1 May 1896
- Mark Clark was born.
» In-depth article
1 May 1898
- Henry Smyth was born.
» In-depth article
1 May 1914
- Douglas MacArthur arrived at Veracruz, Mexico as a member of the headquarters staff.
» In-depth article
1 May 1915
Taiwan
Taiwan
- General Baron Teibi Ando was named the governor-general of Taiwan.
1 May 1916
- Oklahoma was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article
1 May 1917
- Quintin Brand was transferred to England.
» In-depth article
- Henry Arnold began a period of various staff positions in Washington DC, United States.
» In-depth article
1 May 1919
- Quintin Brand was promoted to the rank of major.
» In-depth article
1 May 1920
- USS Arizona arrived at New York City, New York, United States.
» In-depth article
1 May 1924
- Georg von Bismarck was promoted to the rank of Hauptmann.
» In-depth article - Hiroaki Abe was transferred out of cruiser Tama.
» In-depth article
1 May 1925
- Adolf Hitler received a letter notifying him that he had failed to file tax in 1924 and in the first quarter of 1925.
» In-depth article - Iwane Matsui was named the head of the 2nd Bureau of the Japanese Army General Staff.
» In-depth article
1 May 1926
- In Britain the mine owners, following the recommendations of the Samuel commission demanded that workers accept longer hours and a reduction in wages of between 10 and 25%.
1 May 1928
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
- In the United Kingdom, the train Flying Scotsman successfully ran the 392 miles between Edinburgh, Scotland and London, England without stopping, a record at the time for a scheduled rail service.
1 May 1931
- USS R-1 was decommissioned from service.
» In-depth article - President Hoover officially opened the Empire State Building in New York City in the United States.
1 May 1933
- In Germany the NSDAP organisation, unable to cope with the 850,000 new requests for membership, called a moratorium on recruitment until May 1937, except for those already in affiliated organisations (SA, SS, Hitler Youth etc.).
- The noted academic, Carl Schmitt, Professor of Law at Berlin University in Germany, joined the National Socialist Party. It was through his influence that so many German academics and lawyers would be exulted to accept the new order.
1 May 1934
- During this month, SS leader Theodor Eicke was given the task by Heinrich Himmler to reorganize all concentration camps, using Eicke's former direct responsiblity, Dachu Concentration Camp, as a model.
» In-depth article
1 May 1935
- A mistake by the US Government Printing Office, which leaked the construction of three air bases in northern United States per War Plan Red in preparation of war against the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, was published on the front page of the New York Times. War Plan Red was to be officially terminated in 1939.
1 May 1936
- Cruiser Köln began two months of operations off Portugal.
» In-depth article - In Germany the NSDAP introduced ambitious new plans for controlling the population. Key among these were the dividing of the population into blocks of 40 to 60 households under local controllers (not necessarily a party member) responsible for the political outlook, education and morale of every inhabitant, member or not.
1 May 1937
- Remy Van Lierde began his training as a pilot.
» In-depth article - Dunkerque was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article - Adolf Hitler declared that all German children were to be raised as loyal Nazi Germans.
» In-depth article - Destroyer Kashi was transferred to the Manchukuo Navy and was renamed Haiwei and would serve as Manchukuo's flag ship.
» In-depth article
1 May 1938
- Spanish leader Dr. Negrin tried to sue for peace but General Franco demanded nothing less than unconditional surrender in the Spanish Civil War.
» In-depth article
1 May 1939
- US Marine Corps aviation units Aircraft One and Aircraft Two were renamed 1st and 2nd Marine Aircraft Group, respectively.
- Admiral Harry E. Yarnell visited USS Astoria in the morning; in the afternoon, the cruiser departed Shanghai, China for Hong Kong.
» In-depth article - Chiang Kaishek ordered Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China to be taken back by 5 May 1939. He also relieved General Duan Lan of his duties for ordering his 79th Division to fall back, while General He Ping, who had also fallen back with his Chinese 16th Division, was told to redeem himself.
» In-depth article
- The German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing was formed with two groups; Major General Wilhelm S¸ssmann was named its first commanding officer.
- Hans-Joachim Marseille was promoted to the rank of Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter.
» In-depth article
- Franklin Roosevelt dedicated the Post Office of Rhinebeck, New York, United States.
» In-depth article
1 May 1940
- Roosevelt urged Italy to stay out of the European War; Mussolini's response noted that Germany could not be defeated.
