Tuesday, 7 April 1942

US NAVY

ATLANTIC—Destroyer Wilkes (DD-441) is damaged when accidentally rammed by British tanker Davila, Boston, Massachusetts.

            Destroyer Sturtevant (DD-240), directed to the scene by a USN patrol plane, rescues the 39 survivors (including the entire 6 man Armed Guard detachment) of U.S. tanker Comol Rico, sunk by U-154 on 4 April.

            U.S. tanker Pan Rhode Island, off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, rescues 29 survivors of Norwegian freighter Lancing, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-552, and 20 men from British tanker British Splendour, sunk by the same U-boat the same day.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

UNITED STATES—War Department officially states that Eighth AF will be established in UK as intermediate command between USAFBI and the AF commands. General Marshall notifies General Chaney of this decision.

FIFTH AF—During 6/7 Apr the Japanese break the Philippine II Corps front on Bataan, thus necessitating immediate removal of all remaining fighters to Mindanao, where for the next 3 days they will fly reconnaissance, cover Heavy Bombers (sent to Mindanao from Australia) operating against concentrations at Legaspi, Cebu, Iloilo, and Davao, and carry out a strafing attack against aircraft at Davao. After the Heavy Bombers return to Australia on 12 Apr, the fighters will continue to fly reconnaissance until Japanese forces envelop the troops on Mindanao on 1 May.

US ARMY

LUZON—Japanese, attacking again in II Corps area with air and artillery support, force entire corps MAIN LINE OF RESISTANCE back to Mamala River line; this line, too, becomes untenable, and Americans and Filipinos withdraw under cover of darkness, 7–8, to Alangan River. 26th Cavalry (PS), released to II Corps from I Corps reserve, establishes holding position while line is formed along the Mamala. Meanwhile, attempts by Philippine Division units to form continuous line prove futile. Philippine Constabulary regiments defending beaches are ordered into battle line. I Corps is directed to withdraw southward to Binuangan River line.

US MARINE CORPS

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Monday, 6 April 1942

US NAVY

INDIAN OCEAN—Japanese Operation C continues: Second Expeditionary Fleet, Malay Force (Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo) raids Allied shipping off the east coast of India. Japanese Northern Group (Rear Admiral Kurita Takeo) attacks Allied convoy; unarmed U.S. freighter Exmoor is sunk by gunfire of heavy cruisers Kumano and Suzuya, and destroyer Shirakumo, 19°53'N, 86°30'E (there are no casualties among the 37 man crew), as are British merchantmen Silksworth, Autolycus, Malda and Shinkuang. Southern Group (Captain Sakiyama Shakao), consisting of heavy cruisers Mogami and Mikuma and destroyer Amagiri, sink British merchantmen Dardanus, Gandara and Indora. Central Group, formed around carrier Ryujo, heavy cruiser Chokai, light cruiser Yura, and destroyers Yugiri and Asagiri, attacks shipping in a third area. After planes from carrier Ryujo attack unarmed U.S. freighter Bienville, heavy cruiser Chokai shells and sinks the American merchantman at 17°50'N, 84°50'E; Japanese gunfire renders all lifeboats useless and kills 19 of the 41 man crew. Five more crewmen die later of wounds suffered in the attack. Lost with the ship is its cargo of 500 monkeys (which are most likely earmarked for infantile paralysis research in the United States). Floatplanes from Chokai bomb unarmed U.S. freighter Selma City (17°40'N, 83°20'E) and British freighter Ganges, sinking both. Two men wounded by bomb fragments constitute the only casualties on board Selma City; her29 man crew reaches Vizagapatam later the same day by boat. Yura and Yugiri, meanwhile, sink Dutch motorships Banjoewangi and Batavia, and British steamer Taksang. Planes from Ryujo bomb and sink British steamer Sinkiang, and Dutch motorship Van der Capellen (the latter sinks on 8 April) and, at Vizagapatam, bomb and damage British motorship Anglo Canadian.

            Unarmed U.S. freighter Washingtonian, en route from Suez to Ceylon, is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarineI-5 at 07°25'N, 73°05'E; all hands (39 man crew and two passengers) survive the attack and reach the Maldive Islands in less than a day's rowing.

PACIFIC—Advance elements of the U.S. Army 41st Division reach Melbourne, Australia.

            River gunboats Mindanao (PR-8) and Oahu (PR-6) engage Japanese landing barges, claiming the destruction of at least four, in a night surface action in Manila Bay. Mindanao is damaged by return fire.

