Westminster: Chamberlain asks the Labour Party to join him in a coalition government.

Hugh Dalton's diary records that Labour leader, Clement Attlee, prefers Lord Halifax as a successor to Chamberlain over Winston Churchill. (148 p.90)

RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group. 77 Sqn. Five aircraft sent to Norway, all recalled.

The Air Ministry makes the following announcement:

‘Shortly before midday to-day (Thursday) fighter aircraft of the Royal Air Force intercepted an enemy aircraft off the North-East Coast of Scotland and shot it down into the sea...

It was later learned how the RAF Fighter Command pilots tried to save one of the crew of the German machine who had jumped by parachute. The enemy airman fell into the sea about 14 miles from land. The British pilots, circling above him in their Hurricanes, saw him remove his parachute and begin to swim. They reported the position by radio-telephone and a launch was immediately dispatched. Flying to and fro between the launch and the swimming German, they directed the rescue, but when the launch reached the enemy airman he was dead’

The Times.

NORTH SEA: At 0014, submarine FS Doris was torpedoed and sunk NW of the Dutch Coast by the German submarine U-9.

FRANCE:

The Prime Minister, Paul Reynaud, threatens to resign in order to secure the removal of Maurice Gamelin, the force’s Supreme Commander, who is backed by Daladier.

MAP

Le Figaro reported from Paris:

The role of the German Luftwaffe in reinforcing and supplying their combat forces in Norway, has surpassed the boldest expectations.

Thus it has proved possible to supply large units with daily arms and provisions by air. These operations were greatly facilitated by the use of Danish departure bases, and the previous occupation of Norwegian landing fields. So we are justified in fearing, like the Dutch, that small groups of daring parachutists will try to seize landing fields during the night, and to sow disarray behind the lines, in the countryside or small isolated towns, acting in consort with troops subsequently dropped by transport plane.

To obviate this danger, one cannot stress too strongly that every parachutist and every transport plane that lands at night in isolated spots, should be considered suspect, regardless of what uniform or costume is worn by the occupants.

In such cases the first duty of a citizen is to immediately inform the nearest military authority (the local army post, or gendarmerie). Moreover, the unknown persons must be prevented from leaving the landing place despite any protests that may make, and one must not hesitate to use force if they offer resistance. If they are genuine French or Allied aviators, they will be the first to understand such security measures.

BELGIUM:

The government declares a state of emergency and puts the army on alert following increasing tension and German troop movements.

GERMANY:

Jodl notes in his diary: "Fuhrer decides on attack for May 10 for sure. Departure with Fuhrer train at 17.00 from Finkenkrug. After report that weather situation will be favourable on the 10th, the code word ‘Danzig’ is given at 21.00 hours."

NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN: (Mark Horan) Greenock: The 18 Hurricane Is of 46 Squadron, RAF, begin their transit flight to the Clyde. After landing, the aircraft are trucked to the docks, placed on barges, and throughout the day are loaded onto HMS Glorious, which is taking on provisions, ordnance, stores and supplies, for transfer to Norway. 

HMS Sparrowhawk (RNAS Hatston): With 806 Squadron newly operational, the base commander, Acting Captain C. L.  Howe re-institutes the attacks on shipping at Bergen. Lt. C. P. Campbell-Horsfall, RN leads 8 Skuas depart RNAS Hatston, each armed with a single 500 lb SAP bomb. They are joined by 6 Blenheim fighters of Coastal Commands 254 Squadron, each armed with 8 x 20 lb Cooper bombs. Even at this late date, the Germans have been unable to get a substantial amount of AA to Bergen, and the attack meets little opposition. One hit is obtained on a docked merchant vessel, an oil tank is hit, and several small warships are strafed in the harbour. One Blenheim (L9482:B Flight Lieutenant Alick Charles Heath, RAF 37173 (P), Lt.(A) Robin Baillie Nuthall, RN (O), Sgt. Stanley Arthur Nicholls, RAFVR 749976 ) and crew is lost to fire from 6.Batterie/Flakregiment 33, and Skua L3014, damaged by Flak as well, was wrecked on landing though the crew, Petty Officer Airman A. Jopling, RN D/Jx.135989 (P) and Naval Airman first class K. L. Jones, RN Jx.152768 (AG) were okay.

