This day in the war in the Pacific 65 years ago. (3 Viewers)

AUSTRALIA: The government approves the 30 March directive in which General Douglas MacArthur is named Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA).

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: The last remaining motor torpedo boat, PT-41, her torpedoes expended and lacking gasoline to operate, is transferred to the Army to be moved overland to Lake Lanao where she is slated for service as a machine gun boat. The rapid Japanese advance across Mindanao, however, compels the Army to destroy PT-41 to prevent her capture.

USA: US Navy Motor Torpedo Squadron 3 is decommissioned.
Claire Chennault is recalled to active duty in the USAAF as a colonel.

BURMA: Yenangyaung: Britain's largest oil field in the Far East is a sheet of flame. The 500-foot high flames silhouette the men of "Burcorps", the remnants of the 17th Indian and 1st Burma Divisions, who have been fighting a delaying action up the Irrawaddy valley and trying to hold on to the oil field.
Three days ago they began to destroy the oil wells to prevent them from falling into Japanese hands. The oilfields here came under attack after the Japanese forces took Migyaungye on 12 April.
During the night of 16/17 April, 10th Air Force B-17's take off from Dum Dum Airfield near Calcutta, India to bomb Rangoon. 6 B-17's, guided by flares, bomb the target; numerous searchlights make it impossible to estimate the bombing results.

AUSTRALIA: (SWPA, 5th Air Force): HQ 49th Pursuit Group transfers from Bankstown to Darwin.

PACIFIC: The submarine USS Tambor torpedoes and sinks a Japanese stores ship 50 miles southeast of Kavieng, New Ireland, Bismarck Archipelago.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: The Japanese Kawamura Detachment (41st Infantry)
lands unopposed at Iloilo and Capiz on Panay Island.

(SWPA, 5th Air Force): 8th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 49th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), transfers from Canberra to Darwin, Australia with P-40's; first mission is 20 Apr. A6M2 Zero piloted Sakai is lost on a mission to Port Moresby

BURMA - British engineers blow up Chinese and Allied oil fields in Burma, destroying nearly 6,000 wells to keep them out of Japanese hands.

CHINA: The Chinese 55th Division retreats from Manchi. It is met by the IJA 56th Division and destroyed.

ALASKA (11th Air Force): 18th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 28th Composite Goup, transfers from Elmendorf Field, Anchorage, Territory of Alaska to Ft Greely, Kodiak, Aleutian with P-40's.

JAPAN: 16 USAAF B-25 Mitchell's, under Col. James Doolittle, take off from the carrier USS Hornet in the North Pacific. They have a 650 mile flight to bomb Japan. The raid results in little material damage, but it is a morale booster in the eyes of the US Public. It arrives in the middle of a Air Defense Drill and goes unnoticed by many civilians. It throws weight to Admiral Yamamoto's plan to attack Midway Island. The Japanese are unaware of the source of this raid. President Roosevelt refers to Shangri-La in a radio broadcast. Col. Doolittle is the first to take off. William Farrow pilots the last B-25 off the deck. The propeller on Farrow's aircraft struck a Hornet deckhand resulting in an amputation.
No 1 - 40-2344 (17th BG, 34th BS) piloted by Dolittle
No 2 - 40-2292 (17th BG, 37th BS)
No 3 - B-25B "Whiskey Pete" 40-2270 (17th BG, 95th BS)
No 4 - 40-2282 (17th BG, 95th BS)
No 5 - 40-2283 (17th BG, 95th BS)
No 6 - B-25B "Green Hornet" 40-2298 (17th BG, 95th BS)
No 7 - B-25B "Ruptured Duck" 40-2261
No 8 - 40-2242 (17th BG, 95th BS) *
No 9 - 40-2303 (17th BG, 34th BS) ***
No 10 - 40-2250 (17th BG, 89th RS) ***
No 11 - B-25B "Hari Carrier" 40-2249 (17th BG, 89th RS)
No 12 - 40-2278 (17th BG, 37th BS)
No 13 - 40-2247 (17th BG, 37th BS)
No 14 - 40-2297 (17th BG, 89th RS)
No 15 - B-25B "TNT" 40-2267 (17th BG, 89th RS)
No 16 - B-25B "The Bat " 40-2268 (17th BG, 34th BS)

NEI: The US submarine USS Searaven, which arrived off Japanese- held Timor Island, Netherlands East Indies yesterday evening, rescues 32 Royal Australian Air Force airmen from the island.

AUSTRALIA: General Douglas MacArthur assumes command of the Southwest Pacific Area. The staff of the new command is: Australian General Thomas Blamey, Commander of Allied Land Forces; USAAF Lieutenant General George H Brett, Commander of Allied Air Forces; USN Vice Admiral Herbert F Leary, Commander of Allied Naval Forces; US Army Lieutenant General Jonathan M Wainwright, Commander of Forces in the Philippines; and US Army Major General Julian F Barnes, Commander of US Army Forces in Australia. The Allied Air Forces had command all USAAF tactical and associated service units in Australia, and operational control, except for training, of the Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force. In reality General MacArthur kept Blamey from having control over United States land forces in the Pacific during World War II.

