May 21, Wed.
Unarmed U.S. freighter Robin Moor, en route to South Africa and Mozambique, is stopped and sunk by German submarine U-69 (torpedo and gunfire) about 700 miles off the west coast of Africa, 06”10'N, 25”40'W. Robin Moor--her nationality prominently reflected in the U.S. flags painted on her sides--is the first American merchantman sunk by a U-boat in World War II. There are no casualties among her 38-man crew and eight passengers, and U-69'scommanding officer, Kapitanleutnant Jost Metzler, provides the Americans with rations (see 3, 8 and 20 June).
Jun 2, Mon.
Aircraft escort vessel Long Island (AVG 1) is commissioned at Newport News, Virginia. Converted from Maritime Commission C-3 type freighter Mormacmail in just 67 working days, Long Island is the first of a type of what come to be classified as "escort carriers" that will prove invaluable in the prosecution of the war in both Atlantic and Pacific theaters.
Jun 3, Tue.
Cape Town, South Africa-bound British ship rescues 35 survivors of U.S. freighter Robin Moor, sunk by German submarine U-69 on 21 May (see 8 June).
Jun 8, Sun.
Brazilian freighter Osorio rescues 11 survivors of U.S. freighter Robin Moor, sunk by German submarine U-69 on 21 May.
Jun 20, Fri.
President Roosevelt addresses message to Congress concerning the German sinking of U.S. freighter Robin Moor on 21 May. The President notes that Robin Moor's destruction is a "warning to the United States may use the high seas of the world only with Nazi consent. Were we to yield on this we would inevitably submit to world-domination at the hands of the present leaders of the German Reich. We are not yielding," the President declares, "and we do not propose to yield." Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles sends this message to the German Embassy for the information of the German government (see 24 June, 19 and 26 September and 3 November).
Battleship Texas (BB-35) and destroyers Mayrant (DD-402), Rhind (DD-404), and Trippe (DD-403) are sighted by German submarine U-203 within what the German navy regards as the war, or "blockade" zone in the Atlantic. The American force, however, unaware of the U-boat, outdistances the submarine and frustrates its attempted attack. In the wake of this incident, the commander in chief of the German navy (Grossadmiral Erich Raeder) orders that American warships can only be attacked if they cross the western boundary of the blockade area by 20 or more miles, or within the 20-mile strip along the western edge of the blockade zone.
Submarines O 6 (SS-167), O 9 (SS-170) and O 10 (SS-171) conduct deep submergence trials out of Portsmouth, N.H.; while O 6 and O 10 conduct their test dives without incident, O 9, the last boat to make the test dive, accidentally sinks (cause unknown) off the Isles of Shoals, southeast of Portsmouth, 42”59'48"N,
Jun 22, Sun.
After all hopes of finding any survivors from the sunken submarine O 9 (SS-170) are lost and continued diving operations in the vicinity deemed hazardous, Secretary of the Navy Knox personally conducts memorial ceremony, held on board submarine Triton (SS-201), over last known location of the lost boat.
Jun 24. Tue.
German Charg d'Affaires Hans Thomsen replies to Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles's 20 June note concerning the Robin Moor sinking. "I have the honor to advise you," Thomsen writes, "that I do not find myself in a position to pass on...the text of a message to Congress from the President of the United States for the information of my government" (see 19 and 26 September and 3 November).
text from The Official Chronology of the US Navy in World War II--1941