May 25th, 1940 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - road/rail communications at Bapaume and oil targets Ruhr. 10 Sqn. Eleven aircraft. All bombed. 51 Sqn. ten aircraft. Nine bombed. 77 Sqn. Eight aircraft, seven bombed. All experienced moderate to severe opposition. 102 Sqn. Seven aircraft, all bombed. One damaged by Flak and one crashed on return.2 Group - bombing - pontoon bridges across the Lys.
Luftwaffe raids continue, apparently testing out air defences. The
North Riding of Yorkshire, and rural parts of East Anglia, were the latest victims. 8
civilians are reported hurt.
Dave Wadman adds: The other bomb was at Wickford, Essex at 0155hrs in
the Luftwaffe's dastardly attack against unsuspecting chickens!
The earlier raids in t'north started at 0142 when seven bombs were dropped at Teeside
damaging buildings, gas mains and o/head power lines. One bomb hit Dorman Longs resulting
in eight civilian injuries. A further six bombs hit Catterick airfied at about the same
time but no damage was reported.
Destroyer ORP Slazak (ex-HMS Bedale) laid down.
Corvette HMS Asphodel launched.
NORTH SEA: Minesweeping trawler HMS Charles Boyes mined and sunk in the North Sea.
BELGIUM: German troops break through the Belgian front on the Lys and thrust towards Ypres, threatening to cut the British from the Belgian Army and especially from the coast. Under this threat to his rear, Lord Gort recalls the 5th and 50th divisions from the Lille area and sends them to Ypres to contain the enemy. Blanchard detaches the 2nd Light Mechanical Division for the same purpose.
FRANCE: Germany captures Boulogne and the Allies fall back to Dunkirk.
Lord Gort cancels plans to join Weygand's offensive. Later in the day Weygand cancels his plans, blaming Gort. The French forces on the Somme River have not made any of the attacks claimed.
The ship didn't explode and lay on the beach of Malo-les-Bains. Only one man was injured, the rest of the crew was safe and served on shore batteries until the French capitulation.
GERMANY: Himmler tells Hitler that through large scale emigration "the concept of the Jew will have completely disappeared from Europe.
NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN: HMS Illustrious, having passed her acceptance trials, is officially commissioned
into the Royal Navy. She will remain at Devonport for minor alterations until June 2.
Thoughts are given to committing her to the NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN, but cooler heads prevail,
and she will instead embark on a shakedown cruise to the West Indies.
At 1545, HMS Ark Royal (Flagship, Vice-Admiral Air) and HMS Furious depart Scapa escorted by DDs HMS Antelope, HMS Campbell, HMS Amazon, HMS Encounter, and HMS Viscount bound for the Clyde. Meanwhile, HMS Glorious continues her approach to the Narvik area. (Mark Horan)
KENYA: 12 Squadron SAAF arrives at Nairobi with thirteen South African Airways Ju-86 airliners converted for bombing.
U.S.A.: Destroyer USS Gwin launched.