDs and VT-8 with TBDs. (Jack McKillop)

U.S.A.: Admiral Nimitz approves Lieutenant General Holcomb’s plan for a Joint Military Intelligence centre at Pearl Harbor, Hawai’i coming from the proposal of 24 March. Nimitz suggests that the centre include Army and Navy radio intelligence sections, and officers dealing with estimates, information filing, photographic interpretation, mapping and the tracking of naval activity. CINCPAC requested that a naval officer command the unit and the Army, Navy and Marines provide officers plus a contingent of about five yeomen. (Mike Yared)(184)

Detachments of 54th Fighter Group, equipped with P-39 and based in Louisiana are sent to California:

42d FS to Ontario, California

56th FS to Santa Ana

57th FS to San Diego

I believe that they were sent there to improve air defense in the fear of a Japanese attack. (Massimiliano Stola)

CARIBBEAN SEA: German submarine U-103, sinks an armed U.S. merchant tanker southwest of the Cayman Islands. (Jack McKillop)

At 1142, the unescorted New Jersey was hit by one torpedo from U-103 about 90 miles SW of Grand Cayman Island, after the U-boat had missed her with a first torpedo at 0759. The torpedo struck on the port side behind the bridge at the #5 and #6 tank. The engines were secured and the eight officers, 29 crewmen and five armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in and two .30cal guns) abandoned ship in two lifeboats. At 1205, a coup de grâce was fired, which struck at the #8 tank. When the ship stayed afloat the U-boat surfaced and fired 25 rounds into the waterline. The after housing of the tanker caught fire and the ship sank by the stern at 1255. 23 crewmembers and three armed guards were picked up after 33 hours by USS Tattnall and landed at Kingston, Jamaica on 30 May. USS Biddle picked up 13 crewmembers and two armed guards on 1 June.
At 0208, the unescorted Mentor (Master Alexander Pope) was hit on the port side in the stern by one torpedo from U-106 north of Cabo Catoche and sank within six minutes, following a coup de grâce at 0238. The U-boat surfaced and questioned the crew, which told them that the name of the ship was Bengloe. The fourth engineer and three Chinese crewmembers were killed on watch below when the engine room was flooded. The master, 74 crewmembers and seven gunners were picked up after three days by the British merchantman Antilochus and landed at Key West, Florida.

At 2000 on 27 May, U-155 had sighted an unescorted steamer of estimated 5000 tons near Barbados and unsuccessfully tried to overtake the vessel, so Piening decided to attack surfaced during the night. At 0500 hours on 28 May, a first spread of two torpedoes missed but at 0630 another spread of two torpedoes was fired of which one hit the ship between the stack and the mast aft. Shortly thereafter a boiler explosion caused the ship to sink by the stern quickly. It is quite sure that his victim was the Poseidon.

At 0200, the zigzagging, unescorted and unarmed Alcoa Pilgrim was hit by a torpedo from U-502 on the starboard side just below the waterline in the engine room. The ship sank in 90 seconds about 150 miles south of the Mona Passage. The crew of nine officers and 31 men had no time to launch a lifeboat and only nine managed to get on board of two rafts. U-502 came alongside one of the rafts and an officer inquired about the name of the ship, her nationality, tonnage and cargo. He also asked if the rafts had sails and wished the men luck. Six days later, the American SS Thomas Nelson picked up the surviving three officers and six men and landed them at Port of Spain on 5 June.

(Dave Shirlaw)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: SS Yorkmoor sunk by U-506 at 29.30N, 72.29W. (Dave Shirlaw)

[SampleMan]

Reinhard Heydrich was a real evil SOB. I walked the path where he was taken out. God bless the Czechs.

[abb]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lidice

Lidice is a village in the Czech Republic just northwest of Prague. It is built near the site of a previous village of the same name which, as part of the Nazi Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, was on orders from Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, completely destroyed by German forces in reprisal for the assassination of Reich Protector Reinhard Heydrich in the late spring of 1942.

On 10 June 1942, all 173 men over 16 years of age from the village were murdered. Another 11 men who were not in the village were arrested and murdered soon afterwards along with several others already under arrest. Several hundred women and over 100 children were deported to concentration camps; a few children considered racially suitable for Germanisation were handed over to SS families and the rest were sent to the Chelmno extermination camp where they were gassed to death. After the war ended, only 153 women and 17 children returned.

[CougarGA7]

• Vice Admiral Hosogaya's Northern Force Main Body slated for the Attu and Kiska invasions leaves port at Ominato.

• Rear Admiral Tanaka's Midway landing forces depart from Siapan.

  All the pieces of the Midway attack are almost underway.