Air Operations, Europe

The US heavy bomber force drops 43,500 tons of bombs especially on aircraft factories throughout Europe. Steyr, Augsburg, Poznan, Duna and Oschersleben and many others are all attacked. The RAF heavy bomber force's main efforts are switched from German targets to transport centers in France and Belgium. Some attacks are still made on Germany including raids on Cologne and Essen. The rail targets include Laon, Tours, Rouen, Juvisy and Lille.

This respite from all-out attacks on Germany is welcome to the crews, if not to Air Marshal Harris, because of the growing efficiency of the German night fighters. During the month 33,000 tons are dropped. USAAF Marauders add 8,800 tons in attacks on French and Belgian rail targets.

Admiralty Islands

The US forces extend their hold occupying Ndrilo and Koniniat.

Air Operations, Carolines

• US carrier aircraft from Task Force 58 [see March 28, 1944] conclude three days of strikes against targets in the western Carolines with an all-out attack against the Woleai Atoll and a minor raid against the Ulithi Atoll. It is estimated that Japanese Navy losses amount to 150 aircraft destroyed in the air and on the ground, plus 2 destroyers, 4 escort ships, several auxiliary vessels, and merchant ships amounting to 104,000 tons. Also, the entrance to the main fleet anchorage in the Palau Islands will be blocked for six weeks by aerial mines. In 2,645 effective sorties in the Carolines, Task Force 58 combat losses amount to 11 F6Fs, 6 SB2Cs, 5 SBDs, and 5 TBMs. Operational accidents claim 18 aircraft. In all, 18 airmen are lost and all others are rescued, including 26 who are picked up by US lifeguard submarines.
• VF-24 and VF-31 F6Fs down 2 G4M 'Betty' bombers at sea near Task Force 58 at 1150 hours.
• 41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s based at O'Hare Field at Abemama Ponape Island.
• During the night, 22 XIII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll and 868th Heavy Bomb Squadron SB-24s attack Dublon Island in the Truk Atoll.

Air Operations, East Indies

380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Boela, Ceram and V Bomber Command B-25s attack Penfoei, Timor.

Air Operations, CBI

• 16 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Akyab and a railroad station near Rangoon. 6 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s attack a rail bridge near Nattalin. More than 40 10th Air Force A-31s attack the Homalin, Paungbyin, and Thaungdut areas. 10 A-31s attack Japanese Army positions near Buthidaung in the Arakan coastal region. 14 459th Fighter Squadron P-38s attack a factory and a train near Mandalay.

Air Operations, Europe

US bombers hit Schaffhausen, Switzerland by mistake. 48 people are killed.

• 35 Mosquitos bomb Hannover through thin clouds. There are no losses.

• 7 Mosquitos are sent to Aachen, 6 to Krefeld, and 2 to the La Glacerie flying bomb site, 34 Halifaxes lay mines off the Dutch coast, 9 aircraft are invoved in Resistance operations, and there are 1 RCM sortie and 4 Serrate patrols.

• 245 3rd Bomb Division B-17s and 95 2nd Bomb Division B-24s are dispatched to attack chemical plants at Ludwigshafen. All the B-17s abort due to heavy cloud cover over France. Due to the weather and a pathfinding error, the 2nd Bomb Division B-24s end up more than 100 miles off course. Although completely lost, 101 B-24s attack Pforzheim, Germany, 9 attack Grafenhausen, Germany, 17 B-24s attack Strasbourg, France, and 36 B-24s attack Schaffhausen, Switzerland. The US government eventually pays Switzerland $1 million in reparations.
• 12 B-24s are lost in action
• Of 17 VIII and IX Fighter Command fighter groups scheduled to escort the heavy bombers, 4 are grounded by bad weather, including one group scheduled to report on weather conditions over Germany. In all, 475 fighter participate in the mission. 4th and 354th Fighter Group P-51 pilots down 5 Bf-109s during the morning over France and Germany.

• 12th Air Force B-25s attack the harbor at Leghorn, bridges, and a rail line.
• 12th Air Force B-26s attack several bridges across the Arno River.
• XII Air Support Command A-20s attack German Army ammo dumps.
• XII Air Support Command P-40s attack a tunnel, bridges, fuel eumps, gun emplacements, and tactical targets in the battle areas.
• XII Air Support Command P-47 fighter-bombers attack a bridge and a train.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-25s and A-20s attack Hansa Bay and Tadji.

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, Europe

• 12th Air Force B-25s and B-26s attack numerous rail bridges.
• XII Air Support Command fighter-bombers attack numerous transportation targets, dumps, tactical targets, and targets of opportunity.

• After several aborts during the preceding two weeks, 15th Air Force heavy bombers finally get through heavy clouds to Steyr. A phased escort, the first of its kind in the theater, is provided by 15th Air Force's three P-38 groups and one P-47 group. Between 1213 and 1231 hours, 125 15th Air Force B-17s and 30 B-24s attack the ball-bearing plant.
• 168 15th Air Force B-24s attack the Steyr Airdrome.
• 125 15th Air Force B-24s bomb the Daimler-Puch aircraft components factory.
• 20 bombers are lost to enemy fire.

• In a series of fighter battles en route to and over the target area, 15th Air Force escort pilots down 33 Luftwaffe aircraft.
• 1 P-38 is written off after making a wheels-up landing at its home base

• 35 15th Air Force B-24s attack marshalling yards at Bihac.
• 28 B-24s of the 55th Heavy Bomb Group make their unit's combat debut in an attack on the Mostar Airdrome.
• 29 B-17s of the 5th Heavy Bomb Wing's 463rd Heavy Bomb Group attack a marshalling yard at Brod.
• 3 Bf-109s are downed near Zagreb at 1045 hours by P-47 pilots of the 325th Fighter Group's 31th Fighter Squadron.

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.

Arctic

During the night British destroyer Keppel obtains an asdic contact while screening 25 miles from the convoy. A Hedgehog attack is launched and at least four explosions are heard when a few minutes later there is a violent underwater explosion. Oil and wreckage come to the surface.

U-360

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.

• 12th Air Force medium bombers cut the approaches to a bridge north of Orvieto.
• XII Air Support Command A-20s attack an ammo dump.
• XII Air Support Command A-36s attack a rail line and an underpass.
• XII Air Support Command P-40s attack the town area at Itri, a Germany Army bivouac, a railroad station, and a supply dump.
• XII Air Support Command P-47s attack a road junction and a town area.

• 15th Air Force B-24s attack marshalling yards at Budapest, and 15th Air Force B-17s attack Budapest's Csepel Island aircraft plant. P-38 pilots of the 1st, 14th, and 82nd Fighter Groups down 7 Luftwaffe fighters and 2 He-111s in the Budapest area between 1020 and 1105 hours.

• 15th Air Force B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Brod.

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 anti-aircraft 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 anti-aircraft 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.

Air Operations, CBI

• 4 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s and more than 120 10th Air Force fighter-bombers attack Japanese Army ground troops, occupied villages, dumps, and rail lines at Myitkyina and Mogaung. 27 10th Air Force P-38 and P-51 fighter-bombers attack the airfields at Anisakan and Aungban.
• 14th Air Force P-38s attack fuel dumps and motor vehicles near Wan Mong Kang.
• A 1st Air Commando Group P-51 downs a Ki-61 'Tony' fighter over Aungban at 1007 hours.
• During the night, 14 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack rail yards and port facilities at Moulmein and a nearby Japanese Army headquarters.

• More than 80 10th Air Force A-31s attack Japanese Army positions near Imphal.

Air Operations, Europe

The Bucharest marshalling yards are 'blitzed' by 15th Air Force B-17s and B-24s with heavy escort. Fighters attack in strength. 20 planes are lost. Civilian casualties include 2,942 killed and 2,126 injured.

• 41 Mosquitos are sent to Cologne without a loss.

• 5 Mosquitos are sent to Aachen, 4 to Essen, 3 to Duisburg, 2 to Krefeld and 2 to La Glacerie.
• There are no losses.
• In a display of precision bombing 6 RAF Mosquitos bomb a Gestapo building in The Hague which contain the files on Dutchmen earmarked for deportation. In the center of a civilian area only the target building is destroyed in the low-level attack.

• XII Air Support Command A-20s attack ammo dumps.
• XII Air Support Command fighter-bombers attack gun emplacements, a bivouac, and numerous transportation targets in the Rome area and along and around the battlefronts.

• In the first of many strategic missions under a commitment by the 15th Air Force to aid the advance of the Soviet Army across the Balkans by disrupting Balkans transportation centers in use to supply the German Army in the East, 350 B-17s and B-24s, escorted by 119 P-38s, are dispatched to attack rail facilities in Bucharest. Luftwaffe fighter oppostion is fierce, especially against the 449th Heavy Bomb Group, a 47th Heavy Bomb Wing B-24 unit that becomes separated from the rest of the wing in bad weather. 7 of the group's 28 B-24s are downed by Axis fighters, but the survivors attack the target and make it home.
• Altogether, 93 B-17s and 220 B-24s drop 863 tons of bombs, mostly on marshalling yards at Bucharest. 30 B-24s from two groups attack the Bucharest/Otopeni Airdrome. Bomber gunners are awarded credit for 50 Luftwaffe fighters, but the only victories credited to the 15th Air Force fighters taking part in the Bucharest mission are 1 Bf-110 and 2 Ju-88s downed over Caracal, Romania, at 1428 hours by 82nd Fighter Group P-38 pilots.
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Air Operations, Carolines

• 41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Ponape Island.
• During the night, VII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.
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Air Operations, New Guinea

More than 50 V Bomber Command B-24s attack the Wewak area. 12 V Fighter Command P-39s attack coastal targets, bridges, and occupied villages between Bogia and Cape Gourdon.

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Burma-India

The Japanese 31st Division begins to put real pressure on the British IV Corps' position at Kohima, cutting both routes out of the town toward the rear. It is vital for the Japanese to capture this British supply center as they are relying on its resources for their own replenishment. The British send in the few reserves they have. In the northeast sector the Japanese attack the battalion surrounded at Nhpum Ga. The Chinese 114th Regiment takes over the task, previously assigned to the 112th Regiment, of blocking the road to the Kamaing valley.

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Eastern Front

Units of Field Marshal Ernst Busch's Army Group Center, including the 4th Panzer Army, counterattack near Kovel. They succeed in freeing the German forces surrounded since March 19 in the area north of the Pripet marshes by the 2nd Belorussian Front. Farther south the Soviets are prevented from gaining routes through the Carpathians near Kolomya. The North Ukraine Army Group, under Model, launches a number of counterattacks in the area southwest of Tarnopol.

Air Operations, CBI

• 13 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack rail bridges between Moulmein and Kanchanaburi (Thailand). 6 10th Air Force A-31s attack targets of opportunity around Thaungdut.

• 51st Fighter Group P-40s down 9 Ki-44 'Tojo' fighters over the airfield at Nanning at 1435 hours.

• 14th Air Force P-40s based in China attack rail targets at Na Cham.

Air Operations, East Indies

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

Air Operations, Europe

The US 15th Air Force begins a series of systematic attacks against the Ploesti oilfields dropping 588 tons of bombs. There is heavy flak and determined opposition from German, Rumanian and Bulgarian fighters. There are 262 civilians killed and 361 injured in the raid.

