May 26th, 1941 (MONDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Minesweeper HMS Eastbourne commissioned.
Corvette KNM Andenes (ex-HMS Acanthus) launched.
Gate vessels HMC GV 5 and CV 6 ordered.
GREECE: CRETE: Carrier HMS Formidable, accompanied by HMS Barham and HMS Queen Elizabeth, flies off
aircraft from a position well to the south for an attack on the Scarpanto Island
airfields. In the counter-attack HMS Formidable and destroyer
HMS Nubian are damaged, by Stukas flying from Scarpanto.
General Freyberg raises the question of evacuation from Crete.
GOLD COAST: Night of 26/27 May 1941 U-69 (Jost Metzler) entered Takoradi travelling on the surface between the heavily fortified moles and laid seven mines. She escaped undetected.
JAPAN: The Kayaba Ka-1, Army Model 1 Observation Autogyro makes its maiden flight.
In 1939, the Japanese Army purchased a Kellet KD-1A single-engine two-seat autogyro from the U.S. (The USAAC purchased nine KD-1s and designated them YG-1s.) Unfortunately for the Japanese, the machine was damaged beyond repair in a crash during flight tests at low altitude. The wreck was delivered to the Kayaba Industrial Co. Ltd.
(K.K. Kayaba Seisakusho) and they were told to develop a similar machine. A two-seat observation machine was built based on the KD-1A but modified to Japanese production standards. This machine makes its first flight today. About 240 Ka-1s were built.
CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Bayfield launched North Vancouver, British Columbia.
U.S.A.: America's first experimental blackout takes place at Newark, New Jersey.
Destroyer USS Doyle laid down.
Later in the afternoon a Swordfish strike from Force H's Ark Royal attacks the Sheffield in error. She is not hit. A second strike takes place in the evening by 810, 818 and 820 squadrons with 15 Swordfish led by Lt-Cdr Coode. They torpedo BISMARK twice and one hit damages her propellers and jams the rudders. As BISMARK circles, destroyers of the 4th Flotilla (Capt Vian) come up around midnight, and make a series of torpedo and gun attacks but with uncertain results.
HMSs Cossack, Maori, Sikh, Zulu and Polish Piorun have been detached from troop convoy WS8B, an indication of the seriousness of the BISMARK's threat.
By this time Adm Tovey's force of heavy ships has lost the Repulse to refuel, but been joined by HMS Rodney. They now come up from the west but do not attack just yet.