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!

2021

April 12, 1942: Essen Raids Conclude Dismally

Sunday 12 April 1942

The Esso Boston sinking after being torpedoed on 12 April 1942.

Battle of the Pacific: The Bataan Death March continues on 12 April 1942. New groups set out on foot in the morning, and it is a six-day journey on foot to the San Fernando railhead. Japanese captors routinely behead or drive bamboo stakes through POWs and civilians alike for any number of reasons. The POWs are given little food and water during the march, and no allowances are made for war wounds or any other inability to march. Anybody who stops by the side of the road for bodily functions or any other reason is usually bayoneted. The distance on foot is roughly 60-80 miles to the railhead but the distances vary because prisoners starting out at different areas take slightly different routes. The prisoners walk all day and at dark are led into a field and allowed to sleep there.

The Japanese continue advancing through the Philippines now that Bataan is conquered. They take Cebu Island, where US forces destroy the motor torpedo boat PT-35 which is on the marine railway for repairs at Cebu Shipyard and Engineering Works. Staging through Mindanao from Australia, ten B-25 and three B-17 bombers commanded by US Brigadier General Ralph Royce attack the harbor and nearby shipping at Cebu (the "Royce Raid"). Afterward, Royce's command evacuates 44 officers and civilians from Mindanao. In addition, B-17s based on Mindanao also attack Cebu Harbor and Nichols Field.

USS YAG-4, the auxiliary minesweeper/patrol boat which had rescued many men from Bataan right before the fall, is shelled and sunk 500 yards (460 m) off Corregidor by Japanese shore artillery.

HMAS Laurabada arrives in Port Moresby on 12 April 1942. It carries 156 survivors of Lark Force, the Australian garrison of New Britain (Rabaul). This ship, the former touring yacht of Papua's administrator, somehow evaded detection while secretly taking off men from Palmalmal Plantation in Jacquinot Bay after the Japanese invasion. The rescue was arranged by Australian coastwatchers on New Britain who had communications equipment. Many men who did not make it to the Laurabada were massacred by the Japanese or otherwise did not survive the war (Naval Historical Collection, Australian War Memorial No 69370).

Battle of the Indian Ocean: The Japanese advance toward the Yenangyaung oil fields in Burma continues as their troops take the town of Myanaung. The 1st Burma Division, 2nd Royal Tank Regiment near Magwe (Magway), and 48th Indian Infantry Brigade are slowly falling back under pressure to the north. The American Volunteer Group (AVG, or Flying Tigers) continues supporting air operations against Toungoo Airfield. The P-40s destroy three bombers on the ground.

Eastern Front: General Seydlitz's men continue advancing slowly in their relief attack toward the Demyansk pocket. They get within 500 yards (meters) of the Lovato River today and make a turn upstream toward Ramushevo. More out of desperation than hope, the Germans begin preparing an advance by II Corps out of the pocket to meet Seydlitz's men somewhere in the direction of the Lovato. Hitler will not permit the men to abandon the pocket even though its usefulness is highly questionable.

One of the persistent problems facing the Wehrmacht is ammunition shortages and also troop deficits. General Halder meets with Generaloberst Friedrich Fromm, Chief of Army Armament and the Reserve Army. Fromm controls army procurement and production in addition to controlling all troops within the Reich itself. Knowing the supply situation better than anyone, he has recommended going over to the defensive in 1942 rather than attempting offensive gambles.

Fromm gives Halder the raw figures. The Wehrmacht is expected to be 318,000 men short of its table strength as of 1 May 1942. There will be 960,000 more men available through September, including in August the class of 1924 (eighteen-year-old recruits), to replace losses. He recommends shortening training to two months, which will enable 240,000 men to be sent to the Eastern Front by May for the summer offensive. Manpower is not yet a point of crisis, but how that plays out will depend on summer losses.

"USS Wasp CV-7, Greenock, Scotland, April 12, 1942." Watercolor by Ian Marshall.

European Air Operations: After a one-day pause in operations, RAF Bomber Command is back in action today. During the day, 9 Boston bombers attack the Hazebrouck railway marshaling yards at a cost of one of their number. At sunset, 251 bombers (171 Wellingtons, 31 Hampdens, 27 Stirlings, 13 Halifaxes, 9 Manchesters) set out for a major raid on one of Bomber Command's favorite targets, Essen.

