75 Yrs. Ago In The Funny Pages

TUE 5 MAY 1942
Pacific

Concluding page tomorrow.

Japanese troops (61st Infantry Regiment, and supporting units) land on Corregidor, initially opposed by the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines.

Submarine rescue vessel Pigeon (ASR-6) is bombed and sunk, 14°23'N, 120°36'E;

tug Genesee (AT-55) and harbor tug Vaga (YT-116) are scuttled off Corregidor, 14°25'N, 120°30'E.

Japanese Imperial General Staff orders the Combined Fleet to assist in Army operations against Midway and the Aleutian Islands, Alaska.

U.S. freighter John Adams is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-21 85 miles from Amadee lighthouse, Nouméa, New Caledonia, 23°11'S, 165°08'E; five of the 11-man Armed Guard drown when the ship is abandoned (see 9 May).

Atlantic
Unarmed U.S. freighter Afoundria is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-108 about eight miles north of Le Male Light, Haiti, 20°00'N, 73°30'W. There are no casualties among the 38-man crew and eight passengers (see 6 May).

U.S. tanker Java Arrow is torpedoed by German submarine U-333 at 27°30'N, 80°08'W, and abandoned, with the 39 survivors of the 41-man merchant complement, together with the six-man Armed Guard, taking to two lifeboats. Submarine chaser PC-483 and a Coast Guard boat rescue the men. The ship is later reboarded and believed reparable. Subsequently, civilian tugs Ontario and Bafshe tow Java Arrow to Port Everglades, Florida.

Twelve survivors of U.S. freighter Eastern Sword, torpedoed by German submarine U-162 the previous day, reach Georgetown, British Guiana (see 6 May).

Navy PBYs rescue the ten survivors of U.S. tanker Joseph M. Cudahy, attacked by German submarine U-507 the day before (see 6 May).