ATLANTIC—Destroyer Sturtevant (DD-240), directed to the scene by a patrolling USAAF plane, rescues 31 merchant seamen and the 7 man Armed Guard from sunken U.S. tanker Catahoula, sunk by U-154 on 5 April.

            Unarmed U.S. tanker Bidwell, bound from Corpus Christi, Texas, to New York City, is torpedoed by German submarine U-160 about 30 miles east of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, 34°25'N, 75°57'W, but manages to reach Hampton Roads under her own power. One man of her 33 man crew is lost in the torpedoing.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

TENTH AF—10 DC‑3’s of Pan American Airways begin hauling 30,000 gals of fuel and 500 gals of lubricants from Calcutta to the airstrip at Asansol, completing the mission on the following day. This fuel, subsequently transferred via Dinjan to China, is for use by Lt Col James H Doolittle’s Tokyo raiders, already at sea aboard the carrier Hornet.

US ARMY

LUZON—II Corps counterattacks N toward reserve line in Sector D but meets enemy attack head on and falls back. On corps E flank, U.S. 31st Infantry and 21st Division (PA), directed to drive N in region E of Mt Samat, are unable to reach line of departure.

            In center, Philippine 33d Infantry, followed by 42d and 43d, endeavors to drive N between Catmon and W slopes of Mt Samat, but 33d is surrounded and presumed lost and units to rear are routed. Hq of Sector D and W flank troops are thus separated from rest of II Corps. On W, Philippine 41st Infantry, followed by 45th, makes limited progress, but 45th is unable to overtake 41st and 41st becomes isolated. U.S. 31st Infantry and Battalion of 57th Infantry (PS) are assigned to Sector C, where line is withdrawn to San Vicente River. Japanese receive effective air and artillery support throughout day.

ADMIRALTY ISLANDS—Small Japanese naval force from Truk lands at Lorengau.

AUSTRALIA—Main body (Hq, 163d Regiment, 167th FA Battalion, and other units) of U.S. 41st Division reaches Melbourne.

BURMA—Japanese land reinforcements at Rangoon. Chiang Kai-shek, visiting Maymyo, urges that Taungdwingyi be held and agrees to provide Chinese division to assist Burma I Corps. Chinese 200th and 96th Divisions are in position to defend Pyinmana.

MIDDLE EAST—U.S. War Department decides that no fixed installations are to be established in Iranian Mission territory.

US MARINE CORPS

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Sunday, 5 April 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Japanese naval forces occupy Lorengau, Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, without opposition.

INDIAN OCEAN—In Operation C, Japanese carrier striking force (Vice Admiral Nagumo Chuichi) raids Colombo, Ceylon. After reconnaissance floatplane from heavy cruiser Tone finds British heavy cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire, carrier bombers from Akagi, Hiryu and Soryu sink both ships. Japanese Second Expeditionary Fleet, Malay Force (Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo) is divided into three groups to disrupt Allied shipping in the Bay of Bengal (see 6 April).

ATLANTIC—U.S. tanker Catahoula, about 100 miles into her voyage from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, to Wilmington, Delaware, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-154 at 19°16'N, 68°12'W; two merchant sailors perish in the explosion of the torpedo and five drown when the ship is abandoned (see 6 April).

            Coast Guard cutter Dione (WPC-107) proceeds to the scene of the torpedoing of unarmed U.S. tanker Byron D. Benson, attacked by German submarine U-552 the previous evening; high speed minesweeper Hamilton (DMS-18) does likewise, and during the search for the submarine, rescues 27 survivors; British trawler HMS Norwich City picks up one man. Byron D. Benson sinks two days later.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

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US ARMY

LUZON—After air and artillery preparation, Japanese resume offensive in the II Corps area, concentrating on 21st Division, which yields Mt Samat and is left virtually ineffective as a fighting force. Corps prepares to counterattack on 6th with all available forces. Japanese invasion force of 4,852 troops sails from Lingayen Gulf toward Cebu, in the Visayan Islands.

CEYLON—Japanese carrier-based planes attack Colombo.

US MARINE CORPS

Japanese occupy Manus lsland, Admiralties.

 

Saturday, 4 April 1942

US NAVY

ATLANTIC—U.S. tanker Comol Rico is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-154 about 225 miles north of Puerto Rico,20°46'N, 66°46'W; three merchant sailors perish in the explosion of the torpedo (see 7 April).

