http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/03.htm
June 3rd, 1941
UNITED KINGDOM: Three wounded German airmen owe their lives to the gallantry of the second officer of a British merchant vessel which they had tried to bomb. When their aircraft was shot into the sea by the ship’s gunners they scrambled on to a raft, and in a heavy swell the ship was manoeuvred alongside and ropes were thrown to the men, but they were too badly injured to help themselves.
Though he knew the risk of being crushed against the ship’s side, the second officer climbed down a ladder, jumped on to the raft, and roped the three men so that they could be hoisted on board.
The Times.
HEAVY ATTACK ON MANCHESTER
A heavy raid was made on Manchester on Sunday night, when thousands of incendiary bombs and many tons of high-explosive were dropped indiscriminately. Present reports indicate that fatal casualties are believed to be particularly heavy, considering the fierceness with which the town was bombarded. Once again, churches, hospitals and the homes of the people were among the buildings damaged. One of the worst incidents occurred at a nurses’ home, which was wrecked by a heavy bomb. Rescue work was still going on yesterday and one of the workers said that it was known that at least two f the people underneath were alive because some of the men had spoken to them and had heard their faint reply. By dawn, five bodies had been recovered, and a few hours later, after some soldiers and an airman, together with civil defence workers, had dug and torn their way through the heap of rubble, a doctor from the hospital was
able to crawl through an opening where it was found that one nurse was trapped by her arm. With the light of miners’ lamps he administered an anaesthetic on the severely injured young woman and amputated her arm on the spot. Soon afterwards she was got out but the shock and her injuries proved too much, and she died within a few minutes. Another nurse was extricated after being buried for nearly 12 hours. She is a first-year probationer at the hospital and her home is in St Asaph. She was unconscious when rescued and the matron told a reporter that she would have an immediate blood transfusion. “She is suffering badly from shock, the effect of many hours’ [sic] buried under the heavy debris, and from cuts and bruises,” the matron added. Four of the missing are young nurses who entered the hospital for preliminary training a few weeks ago. The hospital to which the home is attached was not damaged, and there were no
casualties among patients. Two other hospitals received damage through fire or explosive bombs, but fortunately the patients had been removed to safety. Five [ARP] wardens were killed on patrol and a curate was killed on shelter duty outside his church.
Belfast city hall was damaged in a recent air raid. Fire bombs fell on the roof over the ballroom, and though the roof was damaged and some portraits in the ballroom were destroyed, good work by firefighters saved the main structure. Thirty Belfast churches have been wrecked or damaged.
FINLAND: From today until the 6th of June, the Finnish and German military leadership negotiate at Helsinki on co-operation in event of a Russo-German war. An agreement regarding the Finnish Army and Air Force is reached. Although formally the idea of a Russo-German war is hypothetical, the Finns have already understood that the Germans are in all probability about to invade the USSR. (Mikko Härmeinen)
IRAQ:
British Gurkha troops occupy Mosul.
Baghdad: Arab supporters of Rashid Ali riot, killing hundreds of Jews and looting Jewish shops.
NEWFOUNDLAND: City of Dieppe, RN stores ship, arrived St. John’s and joined the NEF. Extremely limited naval facilities at St. John’s could not support operations without extensive afloat resources. The RN provided both depot ships and stores ships to act as tenders for RCN and RN escorts. Fuel was provided by afloat support from commercial and naval auxiliary tankers berthed in the port. Canadian shore facilities were expanded throughout the WW.II, although some were not completed before hostilities were ended. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.A.:
New York:
The American ‘United Press Agency’ reported:-
It is rumoured that an American air force unit has already arrived in Greenland, where it is conjectured that they are busy with the preparation of airfields.
Public Law 99 authorises enlisted pilots in the USAAF. (202)(W. Rinaman)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 642 June 3, 1941
Using information from Ultra intercepts, Royal Navy hunts the network of German supply ships that refuel surface raiders and U-boats in the Atlantic. 80 miles Southwest of Greenland, cruisers HMS Aurora and HMS Kenya attack German tanker Belchen while refueling U-93. U-93 crash dives. Belchen is hit with shellfire and a torpedo from HMS Aurora and then finally scuttled by her crew (5 killed). British ships leave without picking up survivors, knowing there is a U-boat nearby, but 50 crew are rescued later in the day by U-93.
950 miles West of Brest, France, U-48 and U-75 attack convoy OB-327 sinking Dutch MV Eibergen (4 dead, 35 survivors picked up by a British anti-aircraft ship HMS Cairo on June 7) and British tanker Inversuir (all 45 hands rescued by Norwegian steam merchant Para, destroyer HMS Wanderer and an unknown vessel).