This Essen raid is slightly more productive than previous raids. The bombers hit the intended target, the Krupps factory, with five high-explosive bombs and 200 incendiary bombs. These start a large fire. However, as usual, bombing accuracy is poor and most bombs hit towns all along the Ruhr River. A total of 28 houses are destroyed, 50 more seriously damaged, 27 people are killed, 36 injured, and nine are missing. The British lose 10 aircraft (7 Wellingtons, 2 Hampdens, 1 Halifax) for a barely tolerable 3.1% loss rate.

This is the eighth of eight major raids on Essen, and they have been largely futile. The Krupps factory has not been put out of action, much less Essen in total, and railway lines continue to function. The city remains as productive in the German war effort as ever. However, it should be noted that the Germans do not know where these raids are heading and millions of people across the Reich are forced into bomb shelters for hours at night and lose sleep. So, there are effects on German morale, but what those are is highly debatable, and those are certainly not the intended effect of the raids.

In other operations, the RAF sends 27 bombers over Le Havre, 18 Whitley bombers to Genoa, 4 Blenheims to targets in Holland, 20 bombers on minelaying operations off the German coast, and 7 on leaflet flights over France. There are no losses on these missions.

Empire Lotus sinking in the North Atlantic on 12 April 1942.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-154 (KrvKpt. Walther Kölle), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 5032-ton US freighter Delvalle south of Haiti. The attack is unusual in that a passing civilian aircraft spots the U-boat and warns the ship's crew, who first attempt to flee and then turn to ram the U-boat. Kölle panics and fires two torpedoes at the advancing freighter, which miss, but the freighter also fails to make contact. Adjusting his position, Kölle finally manages to pump two torpedoes into the Delvalle, which seals her fate. It ultimately takes seven torpedoes to sink the ship including the misses, a very poor result for an ordinary freighter. There are two dead and 61 survivors.

Ernst Kals, captain of U-130 which sinks US tanker Esso Boston on 12 April 1942.

U-130 (KrvKpt. Ernst Kals), on its third patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 7699-ton US tanker Esso Boston about 300 miles northeast of Sint Maarten in the Caribbean. The one torpedo that hits stops the tanker and causes its crew to abandon the ship, which is carrying 105,400 barrels of crude oil. Kals then surfaces and uses his deck gun to finish off the tanker, leaving it a smoking ruin, but it does not sink. Everyone survives, and on the 13th the crew reboards the half-submerged sinking tanker, but they cannot save it. USS Biddle (DD 151) shows up the same day and rescues them just before the ship sinks.

U-203 (Kptlt. Rolf Mützelburg), on its sixth patrol out of Brest, torpedoes and damages 10,013-ton Panamanian tanker Stanvac Melbourne about 15 miles from Frying Pan Shoal Inside Buoy off Cape Fear, North Carolina. After the tanker is hit with one torpedo, most of the crew abandons ship and Mützelburg moves on. However, the tanker does not sink, and three men who remained on board, including the master, Andrew T. Lagan, decide to try to save it. They drop anchor and wait out the night, and in the morning, two tugs appear and take her to Southport. Repairs are quick and the Stanvac Melbourne returns to service on 2 July. One of the reasons the tanker did not sink was that it was in ballast with great buoyancy.

Captain Mützelburg of U-203, which sank Panamanian tanker Stanvac Melbourne on 12 April 1942.

Italian submarine Pietro Calvi uses its deck gun to shell and sink Panamanian tanker 7691-ton Ben Brush off the coast of Brazil. There are 34 survivors and one death.

Swedish 1839-ton freighter Scotia hits a mine and sinks off Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK. There are 25 survivors, many of them wounded, and one missing and presumed dead.

A member of Convoy SC-79, 3696-ton British freighter Empire Lotus, founders in rough seas along the North Atlantic convoy route. Everyone survives.

Aerial view of survivors of SS Delvalle, sunk on 12 April 1942 off the southern coast of Haiti, clinging to a raft. National Archives 80-G-61538.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Luftwaffe attacks continue on Malta today and they score hits on cruiser HMS Essex and freighter SS Talabot. However, the results are less than they appear because the Talabot previously has been hit and written off, with nobody on board. The Luftwaffe aircrews, however, have been given point-blank instructions to make sure Talabot is sunk because it narrowly escaped previous attacks (or so the Germans thought), and the Luftwaffe crews carry out their orders to finish it off. The Germans have been achieving some success with a new tactic of sending Bf 109s in advance of the bombing attacks to strafe Allied gun positions on the island to suppress antiaircraft fire.

Battle of the Black Sea: Soviet freighter Kommuna hits a mine and sinks near Kamysh-Buran. There are two deaths.
 