- Swiss intelligence learned of a potential attack on France to be launched soon and informed the French military attaché, who promptly reported this to Paris. Meanwhile in Germany, Adolf Hitler pushed the invasion decision date to 5 May 1940.
» In-depth article - Orion crossed the Equator.
» In-depth article - Otto Skorzeny was promoted to the rank of Unterscharführer.
» In-depth article - The US Navy established the Naval Air Station, San Juan, Puerto Rico as a part of the Tenth Naval District. The first commanding officer of the base was Captain Virgil C. Griffin, Jr.
- King Haakon VII and the Norwegian government established the provisional government at Tromsø, Norway.
» In-depth article
- Japanese troops began to march toward Yichang, Hubei Province, China.
» In-depth article
- Norwegian troops in Lillehammer surrendered. En route to Åndalsnes, Norway for evacuation, the train carrying troops of the British 15th Brigade crashed into a bomb crater at 0115 hours, killing 8 and wounding 30; the surviving troops marched 17 miles through deep snow, arriving at Åndalsnes at 0900 hours. British Vice Admiral Layton's task force consisted of cruisers Manchester and Birmingham and destroyers Inglefield, Diana, and Delight arrived at Åndalsnes, Norway to evacuate the British 148th and 15th Brigades; they embarked 5,084 men overnight and departed at 0200 hours on the next day. Joining the British evacuation was Norwegian General Ruge, who departed Åndalsnes aboard British destroyer HMS Diana to join the Norwegian government at Tromsø. Four British destroyers arrived at Namsos to evacuate the British 146th Brigade and other Allied troops in the area; heavy fog delayed the operation, and only 850 French troops were embarked overnight. In the Kattegat, British submarine HMS Narwhal fired six torpedoes at a German merchant convoy carrying parts of 2nd Gebirgsjager Division to Norway; German steamer Buenos Aires was hit by one of the torpedoes and sank, killing 62 men and 240 horses; another transport, Bahia Castillo, was hit but did not sink, killing 10 men and 26 horses.
» In-depth article
- Rudolf Höss was appointed the first Commandant of Auschwitz Concentration Camp in German-occupied Poland.
» In-depth article
- British government passed a trade union agreement which allowed women to work in munitions factories.
- A German bomber crashed in Essex, England, United Kingdom, killing the crew and two civilians, wounding a further 150 people.
» In-depth article
1 May 1941
- British ocean boarding vessel HMS Cavina captured Italian tanker Sangro 400 miles north of the Azores islands.
- At 2215 hours, German bombers began attacking Liverpool, England, United Kingdom; it was to be the first of seven consecutive nightly bombings on the city.
» In-depth article - German tanks attacked Tobruk, Libya at 0715 hours; slowed by a minefield, they were attacked by 2-pounder anti-tank guns and then by British tanks; the Germans lost 12 tanks in this engagement while the British lost 4. In the evening, Australian 2/48th Battalion conducted a counterattack but it was repulsed with heavy casualties. 300 kilometers to the west, RAF aircraft attacked Benghazi and sank an Italian freighter.
» In-depth article - HMS Jersey hit a mine in Valeta, Malta, and later sank during a German air raid.
» In-depth article - Kapitän zur See Friedrich Hüffmeier took command of cruiser Köln.
» In-depth article - Iraqi forces overlooking RAF Habbaniya grew to 9,000 men, 50 artillery pieces, 12 armored cars, and a few light tanks. They demanded the airfield to cease flight operations, but the local RAF commander ignored the threat, a decision backed by Winston Churchill.
» In-depth article - British submarine HMS Upholder sank freighters Arcturus and Leverkusen off Kerkenah island, Tunisia.
- Viceroy of Italian East Africa Duke of Aosta and 7,000 troops were trapped at Amba Alagi, Abyssinia by Indian 5th Indivision to the north and South African 1st Brigade in the south.
» In-depth article - German submarine U-552 sank British passenger liner Nerissa 100 miles north of Ireland at 0027 hours; 207 were killed, 83 survived.
- German submarine U-103 sank British ship Samsø 200 miles off Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 1834 hours.
- Groß-Rosen Concentration Camp, formerly a satellite camp of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, became an independent camp. It was located in Groß-Rosen, Lower Silesia, Germany (now Rogoznica, Poland).
» In-depth article - Generalleutnant August Krakau succeeded Robert Martinek as the commanding officer of the German 7th Mountain Division.
- The Marine Barracks of New River, North Carolina, United States was established with Lieutenant Colonel William P. T. Hill in command.
