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.