BURMA: Two American Volunteer Group P-40s down a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft over Loiwing at 1300 hours local. In eastern Burma, a Chinese division collapses and opens the way for a Japanese drive toward Lashio, the eastern terminus of the Burma Road.

(SWPA, 5th Air Force): 5th Air Force units come under control of the Allied Air Forces (SWPA) which is created in Australia to control AAF, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Dutch elements. HQ 19th Bombardment Group transfers from Melbourne to Garbutt Field.

SOLOMONS: RAAF - Hudsons attack Simpson Harbor. Sunk is Komaki Maru.

U.S.: Due to the fear of a Japanese attack, west coast military leaders ask baseball's Pacific Coast League teams to limit crowds to
3,000 fans.

BURMA: The Allies win a pyrrhic victory. They rescue the encircled 1st Burmese Division near Yenangyaung, but lose all of their tanks and much of their artillery and motorized transport. They have very little left to defend Mandalay, Lashio and the Burma Road and northern Burma.

PHILIPPINES: The Japanese have completed their conquest of Cebu Island and encounter little organized opposition on nearby islands.

U.S.: Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau asks Americans to spend 10 percent of their income on war savings bonds.
Lt. Ronald Reagan, a reserve Cavalry officer, is called to active duty.

AUSTRALIA: USAAF Major General George H Brett assumes command of the Allied Air Forces, which has units based in northern and eastern Australia, with advanced facilities in the Port Moresby, New Guinea, area.
39th Pursuit Squadron, 35th Pursuit Group (nterceptor), transfers from Williamstown to Woodstock, Australia with P-39's; first mission is 2 Jun. Ground echelon of 70th Bombardment Squadron, 38th BG (Medium), transfers from Ballarat to Amberley Field, Australia; air echelon is still in the US with B-26's.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: Japanese heavy artillery, including 9.5-inch mortars, on Bataan smash US positions on Corregidor, 2 miles away. The Japanese conquest of the central Philippines is nearly complete as Cebu and Panay are conquered. Small U. S. and Filipino garrisons have fled into the hills of Leyte, Samar, Negros and Bohol.

BURMA: The British 7th Armored Brigade and the Chinese 200th Division take up positions around Maitila and Taunggyi, Burma. Another unit, not following orders from General Stillwell, endangers this position.
AMPLIFYING THE ABOVE:
BURMA: The Japanese 15th Army pursues British Empire forces to within 150 miles of Mandalay. In eastern Burma, a Japanese armored column has bypassed the defenses of Lt. Gen. Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell's Chinese army and is rushing toward Lashio, the eastern terminus of the Burma Road. 10th Air Force aircraft begin to evacuate military and civilian personnel and supplies from Burma to India. By 15 June the 10th Air Force has evacuated 4,499 passengers and 1,733,026 pounds of freight.

NEW ZEALAND: A joint US-New Zealand Naval Command is ordered established under Vice Admiral Robert L Ghormley, USN. It is to operate separately but in close liaison with General Douglas MacArthur and Vice Admiral Herbert F. Leary in Australia.

CHINA: The Chinese 6th Army retreats from Taunggyi toward Yunnan Province.

BURMA: The IJA 56th Division moves from Taunggyi toward Lashio, Burma.

AUSTRALIA: 8th Photographic Squadron, 5th Air Force (attached to Allied Air Forces), transfers from Melbourne to Brisbane Australia with F-4's; first mission was 16 Apr. Lost on a ferry flight are: B-25C "Tojo's Nitemare" 41-129??, B-25C "Chattanooga Choo Choo" 41-129??, B-25C "Salvo Sadie" 41-129??.

NEW GUINIE: In the morning, a substantial Japanese air raid destroyed two B-26s at 7-Mile Drome at Port Moresby. Also, PBY Catalina moored in the harbor, and three P-40E Kittyhawks from 75 Squadron were shot down.

USA: USN - A new specification for color of naval aircraft went into effect. The color of service aircraft remained non-specular light gray with non-specular blue-gray on surfaces visible from above. Advanced trainers were to be finished in glossy aircraft gray with glossy orange yellow on wing and aileron surfaces visible from above while primary trainers were to be finished glossy orange-yellow with gray landing gear.

AUSTRALIA: DARWIN - Flying together for the first time, the 49th Pursuit Group downs 10 Japanese bombers and 3 Zero fighters over Darwin , Australia without incurring any combat losses

Whooohoooo! We're beating 'em! We'll make it!

Go work in the factories! Make more planes!

AUSTRALIA:35th and 36th Pursuit Squadrons, 8th Pursuit Group, transfer from Brisbane and Townsville, Australia respectively to Port Moresby, New Guinea with P-39's and P-400's; first mission is 30 Apr.

INDIA: 10th AF, ground echelon of 9th Bombardment Squadron, 7th BG, transfers from Karachi to Lahabad, India; the air echelon is at Baumrauli, India with B-17's.

BURMA: The Chinese 28th Divison moving from Mandalay, is ordered to defend Lashio, Burma.

