May 11th, 1944 (THURSDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Destroyer HMS Wessex commissioned.
GERMANY: Mildred Gillars, an American, (aka Axis Sally, aka Midge-at-the-Mike) broadcasts on Deutsche Rundfunk a radio-play format drama, "Vision of Invasion", where she acts as the mother of an Ohio boy horrifically killed in an attempted invasion of Occupied Europe. For this she will be sentenced to 10-30 years and assessed a $10,000 fine in a trial in 1948. She is released in 1961 and joins a Catholic convent in Ohio. She dies in 1988 of colon cancer. (Russell Folsom, 277)
BALTIC SEA: At 1632, U-9 fired a Gnat at a convoy consisting of a tanker, a torpedo boat, a minesweeper and seven smaller escorts covered by three MBR flying boats and observed a heavy detonation after 2 minutes 31 seconds. The torpedo damaged the Shtorm. U-9 was depth charged by a Soviet escort and suffered slight damage.
ITALY: Just prior to midnight the preparatory bombardment begins for Operation Diadem near Cassino. This attack is by the US II, Polish II, British XIII and Free French Expeditionary Corps, 12 Divisions. The German forces are somewhat disorganized in their response due to the absence of Generals Vietinghoff and Senger. They have 6 divisions.BURMA: About 40,000 Chinese troops cross the river Salween in a major offensive to retake northern Burma.
Air Commando Combat mission N0. 56. A 3 hour and 25 minute flight. We bombed Japanese troops positions at Nalong, Burma. (Chuck Baisden
CHINA: Chungking: Japan has hit airfields in China as part of its Operation Ichi-Go, which aims to prevent US B-29 bombers from using the bases for raids on Japan. Lieutenant-General Claire "Old Leatherface" Chennault, the commander of the US Fourteenth Army Air Force, fears that the raids could be successful and has appealed for help, but Japan's offensives in Burma have precluded extra supplies.
JAPAN: The Japanese navy launches Operation A-Go, the defence of the Mariana Islands, under Vice-Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa.
PACIFIC OCEAN: Submarine USS Gudgeon reported missing on her 12th patrol. No survivors.
CANADA:
Corvette HMCS Cobourg commissioned.
U.S.A.: Movie releases today include "Gaslight," a mystery thriller about a man trying to drive his wife insane. Directed by George Cukor, the film stars Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, Joseph Cotten, Terry Moore and 18-year-old Angela Lansbury in her film debut. The film is nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor (Boyer), Best Actress (Bergman) and Best Supporting Actress (Lansbury); Bergman wins and a second technical award is also won.
The second film is "The White Cliffs of Dover" directed by Clarence Brown and starring Irene Dunne, Alan Marshal, Van Johnston, Frank Morgan, Roddy McDowall, Gladys Cooper, Peter Lawford and 12-year-old Elizabeth Taylor in an uncredited bit part. During World War I, Dunne, an American, marries a British officer (Marshal) in this romantic war drama. The film is nominated for one technical Academy Award.
Destroyer escort USS Ebert launched.
Minesweeper USS Success and Superior launched.
Destroyer escort USS Oberrender commissioned.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: