Air Operations, Aleutians

18 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s and 6 B-25s, with 16 343rd Fighter Group P-38s and 24 P-40s attack Kiska in several waves. 4 B-24s attack the airfield on Attu.

Air Operations, Bismarcks

90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s mount individual attacks against the Cape Gloucester and Gasmata airfields on New Britain.

Air Operations, CBI

8 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack rail facilities at Thazi.

Air Operations, Europe

• The first sortie of the newly formed No 1409 (Meteorological) Flight, based at Oakington, by 1 Mosquito, crewed by Flight Lieutenant P Cunliffe-Lister and Sergeant I Doyle. The make a weather reconnaissance flight to Brittany in preparation for the Bomber Command raids to be carried out in the coming night. The Flight operates until the end of the war, flying 1,364 sorties and losing only 3 Mosquitos.

• 55 aircraft are sent to St Nazaire and 47 to Lorient on the last raids on these French ports. Bomber Command is released from its obligation to bomb these 2 targets 3 days later.
• 1 Lancaster is lost on the St Nazaire raid.
• 33 aircraft lay mines off the southern part of the Biscay coast.
• 1 Lancaster is lost.

British India Ship Gogra Sunk by U-124

SS Gogra, carrying 7,000 tons of military stores, including ammunition, was torpedoed and sunk by U-124 at 18.55 hours on April 2, 1943 about 320 miles west of Oporto. The master (John Drummond), 75 crew members and six gunners were lost. Five crew members and three gunners were picked up by Danby, transferred to the New Northland and landed at Freetown. Only 10 British Officers are commemorated on Tower Hill on Panel 52 and only 1 of the 6 gunners lost has any known commemoration. As the Gogra belonged to the British India SN Co. Ltd, the rest of the crew were from the Indian Merchant Navy and sixty-seven are commemorated on the Bombay/Chittagong War Memorial.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• 90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s mount individual attacks against Salamaua and a bridge near Finschhafen.
• 3rd Light Bomb Group A-20s attack several targets.

Air Operations, Pacific

US planes bomb Kiska and Attu.

SS Katha Sunk by U-124

SS Katha, carrying 7,000 tons of naval and military stores including 16 aircraft, was torpedoed by U-124 at 18.55 hours on April 2, 1943 about about 320 miles west of Oporto. The master (Samuel Thomson), 53 crew members and four gunners were picked up by Danby and the corvette HMS La Malouine, transferred to the New Northland and landed at Freetown. One crew member (commemorated on Tower Hill Panel 60) and five unknown gunners were lost.

Air Operations, Solomons

XIII Fighter Command P-38s and P-40s attack a small ship in Kokolope Bay. The P-38s drop their auxiliary fuel tanks on the ship’s deck and strafe the vessel to set her aflame.

Germany, Home Front

A decree issued by Göring makes air raid patrol duty compulsory for every able-bodied German.

North Africa

A stalemate develops with both sides battered and unable to dislodge the opposing forces.

In the US II Corps area, a virtual stalemate exists as the enemy checks the dogged efforts of the infantry of the 1st and 9th Divs to clear Gumtree and Gabès roads. The 1st Div clears the rest of Djebel el Mcheltat, but the 9th is unable to take Hill 772 on Djebel Berda. A gap exists between the 2 divisions. The diversionary action of Combat Command A, 1st Armored Div, in the Maknassy area is suspended.

Two U.S. Marine Corps Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighters at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Fighter planes like these scored 18 victories over Japanese Zeros northwest of Guadalcanal on this day in 1943.

Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat Fighters on Guadalcanal