At sea off Narvik: 

Besides maintaining standing fighter patrols over the Harstad area, per the request of Flag Officer Narvik, HMS Ark Royal is planning a strike on German positions at Nordalsbroen, Hundalien and Sildvik. 

At 0805, Capt. N. R. M. Skene, RM led off nine Swordfish of 810 Squadron, each armed with 4 x 250 lb and 8 x 20 lb bombs. Almost immediately things started going wrong; three aircraft had to abort, one of which, 2B, could not make it back to the ship and force-landed, the crew, Lieutenant. A. W. Stewart, RN (P), Midshipman(A) G. T. Shaddick, RN (O), and Leading Airman H. W. V. Burt, RN (AG),  being rescued by an escorting destroyer. The force was escorted by a section of three Skuas of 800 Squadron (Lt. K. V. V. Spurway, RN). The fighters were to see the Swordfish through, then patrol of the area.  

Weather conditions were less than spectacular, though the other Swordfish were able to push on and bomb the targets assigned. The Skuas, meeting no aerial opposition, began the patrol in failing weather. When they departed for home, 6H:L3055 became separated and was forced to find alternate arrangements, force-landing at Spionkop. The crew Midshipman(A) C. Treen, RN (P) and Naval Airman A. E. T. Goble, RN (AG), having already survived one landing in Norway again) destroyed the aircraft, then trekked overland to HMS Bedouin. 

At 0905 the fleet reported a shadower, and the ready section of two Skuas from 800 Squadron were immediately dispatched, but no contact was made The strike planes (less 6M) were safely aboard at 1145, at which point weather conditions caused the suspension of further air operations.

"...danger of Syria being captured by ... Germans. ... In face of your lack of resources we can see no other course open that to furnish General Catroux with the necessary transport and let him and his Free French do their best... the RAF acting against German landings."

London: The Air Ministry announced:

Like all great powers, Great Britain formed a paratroop corps shortly after the outbreak of war. We now have a large number of paratroops who have completed their training and are ready for action. The paratroops consist exclusively of volunteers who are carefully selected and trained; most of them are aged between 23 and 27 years.

It is also announced that in last nights raids on the east Midlands two cows and a few chickens had been killed.

Hull has been badly hit leaving 40,000 people homeless and 1,000 dead out of a population of 330,000. Dock warehouses burst open and thousands of tons of burning grain slid into the river Humber.

GERMANY: Berlin: Radio reports that last night German bombers had inflicted heavy damage in the towns of Derby and Nottingham, especially the Rolls-Royce aircraft-engine manufacturing plant.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: A transport of the Tiger Convoy in the Mediterranean is sunk by a mine.

SYRIA: German aircraft begin to stage through Syrian airfields to support Iraqi nationalists in revolt against British rule. As a result, Churchill"> Churchill instructs Wavell to allow Free French under General Catroux to invade Syria. Free French consist of only five battalions (mostly African) and some artillery. Wavell demurs – he has just despatched his only (fully-equipped) cavalry brigade across the desert to Iraq, he is expecting the German assault on Crete to begin soon, AND dealing with axis forces in the western desert, so cannot support such an operation. (Michael Alexander)

EQUATORIAL AFRICA: Brazzaville: de Gaulle receives a telegram from General Spears:

"...it will be impossible to provide transport for the Free French troops (for an attack on Syria) for a month... [Wavell] sees no necessity for you coming to Cairo now or in the near future. There would in fact be some disadvantage in your doing so."

Later that day de Gaulle receives a telegram from Churchill:

"The question of Jibuti was discussed at a meeting of the defence Committee which we held this afternoon, when it was decided:

1. That a strict blockade of Jibuti should be maintained.

2. That you should be requested not to remove General Catroux from Palestine.

3. That you go to Cairo...

Gratified at this sudden about face de Gaulle replies to Churchill in English:

"1) Thank you. 2) Catroux remains in Palestine. 3) I shall go to Cairo soon. 4) You will win the war.

