April 24, 1942: When Will Help Arrive?

Friday 24 April 192

Axis bombs fall on Malta, 24 April 1942.

Battle of the Pacific: Japanese planes raid Port Moresby, New Guinea, on 24 April 1942. They destroy two B-26 bombers at 7-Mile Drome, some PBY Catalinas moored in the harbor, and three P-40E Kittyhawk fighters of RAF No. 75 Squadron.

The Japanese are bombing and shelling the sole remaining US Army outpost in the Philippines located in the caves on Corregidor Island without respite. Much of the world has forgotten about this lone holdout against the Japanese, mentally writing it off when General Douglas MacArthur escaped in mid-March. The troops there no longer seem to be at the top of his priority list, either. However, the troops and service personnel on Corregidor, some of whom are women, are suffering daily. A few trapped soldiers maintain diaries. One of them is Denny Williams.

US Army Nurse Denny Williams.

US Army Nurse Denny Williams, from Culpepper, Virginia, makes dispassionate but telling entries in her diary throughout the Corregidor ordeal. Williams watches some fortunate friends get flown out on seaplanes, but there is no happy ending for her and many others. She writes that "The large blowers in the ventilators have to be shut off when we get direct hits because the blowers circulate the dust caused from the bombs." The stress is inescapable, and to leave the tunnels just to hang some laundry is to risk your life. She records that everyone is making wisecracks to relieve the tension, but "My hands tremble when I’m giving anesthetics; evidently I’m more frightened than I realize." This is not unusual, as "I am not alone in this for even the hands of the calmest doctors tremble." Denny Williams concludes the day's entry with, "When will help arrive?"

US Navy submarine USS Trout (SS-202) torpedoes and sinks Japanese transport Tachibana Maru just south of Susami Kii, Japan (south of Osaka).

The Manila, Philippines, Tribune, 24 April 1942.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: The Battle of Hopong-Taunggyi in Burma ends after a fierce offensive by the motorized 200th Infantry Division of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army that captures Taunggyi. The Japanese, however, shrug off the loss and continue advancing toward Lashio.

Eastern Front: With the spring thaw ("Rasputitsa") in full swing on 24 April 1942, operations remain in a lull. General Franz Halder seems bored as he writes the day's diary entry:

Situation: Unchanged. Enemy continues relieving and regrouping movements opposite the southern part of the front. All quiet in Army Group North. 

The Germans remain worried about the possible Soviet use of poison gas, and Halder discusses preparedness for this and also "Rocket Projector troops" (Nebeltruppen, who man Nebelwerfer mortars and rockets) with General Wilhelm-Francis Ochsner.

The Nebelwerfer have been in use throughout the war and their use is being expanded by both sides on the Eastern Front. The Red Army has its own version, Katyusha rocket launchers. The advantage of these types of weapons is that they are light and inexpensive. These types of weapons also have the benefit of producing characteristic scary noises that cause G.I.s to nickname them "Screaming Mimis."

Luftwaffe bomb damage in the historic cathedral at Exeter, April 1942.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe conducts the first two so-called "Baedeker Raids" against Exeter on the nights of 23/24 and 24/25 April 1942. The first raid is a dud, causing little damage, but the second kills over 80 people. Luftflotte 3 conducts the raids using KG2 and KG106, led by pathfinders of I/KG100. The raids are moderate in size, comprised of 30-40 bombers, but the bombers fly two sorties each night. This leads to a terrifying, sleepless night. These raids cause more casualties than usual because the standard two sorties are separated by several hours that lull the residents into a false sense of security until the pattern becomes known.

During the day, the RAF sends a dozen Boston bombers to attack Flushing docks and half a dozen to attack the Abbeville airfields (these latter bombers are recalled). No planes are lost.

After dark, the RAF raids Rostock, Germany, for the second night in a row. It sends 125 bombers, with 91 targeting the town and 34 the Heinkel aircraft factory on its outskirts. Once again, the Heinkel factory emerges unscathed, but the town center sustains heavy damage. In subsidiary operations, 39 bombers attack Dunkirk, four Blenheim bombers independently raid the Low Countries (one is lost), and there are three leaflet flights.

Due to battle losses that cannot be replenished with Czechs, the Czechoslovak No. 311 Squadron is withdrawn from RAF Bomber Command and reassigned to Coastal Command. The Czech squadron finishes with over 1000 bombing sorties between 10 September 1940 and 24 April 1942.

A pre-war photo of Soviet submarine Shch-401, sunk by Friendly Fire on or about 24 April 1942.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-136 (Kptlt. Heinrich Zimmermann), on its second patrol out of St. Nazaire, torpedoes and sinks 7244-ton British freighter Empire Drum just before midnight on the 24th about 280 nautical miles (520 km) southeast of New York City. The ship is carrying 1270 tons of explosives and sinks just after midnight on the 25th after Zimmermann pumps a coup de grâce into the ship. He then surfaces and questions the survivors, examines the wreckage, and departs. All 41 crewmen survive, picked up by USS Roper and Swedish freighter Venezia.

Soviet submarine Shch-401 (Capt 3rd Class Moiseev) is sunk in a case of "Friendly Fire" by torpedo-cutters "TKA N13" and "TKA N14." The cutters of the Northern Fleet use depth charges and torpedoes to sink the sub near Komagneset, Vardø, Finnmark Fylke, Norway. Different sources list this action as occurring on either 23 or 25 April 1942. This sinking occurs the day after Shch-401 attacked a German convoy and was damaged by German submarine chasers.

Danish 1359-ton ferry Kalundborg hits a mine and is badly damaged in Kalundborg Fjord. There are no deaths and some passengers are lightly injured. Tugs attempt to tow the ferry port but it sinks.

