1941
U-81, commanded by Kptlt. Friedrich Guggenberger, torpedoes the British aircraft carrier Ark Royal 30 miles off of Gibraltar. A single g7e torpedo struck the ship on the starboard side. The explosion opened a hole 130 feet long by 30 feet deep, the size being increased by the time taken to bring the ship to a halt, which resulted in additional hull plating being peeled off. The starboard boiler room, air spaces, and oil tanks were flooded, as were the main switchboard and the lower steering position. The starboard power train was also knocked out by the hit, but the port and centerline trains kept functioning.
Some of the torpedo blast vented upwards through a bomb trunk forward of the island. The ship whipped violently with the explosion, which caused the fully-loaded torpedo-bombers on the flight deck to be hurled into the air; however she showed very little shock damage internally, and her masts remained standing. She immediately took on a 10 degree list that increased to 18 degrees within 20 minutes. Progressive flooding caused the list to increase rapidly. The list reached 20 degrees 11 hours and 4 minutes after the hit. All crew were off the ship at 0430hrs, 12 hours 19 minutes after the hit, at which time the list had reached 35 degrees. HMS Ark Royal capsized and sank at 0619hrs, after the list reached 45 degrees. Only one crewman was lost during the action, killed by the torpedo explosion.
[HMS Legion rescues crew from Ark Royal]
1942
In New Guinea, the Japanese force at Gorani manages to retreat across the Kumusi River. General Horii drowns during the retreat. When the Australian forces secure the area, they find 600 dead. This retreat marks the end of organized Japanese resistance outside their beachheads at Gona and Buna.
[Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks stuck in the mud and abandoned]