Later, on May 12, the US 8th Air Force will join in the offensive, which is to be extended to all German oil refineries. Shortage of fuel is endangering both the Wehrmacht's mobility and the country's war production. The Germans begin to build underground factories, step up the production of synthetic fuel and split up war contracts among a great number of small firms to reduce the risk. But from the middle of 1944 war production fails to keep pace with requirements of balancing losses.

• 144 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito of No. 5 Group successfully attack an aircraft factory at Toulouse.
• 1 Lancaster is lost as it explodes over the target.

• 24 Stirlings lay mines off Biscay ports and 37 aircraft are involved in Resistance operations.

• Due to heavy cloud cover over the target area, only 21 of 50 2nd Bomb Division B-24s dispatched attack V-weapons sites at St.-Pol/Siracourt.

• Despite heavy clouds and a snow storm that turns back numerous other groups, the 4th and 355th Fighter Groups, in P-51s, strafe eleven airfields in the vicinity of Munich and claim 96 aircraft destoyed on the ground. In addition to Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed on the ground, pilots of the 4th, 20th, and 355th Fighter Groups down a todal of 12 Luftwaffe aircraft over Germany between 1450 and 1515 hours.
• 10 USAAF fighers and 8 pilots are lost in the day's action

• Heavy bombers of the 8th Air Force's 45th Combat Bomb Wind strike an aircraft components factory.

• XII Air Support Comand A-36s attack Formia and several railroad stations.
• XII Air Support Command P-40s attack fuel dumps, a railroad stations, and gun emplacements in the US 5th Army battle area.

• Although SHAEF has officially proscribed attack specifically aimed at gutting Axis oil facilities, the commanders of the 15th Air Force heavy-bomber force claim that the 558 tons of bombs dropped by 95 B-17s and 135 B-24s on the Ploesti oil fields and refining facilities this day are aimed only at rail facilities. However, bombs that miss the rail facilities cause grave harm to adjacent oil facilities. Thus, this mission effectively begins a tacitly approved bombing campaign against oil targets, especially Ploesti. The bombers are attacked by as many as 85 Axis fighters.
• 5 B-24s are lost

• 15th Air Force B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Leskovac.
• 15th Air Force B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Nis.

Air Operations, New Guinea

More than 270 V Bomber Command B-24s, B-25s, and A-20s, and V Fighter Command P-38 fighter-bombers attack Hollandia area and dumps and occupied villages around Humboldt Bay. B-24s attack Efman Island and Kaimana. P-40 and P-47 fighter-bombers attack the Bogia, Hansa Bay, and Wewak areas.

Air Operations, Bismarcks

A VC-33 (USS Coral Sea) plane downs a G4M 'Betty' bomber at sea near Emirau Island at 1329 hours.

Air Operations, Carolines

• 41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s mount two attacks against Ponape Island.
• During the night, 27 307th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s, guided by 4 868th Heavy Bomb Squadron SB-24s, attack Dublon Island in the Truk Atoll. 1 B-24 is downed by an Japanese Navy night fighter.

Air Operations, Central Pacific

VII Bomber Command B-24s attack Wake Island.

Air Operations, CBI

• 6 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s attack rail facilities at Shwebo. 2 B-25s and more than 80 10th Air Force fighter-bombers attack numerous targets in the Mogaung Valley. 6 10th Air Force A-31s attack targets around Tamanthi.

• 14th Air Force P-40s attack a Japanese Army barracks near Nanchang.
• During the night, only 1 of 6 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s dispatched is able to get through bad weather to attack a Canton-area airfield.

Air Operations, East Indies

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

Air Operations, Europe

Spitfire fighter-bombers of the RAF destroy many planes on the Banja Luka airfield in Yugoslavia.

• 35 Mosquitos are sent to Hamburg.
• 1 Mosquito is lost.

• 14 Mosquitos attack 7 targets in the Ruhr and the Rhineland and there are 3 RCM sorties.
• There are no losses.

• Five 2nd Bomb Division B-24 groups are dispatched against the V-weapons site at Watten, but heavy cloud cover over the target prevents all but 12 B-24s from mounting the attack.

• 12th Air Force B-25s attack the Perugian Airdrome.
• 12th Air Force B-26s attack a bridge near Orvieto.
• XII Air Support Command fighter-bombers attack small ships in the Aegean Sea, and gun emplacements, railroad stations, and road and rail bridges throughout central Italy.
• The 350th Fighter Group, in modified ground-attack P-39s, mounts an all-out effort against German Army lines of supply and communication. Operating from Corsica, the group mounts 75 sorties in ten missions through intense flak and severs a highway and knocks out two rail bridges, a barracks, and two air-warning systems. When a flight of 6 of the groups P-39s is attacked in the afternoon by 10 FW-190s and Bf-109s in the Grosseto area, 10 P-39s flying top cover down 5 of the Luftwaffe fighters and drive away the rest without loss.

• 15th Air Force B-17s attack and airdrome at Zagreb.
• While escorting the B-17s, 325th Fighter Group P-47 pilots and 82nd Fighter Group P-38 pilots down 13 Luftwaffe fighters over Yugoslavia and northern Italy.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• Before dawn, V Bomber Command B-24s and Fleet Air Wing 17 PB4Ys and PBYs attack the Wakde Islands. Later, V Fighter Command fighters and fighter-bombers attack coastal targets at Aitape, Madang, and Wewak.
• Japanese forces at Hollandia report that only 25 aircraft remain serviceable following several days of attacks by 5th Air Force bombers.

Arctic

After a successful attack on convoy SC-156, U-302 is detected by the British frigate HMS Swale and forced to dive. Without taking any evasive action Swale makes two Hedgehog attacks and is rewarded with three explosions after the second. A few minutes later a large, muffled underwater explosion is heard.

U-302

Eastern Front

There is heavy fighting north of Razdelnaya as a small German pocket is wiped out. The 1st Panzer Army reaches German lines after a 10-day fighting retreat.

A small German force is isolated at Razdelnaya and brought under sustained attack.

Air Operations, Aleutians

Several F-7s from the 2nd Photographic Charting Squadron of the 311th Photographic Wing’s 1st Photographic Group arrive to begin mapping the Kurile Islands.

Air Operations, Carolines

During the night, VII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• More than 20 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s and 10th Air Force P-51s attack artillery batteries at Mawlu. 24 10th Air Force A-31s attack occupied villages around Tamanthi and Thaungdut in the Chindwin River area. 9 A-31s attack Japanese Army positions near Buthidaung in the Arakan coastal region. 2 B-25s and more than 100 10th Air Force fighter-bombers attack numerous targets at and near Kamaing, Manywet, Mogaung, Myitkyina, Nsopzup, and Sahmaw. More than 30 fighter-bombers support Allied ground troops at Shaduzup.

• 2 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack shipping between Hong Kong and Formosa. 7 14th Air Force P-40s attack barges and junks at St. John Island. 1 B-24 is lost.

• 4 14th Air Force P-40s attack many small vessels at Haiphong.

Air Operations, East Indies

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

Air Operations, Europe

• 12 Halifaxes lay mines off the Dutch coast, 4 Mosquitos make Serrate patrols and there is 1 RCM sortie.

• 12th Air Force B-25s and B-26s attack a marshalling yard at Prato, a viaduct, and several rail lines and bridgtes.
• XII Air Support Command A-20s attack an ammo dump.
• XII Air Support Command A-36s attack gun emplacements, a train, and the rail line at Orvieto.
• XII Air Support Command P-40s attack several towns, dumps, and gun emplacements.
• XII Air Support Command P-47s attack bridges near Rome and a marshalling yard.

• 15th Air Force B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Treviso.
• 15th Air Force B-24s attack marshalling yards at Bologna and Mestre.
• 14th Fighter Group P-38 pilots down 10 Bf-109s over Mestre between 1245 and 13-5.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-24s attack Langgoer and the Wakde Islands. B-25s, A-20s, and V Fighter Command P-39s attack numerous targets around Bogia, Madang, Tadji, and Uligan.

Battle of the Atlantic

The Germans submarine U-856 is sunk by the US destroyer Champlin (DD-601) and the destroyer escort Huse (DE-145) in the North Atlantic area.

U-856

Burma-India

Near Kohima the Japanese 138th Regiment encircles the 161st Brigade from Gen Montagu Stopford's XXXIII Corps at Jotsoma and block the main road to the west near Zubza. They also tighten the circle around the town of Kohima seizing the town's main waterworks. The 17th Indian Division is deployed north of Imphal.

German, Home Front

Goebbels is appointed 'City President of Berlin' with unlimited powers, superseding the Oberburgmeister (Lord Mayor).

Air Operations, Carolines

41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Ponape Island.

Air Operations, CBI

• 4 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s attack a bridge and roads at Sittang. 2 B-25s and more than 100 10 Air Force fighter-bombers attack Japanese Army ground troops at Shaduzup and Kamaing, and numerous targets throughout the Mogaung Valley. Nearly 50 A-31s attack Homalin and Kohima (India). More than 20 A-31s attack Japanese Army ground troops near Buthidaung in the Arakan coastal region. 8 14th Air Force P-40s attack oil dumps at Wanling.

• 6 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack shipping in Yulinkan Bay. 2 B-25s strafe the airfield on Weichow Island. 9 B-25s attack the Samah airfield at Hainan.

• 11 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack rail yards at Hanoi.

Air Operations, Europe

• 40 Mosquitos are sent to attack the Krupps works at Essen without a loss..

• 3 Mosquitos are sent to Duisburg and 3 to Osnabrück, 8 Halifaxes lay mines off Texel and Den Helder and there are 2 RCM sorties.
• There are no losses.

• Although nearly the entire 1st Bomb Division is grounded by fog, all 59 91st and 381st Heavy Bomb Group B-17s that are able to get airborne attack the assigned target, the Oldenburg Airdrome.
• Of 350 2nd Bomb Division B-24s dispatched, 190 attack the assigned target, an aircraft plant at Brunswick, and 113 attack several targets of opportunity, including the Langenhagen Airdrome.
• 30 B-24s are lost
• 184 of the 255 3rd Bomb Division B-17s dispatched attack their primary targets, the Achmer, Quakenbruck, and Rheine/Hopstein Airdromes. 65 B-17s attack various targets of opportunity.
• 4 B-17s are lost
• Escort for the heavy bombers is provided by 780 fighters, whose pilots down an unprecedented 88 Luftwaffe aircraft along the bomber routes between 1300 and 1630 hours. 49 other Luftwaffe aircraft are claimed as destroyed on the ground in strafing attacks.
• 23 USAAF fighters are lost with their pilots, either in air-to-air combat or while strafing ground targets of opportunity in Germany

• 196 IX Bomber Command B-26s attack the Coxyde Airdrome and a marshalling yard at Hasselt.
32 P-47 fighter-bombers attack targets around Hasselt.

• 12th Air Force medium bombers attack a bridge near Orte.
• XII Air Support Command A-20s attack several supply dumps.
• XII Air Support Command fighter-bombers attack bridges, motor vehicles, rail lines, and supply dumps.

