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• Weather data for 20 May 1943

• USS Gar reported sinking a Japanese sampan in daylight with her deck gun. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• The US Marine Corps transferred the responsibility of the office of the Assistant Commandant (Air) to the Director of Aviation. ww2dbase [CPC]
• In a press conference, Orde Wingate noted the achievement by Operation Longcloth in the areas of propaganda and morale. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• The Italian Navy withdrew all its personnel from Yalta, Ukraine; all of the Italian torpedo boats were given to the German Navy in the region. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Esterwegen Concentration Camp established a special camp named "Süd" (South) to hold prisoners transferred under the Nacht und Nebel program. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• Hartwig von Ludwiger was made the commanding officer of Kampfgruppe von Ludwiger in Yugoslavia. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• 12 US heavy bombers attacked Vunakanau Airfield at Rabaul, New Britain between 0300 and 0430 hours, causing limited damage to the facilities, but greatly affected Japanese morale. ww2dbase [CPC]

• The headquarters of USAAF 3rd Bombardment Group was transferred from Port Moresby to Dobodura Airfield, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Repair ship Akashi completed the repair work for destroyer Harusame at Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Main Article | Tabular Record of Movement | CPC]

• Kamoi took on 2,400 tons of cement at Padang, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [Main Article | Tabular Record of Movement | CPC]

• Workers at Dock No. 4 at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, US Territory of Hawaii completed concrete work. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Shokaku departed Tokuyama, Japan for the Yokosuka region to prepare for the counter offensive at the Aleutian Islands. ww2dbase [Main Article | Tabular Record of Movement | CPC]

• USS Whale arrived in waters between Japan and Mariana Islands and Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• The women's camp in Auschwitz II-Birkenau in Poland reported that it had 20,635 female prisoners (9,337 with working assignments, 4,510 without working assignments, and 6,788 unable to work). ww2dbase [Main Article | Facility | CPC]

• USS S-35 began post-repair trials off Bremerton, Washington, United States. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• Henry Arnold was released by Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington DC, United States. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• The US Navy established the Tenth Fleet. The fleet had no ships, for that this command was responsible for the analysis of intelligence for anti-submarine and convoying efforts in the Atlantic Ocean. ww2dbase [CPC]

20 May 1943 Interactive Map