Anglo/Indian Relations: Today marks the official end of the "Cripps Mission" to broker a deal between the British government and Indian nationalists. However, talks continue unofficially, facilitated by US President Franklin Roosevelt's personal representative, Colonel Louis Johnson, appointed on 11 March 1942. These talks too, however, fail by 16 May 1942.

Jawaharlal Nehru, one of the leaders of the Indian independence movement, gives a press conference in New Delhi to discuss the rejection of British independence offers. He emphatically rejects any possibility of an alliance with the Axis or his old colleague in the independence movement, Subhas Chandra Bose:

Hitler and Japan can go to hell. I shall fight them to the end and this is my policy. I shall also fight Mr Subhas Bose and his party along with Japan if he comes to India.

He also states that Bose's troops, assembled from prisoners of war, are just a "dummy force under Japanese control." Nehru adds that there will be "no surrender" to the Axis.

A P-40E (41-125116) of the 58th Pursuit Group, 33rd Pursuit Squadron, after crashing on 12 April 1942. At this time, the 58th is a replacement training unit based at Dale Mabry Field, Florida.

US Military: The US takes another big step toward the transfer of the US Army 8th Air Force to the United Kingdom today when Lieutenant General Henry H "Hap" Arnold sends plans for the move to General George C Marshall, Chief of Staff US Army. Marshall is currently in London with Harry Hopkins, so he can discuss these plans for "Operation Bolero" with his British counterparts.

In Australia, the 18th Reconnaissance Squadron, 22nd BG (Medium), takes its B-26 bombers from Townsville to Reid River.

Hungarian Military: Advance elements of the 209,000-man Hungarian 2nd Army begin leaving for the Eastern Front. This is the best-equipped Hungarian formation. The Wehrmacht has assigned it to Army Group South to aid in the advance to take the Caucasus oilfields during the projected summer offensive. Partisans take note and attack 18 of 822 railway trains used during this move, which lasts until 27 June 1942.

Borger, Texas, Daily Record, 12 April 1942.

American Homefront: The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 at Detroit Olympia Arena to stave off defeat in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Red Wings still lead the series 3-1. In an epic turn of events, the Maple Leafs will win the next three games and the series 4 games to 3. This series becomes a rallying cry for decades for teams facing a seemingly hopeless deficit in a playoff series.

Future History: Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Mhlanganyelwa Zuma is born in Nkandia, South Africa. Jacob Zuma serves as South Africa's fourth President of South Africa from May 2009 until February 2018. He resigned under pressure, and after that, he had a child on 12 April 2018. Jacob Zuma currently faces corruption charges.

Carlos Alberto Reutemann is born in Sante Fe, Argentina. He becomes a top racing car driver in the Formula One series from 1972 to 1982 and later a politician in his home region. Carlos Reutemann currently (as of 2020) serves in the National Senate of Argentina and is part of the Cambiemos alliance. He is often mentioned as a possible candidate for president.

Hilario D. Ramos Jr. is born in Waimea, Kauai County, Hawaii. he becomes a guitarist, banjo player, and vocalist with a variety of acts in the 1960s and thereafter. He is best known for work with the Association and the New Christy Minstrels, with which he wins a Grammy in 1963. He acquires the rights to The Association in 1984 and becomes its leader until his death. Larry Ramos passes away on 30 April 2014.

April Tatro is born in Escondido, California. She grows up to become a famed contortionist who appears in many Hollywood productions, including the 1970s series "Wonder Woman" and as a stuntwoman in "Blazing Saddles" (1974). For some, though, Tatro's most memorable performance was her very first, in 1968, when April appeared in the original "Star Trek" as the human form of Isis the Cat in "Assignment: Earth." April is still around as of 2022.

Charlie Chan comics for 12 April 1942 (Alfred Andriola).

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 11, 1942: The Sea War Heats Up

Saturday 11 April 1942

US tanker Gulfamerica sinking off the Florida coast on 11 April 1942 after being torpedoed by U-123.

Battle of the Pacific: Another column of Allied POWs sets out from Bagac, the Philippines, in the Bataan Death March on 11 March 1942. Along the route, they join at Pilar the first column that set out from Mariveles on the 10th. Their shared objective is Camp O'Donnell, a march of about 60 miles (110 km) away (with a short train ride in between). Along the way, the prisoners are treated with increasing brutality as the Japanese captors tire of the march themselves. Little food or water is provided, and anyone who falls behind is shot, though a few prisoners manage to slip off into the forests to become guerillas. Men are beaten and killed for any specious reason or no reason under the blazing sun.

