May 8th, 1943 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: A new law aimed at "shirkers" in the female population comes into force today. Ernest Bevin, the minister of labour and national service, now has the power to direct women between the ages of 18 and 45 into part-time war work, which becomes compulsory.
Up to now the minister has only been able to direct women into full-time work, with part-time posts being filled voluntarily. There are currently some 600,000 part-time workers, most of them women. But many more are needed.
Mothers caring for their own children, if they are under 14 years old, exempt from the new law, which can mean up to 30 hours work a week.
Once directed into work under the new law the worker may not resign without the agreement of the national service officer, and her employer may not fire her except for serious misconduct. A directed employee who is absent from work may find herself being prosecuted under the defence regulations.
The ministry of labour has stressed that the new law will not be generally enforced but used only to ensure that women without heavy domestic responsibilities play their part in the war effort.
Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser is appointed C-in-C of the Home Fleet, replacing Admiral Sir John Tovey.
Destroyer HMS Kempenfelt launched.
GERMANY:
POLAND: Warsaw: SS Major-General Jurgen Stroop believes that he is at last within sight of clearing the Warsaw Ghetto of Jews. Fewer than 4,000 remain in hiding, he says, after the capture of the bunker which the Jews used as their HQ. To reach it, Stroop's soldiers demolished two machine-tool factories where Jews worked under SS supervision.
Stroop sealed up all entrances to the buildings and pumped in gas. "We won't fall into their hands alive," the fighters inside screamed as they set about killing one another. "All around us", said one survivor, "was the roar of fire, the crash of falling walls. Outside the ghetto it was spring, but here a holocaust reigned."
Mordechai Anielewicz (1919-1943), commandant of the ZOB during
the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, is killed battling the Nazis. The ZOB was an
organization of mostly young people formed to resist deportation by the Nazis.
It stood for Zydowska Organizacja Bojowa, which means Jewish Fighting
Organization. (Gene Hanson)
U.S.S.R.: Hitler now gives in about allowing a full scale withdrawal from the Crimea.
SICILIAN NARROWS: Admiral Cunningham launches Operation Retribution, to prevent Axis armies from evacuating North Africa.
NORTH AFRICA: The Axis retreat towards Cape Bon Peninsula is disrupted by the British 6th Armoured Division.
CHINA: Japanese forces take Nanhsien.
PACIFIC OCEAN: Three Imperial Japanese Navy destroyers are sunk by mines laid yesterday near New Georgia in the Solomon Islands.
As a result of mining of Blackett Strait by the USN yesterday, the Japanese destroyer HIJMS Kuroshio strikes a mine and sinks in the Strait. Two destroyers are damaged by mines off Rendova Island and are subsequently sunk by aircraft, HIJMS Oyashio by USN Douglas SBD Dauntlesses and HIJMS Kagero by USMC aircraft. A fourth destroyer, HIJMS Michisio is damaged by USN SBDs in Blackett Strait.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: US dive-bombers claim to have crippled one Japanese destroyer and damaged two others following multiple bombing raids on shipping and shore installations in the Solomon Islands today. The enemy destroyers were hit as Dauntless dive-bombers surprised Japanese destroyers off Gizo Island. During the raid one destroyer suffered a direct hit from a 1,000-pound bomb. US and New Zealand airmen flying Liberators also strafed and bombed Japanese bases at Kahili, Ballale, Fauro and Munda.
U.S.A.: Destroyer USS Boyd commissioned.
Frigate USS Machias laid down.
Destroyer escorts USS Poole and George W Ingram launched.
Minesweeping trawler USS Flatholm launched.
Destroyer USS Stembel launched.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-663 sunk in the Bay of Biscay west of Brest, in position 46.50N, 10.00W, after being damaged by depth charges from an RAAF 10 Sqn Sunderland during an attack on 7 May. 49 dead (all hands lost).
ASW trawler HMS Daneman believed to have struck a submerged iceberg in the North Atlantic. Abandoned after being taken in tow.