Moscow: The Soviet military attaché in Berlin warns Soviet High Command that Germany is preparing to invade the USSR.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Tiger Convoy: With the Afrika Korps driving through North Africa towards the Suez Canal, pushing the Western  Desert Force before them and British forces close to collapse and strategic  locations threatened, the British High Command risks sending a reinforcement  convoy across the Mediterranean to Alexandria. The convoy consists of five  large transport ships, escorted by Ark Royal, the battleships HMS Renown and HMS  Queen Elizabeth, the cruisers HMS Sheffield, HMS Naiad, HMS Fiji, and HMS  Gloucester, and screened by destroyers of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla. Prior  to Ark Royal's departure, Captain Holland left to recuperate from stress and  poor health, and was replaced by Captain Loben Maund. The convoy left  Gibraltar on 6 May, and was detected by Italian aircraft. The convoy, limited to  14 knots (26 km/h) and escorted by so many capital ships, is such a tempting  target that Italian and German aircraft are mobilised.

IRAQ: After four days of non-stop British air raids, the Iraqi troops were forced to leave the high ground around Habbaniya and retreat to Baghdad on the night of Tuesday 6 May.
The British 21st Indian Brigade arrives at Basrah.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Philippine Department Air Force established;  Clagett assumes command. (Marc Small)

U.S.A.: The Republic XP-47B-RE Thunderbolt (40-3051) makes its first flight at Republic Field, Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. Originally ordered as the XP-47-RE, this aircraft is the first of 15,579 P-47s accepted by the USAAF.

Igor Sikorsky sets a new helicopter endurance records when he flies his VS-300 helicopter for 1 hour, 32 minutes and 26 seconds.

The Douglas XB-19 four-engined bomber begins taxi tests. It has a length of 132.25 feet (40,34 meters), a wingspan of 212 feet (64,62 meters), an empty weight of 86,000 pounds (39 009 kilograms), normal range of 5,200 miles (8 369 kilometre) and a maximum range of 7,710 miles (12 408 kilometres).

Although not delivered with armament, it was designed to have one 37 mm cannon and one .30 calibre (7.62 mm) machine gun in the nose and forward dorsal turret; a .50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine gun in the tail, rear dorsal turret, ventral turret, left and right waist positions; and a .30 calibre machine gun on each side of the bombardier's position and on each side of the fuselage below the horizontal stabilizer. A normal crew consisted of 16-men but two additional flight mechanics and a six-man relief crew could be accommodated in a special compartment fitted with eight seats and six bunks. To feed this mob, a complete galley was included. The government paid Douglas $1.4 million ($17.32 million in 2006 dollars) but Douglas had spent an additional $4 million ($49.47 million in 2006 dollars) of their own money.

The aircraft was used as a flying laboratory and provided valuable data that was used to develop the Boeing B-29 and the Convair "Aluminum Overcast," aka, the B-36. During these tests, the plane had many engine-cooled problems and in 1943, the four 2,000 hp Wright R-3350 air-cooled radials engines were replaced with four 1,600 hop Allison XV-3420-1 liquid-cooled engines and the aircraft was redesignated XB-19A. This increased its maximum speed and eliminated the cooling problems. During the next 2-1/2 years, it was transferred from Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, to Patterson Field in Dayon, to Lockbourne AAAB in Columbus, Ohio, and finally to Clinton County AAFld, Wilmington, Ohio. Finally, it was placed in storage at Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona on 17 August 1946 and was scrapped in 1949.

Bob Hope does his first remote show from March Field, Riverside, California. Initially reluctant to leave the studio, he found an audience of servicemen so primed and ready to laugh that he was forever hooked. The roar of laughter and applause was so loud, he would recall, that he "got goose pimples" during the broadcast.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 1717, the Dunkwa, dispersed from Convoy OB-310, was torpedoed and sunk by U-103 216 miles WNW of Freetown. Five crewmembers and three gunners were lost. The master, 37 crewmembers and one gunner were picked up by Dutch merchantman Polydorus and landed at Oban.

MS Surat sunk by U-103 at 08.23N, 15.13W.

At 1052, the Oakdene, dispersed from Convoy OG-59, was hit by one torpedo from U-105 and sank NW of St. Paul Rocks. HMS Dorsetshire picked up the master, 31 crewmembers and three gunners. 

U-556 sank steam trawler Emanuel with gunfire.