JAPAN: Tokyo: French Indochinese-Thai peace treaty signed at Tokyo, with Japanese guaranty of new borders.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: USAT Republic and Washington depart Manila with dependents. (Marc Small)

CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Ungava commissioned.

Corvette HMCS Matapedia commissioned.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-110 is captured by HMS Aubrietia, Bulldog and Broadway.

South of Iceland U-110 (Lt-Cdr Lemp of the 'Athenia' sinking) attacks Liverpool out convoy OB318 protected by ships of Capt A. J. Baker-Crewsswell's escort group. Blown to the surface by depth charges from corvette HMS Aubretia, U-110's crew abandon ship, but she fails to go down. A boarding party from destroyer HMS Bulldog, led by twenty-year-old Sub-Lt David Balme, manages to get aboard. In a matter of hours they transfer to safety U-110's entire Enigma package - coding machine, code books, rotor settings and charts. the destroyer HMS Broadway stands by.

Sub-Lt Balme later recalls vividly the details of the dangerous descent into the bowels of the crippled submarine but admits he had no idea how crucial his discovery would be.

"We didn't know what Enigma was. We thought it was a funny looking typewriter -- an interesting bit of kit," he told Reuters.

"It was only when we got back to Scapa Flow (naval base) 10 days later that the senior intelligence officer came aboard and told me what we had got and how hard they had been looking for one."

It was terrifying. We knew there must be scuttling charges which could go off at any time. I had been in action before, but nothing quite like that,"

"For 20 years I would regularly wake up at night thinking about that climb down into the conning tower," he added. The precious Enigma machine was rushed back to England, the crew sworn to secrecy, and given to the British cryptographers and math genius Alan Turing at Bletchley Park to get to work.

Within two years, with the help of Turing's Colossus -- the world's first computer -- the Allies were reading Axis coded radio traffic like an open book. (Reuters 2003)

USS Hunt (DD-194), was commissioned as HMS Broadway (H-90) on 8 Oct. 1940, part of the destroyers-for-bases deal. (Ron Babuka)

Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS CILICIA stops and captures the SS CRITON, and escorts her into Freetown, Sierra Leone. CRITON was carrying a cargo of shells to replenish the garrison shore-batteries at Dakar following de Gaulle's abortive raid. CRITON's captain has her extensively sabotaged en route for Freetown, and even tries to ram HMS CILICIA in Freetown Roads. Some of CRITON's French crew are pro-British, but most are very anti, including her captain, Captain Illisbule. (Bernard de Neumann)

At 2309, the City of Winchester, dispersed on 28 April from Convoy OB-313, was torpedoed and sunk by U-103 about 400 miles SSW of the Cape Verde Islands. Six crewmembers were lost. The master, 84 crewmembers and seven gunners were picked up by the Norwegian merchantman Herma and landed at Takoradi.

At 1158, U-110 attacked Convoy OB-318 SE of Cape Farewell and sank Bengore Head and Esmond, but was then captured after being heavy damaged in the counterattack of the escort ships and foundered later. One crewmember from Bengore Head was lost. The master, 35 crewmembers and four gunners were rescued - 16 survivors by the Norwegian merchantman Borgfred and landed at Sydney on 18 May and 24 survivors by HMS Aubretia and landed at Reykjavik. The master, 44 crewmembers and five gunners from the Esmond were rescued. 22 survivors were picked up by Borgfred, 27 by the British merchantman Aelybryn and landed at Sydney on 18 May. One survivor was picked up by Aubretia and landed at Reykjavik.