The 24 April 1942 McComb, Mississippi, Journal headlines "Reds Hold Landed U.S. Bomber, Allies Keep Up Raids on Rabaul."

Battle of the Mediterranean: Axis air raids on Malta continue, focusing mainly on the RAF's airfields and the Grand Harbour area. There are many civilian and military casualties in Valletta and Floriana. The first raids are at 05:30 and they continue throughout the day and night. The RAF is down to four Spitfire fighters and about six Hurricane fighters, with some of these planes grounded at various times with damage. The RAF claims three enemy planes destroyed and loses two Wellington bombers, with others damaged, in retaliatory raids on Comiso Airfield in Sicily.

British Military: April 24, 1942, is the first flight of the Miles Master M.25 Martinet (LR 241), performed at Woodley Aerodrome by test pilot Flight Lieutenant Thomas Rose. This is a target tug aircraft used by the RAF and affiliated air forces throughout the remainder of World War II. The Martinet is necessary because front-line aircraft are being shot up too fast for enough to become "obsolete" and only suitable for target-towing duties. Some eventually are developed as radio-controlled target drones pursuant to secret Specification Q.10.43, something the United States also is working on. There are 1,724 Martinets produced in total and some remain in the RAF into the early 1950s.

U.S. Naval Air Station and Naval Operating Base, Argentia, Newfoundland, April 24, 1942 (U.S. Navy photo NH 113541).

US Military: New color specifications for naval aircraft go into effect. Service aircraft now are non-specular light gray except for non-specular blue-gray on surfaces visible from above. Advanced trainers are to be glossy aircraft gray with glossy orange-yellow on the wing and aileron surfaces, with primary trainers only having gray on their landing gear.

General George C. Marshall sends a thank-you note to General George Patton in appreciation for the gift of a goblet fashioned from a copper oil can. "Dear Patton," the letter begins, "Mrs. Marshall and I were much intrigued with the oil cup." General Patton at this time is commander of the Desert Training Center in the Mojave Desert to prepare for desert warfare. He also commands elements of the First Armored Corps and the Second and Third Armies.

The U.S. Navy announces that it will take over the Sanford (Florida) Municipal Airport (later known as the Orlando (Florida) Sanford International Airport). This is big news for the sleepy town and gets a banner headline in the 24 April 1942 "The Sanford Herald." This decision has a huge impact on the area, as the Navy is ready to spend millions of dollars upgrading the facilities.

The US Army issues Technical Manual "The Army Cook, April 24, 1942."

Finnish Army Company commander Cpt. Hakala is taking a morning wash. April 24, 1942, Voitatunturi (Voittotunturi). Colorized. [SA-Kuva].

Finnish Military: Kenraalimajuri (Major General) K. I. Viljanen, the commander of the 4th Infantry Division, and those accompanying him are killed when they get lost and wander into a Finnish minefield near Seesjürvi. Only one man from the group survives.

Holocaust: Continuing the gradual degradation of rights for Jewish citizens in the Reich, the government bans all Jews from using public transport. This is a great handicap, as private vehicles are increasingly rare due to production and fuel shortages.

German Homefront:  Plenipotentiary-General for Employment Gauleiter Fritz Sauckel issues a decree requiring women to work in manufacturing. This reflects a growing manpower shortage as casualties on the Eastern Front mount and production of munitions lags.

Canadian Homefront: Lucy Maud Montgomery, O.B.E, author of novels including "Anne of Green Gables," passes away at the age of 67.

"Official Portrait of US Marine Corps (USMC) Second Lieutenant (2LT) Orvin H. Ramlo, taken at San Diego, California (CA), April 24, 1942. 2LT Ramlo is an ace pilot and is credited with 5 kills." (National Archives 6608411). Ramlo wound up with seven kills and won the US Navy Cross on 10 November 1942. His son, Orvin Jr., became a Colonel and passed away in 2017.

American Homefront: Japanese residents of San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa Counties are ordered to report for registration over the weekend prior to their evacuation. Authorities will take them to the new Tanforan assembly center. The plan is to resettle them in the Gila River Valley, 50 miles southeast of Phoenix, Arizona. Locals in that area see positives from the relocation, with a front-page article in the 24 April 1942 Casa Grande (Arizona) Dispatch titled, "Construction on Japanese Relocation Quarters Will Stimulate Local Business."

The San Francisco supervisor's committee on city planning requests a prohibition on liquor licenses in the areas being evacuated by Japanese residents (bounded by Ellis, Gough, California, and Fillmore Streets). It also proposes to ask Congress to impose a moratorium on all mortgages held by evacuating Japanese citizens.

A "Behind the News" commentary by Arthur Caylor in the San Francisco News warns "Uncle Heiny or Cousin Guiseppe" to discard "certain cameras, short-wave radios and other contraband" or face raids by "G-men."

Warner Bros. releases the comedy "Larceny, Inc." directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, Jack Carson, and Anthony Quinn. Jackie Gleason makes an early appearance as a soda jerk. Robinson, who plays a gangster trying to go straight, takes the film to "soften his image" after a long run of tough gangster and policeman roles. Some reviewers have seen parallels between "Larceny, Inc." and Woody Allen's 2000 film "Small Time Crooks."

C.H. Laessig, who opened the very first gas station in the United States at 418 South Teresa in St. Louis, Missouri, passes away. He and his partner, Harry Grenner, later opened a chain of 40 gas stations across the city.

One of a series of photos taken on 24 April 1942 of families displaced by the Tennessee Valley Authority's Fort Loudoun Dam (located 602 miles, or 969 km, upstream from the mouth of the Tennessee River). The dam opened on 2 August 1943. Some people view the displacement of these families as a sign of the indifference of government agencies to the needs of the common people (National Archives at Atlanta).

