4 May 1939

UNITED KINGDOM: The prime minister Chamberlain, announces the reconstitution of the North Irish Horse as an armoured car regiment. More...

Jersey: A young thief is sentenced to 12 strokes of the birch at St. Helier Police Court for stealing and forging a cheque. More...

U.S.A.: Robert Pershing Wadlow, the world's tallest man at 8 feet 11 inches travels to Perry County, Kentucky. Report

NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN: As preparations continue in the north for the attack on Narvik, Polish destroyer 'Grom' is bombed and sunk with the loss of 56 lives.

Von Falkenhorst orders the German 2nd Mountain Division, currently assembling at Trondheim, to move overland through Grong, Mosjoen and Bodo to reinforce Narvik. The straight-line distance from Grong was about 300 miles through a thinly settled, snow-covered region of high mountains. Roads are poor and broken by fjords that require ferry hauls up to 10 miles long. For the last 85 miles there are no roads whatever.

Mark Horan adds: HMS Ark Royal departs Scapa Flow at 1620, escorted by the AA cruiser HMS Curlew, and six destroyers, HMS Inglefield, HMS Sikh, HMS Mashona, HMS Tartar, HMS Jaguar, and HMS Encounter. Enroute she flies aboard the replacement aircraft (six Swordfish, seven Skuas) and the regrouped 803 Squadron, giving her the following air group:

810 Squadron: 11 x Swordfish
820 Squadron: 8 x Swordfish
800 Squadron: 9 x Skua
801 Squadron: 9 x Skua
803 Squadron: 9 x Skua

Her mission will be to provide air support for the besieged Allied Group Forces in the area of Narvik and Trondheim.

Meanwhile HMS Glorious arrives at Greenock at 1630, for reprovisioning, rearming, and to prepare for her new mission - ferrying 18 Hurricane Is of 46 Squadron, RAF, to Norway. At the same time, HMS Furious, completing the repairs on her battered turbines, is preparing to re-embark the reconstituted 263 Squadron, RAF with 18 Gladiator IIs for the same task.

NETHERLANDS: Twenty-one suspected saboteurs and Nazi fifth-columnists are arrested in a crackdown on anti-government elements.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: San Tiburcio struck a mine laid on 9 February by U-9. She broke in two after 40 minutes and sank 4 miles SE of Tarbett Ness, Moray Firth. The master and 39 crewmembers were picked up by HMS Leicester City and landed at Invergordon. The master Walter Frederick Fynn died when his next ship, the San Arcadio was sunk by U-107 (Gelhaus) on 31 Jan 1942.

Blackpool: Squires' Gate Aerodrome: The first mission of the North Atlantic Return Ferry Service flies from Montreal to Blackpool using the Consolidated LB-30A.

Minelayer HMS Latona commissioned.

Minesweeping trawler HMS Ben Gairn mined and sunk off Lowestoft.

GERMANY: Berlin: Flanked by Göring and Hess, the Fuhrer today strode into the Kroll Opera House - where Reichstag deputies have met since the fire of 1933 - to deliver a speech marking German victories in the Balkans.

"In this Jewish-capitalist age", Hitler declared, "the National Socialist state stands out as a solid monument to common sense. It will last for a thousand years." The greater part of the speech consisted of an attack on Churchill, who was portrayed as a blood-thirsty warmonger lacking the qualities needed to fight a war.

"The gift Mr Churchill possesses is the gift to lie with a pious expression on his face and to distort the truth until finally glorious victories are made of the most terrible defeats," Hitler declared. Meanwhile Grand Admiral Raeder is urging Hitler to exploit the victories in Greece and Yugoslavia and launch a major offensive to capture Egypt and Suez. "This stroke", Raeder says, "would be more deadly to the British Empire than the capture of London." But Hitler is obsessed with Operation Barbarossa.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Claggett and George arrive by Boeing 314 Clipper (Pan-American Air Lines) (Marc Small)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 1829, the Japan, dispersed from Convoy OB-310, was shelled by U-38 249 miles NW of Freetown and caught fire. At 1915 the ship was hit by a coup de grâce and sank in grid ET 2461. No casualties among the 44 crewmembers and four passengers.

