10 May 1890
- Alfred Jodl was born.
» In-depth article
10 May 1891
- Anton Dostler was born.
» In-depth article
10 May 1918
- The first 8,000 men of the Czech Legion arrived in Vladivostok, Russia. But there was still no sign of shipping to take them out. The Legion had by this time grown to around 70,000 men including many new recruits picked up from prisoner of war camps en route. Although the decision had been taken weeks before, nobody in Vladivostok or in the Legion (which was strung out along the railway from the Kiev to Vladivostok) had been made aware of the Allies plan to link up with the forces at Archangel. The Japanese refused to co-operate and with no other real control or information about the Legion's future, many in the Legion were growing acutely suspicious of both the Bolsheviks and the Allies motives.
10 May 1920
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
- Carrier Eagle held taxiing trials with Sopwith Camel fighters and Parnall Panther reconnaissance aircraft while still being docked.
» In-depth article
10 May 1922
- Miles Browning married Cathalene Isabella Parka, stepdaughter of Vice Admiral Clark H. Woodward.
» In-depth article
10 May 1923
- Hiroaki Abe became the chief torpedo officer of cruiser Tama.
» In-depth article
10 May 1933
- The German Labour Front was created. This vast corporation (which replaced the former Trade Union Associations) was intended to reconcile labourers, skilled workers and managers in a classless industrial structure for the benefit of the Reich. The German Labour Front would neither represent labour interests nor negotiate in determining wage rates (these functions being taken over by the new state commissioners without reference to the workforce). In addition striking was made illegal.
- After ten months of border skirmishing in the dispute Chaco region, Paraguay declared war on her northern neighbour Bolivia. The chief object of this declaration was to force a policy of strict neutrality on the part of Chile, Peru and Brazil, who all served as useful sources of supply to Bolivia. This was only partially successful as Chile's liberal definition of neutrality was more than offset by Argentina's benevolent attitude to Paraguay.
- Nazi Party members throughout Germany staged burnings of "unacceptable" books.
10 May 1937
Photo(s) dated 10 May 1937
Photo(s) dated 10 May 1937
10 May 1938
China
China
- Japanese 5th Fleet under the command of Admiral Koichi Shiozawa arrived the port city of Xiamen, China, delivering 2,000 Special Naval Landing Force troops.
» In-depth article
10 May 1940
- Germany invaded the Allied nation of France and the neutral Low Countries. In France, Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed many French aircraft on the ground. German tanks crossed into neutral Luxembourg with relative ease, reaching the edge of the Ardennes Forest; the royal family of Luxembourg was evacuated to the south. In the Netherlands, German paratroopers quickly secured key bridges and airfields around Rotterdam and the Hague, but the plan to land troops at the Ypenburg airfield to capture the Dutch political leaders was foiled when Dutch fighters shot down 18 German Ju 52 transport planes; German tanks penetrated more than 10 miles into the Dutch border by the end of the day. In Belgium, 10 gliders landed 78 German airborne soldiers atop Fort Ebel Emael at the crossings of the Albert Canal and the River Meusse, pinning down the 700 Belgian defenders. British and French leaders enacted the Dyle Plan in response to the invasion, moving troops toward the Dyle River in Belgium where they were to form a defensive line.
» In-depth article - British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain had decided overnight to resign from this post, but the news of the German invasion of France and the Low Countries gave him second thoughts. Nevertheless, he decided to continue his plan to resign. Later in the day, Winston Churchill was asked to assume the post left vacant by Chamberlain.
» In-depth article - US Secretary of State Hull reiterated that the United States would not stand for any country establishing a protectorate over the Dutch East Indies; in response, the Japanese Foreign Minister indicated Japan's desire to maintain the political and economic status quo in the Pacific region.
» In-depth article
- James Lacey was relocated with the No. 501 Squadron RAF to Bétheniville, Marne, France.
» In-depth article
10 May 1941
- Sparking a controversy that will last long after the war, Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess landed in Scotland, United Kingdom with a Bf 110 fighter in an attempt to dissuade Duke of Hamilton to introduce him to King George VI in order to broker peace between the United Kingdom and Germany. This mission was not authorized by Adolf Hitler. He landed 12 miles from the Duke's residence, broke his ankle, and was arrested by a farmer. He was taken into custody and remained so until his death.