- HMS Eagle was ordered to sail for Durban, South Africa.
» In-depth article
- Kasuga Maru began conversation into an escort carrier at Sasebo, Japan.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - Kaga entered the docks at Sasebo, Japan.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement
- Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down his 10th and 11th kills, two British Hurricane fighters, while escorting German Stuka dive bombers to Tobruk, Libya.
» In-depth article
1 May 1942
See all photos dated 1 May 1942
- Captain Takayanagi, commanding officer of battleship Yamato, was promoted to the rank of rear admiral. During this month, battleship Yamato would remain in the Inland Sea in Japan to conduct gunnery practice and to host Admiral Yamamoto and other officers for Midway war games.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - Eleven Japanese transports departed Rabaul, New Britain for the invasion of Port Moresby, Australian Papua; they were escorted by seven cruisers and one light carrier; on the same day, Type 1 and Type 6 land attack aircraft of Genzan Air Group arrived at Rabaul for future use with the Port Moresby invasion. On the same day, three B-26 Marauder bombers of US 22nd Bomb Group struck Rabaul, causing minor damage to an airfield. Tulagi in the Solomon Islands, another target of the Japanese offensive operation, was bombed by Japanese aircraft, destroying one Australian PBY Catalina aircraft. Near the New Hebrides islands, US Navy Task Force 11 (containing carrier Lexington) and Task Force 17 (containing carrier Yorktown) made rendezvous. At Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, Joseph Rochefort furnished a report for Chester Nimitz and Ernest King that noted Port Moresby as the likely Japanese target, northern Australia was not being targeted for now, and Japanese reconnaissance operations seemed to be targeting Hawaiian Islands and Aleutian Islands.
» In-depth article - The Japanese code book change, originally set to take place on this date, was delayed.
- HMS King George V, in thick Atlantic fog, accidentally rammed and sank HMS Punjabi 165 miles northeast of Iceland at 1545 hours. HMS Punjabi was broken in half, with the stern sinking, depth charges exploding meanwhile, killing 49. The forward piece remained afloat for some time, allowing 169 people to be taken off. An additional 40 survivors were picked from the sea. HMS King George V suffered a 40-foot gash in the bow, forcing her to leave her convoy escort station to sail for Britain for repairs.
» In-depth article - Kapitän zur See Martin Balzer took command of cruiser Köln.
» In-depth article - The US Marine Corps 8th Defense Battalion arrived at Wallis Island from Tutuila, American Samoa.
- US Task Force 17 was established under command of Rear Admiral Frank Fletcher to operate in the Coral Sea.
» In-depth article - Slim met with Alexander at Monywa, Burma.
» In-depth article - German submarine U-752 sank Norwegian ship Bidevind 75 miles southeast of New York, United States at 0543 hours; all 36 aboard survived. 370 miles northeast of Bermuda, U-69 attacked Canadian sailing boat James E. Newsom on the surface with her deck gun at 1728 hours, forcing the crew of 9 to abandon ship. At 2046 hours, U-162 sank Brazilian ship Parnahyba near Trinidad; 7 were killed, 65 survived.
» In-depth article - USS Triton sank Japanese auxiliary transport Calcutta Maru in the western Pacific Ocean east of China at 1645 hours.
» In-depth article - USS Grenadier, mistaking Soviet ship Angarstroy for a Japanese ship, sank her in the Pacific Ocean; 60 survived and were rescued by Japanese ship Kayo Maru.
» In-depth article - A Hudson bomber of British No. 233 Squadron based at Gibraltar damaged German submarine U-573 with depth charges 40 miles northwest of Ténès, Algeria at 1556 hours. The British dispatches destroyers HMS Wishart and HMS Wrestler to finish off the submarine, while the Germans dispatched U-74 and U-375 and the Italians dispatched submarines Emo and Mocenigo to assist.
- Four Ju 88 aircraft attacked Allied convoy QP-11 at 0540 hours 150 miles southeast of Bear Island, Norway; all torpedoes missed. At 1345 hours, German destroyers Z7 Hermann Schoemann, Z24, and Z25 were sighted; the first round of the exchange of torpedoes by QP-11 and the Allied escorts at 1407 hours all missed, but a shortly after British destroyer HMS Amazon was hit by gunfire and Russian freighter Tsiolkovsky was sunk by torpedo. Through 1742 hours, the German destroyed attempted to close in five more times, but they were not successful; they broke off after 1742 hours to pursue HMS Edinburgh in the direction of Murmansk, Russia. Elsewhere, six German Ju 88 bombers attacked Allied convoy PQ-15 west of Norway at 2200 hours without success, losing one aircraft in the process.
