End Of American Imperialism?

WED 6 MAY 1942
Pacific

Corregidor and Manila Bay forts surrender to the Japanese.

To deny the enemy use of river gunboats Oahu (PR-6) and Luzon (PR-7) and minesweeper Quail (AM-15), the ships are scuttled off Corregidor, 14°23'N, 120°35'E. Lost to Japanese occupation of the Philippines are district patrol craft YP-97; ash lighters YA-52, YA-59, and YA-65; miscellaneous district auxiliaries YAG-2, YAG-3, and YAG-4; open lighters YC-178, YC-181, YC-537, YC-643, YC-644, YC-646, YC-647, YC-648, YC-649, YC-652, YC-653, YC-654, YC-669, YC-683, YC-714, YC-715, and YC-716; floating derricks YD-19, YD-47, YD-56, and YD-60; covered lighters YF-177, YF-178, YF-179, YF-180, YF-181, YF-212, YF-223, YF-224, YF-230, and YF-317; ferry launches San Felipe (YFB-12), Rosal (YFB-682), Camia (YFB-683), Dap Dap (YFB-684), Rivera (YFB-685), Magdalena (YFB-687) and Yacal (YFB-688); dredge YM-4; fuel oil barge YO-64; pile driver YP-D 22; salvage pontoons YSP-41, YSP-42, YSP-43, YSP-44, YSP-45, YSP-46, YSP-47, YSP-48, YSP-49, and YSP-50; sludge removal barge YSR-2; harbor tugs Banaag (YT-104), Iona (YT-107), and Mercedes (YT-108); and water barge YW-54.

Fitted out with weapons, ammunition, provisions and clothing scrounged from abandoned Navy-commandeered tug Ranger, commanding officer, one other officer, and 16 men in 36-foot motor launch from Quail (AM-15) escape Manila Bay.

Submarine Skipjack (SS-184) sinks Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship Kanan Maru about 26 miles northeast of Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina, 12°33'N, 109°30'E.

Submarine Triton (SS-201), attacking Japanese convoy north-northeast of Keelung, Formosa, sinks cargo ship Taiei Maru, 28°42'N, 123°50'E, and transport/cargo ship Taigen Maru, 28°19'N, 123°28'E.

Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Nawiliwili, Kauai, T.H., is established.

Atlantic
Auxiliary Semmes (AG-24) is damaged when she accidentally rams and sinks British (ex-French) armed trawler HMS Senateur Duhamel off Cape Lookout, North Carolina, 34°32.7'N, 75°35.6'W.

Net tender Mulberry (YN-22) rescues all 46 survivors from U.S. freighter Afoundria, sunk by German submarine U-108 on 5 May.

Unarmed U.S. tanker Halsey is torpedoed by German submarine U-333, northeast of Jupiter Inlet, Florida, 27°14'N, 80°03'W, and abandoned by all hands (32 men). The ship explodes and breaks in two. Submarine chaser PC-451 proceeds to the survivors' assistance but breaks off her efforts to conduct an unsuccessful pursuit of U-333. Local fishing boats ultimately tow Halsey's two lifeboats to the Gilbert Bar Lifeboat Station.

Fishing boat Ocean Star rescues last survivor of U.S. freighter Eastern Sword, torpedoed by German submarine U-162 on 4 May.

Steamship San Blas rescues 23 survivors of U.S. tanker Norlindo, sunk by German submarine U-507 on 4 May.

Yacht Coral (PY-15) shells and scuttles fire-gutted U.S. tanker Joseph M. Cudahy attacked by German submarine U-507 on 5 May, as a menace to navigation.

Gulf of Mexico
Unarmed U.S. freighter Alcoa Puritan is shelled by German submarine U-507 at 28°40'N, 88°22'W, and abandoned by all hands (47-man crew and 7 passengers). After the U-boat delivers the coup de grace to Alcoa Puritan with a torpedo, the submarine comes to within 100 yards of the survivors. "Sorry we can't help you," an officer shouts through a megaphone, "hope you get ashore." Coast Guard cutter Boutwell (WPC-130) rescues Alcoa Puritan's survivors later the same day.

Caribbean
Unarmed U.S. freighter Green Island is torpedoed by German submarine U-125, while en route from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Aruba, N.W.I., 18°25'N, 81°30'W, and abandoned by her 22-man crew. Although her men reboard her later in the day, Green Island is beyond salvage and sinks (see 7 May).

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