            Unarmed U.S. tanker Byron D. Benson is torpedoed by German submarine U-552 approximately eight miles off Currituck Inlet, North Carolina, 36°08'N, 75°32'W; fires, fed by the ship's cargo of 91,500 barrels of crude oil, consume nine of the 37 man crew. Antisubmarine vessel ["Q ship"] Asterion (AK-100), nearby, reports the attack (see 5 April).

            Russian patrol boat rescues 11 men in lifeboat from U.S. freighter Effingham, sunk by German submarine U-435 on 30 March; four of those rescued later die of exposure. All told, 11 of the 34 man merchant crew perish, as does one of the 9 man Armed Guard.

            British escort vessel HMS Copinsay attempts to tow the damaged U.S. freighter West Irmo, torpedoed the previous day by German submarine U-505, but the merchantman proves beyond saving. Copinsay hastens West Irmo's end with a depth charge.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

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US ARMY

LUZON—In II Corps area, Japanese attack is again preceded by demoralizing artillery bombardment in conjunction with air attacks. MAIN LINE OF RESISTANCE of Sector D collapses as 41st Division withdraws again and 21st Division is forced from MAIN LINE OF RESISTANCE to reserve line in front of Mt Samat. After nightfall, Japanese regroup for assault on Mt Samat. Sector C has to refuse its left flank because of enemy breakthrough. Luzon Force sends 2 regiments of Philippine Div—31st (U.S.) and 45th (PS)—to support II Corps.

INDIAN OCEAN—Japanese naval force in Indian Ocean sinks British cruisers Dorsetshire and Cornwall near Colombo, Ceylon.

MIDDLE EAST—Col Don G. Shingler is notified that he is to head U.S. Iranian Mission, replacing General Wheeler. Iranian projects now have top priority, and construction project at Umm Qasr, Iraq, is suspended.

US MARINE CORPS

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Friday, 3 April 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Admiral Chester W. Nimitz is named Commander in Chief Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPOA); his command encompasses the North, Central, and South Pacific. He retains his position as Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC).

            Light minelayers Pruitt (DM-22), Preble (DM-20), Sicard (DM-21), and Tracy (DM-19) mine French Frigate Shoals, Hawaiian Group, to prevent Japanese submarines from using the area as a refueling point for flying boat raids on Oahu.

INDIAN OCEAN—U.S. freighter Exhibitor is bombed and damaged by Japanese reconnaissance flying boat near Calcutta, India, while proceeding to Colombo, Ceylon. The ship's gunfire drives off the enemy plane as it makes a second pass; only four of the men on board (43 man merchant complement and 9 man Armed Guard) are injured in the attack.

ATLANTIC—U.S. freighter Otho, en route to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from Takoradi, Gold Coast, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-754 about 200 miles east of Cape Henry, Virginia, 36°25'N, 71°57'W; survivors abandon ship in a raft and three boats (see 8 and 25 April).

            U.S. freighter West Irmo, en route to Takoradi, Gold Coast, from Marshall, Liberia, is torpedoed by German submarine U-505 at 02°10'N, 05°50'W, and abandoned. Ten longshoremen are lost in the explosion while the remainder of the ship's complement, 36 merchant seamen, the 8 man Armed Guard and 55 longshoremen, are rescued by British escort vessel HMS Copinsay (see 4 April).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

TENTH AF—6 Heavy Bombers from Asansol bomb warehouses and docks at Rangoon, starting 3 large fires. 1 B‑17 fails to return.

US ARMY

LUZON—Japanese open all-out offensive against Bataan line, which is by now understrength, undernourished, poorly clothed and equipped, and battle weary. After air and artillery bombardment, lasting from 1000 until 1500, Japanese move forward, making main effort against Sector D, the W flank of II Corps, where 41st and 21st Divisions (PA) are thinly spread and dazed as result of preliminary bombardment. 41st, on W, gives way and is rendered virtually ineffective as a fighting force, although regiment on extreme W succeeds in withdrawing in an orderly fashion. Battalion on W flank of 21st Division is forced to pull back. Effort to re-establish line of 41st Division after dark is partially successful. The only corps reserve unit, 33d Infantry (PA), less 1st Battalion, is released to Sector D as is Provisional Tank Group (—) of Luzon Force reserve. In I Corps sector to W, Japanese succeed in reaching MAIN LINE OF RESISTANCE on E flank but are unable to pierce it.