• 15th Air Force B-17s attack aircraft-industry targets at Fischamend Markt.

• For the first time, 15th Air Force heavy bombers take part in mining the Danube River. During this night mission, 3 B-24s accompanying RAF Wellingtons seed the river below Belgrade with 1,000-pound and 1,600 pound mines.

Air Operations, Far East

The Germans begin a program of remarkable long-distance cargo flights between Polish airfields and Manchuria during which Ju-290 A-9 aircraft, with sufficient fuel for a 5,500-mile journey, fly at altitudes of up to 38,000 feet to cross the Soviet Union without detection.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command A-20s attack numerous targets in the Hansa Bay area. V Fighter Command P-40s attack targets of opportunity in the Aitape and Wewak areas.

Baltic Sea

U-2 is sunk in a collision with the steam trawler Hinrich Freese, the details of which are unknown.

U-2

Battle of the Atlantic

U-962 is sunk in a depth-charge attack by the British sloops HMS Crane and Cygnet.

U-962

Admiralty Islands

The Americans land on Pak Island without meeting any resistance. The last Japanese are rounded up on Manus Island.

Air Operations, Carolines

During the night, VII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 6 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack rail yards at Mandalay. 1 B-24s attacks Maymyo. 13 B-24s sow mines near Mandalay and Magwe. 25 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s and P-51 fighter-bombers attack fuel dumps at Indaw, Japanese Army ground troops at Lasai, and road traffic near Manhton. Several B-25s and more than 100 10th Air Force fighter-bombers attack targets in the Mogaung Valley. 11 459th Fighter Squadron P-38s attack rail lines in the Mandalay area and a ship at Ywataung.

• 2 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a tanker off Cape Bastion.

• More than 40 10th Air Force A-31s attack Japanese positions on both sides of the Burma-India frontier, at Imphal and Kanglatongbu (India) and Thaungdut (Burma) and Nawngpu-awng (Burma).

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-24s and A-20s attack Boram, Cape Moem, Hansa Bay, and barges at Muschu Island and in the Wagol River. 55 B-25s attack Aitape. V Fighter Command B-25s attack Japanese Army ground troops, bridges, and barges in the Awar, Bogia, Bunabun, and Madang area.

Air Operations, Europe

• 239 aircraft including 166 Halifaxes, 40 Lancasters, 22 Stirlings and 11 Mosquitos of Nos. 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups are sent to hit the railway yards at Lille.
• There are no losses.
• 225 aircraft including 166 Lancasters, 49 Halifaxes and 10 Mosquitos are sent to attack the railway yards at Villeneuve St Georges near Paris.
• There are no losses.

• 36 Mosquitos are sent to Mannheim, 8 to 4 other targets, 103 Lancasters of Nos. 1 and 5 Groups lay mines off Danzig, Gdynia and Pillau in the Baltic, 61 aircraft are involved in Resistance operations, and there are 16 Serrate patrols and 9 OTU sorties.
• 9 mine-laying Lancasters and 1 Serrate Mosquito are lost.

• 140 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack aircraft-industry targets at Marienburg and Rahmel.
• 126 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack Parchim an aircraft plant at Tutow, and several targets of opportunity.
• 136 3rd Bomb Division B-17s attack aircraft-industry targets at Posen and Warnemunde, and the Rostock/Marienehe Airdrome.
• 32 heavy bombers are lost
• Escort for the heavy bombers is provided by 719 fighters, whose pilots down 21 Luftwaffe fighters along the bomber route between 1120 and 1545 hours.
10 USAAF fighters are lost and 9 pilots

• XII Air Support Command A-36s and P-40s attack two towns, the rail line between Rome and Bracciano, railroad repair shops, and gun emplacements.

Battle of the Atlantic

The German submarine U-515 is sunk of Madeira Island by aircraft (VC-58) from the US escort carrier 7Guadalcanal and the destroyer escorts Pillsbury (DE-133), Pope (DE-134), Flaherty (DE-135) and Chatelain (DE-149).

U-515

Air Operations, Carolines

41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Ponape Island.

Air Operations, CBI

• 9 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack port and rail facilities at Moulmein. 4 B-24s sow mines at the mouth of the Tavoy River. 18 10th Air Force A-31s attack Japanese Army positions throughout the Arakan coastal region. 18 A-31s attack Japanese Army ground troops at Kangpoki (India) and Maungkan. Several 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s and more than 100 10th Air Force fighter-bombers attack numerous targets at and around Kamaing, Kazu, Mogaung, and Myitkyina. Fighter-bombers support Allied ground troops near Kamaing. Several B-25s and nearly 40 fighter-bombers attack a bridge, Japanese Army ground troops and supplies, a fuel dump, artillery batteries, and targets of opportunity in the Katha area. 10 14th Air Force P-40s attack road traffic in the Wanling area.

• 3 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack two bridges, several buildings, and a rail line at Phu Dien Chau.

Air Operations, Japan

3 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s complete an armed reconnaissance mission to Matusuwa and Onnetkotan islands in the Kurile Islands.

Air Operations, New Guinea

US destroyers and nearly 60 V Bomber Command B-24s attack airfields and anticraft batteries around Hansa Bay.

Air Operations, Europe

(4th?)6 RAF Mosquitos destroy the Central Population Registry building in The Hague which contained Gestapo records.

• Railways are the targets for a large effort by Bomber Command. 180 Lancasters of No. 5 Group are sent to Tours; 1 Lancaster is lost. 157 Halifaxes of No. 4 Group and 10 Pathfinder Mosquitos are sent to Tergnier; 10 Halifaxes are lost. 148 Lancasters and 15 Mosquitos are sent to Laon; 1 Lancaster is lost. 132 Lancasters and 15 Pathfinder Mosquitos are sent to Aulnoye; 7 Lancasters are lost. 122 Halifaxes of No. 6 Group and 10 Pathfinder Mosquitos are sent to Ghent, Belgium; there are no losses. With the exception of the attack at Laon, all targets suffer heavy damage.

• 36 Mosquitos are sent to Hannover and 2 to Duisburg, 17 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito of No. 617 Squadron are sent to hit the St Cyr signals depot, 8 Stirlings lay mines off La Pallice, 46 aircraft are involved in Resistance operations, and there are 9 Serrate patrols, 8 RCM and 17 OTU sorties.
• There are no losses.

• 214 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack aircraft-industry targets at Brussels and Evere, and the Brussels/Melsbroek and Brussels/Evere Airdromes.
• 143 3rd Bomb Division B-17s that are unable to locate their assigned target in France, attack the airdromes at Beaumont-sur-Oise, France, Diest/Schaffen and Maldagem.

• 166 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack their primary targets, the Marquise/Mimoyecques V-weapons site, an aircraft factory at Bourges, and the Bourges Airdrome.
• 49 B-24s attack assigned secondary targets, the Orleans/Bricy and Romorantin/Prunieres Airdromes.
• Only 21 of 248 3rd Bomb Division B-17s dispatched attack their primary, the Courcelles-sur-Seine Airdrome, but 42 B-17s are able to attack the Florennes/Juzaine Airdrome in Belgium.
• In the first mission of its kind, 29 20th Fighter Group P-38s are dispatched to bomb the Florennes/Juzaine Airdrome while being led by a special 'droopsnoot' airplane, a P-38 with a nose modified to carry a bombardier and his bombsight. All bombs, however, are dropped in the English Channel after heavy clouds are encountered over the target.
• In the second such mission, 16 of 34 355th Fighter Group P-38s led by a 'droopsnoot' model divrt from the cloud-obscured primary target, the St.-Dizier/Robinson Airdrome, and drop 17 tons of bombs on the Coulommiers Airdrome.
• 2 P-38s and their pilots are lost in the attack.
• Escorting the 355th Fighter Group, P-47s strafe the Villoaroche Airdrome.
• USAAF pilots escorting the various 8th Air Force heavy-bomber formations down 15 Luftwaffe aircraft over Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.

• 27 20th Fighter Group P-38s, guided by a 'droopsnoot' P-38 and escorted by 46 359th Fighter Group P-47s, attack the Gutersloh Airdrome with 13 tons of bombs.
• 1 P-38 and its pilot are lost

• Unable to locate their primary target in Belgium, 20 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack Bergen Op Zoom.

• In their second mission of the day, 267 IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s attack coastal defenses, V-weapons sites, marshalling yards, and airdromes at Charleroi/montignies, Coxyde, Namur, and Nieuport.

• During the morning, 258 IX Bomber Command B-26s and 41 A-20s attack coastal batteries and military installations around Le Havre.
• 9th Air Force P-47s dive-bomb the Evreux Airdrome.

• 12th Air Force B-25s attack a marshalling yard at Orvieto and two bridges.
• 12th Air Force B-26s attack Poggibonsi, viaducts near Arezzo and at Bucine, and the rail line and rail bridges at Cecina.
• XII Air Support Command A-20s attack an ammo dump.
• XII Air Support Command fighter-bombers attack barracks and troop concentrations, rail bridges, rolling stock, and motor vehicles throughout central Italy.
• When 30 Luftwaffe bombers attack the Anzio beachhead during the night, 2 416th Night-Fighter Squadron Beaufighters are vectored to intercept them. The German aircraft are driven off by persistent attacks in which one bomber is probably destroyed and another is severely damaged.
• 1 Beaufighter crashes in flames with its crew, the other is damaged

Air Operations, Carolines

41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s based in the Gilbert Islands attack Ponape Island, rearm and refuel at the airfield on Majuro, and attack the Jaluit and Maloelap atolls in the Marshall Islands on their way back to the Gilberts.

Air Operations, CBI

• 12 10th Air Force A-31s attack occupied villages near Buthidaung. 2 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s and more than 50 10th Air Force fighter-bombers attack numerous targets in the Mogaung Valley. 17 B-25s and P-51 fighter-bombers attack road targets and support Allied ground forces near Maungkan.

• 3 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a bridge near Thanh Hoa and rail targets near Vinh.

Air Operations, Japan

1 of 3 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s sent is able to reach the Kurile Islands, where it reconnoiters and bombs Matusuwa Island.

Air Operations, Europe

• 341 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitos of Nos. 1, 3, 5 & 8 Groups are sent to Aachen.
• The raid is accurate and causes widespread fires and damage in the center of the city and in the southern part of the town and particularly in the suburb of Burtscheid. Control of the air raid services is lost early when one of the first salvoes or bombs cut communications between the main operations center and outlying posts.
• 9 Lancasters are lost.

• 7 Mosquitos are sent to attack night-fighter airfields, 36 Mosquitos make a diversionary raid to Hannover, 3 each to Duisburg and Osnabrück, 35 Halifaxes and 8 Stirlings lay mines off Brest and in the Kattegat, 26 aircraft are involved in Resistance operations, and there are 7 Serrate patrols, 7 RCM Sorties and 8 OTU sorties.

