Today in
World War II History

Axis prisoners of war at Mateur, Tunisia, 9 May 1943 (US Army Center of Military History)

Emblem of the US 94th Bombardment Group

80 Years Ago—May 13, 1943: Official surrender of Axis forces to the Allies in Tunisia, placing all North Africa in Allied hands.

Four new bomb groups begin operations with the US Eighth Air Force in England, doubling strength (94^th, 95^th, 96^th, and 351^st BGs with B-17s).

B-17 Hell’s Angels of the US 303^rd Bombardment Group is the first heavy bomber in the Eighth Air Force to finish a 25-mission tour (not the first complete crew to finish a tour).

German Gen. Jürgen von Arnim after his surrender to the Allies in Tunisia, May 1943 (US Army Center of Military History)

80 Years Ago—May 12, 1943: German and Italian troops surrender in Tunisia, ending the campaign in North Africa; Allies take 225,000 prisoners.

British First Arakan Campaign in Burma ends as Indian troops evacuate Maungdaw.

US Army troops landing at Massacre Bay, Attu, Aleutian Islands, US Territory of Alaska, 11 May 1943 (Library of Congress)

80 Years Ago—May 11, 1943: US 7^th Infantry Division lands on Attu in the Aleutians, at Massacre and Holtz Bays and at Alexai Point; heavy opposition from the Japanese; this is the only WWII land battle on US territory.

German troops surrender to the crew of a Stuart tank in Tunisia, 6 May 1943 (Imperial War Museum: NA 2514)

80 Years Ago—May 10, 1943: In Tunisia, British First Army takes Hammamet, cutting off Cap Bon Peninsula.

Card made for mothers to send to their sons in uniform, Mother’s Day, 9 May 1943 (Source: US Marine Corps)

80 Years Ago—May 9, 1943: US II Corps breaks through to Tunisian east coast, dividing Axis forces.

US celebrates Mother’s Day.

German officer questioning Jews in Warsaw, Poland, 14-15 May 1943 (US National Archives)

80 Years Ago—May 8, 1943: Germans capture headquarters of Jewish resistance in the Warsaw ghetto.

New songs in Top Ten: “Comin’ in on a Wing and a Prayer” and “You’ll Never Know”; these songs are recorded a cappella to bypass the musicians’ union recording strike.

US troops and tanks in Bizerte, Tunisia, 7 May 1943 (US Army Center of Military History)

80 Years Ago—May 7, 1943: In Tunisia, US II Corps takes Bizerte and British take Tunis.

Lt. Gen. Jacob Devers takes command of US European Theater of Operations.

Map of Allied operations in Tunisia, 3-13 May 1943 (US Army Center of Military History)

80 Years Ago—May 6, 1943: Most intense Allied aerial bombardment yet in North Africa (by RAF and US Ninth and Twelfth Air Forces) as British drive for Tunis and US for Bizerte.

In the continuing attack on Allied convoy ONS-5, British destroyers and corvettes sink five German U-boats.

US poster featuring the North American P-51B Mustang, WWII

80 Years Ago—May 5, 1943: In the continuing German attack on Allied North Atlantic convoy ONS-5, eleven Allied ships and one German U-boat are sunk.

Adm. Sir Charles Little is named Allied Naval Commander-in-Chief Expeditionary Force for Operation Overlord (D-day); he will be succeeded by Adm. Sir Bertram Ramsay in October 1943.

Japanese launch an offensive south of the Yangtze River toward Chongqing.

First flight of production-model North American P-51B Mustang (with a Packard-built Merlin engine), at Inglewood, CA.

Capt. Clark Gable and a B-17 Flying Fortress with the US Eighth Air Force in England, 12 June 1943 (US Army photo)

80 Years Ago—May 4, 1943: In US Eighth Air Force mission to Antwerp, P-47 Thunderbolt fighters escort bombers for the first time and Capt. Clark Gable flies his first mission in a B-17 Flying Fortress with the 351^st Bombardment Group.

Poster for Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter planes, World War II