Tuesday, May 11, 1943. Retaking Attu.

The Navy, supported by the Royal Canadian Air Force, landed elements of 7th Infantry Division on Attu in order to retake the Japanese occupied island.  The resulting battle was the only land battle on American territory during World War Two and the only battle between the US and Japan in the Arctic.

Fighting would cover two weeks with the Japanese putting up a stout defense.  The Japanese Navy formed a task force to relieve the island but the Allies took it before it cold depart Tokyo Bay.  Knowing that they would not be relieved, the Japanese forces went down on May 29 in a banzai charge.  Of the entire Japanese garrison of over 2,800 men, only 28 survived.

Casualties of the final charge.

The 7th Infantry Division was committed to the war in the Pacific for the balance of World War Two, and would have occupation duty in Japan and Korea after the war.  It was stationed in Japan when the Korean War broke out.   During the Korean War, the then under strength division took on an international character, incorporating very large numbers of South Korean troops, as well as Columbian and Ethiopian solders.

Secretary of the Navy publically stated that "Possession of Sicily by the Allies would obviously be a tremendous asset" leading to fears that he'd blow the success of Operation Mincemeat.  Instead, it convinced the Germans that he was trying a "smoke screen".

Monday-Tuesday, April 30-May 1, 1973. An unsettling start to the week.

April 30:

Nixon canned White House Counsel John Dean and requested the resignations of H.R. Halderman, his Chief of Staff, John Ehrlichman, is domestic affairs advisor, and Richard Kleindienst, his Attorney General. All due tothe Watergate Scandal.

Halderman.

Things were clearly not going well.

May 1:

The British Trade Union Congress called a day long, Labour Day, work stoppage which was honored by 1,600,000 workers in order to protest the government's anti inflation policies.

Japan repaid $175,000,000 in food assistance aid funds which were extended during the post World War Two occupation of the country.  The payment was made in one lump sum at the request of the US, which needed the money due to its growing concern over the imbalance in deficit payments.

Sweden's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister accused President Nixon of violating the Paris Peace Accords and of bombing refugees in Cambodia in May Day speeches.