Block Island (CVE-21) Sunk

MON 29 MAY 1944
Pacific
Destroyers (Destroyer Squadron 41) bombard Japanese installations on northern coast of New Ireland, shelling the Medina Plantation area.

Submarine Rasher (SS-269) attacks Japanese convoy in the eastern Celebes Sea, damaging gunboat Anshu Maru about 110 miles north-northwest of Halmahera, 03°32'N, 127°07'E (see 30 May 1944).

Submarine Silversides (SS-236), despite the proximity of four escort vessels and aircraft, sinks Japanese transports Horaisan Maru and Shoken Maru about 100 miles north-northwest of Saipan, 16°23'N, 144°59'E.

Japanese convoy no. 3530 sails from Yokohama, bound for Saipan. The seven transports/cargo ships carry men and equipment of the Japanese Army's 118th Infantry (see 4-7 June 1944).

Atlantic
German submarine U-549 sinks escort carrier Block Island (CVE-21) and damages destroyer escort Barr (DE-576) but is sunk by destroyer escorts Ahrens (DE-575) and Eugene E. Elmore (DE-686) northwest of Canary Islands, 31°13'N, 23°03'W. [Read all the reports you can stand.]