7 May 1942

U-224 launched.

U-519, U-621 commissioned.

MADAGASCAR: Diego Suarez: The destroyer HMS ANTHONY ran through the Vichy-French batteries at full speed and came to a halt at the quay. 50 Marines leapt ashore. Behind the port were flashes from guns supporting the Royal Welch Fusiliers, Royal Scots Fusiliers and East Lancashire Fusiliers. The Marines pushed through the European town, where they met up with the Royal Welch. Diego Suarez surrendered today. The Allies believed that if Japan had taken the port first, it could control the Indian Ocean. In fact, Japan seems surprised by the invasion which is still being resisted by Vichy Forces elsewhere on the island.

INDIAN OCEAN: Submarine FS Le Heros sunk off Diego Suarez, Madagascar by aircraft from aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious.

PACIFIC OCEAN: The Battle of Coral Sea begins. USS Sims, a destroyer is escorting the oiler USS Neosho. Both ships are sunk by Japanese aircraft. The US carrier planes find and sink the Shoho a smaller Japanese carrier.

While searching for the American task forces, an IJN search plane sights the oiler USS Neosho (AO-23) and its escort, the destroyer USS Sims (DD-409) at 0736 hours local. The USS Neosho had refuelled the American task forces on 5 and 6 May and were detached to continue to the next fuelling point. The Japanese search plane crew reports sighting a carrier and a cruiser and an all-out attack is launched from the Japanese carriers. At 0930 hours local, fifteen high level bombers attacked the two ships but did no damage; at 1038 hours, ten attacked the USS Sims, but skilful manouvering evaded the nine bombs that were dropped. A third attack against the two ships by 36 dive bombers was devastating. USS Neosho was soon a blazing wreck as the result of seven direct hits and one plane that dived into her. USS Sims was attacked from all directions. The destroyer was hit by three 500-pound (227 kg) bombs; two exploded in the engine room and, within minutes, the ship buckled amidships and began to sink, stern first.

As Sims slid beneath the waves, there was a tremendous explosion that raised what was left of the ship almost 15 feet (4.6 m) out of the water; there were only 16 survivors. The Neosho remains afloat for four days until the crew is rescued by aUSNdestroyer which then sinks the hulk with gunfire.

An American aircraft spots the small aircraft carrier HIJMS Shoho off Misima Island in the Louisiade Archipelago and 93 Douglas SBD Dauntlesses and TBD Devastators and Grumman F4F Wildcats are launched by the aircraft carriers USS Lexington (CV-2) and USS Yorktown (CV-5). The Japanese carrier is sunk and one of Lexington's pilots reported this victory with the radio message, "Scratch one flattop." That afternoon, the two IJN fleet carriers supporting the Japanese Port Moresby Invasion Force, HIJMS Shokaku and HIJMS Zuikaku, still unlocated by the Americans, launched 27 bombers and torpedo planes to search for the U.S. ships. Their flight proved uneventful until they ran into fighters from Yorktown and Lexington, who proceeded to down nine enemy planes in the ensuing dogfight. Near twilight, three Japanese planes incredibly mistook Yorktown for their own carrier and attempted to land. The ship's gunfire, though, drove them off; and the enemy planes crossed Yorktown's bow and turned away out of range. Twenty minutes later, when three more enemy pilots made the mistake of trying to get into Yorktown's landing circle, the carrier's gunners splashed one of the trio.

After receiving the news of the sinking of HIJMS Shoho, the Japanese Port Moresby Invasion Force reverses course and sails back to Rabaul on New Britain Island in the Bismarck Archipelago.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: General Wainright in Japanese custody announces the surrender of Corrigedor Island. The planned 50 day campaign by General Homma has taken over 150 days. The Filipino loyalty to the US has been a surprising development to the Japanese.

Canadian fishing vessel Mildred Pauline (300 GRT) sunk south of St John's by gunfire from U-136. There were no survivors.

Destroyer USS Sims sunk by Japanese aircraft during the Battle of the Coral Sea, there were only 14 survivors

Destroyers USS Maddox, Nelson, Philip, Renshaw, William D Porter and Young laid down.

Minesweeper USS Oracle laid down.

Destroyer USS John Rodgers launched.

Destroyer USS Beatty commissioned.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Between 0227 and 0335, the unescorted and unarmed Ontario was shelled by U-507, while steaming a zigzag course at 12 knots. The day earlier, the ship was ordered to proceed to the nearest port after receiving a distress signal from the Alcoa Puritan, which was attacked and sunk by the same U-boat. The U-boat attacked from the port quarter and destroyed the bridge, wheelhouse and the mainmast, after a distress signal was sent and soon left the burning and sinking vessel. All 32 Americans, 11 Hondurians, one Dane and one British of the crew abandoned ship in three lifeboats and were picked up after six hours by patrol yacht USS Onyx and landed at Burwood, Louisiana. The burning ship was last seen at 0440 and a salvage crew returned later, but apparently she was gone down. The master Anders Weesgaard survived this sinking, but died when his next ship the San Blas was sunk by U-158 on 17 Jun 1942.

At 0800, the unescorted Frank Seamans was struck by one torpedo from U-162. After all crewmembers had abandoned ship in lifeboats, a second torpedo was fired which sank the ship. All hands were picked up by a Dutch ship the next day and taken to Paramaribo.

U-157 was attacked in the North Atlantic by the British submarine HMS P 44 with two torpedoes, but both missed.

U-371 was depth charged by two sub chasers. The boat was heavily damaged and had to return to base.