US NAVY
PACIFIC—TF 11 (Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr.), which
includes ships of TF 17 (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher), on the heels of
initial nuisance raids by RAAF Hudsons, attacks Japanese invasion fleet (Rear
Admiral Kajioka Sadamichi) off Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea. SBDs (VB 2, VS 2,
VB 5, VS 5) and TBDs (VT 2, VT 5), supported by F4Fs (VF3 and VF 42) from
carriers Lexington (CV-2) and Yorktown (CV-5) sink armed merchant
cruiser Kongo Maru, auxiliary minelayer Ten'yo Maru, and
transport Yokohama Maru; and damage light cruiser Yubari; destroyers
Yunagi, Asanagi, Oite, Asakaze, and Yakaze; minelayer Tsugaru;
seaplane carrier Kiyokawa Maru; transport Kokai Maru; and
minesweeper No.2 Tama Maru. One SBD (VS 2) is lost to antiaircraft fire.
USAAF B-17s and RAAF Hudson conduct follow up strikes but inflict no
appreciable additional damage. In a message to Prime Minister Churchill,
President Roosevelt hails the raid as "the best day's work we've
had." The success of the U.S. carrier strike (the first time in which two
carrier air groups attack a common objective) convinces Japanese war planners
that continued operations in the New Guinea area will require carrier support,
thus setting the stage for confrontation in the Coral Sea (see 4-8 May).
Japanese
invade Finschhafen, New Guinea.
Japanese
collier Kosei Maru is sunk by mine in Lingayen Gulf, P.I., 16°05'N,
120°20'E.
USMC F2As
(VMF 221) from Midway shoot down Japanese reconnaissance flying boat (Yokosuka
Kokutai) attempting to reconnoiter the atoll.
ATLANTIC—U.S. tanker Gulftrade is torpedoed and sunk
by German submarine U-588 about two miles east of Barnegat, New Jersey,
39°50'N, 73°52'W; net tender Larch (YN-16) and Coast Guard cutter Antietam
(WPC-128), along with Eagle Boat PE-48 and Coast Guard motor
lifeboats from the Barnegat station are sent to the scene. Larch rescues
seven survivors; Antietam nine.
US ARMY AIR FORCE
—
US ARMY
MIDWAY—Enemy
patrol plane is shot down SW of island.
PHILLIPINE ISLANDS—General Wainwright visits General MacArthur
on Corregidor and learns that he (Wainwright) will head Luzon Force and that
his I Corps will be turned over to General Jones, 51st Division CG. General Mac-
Arthur, after his withdrawal from the Philippines, plans to remain in control
of Philippine operations from Australia through Col Lewis C. Beebe, who will be
deputy chief of staff of USAFFE.
NEW GUINEA—Japanese make another landing on New Guinea, at
Finschhafen. U.S. planes, 104 strong, from carriers Lexington and Yorktown
make co-ordinated attacks on enemy shipping and installations at Lae and
Salamaua, considerably damaging shipping and airfields. A few B–17’s from Townsville,
Australia, follow up carrier strikes with attacks on same area. Japanese fly
fighters from Rabaul, New Britain, to Huon Gulf area and continue neutralization
of Port Moresby by air.
IRAN—Declared eligible for U.S. lend-lease.
US MARINE CORPS
Japanese invade Finschhafen, New Guinea.
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