12 May 1890
- Kurt Student was born.
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12 May 1900
United States
United States
- Joseph Rochefort was born in Dayton, Ohio, United States.
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12 May 1904
United States
United States
- The keel of battleship Idaho was laid down by William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine Building Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
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12 May 1933
China
China
- Japanese troops took control of all major gates and passes of the Great Wall in Hebei Province.
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12 May 1936
Germany
Germany
- The first prototype of the Messerschmitt Bf 110 made its maiden flight from Augsburg-Haunstetten, Germany, with test pilot Rudolf Opitz at the controls.
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12 May 1937
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
- The coronation of King George VI took place at Westminster Abbey, London, England, United Kingdom.
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12 May 1938
- Enterprise was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article - Joachim von Ribbentrop instructed Konrad Henlein on how to speak with the British on the Czechoslovakia situation.
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- Japanese Special Naval Landing Force troops captured Xiamen, China.
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12 May 1939
French Indochina
French Indochina
- Jean Decoux entered his office as the commander of naval forces in the Far East.
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12 May 1940
- The United Kingdom began the internment of German civilians.
- The first tank battle of the European War took place at Hannut in central Belgium between the German 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions and two French armored divisions; French S35 and H35 tanks overwhelmed their German counterparts, destroying large numbers of Panzer I and II tanks. On the same day, German armored columns pushed out of the Ardennes region and into France, preparing to cross the Meuse River at Sedan, Monthermé, and Dinant. In the Netherlands, German 9th Panzer Division reached Moerdijk bridges 10 miles south of Rotterdam, relieving the paratroopers who had been holding the bridges since 10 May. After evaluating the situation, Dutch Crown Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard departed for Harwich, England, United Kingdom aboard HMS Codrington.
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- Adolf Galland achieved his first three victories near Ličge, Beligum.
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12 May 1941
- Admiral Günther Lütjens and other staff officers embarked battleship Bismarck.
» In-depth article - Three former US Coast Guard Cutters were commissioned into Royal Navy at New York, United States as HMS Sennen, HMS Walney, and HMS Totland. Like cutters commissioned shortly before them, they were manned by the crew of battleship HMS Malaya, which was currently under repair in the United States.
- 47 German dive bombers sank British gunboat HMS Ladybird in Tobruk harbor, Libya with two bomb hits, killing 4 and wounding 14; Ladybird's gunners damaged two German dive bombers in return. Although she settled in 10 feet of water, her 6-inch gun was still above water, and thus she would remain useful as a stationary anti-aircraft gun platform while repairs were being done. Admiral Andrew Cunningham sent the message to her commanding officer "Great fighting finish worthy of highest ideals and tradition of the Navy and an inspiration for all who fight on the seas."
» In-depth article - The British convoy carrying 135 infantry tanks, 82 cruiser tanks, 21 light tanks, and 43 Hurricane fighters arrived at Alexandria, Egypt having traveled through the dangerous Mediterranean Sea.
- British submarine HMS Rorqual sank two small Greek vessels carrying German troops off the island of Lemnos in the Aegean Sea.
- Italian torpedo boats Pleiadi and Pegaso sank British submarine HMS Undaunted off Tripoli, Libya at 2030 hours, killing the entire crew of 32.
- Polish Lieutenant Mietek Chmiel and Lieutenant Miki Surmanowicz failed in their attempt to escape the Oflag IV-C prisoner of war camp at Colditz Castle, Germany.
12 May 1942
- Shokaku made rendezvous with Kuroshio, Oyashio, and Hayashio in the Philippine Sea; Ushio and Yugure were released as her escorts. Shokaku avoided more US submarines during her final leg home. However, with the high speeds and gashed bow, the ship took on so much water that she nearly capsized en route.
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» Tabular Record of Movement - Naval leaders in Washington DC disagreed with Joseph Rochefort's conclusion that the Japanese was planning on an attack on Midway.
» In-depth article - The last US troops in the Philippine Islands surrendered on Mindanao.
» In-depth article - A major Soviet offensive toward Kharkov, Ukraine was launched, beginning with an aerial and artillery bombardment between 0630 and 0730 hours, followed by the ground assault. By the end of the day the Soviets penetrated only about 10 kilometers into the German lines, falling far short of the ultimate goal of having the Soviet 6th and 28th Armies converging west of Kharkov to cut off the city and the German defenders.
» In-depth article - The US 8th Air Force began arriving in England.
- German submarine U-507 sank US tanker Virginia immediately off the Mississippi River Delta in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 27 of 41 aboard. To the south, U-69 sank Norwegian tanker Lise with torpedoes and the deck gun 90 miles north of Bonaire island; 12 were killed, 21 survived.
» In-depth article - 2,500 residents of Ivye, Byelorussia were massacred by Germans.
- Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Queen Carola Harbor near Buka, Bougainville, departing later on the same day.
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» Tabular Record of Movement - Massachusetts was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article - The monsoon began in Burma, slowing the retreat of Allied troops into India, but it also stopped Japanese attempts to attack the retreating columns from the air.
» In-depth article - USS Pollack sank a Japanese patrol vessel with her surface weapons off Japan.
» In-depth article - USS Astoria arrived at Nouméa, New Caledonia.
» In-depth article - German submarine U-124 sank British catapult armed merchant Empire Dell and British transport Llanover of Allied convoy ONS-92 800 miles west of Ireland at 0200 hours; 2 were killed, 92 survived. At 0340 hours, U-94 also attacked the convoy, sinking Panamanian ship Cocle; 5 were killed, 37 survived. At 0400 hours, U-124 came back for another attack, sinking and Greek ship Mount Parnes and British ship Cristales; 115 were killed. On the North American coast, 50 miles southwest of Anticosti Island, Quebec, Canada, U-553 sank Dutch ship Leto and British ship Nicoya. Finally, at 0540 hours, U-558 sank British anti-submarine trawler HMS Bedfordshire 35 miles south of Cape Fear, North Carolina, United States, killing all 37 aboard.
