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• I. von Heider was named the civilian administrator of the Channel Islands. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Patrol Boat No. 102 conducted repairs on her No. 3 and No. 4 boilers while at sea. ww2dbase [Stewart | CPC]

• Frank Merrill finally arrived at Myitkyina Airfield in Burma, but would suffer another minor heart attack; rather than appointing Charles Hunter, who had spearheaded the recent successes for US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), to take Merrill's place, Stilwell chose Colonel John McCammon; McCammon had a history of going along with Stilwell's orders without any questions. Meanwhile, M Force (Lieutenant Colonel George McGee, Jr.) of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) arrived at Namkwi, four miles northwest of Myitkyina, Burma; 25 men were ordered to be sent to Myitkyina Airfield for evacuation by air due to sickness. ww2dbase [Charles Hunter | John McCammon | George McGee | Frank Merrill | Battle of Myitkyina | Myitkyina | CPC]

• The 492nd Bomber Group of USAAF 8th Air Force were part of the 2nd Air Division's raid on Waggum airfield and its attached assembly plant in Braunschweig, Germany. Twenty-six B-24 Liberator bombers were dispatched from their base at North Pickenham in Norfolk County on England's east coast. In all 888 bombers assembled for the raid being protected by 700 fighters. As the separate wings flew into the bombing zone some had to circle to avoid missing the target with the result that many bombers had to leave the target to avoid colliding with each other. Marshalling yards of Braunschweig were targeted instead. With the scattering of the various wings the 492nd lost fighter protection and in all lost eight aircraft. The B-24J Liberator bomber "Lucky Lass" flown by Lieutenant Wyman Bridges had its tail severely damaged in collision with an enemy fighter that lost a wing and crashed. Bridges managed to get the aircraft back to base, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He and his crew completed their tour of 31 missions. The results of the raid were classed as fair. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | Braunschweig, Südhannover–Braunschweig | HM]
• The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [RAF Thurleigh | Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | Berlin | DS]

• An Anglo-Indian attack on Naga, India was repulsed with heavy casualties. ww2dbase [Battle of Imphal-Kohima | Nagaland | CPC]

• British troops captured the airfield at Aquino outside of Rome, Italy. ww2dbase [Battle of Anzio | Aquino, Lazio | TH]
• French Moroccan colonial troops plundered villages near Cassino, Italy. ww2dbase [Battle of Monte Cassino | Cassino, Lazio | CPC]
• "Barbarigo" naval infantry battalion of Italian Navy reported a strength of 714 men. ww2dbase [CPC]

• USS Wasp's aircraft attacked Japanese positions in support of the upcoming Mariana Islands invasion. ww2dbase [Wasp (Essex-class) | CPC]

• USS Hoe claimed damaging a Japanese ship and sinking another in the South China Sea after scoring 2 torpedoes on each of the ships; a total of 10 torpedoes were fired. ww2dbase [Hoe | South China Sea | CPC]
• USS Parche attacked a Japanese trawler in the Pacific Ocean with her deck gun, scoring no hits. ww2dbase [Parche | CPC]

• Tanikaze completed escorting a convoy from Saipan, Mariana Islands to Tawi-Tawi, Philippine Islands. ww2dbase [Tanikaze | Tawi-Tawi | CPC]

• Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Singapore. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | CPC]

• Joel Brand of the Hungarian Zionist Relief and Rescue Committee and Gestapo Agent Bandi Grosz (alias Andre Gyorgy) arrived in Istanbul, Turkey to deliver a message for the Allied powers: Germany would spare the lives of 700,000 Hungarian Jews if the Allies would provide Germany with 10,000 trucks, 2 million bars of soap, 800 tons of coffee, 200 tons of cocoa, and 800 tons of tea. The British government concluded that it was a German scheme to install suspicion in the Soviet Union toward the Western Allies. ww2dbase [Istanbul | CPC]

• USS Franklin arrived at San Diego, California, United States. ww2dbase [Franklin | San Diego, California | CPC]
• James Forrestal became the Secretary of the Navy of the United States. ww2dbase [CPC]
• USS Marcus Island embarked aircraft on the west coast of the United States for ferrying to the South Pacific. ww2dbase [Marcus Island | CPC]
• Submarine Spot was launched at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California, United States, sponsored by Mrs. A. A. Gieselmann. ww2dbase [Mare Island Navy Yard | Spot | Vallejo, California | CPC]
• USS Ranger arrived at Norfolk, Virginia for extended repairs and upgrades to make Ranger into a night-fighter training carrier, including strengthening her flight deck and installing one catapult. This is also when Ranger received her Measure 33, Design 1A Dazzle paint scheme. ww2dbase [Norfolk Navy Yard | Ranger | Norfolk, Virginia | DS]

19 May 1944 Interactive Map