• A total of 311 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack the Cottbus and Sorau Airdromes and several targets of opportunity.
• 19 B-17s are lost
• 243 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack aircraft-industry targets at Bernburg, Halberstadt, and Oschersleben, plus several targets of opportunity.
• 12 B-24s are lost
• 274 3rd Bomb Division B-17s attack Politz, Rostock, an aircraft factory at Arnimswalde, and several targets of opportunity through heavy fighter opposition.
• 33 B-17s are lost, including 11 that eventually turn up following landings in Sweden due to battle damage.
• Escort for the various bombing missions is provided by 819 USAAF fighters. A total of 52 Luftwaffe aircraft, mainly fighters, are downed by USAAF fighter pilots over Germany between 1045 and 1530 hours. The USAAF fighters also claim 65 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed on the ground.
• 16 fighters are lost with their pilots

• 229 IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s attack the Charleroi/Montignies and Chievres Airdromes and coastal military installations.
FRANCE:

• More than 90 9th Air Force P-47s dive-bomb the Gael Airdrome and nearby military installations.
US 12th AIR FORCE
ITALY:

• 12th Air Force B-25s attack a rail bridge.
• 12th Air Force B-26s attack marshalling yards at Ancona and Siena.
• XII Air Support Command fighter-bombers attack numerous rail targets northeast of Rme, the town of Gaeta, and several supply dumps.
[ | ]


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Admiralty Islands

The Americans complete the occupation of Pak Island and the mopping up of Manus Islands.

Air Operations, CBI

• 7 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack rail and port facilities at Moulmein and the town area at Prome. 5 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s attack a bridge at Natmauk. 2 B-25s attack a bridge near Rangoon. 24 10th Air Force A-31s attack Japanese Army positions near Buthidaung. 35 A-31s attack Japanese Army ground troops at Paungbyin and near Imphal (India). B-25s and more than 80 10th Air Force fighter-bombers support Allied ground forces in the Mogaung Valley.

• 5 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Nagorn Sawarn.

Air Operations, East Indies

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

Air Operations, Europe

• 39 Mosquitos are sent on a harassing raid to Osnabrück without a loss.

• 40 Halifaxes and 10 Stirlings lay mines in the Frisians and off Heligoland, 21 aircraft are on Resistance operations, 2 Mosquitos make Serrate patrols and there are 11 OTU sorties.
• 2 Stirlings are lost on Resistance operations.

• All 455 8th Air Force heavy bombers dispatched against various targets in Germany abort or are recalled in the face of heavy clouds and dense contrails.
• 1 pathfinder airplane is downed in the dark over England by a German intruder during assembly, 5 B-24s are lost to Luftwaffe fighters near the German frontier
• 788 USAAF fighters are dispatched to escort the abortive bomber missions. 4 Ju-87s and 13 Luftwaffe fighters are downed over Belgium, northern France, and northwestern Germany.

• 231 IX Bomber Command B-26s and 20 A-20s attack the Coxyde-Furnes and Courtrai/Wevelghem Airdromes, and military bases, V-weapons sites, and rail targets in De Pannes-Bains, Dunkirk (France), and Ostend, and St. Ghislain./li>

• More than 70 9th Air Force P-47s dive-bomb various German military installations in northern France.

• 12th Air Force medium bombers attack rail bridges spanning the Var River.

• 12th Air Force B-25s and B-26s attack rail targets and bridges at six locations.
• XII Air Support Command A-20s attack a supply dump.
• XII Air Support Command fighter-bombers attack rail bridges, transportation targets, dumps, and motor vehicles throughout central italy and on Elba Island.

• In an all-out effort against aircraft-industry targets in the Vienna area, 172 15th Air Force B-17s attack the aircraft components factory at Fischamend Markt.
• 140 15th Air Force B-24s attack the Messerschmitt assembly plant at Bad Voslau.
• 134 15th Air Force B-24s attack the Bf-109 components and assembly factory at Wiener-Neustadt.
• 1 B-17 and 6 B-24s are lost
• Escort for the heavy bombers is provided by more than 200 15th Air Force P-38s and P-47s, whose pilots down 17 Luftwaffe fighters between 1135 and 1220 hours.

• 15th Air Force B-17s attack the port at Split.
• 15th Air Force B-24s attack the Zagreb Airdrome and several marshalling yards.
• 1 B-24 is downed over Zagreb

Air Operations, New Guinea

• More than 180 V Bomber Command B-24s, B-25s, and A-20s, and 60 V Fighter Command P-38s attack the Hollandia area. B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and P-39s attack the Hansa Bay, Madang, the Wewak area, and Karkar Island. P-39s sweep the coastal areas for barges. A-20s sink a small freighter in Humboldt Bay.
• V Fighter Command and 8th Fighter Group P-38s down 9 of 20 Japanese fighters encountered over the Hollandia area at 1145 hours. In this final appearance of Japanese Army fighters over the Hollandia area, one straggling B-24 is also shot down.

Atlantic

The US rescue tug ATR-98 is sunk in a collision with the ocean-going tug Abnaki (AT-96) off the Azores.

Burma-India

While the British try to reinforce the XXXIII and IV Corps in the Kohima-Imphal sector by airlifting troops to them from the Arakan, and from within India, the Chindits are reinforced by a new brigade from central Burma.

Air Operations, Carolines

• 41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Ponape Island.
• During the night, 23 307th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s and a squadron of VII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 12 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s and 11 10th Air Force P-51s support Allied forces at Mawlu. 24 10th Air Force A-31s attack communications targets and artillery batteries at Buthidaung. Several B-25s and more than 90 fighters and fighter-bombers attack Kamaing and targets throughout the Mogaung Valley.
• 90 10th Air Force A-31s attack numerous targets in the battle area on both sides of the Burma–India border.

• Japanese aircraft attack Namyung as 28 14th Air Force fighters fail to intercept.

Air Operations, Europe

The US Tactical Air Force begins to attack the German heavy guns in Normandy.

• 29 Mosquitos are sent to Berlin but results of the bombing are not possible because of the glare of massed searchlights.
• There are no losses.

• 6 Mosquitos are sent to Düren, 3 to Dortmund, 10 Stirlings and 6 Halifaxes lay mines off Cherbourg, Le Havre and La Pallice.
• There are no losses.

• 154 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack aircraft-industry targets at Schweinfurt.
• 182 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack Lauffern, the Lechfeld Airdrome, and aircraft-industry targets at Oberpfaffenhofen.
• 227 3rd Bomb Division B-17s attack the Messerschmitt factory and town area at Augsburg.
• In the heaviest Luftwaffe fighter attack mounted since November 1943, 32 B-17s and 6 B-24s are lost, 350 heavy bombers are damaged
• Escort for the various heavy bombers missions is provided by 871 USAAF fighters. 42 Luftwaffe fighters and a trainer are downed over Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg between 1310 and 1645 hours.
• 9 USAAF fighters are lost with 8 pilots

• 175 IX Bomber Command A-20s and B-26s abort in the face of bad weather, but 121 B-26s and 37 A-20s attack airdromes, marshalling yards, coastal batteries, V-weapons sites, and other military targets along the Channel and North Sea coasts at Chievres, Le Havre (France), Namur, and Nieuport.
• 9th Air Force P-47s dive-bomb coastal V-weapons sites.

• The US 9th and British 2nd Tactical Air Forces formally open a coordinated offensive against German Arm shore defenses and batteries along the Normandy coast. However, to prevent the Germans from pinpointing the area as the OVERLORD invasion objective, attacks on targets in Normandy are to be mixed in with the general offensive, already under way, against numerous other targets in other areas of coastal France and Belgium.

• 12th Air Force B-25s attack Terni and a bridge.
• 12th Air Force B-26s attack a rail bridge and a marshalling yard.
• XII Air Support Command fighter-bombers attack numerous rail and road targets throughout central Italy>

• Approximately 50 15th Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Brod.

• In the 15th Air Force's largest mission to date, 324 B-24s attack the aircraft components plant on Csepel Island, at Budapest, and the Tokol and Vesces Airdromes. 163 B-17s attack the Bf-109 components factory and airdrome at Gyor.
• 18 heavy bombers and 3 escort fighters are lost to enemy action
• Pilots of the 1st, 82nd, and 325th Fighter Groups down 14 Axis fighters and 5 Ju-88s during various phases of the mission.

• At 0335 hours, Luftwaffe night bombers attack the Alesan Airdrome, the new home of the 340th Medium Bomb Group, whose entire complement of B-25s was destroyed in late March during an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. The fragmentation bombs dropped by the Luftwaffe kill 20 members of the group, totally destroy 30 of the group's 90 B-25s, and severely damage 45 others.

Air Operations, Japan

3 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s reconnoiter and attack the airfield on Matusuwa and Onnekotan Island.

Air Operations, Carolines

41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Ponape Island.

Air Operations, CBI

• 36 10th Air Force A-31s attack Paungbyin and Imphal (India). More than 20 A-31s attack Japanese Army positions near Buthidaung. 3 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s and 20 10th Air Force P-51s support Allied ground troops around Mawlu. 20 P-40s attack a Japanese Army camp at Manywet.

Air Operations, Europe

• 12th Air Force B-25s attack the Viterbo Airdrome and a marshalling yard at Leghorn.
• 12th Air Force B-26s attack rail targets at six locations.
• XII Air Support Command fighter-bombers attack rail targets, gun emplacements, supply dumps, and several factories in central Italy.

Air Operations, Japan

• During the morning, 3 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s reconnoiter Matsuuwa, Onnekotan, and Paramushiro islands, but they are unable to photograph the targets because of cloud cover.
• During the night, 3 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s attack Matusuwa, the airfield there, and Onnekotan islands, but must bypass Paramushiro because of cloud cover.

Air Operations, Marshalls

When 12 G4M 'Betty' bombers attempt to attack the US airbase complex on Engebi Island, VMF(N)-532 F4U night-fighters based at Engebi down 2 of the 'Bettys' 12 and 38 miles from the island at 0111 and 0112 hours, respectively. These are the first successful night interceptions by US Marine Corps F4Us. The surviving 'Bettys' release their bombs at sea and withdraw. One Marine Corps night-fighter pilot who is incorrectly vectored becomes lost and is never seen again, and another pilot bails out of his battle-damaged fighter.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-25s and V Fighter Command P-39s attack luggars along the coast.

Battle of the Atlantic

Just after midnight on the 14th the Canadian frigate Swansea obtains an asdic contact just two miles ahead of the British escort carrier Biter. In view of a risk to the carrier Swansea attacks immediately to put the U-boat (U-448) down. The U-boat goes to a depth of 820 feet and Swansea's subsequent attacks using depth charges and Hedgehog are unsuccessful. The British sloop Pelican joins in the attack. After several more attacks a direct hit is finally achieved causing much damage. U-448 is forced to surface where she is met by a barrage of heavy fire from both ships.

U-448

Britain, Home Front

In a step to prevent any word leaking out on Allied plans for the invasion of France, Britian sharply restricts diplomatic privileges. Communications are censored. No code traffic is permitted. Pouches are to be inspected. Only US, Russian and British Dominion offices are exempt.

Burma

The Japanese road block at Zubza is broken by the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division and the 161st Brigade at Jotsoma relieved by the attacks of other units of the 2nd Indian Division. The Jotsoma position is useful for the Allies as an ideal location for bringing artillery fire down on the Japanese around Kohima.

Air Operations, CBI

• More than 40 10th Air Force A-31s attack artillery batteries at Buthidaung. 12 459th Fighter Squadron P-38s attack the airfield at Heho.