The Newfoundland-registered Anglo-Newfoundland Steamship Co. merchantman Edmond (4,976 GRT), was torpedoed and sunk by U-110, KptLt. Fritz-Julius Lemp, Knight's Cross, CO, in the North Atlantic, in position 60.45N, 033.02W. Edmond was proceeding from Liverpool to sea as part of convoy OB-318. There was no loss of life in this incident. The OB series of convoys was instituted early in the war and only took ships to seaward from Liverpool before they dispersed, whereupon the ships proceeded independently to their destinations. The last OB convoy sailed on 21 July 1941. Convoy OB-318 lost five of its 38 ships and had another two damaged. Many stories surround the death of KptLt. Lemp. He has been reported as being rendered unconscious by the depth charging of his boat and drowned when he was thrown out the boat by his escaping crewmembers; drowned while trying to reboard the boat when he realized it was not sinking; and shot by the British boarding party. The truth will probably never be known.

At 1426 and 1428, U-201 attacked Convoy OB-318 ENE of Cape Farewell in grid AK 2181 (61°00N/32°30W), sank the Gregalia and badly damaged the Empire Cloud. The very heavily listing Empire Cloud was abandoned and ASW trawler HMS St Apollo protected the drifting ship. The Dutch tug Thames was sent out from Reykjavik, arriving on the 13 May and took the vessel in tow. With a speed of six knots they arrived at Greenock, where she was repaired and returned to service. ASW trawler HMS Daneman picked up the master, 57 crewmembers and eight gunners from the Gregalia. Later the master and 51 survivors were transferred to the British merchantman Aelybryn and 14 survivors to the Norwegian merchantman Borgfred and landed at Sydney on 18 May. 

U-107 was supported by the German support ship Egerland with 14 torpedoes and some food. The Egerland was camouflaged as an American ship. This is one reason for some rumors after the war that American ships supported U-boats.

The Western Front

Another nice day at -Heeresgruppe B- HQ at the chateau of La Roche-Guyon.

Having discussed with his staff the results of the senior officers' conference the night before, Rommel and a few staff members leave on another inspection tour. Since the Normandy area seems to be the focal point of recent reinforcement activity and personal concern by the Fuehrer himself, Rommel heads west, having notified the corps commander three days before of this trip.

They leave at 7 A.M. and travel downstream to the town of Vernon, where they normally cross over. But the bridge there has been destroyed, so they are reduced to taking a ferry across the Seine.

They continue on to the small coastal town of Houlgate, just east of Cabourg. There they closely inspect some of the offshore obstacles recently erected. Rommel gives his approval of the work done. Out walking along the wet flats, they forget how fast the tide comes in here, and suddenly find themselves scurrying off the beach to avoid the incoming waves.

They move on southeast to Dives-sur-Mer, and find that the recent lack of rain has somewhat diminished the deliberate flooding of the area. Hopefully, some spring rain will take care of that.

Onward, towards the city of Caen. As they approach the outskirts, they discover an air raid in progress. They pull over until the bombing ends, then continue into the city. There, they meet with LXXXIV Corps commander Erich Marcks. Rommel takes him aside and they talk privately for a while.

Marcks gives his situation report. Enemy activity has increased remarkably, with VERY heavy aerial recon of the coastal areas, especially over the Cotentin Peninsula and the Orne Estuary. Coastal batteries are being bombed heavily (including the dummy positions), as well as supply bottlenecks, such as bridges, major intersections, and depots. Rommel seems a bit skeptical. The air activity in this area seems low; and it has certainly been less than it has been further north, in the 15th Army area.

Marcks then covers his future plans. He intends to further strengthen the Cotentin peninsula. He is heartened by the fact that since the peninsula is so narrow,* any unit stationed in the interior could move to just about any trouble spot along its coast, or to the beaches east of the Vire River.

Rommel asks him where he would position another panzer division if they could get one released. Marcks points to the map, near the base of the Cotentin. "Near Carentan," he tells Rommel. The field marshal agrees.

There are other problems. Cement is in short supply, and Marcks has not received any for a week now.

Metal is hard to get too, so many of the obstacles are being made of wood. The workers have done some 80 km of coastline, and some 170,000 stakes of "Rommel's asparagus."

