On 8 May 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first-ever carrier to carrier battle, comes to an end. Back on the 3rd, we saw how the Japanese seized the island of Tulagi, while American carrier USS Yorktown steamed towards the action. Its aircraft attack the Japanese at Tulagi the next day, sinking destroyer Kikuzuki and three minesweepers before linking up with USS Lexington.
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Together, they set sail for the Louisiades, where they aim to block the Japanese invasion fleet heading for Port Moresby, New Guinea. That invasion fleet departs Rabaul at around the same time, and is protected by the Carrier Strike Force centered around carriers Zuikaku and Shōkaku. For two days, the two navies narrowly miss each other, but on the morning of the 7th, the battle finally begins.
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Shōkaku's dive bombers are the first to draw blood when they spot and sink US destroyer Sims and fatally damage oiler Neosho. Around the same time, Lexington catches sight of the invasion fleet's Covering Group, centered around light carrier Shōhō, and launches an attack. Shōhō takes several hits and sinks not long after, making her the first capital ship loss by the Imperial Japanese Navy in this war.
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Today, the battle resumes, when just after 0800 hours, both carrier fleets spot each other and decide to launch an all-out airstrike. The American aircraft manage to inflict some damage on Shōkaku's flight deck, but they are not as successful as the seasoned Japanese pilots from Shōkaku and Zuikaku. They score a direct hit on Yorktown's flight deck and launch several torpedos against Lexington, who the Americans are forced to scuttle in the evening.
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By the end of today, both sides withdraw to safety. The Americans have succeeded in thwarting an attack on Port Moresby, but have paid dearly for it. Time will tell us what the consequences of this will be, but until then, it is hard to judge for whom this is a victory.
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For a much more detailed coverage, go and check out our latest weekly episode over on YouTube, where maps and archive footage will give you a much better picture of this pivotal battle.
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Photo: An explosion aboard USS Lexington, 8 May 1942.
Source: U.S. Navy, 80-G-16651
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#USN ...

On 7 May 1942, British forces secure the naval base of Diego-Suarez in Madagascar. Two days ago, we saw how their advance stalled on the Vichy French fortifications of the Joffre Line. In the early morning of the 6th, the British resume their attacks, but they are unable to crack the enemy defenses.
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When the Vichy-French government learns of the attack, Commander-in-Chief François Darlan cables Madagascar: 'Once again the British, instead of fighting their enemies, seek the easiest path of attacking a French colony far from the metropolis. Marshal Pétain has asked you to defend Madagascar, and I know that you have responded patriotically to his appeal. Firmly defend the honour of our flag. Fight to the limit of your possibilities and make the British pay dearly for their act of highway robbery. The day will come when England will pay.'
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Meanwhile, the British are desperate to break the deadlock. Commander of the operation, Admiral Edward Syfret, resorts to an unconventional tactic, and orders destroyer HMS Anthony to dash into the harbor and drop off 50 Marines behind enemy lines. The plan succeeds, and by 2200 hours, the Marines have jumped ashore and begun fighting their way through the town of Antsirane.
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At the same time, the reinforced British resume their attacks on the Joffre Line with fury. Sergeant Stockman tells how he and his regiment of Highlanders charge the French positions with fixed bayonets: 'Somehow we just kept moving, driven by some inexplicable group momentum […] And this with men dropping left, right and centre, some looking literally torn to shreds.' He describes the moment right after he has stabbed a Senegalese: 'A burst of blood lashed over me and down the barrel of my rifle. I recall vomiting, then pulling myself together and continuing with the forward advance deep into the Vichy positions.'
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When dawn breaks, Antsirane and the bay of Diego-Suarez are firmly in British hands, and the French garrison decides to surrender. Operation Ironclad is a success, although it has come at the cost of nearly 400 British, and 700 French casualties.
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Photo: Some of the 50 Marines from the nightly assault, 8 May 1942.
Source: IWM, A 8865 ...