UNITED KINGDOM: Exeter: Exeter was bombed again last night in the latest of a series of raids in reprisal for the RAF's bombing of the historic cities of Lubeck and Rostock at the end of March. Exeter was first to suffer, on 24 April, followed by Bath, Norwich and York.

Many people died in last night's raid, which wrecked the old centre of Exeter. One German official has said these attacks are "Baedeker raids", aimed at British towns designated of great cultural interest in the Baedeker guides. But his nickname seems to confirm that the Nazis as vandals; Goebbels is furious at this propaganda own-goal.

NETHERLANDS: Amsterdam: In a nationwide crackdown on the growing and anti-Nazi resistance movement in Holland, the Germans today executed 72 members of the Dutch underground by firing squad. Seven others were sentenced to life imprisonment. Army officers were among the victims.

A German statement broadcast on Hilversum radio said that the men were found guilty of making contact with Germany's enemies and possessing arms and explosives. The executions are seen as evidence that the Nazis have given up hope of persuading the Dutch to support Hitler's New Order.

BURMA: Akyab is evacuated by the British. The Chinese are defeated at Tating on the Burma River and at Bhano on the Irrawaddy River.

The collapse of the bid to establish a firm Allied defensive line in central Burma has led to the final phase of the military campaign. Today the Japanese took Akyab; the last port in Burma is now in enemy hands. The Japanese capture of Lashio on 29 April has cut the Burma Road to China. There remains now only an air transport kink across the "hump" from Dinjan to Kunming. Elements of the Chinese armies operating in Burma have reached Ledo from Myitkyina. The bulk of their formations have crossed into China.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: The Japanese bombardment of Corregidor becomes intense in preparation for the eventual landings. In 24 hours, Japanese artillery fires 16,000 shells at US positions.

PACIFIC OCEAN: The Battle of the Coral Sea begin. Aircraft from the USS Yorktown attack Japanese Naval forces off Tulagi in the Solomon Islands.
Beginning at 0845 hours, 28 Douglas SBD Dauntlesses of Bombing Squadron Five (VB-5) and Scouting Squadron Five (VS-5) and 12 Douglas TBD Devastators of Torpedo Squadron Five (VT-5), escorted by Grumman F4F Wildcats of Fighting Squadron Forty Two (VF-42) from the USS Yorktown (CV-5) Air Group attack a Japanese invasion flotilla and shore facilities in an around Tulagi. During the day, these aircraft sink a Japanese destroyer, a minesweeper and two auxiliary minesweepers and damage a destroyer, a minelayer, a transport and a cargo ship. The US loses three aircraft.

In another phase of Operation "MO," a Japanese invasion force bound for Port Moresby, New Guinea departs Rabaul on New Britain Island in the Bismarck Archipelago. A IJN task force consisting of the aircraft carriers HIJMS Shokaku and HIJMS Zuikaku is also in the area and is sighted by the crew of a USAAF North American B-25 Mitchell. The crew reports the ship's position but is driven off by IJN carrier-based aircraft and is unable to regain the contact.

And in a finale for the day two F4F pilots (Ed Bassett and William Leonard) from VF-42 shot down three F1M2 (later code named 'Pete') floatplanes near Tulagi. As far as I know this was the first encounter of the ubiquitous 'Pete' by USN carrier based aircraft. Joining up with the other two F4Fs of their division they then attacked the destroyer YUZUKI off the coast of Guadalcanal in a series of strafing runs, killing 10 men (including the captain) and wounding 20 more. Incendiary rounds started fires and AP rounds punched numerous holes through the hull. The YUZUKI limped back to Rabaul trailing oil. (Rich Leonard, son of the pilot)

Destroyer USS Harrison launched.