BURMA—Burma I Corps continues northward withdrawal from Allanmyo area although not under enemy pressure. In Sittang Valley, General Stilwell begins deploying Chinese for stand at Pyinmana. Chinese 22d Division is to fall back gradually on Pyinmana, where Chinese 96th Division is to take over.

MIDDLE EAST—India is removed from U.S. Iranian Mission’s sphere of responsibility, but Karachi remains base for the 2 U.S. Middle East missions. General Wheeler is relieved as chief of Iranian Mission.

US MARINE CORPS

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Thursday, 2 April 1942

US NAVY

ATLANTIC—Unarmed U.S. tanker Liebre is shelled by German submarine U-123 at 34°11'N, 76°08'W, and abandoned. Arrival of British motor torpedo boat MTB 332, however, compels U-123 to withdraw before she can finish the work of destroying Liebre. Of the 34 man crew, 26 reboard the ship, which is towed by salvage tug Resolute and British trawler HMS St. Zeno to Morehead City, North Carolina.

            Unarmed U.S. freighter David H. Atwater is shelled by German submarine U-552 east of Chincoteague Inlet, Virginia,37°37'N, 75°10'W; destroyers Noa (DD-343) and Herbert (DD-160) are sent to the scene, but arrive too late to be of assistance. The sudden and savage nature of U-552's attack leaves David H. Atwater's crew little or no time to take to lifeboats. Of the 25 man complement, only three survive to be rescued by Coast Guard cutter Legare (WPC-144) and taken to Chincoteague Island Coast Guard station.

            British minesweeper HMS Harrier rescues 17 men in lifeboat from U.S. freighter Effingham, sunk by German submarine U-435 on 30 March 1942; six of those rescued later die of exposure (see 4 April).

            Despite the efforts of a salvage crew, U.S. tanker Tiger, torpedoed by German submarine U-754 on 31 March and taken in tow the previous day, sinks short of her destination, Norfolk, Virginia.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

TENTH AF—General Brereton, CG, leads 3 Heavy Bombers on raid on shipping in Andaman Islands during 2/3 Apr. The Heavy Bombers claim hits on a cruiser and a transport. 2 Heavy Bombers are damaged by AA and fighters, but all return to base. Earlier in the evening, a mission scheduled against Rangoon area is aborted when 1 Heavy Bomber crashes on takeoff and the other has mechanical trouble.

US ARMY

INDIA—U.S. Tenth Air Force f lies its first combat mission, attacking shipping off Andaman Islands.; subsequently concentrates on enemy positions in Burma.

BURMA—Burma I Corps withdraws from Prome.

US MARINE CORPS

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Wednesday, 1 April 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Naval Air Transport Service Squadron (VR) 2 is established at Alameda, California, for operations in the Pacific. Japanese occupy Buka Island, Solomons.

            Submarine Seawolf (SS-197) torpedoes Japanese light cruiser Naka off Christmas Island, 10°00'S, 105°00'E.

            British submarine HMS Truant sinks Japanese merchant cargo ships Yae Maru and Shunsei Maru in Malacca Strait, 80 miles west-northwest of Penang, Malaya, 05°42'N, 98°57'E.

ATLANTIC—District patrol vessel YP-52 rescues 42 survivors of U.S. tanker Tiger, torpedoed by German submarine U-754 late the previous day. Coast Guard cutter Jackson (WPC-142) and Merritt, Chapman, and Scott salvage tug Relief take the damaged ship in tow (see 2 April).

US ARMY AIR FORCE

ZONE OF THE INTERIOR—Air Corps Proving Ground becomes Proving Ground Command, with main base at Eglin Field.

US ARMY

UNITED STATES—Pacific War Council holds its first meeting at Washington, D.C.

NEW GUINEA—Japanese from Netherlands East Indies land at a number of points on Dutch New Guinea coast, from Sorong on NW tip to Hollandia, during period 1–20 April; landings are virtually unopposed.

BURMA—CinC India, visiting front, agrees to immediate withdrawal of Burma I Corps to Allanmyo area, N of Prome. Japanese continue to press in on Prome.

IRAQ—Dock construction project at Umm Qasr is begun after cargo of City of Dalhart is unloaded.

USSR—Stalemate exists along entire line. Germans of Army Group North are largely concerned during the month with extricating II Corps of Sixteenth Army from pocket SE of Staraya Russa.

US MARINE CORPS

Japanese occupy Buka Island, Solomons.