On 6 May 1942, Corregidor surrenders to the Japanese. Two days ago, we saw how the Japanese artillery pounded away at the fortress island, reducing it to a pile of rubble occupied by an improvised force of 4.000 ground troops. On the night of the 5th, the Japanese landing craft make for Corregidor, but they are surprised by currents and are swept a thousand yards (900m) off their course.
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As a result of this, the first battalion on the beach faces intense Allied fire from positions not targeted by the artillery in the preliminary barrage. The loss of life is immense. Within hours, the Japanese lose half of their men to small arms fire, grenades, and the remaining Allied artillery. Despite the horrific scenes on the beach, the Japanese manage to push inland and cut the island in two by 0100 hours.
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In the hours that follow, the Allies push the Japanese back a few hundred meters in some of the most brutal close-range combat to date. However, the tide of battle turns just before 1000 hours when three Japanese tanks show up and force the Allies back to the gates of Malinta tunnel, where the wounded are piling up.
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When the Allies count some 1.800 casualties and the Japanese just over 2.000, General Jonathan Wainwright decides to surrender. He reckons that his troops might hold another day but fears for a bloodbath when the fighting reaches the Malinta tunnel. He offers Corregidor's surrender to General Masaharu Homma in the afternoon, who demands the surrender of all Allied troops in the Philippines, including those on Mindanao. Wainwright refuses this, stating that he has no authority over Mindanao, which he removed from his command just a few hours ago.
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Homma sends him back to Corregidor with an ultimatum that if he doesn't convince Mindanao to surrender, hostilities will continue. Wainwright, whose troops are already destroying their guns, foresees a massacre and agrees at last. The men on Mindanao can be expected to lay down their arms during the coming days, although many have already taken to the mountains to continue the fight as guerillas.
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Photo: The surrender of Allied troops at Corregidor, May 1942.
Source: National Archives
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#Corregidor #Surrender ...

On 5 May 1942, the British invade Madagascar in Operation Ironclad. Last month, we saw how the Japanese Kido Butai gave the British a good scare when it raided the Indian Ocean. Their move had shown that the Japanese were willing and able to contest the Indian Ocean, threatening Britain's supply lines to the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. The raid also reinforced British fears that the Japanese might pressure the Vichy French into granting them access to their naval bases, much like what happened in Indochina.
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To counter this threat, renewed attention is given to Operation 'Ironclad': the attack on Madagascar. The operation is the first major amphibious invasion since the disastrous landings at Gallipoli during the Great War and is, just like in 1915, the brainchild of Winston Churchill. Free French leader Charles de Gaulle has urged him to consider a joint operation including Free French troops, but with the failure at Dakar of 1940 in mind, Churchill disagrees with this.
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Instead, the men of No. 5 Commando will be spearheading the assault, together with the 29th Infantry Brigade, which specializes in amphibious attacks. Once they have landed, two more brigades will follow. Their target is the natural harbor of Diego-Suarez in northern Madagascar, protected by 3.000 Malagasy, French, and Senegalese troops and several coastal batteries.
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Under the cover of darkness, the invasion fleet gathers east of Diego-Suarez, where the British split up into two assault parties and head for their assigned landing areas. They face no opposition at first, catching the French coastal batteries completely off guard, but eventually run into fierce resistance during their 30 kilometer (19 mi) trek to Diego-Suarez. The French organize a defense south of Antsirane, the port adjacent to the bay of Diego-Suarez, where they disable eight out of twelve British Valentine and Tetrarch tanks employed in the invasion.
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By the end of today, the British are stuck on the formidable French defensive fortifications south of Antsirane, whose existence is a complete surprise.
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Photo: Civilians passing British soldiers, Madagascar, May 1942
Source: IWM A 8889
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#Madagascar #Ironclad ...