NG: Six Kittyhawks took off at 1036K to intercept eight Japanese bombers escorted by A6M2 Zeros over Port Moresby. From this combat, S/Ldr J F Jackson piloting P-40E A29-8 and F/Lt B M Cox piloting P-40E A29-47 failed to return. S/Ldr Jackson listed as killed, F/Lt Cox listed as missing. F/O Brereton was also wounded in this action, and his aircraft severley damaged, though returned to base. Lost is A6M2 Zero 1575, piloted by Yoshimitsu Maeda who is taken POW.

SWPA: Preparations for the Japanese Operation "MO" are well underway. This is an amphibious attack on Port Moresby, New Guinea.
As part of Operation "MO," the 3rd Kure Special Landing Force occupies the former RAAF seaplane base on Tulagi Island, Solomon Islands.

BURMA: The Japanese enter Lashio, Burma. China is now cut off from the Allies by land. All supply will be by air. The dangerous route of "Flying the Hump" is born.

(10th Air Force): Rangoon, Burma is again hit by a flight of B-17's which pound the dock area.

USA: The movie marquees in Times Square, New York City are ordered blacked out.

PACIFIC: Japanese carriers, Shokaku, Zuikaku and Shoho sail from Truk. They are part of Operation "MO" an amphibious assualt of Port Morseby, New Guinea.

BURMA: The bridge at Ava north of the Irrawaddy in Burma is destroyed as the British withdraw.

The Japanese capture Lashio, Burma and begin a move to drive the Chinese back along the Burma Road toward China and drive US and British forces back toward India.

PHILIPINES: Two Consolidated PBY-4 Catalinas of Patrol Squadron One Hundred One (VP-101) based at Perth, Western Australia, fly a circuitous route back to the Philippines and rescue 30 nurses from Corregidor Island.

NG: P-39's flying out of Port Moresby strafe airplanes and fuel dumps at Lae and Salamaua. Lost is P-39F 41-7128.
HQ 38th Bombardment Group (Medium) and ground echelon of 69th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) transfer from Ballarat to Amberley Field, Australia; air echelon of the 69th is still in the US with B-26's. 71st Bombardment Squadron, 38th BG(Medium), transfers from Ballarat to Batchelor Field, Australia with B-26's; first mission is 15 Sep.

BURMA: Mandalay, Burma falls to the Japanese.

PACIFIC: The US submarine USS Grenadier sinks the Soviet freighter SS Angarstroi about 90 miles WSW of Nagasaki, Japan.

The following account is based on heavily censored memoirs published in Soviet magazine Technica-Molodyozhi some 20 years ago.
On 19 April shortly after 1000, the cargo ship ANGARSTROI carrying 7,555 ts sugar from San Francisco to Vladivostok encountered a major Japanese task force including "4 BBs, 4 large DDs and 6 regular DDs". To save coal, the Russian skipper (author of the aforementioned memoirs) had decided to take a shortcut through the Japanese war zone; his position at that moment was recorded as 30-00'N, 135-20'E.
After a search the first boarding party instructed ANGARSTROI was instructed to proceed. A second boarding party took command of the ship and proceeded to Kushimoto for further search. The Angarstroi departed Kushimoto on April 30.
On 1 May at 2225 she was torpedoed by an "unidentified submarine" in position 31-55'N, 127-42'E. After 2 hits to port side she went down without sending a distress signal. None of her crew or passengers was killed, although the third torpedo passed right between one of the lowered lifeboats and the ship hull.
4.5 hrs later they were picked up by Japanese merchant KOYA MARU bound for Shanghai where the Russians were released. Vanzetti made it home without any troubles.
The issue of sinking the Angarstroi was brought up again during the Tokyo trial in 1946 where the Soviets presented it together with 2 other vessels sunk under similar circumstances.

GAUDALCANAL: The Australian garrison at Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands is evacuated.

The Japanese 3rd Kure Special Landing Force lands on Florida Island in the Solomon Islands. This landing is part of Operation "MO."
[Florida Island is just east of Tulagi, which is 20 miles east of Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands. There were no Japanese troops on Florida by August 7, 1942]

PHILIPINES: The US river gunboat USS Mindanao is scuttled off South Harbor, Corregidor Island, Philippine Islands.

Australia: 8th Photographic Squadron, 5th Air Force transfers from Brisbane to Townsville, Australia with F-4's; first mission is 16 Apr. After a bombing mission to Rabaul, lost is B-26 40-1426.

GUADALACANAL: Japanese land at Tulagi in the Solomon Islands. They intend to set up a seaplane base in the harbor.

PHILIPINES: In the Philippines during the night of 3 May, the submarine USS Spearfish (SS-190) slips into Manila Bay and picks up 27 Army and Navy officers, including nurses, from Corregidor Island to be evacuated to Fremantle, Western Australia. She is the last American submarine to visit Corregidor before the island is surrendered.
Japanese troops land on the north coast of Mindanao Island in the
Philippines.

PG: 5th AF - P-39s intercept Japanese aicraft over Port Moresby. Lost is P-39D 41-6956.