U-Boats!

WED 20 MAY 1942
Pacific
Air Force, South Pacific Area (Rear Admiral John S. McCain) is established.

Atlantic
District patrol craft YP-387 is sunk in collision off the coast of Delaware, 39°00'N, 75°00'W.

Gulf of Mexico
Unarmed U.S. tanker Halo is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-506 approximately 50 miles from Southwest Pass, 28°42'N, 90°08'W; 23 survivors from a merchant complement of 42 men initially survive the loss of the ship (see 25 and 27 May).

U.S. freighter George Calvert is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-752 near the Yucatan Channel, 22°55'N, 84°26'W; three Armed Guard sailors perish in the attack. Fifty-one merchant seamen and seven surviving Armed Guard sailors abandon ship in three boats, in which they reach the coast of Cuba, going ashore the following day.

U.S. tanker Esso Dover rescues 20 merchant sailors and two Armed Guard sailors, survivors of freighter Ogontz, sunk by German submarine U-103 the previous day.

Caribbean
U.S. freighter Clare is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-103 approximately 40 miles off the south coast of Cuba, 21°35'N, 84°43'W; the 33-man merchant complement and 7-man Armed Guard (all hands) survive, abandoning ship in one boat and three rafts. Later the same day, U-103 torpedoes and sinks U.S. freighter Elizabeth at 21°36'N, 84°48'W; six of the 35 merchant seamen perish, the remainder, along with the 7-man Armed Guard, reach the coast of Cuba the following day.