On 4 May 1942, the Japanese guns unleash hell on Corregidor in anticipation of an amphibious attack. Nearly one month ago now, we saw how the American and Filipino troops on Bataan laid down their arms, leaving just Corregidor and Mindanao as the last strongholds of Allied resistance in the Philippines. With the final offensive on Mindanao underway and proceeding satisfactory, General Masaharu Homma centers his attention on the Gibraltar of the East: Corregidor.
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The tadpole-shaped island, spanning only 5.5 square kilometers (2.1 sq mi), is protected by 45 coastal guns, controlling the passage into the Bay of Manilla. Responsible for the beach defenses is the 4th Marine Regiment, which originally numbered just 800 men, but which has grown to 4.000 after the influx of scattered units from Bataan. They have dug themselves in along the coast to meet a beach assault.
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On the opposing side, General Homma has assigned the task of invading the formidable fortress to the 4th Division. Its 61st Infantry Regiment is to set foot ashore on the east side of the island tomorrow night, supported by tanks from the 7th Tank Regiment. The 37th Infantry is to land on Corregidor's west side a day later, also supported by elements of the 7th Tank Regiment, and is to unite its beachhead with the men from the 64th and then mop up the remaining defenses.
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While the 4th Division trains for the amphibious attack on the shores of Bataan, the artillery begins softening up the intimidating defenses of Corregidor. During the last week of April, and increasingly during the opening days of May, the 116 Japanese artillery pieces pound away at the island. Among them are ten 240mm (9.4 in) howitzers which simply obliterate the island and silence most of Corregidor's coastal guns.
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Today, a day before the planned assault, approximately 16.000 Japanese shells rain down on Corregidor, a drum fire so relentless that it 'resembles machine gun fire in its staccato regularity', writes Allied commander Jonathan Wainwright.
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Photo: A Marine sergeant explains the use of the Lewis machine gun to Filipino soldiers, Corregidor.
Source: National Archives, USMC 58747
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#Corregidor #USMC #Marines #Filipino ...

On 3 May 1942, the stage is set for a battle in the Coral Sea. During the winter, we saw how the Japanese seized bases on New Britain, New Guinea, and Bougainville to establish a defensive perimeter for their conquests in Southeast Asia. With that conquest complete, the Navy now aims to expand this perimeter from Rabaul onwards and cut Australia off from the United States in the process. It leads to the creation of Operation 'MO', in which the Japanese will strike south once more to capture the base of Port Moresby on New Guinea.
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The first part of this plan, the attack on Tulagi, takes place today as the Japanese land on the tiny island north of Guadalcanal. They meet no resistance at all, as the Australian garrison of just under two dozen men has wrecked the place and left off. The Japanese immediately begin construction on a seaplane base, which will be a great help in future offensives down the Solomons and will give the Japanese an early warning of any approaching danger.
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However, the base will not be finished in time to warn them of the danger that is approaching Tulagi we speak, comprised of the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher has received word from the attack on Tulagi and decides to intervene. He sets sail for Tulagi for a quick strike on whatever Japanese ships lay at anchor there, after which he will rendezvous with USS Lexington to face the invasion of Port Moresby.
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The attack will take place tomorrow morning, but it is unlikely it will find any big targets, as Rear Admiral Aritomo Gotō's covering group has already turned around to support the landings at Port Moresby. No carrier to carrier confrontation will take place just yet, but when Admiral Fletcher returns from his attack on Tulagi, and Admiral Gotō joins forces with the others at Rabaul, we can expect a confrontation to take place that will dictate the course of war in the South Pacific. Make sure to tune in to this Saturday's weekly episode over on YouTube to see how this decisive battle will end.
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Photo: A wave breaks over oiler USS Neosho as she refuels USS Yorktown before the Battle of the Coral Sea, May 1942
Source: US Navy
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#Yorktown #Neosho #Oiler #USN ...

On 1 May 1942, Mandalay falls to the Japanese, while the Allied armies march for India. Last week, we saw how the Allies decided to evacuate Burma as the Japanese raced north along the Thai border. On the 29th, the Japanese reach Lashio, cutting the Burma road and with it China's lifeline. Although much of the Chinese Expeditionary Force manages to fight its way through the Japanese route of advance and reach their homeland, they are now separated from their British allies.
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The Japanese move seriously threatens to encircle Mandalay, and the Allies need to act fast if they wish to avoid disaster, and act fast they do. An Indian rearguard at Kyaukse holds off the Japanese advance for an entire day for the loss of only ten casualties. Burmacorps commander William Slim describes the action as 'a really brilliant example of rearguard work' which 'not only enabled the last of the Chinese to cross the Ava bridge without molestation and gave us all a breathing space, but it inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy at extremely small cost to ourselves.'
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The Ava bridge at Mandalay, spanning just over 1100 meters (3600 feet), is one of the few crossings over the Irrawaddy River and therefore of vital importance to both sides. After the 48th Brigade has crossed it, the last British forces in Mandalay blow it up and begin their long march to India. The Allies withdraw in four columns. The remaining Chinese head north to possibly still cross into China; Burmacorps marches towards the Chindwin River in two columns, while a detached brigade protects the western flank of the retreating army corps.
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Although the Japanese have missed their opportunity for a decisive battle at Mandalay, the 33rd Division sees an opportunity to drive a wedge between the two columns of Burmacorps. General Shōzō Sakurai races Monywa, once again separating the 1st Burma Division from the rest of Burmacorps. By the end of today, his men have fought off repeated counterattacks and are still in firm control of the city, while further east, his fellow countrymen march into Mandalay.
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Photo: A Japanese officer planning an attack on British positions, Burma.
Source: IWM, HU 130925
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#Burma #Mandalay ...