In Manila Bay, the Japanese continue pounding Corregidor with artillery moved to the shoreline. The remaining US troops in the area continue scuttling ships, including the 1074-ton Filipino passenger and cargo ship Apo.

In Tokyo, the Japanese fleet radio intelligence network continues picking up US Navy radio traffic between Pearl Harbor and ships heading west. These ships are Admiral "Bull" Halsey's Task Force 16, centered around USS Enterprise, and Lt. Colonel Jimmy Doolittle's raiders aboard USS Hornet. The Japanese deduce that the Americans are heading toward Japan, but wait for picket ships to report that the Americans have gotten to within 300 miles of the coast. However, as a precaution, the Japanese do alert the 69 land-based bombers of the 26th Air Flotilla to be ready for action at any time.

US Navy submarine USS Trout torpedoes and sinks a Japanese fleet tanker west of Shionomisaki, Japan. Some A-20 Havocs of the US Army Air Force raids Lae, New Guinea, and bombs and destroys Japanese transport Taijun Maru (3 deaths).

TBD-1 Devastators of VT-6 on the flight deck of USS Enterprise. The Enterprise is hurrying to catch up with USS Hornet, which is carrying the planes for the Doolittle Raid. April 11, 1942

Battle of the Indian Ocean: Using troops freed up from the capture of Singapore in mid-February, the Japanese launch a major offensive in Burma in the middle of a storm toward the Yenangyaung oil fields. The British have the 1st Burma Division and the 48th Indian Infantry Brigade defending, and these formations give good accounts of themselves and hold their ground. The British deploy the 2nd Royal Tank regiment at Thadodan and Alebo near Magwe. The British defense is hampered by heavy jungles that the Japanese can get through while they themselves, due to their equipment, are confined to the roads.

Eastern Front: After today's attacks on the German defenses along the Parpach Narrows in the Crimea fail, Soviet General Kozlov calls off this fourth offensive against the line. It has been a dismal failure. During these four offensives and the initial reconquest of the Kerch Peninsula, the Soviets have lost a staggering 352,000 men, including 236,370 just during the offensives. This is 40% of its manpower, 25% of its artillery, and 52% of its tanks. Stalin, however, is not dismayed by the losses and wants further attacks made.

On the German side, little note is made of Kozlov's attacks. In his war diary, General Halder dismissively writes, "New strong attacks on the Kerch peninsula were repulsed. A landing attempt on the west coast of the Crimea was thrown back." These abortive Soviet landings are at Eupatoriya, Crimea. General Manstein in command of the 11th Army is now free to plan his own offensive, which will begin in about a month.

The 11 April 1942 NY Times carries news about the surrender on Bataan that focuses on the men holding out in the island fortress of Corregidor. There is not a hint about the Bataan Death March because the US government is not releasing any news about it.

The losses from these overly aggressive Soviet attacks will greatly aid the German summer offensive currently being planned at Zossen (General Franz Halder writes in his diary today, "Work on the orders for operation 'Blau."). At the daily situation conference, Hitler cancels all proposed offensives in the Army Group Center sector and orders division transfers to Army Group South and to the West.

Meanwhile, Halder notes that the German relief attempt toward the Demyansk pocket being mounted by General Seydlitz's men "is very tight. Seydlitz is making small advances." The trapped men at Demyansk and Kholm need to be rescued soon as they are drained from spending the entire winter in the pocket.

In the far North, the Soviets attack Finnish positions north of Lake Ladoga at Aunus (Olonets). As with many Soviet offensives, this hits at a "seam," namely, a boundary between two large Axis units. The Soviets break past the Finns in this wild and untamed region, but the Finns quickly regroup. They move in behind the advancing Soviets to cut them off. This turns another overly aggressive Soviet attack into a trap. The Soviets take heavy losses.

Even further north, the Red Air Force attacks the Luftwaffe airfield at Kirkenes, Norway. However, little damage is done.

European Air Operations: It is a light day for both sides, probably because of the weather. No major actions.

US tanker Harry F. Sinclair Jr. burns off Cape Lookout, North Carolina after being torpedoed by U-203, 11 April 1942 (National Archives).

