May 5th, 1941 (MONDAY)
FRANCE: VICHY FRANCE: In response to appeals by Petain's government, the US delivers 14,000 tons of flour.
GERMANY: Hitler inspects the interior of U-57, a U-boat which had been raised after sinking near Brünbuttel, as part of an inspection visit to the Kriegsmarine base at Gotenhafen.
NORTH AFRICA: A destroyer supply run to besieged Tobruk tonight is successful. These runs will continue weekly for reinforcement and the evacuation of wounded.
ETHIOPIA: Addis Ababa: Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia, has returned to his capital in triumph. The streets of the city were lined with black and white African troops. After being welcomed with a 21-gun salute he spoke of his gratitude "to Almighty God that I stand in my palace from which the Fascist forces have fled."
CANADA:
Corvette HMCS Sherbrooke commissioned Sorel, Province of Quebec.
U.S.A.:
Washington: The White House announced: We can offer no official confirmation
that 26 American merchant ships loaded with tanks, anti-aircraft guns, and other war
material landed in the Suez Canal. We can only say that we do not rule out the
possibility.
MEXICO:
The Mexican news agency OFJ reported:
A report from Tampico [Mexico] says
that the National Bureau of Petroleum has brought up the entire oil production of the
independent American and Mexican oil fields, and then sold it all to Britain. The oil will
soon be loaded onto tankers for transport.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-69 (Jost Metzler) departed Lorient for the first long range mission by a Type VIIC U-boat. She headed into the Central Atlantic to operate off the West Coast of Africa and to lay mines. Metzler received a Knight's Cross for this voyage on return to base.