On 27 April 1942, British bombers raid the medieval German city of Rostock for the fourth consecutive night. Back on the 23rd, we saw how the Luftwaffe began its retaliation campaign following the British raid on Lübeck. They, just like the Royal Air Force, specifically targeted the old city centers to maximize the damage.
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Although that first raid did not do much damage, the ones that follow most definitely do. In Bath, famous for its Roman bath houses to which the  city owes its name, 400 civilians are killed or wounded on the night of the 24th, and today, Norwich follows. In total, during the first five days of the 'Baedeker Blitz', nearly a thousand British civilians lose their lives, while thousands more are rendered homeless.
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At the same time as the raid on Norwich, however, the RAF Bomber Command is heading in the opposite direction to launch yet another raid on the Hanseatic city of Rostock, which has been under fire for three days already. The destruction is immense. Reports indicate that 70 percent of the historic city center has been flattened, killing 200 and 'de-housing' thousands more.
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Propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels calls it a disastrous raid and even writes of a panic taking place. When he and Adolf Hitler sit down to discuss the bombing, they conclude that it must once again be answered with more force, continuing the cycle of senseless death and destruction among the British and German people.
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They argue, however, that only through the relentless bombing of 'English  cultural shrines', the British people can be 'brought to their senses'. Goebbels writes of them: 'They belong to a class of human beings with whom you can talk only after you have first knocked out their teeth.'
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Photo: The ruins of Lübeck following the raid of March 28th.
Source: Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1980-121-20
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#Rostock #Lübeck #Luftwaffe #RAF #RoyalAirForce #ArthurHarris #BomberHarris #Goebbels #Exeter #Bath #Rubble #Ruins #City #Historic #Medieval #Monument #Destruction ...

On 24 April 1942, the Allied armies begin withdrawing from Burma entirely, hoping to avoid the total destruction of their forces. Back on the 19th, we saw how the 1st Burma Division narrowly escaped such a fate with Chinese help, although it suffered heavy casualties and lost much of its equipment in the process. Their defeat meant that the last line before Mandalay had collapsed, bringing its capture within Japanese reach.
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The British collapse in the west causes frustration among the Chinese defending the central front in the Sittang valley. They had hoped to deal a severe blow to the Japanese at the city of Pyinmana, but are now forced to abandon their line and join the British in their retreat. Their American commander Joseph Stillwell describes the situation as follows to his superior Chiang Kai-shek:
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'Chinese troops now withdrawing to the north from the Pyinmana area. Chinese 38th Division troops are assisting the British on the Irrawaddy front. The British failure east of Magwe to prevent a breakthrough is the entire cause of the Chinese withdrawal. [...] The Chinese 5th Army was about to launch a counter attack from Pyinmana with excellent chances of success and the British collapse comes at a most critical time.'
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However, the biggest disaster is not enveloping by the hands of the British in the west, but by those of the Chinese in the east. There, along the Thai frontier and through the Shan States, the mechanized  Japanese 56th Division has swept aside the Chinese 6th Army and is now merely days away from cutting the Burma road at Lashio. Doing so would limit communications with China to small tracks through the mountains and threaten Mandalay with encirclement from the east.
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The Allies decide Burma can no longer be held and begin preparing their withdrawal. The forces under British command will retreat to India as fast as possible, wanting to be over the mountains before the monsoon starts and hoping to outrun the Japanese, who will undoubtedly try their best to block their route of escape. The Chinese will retreat northward and try to fight their way out to Yunnan.
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Photo: Japanese officers in Burma, 1942.
Source: Unknown.
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#Burma #Mandalay ...

