World War II Database

• Home
• » Events
• » WW2 Timeline
• » 7 May 1942

• The floatplane of Japanese submarine I-30 conducted a reconnaissance mission over the port of Aden, a British Crown Colony. ww2dbase [Raids into the Indian Ocean | Aden | CPC]

• German submarine U-162 sank Norwegian ship Frank Seamans 30 miles northwest of Paramaribo, Suriname at 0800 hours; all 27 aboard survived. To the north, destroyer USS Dallas attacked and damaged German submarine U-333 off Florida, United States, forcing the submarine to set a course for France for repairs, ending her war patrol early. ww2dbase [Second Happy Time | CPC]
• German submarine U-507 sank Honduran ship Ontario with the deck gun 100 miles south of Mobile, Alabama, United States at 0335 hours; all 45 aboard survived. ww2dbase [Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico Campaigns | Gulf of Mexico | CPC]

• Kasuga Maru arrived at Rabaul, New Britain. ww2dbase [Taiyo | Rabaul, New Britain | CPC]

• German SS Major General Oberg was placed in charge of police in occupied France. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Leonardo da Vinci departed Bordeaux, France at 1110 hours and sailed northward down the Gironde estuary, reaching Le Verdon-sur-Mer, France at 1600 hours. ww2dbase [Leonardo da Vinci | Bordeaux, Aquitaine | CPC]

• Allied convoy QP-11 arrived at Reykjavík, Iceland at 0700 hours. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | Reykjavík | CPC]

• British Fleet Air Arm Swordfish aircraft of HMS Illustrious spotted French submarine Le Héros off Courrier Bay, Madagascar at 0500 hours and attacked with depth charges; Le Héros attempted to evade by diving, but ultimately would be forced to surface and would be scuttled by her own crew to prevent capture. ww2dbase [Illustrious | CPC]

• With British Royal Commandos gaining a foothold at Antsirane and British troops slowly advancing toward Diego-Suárez, Madagascar, French morale became shaken and would soon surrender. The French coastal guns at the Orangia Peninsular continued to fire, however, until British battleship HMS Ramillies fired warning shots at the batteries before noon. British warships entered Diego-Suárez Bay at about 1200 hours. ww2dbase [Madagascar Campaign | CPC]

• General Lord Gort flew into Malta and was appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Malta in succession to Lieutenant-General Sir William Dobbie. He landed two days before the arrival of the Spitfire V aircraft being brought on the aircraft carriers HMS Eagle and USS Wasp. His first two orders were to employ the Army to assist with servicing the Spitfire aircraft when they arrive and the creation of a smoke screen over the Grand Harbour. He also announced the King's award of the George Cross to the islanders. ww2dbase [John Vereker | Malta Campaign | AC]

• Katori arrived at Kwajalein, Marshall Islands. ww2dbase [Katori | Kwajalein | CPC]

• HMS Eagle, with 17 Spitfire fighters aboard for delivery to Malta, joined the convoy containing USS Wasp off Gibraltar. ww2dbase [Eagle | CPC]

• At Coral Sea, Japanese carriers attacked US oiler Neosho and destroyer Sims thinking they were a carrier and cruiser, while US carriers attacked escort carrier Shoho and nearby cruisers and destroyer thinking it was part of the main carrier force. At 1747 hours, 12 Japanese dive bombers and 15 torpedo bombers in search of the US carrier fleet was intercepted by 11 US fighters; 9 Japanese and 3 US aircraft were destroyed during the subsequent engagement. At the end of the day, both sides decided against a night battle and prepared for new attacks at dawn. ww2dbase [Battle of Coral Sea | Coral Sea | CPC]
• USS Astoria covered USS Yorktown during the Battle of the Coral Sea. ww2dbase [Astoria (New Orleans-class) | Coral Sea | CPC]
• Shoho sank in the Coral Sea at 1135 hours after an hour-long carrier aircraft attack that saw 13 bomb and 5 torpedo hits; 631 were killed, 203 survived. ww2dbase [Shoho | Coral Sea | CPC]
• USS SKipjack attacked a Japanese transport in the South China Sea; all three torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [Skipjack | South China Sea | CPC]

• The Japanese troops completed the occupation of all the forts on Corregidor, Philippine Islands. Meanwhile, from the capital of Manila, Jonathan Wainwright announced the surrender over the radio, under supervision of a Japanese censor. ww2dbase [Invasion of the Philippine Islands | CPC]

• The keel of Kentucky was laid down at Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia, United States. ww2dbase [Norfolk Navy Yard | Kentucky | Portsmouth, Virginia | CPC]

7 May 1942 Interactive Map