18 May 1943
  • The Papal Nuncio in Romania asked the Romanian foreign minister to allow the immigration of 8,000 Jewish orphans in Transnistria to Palestine. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • After sundown, German submarine U-304 spotted Allied convoy SC 130 in the North Atlantic. ww2dbase [Black May | CPC]
  • The Japanese Navy formed the 12th Air Fleet on paper with Vice Admiral Michitaro Tozuka in command and Rear Admiral Yoshiyuki Ichimiya as the chief of staff. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • USS Pollack sank Japanese ship Terushima Maru in the Marshall Islands with two of three torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Pollack | CPC]
  • Nikolai Kamanin was promoted to the rank of major general to take command of the 8th Combined Air Corps. ww2dbase [Nikolai Kamanin | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
  • Comandante Cappellini (Aquilla III) sighted an illuminated ship in the Atlantic Ocean after sundown. ww2dbase [Comandante Cappellini | CPC]
China Germany
  • At 0730 hours, a Spitfire aircraft of No. 542 Squadron RAF flew across the Ruhr region in Germany and photographed the extent of the damage from the Dambuster Raid. ww2dbase [Dambuster Raid | CPC]
Iceland
  • Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier USS Bogue and her task group departed Iceland and joined the escort of Convoy ON-184. ww2dbase [Black May | Bogue | Hvalfjörður | DS]
Japan
  • The keel of Submarine No. 5091 was laid down at Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan by Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation. ww2dbase [I-14 | Kobe, Hyogo | CPC]
Marshall Islands
  • Naka arrived at Jaluit Atoll, Marshall Islands. ww2dbase [Naka | Jaluit | CPC]
United States Photo(s) dated 18 May 1943
Möhne Dam breached after the previous dayAerial reconnaissance photo over Möhne Dam, showing flooding, Soest, Westfalen-Süd, Germany, late 17 May or 18 May 1943

18 May 1943 Interactive Map

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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Famous WW2 Quote
"I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil."

General Douglas MacArthur at Leyte, 17 Oct 1944


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