Air Operations, Bismarcks

V Bomber Command B-25s attack Rambutyo Island.

Air Operations, Carolines

• 31 5th and 307th Heavy Bomb group B-24s attack Dublon Island in the Truk Atoll. 4 B-24s are lost during an interception by more than 30 Japanese fighters.
• During the night, 11 VII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 60 10th Air Force A-31s attack Nawngpu-awng and Paungbyin, and Japanese Army positions along the upper Chindwin River. 12 A-31s attack Japanese Army ground troops near Buthidaung in the Arakan coastal region. 6 P-51s attack dumps near Indaw and motor vehicles near Bhamo. 12 P-40s attack Kamaing.
• 459th Fighter Squadron P-38s downs 2 Ki-48 'Lily' bombers and 2 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighters over the airfield at Heho at 1220 hours.

• 2 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack a ship at sea between Hong Kong and Formosa.

Air Operations, East Indies

V Bomber Command B-25s attack Dili and Penfoei.

Air Operations, Far East

The first B-29 Superfortress reaches India after a flight from the US via the UK and North Africa. This heavy bomber is scheduled to enter the war against Japan.

Air Operations, New Guinea

More than 120 V Bomber Command B-24s attack Bogadjim, Hansa Bay, Madang, Wewak, and assorted coastal targets of opportunity after being forced by bad weather to divert from their primary target, Hollandia.

Burma-India

A battalion of the US 5307th unit is attacked and cut off by the Japanese at Nhpum Ga. Efforts by other detachments of the unit to free it are ineffective.

Renya Mutaguchi's troops continue their advance. They now cut the road between Kohima and Imphal. South of Imphal the 17th Indian Div has nearly completed its retirement to the main position.

Eastern Front

The Soviets of the 2nd Ukrainian Front enter Rumania crossing the Prut east of Chernovtsy. They occupy the village of Gerca. Vyacheslav Molotov has offered a separate peace to the Rumanians, but the occupation of their country by the Germans has made it impossible for the Rumanian government to sign such a treaty.

The encircled 1st Panzer Army is presented with an ultimatum, to surrender or be destroyed. The offer is rejected as Hube plans to break out, deploying his army in a mobile hedgehog against the Soviet forces.

The 4th Tank Army crosses the Prut River east of Chernovtsy, while on the extreme southern wing the German 6th Army attempts to fall back across the Dniestr but is hampered by the weather, a fierce storm of sleet hindering the construction of a pontoon bridge.

El Salvador

There is an attempted military coup. About 300 people are killed.

Germany, Home Front

Hitler continues to profess his belief in ultimate victory: 'The Russians have exhausted and divided their forces.'

Occupied Italy

The Communist Party supports the Badoglio Government.

Images from April 2, 1944

A Universal Carrier crew of the 2nd Sherwood Foresters fire a 2-inch mortar from their vehicle in the Anzio bridgehead, Italy, April 1944

Universal Carrier Crew at Anzio

Vehicles and Panther Tanks of the Grossdeutschland Division in Romania – April 1944

93rd Division Troops in Bougainville, April 1944

The ‘Hitler Youth’ Division was formed in 1943 from boys who had been indoctrinated in the Nazi youth organisation. Its officers and NCOs were more experienced men from both the SS and the Wehrmacht.

The ‘Hitler Youth’ Division

After the boys had been trained for the SS it was decided that they could form a SS Panzer division and they began training with tanks.

‘Hitler Youth’ Training in Tanks

RAAF Bristol Beaufort, A9-543 crashed at East Sale, Victoria on 2 April 1944