Battle of the Atlantic: Both sides have begun allocating more resources to the Arctic Convoy route around northern Norway. The Soviets send five submarines (K-1, K-2, K-3, S-101, ShCh-401) to the area to ward off any surface attacks (K-2 lays mines today off Vardø), while the German destroyers Z.24 and Z.25 are at sea searching for a convoy. The Germans already have noticed Convoy QP 10 heading back to Iceland from Murmansk which left port yesterday. A Luftwaffe attack by Junkers Ju 88 medium bombers bombs and sinks 7161-ton British freighter Empire Cowper in the Barents Sea. There are nine deaths.

U-160 (Oblt. Georg Lassen), on its first patrol out of Helgoland, torpedoes and sinks 14,647-ton British passenger ship Ulysses about 45 nautical miles (83 km) south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. All 290 people on board are rescued by destroyer USS Manley. Ulysses escaped from Hong Kong prior to the takeover, but her luck ran out in the Atlantic when she collided with another vessel and then had to head to Newport News for repairs.

U-123 (Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen), on its eighth patrol out of Lorient, continues its reign of terror along the east coast of the United States. It torpedoes and sinks 8081-ton US tanker Gulfamerica about five miles off Jacksonville, Florida. there are 19 dead and 29 survivors. While the ship is abandoned and clearly an unrepairable derelict, Gulfamerica does not completely sink until 16 April. this sinking is a little unusual in that Hardegen surfaces to sink the derelict, but realizes that because it is so close to Jacksonville, some of his salvoes may overshoot the ship and hit the city. So, he circles around to the west and then begins firing. This delay enables a US destroyer, USS Dahlgren, to arrive on the scene, disrupt the attack, and damage U-123. However, Hardegen and U-123 escape. Hardegen receives praise after the war for this humanitarian gesture.

U-130 (KrvKpt. Ernst Kals), on its third patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 5393-ton Norwegian freighter Grenanger northeast of the West Indies. The crew abandons the ship in lifeboats and are spotted by British freighter Almenara - but incredibly, in what may be a unique incident, they turn down the offer of rescue and sail on in their lifeboats with some supplies. The three lifeboats make it to St. Thomas, taken in tow the last part of the way by USS Courier (AMc 72).

HMS Kingston in a Malta drydock after being hit by bombs there. She was written off.

U-203 (Kptlt. Rolf Mützelburg), on its sixth patrol out of Brest, torpedoes and damages 6151-ton US tanker Harry F. Sinclair, Jr. about seven miles (11 km) off Cape Lookout, North Carolina. The crew has to abandon ship immediately because the fuel cargo catches fire and turns the ship into a blazing torch. The flames catch one of three lifeboats as it is being launched, killing the men inside. There are 10 dead and 26 survivors. The ship refuses to sink, so it is eventually taken in tow by HMS Senateur Duhamel (FY 327) to Baltimore. It is rebuilt and returns to service in 1943 as Annibal.

US Navy anti-submarine trawler St. Cathan collides with another ship that also sinks (Dutch freighter Heße) off South Carolina and sinks. There are 31 deaths and eight survivors. the lost men are Royal Navy members because the Royal Navy has lent the St. Cathan to the US Navy due to the growing threat of U-boats off the east coast of the United States.

United Kingdom freighter Trongate catches fire at Halifax, Nova Scotia and has to be scuttled. Trongate was part of Convoy SC-79.

German tanker Eurosee hits a mine in the North Sea off Terschelling, Friesland and breaks in two, sinking quickly.

HMS Jervis attacking a submarine with depth charges in the Mediterranean, 11 April 1942 (© IWM A 8928).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Luftwaffe attacks continue with ferocity on Malta. Today, they bomb and sink Royal Navy destroyer HMS Kingston, which was in dry dock for repairs after already being bombed.

The Luftwaffe also bombs and badly damages Egyptian transport Kawsar near Port Said. She is towed to port but written off.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Torbay (Cdr. A.C.C. Miers) uses his deck gun to sink Italian schooner Gesu Crocifisso about 16.5 miles northeast of Fano Island (northwest of Corfu).

Special Forces: British Commandos mount Operation J V. This is a raid by two Commandos, Captain Gerald Montanaro and Trooper Preece. They are brought close to Boulogne Harbor and then released in a canoe to paddle into the harbor. They quietly plant a limpet mine on a tanker there and paddle back out without issue.

American Homefront: The Office of Civilian Defense, Civil Air Patrol, issues Training Directive No. 25. This sets forth the requirements for inclusion in the CAP program, including the number of hours flying time required as pilots (200) and other factors. In addition to simple reconnaissance missions, the pilots are to become proficient at formation flying, picking up messages that are suspended between two poles, dropping supplies by parachute, radio communications, and similar topics. The CAP is intended to be a major asset in the fight against the U-boat menace.

