Battle of the Atlantic

• In the new Atlantic security zone the destroyer USS Niblack fires the first American shots of the war when she drops 3 depth charges on a German submarine. This is the beginning of the undeclared naval war in the Atlantic.
• U-124 sinks the Greek steamer Aegeon (5285t) 170 miles west-southwest of Freetown with the loss of 4 of her crew. 27 survivors are picked up by the British steamer Sheaf Holme.

The Blitz

There are further extensive night raids on Bristol. 150 bombers of Luftflotte III are involved in what becomes known as the 'Good Friday Raid'. 200 tons of high explosives and 35,000 incendiaries are dropped. There is widespread destruction in Bristol and Avonmouth. St Philip's Bridge is hit breaking communications. There are about 150 people killed with another 146 seriously injured.

Birmingham is also a target as 245 planes form both Luftflotten drop 245 tons of high explosives and 43,000 incendiaries. Many fires cause considerable damage especially in Solihull, Halls Green and Erdington. In the 2 successive night raids 350 people are killed and hundreds are injured. Neither casualties nor damage are sufficient enough to interrupt general life and production in this industrial center.

Mediterranean

The Greek hospital ship Attiki (2561t) is sunk in the Doro Channel by a German air attack with the loss of 28 of her crew.

North Africa

The isolation of Tobruk is now complete, all the remainder of the Allied force having retreated to the Egyptian border. Rommel launches a violent attack on Tobruk using the Italian Trento and Bresci along the coast along with the German 5th Pzr Div. Under the command of Gen Leslie Morshead the defenders are ready, however, and the combination of Australian infantry and British artillery proves too strong for them and they fail to break through.

United States, Policy

Roosevelt tells Churchill that the US Navy will extend the American Defense Zone up to the line of 26 degrees West. The Red Sea is declared to be no longer a 'combat zone' and under the terms of US law US ships may now carry cargos to ports there including supplies for the British in Egypt.

United States, Politics

Pres Roosevelt creates the Office of Price Administration under the direction of Leon Henderson. It is given the task of controlling prices and profits and balancing civilian and defense needs. This bureau will play an important part in holding back many increases in prices and containing inflation despite the pressures that will develop in the war economy.

Yugoslavia

The Italian 2nd Army, led by Gen Ambrosio, begins a cautious advance from the Trieste area toward Ljubljana but von Weich's forces arrive there first. Other Italian units begin to advance south along the Dalmatian coast towards Split and Dubrovnik. 4 more Italian divisions cross the border from Albania. The Italians employ 320 aircraft in these operations. The German XII Corps also begins an advance over the Rumanian border toward Belgrade. The Hungarian 3rd Army, divided into 10 brigades, also join in with an advance from the Szeged area toward Novi Sad. They are held up more by resistance from Yugoslav civilians than by the Yugoslav army.