Air Operations, Carolines

• 41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Ponape Island.
• During the night, 20 VII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.
• 2 B-24s are lost.

Air Operations, CBI

• 6 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s and more than 2 10th Air Force fighter-bombers attack Japanese Army ground troops near Bhamo, a bridge near Mogaung, and targets of opportunity near Mupaw Ga. 4 B-25s attack a bridge at Tangon. 36 10th Air Force A-31s attack Japanese Army ground troops along the upper Chindwin River. 6 P-51s attack the airfield at Anisakan. 8 459th Fighter Squadron P-38s attack the airfield at Meiktila.
• During the night, 16 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack fuel facilities and power plants at Chauk, Lanywa, and Yenangyaung.

• 4 14th Air Force P-40s armed with aerial rockets attack 2 large riverboats on the Yangtze River between Hengyang and Ichang.

• 3 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s sow mines in Haiphong harbor. 4 rocket-armed 14th Air Force P-40s attack small craft in the Red River.

Air Operations, East Indies

V Bomber Command B-25s attack Penfoei, Timor.

Air Operations, Europe

US and RAF bombers begin bombing Budapest and other Hungarian cities ending the August 1943 agreement to refrain from such attacks in exchange for free and safe access over Hungary. Germans, not Hungarians, now man the aerial defenses in Hungary. 1,100 tons of bombs are dropped on Budapest rail targets and industrial sections by B-17s and B-24s of the 15th Air Force. There is strong fighter opposition. During the night the RAF follow up with a raid by Liberators and Wellingtons. The attacks necessitate a closure of all the city's stations and a large-scale evacuation of civilians which begins on April 7.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• In the 5th Air Force’s heaviest attack to date against Hollandia, 63 43rd and 90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s, 96 3rd and 312th Light Bomb group A-20s, 76 38th and 345th Medium Bomb group B-25s, and many V Fighter Command P-38 long-range fighter-bombers attack airfields and antiaircraft batteries in the Hollandia area. 1 P-38 is lost. This attack, coupled with those on March 30 and 31, breaks the back of the Japanese air forces in New Guinea. In these and several subsequent attacks in April, 340 Japanese aircraft are destroyed on the ground (and later hand-counted) and an estimated 60 Japanese fighters are shot down. USAAF losses in direct combat during these attacks amount to 2 P-38s and 1 B-24 shot down and 1 shot-up F-7 lost in a bad landing. Little known beyond those who took part, this is one of the great aerial victories of World War II.
• V Bomber Command B-24s attack Langgoer. B-25s attack the Babo area. More than 50 V Fighter Command fighters and fighter-bombers attack occupied villages, communications targets, and antiaircraft batteries at Bogia, Hansa Bay, Madang, and Wewak.
• 8th Fighter Group P-38s and 348th Fighter Group P-47s down 25 Japanese fighters over the Hollandia area between 1050 hours and noon.

Air Operations, Pacific

Aircraft of the US 5th Air Force carry out the heaviest raid on the Japanese base at Hollandia since the offensive began. Since March 30 at least 300 Japanese aircraft have been destroyed either on the ground or in the air. By now enemy resistance in this sector has become insignificant.

Arctic

The Tirpitz is attacked and damaged in Alta Fjord (Antenfjord) by FAA Fairey Barracuda bombers from the carriers of the British Home Fleet. There are 438 German casualties. 4 aircraft are lost but the Tirpitz is put out of action for a further 3 months. The Victorious and Furious and 4 escort carriers are involved.

Burma-India

Mountbatten urges Stilwell to go on with local offensives against the Japanese in the northeast, in spite of the serious situation in the Imphal-Kohima and Arakan areas. The capture of Myitkyina, in the north, would actually be of the first importance for the reopening, sooner or later, of the road between India and China. The Chindits will send 2 brigades to assist the Chinese and Americans in their offensive against Myitkyina.

Efforts by the US 5307th unit, supported by aircraft and artillery, to free the battalion surrounded by the Japanese in the Nhpum Ga area are abortive.

Eastern Front

Bitter fighting continues at Tarnopol as the 1st Guards Army tries to crush the last pockets of resistance inside the town.

With sleet falling, the 8th Guards Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front launches an unexpected attack upon the 6th Army, pushing it back toward Odessa.

United States, Home Front

The Supreme Court rules that Negroes have the right to vote in Texas.

Images from April 3, 1944

Successful attack in Operation Tungsten of 3 April 1944 on the Tirpitz in Kaa Fjord, North Norway by 827 and 830 squadron Barracuda dive-bombers from HMS Furious and HMS Victorious and supported by the 7th Naval Fighter Wing including 800, 804, 881, 896, 882, and 898 fighter sqdns

Attack on the Tirpitz

An Avenger Machine Gun Attack on U-288, 3 April

3 April 1944, planes from HMS Fencer setting out to attack the German battleship Tirpitz lying in Kåfjord.

The Attack on the Tirpitz

3 April 1944, German Battleship Tirpitz Under Attack by Carrier Based Aircraft in Kåfjord

British Task Force Returning to Base after the Attack, 3 April 1944, on Tirpitz

Sinking of U-288

The sinking of U-288 on 3 April 1944 at the hands of aircraft from HMS Activity and HMS Tracker. Sunk 3 April, 1944 in the Barents Sea south-east of Bear Island, Norway, in position 73.44N, 27.12E, by depth charges and rockets by Swordfish (Sqdn. 819) and Avenger / Wildcat (Sqdn 846) of the British escort carriers HMS Activity (Sqdn 819) and HMS Tracker (Sqdn 846). 49 dead (all hands lost).

Barracuda dive bombers of 827 and 830 squadron from the fleet carriers HMS Victorious and HMS Furious lead the first strike in attacking the German battleship Tirpitz, 3 April 1944

Leading the First Attack on Tirpitz