3 May 1943

Frigate HMS Bickerton laid down.

Submarine HMS Upshot laid down.

MAC ship Empire MacAndrew launched.

Rescue tug HMS Aspirant commissioned.

NETHERLANDS: Flying a Lockheed Ventura, Sqn-Ldr. Leonard Henry Trent (1915-86), of No. 487 Squadron, RNZAF, was shot down and captured, with his navigator, after leading a dangerous daylight raid. All 11 raiders were lost. (Victoria Cross)

EUROPE: US General Andrews commanding the European Theatre is killed in an air accident. General Devers is appointed to succeed him.

Andrews was transferred from the Caribbean to the Middle East and assumed command of the U.S. Army Forces in the Middle East (USAFIME) on 8 November 1942. The North African invasions in November 1942 had been under the command of the European Theatre of Operations, U.S. Army (ETOUSA) commanded by Dwight D. Eisenhower. On 4 February 1943, the North African Theatre of Operations, U.S. Army (NATOUSA) was activated under Eisenhower's command.

To fill the slot at ETOUSA, Andrews was transferred to England and became Commanding General ETOUSA placing him in command of all Army troops in the European Theatre of Operations. There has been speculation over the years on whether Andrews or Eisenhower would have commanded the Normandy invasion and the drive across Europe but we will never know.

This trip had been planned as a publicity 'enhancement' of the general's well known reputation as a long distance flyer (some 5,000 hours in command of multi-engined aircraft in mainly bad weather), by the ETO public relations chief Colonel Morrow Drum, Andrews being shown he was still a capable pilot sharing his men's risks by being the aircraft co-pilot. (Gordon Angus MacKinlay)

At approximately 1530 hours Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) on May 3, 1943, B-24D (41-23728) crashed at position 22° 19' 30" west - 63° 54' north in Iceland and was destroyed. The pilot of the aircraft, Captain Robert H. Shannon, the co-pilot Lt. Gen. Frank M. Andrews, four additional crewmen and eight passengers were fatally injured. One crewman, the tail gunner, escaped with only minor injuries.

The B-24 was assigned to the Eighth Air Force at Bovington, England. The mission was a scheduled cross-country flight from the United Kingdom to Meeks Field, Iceland (now Keflavik International Airport and NAS Keflavik) to pass over Prestwick, Scotland. The aircraft approached Iceland from the southeast and contact was made with the land 7 miles (11.3 km) east of Alvidruhamrar lighthouse at 1349 hours GMT. The aircraft proceeded west along the coastline at an altitude of about 200 feet (60.96 m), remaining under the clouds. At 1438 hours GMT, the aircraft circled the Royal Air Force airdrome at Kaldadarnes five times at about 500 feet (152.40 m) altitude. The airdrome control signalled the aircraft to land by using a green Aldas lamp as radio contact could not be established. The B-24 flew low over the runway, but the pilot did not attempt a landing. Instead, the aircraft proceeded westward along the coastline at an altitude of 60 feet (18.29 m).

At Reykjanes, the aircraft turned north and followed the coast for about 10 miles (16.1 km), to a point directly west of Meeks Field. The time was now 1453 hours GMT. The plot by the Air Warning Service (AWS) faded at this point. No radio contact was made at any time with the aircrew, but the track was plotted by the AWS. The aircraft turned eastward and the pilot attempted to sight Meeks Field, but low visibility and rain prevented this.

The survivor stated that the pilot indicated he was going to return to Kaldadarnes airdrome to land. Captain Shannon then attempted to follow the coastline by doing steep turns in an easterly direction.

The weather was closing down with low clouds, rain and reduced visibility. As he did not have any air-to-ground communications, the pilot attempted to maintain visual contact with the land by flying under the clouds. At 22° 19' 30" west - 63° 54' north, the aircraft flew into an 1100 foot (335.3 m) hill, 150 feet (45.7 m) from the top, while on a northeast course at a speed of at least 160 mph (257.5 km/h). The B-24's starboard wing dug into the 45° northwest slope of the hill. Upon impact, the aircraft disintegrated except for the tail gunner's turret which remained relatively intact.

There were statements in the report given by the weather officer at Kaldadarnes. They indicated that the weather was extremely low visibility, with a possible ceiling and visibility of zero at the point of impact. A wind of about 25 mph (40.2 km/h) was blowing saturated air against the mountain and this would tend to form a cloud covering below that of the general ceiling level. The weather officer further stated that while weather observations were not taken from Kaldadarnes, he thought that continuous rain prevailed there with the clouds covering the hills in the accident vicinity during that period.

Destroyer USS Cushing laid down.

Escort carrier USS Kitkun Bay laid down.

Destroyer escorts USS Micka and Reybold laid down.

Destroyer USS Colahan launched.

Destroyer escort USS Decker commissioned.