On 23 April 1942, the Luftwaffe's bombers return to Britain in force to retaliate. The Blitz of Britain is now almost a year behind us, with the German air force having left for the eastern border regions in May 1941 to prepare for the invasion of the Soviet Union. Since then, the strategic bombing campaign has experienced a bit of a lull, with only limited attacks against military targets.
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That changed in the second half of March, when the Royal Air Force attacked the medieval German city of Lübeck. As you have seen in our War Against Humanity series over on YouTube, it was the first air raid in accordance with the new Area Bombing Directive, which shifted the focus away from the destruction of industry towards the 'dehousing' of the workers living in the area to crush morale. The bombing of Lübeck resulted in 301 German civilian fatalities and rendered another 15.000 homeless. It led the German high command to start planning for revenge.
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That retaliation strike finally comes on the night of today, when Luftflotte 3 strikes at the old city of Exeter on Britain's southwest coast. Poor visibility means that the bombers only see limited success, damaging around 200 buildings and causing 13 casualties. However, tomorrow, the bombers will return with the correct bearings and cause a lot more destruction to the city center dating from the Middle Ages, specifically chosen as a target for its cultural value.
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Back in Germany, a spokesman for the German Foreign Office boasts to the public: 'We shall go out and bomb every building in Britain marked with three stars in the Baedeker Guide', referring to a popular tourist guide to Britain. Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels is not too keen with the comment, wanting to portray the strikes on Britain purely as retaliatory measures instead of a direct attack on British culture.
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Whichever it is, we can expect the British to respond in kind by striking at another German city. It seems like we're at the beginning of a surge of indiscriminate bombardments in which it's the civilian population that will have to pay the price.
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Photo: A fruit stall in East London during the Blitz.
Source: IWM, HU 671
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#Exeter #Blitz #Bomb ...

On 21 April 1942, a land connection is established between the German lines and the Demyansk pocket after 73 days of encirclement. Last month, we saw how the Soviets launched several assaults on the German Demyansk grouping, hoping to eliminate it and deal a severe blow to Army Group North. Their efforts were in vain, and by the end of the month, a German relief column was battling its way towards the encircled army corps.
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That column is led by General Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach, who has two light 'Jäger' divisions at his disposal to traverse the unforgiving terrain. His March attack ground to a halt on the Redya River, but he resumes his offensive after a couple days of rest. Progress is slow through the slushy forests where the melting snow is now rapidly turning the area into a swamp, making the use of artillery impossible.
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Slowly but steadily, the Jäger troops plow their way forward, overcoming Soviet strongpoints on the way to Ramushevo: the main bastion between them and the pocket of Demyansk. By the time they get there, the spring thaw has really gotten going, surrounding Ramushevo with water and turning the village into an island. Seydlitz orders an attack along the strip of land that leads to the town to give the Soviets the impression that the main attack will come from there, while the actual attack takes place over the shallow flood plains. The ruse succeeds, and the Germans capture Ramushevo.
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Meanwhile, in the Demyansk pocket itself, the SS Division 'Totenkopf' launches a breakout attempt of its own to link up with the relief column in Operation 'Fallreep', meaning 'gangway'. Today, they link up with the Jäger troops at Ramushevo, lifting the siege of Demyansk. It does not mean that the Germans will now start withdrawing their troops from the exposed salient; on the contrary, the corridor will allow them to properly reinforce the garrison after having to rely on a shaky air bridge for months. Demyansk has proven that an army can be supplied by air, but not indefinitely.
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Photo: German troops fighting through a forest on the Eastern Front, supported by a flamethrower, May 1942.
Source: NAC, 2-984
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#Demyansk #Wehrmacht #Flamehtrower #Pocket ...

