May 31st, 1943 (MONDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Corvette HMS Amberly Castle laid down.
Corvette INS Gondwana (ex-HMS Burnet) launched.
Escort carrier HMS Emperor (ex-USS Pybus) commissioned.
GERMANY: Dönitz transfers responsibility for naval armaments to Albert Speer's ministry.
Chronic shortages are biting deeper into German civilian morale. Today the government announced a cut in the weekly meat ration from 12 to nine ounces, and the SS, in one of its regular secret reports, noted on 6 May that despite stiff penalties bartering is increasing.
This is not surprising, given the lack of consumer goods. An SS report on 17 May expressed concern at the consequences of a shortage of alarm clocks: arms workers and miners, exhausted from long hours and frequent air raids, have been sleeping through early shifts.
U-1272 laid down.
ITALY: USAAF B-17s attack Naples.
ALGERIA: Algiers: Generals de Gaulle and Giraud begin talks on a provisional government of France; it is also announced that Rear Admiral Rene Emile Godfroy's naval squadron, immobilized at Alexandria, joined Giraud's forces on 7 May.
EGYPT: Egyptian Cabinet voted to resume diplomatic relations with Russia.
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: In the Aleutian Islands, the USAAF's Eleventh Air Force dispatches five F-5A Lightnings to fly separate photo missions over Kiska Island. Six B-24 Liberators, ten B-25 Mitchells, 37 P-40s and eight P-38 Lightnings fly attack missions to Kiska hitting Gertrude Cove, AA installations, trenches, the North Head runway, and a vessel.
The Japanese submarine HIJMS I-24 is getting ready to sail in an attempt to rescue personnel from Attu Island. The sub approaches the entrance to Chichagof Harbor three times in early June and then sails for Kiska Island.
CANADA: Destroyer HMCS Saskatchewan (ex-HMS Fortune) commissioned.
Frigate HMCS Stettler laid down Montreal, Province of Quebec.
U.S.A.: 500,000 US Coal Miners go on strike after protracted wage negotiations.Destroyer USS Chauncey commissioned.
Submarine USS Bonefish commissioned.
Destroyer escorts USS Steward, Robert E Peary, Harold C Thomas, Charles Lawrence commissioned.
Submarine USS Pipefish laid down.
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
U-563 sunk in the Bay of Biscay SW of Brest, in position 46.35N, 10.40W, by depth charges from RAF 58 and 228 Sqn Halifaxes and an RAAF 10 Sqn Sunderland.