Events occurring on Saturday, May 9, 1942  
  The Siege of Malta  
  Operation Bowery was concluded when Force W, which was centered around the HMS Eagle and the USS Wasp, successfully delivered 64 Spitfires to Malta. The success of the American carrier's second ferry mission prompted British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill to observe: "Who said a Wasp couldn't sting twice?" Unlike the first ferry operation, the Spitfires were speedily serviced and readied for action, and took a heavy toll on Axis bombers on this day and the next. "Daylight raiding," Malta's war diary noted, "was brought to an abrupt end." The USS Wasp would return to service in the U.S. Navy after this operation.  
   
  Conflict in the Indian Ocean  
  On the night of May 8/9, 1942, gunners of the Ceylon Garrison Artillery on Horsburgh Island in the Cocos Islands rebelled. Their mutiny was crushed and three of them were executed, the only British Commonwealth soldiers to be executed for mutiny during the World War 2.  
   
  The Battle of the Atlantic  
  The U-352, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Hellmut Rathke, was sunk by depth charges from the U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Icarus in the North Atlantic south-west of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Of the ship’s complement, 15 died and 38 survived. During its career the U-352 sank or damaged no ships.  
   
  The unescorted Canadian motor tanker Calgarolite was torpedoed and then sunk by gunfire by the U-125, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Ulrich Folkers, about 50 miles southwest of Grand Cayman Island in the Caribbean. Of the ship’s complement, all 45 survived reached land by lifeboat. The 11,941 ton Calgarolite was carrying ballast and was headed for Cartagena, Colombia.  
   
  The unescorted Canadian steam merchant Mont Louis was torpedoed and sunk by the U-162, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Jürgen Wattenberg, southwest of Trinidad in the western Atlantic Ocean. Of the ship’s complement, 13 died and 8 survivors were picked up by the Canadian sailing ship Mona Marie. The 1,905 ton Mont Louis was carrying bauxite and was headed for Trinidad.  
   
  The unescorted Panamanian motor tanker Lubrafol was torpedoed and sunk by the U-564, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Reinhard Suhren, about 3.5 miles off Hillsboro Inlet, Florida in the western Atlantic Ocean. Of the ship’s complement, 13 died and 31 survivors were picked up by the two U.S. Coast Guard boats. The 7,138 ton Lubrafol was carrying heating oil and was headed for New York, New York.  
   
  The unescorted American steam merchant Greylock was torpedoed and damaged by the U-588, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Viktor Vogel, outside Halifax Harbor in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. The 7,460 ton Greylock was carrying general cargo and was bound for the Soviet Union.  
   
  Allied Submarine Action in the Pacific  
  The submarine USS Grenadier, commanded by Lt. Commander Willis A. Lent, survived persistent attacks by enemy antisubmarine forces the following day southwest of Kyushu, Japan. The USS Grenadier torpedoed and sank the Japanese transport ship Taiyo Maru the day before. The Taiyo Maru carried to their deaths many technical experts bound for the East Indies to work on resuming oil production.  
   
  Ships Commissioned  
  A ship's commissioning was when the ship was handed over, post fittings and trials, to the end user which, in this case, was a combatant navy.  
  The Polish destroyer ORP Slazak (L 26) was commissioned. Her first commander was Lt. Commander Romuald Nalecz-Tyminski.  
   
  The submarine U-181 was commissioned. Her first commander was Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang Lüth.  
   
  The submarine U-221 was commissioned. Her first commander was Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Hartwig Trojer.  
   
  The submarine U-301 was commissioned. Her first commander was Oberleutnant zur See Willy-Roderich Körner.  
   
  The submarine U-444 was commissioned. Her first commander was Oberleutnant zur See Albert Langfeld.  
     
   
  May 1942 Calendar  
   
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