1942

May

17

1942

Heavy losses as Coastal Command attacks Prinz Eugen

Two Bristol Beauforts (N1173/`MW-E' and AW242/`MW-B') of 217 Squadron, Royal Air Force patrolling the British coast near St Eval, Cornwall.

The first force was unable to locate the cruiser, but part of the second force, which consisted of 52 aircraft, including 27 torpedo-carrying Beauforts, carried out an attack. Two possible hits with torpedoes are claimed. Considerable enemy fighter opposition was encountered and nine of our aircraft failed to return.

May

16

1942

SS discuss the use of mobile gassing vans

A destroyed Magirus-Deutz van found in 1945 in Kolno, Poland, not far from the Kulmhof (Chelmno) extermination camp. Very similar to the type used by the Nazis this van proved not to have been modified.

I ordered the vans of group D to be camouflaged as house trailers by putting one set of window shutters on each side of the small van and two on each side of the large vans, such as one often sees on farm houses in the country. The vans became so well known, that not only the authorities but also the civilian population called the van “death van”, as soon as one of these vehicles appeared.

May

15

1942

The sinking of HMS Trinidad

The British Fiji class cruiser HMS TRINIDAD stationary in Hvalfjörður, Iceland., February 1942 before she departed for her final voyage, escorting an arctic convoy.

At one time when we were bomb-dodging I spotted torpedo bombers dropping torpedos a couple of miles away. I kept a good eye in that direction and duly reported “TORPEDO TRACKS”. Leaving the torpedoes to look after themselves, the skipper calmly assessed the situation, turned to port and the menaces passed us on either side.

May

14

1942

The LRDG experiment with bombing vehicles

Three Long Range Desert Group 30-cwt Chevrolet trucks, surrounded by desert.

The patrol carried 45 gallon drums for blocking the road; and in the hope of creating the impression of a stretch of road under repair two long poles were to be put across the drums, and two red lamps were hung on them with the notice “Achtung! Strassenbau”. The truck was left 150 yards from the road with the driver and two machine-gunners. Two other ranks armed with a Tommy gun, a rifle and some hand grenades were in position 50 yards from the road. These two parties were to give covering fire.

May

13

1942

Night patrol across the desert in No Mans Land

Rhodesian troops of the 60th King's Royal Rifles in a Bedford MWD 15cwt truck in the Western Desert, 12 May 1942.

Suddenly the officer kneels and holds up his hand. Everyone stops dead, kneels and listens intently A star shell bursts, burning whitely in the darkness. The light flickers and dies. Breathing more heavily the patrol rises and continues. Almost immediately a machine gun opens fire, chattering noisily, tracer bullets spitting in short bursts.

May

12

1942

Pasadena Japanese take taxi to internment

The internment of Americans of Japanese ethnic origin was organised and supervised by the military authorities but little compassion was needed in practice.

Since yesterday we Pasadena Japanese have ceased to be human beings – we are now simply numbers or things. We are no longer ‘Egamis’ but the number 23324. A tag with that number is on every suit- case and bag. Even on our breasts are tied large tags with this same number – 23324! Again, a sad and tragic feeling grips my heart!

May

11

1942

On the cattle wagon to Sobibor

The notorious SS Police Chief for the Lublin District Odilo Globocnik at the Sobibor site.

We had to stand and the sea of filth grew bigger at our feet, and we went on and on like this for the whole day, locked inside the wagons, as if we were real beasts, in a stifling nauseating place, filled with dead bodies and putrid air. To add the finishing touch to the gruesome picture once in a while we would hear shots fired by the German soldiers who were on the outside of the convoy.

May

10

1942

The reality of Home Guard life in Britain

Members of the Home Guard operate a Browning machine-gun from a trailer hitched to a car during exercises with regular troops, 2 February 1942.

A few soldiers had got out of the ruins only slightly hurt. The first to be brought out was young John Nicholls, 19, a young Home Guard in Trice’s old section. He had only just received his papers for joining the Army, and was not on parade. He died soon after. The next was young Dray, brother of a Home Guard, very badly hurt. Then Old Hardinge, ex-soldier and Home Guard over 65. He could walk supported, but was very badly scalded.

May

9

1942

USS Icarus sinks U-352

USCGC Icarus arrives at the Charleston Navy Yard 10 May, 1942, the day after after sinking U-352.

At 1709 the submarine surfaced, down by the stern. The ICARUS immediately opened fire with those machine-guns which were bearing and then turned to the right to head for the submarine. The 3” gun and all other machine-guns opened fire as they could be brought to bear. The first round from the 3” gun was short but ricocheted through the conning tower. The next round from the 3” gun was over and thereafter, all shots were either hits or close misses.

May

8

1942

Carrier planes clash in Battle of the Coral Sea

USS Yorktown (CV-5) operating in the vicinity of the Coral Sea, April 1942. Photographed from a TBD-1 torpedo plane that has just taken off from her deck. Other TBD and SBD aircraft are also ready to be launched.

He led his section of dive bombers down to the target from an altitude of 18,000 feet, through a wall of bursting antiaircraft shells and into the face of enemy fighter planes. Again, completely disregarding the safety altitude and without fear or concern for his safety, Lt. Powers courageously pressed home his attack, almost to the very deck of an enemy carrier and did not release his bomb until he was sure of a direct hit.

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