Next up is the Cherbourg fortress commander, who reports on the readiness of the port. It is a good report, and Rommel is satisfied.

Following him is -Generalmajor- Edgar Feuchtinger, commanding the 21st Panzer Division. He gives a precise unit report, and includes both the increased deliveries of new PzKw IVs, and of their own efforts to install German anti-tank guns on some old French chassis.

Rommel wants him to come up with an accurate layout of the road nets in the area to scope out the best routes for rapid mechanized movement, as well as possible staging areas in the Cotentin Peninsula for a panzer counterattack. Rommel, knowing Feuchtinger's lack of armored fighting experience, goes into detail. Every river crossing is to be utilized, he warns, and long, strung out columns are to be avoided at all costs. Feuchtinger estimates that his  trucks and armored cars can reach Cherbourg infour uninterrupted hours, and the mechanized units in a day.

Rommel stresses to him the critical importance of having contingency plans. They may have to move through areas blocked by paratroopers, debris and ruins; or fight in totally unsuitable terrain. COVER ALL POSSIBILITIES, he stresses.

They have lunch there in Caen, and then Rommel is off again with his staff, accompanied by Marcks and HIS staff. . They inspect the Riva Bella battery less than a kilometer west of Ouistreham. Then the Longues-sur-Mer naval battery, where Admiral Hennecke** joins them. They travel along the coast, inspecting the beaches east of Vierville,*** and then to the port town of Grandcamp.

It is supposedly on this portion of the tour that he overlooks a deserted beach, facing the English Channel and once again tells those officers present one of his cardinal points-that the first twenty-four hours of the invasion will be decisive.

And that for the Allies, as well as Germany, it will be the "longest day." ****

They move inland to Isigny-sur-Mer and inspect some flooded areas.

They finally reach Marcks' headquarters at St.Lo around 8 P.M. that night, once again tired from the day's activities. Marcks puts on a decent meal for them, and afterwards he and the field marshal have a stimulating talk, while several officers take walks around the area.

More reports come in of coastal batteries and bridges being bombed.

That night, Rommel's official diary reflects his activity:

"Have left on an inspection tour of the Cotentin Peninsula, since this seems to be the area where the -Schwerpunkt- of an enemy landing might take place. On the way I was impressed by the remarkable work and achievements of the 711th Division. It was certainly worth my spending so much time and energy on the construction of our defenses. Without these I would have looked with great anxiety upon the possibilities of enemy landings over here."

=======

* Average width is 35 km; Distance between Lessay and Carentan is only 25 km.

** The naval commander for Cherbourg.

*** Omaha Beach.

**** Some sources indicate that Rommel had once told this to his aide Lang earlier in the year.

=============

Pete Margaritis

UNITED KINGDOM: Channel Islands: Hundreds of illicit wireless sets were brought into the open today for the people of Jersey, Guernsey and Sark to learn from Winston Churchill that nearly five years of occupation were almost over. A German soldier climbed to the top of a crane in Jersey harbour to fly the Union Jack. In Guernsey, a British colonel's bald head was coated in ersatz lipstick; and on the destroyer HMS BULLDOG the bailiff of Jersey, Alexander Coutanche, smoked real tobacco for the first time in years and washed his hands in real soap after signing the surrender document.

The islanders - and the 10,000 occupying troops - were close to starvation. Many had been forced to eat food like rabbit skins and stewed cabbage for months. Nevertheless, even at the very end, the German commander, Vice-Admiral Huffmeier, remained fervently loyal to Hitler and threatened to fight on despite his country's collapse. A few weeks ago he drew up a list of potential hostages. Yesterday he ordered his men to give only the Nazi salute to British officers. Most were too drunk and relieved to obey him.

The German submarine U-249 surfaces near the Scilly Isles off Lands End, and flying the required black flag indicating capitulation, surrenders to a US Navy Consolidated PB4Y-1 Liberator of Patrol Bombing Squadron One Hundred Twelve (VPB-112) based at Upottery, Devon, England. The submarine then sails to Portland, England. This is the first U-boat to surrender to Allied forces after the cessation of hostilities in Europe.