Submarine USS Rasher laid down.

Submarine USS Herring commissioned.

ATLANTIC OCEAN and CARIBBEAN SEA: German submarines sink three US freighters and three US tankers.

At 0943, the unescorted and unarmed Eastern Sword was torpedoed by U-162 about twelve miles off the Georgetown Light. Two torpedoes struck in quick succession on the port side at the #4 hold aft of the midship house, causing the ship to settle rapidly by the stern. Two minutes later water reached the decks and she sank on an even keel with 15 feet of her mainmast above water. The explosion had destroyed the radio shack, preventing the sending of a distress message. Three officers and nine crewmen of seven officers and 22 men abandoned ship in one lifeboat and landed the next day at Georgetown. One crewman was picked up from a raft by the fishing boat Ocean Star on 6 May and landed in Georgetown.

At 1742, the unescorted and unarmed Norlindo was torpedoed by U-507 about 80 miles NW of Dry Tortugas Island. One torpedo struck on the starboard side aft between the #3 and #4 hatches, causing the mainmast to fall. The ship began sinking quickly, listed to starboard and finally sank by the stern. The seven officers and 21 crewmen on board did not have the time to launch the lifeboats and jumped overboard, but five men working in the after hold went down with the ship. The survivors were picked up from four rafts by San Blas two days later and landed at Cristobal on 11 May. At the time of the attack, two tankers lay in view of the Norlindo, the Joseph M. Cudahy and Munger T. Ball, one about ten miles to the east and the other just over the horizon. Schacht questioned the survivors, even providing them supplies and then went on to chase the other ships and managed to sink both.

At 1904, U-564 torpedoed the Eclipse and observed the tanker grounded by the stern, but the ship was later salvaged.

U-456 encountered a Soviet submarine in the Arctic Sea, but neither boat attacked.

UNITED KINGDOM: U-218 laid 15 mines in the North Channel, but without any result.

Submarine HMS Venturer launched.

Escort carrier HMS Vindex launched.

GERMANY: An RAF raid on Dortmund kills 693 people, the highest number of fatalities in a single raid so far.

General der Jagdflieger Adolf Galland flies the 4th prototype ME-262 (code PC+UD werknummer 262 000004).

Minesweeper USS Scuffle laid down.

Destroyer escort USS Steele commissioned.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: SS Lorient, a straggler from Convoy ONS-5, was torpedoed and sunk by U-125 south of Cape Farewell. The master and 39 crewmembers were lost.

At 1418, the Panam was hit by one torpedo from U-129 off the coast of North Carolina. The ship had become a straggler from Convoy NK-538 since 0700 the same day due to engine troubles. The torpedo hit on the port side in the engine room, completely wrecking it and killing two crewmembers on watch below. Six minutes later a second torpedo struck on the port side amidships, wrecking the pumproom and caused the ship to sink at 1455. The remaining 35 crewmembers and 14 armed guards abandoned ship in three lifeboats and were picked up by submarine chaser USS SC-664 about 2000 and landed four hours later at Morehead City, North Carolina.

U-109 sunk south of Ireland, in position 47.22N, 22.40W, by 4 depth charges from an RAF 86 Sqn Liberator. 52 dead (all hands lost).

U-439 sunk at 0030 in the North Atlantic, west of Cape Ortegal, Spain, in position 43.32N, 13.20W, in a collision with U-659. 40 dead and 9 survivors.

