05/01 Mon. Battleship and carrier group (Vice Adm. W. A. Lee)
bombards and bombs wharf area, enemy seaplane base,
and other facilities on Ponape Island in the Caroline
Islands.
05/02 Tue. United States naval vessel damaged:
Destroyer PARROTT (DD-218), by collision off
Norfolk, Va.,
36 d. 41' N., 76 d. 18' W.
05/03 Wed. United States naval vessels damaged:
Destroyer escort DONNELL (DE-56), by submarine
torpedo, North Atlantic area.
Destroyer escort MENGES (DE-320), by submarine
torpedo, western Mediterranean area.
05/04 Thu. United States Naval Base and Naval Air Facility,
Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands, are established.
German submarine sunk:
U-371, by destroyer escorts JOSEPH E. CAMPBELL (DE-
70), PRIDE (DE-323), and British and French
surface craft, western Mediterranean.
05/05 Fri. Admiral S. Toyoda's appointment as Commander in Chief
of Japanese Combined Fleet is announced; he succeeds
Admiral Koga, killed in an airplane crash on 31 March
1944.
United States naval vessels sunk:
Destroyer escort FECHTELER (DE-157), by submarine
torpedo, western Mediterranean area,
36 d. 07' N., 02 d. 40' W.
PT-247, by coastal defense gun, Solomon Islands
area,
06 d. 38' s., 156 d. 01' E.
05/06 Sat. United States naval vessel damaged:
Destroyer escort BUCKLEY (DE-51), by intentional
ramming of German submarine, mid-Atlantic area,
17 d. 17' N., 32 d. 24' W.
05/08 Mon. Carrier TICONDEROGA (CV-14), is commissioned at
Newport News, Va.
05/09 Tue. United States naval vessel sunk:
Submarine chaser PC-558, by submarine torpedo,
38 d. 41' N., 13 d. 43' E.
05/10 Wed. United States Naval Base, Eniwetok, Marshall Islands,
is established.
Japanese naval vessel sunk:
Old destroyer KARUKAYA, by submarine COD (SS-224),
Philippine Islands area,
15 d. 38' N., 119 d. 25' E.
05/11 Thu. Submarine CREVALLE (SS-291) evacuates 28 women and
children from Negros, P. I.
United States Naval Advanced Amphibious Base,
Southampton, England, is established.
05/13 Sat. Naval land-based and Army aircraft stage heavy
bombing attack on Japanese installations at Jaluit
Atoll, Marshall Islands; attack continues on 14 May.
Japanese submarine sunk:
RO-501 (ex German U-1224), by destroyer escort
FRANCIS M. ROBINSON (DE-220), mid-Atlantic area,
18 d. 08' N., 33 d. 13' W.
05/14 Sun. Japanese naval vessel sunk:
Destroyer INAZUMA, by submarine BONEFISH (SS-223),
Celebes Sea,
03 d. 08' N., 119 d. 38' E.
05/15 Mon. United States Naval Air Bases, Ebeye and Roi-namur,
Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, are
established.
German submarine sunk:
U-731, by United States naval land-based aircraft
(VP-63) and British surface craft, western
Mediterranean area,
35 d.54' N., 05 d. 45' W.
05/16 Tue. Japanese submarine sunk:
I-176, by destroyers FRANKS (DD-554) and HAGGARD
(DD-555), north of Solomon Islands,
04 d. 01' S., 156 d. 29' E.
05/17 Wed. Army troops land at Wakde-Toem area, New Guinea,
preceded by cruiser and destroyer bombardment (Rear
Adm. R. S. Berkey).
Allied task force (Adm. J. F. Somerville, RN)
including United States carrier SARATOGA (CV-3) bombs
enemy shipping and harbor installations at Surabaya,
Java.
Destroyers bombard Japanese defenses on Eniben
Island, Maloelap Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
German submarine sunk:
U-616, by destroyers GLEAVES (DD-423), HILARY P.
JONES (DD-427), ELLYSON (DD0454), HAMBLETON (DD-
455), RODMAN (DD-456), EMMONS (DD0457), MACOMB
(458), NIELDS (DD-616), and British aircraft,
western Mediterranean area,
36 d. 46' N., 00 d. 52' E.
05/18 Thu. United States Naval Base and Naval Air Station, Manus
Island, Admiralty Islands, are established.
05/19 Fri. James Forrestal of New York, Under Secretary of the
Navy since 1940, becomes Secretary of the Navy.
