Air Operations, Europe

In 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, Pacific

n 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 Command

Vice-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

• U-252 is sunk by the corvette HMS Vetch and the sloop HMS Stork, marking the first success for the new 10cm type 271 radar equipment.

U-252

Class	Type VIIC
CO	Kapitänleutnant Kai Lerchen
Location	Atlantic, NW of Cape Finisterre
Cause	Depth charge
Casualties	44
Survivors	None

• The entire 37-man crew of the US tanker Esso Boston, sunk the previous day, is rescued by the US destroyer Biddle (DD-151) and taken to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Britain, Command

Rear 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.

Burma

A gap develops in the Burmese I Corps line, and the Japanese are moving north through it toward the oil fields. The Burmese 1st Division, under pressure south of Magwe, is reinforced by the 7th Armored Brigade (less the 7th Hussars). Gen Stilwell's orders designed to avert the threat to Lashio--the 93rd Division (less 1 regiment) is directed to move to Taunggyi; the 49th Division plus a regiment of the 93rd is to continue to guard the Thailand border; the T-55th Division is to remain in Mawchi-Loikaw area--are delivered to the Chinese 6th Army. The Chinese 66th Army, less the 38th Divisi0n, is to concentrate below Mandalay.

US Submarine Sinks Japanese Freighter

Diplomatic Relations

Moscow 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

• Over the next 3 days U-boats lay mines off Famagusta, Cyprus, Beirut, Haifa and Port Said.
• The British submarine Thrasher sinks the German steamer Atlas (2297t) near Benghazi.

Pacific

The US submarine Grayling (SS-209) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese merchant cargo ship Ryujin Maru (6243t) off the southwest tip of Shikoku, Japan.

Philippines

Cebu is now firmly in Japanese hands, however, there is plenty of sporadic guerilla action by the defenders.