Air Operations, Australia

P-40s of the 7th and 8th Pursuit Squadrons of the 49th Pursuit Group down 10 of 24 G3M 'Nell' bombers and 2 A6M Zeros over Darwin between 1430 and 1500 hours.

Air Operations, CBI

2nd and 3rd AVG Squadron P-40s down 3 Japanese Army reconnaissance planes near Lashio, Burma during the afternoon.

Air Operations, Europe

The Germans bomb Bath. In the next few days Norwich, York, Hull and Exeter are all hit.

Historic Bath Bombed in Another Baedeker Raid

The British had suffered only intermittent air raids since the last of the major raids on London in May 1941. Some of these produced considerable casualties, particularly on the east coast which was prone to hit and run raiders. However there had been no sustained campaign of raids. Now that the the RAF was beginning to demonstrate its increased power and range with an ever increasing complement of heavy bombers, there were demands for reprisal raids. The destructive power of the raid on Lubeck had unnerved some senior Nazis and incensed Hitler. The firestorm had destroyed large parts of the medieval city. Now Hitler demanded that historic cities in Britain be targeted. The very first major raid on a provincial town in Britain in 1940 had ripped the heart out of medieval Coventry but that was also an industrial town and a centre of aircraft production. Now cities were hit simply because they had noted historic buildings. The first raid came on the 23rd April with a relatively modest raid on Exeter. The Baedeker tourist guide was regarded as an authority on the architectural gems of Britain. On the 25th it was the turn of the fine Georgian town Bath, in the first of three major attacks.

There is a heavy raid on Leningrad.

• 36 Bostons are sent on Circus operations to the Abbeville railway yards, the Morliax airfield, and harbor targets at Cherbourg, Le Havre and Dunkirk. 29 aircraft drop their bombs. 2 Bostons are lost in these operations.
• 128 aircraft of 6 types are sent to Rostock, 110 top the town and 18 to the Heinkel factory. Heavy bombing of the town with many fires being started. The Heinkel factory is hit for the first time by Manchester from 106 Squadron commanded by Wing Commander Guy Gibson. No aircraft are lost, but crews report the Flak defenses have been strengthened.
• In minor operations, 6 Stirlings carry out a long-range attack on the Sköda armaments factory in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia. Cloud covers the target upon arrival and at least 5 of the planes drop their loads. 32 aircraft are sent to Dunkirk, 2 Blenheim Intruders to Holland, and 5 planes on leaflet flights. 1 of the Stirlings is lost on the Pilsen raid.

Air Operations, North Africa

A Free French bomber squadron attacks Italian outposts in southern Libya.

Burma

Although the Japanese fail to hold Taunggyi which is now defended by Chinese 5th Army, they continue to move toward Lashio, a position of great strategic importance. To the west, Gen Alexander orders that the forces around Meiktila should withdraw from the Meiktila-Kyaukpadaung line to the north bank of the Irrawaddy. In the Meiktila sector the Chinese 22nd Div is surrounded by the Japanese.

New Caledonia

US troops land on the Free French colony of New Caledonia. The island's capital, Nouméa, will become a major US naval base.

North Africa

With clearer weather, air activity is resumed over the whole front. Axis formations attack Tobruk harbor, while British aircraft carry out a night raid on Benghazi.

Pacific

The US submarine Spearfish (SS-190) torpedoes the Japanese transport Toba Maru (7296t) off southwestern Luzon.