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WWII On This Day: May 24

What happened on May 24 during World War II? This date brings together 7 events from 1940, 1941, 1944 and 1945, with period photographs and links to the full operations documented across WW2 Theatres.

1940
German troops in northern France during the campaign of 1940.
Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-299-1808-10A · CC BY-SA 3.0 DE · Source
Battle of France 1940

Hitler confirms the armoured halt

Hitler confirmed the Army Group A halt on 24 May and restored Rundstedt's control over the mobile formations after higher-command discussion of the advance toward Dunkirk. The decision held the panzer forces short of the immediate coastal objective while infantry formations moved up and Luftwaffe operations continued against the pocket and ports. The additional time aided Allied efforts to organise a defensible corridor to Dunkirk, though the evacuation emerged from several interacting factors: perimeter fighting, naval preparation, weather, port capacity and the continuing resistance of French, British and Belgian units.

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British troops rescued in a ship at Dunkirk (France, 1940).
Divide and Conquer (Why We Fight #3) directed by Frank Capra
Dunkirk: Operation Dynamo

Hitler endorses the armoured halt

Hitler approved Rundstedt's decision and countermanded an army-command arrangement that would have placed the mobile forces under Army Group B. The pause helped the Allies organise withdrawals toward Dunkirk, but official histories caution that it does not by itself explain the evacuation's success.

Continue in Dunkirk: Operation Dynamo →
German mountain troops landing in Norway, April 1940.
Photo: Bagn Bygdesamling – Valdres Folkemuseum, Norway · CC BY-SA 3.0 DE · Source
Operation Weserübung

The Allied governments decide to withdraw from northern Norway

The military collapse in France forced Britain and France to redirect shipping, aircraft and trained formations from Norway toward the main western theatre. The evacuation decision was kept secret while the planned attack on Narvik continued. Commanders sought to damage the ore route, improve the tactical position and preserve operational security during the withdrawal. The decision separated local success from strategic priority. Allied forces around Narvik were preparing their strongest offensive at the same moment higher command was preparing to leave the country.

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1941
Bismarck firing during the Battle of the Denmark Strait on 24 May 1941, photographed from Prinz Eugen.
Bismarck firing during the Battle of the Denmark Strait on 24 May 1941, photographed from Prinz Eugen. Lagemann / Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1968-015-25 · CC BY-SA 3.0 DE Source
The Bismarck Chase

Hood is destroyed; Bismarck is damaged

Hood and Prince of Wales engaged Bismarck and Prinz Eugen shortly before 06:00. A catastrophic magazine explosion destroyed Hood with 1,415 men killed and three survivors; Prince of Wales continued the action alone before Captain John Leach broke off after receiving multiple hits and suffering failures in the new ship's main armament. The tactical victory did not leave Bismarck untouched. Prince of Wales had scored hits that caused flooding and ruptured fuel tanks, reducing usable fuel and leaving an oil trail. Lütjens now had to choose between continuing a commerce…

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Swordfish torpedo bombers on HMS Victorious on 24 May 1941 before the carrier's night attack on Bismarck.
Swordfish torpedo bombers on HMS Victorious on 24 May 1941 before the carrier's night attack on Bismarck. Imperial War Museums A 4090 · Royal Navy official photograph · Public domain Source
The Bismarck Chase

Lütjens turns Bismarck toward France

Lütjens ordered Prinz Eugen to separate and continue the commerce-raiding mission while Bismarck headed for Saint-Nazaire. The damaged battleship could still make high speed, but the fuel loss and flooding made a prolonged Atlantic operation increasingly risky. That evening Swordfish from the new carrier Victorious attacked Bismarck. One torpedo hit caused limited direct damage, but evasive manoeuvring and shock worsened the strain on the ship. British cruisers continued to shadow through deteriorating weather.

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1944
Wrecked rolling stock in the severely damaged marshalling yard at Juvisy-sur-Orge after Allied air attacks in 1944.
Bridge B (Fg Off), Royal Air Force official photographer / Imperial War Museums, CL 4170 · Public domain · Source
The Transportation Plan

The ban on Seine bridge attacks is lifted

The previous restraint on attacking Seine crossings was removed as D-Day approached. On 26 May the bridges became first priority for the Allied Expeditionary Air Force. B-26s, P-47s and RAF fighter-bombers then struck crossings in rapid succession.

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1945
The tug Britannic joins the seventeenth PLUTO pipeline to the shore system at Boulogne during the final DUMBO laying operation, 24 May 1945.
The tug Britannic joins the seventeenth PLUTO pipeline to the shore system at Boulogne during the final DUMBO laying operation, 24 May 1945. Zimmerman E A (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer / Imperial War Museums, A 28817 · Public domain (UK Government) Source
Operation PLUTO

The seventeenth DUMBO line is laid

The final submarine line was completed more than two weeks after the German surrender. The system now comprised eleven HAIS cables and six HAMEL pipes in contemporary project accounts, although not every line remained usable at the same time.

Continue in Operation PLUTO →