• 3 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack 2 bridges at Viet Tri.

• 12 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack targets in the Andaman Islands.

Air Operations, East Indies

380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based in Australia undertake a 17-hour mission to attack the Japanese Navy base at Soerabaja, Java.

Air Operations, Europe

The 15th Air Force sends 500 sorties to Bucharest and Ploesti.

• 616 8th and 9th Air Force fightgers mount strafing missions against Luftwaffe bases in western and central Germany, but three fighter groups abort due to bad weather. 15 Luftwaffe fighters, 1 He-111, and 1 Fi-156 are downed in air-to-air combat, and 40 Luftwaffe aircraft are claimed as destroyed on the ground.
• In large part because of bad weather, 33 fighters are downed and 30 pilots lost

• The XII Air Support Command is redesignated XII Tactical Air Command (XII TAC).
• 12th Air Force B-25s and B-26s attack a marshalling yard, a tunnel, and several rail bridges in central Italy.
• XII TAC fighter-bombers attack ammo dumps, rail lines, and bridges in central Italy, as well as numerous tactical targets, including gun emplacements and tanks, in the US 5th Army battle area.

• 15th Air Force B-24s attack marshalling yards at Bucharest.
• 15th Air Force B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Ploesti.

• 15th Air Force B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Nis.

Air Operations, New Guinea

More than 180 V Bomber Command B-24s, B-25s, and A-20s attack numerous targets in the Aitape area. 16 V Fighter Command P-40s attack barges at Seleo Island. 20 P-39s attack occupied villages, motor vehicles, and supply dumps around Hansa Bay and in the Alexishafen area.

Burma-India

The airlift of the Chinese 50th Division to Maingkwan is almost completed. This division will be followed by the 14th. Chiang Kai-shek orders Gen Stilwell to move his troops cautiously into the Mogaung valley. Gen Chennault warns Chiang Kai-shek against the danger, which he believes to be imminent, of a huge Japanese air offensive against China. Mountbatten's headquarters are moved from New Delhi to Kandy, in Ceylon, a precaution which shows the danger threatening India.

Air Operations, Carolines

• 307th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the airfield at Satawan in the Nomoi Islands.
• 41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack the Truk Atoll.
• During the night,
• RAAF Catalinas mine the waters in and around the Woleai Atoll.
• VII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 12 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s attack a bridge spanning the Irrawaddy River.
• 9 12th Medium Bomb Group B-25s and 12 10th Air Force P-51 fighter-bombers attack the railroad station and warehouses at Mohnyin.
• More than 50 10th Air Force A-31s attack Japanese Army ground troops and positions in the battle area on both sides of the Burma-India frontier.
• More than 20 A-31s attack Japanese Army positions in the Arakan coastal region.

Air Operations, East Indies

• V Bomber Command B-25s attack Koepang, Timor.
• 380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based in Australia undertake a 17-hour mission to attack the Japanese Navy base at Soerabaja, Java.

Air Operations, Europe

The Russians bomb Galatz, Rumania.

• 12th Air Force B-25s attack rail-bridge approaches at two locations.
• XII TAC A-20s attack fuel dumps.
• XII TAC fighter-bombers attack a tunnel, a marshalling yard, a rail line, a town, and numerous targets of opportunity throughout central Italy.

• 15th Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack marshalling yards at Brasov.
• 15th Air Force B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Turnu Severin.
• In the first theater mission in P-51s, the 31st Fighter Group escorts heavy bombers to Turnu Severin. 50 escort fighters that fail to rendezvous with the heavy bombers attack the rail lines around Craiova.

• 15th Air Force B-17s attack an aircraft factory and airdrome at Belgrade.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• More than 170 V Bomber Command B-24s, B-25s, and A-20s attack the airfield and town area at Hollandia virtually without opposition, but bad weather on the return results in the loss of 19 bombers, 6 bombers damaged beyond repair, 5 P-38s lost, and 1 P-38 and 1 F-7 damaged beyond repair. Personnel losses are 16 killed and 37 missing in action.
• Before dawn, V Bomber Command B-24s and Fleet Air Wing 17 PB4Ys and PBYs attack the Wakde Islands.
• V Fighter Command P-38s attack the Madang area.
• P-39s attack communications targets at Hansa Bay and occupied village and supply dumps between Bogia and Uligan.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The US tanker Pan Pennsylvania (11,017t), in Convoy CU-1, is torpedoed by U-550 150 miles east of Ambrose Light and abandoned. 15 of the 50-man crew and 10 of the 31 Armed Guard sailors are killed in the attack. Survivors are picked up by the US destroyer escorts Joyce (DE-317) and Peterson (DE-152).
• The US destroyer escorts Peterson (DE-152), Joyce (DE-317) and Gandy (DE-764) sink the German submarine U-550 in the North Atlantic area.

U-550

Admiralty Islands

The mopping up of the islands may be regarded as finished.

Air Operations, Carolines

• 20 307th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the airfield at Satawan in the Nomoi Islands.
• During the night, RAAF Catalinas mine the waters in and around the Woleai Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 5 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Ywataung.
• 2 B-24s attack Akyab.
• 26 10th Air Force B-25s and 36 10th Air Force P-51s support Allied ground forces at Mawlu and attack a fuel dump at Kin.
• 36 attack Japanese Army positions near Bathidaung.
• A-31s attack Kalewa, Yaingangpokpi, and several occupied villages.
• 6 P-51s support Allied ground troops near Meza.
• 459th Fighter Squadron P-38s down 7 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighters over the airfield at Heho at 1050 hours.

• Diverted at the last minute from strikes in Burma, 13 1st Air Commando Group P-51s intercept Japanese aircraft over Imphal and down 3 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighters.

Air Operations, Europe

B-17s and B-24s attack Belgrade and Sofia.

• 26 Mosquitos are sent to Cologne without a loss.

• 2 Mosquitos are sent to attack the railway yards at Le Mans, 14 Halifaxes and 6 Stirlings lay mines in Kiel Bay and in the Frisians, and there are 2 Serrate patrols and 4 OTU sorties.
• 1 mine-laying Halifax is lost.

• 14 2nd Bomb Division B-24s, including 5 pathfinder aircraft, conduct an experimental attack against the V-weapons site at Wizernes.

• 12th Air Force B-25s attack bridges at two locations.
• XII TAC A-20s attack fuel dumps near Rome.
• XII TAC fighter-bombers attack various transportation targets, gun emplacements around Orte, and gun emplacements, motor vehicles, and dumps in the Anzio battle area.

• 15th Air Force B-24s attack marshalling yards at Sofia.
• 7 Luftwaffe fighters are downed around Sofia between 1215 and 1300 hours by 31st Fighter Group P-51 pilots and 325th Fighter Group P-47 pilots.

• 15th Air Force B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Sava, an aircraft factory in Belgrade, and the Belgrade/Rogozarski Airdrome.
• 82nd Fighter Group P-38 pilots down 1 He-111 and 2 Ju-52s over Belgrade.

Air Operations, East Indies

More than 20 V Bomber Command B-24s attack the Kai Islands in the Molucca Islands.

Air Operations, Marianas

5 VII Bomber Command B-24 based at Eniwetok begin a systematic effort to photograph Japanese defenses and terrain at possible invasion sites in the Marianas. The program will continue through early June. On this first mission, 1 B-24 is mortally damaged by Japanese fighters, but it ditches near a US destroyer on the return flight, and all crewmen are rescued.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Fighter Command P-39s attack anti-aircraft batteries at Bogia.
• Numerous small attacks are conducted against the Hollandia, Madang, and Uligan areas.

Atlantic

To prevent German interference with the 'D-Day' invasion fleet, over the next 6 weeks, 7,000 mines are laid by the Royal Navy and the RAF Bomber Command in approaches ot the English Channel and as far north as the Danish coast. About 100 light warships and other craft sink as a result.

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-342 is sunk in an attack by Canso 'S' of No 162 Squadron RCAF southwest of Iceland.

U-342 Class Type VIIC CO Oberleutnant zur See Albert Hossenfelder Location N Atlantic, SW of Iceland Cause Air attack Casualties 51 Survivors None

U-986 Class Type VIIC CO Oberleutnant zur See Ernst Kaiser Location N Atlantic Cause Depth charge Casualties 50 Survivors None

• The German submarine U-986 is sunk by the US minesweeper Swift (AM-122) and the submarine chaser PC-619 in the North Atlantic area.
[ | ]


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Burma-India

In the northeastern sector the Chinese troops make progress along the Mogaung valley, where the Japanese have evacuated the town of Wazarup. Stilwell does not have enough forces to launch an offensive against the efficient Japanese 18th Division manning this sector. For the Allies, assuming that the situation in India does not collapse, it would be important to gain possession of Myitkyina and Mogaung. Both are on the line of the Burma Road between India and China, and the first could act as a staging-point for aircraft on the airlift between India and China, as well as being the terminus of the railway to the south of the country.

Air Operations, Carolines

• 22 B-24s from the 13th Air Task Force’s 5th Heavy Bomb Group and several 868th Heavy Bomb Squadron SB-24s, all newly based at the Momote airfield on Los Negros, provide distant support for the impending invasion of Hollandia, New Guinea, with the first in a series of nine daylight attacks against the airfield and other targets in the Woleai Atoll.
• 14 307th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the airfield at Satawan in the Nomoi Islands.
• 41st Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s attack Ponape Island.
• During the night, RAAF Catalinas mine the waters in and around the Woleai Atoll.
• VII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 7 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack a fuel plant at Yenangyaung.
• 5 B-24s and 7 459th Fighter Squadron P-38 fighter-bombers attack Ywataung.
• 2 B-24s attack Akyab.
• 15 12th Medium Bomb Group B-25s and 4 10th Air Force P-51s attack Kamaing and targets along the Bhamo-Myitkyina road.
• 6 12th Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack the rail line between Mandalay and Shwebo. 24 10th Air Force A-31s attack Japanese Army positions near Buthidaung.
• 42 A-31s attack Fort White, Tamu, and Tiddim.
• To correct a problem in which standard bombs dropped at low altitude from speeding B-25s tend to bounce far over their intended targets—especially railroad track beds—12th Medium Bomb Group B-25s begin testing a new 'spike' bomb designed to embed itself in the roadbed after being dropped at speeds as high as 220 miles per hour. The experiment is deemed a success and spike bombs become a highly effective part of the 10th Air Force’s standard arsenal.

Air Operations, Europe

• The last air raid on London ends the 'Little Blitz' with an attack by 125 aircraft. 53 tons of bombs are dropped with a large hospital being hit. 14 planes are lost.
• B-17s and B-24s bomb the Heinkel works at Oraniaenburg and other targets near Berlin. RAF Bomber Command delivers a record total of 4,000 tons against the marshalling yards and railway workshops at Juvisy, Noisy-le-Sec, Rouen, and Tergnier. Mosquitoes attack Berlin.