» In-depth article - USS Washington suffered slight damage northeast of Iceland during the accident which saw HMS King George V ramming HMS Punjabi, detonating Punjabi's depth charges.
» In-depth article
- Japanese 18th Infantry Division captured Mandalay, Burma. 300 kilometers the northeast, Japanese and Chinese troops clashed at Hsenwi. 50 miles west of Mandalay, Japanese troops blocked the British retreat at Monywa on the Chindwin River and then attacked from the rear by surprise, capturing the headquarters of the 1st Burma Division.
» In-depth article
- Shokaku departed Truk, Caroline Islands with Zuikaku to participate in Operation MO.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement
- Chester Nimitz departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii and later in the day arrived at Midway Atoll.
» In-depth article
- Hans-Joachim Marseille received his citation of promotion to the rank of Oberleunant.
» In-depth article
- In the Philippine Islands, Corregidor was subjected to heavy artillery and aerial bombardment, while Japanese troops defeated the Filipino 61st Infantry Regiment on the southern island of Mindanao.
» In-depth article
- Tatsuta Maru arrived at Kirun (now Keelung), Taiwan.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement
See all photos dated 1 May 1942
1 May 1943
See all photos dated 1 May 1943
- Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Rabaul, New Britain.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - The International Medical Commission completed its investigation on the Katyn Massacre, concluding that the Soviet Union was responsible for the atrocity.
» In-depth article - US troops captured Hill 609 in Tunisia.
» In-depth article - The Personnel Department was established to replace the Adjutant and Inspector's Department of the US Marine Corps headquarters.
- Commander Junio Valerio Borghese took over command of 10th MAS Flotilla at Muggiano, Italy, which was in actuality a special forces unit for the Italian Navy.
- Irako arrived at Iwo Jima, Japan.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - USS Flying Fish sank a Japanese freighter off Japan, hitting her with 2 of 4 torpedoes fired; she survived a heavy depth charge counterattack.
» In-depth article
- Basil Brooke (later 1st Viscount Brookeborough) became Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
- CV-14 was renamed USS Ticonderoga.
» In-depth article
See all photos dated 1 May 1943
1 May 1944
See all photos dated 1 May 1944
- Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Palau and departed later on the same day.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - US Navy completed a two-day raid on Truk, which destroyed 120 Japanese aircraft.
» In-depth article - The first Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference began and would last until 16 May. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Australian Prime Minister John Curtin, New Zealand Prime Minister Peter Fraser, Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King, and South African Prime Minister Jan Smuts were in attendance. They would agree to support the Moscow Declaration and reached agreement regarding their respective roles in the overall Allied war effort.
» In-depth article - The Organizational Division of the German Prisoner of War Office reported that a total of 5,165,381 Soviet prisoners were in German captivity.
- Submarine Macabi was laid down.
» In-depth article - USS Finback arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, ending her eighth war patrol.
» In-depth article - Anglo-Indian troops attacked Crete West hill near Imphal, India.
» In-depth article - Joseph Stalin justified taking the war into German borders by noting "[o]ur tasks cannot be restricted by pushing the enemy out of our Motherland.... We must free our brothers from German Europe who have been conquered by Hitler's Germany."
» In-depth article
- Yamato arrived at Lingga, Dutch East Indies south of Singapore.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - Destroyer Yukikaze arrived at Lingga, Dutch East Indies.
» In-depth article
- British Squadron Leader Maurice Southgate, whose task it was to coordinate the various Marquis groups between the Loire River and the Pyrenees mountains, was arrested by the Gestapo in Paris, France.
» In-depth article
- Boris Shaposhnikov received the Medal for the Defense of Moscow.
» In-depth article
- The Yugoslavian partisan leader Tito's mission arrived in London, England, United Kingdom to discuss cooperation with the Allies and gained official recognition.
- While in Britain, Robert Johnson was promoted to the rank of major.
» In-depth article
See all photos dated 1 May 1944
1 May 1945
See all photos dated 1 May 1945
- Joseph Goebbels passed away.
» In-depth article - US Third Army arrived on the pre-war German-Austrian border.
- The US 15th Air Force conducted its final bombing mission in Italy. Meanwhile, German troops in Italy surrendered in accordance with secret negotiations, followed by an announcement for the cessation of hostilities.