Minesweeper HMS Prompt is mined in the English Channel, 12 miles NW of Ostend at 1705 (18 hours after peace had been declared. Clearly the mine had not heard the news.) Prompt is towed to Southend but was not repaired. (Alex Gordon)(108)

FRANCE: Paris: Six-inch headlines announced the surrender in the Paris Soir. The war-weary citizens stood cheering on their balconies to watch the Allied planes fly over. On VE Day they will have fireworks and an extra bottle of wine on ration for every adult.

German forces in East Prussia and Pomerania surrender

Göring and Kesselring surrender to the US 7th Army.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Prague: The last of Europe's capitals to be freed from the Nazi yoke, Prague, was liberated today after four days of bloody fighting between Czech patriots, the Russian anti-soviet troops of General Vlassov and the SS. Although the Czechs and POA troops forced the Germans out of Prague, it was the Red Army that put an end to the fighting. Advancing in their customary overwhelming strength, the men of three fronts surrounded the remnants of Schorner's Army Group Centre and raced into the city.

General Lelyushenko, who arrived with his Fourth Guards' Tank Army in the early hours of the morning, radioed to Konev: "Remaining fascist resistance destroyed. Many prisoners." One of the reasons for the speed of the Russians' advance was their fear that the Americans would get to Prague first, but Eisenhower has kept his agreement to stop at Pilsen and Lelyushenko is able to report: "There are no American forces."

The fierceness of the fighting between the Czechs and the Waffen-SS is evident from the debris of war which litters the streets. The bodies of 50 executed patriots still lie in the Masaryk railway station.

Sixty unarmed workers at Radio Prague died during a room-by-room struggle for the building which lasted for most of the first day and ended with ten SS men captured and 40 dead. From then on the patriots radioed their orders to the men on the barricades. Last night, when the war ended in the rest of Europe, the guns continued to fire in Prague, and even after General Toussaint, the Wehrmacht C-in-C in Bohemia, surrendered at Prague's police headquarters, the SS men fought on. The Red Army dealt with them, and today T-34 tanks line Prague's battered avenues while the Germans are heading for the safety of the American lines. Also heading for the American lines are General Vlasov and his army of Russian prisoners-of-war who elected to fight against their former comrades.

They were caught in an impossible situation in Prague where the Czechs appealed to them as fellow Slavs to help them in their uprising. Some did, despite Vlasov's orders to stay loyal to the Wehrmacht, but when the Germans moved in they fought alongside the SS. There is no doubt of their fate if they should ever fall into Stalin's hands.

DENMARK: Copenhagen: The cruiser Prinz Eugen, the only major German warship to survive the war is surrendered.

U.S.S.R.: Moscow: The people spilled onto the streets in an enormous impromptu celebration; the cheering crowds hoisted Russian soldiers high above their heads. However, the officially organized military parade to mark the victory over fascism and the end of the Great Patriotic War  will have to wait until 24 June.

US Admiral Ernest J. King's statement on hearing of the damage to the USS England: "There'll alsways be and England in the US Navy." This DE had sunk 6 IJN submarines between May 19 and May 31, 1944 on one patrol. (John Nicholas)

CANADA: Frigate HMCS Cape Breton departed St John's with Convoy HX-354.

U.S.A.: New York exploded into a huge party when the German unconditional surrender was announced as official on May 7th. On Wall Street enough makeshift confetti was thrown for a hundred weddings. Office workers left their desks by the thousand to celebrate in the streets and watch ticker-tape, torn up telephone directories and multicoloured paper being hurled from skyscrapers. All this in a city that had been exhorted to "keep calm". A young female left attendant was found - still "going up" and "going down" - ecstatically shredding paper as she went.

The air was filled with songs and cries of joy, the din of aircraft circling overhead and the shrill whistles of ships in the harbour. Traffic on many main roads came to a standstill. St. Patrick's Cathedral where Mass was held, was filled to overflowing with servicemen and working women who had covered their heads with handkerchiefs.