Air Operations, Carolines

5th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the Woleai Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 11 10th Air Force B-25s attack a bivouac and supply dumps near Manywet.
• 24 A-31 attack Japanese Army positions around Tiddim.

Air Operations, Central Pacific

Following a fruitless search for shipping in the Wake Island area, VII Bomber Command B-24s attack Wake Island.

Air Operations, Europe

There is an abortive night raid on Hull.

• 357 Lancasters and 22 Mosquitos of Nos. 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups are sent to Cologne.
• This attack hits areas of Cologne which are north and west of the city center and mostly industrial in nature. 192 industrial complexes suffer varying degrees of damage along with 725 buildings described as dwellings with commercial premises attached. 7 railway facilities also suffer serious damage.
• 4 Lancasters are lost.
• A raid on railway yards at La Chapelle just north of Paris is the first major test for the new No. 5 Group marking method, with the group employing not only No. 617 Squadron's low-level markers but the 3 Pathfinder squadrons recently transferred from No. 8 Group. A few regular No. 8 Group Mosquitos are also used to drop markers by Oboe to provide a first indication of the target's location for the main No. 5 Group marking force. 247 Lancasters of No. 5 Group and 22 Mosquitos from 5 and 8 Groups are sent. The bombing force is split into two parts, with an interval between them of 1 hour, and each part of the force aiming at different halves of the railway yards. There are a few difficulties at the opening of the attack, with the markers of the Oboe Mosquitos being a fraction late and with communications between the various controlling aircraft being faulty, but these difficulties are soon overcome and both parts of the bombing force achieve extremely accurate and concentrated bombing.
• 6 Lancasters are lost.
• 196 aircraft are sent to Ottignies, about 35 miles southwest of Brussels. In this total are 175 Halifaxes, 14 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitos. The southern half of the railway yard is extremely damaged.
• There are no losses.
• 175 aircraft including 154 Halifaxes, 14 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitos of Nos. 6 and 8 Groups accurately attack railways at Lens.
• 1 Halifax is lost.
• 14 Stirlings, using the G-H blind bombing device are sent to bomb the railway depot at Chambly. Only 4 of the aircraft bomb and 1 of the Stirlings is lost.
• 8 Mosquitos are sent to Berlin, 30 Stirlings and 8 Halifaxes lay mines off French ports, 2 aircraft are on Resistance flights, and there are 25 Serrate and 8 Intruder patrols, and 14 RCM and 27 OTU sorties.
• 2 Serrate Mosquitos and 1 OTU Wellington are lost.

• 36 78th Fighter Group P-47s, escorted by 56 55th Fighter Group -38s, dispatched to attack the St.-Trond Airdrome jettison their bombs into the English Channel and abort due to bad weather.

• Of 560 8th Air Force B-17s and 282 B-24s dispatched against 33 V-weapons sites in the Pas-de-Calais and Cherbourg areas, 375 B-17s and 174 B-24s attack 24 of the briefed targets, and 12 B-17s and 7 B-24s attack various targets of opportunity.
• 9 heavy bombers are lost
• Escort for the heavy bombers is provided by 388 VIII Fighter Command fighters, whose pilots down 4 Bf-109s and 1 Ju-88 over central France between 1800 and 1945 hours.
• 2 P-51s and their pilots are lost.

• Nearly 400 IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s attack gun emplacements at five locations, V-weapons sites, the Poix Airdrome, and targets of opportunity around Pas-de-Calais.
• Nearly 140 9th Air Force P-47s bomb the marshalling yards at Creil and Mantes-la-Jolie.
• In the first true fighter-bomber mission undertaken by VIII Fighter Command P-51s, 33 357th Fighter Group P-51s, escorted by 31 78th Fighter Group P-47s, attack the Cambrai/Epinoy Airdrome with two 500-pound bombs apiece, and 1 P-51 attack the Vitry-en-Artois Airdrome.

• 12th Air Force B-25s and B-26s, and XII TAC A-20s attack the Arezzo viaduct, bridges at two locations, and a marshalling yard and three fuel dumps at Leghorn.
• XII TAC fighter-bombers attack fuel dumps and rail and road targets in central Italy, and numerous tactical targets in the Cassino area.

• 15th Air Force B-24s attack the naval base at Trieste, the harbor at Venice, the shipyard at Monfalcone, and marshalling yards at three locations.
• 15th Air Force B-17s attack the port facilities at Venice and marshalling yards at Ancona, Castelfranco, and Padua.
• A P-38 pilot with the 14th Fighter Group's 48th Fighter Squadron downs a Bf-109 over Trieste at 1300 hours.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• 380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based in Australia attack airfields on Noemfoor Island in the Schouten Islands.
• V Bomber Command B-25s and A-20s, and V Fighter Command fighters and fighter-bombers attack targets at and around Bunabun, Cape Croisilles, Hansa Bay, and Hollandia.

Burma-India

In the northeastern sector the Chinese 38th Div advances southward in the Mogaung valley toward Kamaing. It occupies Height 1725, previously held most tenaciously by rearguards of the Japanese 18th Div, which has the task of protecting the retirement of the main body on to the Wala-Malakawng line.

The Allied garrison on Summer House Hill, Kohima, is relieved by the British 2nd Div.

In India, in the XXXIII Corps sector, the British and Indian formations besieged by the Japanese at Kohima re reached by the British 2nd Div advancing from Dimapur. However, the Japanese hold on to the village and are still blocking the road to Imphal.

CBI

The Chinese 22nd Division finally advances after strong pressure from Gen Stilwell. Chiang Kai-shek's influence on the division commander has prevented Stilwell's orders from being carried out.

Diplomatic Relations

In response to Allied pressure Turkey stops chrome exports to Germany. There exists an alliance between Britain and Turkey. Seeing how the war is going, Turkey decides to respect it.

Italy

The Free French 1st Motorized Div begins to land in Naples. It is to be followed by other French forces early in May.

Mediterranean

• The Germans use Neger ('Negro') human torpedoes against shipping off Anzio. 37 are launched from the beaches without result.
• 6 Allied merchant ships are hit by torpedo planes near the Straits of Gibraltar.
• The US destroyer Lansdale (DD-426) is sunk by an aircraft torpedo in the western Mediterranean area.
• The Italian Romolo class transport submarines R-7 (UIT-4) and R-8 (UIT-5) were both seized by the Germans while under construction at the CRDA Shipyard at Monfalcone. They are bombed while incomplete alongside the fitting-out jetty.

Pacific

The Japanese submarine RO-45 is sunk by the US submarine Seahorse (SS-304) off the Marianas Islands.

Images from April 20, 1944

Explosion of the Ship Vorboode

Explosion of the Ship Vorboode

A German Boat Explodes

The Explosion of SS Paul Hamilton