On 20 April 1942, forty-seven Spitfire fighters reach Malta in Operation' Calendar'. Back on the 15th, Malta was awarded the George Cross for its continued resistance in the face of relentless bombardments. Although the Royal Air Force does its best to fend off the Luftwaffe's raids, the older model Hurricane fighters have trouble doing much damage to the massive waves of German aircraft. However, in late March, around thirty brand new Spitfires arrived on the island, and today, more are on the way.
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With Britain's last aircraft carrier in the area undergoing repairs, the task of this 'Club Run', as these fighter deliveries are called, befalls the American carrier USS Wasp. It takes aboard 48 Spitfires and their newly trained crews at Glasgow, before heading for the Mediterranean. At 0600 hours today, as she sails south of the Balearic Islands, Wasp begins launching the Spitfires.
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One of the pilots, Lieutenant Dennis Barnham, describes the scene as he waits for the American flight mechanic to give him the green light. 'I open the throttle. The engine is roaring, brakes are slipping; a chequered flag falls: release brakes, throttle wide open, gathering speed, tail up, looking over the nose: deck's very short. Going faster. The overhanging bridge on the superstructure sweeps towards me. Grab the stick again – end of the deck. Grey waves. Keep her straight – stick back. Out over the sea. Waves nearer. Stick further back – at last she begins to fly.'
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The launch is a success. Forty-seven of the Spitfires reach Malta unscathed. However, the pilots have barely left their aircraft when the Luftwaffe shows up. Its intelligence has reported the convoy's departure from Gibraltar, and the Germans decide to strike just as the Spitfires are landing. Twenty of them are caught on the ground and destroyed. Over the next two days, the inexperienced RAF pilots will meet the Luftwaffe in the skies, but there too, they are quickly obliterated. None of the Spitfires delivered today is still in operation by the third day. Malta remains on its own.
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Photo: A Spitfire takes off from USS Wasp during a club run, May 1942.
Source: US Navy, 80-G-7083
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#Spitfire #Wasp #RAF #Hurricane ...

On 19 April 1942, the 1st Burma Division narrowly escapes total destruction. Back on the 11th, we saw how the Japanese 33rd Division resumed its offensive in western Burma's Irrawaddy Valley against the forces of the British Empire. It started with diversionary attacks against the 1st Burma Division and the 17th Indian Division, while one Japanese regiment began infiltrating the thinly spread area in between the two. That move succeeds.
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Usually, aerial reconnaissance and civilian intelligence would have revealed the move fairly quickly, but in Burma, the British have neither. The last planes have left for the safety of India weeks earlier following the destruction of Magwe airfield by the Japanese, while the Burmese are mostly apathetic as to which empire comes out on top in this conflict.
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The Japanese 214th regiment, known as the 'White Tigers', begins rapidly advancing on the Yenangyaung oil fields. On the 15th, the line's collapse becomes apparent to Burma Corps commander William Slim, and he orders the oil wells destroyed. Not much later, the White Tigers arrive on the barren scene. The Japanese have failed to capture the oil field intact, but they have caught a bigger fish instead.
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With the capture of Yenangyaung, the White Tigers have cut off the 1st Burma Division's only route of retreat and trapped around 7.000 of its soldiers on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River. Slim immediately asks General Sun Li-Jen's 38th Chinese Division to launch a counterattack from the north. They do so on the 18th, but fail to dislodge the Japanese regiment that separates the British from the Chinese.
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Today, the Chinese give it another try, while the 1st Burma Division launches a breakout attempt of its own across an unbridged section of the Pin Chaung River since the Japanese control the only road across. They succeed in this but are forced to ditch 200 vehicles and other precious equipment that can't be replaced anytime soon. The fall of Yenangyaung and the decimation of the 1st Burma Division mean a new low in the Allied defense of Burma.
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Photo: Japanese troops at the Yenangyaung oil fields, 1942.
Source: NAM, 2009-10-25-32
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#Burma #Yenangyaung #Oil ...