Aircraft from carrier task group (Rear Adm. A. E.
Montgomery) bomb Marcus Island; attack continues on
20 May.
Japanese submarine sunk:
I-16, by destroyer escort ENGLAND (DE-635), Solomon
Islands area
05 d. 10' S., 158 d. 10' E.
German submarine sunk:
U-960, by destroyers NIBLACK (DD-424), LUDLOW (SS-
438), and British aircraft, western Mediterranean
area,
37 d. 20' N., 01 d. 35' E.
05/21 Sun. Naval land-based and Army aircraft heavily attack
enemy positions on Wotje Atoll in the Marshall
Islands.
United States naval vessels sunk:
LST 43, LST 69, LST 179, LST 353, LST 480, by
accidental explosion, Pearl Harbor. T. H.
[Anyone got background on this? LWJ]
05/22 Mon. Destroyers bombard installations in the Wotje Atoll,
Marshall Islands.
Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Destroyer ASANAGI, by submarine POLLACK (SS-180),
southeast of Japan,
28 d. 20' N., 138 d. 57' E.
Submarine RO-106, by destroyer escort ENGLAND (DE-
635), north of Bismarck Archipelago,
01 d. 40' N., 150 d. 31' E.
05/23 Tue. Aircraft from carrier task group (Rear Adm. A. E.
Montgomery) bomb buildings and other targets on Wake
Island.
United States naval vessels damaged:
Light cruiser PHILADELPHIA (CL-41), and destroyer
LAUB (DD-613), by collision, Italian area,
41 d. 11' N., 12 d. 30' e.
Japanese submarine sunk:
RO-104, by destroyer escort ENGLAND (DE-635), north
of Bismarck Archipelago,
01 d. 26' N., 149 d. 20' E.
05/24 Wed. Submarine NARWHAL (SS-167) lands men and supplies on
Samar, P. I.
Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Submarine RO-116. by destroyer escort ENGLAND (DE-
635), north of Bismarck Archipelago,
00 d. 53' N., 149 d. 14' E.
Frigate IKI, by submarine RATON (SS-270),
Netherlands East Indies area,
01 d. 17' N., 107 d. 50' E.
05/26 Fri. Destroyer bombard enemy shore batteries and
installations on Mili Atoll, Marshall Islands.
Japanese naval submarine sunk:
RO-108, by destroyer escort ENGLAND (DE-635), north
of Bismarck Archipelago,
00 d.32' S., 149 d. 56' E.
05/27 Sat. Army forces land on Biak in the Schouten Islands off
New Guinea under cover of naval gunfire from cruiser
and destroyer force (Rear Adm. W. M. Fechteler).
United States naval vessel sunk:
PT-339, damaged by grounding in western New Guinea
area,
04 d. 01' S., 144 d. 41' E.;
sunk by United States forces.
United States naval vessel damaged:
Submarine chaser SC-699, by suicide plane, western
New Guinea area,
01 d. 12 S., 136 d. 13' E.
05/28 Sun. United States naval vessel damaged:
Destroyer STOCKTON (DD-646), by coastal defense
gun, Biak Island, Schouten Islands, off New
Guinea,
01 d. 00' S., 136 d. 00' E.
05/29 Mon. Destroyers bombard enemy installations on northern
coast of New Ireland.
United States naval vessel sunk:
Escort carrier BLOCK ISLAND (CVE-21), by submarine
torpedo, northwest of Canary Islands,
31 d. 13' N., 23 d. 03' W.
United States naval vessel damaged:
Destroyer escort BARR (DE-576), by submarine
torpedo, northwest of Canary Islands,
31 d. 13' N., 23 d. 03' W.
German submarine sunk:
U-549, by destroyer escorts ABRENS (DE-575), and
EUGENE E. ELMORE (DE-686), by submarine torpedo,
northwest of Canary Islands,
31 d. 13' N., 23 d. 03' W.
05/31 Wed. Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Submarine RO-105, by destroyers HAZELWOOD (DD-531)
and MCCORD (DD-534), destroyer escorts ENGLAND
(DD-635), GEORGE (DE-697), and RABY (de-698),
north of Bismarck Archipelago,
00 d. 47' N., 149 d. 56' E.
Frigate ISHIGAKI, by submarine HERRING (SS-233),
North Pacific area,
48 d. 36' N., 151 30' E.