This day in WW II.....

31 March 1939:




British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announces in an address to the House of Commons that the British and French governments will lend support to the Polish government if its independence is threatened by Germany.

 

Makes me wonder about the daily cartoons that came out in news papers and such...very much holding a head of state to ridicule...

 

01 April 1941:





Rashid Ali and the ‘Golden Square’ launch a coup d'etat to topple the pro-British government of the Regent, Prince 'Abd al-Ilah.



Rashid Ali

 

02 April 1944:





Adolf Hitler issues Operation Order 7, instructing Army Group A, Army Group South, and Army Group Centre to hold a line against Russian advances.

Part 1 of Hitler’s Operation Order No. 7​

 

03 April 1944:





Tirpitz is attacked, and hit, but the damage is not crippling.

 

Here I thought @Poppy would be able to confirm that it is not a good idea to make Canadian womens angry......

 

04 April 1942:








The Japanese 4th Division and 65th Brigade assault Mt Samat on Bataan. The previous day, a massive artillery barrage had weakened the Americans’ defenses and demoralized the already decimated troops. Successful Japanese advances on 3 April encouraged a more aggressive assault this day.

“The Japanese resumed the offensive on the morning of 4 April with another heavy artillery preparations, co-ordinated with bombing and strafing attacks by the 22d Air Brigade. The first salvos passed over the 33d Infantry astride Trail 6 to fall on the luckless men of the 42d and 43d Infantry about a mile to the south. Again they stampeded, heading back along Trail 6 "for all they were worth." Until they reached the junction of Trail 6 and 8, about 4,500 yards to the south, that evening, wrote Colonel Fortier, "we could do nothing to stop them." Thus, even before the Japanese infantry had moved out, one third of the force expected to hold the Pantingan and Catmon valleys had given way.” — Louis Morton, The Fall of The Philippines

 

05 April 1942 :






“Persons of Japanese ancestry arrive at the Santa Anita Assembly Center from San Pedro. Evacuees lived at this center at the former Santa Anita race track before being moved inland to relocation centers." — National Archives

 

06 April 1941:




“On the night of 6 April 1941, [J.F.B.] Combe was traveling by car with [Philip] Neame and [Richard] O’Connor from their Advanced HQ at Msus to its new location at Tmimi. They were captured by the Germans and taken to mainland Italy to be held as prisoners of war (POW)” —wiki




Left to right: Combe, Neame, O’Connor, Gambier-Parry. Shortly after capture.

 

07 April 1943:




Tunisia. On this day, von Stauffenberg was driving from one unit to another, directing their movements. Near Mezzouna, his vehicle was part of a column strafed by Kittyhawk (P-40) fighter bombers of the Desert Air Force, most likely from No. 3 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. von Stauffenberg received multiple, severe wounds. —wiki



Kittyhawks of No. 3 Squadron, Tunisia



RAAF No. 3 Squadron was led by the remarkable Bobby Gibbes:


Sqn Ldr Bobby Gibbes (left) and Sqn Ldr Brian Eaton (assuming command of No. 3 in April 1943)


“[Squadron Leader Gibbes] now led his men in the months of hard air fighting that accompanied the to-and-fro battles on the ground in the period before victory at Alamein. The Kittyhawks were engaged both in the air superiority role and escort work, and in attacks on Axis airfields, fuel dumps and armoured fighting vehicles. Although the Kittyhawk was some way inferior to the Me109, Gibbes nevertheless shot down a number of these formidable opponents (an aircraft for which he had an abiding respect, having had the opportunity to fly and evaluate it).

He was twice brought down himself, on one occasion by the gunner of a Ju88. Despite breaking his ankle he was back in action, leg in plaster, within the month. On another occasion, a Messerschmitt collided with his Kittyhawk, and he came down behind enemy lines. He doggedly set himself to walk back to friendly territory and, after evading Axis units, was picked up by a British patrol after a trek lasting 72 hours. After he had led his squadron during the pursuit of Axis forces into Tunisia, Gibbes’s exceptionally long and grueling tour of operations finally came to an end in April 1943.” — The Times, 01 May 2007

 

Looking through some photos of 3 Squadron and I spotted this! The picture doesn't fit properly so is a bit squashed...but a Heinkel 100!? Since bloody when!?? (Good aircraft but...)

 

Crazy..... I had no idea.

 

08 April 1943:




The allies try to retake Fondouk pass and cut off the Axis retreat to Tunis.




Into The Jaws Of Death

 

09 April 1940:




Operation Weserübung starts.

 

Even at the time, publishing that story was a questionable thing to do.

 

Also the paper which published Stanley Johnston's story about the battle of the Coral Sea, mentioning our advance knowledge of Japanese operations. While it didn't specifically mention codebreaking, it raised concern that the Japanese might suspect it. The government sought to prosecute Johnston under the Espionage Act, but he was never brought to trial.

 

10 April 1940:




The German cruiser Blücher is sunk after taking shore fire from Oscarsborg Fortress. A fire causes her magazine to explode and she goes down.