On 18 April 1942, American bombers raid Japan. Sixteen B-25 'Mitchell' bombers take part in the attack, flown by 80 crewmen in total, and led by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle. For more on his background, the motives behind the raid, and the necessary preparations, go and check out the latest weekly episode over on our YouTube channel.
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Today, the U.S. Navy carrier task force carrying the 16 bombers is spotted by a Japanese patrol vessel some 650 nautical miles from mainland Japan. The patrol boat is quickly sunk, but not before it notifies the mainland of the approaching threat. With their mission now compromised, the Doolittle raiders decide to prepare for take-off immediately, still 170 miles short of their intended launching point.
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One by one, Doolittle's bombers take off on a nerve-racking launch from the short flight deck, which is not designed to accommodate the big B-25's.  The sailors cheer them on as they circle back around and head for Japan, sticking as close to the water's surface as possible to avoid detection, while keeping a low speed to preserve their limited fuel reserves.
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After six long hours, the first bombers reach Japan. As they skim over the Japanese countryside, they can see Japanese civilians waving at them, mistaking the American aircraft for friendly ones. The 16 bombers go their separate ways to their designated targets, which are several cities throughout Japan, including Tokyo.
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They each drop three high explosive bombs on military targets, followed by an incendiary cluster on the highly flammable, populated parts of the city. Despite this, material damage is limited, and 'only' 50 civilians are killed. The Japanese anti-air guns and intercepting fighters fail to shoot down any bombers, revealing serious unpreparedness for these kinds of air raids. The raid will give a major morale boost to the American public, but is a military failure in all aspects: no significant damage is done, while none of the bombers reach their destined airfields in China due to a lack of fuel.
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Photo: A B-25 taking off from USS Hornet, 18 April 1942.
Source: U.S. Air Force, 020930-O-9999G-008
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#Doolittle #DoolittleRaid #B25 #Mitchell #Hornet ...

On 15 April 1942, King George VI awards the George Cross to the people of Malta for their heroism in the face of relentless aerial bombardment. In the last week of March, we saw how a British convoy to Malta came under attack by the Italian Navy, delaying their progress enough to expose them to aerial bombardment in Valetta's Grand Harbour. 20.000 out of 25.000 tons sunk to the bottom of the harbor, and with it, any hopes the Maltese might have had for immediate relief.
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The Luftwaffe's air offensive against Fortress Malta has been going on for a hundred days now and seems to be reaching its climax. By continuously targeting the island's airfields and port facilities, they have practically eliminated Malta as a threat to the Axis supply route to Libya. A staggering 150.000 out of 151.600 tons makes it across the Central Mediterranean this month; a feat never achieved before. The last British submarines have now left for Alexandria to avoid further damage. So has the bullet-ridden light cruiser HMS Penelope, which has earned the nickname 'Pepperpot'.
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But while the Luftwaffe aims to militarily destroy Malta, it has the grim side effect of destroying thousands of civilian lives in the process. Thousands have already become homeless, and hundreds more killed in a Blitz that exceeds anything the British Isles have seen. The Maltese live in underground shelters where disease rapidly spreads among the weak and starving population. More on their suffering in the upcoming episode of War Against Humanity over on YouTube.
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Today, the struggle of the Maltese civilians is given international recognition as King George VI awards the first collective George Cross to the people of Malta. He attaches a letter saying the following: 'To honour her brave people I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress of Malta to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history.' Malta's Governor, William Dobbie, answers: 'By God's help Malta will not weaken but will endure until victory is won.'
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Photo: A Maltese boy smokes a cigarette while his dinner cooks on an improvised stove, December 1942
Source: IWM, A 13062
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#Malta #Child #War ##WarChild #GeorgeCross ...

