Bletchley Park: The code breakers here at Hut Six have made a great breakthrough in their attempt to decode the enigma machine. Using their first British-built ‘Bombe’, an electromechanical device which can do hundreds of computations every minute, they have broken the Luftwaffe’s "Red" key. This means that all the Luftwaffe’s operational and administrative traffic can be read despite the added security devices built into Enigma in preparation for the assault on the west.

Westminster: Parliament took less than three hours today to rush into law the most drastic legislation known in British history. It gives the government almost unlimited power over the life, liberty and property of everyone in the land.

Under the Emergency Powers Act banks, the munitions industry, profits, wages and working conditions are all now subject to rigorous state control. There is also an unprecedented mobilisation of manpower.

In his first speech as Lord Privy Seal and Deputy Premier in the new government, Clement Attlee urged the nation to keep calm. "Everyone should continue at their jobs until ordered otherwise," he said.

At the same time Ernest Bevin is being given dictatorial power, as Minister of Labour and National Service, to divert anyone to do anything needed in the struggle for national survival.

With the emergency powers settled, MPs then quickly passed a Treachery Act redefining the scope of traitorous acts punishable by death.

BELGIUM: Belgian forces retreat to the Lys River.
 

FRANCE: Two Gruppen of Hs 123 ground attack aircraft hold off an attack by 40 French tanks on their advanced base at Cambrai.

After sharp encounters at Desvres and Samer, Guderian’s 2nd Panzers reach Boulogne and the 1st Panzers reach Calais.

GERMANY: U-599, U-600, U-601, U-602, U-603, U-604, U-605, U-606, U-607, U-608, U-609, U-610 ordered.


NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN: All three fleet carriers are proceeding to Scapa Flow in thick fog. HMS Ark Royal in company with the destroyers HMS Brazen, HMS Encounter, and HMS Volunteer in one force, while HMS Glorious and HMS Furious form the core of a second force. The later force arrived at 2134, 23 May, and commenced refuelling.  (Mark Horan)

ASW trawler HMS Melbourne bombed and sunk off Narvik.

AUSTRALIA: Destroyer HMAS Napier launched.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-101 encountered an enemy submarine in the North Atlantic, but neither boat attacked.

After 2300, the Dunster Grange was damaged by gunfire from U-37 and escaped.