» In-depth article - US Ninth and British Second Armies combined their bridgeheads across the Elbe River in northern Germany.
- New Zealand troops captured Udina and linked up with Yugoslavian partisans near Trieste after the Yugoslavian forces beat the British 8th Army in capturing Trieste.
- Dönitz took his new post in accordance with Hitler's will and immediately ordered the strongest resistance in the east, as tens of thousands of civilians struggled to stay ahead of oncoming Soviet forces.
» In-depth article - Japanese troops began to withdraw from southern China.
- The Mexican Expeditionary Air Force arrived in the Philippine Islands.
» In-depth article - Allied forces captured German Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt.
» In-depth article - German concentration camp authorities ordered the execution of Kurt Schuschnigg.
- USS Hawkbill damaged Japanese minelayer Hatsutaka, which was grounded to prevent sinking.
» In-depth article - USS Sennet attacked a Japanese destroyer off Japan; all six torpedoes missed.
» In-depth article - Pilots of US Navy squadron VF-66, flying FR Fireball piston-jet mix-powered fighters, flew qualifying missions from USS Ranger; two aircraft were damaged while landing.
» In-depth article - George Brett was reactivated from the US Army retired list.
» In-depth article
- Indian 50th Parachute Regiment was dropped near Rangoon, Burma as the spearhead to Operation Dracula. Meanwhile, determined to preempt Operation Dracula in the conquest of Rangoon, William Slim carelessly attempted to enter the city himself by air; his aircraft was damaged by Japanese anti-aircraft fire and the American pilot, Captain Robert Fullerton, sustained injuries in his leg so severe that it had to be amputated later.
» In-depth article
- Submarine I-369 arrived at Truk, Caroline Islands. This would be the last submarine-transport to arrive at Truk in the Pacific War.
» In-depth article
- German 12.Armee retreated from Berlin, Germany to the Elbe River and attempted to begin negotiations with US troops.
» In-depth article - Hans Krebs informed Vasily Chuikov of Adolf Hitler's suicide, thus Chuikov became the first Soviet general to learn of this news.
» In-depth article - Soviet SMERSH agents arrested Reichssicherhetsdienst (RSD) Gruppe commander Oberführer Johann Rattenhuber in Berlin, Germany.
- Artur Axmann departed from Adolf Hitler's bunker in Berlin, Germany.
» In-depth article
- USS Dragonet arrived at Guam, Mariana Islands.
» In-depth article
- USS Ticonderoga arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.
» In-depth article
See all photos dated 1 May 1945
1 May 1946
- USS Rock was decommissioned from service and was placed into the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
» In-depth article
- USS Brill began a period of repair at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.
» In-depth article
- Prince Yasuhiko was interrogated at the office of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Tokyo, Japan.
» In-depth article
1 May 1947
- Light carrier Hosho's scrapping was completed by Hitachi Zosen, Sakurajima, Japan.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement
1 May 1948
- Former Japanese destroyer Yukikaze was commissioned into the Navy of the Republic of China as Tang Yan.
» In-depth article
1 May 1953
- Indomitable was decommissioned from service.
» In-depth article
1 May 1955
- Jean Bart was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article
1 May 1956
Photo(s) dated 1 May 1956
Photo(s) dated 1 May 1956
1 May 1959
- Submarine Flying Fish was sold for scrap.
» In-depth article
1 May 1960
- Submarine Hoe was struck from the US Naval Register.
» In-depth article
1 May 1970
- Euimin passed away.
» In-depth article
1 May 1976
- Błyskawica was decommissioned from service.
» In-depth article
1 May 1982
- Walther Wenck passed away.
» In-depth article
1 May 2009
Photo(s) dated 1 May 2009
Photo(s) dated 1 May 2009
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
| | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Search WW2DB & Partner Sites
News
- » British team to search for buried Spitfires in Myanmar (2013.01.08)
- » Japanese Prime Minister to send envoys to South Korea (2013.01.02)
- » WW2DB's Eighth Anniversary (2012.12.29)
- » See all news
Random Photograph
Site Sponsors
Advertise on ww2db.com
Current Site Statistics
- » 724 biographies
- » 302 events
- » 26801 timeline entries
- » 663 ships
- » 300 aircraft models
- » 163 vehicle models
- » 254 weapon models
- » 64 historical documents
- » 281 book reviews
- » 209 maps
- » 16021 photos, 1463 in color
Famous WW2 Quote
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."Winston Churchill