• 273 Lancasters and 16 Mosquitos of Nos. 1, 3 and 8 Groups are sent to Rouen. Bomber Command claims a concentrated attack on the railway yards with a lot of damage. There are no losses.
• 202 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitos of No. 5 Groups and 3 Oboe Mosquitos of No. 8 Group are sent to railway targets at Juvisy. The attack appears to have been successful. 1 Lancaster is lost.
• 181 aircraft are sent to hit the railway yards at Noisy-Le-Sec. In this total are 112 Halifaxes, 61 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitos of Nos. 6 and 8 Groups.
• The local report describes results which are typical of these railway target raids. The marshalling yards, the engine-sheds and the railway workshops suffer great damage. About 200 delayed-action bombs continue to explode in the week after the raid. A through line is established several days later but the marshalling yards are not completely repaired until 6 years after the war. In addition to this railway damage, however, the bombing area measures as 6km long and 3km wide. 750 houses are destroyed and more than 2,000 damaged. 464 French people are killed and 370 injured.
• 8 Halifaxes are lost.
• 171 aircraft are sent to Tergnier. Included in this total are 139 Halifaxes, 24 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitos of Nos. 3, 4 and 8 Groups.
• 50 railway lines are blocked but most of the bombing falls on housing areas southwest of the railway yards.
• 6 Halifaxes are lost.
• 88 Halifaxes, 44 Stirlings and 36 Lancaster lay mines off Swinemünde, in Kiel Bay and off the Danish coast.
• 2 Stirlings and 1 Halifax are lost.
• 24 Mosquitos are sent to Berlin, 2 to Osnabrück and 2 to Lemans, and there are 9 RCM sorties, 32 Serrate patrols and 46 OTU sorties.
• There are no losses.

• 12 2nd Bomb Division B-24s conduct an experimental attack against V-weapons sites at Watten.

• 275 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack aircraft-industry targets at Oranienburg and several targets of opportunity, including the Perleberg Airdrome.
• 159 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack aircraft-industry targets at Brandenburg and Rathenow.
• 89 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack various targets of opportunity.
• 210 3rd Bomb Division B-17s attack the Luneberg Airdrome, an aircraft-industry plant at Oranienburg, and several targets of opportunity.
• 19 heavy bombers are lost including 1 interned in Switzerland
• Escort for the heavy bombers is provided by 634 USAAF fighters. 5th Fighter Group P-51 pilots down 4 Luftwaffe fighters over Germany between 1425 and 1500 hours.
• 5 USAAF fighters and their pilots are lost

• 277 IX Bomber Command B-26s and 37 A-20s attack marshalling yards and gun emplacements at Calais, Charleroi/St.-Martin, and Dunkirk.

• XII TAC P-40s and P-47s attack fuel dumps and rail and communications targets.

• 15th Air Force P-38s and P-47s down 7 Luftwaffe fighters and damage or possibly destroy 6 others during a midafternoon fighter sweep to the Udine area.

Air Operations, Central Pacific

VII Bomber Command B-24s attack Wake Island.

Air Operations, Japan

3 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s reconnoiter Matusuwa, Onnekotan, and Paramushiro islands, and attack the Kashiwabara airfield on Paramushiro.

Air Operations, Marianas

• 7 US Navy PB4Ys from VD-3 and US Marine Corps PB4Ys from VMD-254, all from the AirSols photographic wing, open a unique reconnaissance effort against Japanese bases in the Marianas, about which little is known. Beginning with a 1,252-mile flight from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal to the Eniwetok Atoll, the PB4Ys lay over at Eniwetok for a day, then with escort provided by 5 30th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s, they proceed to the Momote airfield on Los Negros via Saipan or Guam (1,017 and 1,035 miles, respectively). Film exposed on such flights is developed on Manus Island and then transported to Pearl Harbor via Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. Photographic reconnaissance missions of this type will be conducted through late May, until the departure of the Marianas invasion force from Hawaii.
• On the first mission, after the 5 B-24s drop 100-pound bombs on Saipan, 1 B-24 is forced to land in the water near a US destroyer following interception over the target area by at least 18 A6Ms Zeros.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• 380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based in Australia attack the airfield at Babo.
• V Bomber Command B-24s attack the airfield at Manokwari.
• V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack Madang.

Britain, Home Front

The Government makes incitement to strike a punishable offense.

Air Operations, Carolines

• 5th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the Woleai Atoll.
• 21 30th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the airfield at Satawan.
• 41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Ponape Island.
• During the night,
• RAAF Catalinas mine the waters in and around the Woleai Atoll.
• VII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 6 10th Air Force B-25s and 8 P-51s attack Japanese Army ground troops and dumps near Banmauk.
• More than 50 A-31s attack Japanese Army positions and dumps near Buthidaung.
• 40 A-31s attack Japanese Army ground troops in the battle area on both sides of the Burma–India frontier.
• 10 459th Fighter Squadron P-38 fighter-bombers attack an airfield near Meiktila.
• 5 P-51s attack a bridge at Shweli and Japanese Army positions at Mawlu.
• 4 14th Air Force P-40s attack an occupied villge and a ferry.

• 3 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a bridge, rail lines, and buildings at Thanh Moi.

Air Operations, East Indies

• Beginning at 0700 hours, following several weeks of joint training, 44 US Navy and Royal Navy carrier bombers and 37 carrier fighters from the British Far Eastern Fleet’s Task Force 66 (HMS Illustrious) and the USS Saratoga (Fleet Carrier Air Group 12) attack Sabang, Sumatra. Several oil-storage tanks are demolished, as are an estimated 21 parked airplanes. One US Navy F6F is downed, but the pilot is rescued by an RN lifeguard submarine.
• As the combined task force withdraws toward Ceylon, VF-12 F6Fs down 3 B5N 'Kate' torpedo bombers at sea between 1035 and 1059 hours.

Air Operations, Europe

The RAF drops mines in the Danube River.

• 27 93rd and 448th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack V-weapons sites at Watten in a test of pathfinding equipment.
• Escort is provided by 47 P-47s of the IX Fighter Command's 405th Fighter Group.

• 213 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack aircraft-industry targets at Kassel.
• 53 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack the Eschwege Airdrome.
• 62 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack the Gutersloh Airdrome.
• 117 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack the Paderborn Airdrome.
• 51 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack various secondary targets and targets of opportunity.
• 245 3rd Bomb Division B-17s attack the Lippstadt and Werl Airdromes.
• 5 1st Bomb Division B-17s are lost
• Escort for the heavy bombers is provided by 697 USAAF fighters, and more than 500 other USAAF fighters undertake sweeps throughout northwestern Europe. 16 of approximately 100 Luftwaffe fighters encountered along the bomber routes are downed between 1015 and 1045 hours.
• 2 USAAF fighters are lost with their pilots

• More than 350 IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s attack city areas and marshalling yards at Donauworth, Gunzburg, New-Ulm, Schelklingen, and Ulm.

• 12th Air Force B-25s attack a marshalling yard at Piombino.
• 12 Air Force B-26s attack a marshalling yard at Ancona and a rail bridge at Cecina.
• XII TAC P-47s attack numerous rail targets.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• 380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based in Australia attack the airfield at Manokwari Airdrome.
• V Bomber Command B-24s attack Urarom.
• B-25s, A-20s, and V Fighter Command fighters and fighter-bombers attack targets at and around Aitape, Bogia, Bunabun, Cape Croisilles, Madang, and Uligan.

Battle of the Atlantic

The Norwegian submarine Ula is on an anti-shipping patrol off Hangesund when spotting the conning tower of U-974 only a few hundred yards away. Four torpedoes are fired with the second scoring a hit.

U-974

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, 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, 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.

Air Operations, Carolines

• 41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Ponape Island.
• 5th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the Woleai Atoll.
• During the night, VII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 13 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Maymyo.
• 8 B-24s attack Namtu and fuel and supply dumps at Lashio.
• 12 10th Air Force B-25s and 12 P-51s attack Indaw and Mawlu.
• 12 B-25s attack a bivouac and dumps at Kamaing.
• 5 490th Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack three bridges in the Tangon area.
• 48 A-31s attack a bridge at Manipur and road targets near Tiddim.
• More than 20 A-31s attack Japanese Army positions and occupied villages near Buthidaung.
• 4 P-51 fighter-bombers attack a bridge at Shweli.
• 12 14th Air Force P-40s conducting an armed reconnaissance mission attack targets of opportunity at Bhamo, Hsenwi, Kutkai, Lashio, Loiwing, and Takaw.

Air Operations, Europe

• 24 Mosquitos are sent to bomb Cologne through a complete cloud cover with no losses.
• 40 Halifaxes and 18 Stirlings lay mines off Brest and Lorient and in the Frisians, 9 aircraft are involved in Resistance operations, 11 OTU aircraft and 4 Stirlings make leaflet flights over France, and there are 4 RCM sorties.
• There are no losses.

• More than 175 9th Air Force P-47 dive-bombers attack the marshalling Yards and targets of opportunity at Haine-St.-Pierre (France), Hasselt, Montignies-sur-Sambre, and Namur.

• 236 IX Bomber Command B-26s and 34 A-20s attack V-weapons sites and coastal defenses at Abbeville, Amiens, Berck-sur-Mer, Etaples, and St.-Omer.
• 4 B-26s are lost

• XII TAC A-20s attack an ammo dump.
• XII TAC fighter-bombers attack road, rail, and tactical targets around Rome and throughout the battle area.

• 15th Air Force B-17s attack the oil-producing and refining facilities at Ploesti.
• While escorting the B-17s, 31st Fighter Group P-51 pilots down 13 Axis fighters and damage or possibly down 7 others between noon and 1215 hours.
• 2 P-51s are lost with their pilots
• More than 100 304th Heavy Bomb Wing B-24s attack Turnu Severin and marshalling yards at Bucharest.
• 14th Fighter Group P-38 pilots down 10 Axis fighters between 1435 and 1445 hours.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• Beginning with uncontested dawn sweeps against Wakde Island and Sarmi by fighters from Task Group 58.1, US Navy surface forces and carrier aircraft from Task Force 58 and Task Force 78 mount a pre-invasion aerial bombardment of Aitape, Hollandia, airfields in the Hollandia area, Sawar, and the Wakde Islands. Though many Japanese aircraft are caught on the ground, few are destroyed owing to their having been degassed.
• In response to US Navy air strikes in the Hollandia area, the bulk of Japanese aircraft based at Manokwari are withdrawn beyond range to Sorong.
• Between 0750 and 1035 hours, US Navy F6Fs down 3 G4M 'Betty' bombers, 1 Ki-21 'Sally' bomber, 1 Ki-49 'Helen' bomber, and 3 fighters over the Hollandia area. During the afternoon, F6Fs down 7 Ki-21 'Sallys', 1 Ki-46 'Dinah' reconnaissance plane, 1 Ki-51 'Sonia' bomber, 2 Ki-45 'Nick' fighters, and 1 A6M Zero.
• Throughout the day, V Bomber Command B-24s, B-25s, and A-20s mount a record 320 sorties against the Madang, Tadji, and Wewak areas. 21 380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based in Australia attack airfields on Noemfoor Island in the Schouten Islands.

Air Operations, Carolines

• 5th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the Woleai Atoll.
• During the night, 17 XIII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 12 10th Air Force B-25s attack Kamaing.
• 5 B-25s and 6 P-51s attack ammunition and supply dumps at Hopin.
• 3 B-25s and 4 P-51s attack an occupied village near Bhamo.
• 7 P-51s attack the viaduct at Gokteik.
• 14 Air Force P-40s attack road and rail traffic near Lashio.

