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WWII On This Day: May 6

What happened on May 6 during World War II? This date brings together 3 events from 1942 and 1943, with period photographs and links to the full operations documented across WW2 Theatres.

1942
U.S. soldiers and sailors surrender to Japanese forces at Corregidor in May 1942. The archive record identifies the surrender but does not require an exact clock time.
U.S. soldiers and sailors surrender to Japanese forces at Corregidor in May 1942. The archive record identifies the surrender but does not require an exact clock time. Captured Japanese photograph / U.S. National Archives NAID 531354 · Public domain Source
The Fall of the Southern Empires

Corregidor Surrenders

Japanese troops landed on Corregidor during the night of 5–6 May after sustained bombardment of the fortress. Once the attackers established a foothold and further landings could not be prevented, Wainwright concluded that continued resistance would destroy the garrison and wounded without changing the campaign. He surrendered on 6 May. Corregidor had held after Bataan because the harbour forts could still defend themselves for a time even when the peninsula was gone. By May, however, the island had no field army outside it, no prospect of relief and no way…

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Joseph Stilwell's party during the walkout from Burma in May 1942. The source dates the photograph to the month, so it is used as operational attribution rather than an exact 6 May image.
Joseph Stilwell's party during the walkout from Burma in May 1942. The source dates the photograph to the month, so it is used as operational attribution rather than an exact 6 May image. U.S. federal government photograph · Public domain Source
The Fall of the Southern Empires

Stilwell Turns Toward India

Stilwell’s headquarters party began its walkout from Burma on 6 May after the loss of Lashio and the collapse of the central communications system made the planned route toward China untenable. The party turned toward India on foot through difficult country rather than attempt to remain with a front that no longer existed as one connected line. The march was a command decision about survival and future usefulness. Stilwell needed to bring his staff out so that an Allied mission to China could continue from a new base. It also…

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1943
Men of the British 6th Armoured Division gathered at a road sign during the advance on Tunis on 6 May 1943.
Men of the British 6th Armoured Division gathered at a road sign during the advance on Tunis on 6 May 1943. Sgt John Silverside / IWM NA 2550 · UK Government public domain Source
Operation Torch and the Tunisian Campaign

First Army opens the final attack toward Tunis

First Army began a major renewed offensive towards Tunis on 6 May, concentrating artillery and aircraft against the remaining Axis front. British armour and infantry pressed east while American II Corps advanced on the Bizerte approaches. The defenders had lost much of their transport, reserves and air cover, and Allied assaults rapidly opened the road towards the two ports. Axis command positions were reduced to disconnected groups within the shrinking bridgehead. A dated IWM photograph shows soldiers of 6th Armoured Division near a road sign as they advanced towards Tunis…

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