A Canso from RCAF 5 Sqn attacked and damaged U-209, Kptlt Heinrich Brodda, CO, in the North Atlantic, 270 NM south of Cape Farewell, in approximate position 52.00N, 032.00W. It is thought that U-209 was lost three days later, on 07 May, in a diving accident that may have been related to the damage inflicted in the earlier attack. There were no survivors from U-209's crew of 46 men. U-209 was a medium-range Type VIIC U-boat, built by Germaniawerft, at Kiel. She was commissioned on 11 Oct 41. U-209 conducted nine patrols and compiled a record of four ships sunk for a total of 1,356 tons. Kptlt Heinrich Brodda was her only commanding officer. Heinrich Brodda was born in 1903, at Altenessen, Essen. He joined the navy in 1921. His first operational duty was from Jun 39 to Jan 40 in the U-boat tender Lech. Next, he was promoted to Kapitanleutnant and assigned as the commander of the R-class patrol boat depot ship Nettlebeck. In Nov 41 he was assigned as the commander of the escort vessel F-6. Kptlt. Brodda transferred to the U-boat force in Mar 41 and underwent conversion training until Jul 41, when he was immediately selected for command and assigned to the 24th U-Flotilla for his U-boat Commander's Course. He was assigned to commission U-209 on 11 Oct 42, at the age of 39. Heinrich Brodda is officially listed as missing after U-209 disappeared east of Newfoundland.

UNITED KINGDOM: Minesweeper HMS Elgin was disabled when an acoustic mine exploded 150 feet from her stern in the English Channel 9 miles East of Portland at 50 28N 02 11W. She was towed to Plymouth but a survey showed the damage to be so great that she was not repaired. There are no casualties. (Alex Gordon)(108)

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: U-371 sunk at 0409 in the Mediterranean north of Constantine, in position 37.49N, 05.39E, by depth charges from destroyer escorts USS Pride and Joseph E. Campbell, the French Senegalais and destroyer HMS Blankney. 3 dead and 49 survivors.

INDIA: Assam: Capt. John Neil Randle (b.1917), Royal Norfolk Regt., led his company with great valour after his commander was wounded, and died seizing an enemy bunker single-handed. (Victoria Cross)

Air Commando Combat Mission N0.52 3:10 Flight Time. Hailakandi, Assam to Hopin, Burma. Bombed village that contained Japanese troops and supplies.

Note. Did not keep notes as to our weather, but believe this is the reason we have not been flying since April 27th. The powers that be have set up a small PX (Post Exchange then BX today) and we can now get a few necessities. They have Zippo lighters but you can't buy one unless you win one at a drawing. For the uninformed Zippos were very popular due to be able to use most any kind of gasoline in them and most of us smoked in those days. (Chuck Baisden)

U.S.A.: Most cuts of meat are removed from rationing in the US. Steaks and other choice cuts for roasting remain rationed.

Escort carriers USS Commencement Bay and Kwajalein launched.

Destroyers USS English and Killen commissioned.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-846 sunk in the Bay of Biscay north of Cape Ortegal, Spain, in position 46.04N, 09.20W, by depth charges from an RCAF 407 Sqn Wellington aircraft. 57 dead (all hands lost)

GERMANY: Doenitz sends envoys to Montgomery's HQ at Lüneburg Heath to arrange for the surrender of Holland, Denmark and north Germany. This surrender will be effective at 0800 on May 5.

Lüneburg Heath: In a tent on the desolate Lüneburg Heath, three generals and two admirals this evening put their signatures to the surrender of all German armed forces in north-west Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. As Montgomery read out the capitulation terms, a nervous German general took out a cigarette; Monty, who disapproves of smoking, gave him a sharp glance and the German hastily pit it away. The German team was led by an Admiral, Hans Georg von Friedeburg; he first appeared yesterday to ask Montgomery to accept the surrender of three Panzer armies which were retreating from the Russians, and to allow civilians fleeing from the Russians to pass through the British lines.

"No, certainly not," Montgomery said. He told von Friedeburg to go back to Dönitz and tell him that the armies fighting the Russians must surrender to them. As for the civilians, he would discuss that question after the surrender. He then produced a map of the battle situation. "That was a great shock to them," Montgomery says. He sent the Germans off to have lunch in a separate tent; throughout the meal von Friedeburg was in tears. The surrender takes effect from 8am tomorrow. More than 500,000 troops are involved; these will join the 500,000 taken prisoner in the past 24 hours.