Future History: Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand is born in Brooklyn, New York. She takes after her mother, who occasionally sings professionally, and quickly gains a reputation in her neighborhood for singing in front of her apartment building. She makes her first demo tape at age 13, but her real passion becomes acting. A job as an usher at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater on Broadway in 1960 leads her to audition for the play ("The Sound of Music"), though she isn't hired. A talent show appearance at a Greenwich Village (gay) nightclub turns into a continuing gig, which leads to other gigs, and then some stage roles. Around this time she changes her stage name from "Barbara" to "Barbra." Further roles come along, then television appearances including "The Tonight Show" and "The Ed Sullivan Show." Her first album in 1963, "The Barbara Streisand Album," hits the top 10 on the Billboard charts and wins three Grammys. After that, her career is assured, and ultimately Barbra Streisand becomes a legendary singer and actress who is still active as of this writing in 2021.

Nurse Denny Williams survives the war after spending time in the Santo Tomas POW camp. She passes away in 1997 at the age of 89.

Posting of Japanese Exclusion Order (No. 17, dated April 24, 1942) in Seattle, Washington, 1942 Social Trends in Seattle Vol 14 (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1944).

April 1942

April 1, 1942: Convoys Come to the USA 
April 2, 1942: Doolittle Raiders Leave Port
April 3, 1942: Japanese Attack in Bataan
April 4, 1942: Luftwaffe Attacks Kronstadt
April 5, 1942: Japanese Easter Sunday Raid on Ceylon
April 6, 1942: Japanese Devastation In Bay of Bengal
April 7, 1942: Valletta, Malta, Destroyed
April 8, 1942: US Bataan Defenses Collapse
April 9, 1942: US Defeat in Bataan
April 10, 1942: The Bataan Death March
April 11, 1942: The Sea War Heats Up
April 12, 1942: Essen Raids Conclude Dismally
April 13, 1942: Convoy QP-10 Destruction
April 14, 1942: Demyansk Breakout Attempt
April 15, 1942: Sobibor Extermination Camp Opens
April 16, 1942: Oil Field Ablaze in Burma
April 17, 1942: The Disastrous Augsburg Raid
April 18, 1942: The Doolittle Raid bombs Japan
April 19, 1942: British in Burma Escape
April 20, 1942: The Operation Calendar Disaster
April 21, 1942: Germans Relieve Demyansk

April 22, 1942: Gasoline Rationing in the US

April 23, 1942: The Mystery of Plane 8

April 24, 1942: When Will Help Arrive?

April 25, 1942: Bath Devastated in Baedeker Blitz

April 26, 1942: Hitler Expands His Powers

April 27, 1942: Luftwaffe Bombs Norwich

April 28, 1942: Brewing Clash in the Arctic

April 29, 1942: Japanese Preparing Operation Mo

April 30, 1942: U-Boats Attack!

2021

April 23, 1942: The Mystery of Plane 8

Thursday 23 April 1942

The crew of Plane 8, interned in Russia (left to right): Lieutenant Nolan A. Herndon, bombardier/navigator; Captain Edward J. York, pilot; Sergeant Theodore H. Laban, flight engineer/gunner; Lieutenant Robert Emmens, co-pilot; Sergeant David W. Pohl, gunner, not shown.

Battle of the Pacific: The Soviet government announces on 23 April 1942 that one of the 18 April 1942 Doolittle Raid B-25 bombers landed at its airfield at Vladivostok. This is "Plane 8," piloted by Captain Edward J. "Ski" York and co-pilot Lieutenant Robert G. Emmens. This was the only plane that diverted from the planned landing in China and the crew wind up interned in the USSR for 13 months before an NKVD-aided escape to Iran because the Soviet Union is not at war with Japan (until August 1945). 

The bombardier-navigator on the plane, Lieutenant Nolan A. Herndon, later argues (without proof) that Plane 8 was intentionally diverted to Russia under secret orders given only to the plane's pilots. This alleged mission was to test Soviet allegiance to the Allied cause and also to gather information about Soviet airfields that might be useful for later USAAF missions against Japan.

Fueling Herndon's suspicions is the very curious fact that pilots York and Emmens, much to Herndon's astonishment, turn out to be fluent Russian speakers after Plane 8 lands at the Soviet airfield. In addition, during the mission's preparation, the crew of Plane 8 was assembled at the last minute after the rest of the planes already had departed from Eglin Air Force Base for the West coast. There also are odd differences between Plane 8 and the other Doolittle bombers, such as different tuning of its carburetors, as if it was never intended to fly the same flight path as the other bombers.

This leads to an enduring mystery of World War II as to whether Plane 8's pilots were ordered to fly to Vladivostok instead of China. There is no proof of an intentional diversion despite all of the suspicions, and one would think that the navigator would be part of the "plot" instead of just the pilots. Asked point-blank about this years later, Jimmy Doolittle and others involved evaded the question without outright denying the allegation ("I did not send you to Russia" is all that Doolittle would say). This controversy plays out for decades, mostly within the tight-knit community of Doolittle Raid crewmen but also lovers of a good mystery.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: In Burma, the Japanese 56th Division continues advancing from Taunggyi toward Lashio, Burma. The Chinese defenders of Taunggyi, meanwhile, retreat in the direction of Yunnan Province. The 10th Air Force of the USAAF continues evacuating personnel and supplies from Burma to India. There are reports out of India of increased fears of a Japanese invasion there.

Luftwaffe reconnaissance taken on 23 April 1942 of the North Bay of Sevastopol, showing numerous large fortresses. Large Soviet forces are holding out in Sevastopol while German General Manstein's 11th Army prevents relief from Soviet forces to the east (Federal Archives Image 168-278-011).