Lt. Edward "Butch" O'Hare (far plane) and LDMDR Thach flying their F4F-3A Wildcats on 11 April 1942 off Hawaii. O'Hare is the namesake of the airport in Chicago. He would be awarded the Medal of Honor not long after this picture was taken.

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 10, 1942: The Bataan Death March

Friday 10 April 1942:

The start of the Bataan Death March, 10 April 1942. This photo was taken from the Japanese by Filipinos during the Japanese occupation. US Marine Corps, via AP.

Battle of the Pacific: One of the most searing events in US military history, the Bataan Death March, begins on 10 April 1942. Following the surrender on 9 April, the Japanese victors have massed the US and Filipino prisoners at Mariveles and Bagac. The march begins today in Mariveles, with Bagac following on 11 April. After assembling the prisoners in a rice paddy, the Japanese proceed to strip them of all valuables. Anyone found with Japanese war souvenirs or currency is shot. Then, the men are ordered to start marching. General Masaharu Homma has ordered that the prisoners be treated properly, but there is no supervision.

The first destination is the San Fernando railhead, where the men are to packed into railcars for a further one-hour trip followed by another march to Camp O'Donnell. The total distance to the prison camp is about 65 miles (110 km), though accounts vary.  Everyone is forced to march regardless of their physical condition, and those who fall behind are shot. The Japanese act with increasing brutality during the march, beating prisoners, ripping out their gold teeth, and beheading some. Few refreshments of any kind are provided, and anyone who asks for water is shot out of hand. One of the worst incidents is when 300-400 Filipino prisoners are simply shot in the Pantingan River Massacre.

The Bataan Death March, 10 April 1942 (US Air Force).

Overall, thousands of POWs perish during the Bataan Death March, with most of them being Filipino soldiers. Somewhere more than 500 US POWs perish. Conditions at Camp O'Donnell are horrendous, so men keep dying even after they complete the march. The Allied military commission later calls the entire affair a Japanese war crime. The US government keeps the Bataan Death March a secret until the eve of the liberation of the Philippines, when announcements are made beginning on 27 January 1944.

Meanwhile, there are still US holdouts at some islands in Manila Bay, commanded by the island fortress of Corregidor. Today, the crews of river gunboats USS Oahu and Mindanao disembark to man artillery at Fort Hughes. The Japanese continue their occupation of the Philippine Islands and land 12,000 troops on Cebu, where the US Navy scuttles tug Bacalod I. US Navy submarine Snapper evacuates a small number of people from Corregidor, while Japanese bombs sink US minesweeper Pinch near Corregidor (later salvaged and used as PB-103 by the Japanese). Other small craft, including motor torpedo boats Q-112, Q-113, Q-114, and Q-115, 2969-ton Philippine freighter Basilan, and 949-ton British freighter Venus, are scuttled nearby.

New York Times, 10 April 1942, is a mixture of actual facts and wishful thinking. Some papers report a Japanese cruiser sunk, this one an Italian cruiser. The identity of this mystery cruiser is unclear.

US Navy submarine Thresher torpedoes and sinks Japanese freighter 3039-ton Sado Maru about 6 miles (10 km) north of Oshima (near Yokohama) near the mouth of Tokyo Bay, Honshu.

Japanese fleet radio intelligence begins picking up the radio traffic being made between Pearl Harbor, Admiral "Bull" Halsey's Task Force 16, and the Doolittle Raid ships heading toward Japan. Halsey has not yet caught up with USS Hornet but will within a few days. The Japanese correctly deduce that the Americans may try to raid Japan. However, the Japanese calculate, based on typical carrier operations, that the US Navy will have to get within 300 miles of Japan before there is any risk to the homeland. Thus, they put the Twenty-Sixth Air Flotilla with its 69 land-based planes on alert but wait for an alert from a picket line of trawlers maintained in a six-hundred-mile line east of Japan. The Japanese take no other precautions.

The Brooklyn Eagle of 10 April 1942 correctly reports that fighting has ceased on Bataan, but also loudly claims that the US has sunk a Japanese cruiser. The US, in fact, did not sink a cruiser, but the media during this period of World War II often constructs fake victories in order to counterbalance actual defeats. Notice how the actual loss of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Hermes is buried in a small headline. 