• 6 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack 4 freighters and a Japanese Navy gunboat near Cap St.-Jacques.
• 1 B-24 attacks a bridge near Vinh.

• More than 30 10th Air Force A-31s attack Bishenpur and Kohima.

Air Operations, Europe

American B-17 and B-24 aircraft raid the rail installations at Hamm plus other rail junctions and ground fortifications.

• 596 aircraft are sent to Düsseldorf. In this total are 323 Lancasters, 254 Halifaxes and 19 Mosquitos from all groups except No. 5.
• 2,150 tons of bombs are dropped in an old-style heavy attack on a German city which causes much destruction. The attack falls mostly on the northern parts of the city which causes widespread damage. Night-fighters do penetrate the bomber stream causing a lot of casualties.
• 16 Halifaxes and 13 Lancasters are lost.
• 238 Lancasters and 17 Mosquitos of No. 5 Group and 10 Lancasters of No. 1 Group are sent to Brunswick. This raid is of importance to the history of the bombing war in that it is the first time the No. 5 Group low-level marking method is used over a heavily defended German city. The raid, however, is not successful. The initial marking by No. 617 Squadron Mosquitos is accurate, but many of the main force bombers do not bomb these partly because of a thin cloud layer which hampered visibility and partly because of faulty communications between the various bomber controllers. Many bombs fall in the city center but the remainder of the force bomb reserve H₂S-aimed target indicators which are well to the south.
• 4 Lancasters are lost.
• 181 aircraft are sent to the Laon railway yards. Included in this total are 69 Halifaxes, 52 Lancasters, 48 Stirlings and 12 Mosquitos of Nos. 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups. The attack is carried out in 2 waves and severe damage is caused.
• 4 Lancasters, 3 Stirlings and 2 Halifaxes are lost including the aircraft of one of the Master Bombers, Wing Commander A. G. S. Cousens of No. 635 Squadron who is killed.

• 17 Mosquitos make a diversionary raid to Mannheim, 2 Mosquitos to a flying bomb store at Wissant, 19 aircraft make leaflet flights, and there are 19 Serrate and 7 Intruder patrols.
• There are no losses.

• Of 803 8th Air Force heavy bombers dispatched against marshalling yards at Hamm, 398 B-17s and 240 B-24s attack the primaries, 15 B-24s attack the city of Hamm, 20 B-24s attack Bonn, 50 B-17s attack Koblenz, 19 B-17s attack Soest, and 37 B-17s attack various targets of opportunity.
• 1 heavy bomber is lost over the Continent, but 14 others are downed when Luftwaffe fighters infiltrate the returning bomber streams over England after dark
• Escort for the heavy bombers is provided by 859 USAAF fighters, including 314 on load from IX Fighter Command. After escort duties, 356th Fighter Group P-47s conduct dive-bombing attacks with 100-pound bombs on targets of opportunity encountered during the return flight. 8th and 9th escort pilots down 36 Luftwaffe fighters over Germany between 1240 and 1530 hours.
• 13 USAAF fighters are lost with 12 pilots

• Approximately 275 9th Air Force P-47s and P-51s attack several marshalling yards in Belgium.

• A total of more than 400 IX Bomber Command B-26 sorties and nearly 90 A-20 sorties are mounted throughout the day against V-weapons sites around St.-Omer and Hesdin.

• 12th Air Force B-25s and B-26s attack bridges and rail lines in central Italy, the town area at Orvieto, and the harbor at San Stefano al Mare.
• XII TAC A-20s attack a town and ammo dumps.
• XII TAC fighter-bomgers attack gun emplacements around the Anzio beachhead, a marshalling yard at Siena, various rail targets in the Florence area, and four towns.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• Supported by US Navy surface warships and Task Group 78.1 carrier aircraft, US Army ground forces make several unopposed landings in the Hollandia area.
• Task Force 58 carrier aircraft are on hand to attack Aitape, Tanahmerah Bay, and Humboldt Bay, but scheduled strikes in support of the US Army landing at Tanahmerah Bay are cancelled when it becomes known that the landing area is undefended. However, a TBM strike aimed at detonating mines on the Tanahmerah Bay landing beach is completed, as is an anti-mine bombing mission undertaken by TBMs against the landing beaches at Humboldt Bay.
• In the day’s only aerial engagement, 7 VF-10 F6Fs share in the downing of 1 Ki-21 'Sally' medium bomber over Hollandia at 0812 hours.
• More than 20 380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based in Australia attack airfields on Noemfoor Island.
• More than 80 V Bomber Command B-24s and A-20s attack the airfields at Boram and But.
• More than 100 B-24s and B-25s attack the Hansa Bay area.
• 11 417th Light Bomb Group A-20s attack the Tadji airfield on Hollandia.
• Many small attacks are conducted by V Bomber Command bombers and V Fighter Command fighters and fighter-bombers in indirect support of the landings at Hollandia.

Air Operations, Carolines

• More than 20 5th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack supply dumps and the airfield in the Woleai Atoll.
• 307th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.
• 41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Ponape Island.
• In their only appearance in defense of the Woleai Atoll, an estimated 25 A6M Zeros attack 5th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s. 1 B-24 is fatally damaged, but gunners claim 17 Zeros destroyed.

Air Operations, CBI

• 21 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack port and rail facilities at Martaban and Moulmein.
• 8 10th Air Force B-25s, 51 A-31s, and 24 P-51s attack Thetkegyin, Japanese Army positions at Indaw, a bridge at Manipur, and road targets around Tiddim.
• 18 A-31s attack Japanese Army positions near Buthidaung.
• 12 459th Fighter Squadron P-38s attack the Kangaung airfield at Meiktila.
• 4 14th Air Force P-40s attack a motor pool at Lashio.
• 2 459th Fighter Squadron P-38s down 1 Ki-44 'Tojo' fighter over the Kangaung airfield at Meiktila at 1530 hours.

• 14 14th Air Force P-40s attack Japanese Army cavalry at Kuan-fou-chiao and an artillery camp at Sienning.
• 2 P-40s attack a barracks near Tengchung.

• 2 449th Fighter Squadron P-38s attack barracks and a truck convoy near Chiengmai.

Air Operations, Europe

Sensitive to growing criticism of the heavy Allied bombing of Germany, Britain defends the raids as essential to the liberation of the peoples of western Europe.

• 114 aircraft are involved in mine-laying operations in 5 areas of the Baltic. In this total are 70 Halifaxes, 30 Stirlings and 14 Lancasters.
• 4 Halifaxes and 1 Stirling are lost.
• 25 Mosquitos carry out a harassing raid on Mannheim without a loss.
• 12 G-H Stirlings bomb a signals depot in Brussels without a loss.
• 10 aircraft are involved in Resistance operations, and there are 4 Serrate patrols, and 2 RCM and 6 OTU sorties with no losses.

• 17 359th Fighter Group P-47s, escorted by 17 other P-47s from their group, mount a dive-bombing attack against the Le Culot Airdrome.
• 361st Fighter Group P-47s dive-bomb the Chievres Airdrome.

• 307 IX Bomber Command B-26s and 57 A-20s attack V- weapons sites, gun emplacements, and marshalling yards in the Pas-de-Calais area and on both sides of the Franco-Belgian frontier.
• More than 1,000 9th Air Force P-47 and P-51 sorties are mounted against tactical targets in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
• 48 55th Fighter Group P-38s, led by a 'droopsnoot' model and escorted by 78th Fighter Group P-47s, attack an airdrome at Laon.
• 20th Fighter Group P-38s, let by 'droopsnoot' models and escorted by 352nd Fighter Group P-51s, attack the Tours and Chateaudun Airdromes.
• 2 P-38s are lost with their pilots
• 361st Fighter Group P-47s dive-bomb the Denain/Prouvy Airdrome.

• 353rd Fighter Group P-47s strafe targets of opportunity in northwestern Germany.
• 2 P-47s are lost with their pilots
• 356th Fighter Group P-47s glide-bomb and strafe the Haguenau Airdrome.
• 3 P-47s are lost with their pilots
• 357th Fighter Group P-51s conduct a dive-bombing attack against an unidentified airdrome, possibly Leningen.

• 12th Air Force B-25s attack bridges and bridge approaches around Attigliano.
• 12th Air Force B-26s attack a marshalling yard and several viaducts.
• XII TAC fighter-bombers attack bridges and rail lines throughout central Italy.

• In the theater's largest heavy-bomber mission to date, 171 15th Air Force B-17s attack the Bf-109 assembly plant at Wiener-Neustadt.
• 33 B-24s attack the Wiener-Neustadt/Nord Airdrome.
• 107 B-24s attack the Bf-109 assembly plant and Luftwaffe base at Bad Voslau.
• 143 B-24s attack aircraft-industry factories at Schwechat.
• 2 B-17s and 11 B-24s are lost, many others damaged by flak and unremitting Luftwaffe fighter attacks
• Escort pilots of the 1st, 31st and 82nd Fighter Groups down 26 Luftwaffe fighters along the bomber route over Hungary and Austria between 1320 and 1545 hours.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• More than 90 V Bomber Command B-24 sorties are mounted against the airfields at Boram and But, and the Dagua and Wewak areas.
• More than 80 B-24s, B-25s, and A-20s attack numerous targets in the Hansa Bay area.
• 380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based in Australia attack airfields on Noemfoor Island.
• A-20s and V Fighter Command fighters and fighter-bombers mount numerous attacks at and around Cape Croisilles, Hansa Bay, Uligan, and Wewak.
• Task Group 78.1 carrier aircraft support US Army ground forces in the Hollandia area.
• Task Force 58 carrier aircraft continue to attack regional Japanese bases.

Air Operations, Carolines

• 5th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Woleai Atoll.
• 41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Ponape Island.

Air Operations, CBI

• 25 10th Air Force B-25s and P-51s attack Indaw.
• B-25s attack Pyingaing.
• More than 100 B-25s, A-26s, P-40s, and P-51s attack dumps at Hopin, Kamaing, and Mogaung, and rail targets and targets of opportunity at Chaungwa, Manywet, and Myitkyina.
• More than 60 A-31s attack Kohima (India), Ukhrul (India), and Japanese Army troop concentrations near Ft. White.
• 38 A-31s and 8 459th Fighter Squadron P-38s attack Japanese Army positions near Buthidaung and Myohaung.

• 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack 2 ships off Cape Bastion.
• 14th Air Force P-40s attack targets of opportunity around Kengtung.

• 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Dara, Dhasan, and Kenglaung.

Air Operations, Central Pacific

During the night, VII Bomber Command B-24s based at Kwajalein stage through the Eniwetok Atoll to attack the Truk Atoll in the Caroline Islands and Guam in the Mariana Islands. The B-24s land at the Momote airfield on Los Negros in the Admiralty Islands.

Air Operations, Europe

The 8th Air Force raids Friedrichshafen factories and airfields near Munich. 55 planes are lost, 14 of which land or crash in Switzerland.