Eastern Front: General Halder merely notes in his war diary, "Situation unchanged, a curiously quiet day on the entire front." Colonel Hans Speidel reports today to Halder after his transfer to the Eastern Front from France to become the Chief of Staff of the 5th Army Corps. The Luftwaffe launches three raids against Murmansk and sinks a floating crane and a tugboat, among other damage.

The Soviet Stavka (high command) relieves General Meretskov as commander of the Volkhov Front. Large Red Army forces are trapped on the western side of the Volkhov River and Meretskov essentially becomes the scapegoat. The entire command is subordinated to Headquarters, Leningrad Front. In Leningrad, General Khozin is ordered to break the Leningrad siege. Unfortunately for the Soviets, the spring thaw ("Rasputitsa") already has created a channel in the middle of the Volkhov River and the Soviets on the eastern bank are no longer to supply the pocket to the west. Inside the pocket, General Vlasov's Second Shock Army is starting to give ground against sustained German pressure, so time is running out for the Soviets.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe and RAF stage raids tonight that exhibit the same characteristics and similarly negative results. Both raids are against medium-sized historic towns by a medium-sized bomber force led by a handful of bombers equipped with special navigational equipment. They cause little damage of note. These similarities are an indication of temporary parity in the air war.

The so-called "Baedeker Raids" begin today. They are launched by the Luftwaffe against mid-sized English towns that coincidentally feature prominently in guidebooks. Exeter is tonight's target. Other cities on the list will include Bath, Canterbury, Norwich, and York. These raids are in retaliation for a heavy 28 March 1942 RAF air raid on the historic German city of Lubeck. Tonight's raid by 45 Do 217s of KG 2 and Ju 88s of KG 106 against Exeter causes little damage, but the Luftwaffe plans a follow-up raid on the night of the 24th. They are led to the target by a few specially equipped He 111s of 1./KG 100.

The RAF, meanwhile, makes the first of a series of four raids against the Baltic port town of Rostock. This is somewhat ironic, as Rostock has many similarities to Lubeck, the raid against which caused such ire in the German high command. Rostock has few air defenses and the RAF bombers are guided by pathfinder bombers using the Gee navigational system. The goal of 18 bombers is a precision attack on the Heinkel aircraft factory on the southern outskirts of town, while 143 others bomb the center of town (Altstadt). The raid is a failure, with no hits scored on the Heinkel factory and most of the other bombers missing the town by two to six miles. The RAF loses two Wellington bombers, a Manchester bomber, and a Whitley bomber for these tepid results.

Two US Navy Yeomen hold a battered flag that was flying in Pearl Harbor at the time of the 7 December 1941 attack. That are at a Naval recruiting office at Kansas city on 23 April 1942 (AP Photo).

Battle of the Atlantic: German motor torpedo boat Esau (LS-4), operating from auxiliary cruiser SS Michel, torpedoes and sinks 8684-ton US tanker Connecticut in the South Atlantic midway between Brazil and Angola. There are 36 deaths and 18 survivors. Michel rescues the survivors and later turns them over to the Japanese as POWs when docked in Yokohama.

U-125 (Kptlt. Ulrich Folkers), on its fourth patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 5102-ton US freighter Lammot Du Pont about 500 nautical miles (930 km) southeast of Bermuda. There are 37 survivors and 17 deaths. USS Tarbell and Swedish freighter Astri rescue the survivors.

Soviet submarine Shch-401 attacks a German convoy off Tanafjord, Norway. It torpedoes and sinks 1359-ton Norwegian liner Stensaas off Slettnes in the Barents Sea. German submarine chaser UJ-1101 rescues the survivors. UJ-1101 and UJ-1110 drop depth charges on the submarine, which temporarily escapes with some damage but later sinks.

British 2768-ton collier Chatwood hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea off Cromer, Norfolk. All 24 crewmen survive. Salvage attempts are made in 1994 by "Desert Star."

US destroyer USS Geer (DD-145) rescues survivors of US freighter Robin Hood, sunk by U-575 on 15 April 1942. Destroyer Rowan (DD-405) rescues the survivors of US freighter San Jacinto, sunk by U-201 on 21 April.

US freighter Lammot Du Pont, sunk by U-125 southeast of Bermuda on 23 April 1942.

Battle of the Mediterranean: U-565 (Kptlt. Wilhelm Franken), on its fifth patrol out of La Spezia, attacks convoy TA 36 and sinks 1361-ton British freighter Kirkland about 35 nautical miles (65 km) northwest of Sidi Barrani, Egypt. There are 22 survivors and one death. HMT Falk rescues the survivors.

British 4986-ton freighter Jersey hits a mine and sinks in the Red Sea off Suez, Egypt.

At Malta, large Axis air formations attack Grand Harbour installations and the airfields around 11:00. Another large raid is at 15:30. The RAF defenders are down to two operational Spitfires of No. 601 Squadron at Luqa and four Hurricanes of No. 229 Squadron at Hal Far.

Civilian workers are convinced to work repairing airfields at Ta Qali and Luqa despite the oppressive daily Luftwaffe attacks. Detachments of Malta Police also help out. There are plans to compel such assistance in the future under the Compulsory Service Scheme, when they (and next of kin) will receive additional benefits.

The Daily Mirror focuses on a unique angle of the inconclusive Operation Abercrombie commando raid on the French shore near Boulogne on the night of 21/22 April 1942.

South African/French Relations: South Africa severs diplomatic relations with Vichy France.

British Government: Lord Portsea makes a speech requesting that humanitarian aid be sent to the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey despite the German occupation. No decision is made.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill speaks at a Secret Session of the House of Commons about the fall of Singapore in February 1942. It is one of Churchill's longest wartime speeches and very candid about the true situation in the Far East.