» In-depth article - A German rocket engine test reached the speed of 1,002 kilometers per hour.
- Indian troops marched out the Falagi Pass, which was captured on the previous day, toward the 11,400-foot Mount Gumsa east of Amba Alagi, Abyssinia. Italian troops who held Mount Gumsa would be withdrawn into Amba Alagi after sundown.
» In-depth article - German submarine U-556 attacked Allied convoy OB-318 between Greenland and Iceland, sinking British ship Empire Caribou (34 killed, 11 survived) and Belgian ship Gand (1 killed, 43 survived) and damaging British ship Aelybryn (1 killed).
- British destroyers HMS Kelly, HMS Kipling, HMS Jackal, HMS Kashmir, and HMS Kelvin from Malta bombarded Benghazi, Libya at 1700 hours; German dive bombers fought back but caused no damage. After nightfall, also in Libya, British gunboat HMS Ladybird shelled Gazala 30 miles west of Tobruk.
» In-depth article - German submarine U-110, captured by HMS Bulldog on the previous day, sank while being towed toward Iceland. Her Enigma cipher machine and code book, however, had already been retrieved by the British.
» In-depth article - The 200th Beaufighter aircraft was completed.
» In-depth article - Bulgaria established diplomatic relationship with the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo.
- RAF bombers conducted a raid on Hamburg, Germany.
» In-depth article - British Lieutenant Anthony "Peter" Allan escaped the Oflag IV-C prisoner of war camp at Colditz Castle, Germany by hiding in a straw mattress that was being carried out of the camp by cooperative French laborers.
- Italian manufacturing firm Caproni delivered midget submarines CB-3, CB-4, CB-5, and CB-6 to the Italian Navy at La Spezia, Italy.
- Vice Admiral Toshio Shimazaki was named the Chief of Staff of the Mako naval port at Pescadores islands, Taiwan.
- German bombers mounted what would turn out to be the last major raid on London, England, United Kingdom. Low tide on the River Thames made firefighting difficult as it was harder to draw water, thus fires caused more damage than usual. The Houses of Parliament were among the buildings damaged during this night.
» In-depth article
10 May 1942
- German Field Marshal Kesselring prematurely announced that Malta had been neutralized. On the same day, British minelayer HMS Welshman, disguised as a French destroyer, arrived at Grand Harbour at Malta with RAF personnel and 240 tons of supplies.
» In-depth article - In response to reports that Germany might use gas weapons against Soviet troops, Churchill promised that the forces of the United Kingdom would retaliate with gas weapons if German launched them first.
- The Thai Phayap Army invaded Shan State, Burma. In western Burma, Gurkha units, rearguard to the British general retreat, held off another Japanese assault throughout the afternoon; they also withdrew westwards after sundown.
» In-depth article - A Japanese invasion force departed Rabaul for Ocean (Banaba) and Nauru Islands.
- A new concentration camp was opened near the village of Maly Trostenets near Minsk, Byelorussia.
» In-depth article - American submarine USS Porpoise rescued 5 USAAF pilots near New Guinea.
» In-depth article - German submarine U-506 damaged US tanker Aurora 50 kilometers south of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, killing 1 of 50 aboard; Aurora was later towed to Algiers, Louisiana for repairs.
» In-depth article - Lieutenant Commander Koukichi Mori was named the commander officer of destroyer Yuzuki.
» In-depth article - P-51 Mustang fighters saw combat for the first time with RAF pilots in the cockpits.
» In-depth article - German submarine U-588 sank British ship Kitty's Brook 35 miles off of Nova Scotia, Canada; 9 were killed, 25 survived. To the south, U-333 sank British ship Clan Skene 300 miles off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, United States; 9 were killed, 73 survived.
» In-depth article - German armed merchant cruiser Thor stopped Australian cargo and passenger transport Nankin with gunfire 1,500 miles west of Australia at 1430 hours, killing 2; Nankin's crew attempted to scuttle the ship, but the attempt was stopped by a boarding party from Thor which took control of the ship.
- Shokaku arrived at Rabaul, New Britain.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement
- Operation MG2 commenced from Alexandria, Egypt with British destroyers HMS Kipling, HMS Jackal, HMS Jervis, and HMS Lively aiming to intercept an Axis convoy from Italy to Benghazi, Libya.
- Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement
- Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down two South African Hurricane fighters, Captain Cobbledick at 0913 hours and Lieutenant Flesker at 0915 hours, southeast of Martuba, Libya, raising his kill score to 56.
» In-depth article
- US Army General William Sharp received orders from General Jonathan Wainwright to surrender all US and Filipino troops on Mindanao, Philippine Islands, which he complied.
» In-depth article
- The German 11th Army pushed through Soviet positions and advanced toward Sevastopol, Ukraine. Meanwhile, Axis aircraft attacked Soviet vessel Chernomorets evacuating 500 wounded troops from the Crimean Peninsula; all aboard the vessel were killed.
» In-depth article
10 May 1943
- The British 6th Armoured Division cut off German troops at Cape Bon, Tunisia.
» In-depth article - Shimakaze was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article - Japanese aircraft from Rabaul attacked American positions in the Russell Islands, Solomon Islands, but the attack was largely turned back by American fighters.
» In-depth article - USS Pollack departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her seventh war patrol.
» In-depth article - USS Cisco was commissioned into service, Commander James W. Coe in command.
» In-depth article
- USS ABSD-1 was commissioned into service at Everett, Washington, United States with Captain Andrew R. Mack in command.
» In-depth article - Henry Arnold suffered his second heart attck and was hospitalized at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington DC, United States for several days.
» In-depth article
10 May 1944
- USS Cod sank Japanese destroyer Karukaya and a cargo ship by torpedoes and survived a heavy depth charge barrage.
» In-depth article - The French Resistance claimed a membership of over 100,000 and requested more military aid from the Allies.
» In-depth article - Japanese troops attacked Scraggy Hill near Imphal, India. 30 kilometers to the southwest, Bishenpur was attacked by a group of Japanese Zero fighters.
» In-depth article - Repair ship Akashi was removed from the Japanese Navy List.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement
- Aleksandr Vasilevsky was wounded in the head at Sevastopol, Ukraine after his car drove over a mine and was evacuated to Moscow, Russia for treatment.
» In-depth article
- Henry Arnold suffered his third heart attack.
» In-depth article
10 May 1945
- Soviet troops regain control of Prague, Czechoslovakia, ending the 5-day uprising.
- U-977 surfaced near Holsenöy Island, Bergen, Norway to release 16 of the crewmen who wished to return home to their families. She then headed for Argentina.
» In-depth article - Konrad Henlein passed away.
» In-depth article - US Navy aircraft attacked Japanese shipping off Korea.
- The German surrender officially took effect at 0001 hours.
» In-depth article - Norwegian collaborator Vidkun Quisling was arrested.
» In-depth article - Operation Kikusui No. 6 was launched off Okinawa, Japan, participated by about 70 Japanese Navy and 80 Japanese Army special attack and escorting aircraft.
» In-depth article - Heinrich Hoffmann was arrested by the Americans.
» In-depth article - Commander Keiji Koeu was named the commanding officer of destroyer Yukikaze.
» In-depth article
- The German resistance on the Hel Peninsula across the bay from Danzig, Germany (now Gdansk, Poland) ceased.
» In-depth article
- Manhattan Project Target Committee met at Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States to compile a list of potential atomic weapon targets in Japan.
» In-depth article
10 May 1946
- USS IX-300 (former German cruiser Prinz Eugen) departed for Honolulu, Hawaii.
» In-depth article - George Brett retired from the US Army at the rank of major general.
» In-depth article - The Soviet counterintelligence agency SMERSH merged with the MGB; Viktor Abakumov was made the head of this larger organization.
» In-depth article
- USS Segundo completed her overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, United States.
» In-depth article
10 May 1947
China
China
- He Yingqin was named the chairman of the military committee of the Office of the President of the Republic of China.
» In-depth article
10 May 1956
Photo(s) dated 10 May 1956
Photo(s) dated 10 May 1956
10 May 1959
- German prisoner of war Kurt Rossmeisl, who had escaped imprisonment in North Carolina, United States in Aug 1945 and had been living under the pseudonym Frank Ellis, turned himself in as he grew tired of hiding.
10 May 1963
United States
United States
- USS Charr arrived at San Diego, California, United States.
» In-depth article
10 May 1986
United States
United States
- USS Missouri was recommissioned into service at San Francisco, California, United States.
» In-depth article
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
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