Air Operations - Europe

• 179 Wellingtons, 44 Hampdens, 29 Stirlings and 11 Manchesters are sent to bomb the Humboldt works in Cologne. The 263 aircraft are the largest number dispatched to a single target so far during the war. 211 aircraft claim good bomb results, but photographic evidence shows the nearest bombs to the Humboldt factory was 5 miles away. Reports from the ground indicate 1 industrial building is hit along with 90 houses being destroyed or seriously damaged. 7 people are killed and 9 injured in the attack. There are further casualties among a crowd who were watching a burning bomber which had crashed in the middle of Cologne; the bomb load exploded killing 16 people and injuring 30 more. The bomber's crew had been killed in the original crash. There are 4 Hampdens and 1 Wellington lost in the raid.
• 20 Whitleys are sent to bomb the Gnome and Rhone engine factory near Paris. 14 aircraft drop bombs, but the main target is not hit. 1 house is destroyed and 4 are damaged with no casualties. There are no aircraft losses.
• In minor operations, 18 aircraft are sent to Le Havre, 6 Blenheim Intruders to Holland and 11 aircraft lay mines off the French coast with no losses.

Air Operations, Pacific

9 B-26s of the 5th Air Force's 22nd Medium Bomb Group based in the Bismarcks attack the Lakunai and Vunakanau airfields in Rabaul.

Atlantic

US Task Force 39 arrives in Scapa Flow with the aircraft carrier USS Wasp and the battleship USS Washington. These forces are to aid the British Home and Gibraltar squadrons while Operation Ironclad is being carried out against Madagascar.

Chiang Inspects American Air Troops with Top Allied Officials, 5 April 1942

Battle of the Atlantic

U-154 sinks the US tanker Catahoula (5030t) about 100 miles off the Dominican Republic with the loss of 7 crew members.

Eastern Front

Hitler has made the decision to concentrate the German effort during 1942 on the southern sector of the front. Directive 41 calls for rapid advances into the Caucasus and the capture of the Soviet oil refineries and production centers near Maikop and Grozny. Without thest supplies secured, Hitler maintains that Germany will not be able to prosecute the war past the end of 1943. As the planning continues, the armies at the front push on with their relief attacks.

The 40th Army, with 5 rifle divisions, is allocated to Gen Filipp Golikov's Bryansk Front.

Germany, Planning

Hitler issues Führer Directive No. 41: 'German and Axis forces are to capture oilfields of Caucasus and Leningrad, by a series of complex, consecutive operations - priority being given to the former objective. German forces west of Moscow are to remain on the defensive.'

Hitler issues Directive No 41 outlining the aims of the forthcoming summer offensive on the Eastern Front, 'In pursuit of the original plan for the Eastern campaign, the armies of the Central sector will stand fast, those in the North will capture Leningrad and link up with the Finns, while those on the southern flank will break through into the Caucasus.'

The Wehrmacht is tasked with 'destroying the enemy before the Don, in order to secure the Causasian oil fields and the passes through the Caucasus mountains'. To create favorable conditions, Hitler orders 'mopping up and consolidation on the whole Eastern front and in the rear areas so that the greates possible forces may be released for the main operation'. Also, the Kerch Peninsula is to be cleared and Sevastopol captured.

The Royal Navy heavy cruisers Dorsetshire and Cornwall under heavy air attack by Japanese carrier aircraft on 5 April 1942. The photo was taken from a Japanese aircraft.

British Heavy Cruisers Under Air Attack

The Cornwall Under Attack by Japanese 'Val' Dive-Bombers

Indian Ocean

At dawn 200 Japanese aircraft, bombers, dive-bombers and fighters, take off from the carriers 200 miles south of Ceylon. They sight and destroy 12 British torpedo planes sent to attack the Japanese ships. The Japanese planes attack Colombo, believing Adm Somerville's force to be still at anchor there. Damaged in the harbor are the armed merchant cruiser Hector and the destroyer Tenedos, but the Japanese are able to destroy the port installations. 1 crewman is lost on the Hector and 33 on the Tenedos. In the attack on the port 36 Zeros defeat 42 Hurricanes and Fulmars. The Japanese lose 7 of their planes to a loss of 19 by the British. While the aircraft are regrouping a reconnaissance aircraft sent up from the cruiser Tone reports the presence of 2 British cruisers southwest of Ceylon. 80 more dive-bombers are sent up to look for the enemy cruisers Dorsetshire and Cornwall. They are located, attacked and sunk. 233 on board the Dorsetshire are lost, 201 on the Cornwall. The Japanese force continues to hunt the Allied ships, which Adm Somerville has decided to disperse rather than have them attacked in mass and wiped out. His decision is approved by the Admiralty. Most of the Allied shipping had been moved to Addu Atoll west of Ceylon two days earlier.

Malta

In the course of a German air raid on Velletta harbor a British destroyer is sunk and 2 others are seriously damaged.

Mediterranean

The destroyer Havock, escaping Malta, runs aground near Cape Bon on the Tunisian coast. It is later torpedoed by an Italian submarine.

Philippines

The Japanese begin a fresh offensive to take enemy positions on Bataan. The Japanese are reinforced by the 4th Division and after the usual air and artillery preparation, Mount Samat is taken after heavy fighting inflicting heavy losses on the US 21st Division.

A Japanese landing force of about 5,000 leaves Luzon bound for Cebu Island in the central Philippines north of Mindanao.