German Homefront:  Reich Plenipotentiary for Labour Fritz Sauckel issues a decree for schoolboys aged 14-16 and schoolgirls aged 16-17 to work on farms. Many of the boys, however, already are manning antiaircraft guns.

Reich Finance Minister Count Lutz Schwerin von Krosigk gives a speech to the German Chamber of Commerce in Amsterdam about the Reich's economy. Krosigk claims that the trick to avoiding inflation is to absorb excess buying power. This trick, he says, will enable the German people to avoid economic dependence on the rest of the world.

British Homefront: Crime writer and poet Dorothy L. Sayers gives an address at Eastbourne entitled "Why Work?" She argues that a post-war British economy should not be driven by capitalist consumerism but instead by matching workers with jobs based on talent and intention. It is a vaguely socialist vision that is gradually gaining a foothold within England amidst the deprivations of war.

The Washington, D.C., Evening Star for 23 April 1942 trumpets the RAF's resumption of its air offensive against the Reich and Japanese advances in Burma. It also relays a Soviet communique that the German rear is "disintegrating" as the Reich calls up 1.9 million new reserves, none of which appears to be true.

American Homefront: Construction begins today at the Tule Lake Relocation Center in Newell, California. This is a high-security camp for internees considered a particular threat (for refusing to renounce the Japanese Emperor, for instance), with three layers of barbed-wire fences and armed guards with orders to shoot anyone trying to break out. The morale there becomes notoriously low, with many residents becoming militant and intentionally trying to provoke the guards.

Future History: Alexandra Zuck is born in Bayonne, New Jersey. Alexandra begins working as a child model and takes the professional name of Sandra Dee. Sandra becomes quite successful working in New York. She gets a break at the age of twelve when producer Ross Hunter "discovers" her during a walk on Park Avenue, NYC. This leads Sandra to Hollywood, where she begins working at MGM in 1957. She quickly earns leading roles and switches to Universal Pictures, where Sandra becomes a star. Perhaps her most successful films are "Imitation of Life" (1959), playing Lana Turner's daughter, and "Gidget," which spawns the teenage bach comedy trend. However, her image is that of an ingenue, and that appeal declines as she matures. Sandra's career declines after that, and Universal drops Sandra amid publicity about her divorce from Bobby Darin. Sandra Dee, typecast as a naive teenager, basically retires from acting during the late 1960s and passes away on 20 February 2005.

Construction begins on 23 April 1942 at Tule Lake Relocation Camp in Newell, California. Actor George Takei spends some time at this camp (Clem Albers, Department of the Interior, National Archives at College Park).

April 1942

April 1, 1942: Convoys Come to the USA 
April 2, 1942: Doolittle Raiders Leave Port
April 3, 1942: Japanese Attack in Bataan
April 4, 1942: Luftwaffe Attacks Kronstadt
April 5, 1942: Japanese Easter Sunday Raid on Ceylon
April 6, 1942: Japanese Devastation In Bay of Bengal
April 7, 1942: Valletta, Malta, Destroyed
April 8, 1942: US Bataan Defenses Collapse
April 9, 1942: US Defeat in Bataan
April 10, 1942: The Bataan Death March
April 11, 1942: The Sea War Heats Up
April 12, 1942: Essen Raids Conclude Dismally
April 13, 1942: Convoy QP-10 Destruction
April 14, 1942: Demyansk Breakout Attempt
April 15, 1942: Sobibor Extermination Camp Opens
April 16, 1942: Oil Field Ablaze in Burma
April 17, 1942: The Disastrous Augsburg Raid
April 18, 1942: The Doolittle Raid bombs Japan
April 19, 1942: British in Burma Escape
April 20, 1942: The Operation Calendar Disaster
April 21, 1942: Germans Relieve Demyansk

April 22, 1942: Gasoline Rationing in the US

April 23, 1942: The Mystery of Plane 8

April 24, 1942: When Will Help Arrive?

April 25, 1942: Bath Devastated in Baedeker Blitz

April 26, 1942: Hitler Expands His Powers

April 27, 1942: Luftwaffe Bombs Norwich

April 28, 1942: Brewing Clash in the Arctic

April 29, 1942: Japanese Preparing Operation Mo

April 30, 1942: U-Boats Attack!

2021

April 14, 1942: Demyansk Breakout Attempt

Tuesday 14 April 1942

Finnish ski patrol on the move. Petsamo, Kukkesjaur. April 14, 1942 (original color photograph, SA-Kuva).

Battle of the Pacific: The Bataan Death March continues on 14 April 1942. The march to the San Fernando railhead takes six days and new groups of POWs are just starting out, so the roads north from Mariveles and Bagac are full of shambling, mistreated men. The two separate columns, one from each starting point, merge at Pilar, Bataan, into one massive wave of bodies moving north. The Japanese guards are walking alongside the prisoners and also feeling mistreated, plus they look down upon prisoners as cowards who should have fought and died rather than surrender. Thus, the Japanese are becoming increasingly angry and resentful and the mistreatment of the Allied prisoners increases every day. Men who fall behind or stop at the roadside for any reason are often executed on the spot, with their bodies left as examples for those following.

The Doolittle raiders in Admiral "Bull" Halsey's Task Force 16 continue heading west toward Japan. The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Hornet carries 16 B-25 bombers for a raid on Tokyo. The Japanese have an inkling that something is happening because of intercepted radio signals, but await word from their picket ships stationed about 600 miles east of Japan. Back in Washington, D.C., Admiral Ernest King visits President Roosevelt at the White House to give the President a detailed summary of the planned raid and its progress.