• 637 aircraft are sent to Karlsruhe. In this total are 369 Lancasters, 259 Halifaxes and 9 Mosquitos.
• Clouds over the target area and a strong wind pushes the Pathfinders too far north for a successful attack. Only the northern part of Karlruhe receives serious damage as most of the bombs fall outside the city. Mannheim, 30 miles to the north, records a raid of about 100 aircraft on this night and Darmstadt, Ludwigshafen and Heidelberg are also hit by aircraft which fail to find the main target.
• 11 Lancasters and 8 Halifaxes are lost.
• 234 Lancasters and 16 Mosquitos of No. 5 Group and 10 Lancasters of No. 1 Group are sent to Munich.
• The marking and controlling plan work well and the city center is hit with accurate bombing. The Lancasters scatter 'Flying Meteor' methane-petrol IBs over Munich, devastating a wide area between Central Station and the Isar River. The intense flak and searchlight defenses do not prevent the low-flying Mosquito markers from carrying out their task properly as none are seriously damaged.
• 9 Lancasters are lost.

• 165 OTU aircraft carry out a diversionary sweep over the North Sea to a point 75 miles off the German coast. 23 Mosquitos bomb Düsseldorf, 6 Lancasters of No. 617 Squadron drop flares and target indicators over Milan as a diversion for the Munich raid, and No. 100 Group flies 11 RCM, 21 Serrate and 8 Intruder sorties.
• 2 Wellingtons are lost in the OTU sweep.
• 4 G-H Stirlings are sent to the Chambly railway depot, 18 Halifaxes lay mines off the Channel ports and in the Frisians, and 7 aircraft are involved in Resistance operations.
• There are no losses.

• 109 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack the Erding Airdrome.
• 57 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack the Landsberg Airdrome.
• 84 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack aircraft-industry targets and the airdrome at Oberpfaffenhofen.
• 120 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack the Gablingen Airdrome.
• 98 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack the Leipheim Airdrome.
• 211 3rd Bomb Division B-17s attack aircraft-industry targets in and around Friedrichshafen.
• 15 3rd Bomb Division B-17s attack an aircraft-industry target Neckarslaum because of dense smoke cover at Friedrichshafen.
• 31 B-17s are lost and 9 B-24s are lost
• Escort for the heavy bombers is provided by 867 USAAF fighters which down 66 Luftwaffe aircraft over western Germany between 1240 and 1530 hours.
• 17 USAAF fighters are lost with their pilots

• 32 9th Air Force P-47s dive-bomb a marshalling yard at Louvain.

• 12th Air Force B-25s and B-26s attack rail targets in central Italy.
• XII TAC A-20s attack a dump.
• XII TAC fighter-bombers attack a railroad station, the landing ground at Canino, Axis shipping at sea off Leghorn, marshalling yards ar Orvieto and Terni, and numerous other transportation targets in central Italy.

• Making the first use in the theater of radio-guided azimuth (Azon) bombs, 5 15th Air Force B-17s attack the Ancona-Rimini rail line.

• 15th Air Force B-24s attack marshalling yards at Bucharest.
• 15th Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack marshalling yards at Ploesti.

• 15th Air Force B-17s attack aircraft-industry targets at Belgrade.

Air Operations, Japan

1 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24 reconnoiters and attacks Matusuwa Island. In a separate mission, 1 B-24 takes weather readings over and attacks 4 islands in the Kuriles.

Air Operations, Carolines

• 15 307th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s mount a pre-dawn attack against the Truk Atoll.
• 5th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the Woleai Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 12 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack targets around Alon and Monywa.
• 8 10th Air Force B-25s attack targets along the Tiddim road.
• 12 A-31s attack Paletwa and Japanese Army positions near Buthidaung.
• 2 B-25s and more than 80 fighter-bombers attack targets at and around Kamaing, Mogaung, and Nsopzup.
• 12 P-51s attack a supply area at Hopin and a Japanese Army headquarters at Katha.
• 21 459th Fighter Squadron P-38 fighter-bombers attack the airfield at Heho.
• 459th Fighter Squadron P-38s down 6 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighters over Heho airfield at 1140 hours.

• After failing to locate their primary target at Sinysng, 27 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s, escorted by 10 23rd Fighter Group P-51s, attack rail and road bridges north of Chenghsien.

• 12 10th Air Force A-31s attack Kohima.

Air Operations, Europe

This night a raid on shipping at Portsmouth and Plymouth-Devonport begins a series of night raids lasting until May 29.

• 4 Mosquitos are sent to Cologne, 25 Stirlings lay mines off the French coast, and there are 9 OTU sorties.
• There are no losses.

• 98 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack the Metz/Frescati Airdrome.
• 42 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack the Nancy/Essay Airdrome.
• 121 3rd Bomb Division B-17s attack the Dijon/Longvic Airdrome.
• 2 B-17s are lost
• In a special test of new GH pathfinding equipment, 27 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack V-weapons sites at Wizernes.
• 55th Fighter Group P-38s, led by a 'droopsnoot' model, bomb the Amiens/Glisy Airdrome and then rendezvous with heavy bombers to provide withdrawal escort.
• 719 USAAF fighters provide escort for heavy bombers attacking targets in France and Germany. 3 Luftwaffe fighters and 1 Do-217 are downed during the morning.
• 2 P-51s and their pilots are lost

• Of 199 2nd Bomb Division B-24s dispatched against marshalling yards at Mannheim, just 7 attack the primary, 16 attack a marshalling yard at Landau, and 8 others attack targets of opportunity.
• 5 B-24s are lost, 3 B-24s interned in Switzerland

• 240 IX Bomber Command B-26s and 69 A-20s attack V-weapons sites along the Channel coast and gun emplacements at seven locations.
• Nearly 150 9th Air Force P-47s dive-bomb airdromes in France and Belgium.

• 12th Air Force B-25s and B-26s attack dumps, a marshalling yard, and several bridges and bridge approaches.
• XII TAC A-20s attack dumps.
• XII TAC P-40s and P-47s attack gun emplacements, an ammo dump, and roads and road traffic north of Rome>
• XII TAC P-47s attack several Axis destroyers at sea off Elba Island.

• Although more than 300 15th Air Force heavy bombers abort due to bad weather, 150 B-24s attack Varese and an aircraft factory at Turin.
• 15th Air Force B-17s attack the marshalling yards at Vicenza.

Air Operations, Carolines

• 5th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the Woleai Atoll.
• VII Bomber Command B-24s attack Ponape Island while returning to Kwajalein from the airfield at Momote on Los Negros following their epic incursion into the Mariana Islands on the night of April 24th.
• During the night, VII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 9 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack rail facilities at Mandalay.
• 3 B-24s attack Akyab.
• 3 B-25s and 70 fighter-bombers attack numerous targets at Kamaing, Mogaung, and throughout the Mogaung Valley.
• 18 A-31s attack Japanese Army positions near Buthidaung.
• 6 459th Fighter Squadron P-38s attack targets on the Tiddim road.
• 9 P-38s attack storage area and aircraft hangars around Mandalay.
• 14th Air Force P-40s on an armed reconnaissance mission attack numerous targets between Lashio and Man Kat.

• In the first engagement of its kind, 6 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighters attack a 444th Very Heavy Bomb Group B-29 transporting supplies to China via the Hump ferry route. 1 B-29 crewman is wounded and the airplane is damaged, and 1 'Oscar' is probably downed.
• 24 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s, escorted by 12 81st Fighter Group P-47s, in their combat debut, and 10 23rd Fighter Group P-51s, abort in the face of bad weather while on their way to attack a bridge near Chungmow.

• 3 10th Air Force A-31s attack a Japanese Army headquarters at Kohima.

Arctic

The British Home Fleet in which Adm Sir Henry Moore leads the battleship Anson and 6 carriers, tries again to attack Tirpitz, but bad weather intervenes and instead a coastal convoy is found near Bodo and 3 ships sunk.

Air Operations, Europe

A US raid on Brunswick returns home without any aircraft losses or sight of enemy aircraft. Overcast conditions are considered to be part of the reason for the Germans not flying, but poor radar intelligence and a lack of serviceable aircraft and trained pilots also contributes.

• The Bomber Command report states that this is a good raid, based on accurate Pathfinder marking.
• 6 Lancasters and 1 Halifax are lost.
• 206 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitos of No. 5 Group and 9 Lancasters of No. 1 Group are sent to Schweinfurt.
• This raid is a failure. The low-level marking provided for the first time by Mosquitos of No. 627 Squadron is not very accurate. Unexpectedly strong head winds delay the Lancaster marker aircraft and the main force of bombers. German night fighters carry out fierce attacks during this portion of the raid. The bombing is not very accurate and most of the bombs fall outside Schweinfurt.
• 21 Lancasters are lost.

A Victoria Cross is awarded after the war to Sgt Norman Jackson, a flight engineer in a Lancaster of No 106 Squadron which is shot down near Schweinfurt. The Lancaster is hit by a German night fighter and a fire starts in a fuel tank in the wing near the fuselage. Sgt Jackson climbs out of a hatch with a fire extinguisher, with another crew member holding the rigging lines of Jackson's parachute which had opened in the aircraft. Sgt Jackson loses the fire extinguisher and, as both he and his parachute rigging were being affected by the fire, the men in the aircraft let the parachute go. Sgt Jackson survives, though with serious burns and a broken ankle received on landing with his partially burnt parachute. The remainder of the crew bales out soon afterwards.

• 217 aircraft including 183 Halifaxes, 20 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitos of Nos. 4, 6 and 8 Groups are sent to Villeneuve St Georges.
• 1 Halifax is lost.

• 16 Mosquitos are sent to Hamburg, 10 Stirlings to Chambly, 16 Halifaxes and 6 Stirlings lay mines off the Dutch coast and in the Frisians, 10 aircraft are involved in Resistance operations, and there are 12 RCM sorties, 20 Serrate and 13 Intruder patrols and 21 OTU flights.
• 1 Serrate Mosquito is lost.

• 33 55th Fighter Group P-38s, guided by a 'droopsnoot' model, attack the Le Mans Airdrome in the morning.
• 24 352nd Fighter Group P-51s dive-bomb the Cormeilles-en-Vexin Airdrome in the afternoon.
• 43 P-47s and 47 P-51s that were to have escorted B-17s to Cologne conduct sweeps over France.

• After being diverted from their primary target by heavy overcast, 165 1st Bomb Division B-17s and 127 3rd Bomb Division B-17s attack aircraft-industry targets at Brunswick.
• 47 3rd Bomb Division B-17s drop their bombs between Hildesheim and Hannover.
• Unable to reach Paderborn, 238 2nd Bomb Division B-24s return to England with their bombs.
• 62 1st Bomb Division B-17s dispatched to Cologne are recalled while still over the English Channel because of an adverse weather report.
• Escort for the heavy bombers is provided by 554 USAAF fighters.
• 5 fighters are lost with their pilots over the Continent, 2 are lost with 1 of their pilots in a midair collision over their base

• Approximately 125 IX Bomber Command B-26s attach the Plattling Airdrome.

• XII TAC P-47s attack road and rail targets of opportunity, the landing ground at Canino, a marshalling yard at Leghorn, and a fuel dump.