Battle of the Indian Ocean: Admiral Chūichi Nagumo heads east away from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), ending the Indian Ocean Raid. He will head back to port via the Malacca Strait. As at Pearl Harbor, Nagumo is content with a clear victory rather than continue attacking in order to achieve a more decisive result. The Kido Butai strike force has sunk one aircraft carrier (HMS Hermes), two cruisers, 23 freighters totaling 112,312 tons, and caused extensive damage to Royal Navy infrastructure. All this was accomplished at a cost of 18 Japanese aircraft with damage to 31 others.

While proving a success in terms of results, the Indian Ocean Raid is a strategic failure. The British Eastern Fleet survives, though at a cost of several important ships and many lives. This was the main Japanese objective, and Nagumo failed to find and destroy this fleet. This reveals issues with Japanese air reconnaissance. The raid also reveals other problems with Japanese carrier operations, including leaky Japanese air cover around the carriers and difficulties in switching planes from one type of operation to another.

Wildcat of VF-6 on board USS Enterprise, which is in Admiral Halsey's Task Force 16 heading to join the Doolittle Raiders on the way to Japan. The crew is testing the machine guns. 10 April 1942 (US Navy).

The British Admiralty is now reminded forcefully of its weakness, so it transfers the main Royal Navy base in the Indian Ocean all the way back to Kilindini, Kenya. It gives reinforcement of the Eastern Fleet the highest priority in the Royal Navy. However, the Japanese fail to exploit the successes of the Indian Ocean raid and never again return in force. This is a tremendous missed opportunity. After today, the Indian Ocean gradually returns to being a backwater in the sea war that is controlled by the Allies.

In Burma, the American Volunteer Group (AVG, or Flying Tigers) remains a thorn in the Japanese side. Pilots of the 2nd and 3rd Fighter Squadrons claim 4 downed Japanese aircraft over Loiwing in mid-afternoon.

Soviet infantry in Yukhnov, 10 April 1942. If you look carefully, you will see that the lead Soviet soldier is using a German MP 38.

Eastern Front: It is the second day of General Kozlov's fourth offensive against the German line across the Parpach Narrows in the Crimea. The Luftwaffe has been heavily reinforced and German infantry reinforcements have new weapons (the 2.8 cm sPzB 41 light anti-tank gun) that prove efficient at stopping Soviet tanks. The Soviets are making small local gains but are taking heavy casualties. Kozlov allows the offensive to run for one more day after this.

Luftwaffe ace Hptm. Karl-Gottfried Nordmann, who received the Ritterkreuz at the hand of Adolf Hitler on 16 September 1941, is appointed Geschwaderkommodore of JG 51.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command mounts a major raid against Essen. It sends 254 bombers (167 Wellingtons, 43 Hampdens, 18 Stirlings, 10 Manchesters, 8 Halifaxes, 8 Lancasters) over the Ruhr city, but the mission is frustrated by cloud cover. Bombing results are poor, with 12 houses destroyed, seven killed, and 30 injured. Ruhr Flak defenses contribute to downing 14 bombers (7 Wellingtons, 5 Hampdens, 1 Halifax, 1 Manchester).

The Essen raid is most notable for featuring the first use of an 8,000-lb pound. It is dropped by RAF No. 76 Squadron, but its impact is not noted by local authorities. There are minor operations by 40 aircraft to Le Havre (one Manchester lost), three Blenheim bombers to Holland, three minelaying bombers to Heligoland (one lost), and five leaflet flights to France. Overall, there are 16 aircraft lost in 305 sorties, a poor 5.2% loss rate.

Hptm. Wilhelm 'Wutz' Galland, Adolf Galland's brother, shoots down his fifth victim over Etaples to become an ace. It is a Spitfire Mk V of RAF No. 340 Squadron. Walther Dahl is appointed Staffelkapitaen of Ergänzungsgruppe./JG 3.

The Evening Star of 10 April 1942 highlights the supposed sinking of a Japanese cruiser and the sinking of HMS Hermes, but one must struggle to find any mention of events in Bataan.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-654 (Oblt. Ludwig Forster), on its third patrol out of Brest, torpedoes and sinks 7,010-ton British freighter Empire Prairie about 490 miles northeast of Bermuda. The freighter breaks in two and sinks immediately. There are 49 deaths and no survivors.

U-203 (Kptlt. Rolf Mützelburg), on its sixth patrol out of Brest, torpedoes and sinks 8072-ton British tanker San Delfino east of Cape Hatteras. The U-boat has to fire several salvoes of torpedoes to sink the freighter, seven altogether, a fantastic number for one merchant target. There are 28 dead and 22 survivors.