Royal Navy ratings at rifle training at Formby, Lancashire, 14 April 1942. © IWM  A 8326.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: The Japanese offensive in the Irrawaddy River valley north toward the Yenangyaung oil fields continues to make steady progress while the Allies pull back. The Japanese 214th Regiment, accompanied by artillery, bypasses the British Burma Division to take possession of a critical ford of the Pin Chaung River, north of Yenangyaung. This unexpected success has the potential to block the British escape route and places the entire British position in jeopardy. Lieutenant General William Slim, commander of Burma Corps, realizes his command may have to fight its way out of a developing trap.

Finnish troops in action during the battle of Pertjärvi on 14 April 1942 (Koukinsky, SA-Kuva).

Eastern Front: Korpsgruppe Zorn begins Operation Fallreep, a breakout from the Demyansk pocket toward the Lovat River at Ramushevo. General Seydlitz's relief force is still struggling north on the road to Ramushevo, so this is a gamble that Seydlitz will actually get to Ramushevo so the two columns can meet across the river from each other. The Soviets are defending tenaciously and Seydlitz's men already have taken 10,000 casualties, so there are no guarantees of success.

Hitler refuses to authorize abandonment of the Demyansk and Kholm pockets, so the weary 95,000 men within the Demyansk pocket must both hold the perimeter and extend a hand to Seydlitz. This is a daunting task for under-supplied troops who have been isolated for months in the dead of winter. Time is of the essence because the spring thaw ("Raputitsa") is beginning and soon will make all movement difficult. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

General Eric von Manstein, commander of 11th Army in the Crimea, flies to Fuhrer Headquarters in Rastenburg for the evening Fuhrer Conference. He submits plans for an artillery assault on Sevastopol, where Soviet troops continue to hold out behind the German front on the Parpach Narrows. No decisions are made, but Manstein wants to attack in force on the Parpach Narrows to drive the Soviets from the Kerch peninsula before making a set-piece assault on Sevastopol. On the Soviet side, Stalin still has hopes of relieving Sevastopol by piercing Manstein's line along the narrows, so the situation remains in flux.

The deck gun of U-85 which sank off the North Carolina coast on 14 April 1942 (Courtesy of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary).

European Air Operations: During the day, the RAF sends a dozen Boston bombers to bomb the Mondeville power station without loss. After dark, RAF Bomber Command raids a new target, Dortmund, with 208 aircraft (142 Wellingtons, 34 Hampdens, 20 Stirlings, 8 Halifaxes, 4 Manchesters). Five Wellingtons and 4 Hampdens fail to return. As with the recently completed series of raids on Essen, bombing accuracy is poor and bombs strike all along a 40-mile stretch of the Ruhr River. In Dortmund, an industrial building and a military post are destroyed, along with four homes. Four other homes are damages with four deaths and 27 injured. In other operations, the RAF sends 23 bombers to Le Havre (which the bombers completely miss), five Blenheim intruders to Soesterberg airfield, and one Stirling on a minelaying mission off Heligoland. One bomber fails to return from the Le Havre mission.

The RAF loss ratio continues to be poor. In 237 sorties, the RAF loses ten aircraft for a loss ratio of 4.2%. Anything around 5% means the average flight crew required to fly 20 missions will likely not last his entire tour of duty.

The Luftwaffe has been strained ever since the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, which has given Great Britain relief from major air attacks. However, the German public has begun to notice the sting of RAF Bomber Command raids, particularly the destruction of the historic seaport of Lubeck on 28 March 1942. Hitler, always sensitive to public opinion although he rarely lets it interfere with his own plans, directs Hermann Goering's planes to retaliate. These missions become known as the "Baedecker Blitz" after the famous guidebook. as they pinpoint small British towns that typically appear in it.

Men lining up to buy tickets at Union Station in Los Angeles, 14 April 1942 (Paul Calvert / Los Angeles Times).

In any event, there have been very few, if any, major raids against England for almost a year, but that is about to change. The Luftwaffe Operations Staff announces:

The Fuehrer has ordered that air warfare against England is to be given a more aggressive stamp. Accordingly, when targets are being selected, preference is to be given to those where attacks are likely to have the greatest possible effect on civilian life. Besides raids on ports and industry, terror attacks of a retaliatory nature [Vergeltungsangriffe] are to be carried out against towns other than London. Minelaying is to be scaled down in favor of these attacks.

This operation is notable for the first use in the German high command of the word "Vergeltungsangriffe," or "Vengeance," whose use will become much more common as the war progresses.

The Luftwaffe assigns the task to Luftflotte 3. The bomber squadron Erg. U. Lehr Kdo 100 will use its Heinkel He 111 bombers as pathfinders for a larger bomber force. About 80 bombers of II and III./KG 2 and II./KG 40, equipped with Dornier Do-217 and other models, compose the main strike force. KuFlGr 106 will use its Junkers Ju 88 bombers and I./KG 2 with around 25 Do-217s will also participate.

Attacks are to begin in strength later in April. The main targets will include York, Norwich, Canterbury, Bath, and Exeter - all towns roughly of the same size and importance to England as Lubeck was to the Reich. A representative of the German Foreign Office, Gustav Braun von Stumm, offhandedly claims (without authorization) that "We shall go out and bomb every building in Britain marked with three stars in the Baedeker Guide." This, however, is not how the German leadership wishes to characterize the raids, which are intended to be solely retaliatory and not targeting any specific cultural areas.

USS Roper, which sank U-85 on 14 April 1942 (Courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command).

Battle of the Atlantic: It is a bad day for submarine crews, with two German (in the Atlantic) and one British submarine (in the Mediterranean) sunk. World War II submarine work is extremely hazardous with a high percentage of submarine sailors perishing during the war.

