Air Operations, EuropeBOMBER COMMANDIn minor operations, 4 Wellingtons are sent to Boulogne, 47 aircraft are involved in minelaying operations in the Frisians and the German Bight, and 3 more on leaflet flights. 1 Stirling minelayer is lost. [ | ]Air Operations, Pacificn the 'Royce Raid' a special squadron of 3 B-17s and 10 B-25s led by Brig-Gen Ralph G. Royce, flies from northern Australia to a secret strip in the southern Philippines, bombs Japanese-held airfields and harbors, including Manila, and returns to Australia on April 16 with 44 US and Filipino officers and civilians. [ | ]Allied CommandVice-Adm Robert L. Ghormley is designated as commander, South Pacific Area (COMSOPAC). Ghormley is responsible for all Allied base defense forces and local defense forces in the South Pacific, except New Zealand. [ | ]Battle of the Atlantic
Britain, CommandRear Adm Lord Mountbatten, despite his junior rank, has been appointed Chief of Combined Operations with a seat on the British Chiefs of Staff Committee. This appointment, only now announced, has been effective since March 18. [ | ]BurmaThe Japanese achieve a breakthrough in the center of I Burma Corps and push on to the north towards the oil wells. Chinese and British troops reinforce the defenses at Magwe, Taunggyi, Lashio and the Thailand border. The Chinese 6th(or 66th?) Army, previously positioned in the Shan States, is ordered to concentrate south of Mandalay. [ | ]
Diplomatic RelationsMoscow issues a stern warning to Tokyo to continue observing Russian-Japanese neutrality pact: 'It is necessary that the Japanese military and Faschist cliques whose heads have been turned by military successes realize that their prattle about an annexationist war in the north may cause damage . . . to Japan herself.' [ | ]Mediterranean
PacificThe US submarine Grayling (SS-209) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese merchant cargo ship Ryujin Maru (6243t) off the southwest tip of Shikoku, Japan. [ | ]PhilippinesCebu is now firmly in Japanese hands, however, there is plenty of sporadic guerilla action by the defenders. [ | ] |
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[April 12th - April 14th] |