» In-depth article - The fire on British destroyer HMS Jackal, damaged by German bombers yesterday and undertow by HMS Jervis, became uncontrollable. Jervis broke the tow and scuttled Jackal by torpedoes north of Sidi Barrani, Egypt and set sail for Alexandria, Egypt.
- Soviet submarine K-23 attacked a German convoy off Nordkyn, Norway but was in turn counterattacked by German escort vessels with depth charges, which sank K-23 with all hands lost.
- Italian frogmen raided Alexandria harbor, Egypt, but failed to damage their target, HMS Queen Elizabeth.
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- Chester Nimitz, based in Pearl Harbor in US Territory of Hawaii, received orders from Ernest King to withdraw William Halsey's carrier task force from areas near Japanese land-based aircraft, but Halsey was to remain in South Pacific region.
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- Italian 1st Air Force Paratroop Unit was formed at Tarquinia, Italy under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Edvino Dalmas.
- About 60 survivors of HMS Edinburgh embarked HMS Trinidad at Murmansk, Russia.
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- Soviet troops began to withdraw from the Kerch peninsula in southern Ukraine, freeing some German resources for the offensive near Kharkov to the north.
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12 May 1943
- The Trident Conference began in Washington, DC, United States.
» In-depth article - USS Finback departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her fifth war patrol.
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- Japanese troops crossed the Yangtze River near Baiyang, Hunan Province, China and attacked Chinese positions on the opposite shore.
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- 105 survivors of the "San Marco" naval infantry regiment of Italian Navy were evacuated from La Galite Island by motored torpedo boats.
- Polish Jewish leader Samuel Zygelbojm committed suicide in London, England, United Kingdom as an expression of solidarity with the Jewish resistance fighters in Warsaw. "By my death I wish to make my final protest against the passivity with which the world is looking on and permitting the extermination of the Jewish people", he wrote in his suicide note.
12 May 1944
- The remains of German 17.Armee surrendered in the Crimea in southern Ukraine.
- The German synthetic fuel plants at Brüx in southern Germany (post-war Most, Czechoslovakia) and Lüna-Merseburg, Lützkendorf, and Zeitz in eastern Germany were hit by 800 US bombers.
» In-depth article - 39 German Sinti children, 20 boys and 19 girls, arrived at Auschwitz Concentration Camp. They were separated from their parents as a part of Eva Justin's dissertation "The fate of Gypsy children and their offspring raised in alien environments". She became a professor at Berlin University in 1943 and the paper was published in 1944.
» In-depth article - Kamal Ram of Indian 8th Punjab Regiment single-handedly took out two German defensive positions and joined another against a third near the Gari River in Italy. Later in the same day, he charged at a house held by the Germans, capturing two and killing one. He was later awarded the Victoria Cross, with King George VI pinning the medal onto his uniform in Jul 1944.
- Anglo-Indian troops counterattacked at Tengnoupal, India, regaining territory lost during the Japanese attacks between 6 and 8 May 1944.
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- Shokaku departed Lingga, Dutch East Indies for the Tawi-Tawi anchorage in the Philippine Islands.
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» Tabular Record of Movement - Destroyer Yukikaze departed Lingga, Dutch East Indies.
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- Near Cassino, Italy, engineers of Indian 8th Division successfully established a bridge to allow tanks of Canadian 1st Armoured Brigade to cross the Rapido River, while Polish troops engaged in fierce fighting with troops of German 1st Parachute Divisionat Point 593.
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- USS Wake Island arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, United States.
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12 May 1945
See all photos dated 12 May 1945
- George Patton launched Operation Cowboy in Hostau, Czechoslovakia, rescuing 1,200 horses, including 375 of the Lipizzan breed, from potential Soviet slaughter.
» In-depth article - German troops on Crete, Greece surrendered.
» In-depth article - General Andrey Vlasov was turned over to the Red Army after being captured by the Americans.
- British troops landed at St Hélier in Jersey, Channel Islands.
- US Army troops landed on Torishima, Ryukyu Islands, Japan.
» In-depth article - Australian Corporal John Mackey destroyed three machine gun nests at Tarakan, Borneo, that had been holding up his comrades. Many Japanese were killed or forced to retreat, but Corporal Mackey would pay the ultimate price for his bravery. Posthumously he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
- Alfred Ernest Snow was name the British Military Administrator of the Channel Islands.
- Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru departed Kure, Japan.
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» Tabular Record of Movement - Japanese special attack aircraft damaged USS New Mexico off Okinawa, Japan. Nearby, USS Wichita was damaged by friendly fire.
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- Allied convoy JW-67 departed Clyde, Scotland, United Kingdom.
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- Joseph Rochefort reported to Admiral Ernest King's office on the situation of Japanese war materials, noting, among other things, that Japan had nearly depleted its supply of coal while aluminum and oil stockpiles were running low.
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See all photos dated 12 May 1945
12 May 1949
- The Berlin blockade was lifted.
12 May 1956
Photo(s) dated 12 May 1956
Photo(s) dated 12 May 1956
12 May 1960
- The last Beaufighter TF.Mk.10 aircraft were retired from British service at RAF Seletar in Singapore.
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12 May 1970
- Władysław Anders passed away.
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12 May 1976
United States
United States
- Joseph Rochefort received a luncheon in his honor, hosted by civic leaders of the towns of Torrance and Redondo Beach in California, United States.
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Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
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"We no longer demand anything, we want war."Joachim von Ribbentrop, German Foreign Minister, Aug 1939