U-85 (Oblt. Eberhard Greger), on its fourth patrol out of St. Nazaire, is caught on the surface off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, by US Navy destroyer USS Roper. The crew of the Roper makes quick work of U-85 with gunfire because for some reason Greger remains on the surface throughout the engagement. All 46 crewmen of U-85 perish, many when Roper drops depth charges that kill swimming U-85 crewmen who had abandoned the sinking U-boat. This is the first U-boat sunk off the North American coast. U-85, which finishes its career with three ships sunk of 15,060 tons, sits in about 110 feet (34 m) of water 14 miles (23 km) east of Oregon Inlet along the Outer Banks between Wimble Shoals and Cape Hatteras. It is a popular dive site despite tricky currents. Incidentally, 29 bodies from U-85 were recovered and are buried under cover of darkness at Hampton National Cemetery.

U-252 (Kptlt. Kai Lerchen), on its first patrol out of Helgoland, is sunk at 22:30 by depth charges from escorts of Convoy OG-82. Royal Navy sloop HMS Stork and corvette Vetch take credit for the sinking southwest of Iceland. U-252, which had just landed German agent Ib Riis in Iceland, finishes its career with one sinking of 1355 tons.

U-85, sunk by USS Roper on 14 April 1942 (Courtesy of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary).

U-203 (Kptlt. Rolf Mützelburg), on its sixth patrol out of Brest, torpedoes and sinks 6160-ton British tanker Empire Thrush about 8 miles north of Diamond Shoals near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. All 55 men aboard survive, picked up quickly by US Navy Q-ship USS Asterion (AK 100), which witnessed the attack from a distance.

U-66 (KrvKpt. Richard Zapp), on its fifth patrol out of Lorient, gets its first victory of what turns out to be a very successful patrol in the Caribbean, 2116-ton Greek freighter Korthion. It hits Korthion with one torpedo south of Barbados and the ship sinks quickly. There are 14 dead and 9 survivors.

U-571 (Kptlt. Helmut Möhlmann), on its fourth patrol out of La Pallice, torpedoes and sinks 3352-ton US sugar freighter Margaret about 45 miles east of Cape Hatteras. The ship sinks within five minutes after a boiler explodes. All 29 men on board perish.

German 5032-ton freighter Kellerwald hits a mine and sinks off Helgoland. The RAF has been expending a great deal of effort recently in dropping mines in the German Bight.

The Luftwaffe attacks Murmansk, sinking the 5172-ton British freighter Lancaster Castle. There are ten dead, mostly Indian sailors.

Convoy TC-14 departs from the UK for Halifax. This is a special convoy that carries 10 tons of Russian gold that had been transferred from Archangel to the UK by light cruiser Kenya in Convoy QP-3.

Lieutenant-Commander Malcolm David Wanklyn, lost at sea on 14 April 1942.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Royal Navy submarine HMS Upholder (Lieutenant-Commander Malcolm David Wanklyn) disappears on or about this date. There are no survivors of Upholder's 32-man crew, so the exact circumstances and location of her loss are unknown. There are several theories, including depth charges from Italian torpedo boat Pegaso north of Tripoli or hitting a mine. The Admiralty report of her loss - ending with "The ship and her company are gone but the example and inspiration remain" - has an enduring place in Royal Navy history, with that phrase repeated verbatim after another loss during the Falklands War in 1982. Upholder ends its career having sunk 97,000 tons of enemy shipping, one destroyer, and three U-boats. Wanklyn is considered one of the top Royal Navy heroes of World War II.

Royal Navy submarine Turbulence (Cdr. J.W. Linton) uses its deck gun to sink 73-ton Italian sailing ship Franco about 10 miles south of Sebenico, Croatia. There is no record of the fate of the crew of three.

The air offensive against Malta continues, with constant air raids throughout daylight hours. The Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 3, Hptm. Karl-Heinz Krahl, an Experten (ace) with 24 victories, is shot down and killed over Malta near Luqa Aerodrome. Major Kurt Brandle replaces him as Gruppenkommandeur.

The Enigma machine from U-85, recovered by divers in 2001. This is the type of machine used to encode messages by the Germans that the British Ultra program intercepted and decoded in real-time (The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources).

The RAF theater command in Cairo assembles a special strike force to attack Italian convoys known to be crossing from Sicily to Benghazi. This information is based on Ultra intercepts, though very, very few people know this. They build up a strike force within RAF No. 39 Squadron (along with elements of No. 22 Squadron, which happens to be passing through on its way to Ceylon) at Sidi Bu Amud, Libya. This is to be a shuttle mission, with the planes taking off in Egypt, attacking the convoy, and landing in Malta. At least, that's the plan.

The ships are known to be passing within 100 miles of Malta due to the German belief that the Luftwaffe air offensive has incapacitated the island. Basically, they are sailing on the shortest route south from Naples without any worry about attacks from Malta - normally, they would route around Sicily via Palermo. Nine RAF Beauforts and four Beaufighters set out (one Beaufort aborts early), but they have difficulties locating the convoy and then, when they do find it, run into unexpected Luftwaffe air cover. The mission makes no hits on the convoy and it turns into an RAF disaster,  Only three Beauforts make it back to base, two badly damaged, with seventeen of the aircrew lost. The mission effectively ends this strike force and deprives Ceylon of some air reinforcement. The lone serviceable plane flies back to Egypt.

"Sunset picture [on 14 April 1942] at Freetown Harbour showing a convoy at anchor. On the left is HMS DEVONSHIRE and on the extreme right is AMC ALCANTARA." This photo was taken from HMS Adamant. © IWM A 9225.

Battle of the Black Sea: Several Soviet ships supplying the troops on the Kerch peninsula of the Crimea sink after hitting mines. These sorts of mine strikes by multiple ships within a short time often happen right after mines are dropped by air in a new spot before ships can be routed around them.

Soviet troop transport Anton Chekhov hits a mine and sinks near Kerch. The mine likely was dropped by the Luftwaffe, which is being built up into an overpowering force in support of General Manstein's 11th Army. There are 200 deaths and 50 wounded men.