U-552 (Kptlt. Erich Topp), on its eighth patrol out of St. Nazaire, torpedoes and sinks 6943-ton US freighter Tamaulipas about 18 miles northeast of Cape Lookout, North Carolina. The torpedo breaks the ship's back and the crew must abandon ship immediately without being able to send a distress signal. There are two dead and 35 survivors. This is U-552's final victory on this patrol, during which it sank seven ships of 45,731 tons.

U-85 (Oblt. Eberhard Greger), on its fourth patrol out of St. Nazaire, torpedoes and sinks 4904-ton Norwegian freighter Chr. Knudsen. All 33 men on the freighter perish. This is the final victory for U-85, which is sunk itself on 14 April 1942. U-85 finishes its career having sunk 15,060 tons of shipping.

Italian submarine Pietro Calvi torpedoes, shells, and sinks 2161-ton Norwegian freighter Balkis about 60 miles (110 km) north of Fortaleza, Brazil. There are seven deaths and 24 survivors.

Butch O'Hare in his Wildcat at Pearl Harbor, 10 April 1942. O'Hare already had earned the Medal of Honor, though it had not yet been awarded to him, and Chicago's O'Hare Airport is named after him.

German raider Thor encounters 4840-ton British collier Kirkpool in the South Atlantic northeast of Tristan da Cunha and sinks it. There are 17 deaths, while the survivors are taken prisoner and ultimately taken to Japan.

British 3979-ton freighter Halifax catches fire and is written off near Halifax harbor. Canadian minesweeper finishes off the ship with gunfire due to its cargo full of explosives.

Fishing trawler FV Restless sinks in Massachusetts Bay for unknown reasons. No casualties.

US Navy stores ship USS Uranus runs aground at Akureyri, Iceland. It takes until 13 April to refloat the ship without much damage.

Soviet submarine K-421 hits a mine and sinks off North Cape, Norway.

Convoy QP 10 departs from the Kola Inlet heading for Iceland.

"A wounded British soldier being brought ashore from the Hospital ship LLANDOVERY CASTLE." 10 April 1942. © IWM A 8621.

Battle of the Mediterranean:  The Luftwaffe continues pounding Malta in the worst sustained air offensive of the war. Among the casualties today is the 392-ton Royal Navy patrol boat HMT Jade (T 56), sunk in Grand Harbour.

Over Malta, Lt. Herman Neuhoff of III./JG 53, acting Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 53, is shot down in error by his wingman, Leutnant Werner Schöw, who mistakes Neuhoff's Bf 109 for a Hurricane. Neuhoff becomes a POW with 40 victories in 452 missions. He survives the war and passes away in 2006. Schöw is KIA in June 1942.

Battle of the Black Sea: The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 1326-ton Soviet destroyer escort Shaumyan near Gelendzhik in the Caucasus.

"A wounded prisoner being carried down the gangway from the Hospital ship LLANDOVERY CASTLE." April 10, 1942. © IWM A 8619.

Anglo-Italian Relations: A prisoner exchange between the British and Italians concludes today when the hospital ship Llandovery Castle arrives back in Alexandria. The ship released wounded Italian captives at Smyrna and there was loaded with wounded British POWs. 

US Military: The US Pacific Fleet is reorganized into new categories: 

• battleships (Rear Admiral Walter S. Anderson)
• carriers (Vice Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.)
• cruisers (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher)
• destroyers (Rear Admiral Robert A. Theobald)
• service force (Vice Admiral William L. Calhoun)
• amphibious force (Vice Admiral Wilson Brown, Jr.)
• submarine force (Rear Admiral Thomas Withers)
• Patrol Wings (Rear Admiral John S. McCain).

The terms "Battle Force" and "Scouting Force" go out of use. Admiral McCain, incidentally, is the grandfather of future Senator John S. McCain III, currently six years old on 10 April 1942.

American Homefront: Hotel king Conrad Hilton marries socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor at the Santa Fe Hotel in New Mexico. Gabor, a former Miss Hungary, came to the United States in 1941 to join her actress sister Eva but has not yet entered show business herself. but did some singing in Europe. This is the second marriage for both.

John Wayne's "The Spoilers" is released to theaters. Also starring are Marlene Dietrich (who gets top billing), Randolph Scott, and Harry Carey. The film has a climactic four-minute fistfight between Wayne and Scott that mirrors their off-screen tensions (Scott demanded and got billing above Wayne).

John Wayne and Harry Carey in "The Spoilers," released on 10 April 1942.

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