Tonight von Friedeburg and his fellow officers are sleeping at Montgomery's HQ; tomorrow they will be taken to Eisenhower's HQ at Rheims for more surrender talks. Montgomery, a teetotaller, this evening relaxed and drank a glass of champagne.

The only "kill" attributed to the Volksjaeger FG-1 flying the Heinkel 162 jet is that of I/JG1's Lt.Rudolf Schmitt today for a low-flying RAF Typhoon. This claim has since been attributed to flak. (Russ Folsom)

German troops in Berlin try to reach the US and British lines, rather than be taken by the Russians.

AUSTRIA: Salzburg is taken by US forces, who then move on towards Berchtesgaden.

Units of the US 3rd Army complete the crossing of the river Inn, and Innsbruck finally surrenders.

The last Me-109G fighters of the Hungarian Air Force under de Heppe, are destroyed by strafing P-51s. (Mike Yaklich)

GULF OF SIAM: USS Lagarto, a 1,500 tonne 'Balao class' submarine disappears after attacking a Japanese tanker and destroyer convoy around 100 miles off the southeast coast of Thailand. (Will O'Neil)

JAPAN: Okinawa: Fighting rages across southern Okinawa as Gen Ushijima's Thirty-second Army launches a damaging attack using tanks. US positions were hit by a 13,000-shell bombardment followed by suicidal infantry attacks. Offshore, Kamikaze boat and plane raids sank 17 US ships and damaged 11 others, with 682 US dead; but four daring sea raids by Japanese commandos behind US lines were all beaten back. Japanese losses are estimated at 5,000 dead; 131 aircraft have been lost.

Kamikazes sink the destroyers USS Luce (DD-522) and USS Morrison (DD-560) and two medium landing craft (LSMs); the kamikazes also damage the aircraft carrier HMS Formidable; light cruiser USS Birmingham (CL-62); escort aircraft carrier USS Sangamon (CVE-26); destroyers USS Ingraham (DD-694, USS Cowell (DD-547) and USS Lowry (DD-770); light minelayer USS Gwin (DM-33); high-speed minesweeper USS Hopkins (DMS-13); and a motor minesweeper (YMS). The Japanese also launch Yokosuka MXY7 Navy Suicide Attacker Ohka (Cherry Blossom) Model 11 rocket-propelled glide bombs known as "Baka;" they damage the light minelayer USS Shea (DM-30); and minesweeper USS Gayety (AM-239) which is also attacked by a kamikaze.

The British carrier HMS FORMIDABLE is damaged by a kamikaze attack off the Sakishima Islands.

CANADA: Frigate HMCS Teme paid off and returned to RN as constructive total loss for disposal. Scrapped Llanelly, Wales in 1946.

U.S.A.: The British film "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp," which had been released in the U.K. in June 1943, is released in the U.S. Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, the film stars Deborah Kerr and follows the life of a British soldier from the Boer War to WWII.

U-711 sunk in the Arctic near Harstad, Norway, in position 68.43,717N, 16.34,600E, by depth charges from Avenger and Wildcat aircraft of escort carriers HMS Searcher, Trumpeter and Queen. 40 dead and 12 survivors.

U-2338 sunk ENE of Frederica, position 55.34N, 09.49E, by RAF 236 and 254 Sqn Beaufighters. 12 dead and 1 survivor.

U-2511, a new Type XXI Elektroboot evades a destroyer screen to close within 500 metres of the British cruiser HMS Norfolk without being picked up by sonar. Commander Korvettenkapitän Adalbert Schnee goes through the preparations for firing his torpedoes, lines up the target ... and then withdraws without attacking. Schnee had received the cease-fire order a few hours earlier.