Soviet minesweeper KT-608, Soviet transport SS Kommunar, and submarine chaser SKA-042 also hit mines off Kerch. Eight men on the SKA-042 perish and 72 on the Kommunar.

Map of the encounter between USS Roper and U-85 on 14 April 1942.

Anglo/US Relations: The British quickly agree to a framework by Harry Hopkins and General George C. Marshall, who are in England for talks, for "Operation Bolero." This is the buildup of US forces in the British Isles which eventually leads to Operation Overlord, the Normandy Invasion. However, many details remain to be worked out that will be the province of a combined committee of American and British logistical officers. This committee begins to take shape quickly. At this time, there are only vague plans for a cross-Channel invasion in late 1942 at the earliest or more likely in mid-1943.

Australian/US Relations: The Australian government approves the 30 March directive in which General Douglas MacArthur was named Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA). This effectively places an American in charge of the Australian military for the duration of the conflict, though, when pressed, the Australian government generally gets its way on the commitment of the Australian military.

British Military: Vice-Admiral W.T.R. Ford succeeds Vice-Admiral Sir Gordon Ramsey as Commander in Chief, Rosyth.

French Government: Premier Philippe Petain invites Pierre Laval to return to his former position leading the Vichy French government under Petain's nominal supervision. The Germans (meaning, Hitler) greatly prefer arch-collaborationist Laval to nationalist Petain and have demanded the change. After this, Petain becomes a figurehead. The decision is announced publicly on 15 April and Laval assumes office on 18 April.

Laval's appointment causes a crisis in relations with the United States, which still maintains diplomatic relations with Vichy France. Admiral William Leahy, the US Ambassador to France, cables the State Department about the news. It quickly replies that Leahy will be recalled once Laval assumes power.

The big news of the day in the Lima, Ohio, News is the return to power of Pierre Laval.

British Government: It is Budget Day in the UK, and Chancellor of the Exchequer Kingsley Wood delivers the bad news. Taxes must be doubled, to 66%, on a wide variety of non-essential goods such as alcohol, tobacco, cosmetics, and theater tickets. Government expenditures for the year ending 31 March 1942 totaled £4 billion, £285 million above projections, while the current budget year is projected at £5.286 billion. Without Lend-lease, of course, the expenditures and deficits would be dramatically higher. Kingsley calls this the "sacrifices for the victory" budget. The standard income tax remains 50%.

Soviet Homefront: Premier Joseph Stalin, perhaps impressed by the successful US War Bond drive, opens his own war loan subscription. The goal is to raise 10 Billion Rubles.

American Homefront: Attorney General Francis Biddle writes a letter to Postmaster General Frank Walker suggesting that "Social Justice," Father Charles Coughlin's periodical, be banned from the United States mails by for violating the Espionage Act of 1917. The publication has been parroting German propaganda since before the German invasion of Poland. Biddle also considers indicting Father Coughlin himself for his political activities.

Biddle's letter sets in motion a chain of events that leads to the cessation of publication of Social Justice. With a hearing set for 4 May 1942, Coughlin's superior in the Church, Bishop Edward Aloysius Mooney, orders Coughlin to end all political activities. Coughlin complies, ends his involvement with Social Justice (which continues publication for a short time available only on newsstands and hereafter confines his activities solely to those of a local parish priest. This ends Coughlin's political career, and he quietly serves as pastor of his church, Shrine of the Little Flower, until 1966.

Future History: Valentin Vitalyevich Lebedev is born in Moscow, Russia. He becomes a cosmonaut who makes two flights into space, including spending 211 days in space aboard Space Station Salyut 7 in 1982. He is a two-time Hero of the Soviet Union and as of 2020 remains active in Russian scientific circles.

New Masses magazine, dated 14 April 1942, showing the disembodied heads of Father Coughlin (lower left) and Gerald L.K. Smith, both considered fascist sympathizers in the United States. This Marxist magazine featured an expose of Father Coughlin. Perhaps this is what caught the eye of Francis Biddle and caused him to shut down Coughlin's "Social Justice."

April 1942

April 1, 1942: Convoys Come to the USA 
April 2, 1942: Doolittle Raiders Leave Port
April 3, 1942: Japanese Attack in Bataan
April 4, 1942: Luftwaffe Attacks Kronstadt
April 5, 1942: Japanese Easter Sunday Raid on Ceylon
April 6, 1942: Japanese Devastation In Bay of Bengal
April 7, 1942: Valletta, Malta, Destroyed
April 8, 1942: US Bataan Defenses Collapse
April 9, 1942: US Defeat in Bataan
April 10, 1942: The Bataan Death March
April 11, 1942: The Sea War Heats Up
April 12, 1942: Essen Raids Conclude Dismally
April 13, 1942: Convoy QP-10 Destruction
April 14, 1942: Demyansk Breakout Attempt
April 15, 1942: Sobibor Extermination Camp Opens
April 16, 1942: Oil Field Ablaze in Burma
April 17, 1942: The Disastrous Augsburg Raid
April 18, 1942: The Doolittle Raid bombs Japan
April 19, 1942: British in Burma Escape
April 20, 1942: The Operation Calendar Disaster
April 21, 1942: Germans Relieve Demyansk

April 22, 1942: Gasoline Rationing in the US

April 23, 1942: The Mystery of Plane 8

April 24, 1942: When Will Help Arrive?

April 25, 1942: Bath Devastated in Baedeker Blitz

April 26, 1942: Hitler Expands His Powers

April 27, 1942: Luftwaffe Bombs Norwich

April 28, 1942: Brewing Clash in the Arctic

April 29, 1942: Japanese Preparing Operation Mo

April 30, 1942: U-Boats Attack!

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