On 14 April 1942, the United States Navy sinks a U-boat at last. German U-boats have been operating off the American East Coast for months now, during which they have seen tremendous success.
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Initially, only long-range Type IX U-boats were engaged in Operation Drumbeat, but seeing how effective they were, the most commonly used Type VII U-boats soon followed. It pushed the Type VII's to their very limit regarding fuel and provisions, but a solution has now been found. The first so-called 'Milchkuh' -or 'milk cow'- submarine is on its way from Germany to act as a mobile supply hub for the U-boats operating far from home waters.
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The milk cows carry diesel oil, torpedoes, ammunition, spare parts, provisions, freshwater, food, manpower replacements, and even freshly baked bread to U-boats in need. The milk cows will allow more U-boats to raid the gold mine that is the East Coast, and they might be much-needed soon, as U.S. anti-submarine measures are slowly starting to take shape.
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Admiral Karl Dönitz, writes in his diary on April 12: 'Anti-S/M activity immediately under the coast has increased. Destroyers, Coast Guard ships and escort vessels are patrolling the steamer routes [...] Air activity has also increased considerably. Boats are forced by it to remain submerged by day near the coast. On full-moon nights it is dangerous owing to the numbers of aircraft involved and the boats are forced to transfer their attacking areas further out to sea.'
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That the danger against U-boats is increasing becomes apparent shortly after midnight today when American destroyer USS Roper catches sight of U-85 on its radar. Roper starts rapidly approaching the U-boat while the hunted attempts to escape by keeping full speed on the surface. When the distance has closed to 275 meters (300 yards), Roper's deck guns open fire on the U-boat's conning tower, sinking U-85, whose crew abandons ship. Controversially, Roper does not pick up any of the survivors for fear of other stalking U-boats. When it finally does in the morning, all survivors are already dead.
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Photo: Burial of U-85’s crew with military honors, Hampton National Cemetery, 15 April 1942.
Source: U.S. Navy.
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#Uboat ...

On 11 April 1942, Japanese forces resume their offensive in Burma against a reorganized Allied defensive line. Back on the 4th, we saw how the Allies retreated into Burma's central drylands amidst soaring temperatures. Although the high temperatures certainly do not help ease their situation for the moment, they do provide a glimmer of hope as they're the precursor to the rainy monsoon season, which will massively complicate offensive operations for the Japanese and could buy them some time.
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With this prospect in mind, the Allies dig in on a line before Mandalay and the precious Yenangyaung oilfields. The task of protecting the latter befalls William Slim's Burmacorps, which digs in between the Irrawaddy River and the town of Taungdwingyi on a 65 kilometer (40 mi) front. The 1st Burma Division takes up the western sector, the 17th Indian Division the east, while the 7th Armoured Brigade takes on a supportive role.
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Today, the Japanese resume their offensive down the Irrawaddy Valley as the 33rd Division opens the attack. General Shōzō Sakurai focuses his efforts on the 1st Burma Division's sector, striking with two regiments. One pins down the Allied defenses on the right bank of the Irrawaddy, while another infiltrates the thinly spread Allied lines between the two divisions and begins a silent approach on the Yenangyaung oilfields. Should they succeed, they will not just capture the oil field intact but potentially also cut the 1st Burma Division's only route of escape. Time will tell how this daring move will turn out.
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Meanwhile, along the mountainous Thai border further east, the newly arrived and highly mechanized Japanese 56th Division opens another front for the Allies to worry about. Its objective is to race through the rugged terrain of the Shan States and cut the crucial Burma road into China, which would isolate Mandalay. To do so, they will first have to smash their way through the Chinese at Loikaw, but after a visit today, American commander Joseph Stillwell concludes that they're ill-prepared for the force that's heading towards them.
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Photo: Japanese soldiers in combat at the Yenangyaung oilfields, April 1942.
Source: Imperial Japanese Army ...

On 10 April 1942, the Indian Ocean Raid ends in a Japanese victory. Back on the 6th, we saw how Commander Mitsuo Fuchida's bombers struck heavy cruisers Cornwall and Dorsetshire, causing the British to withdraw their fleet to the Maldives, and giving the Kidō Butai a free hand around Ceylon.
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On the 9th, the Kidō Butai approaches Ceylon for the second round of attack directed against the port of Trincomalee. This time, the British have an accurate early warning of the attack and scramble their aircraft to meet the incoming wave. The 17 Hurricanes and six Fulmars do their best to hold off Commander Fuchida's 91 Kate bombers and 41 Zeros, but half of them are shot down while the Japanese wreck the port facilities.
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Again, the Japanese find no warships from the Eastern Fleet at anchor, as they have slipped away before Fuchida's planes could reach the area. However, later that morning, a Japanese plane spots British carrier Hermes and Australian destroyer Vampire steaming south, away from Trincomalee. It alerts the nearby Kidō Butai, and soon, 85 dive bombers take off to strike the vulnerable carrier.
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Shortly after 1030 hours, the attack begins. With only a handful of Fulmars and some anti-aircraft guns to meet them, the 'Val' dive bombers dive down on the wildly manoeuvering Hermes, who takes 37 hits within just ten minutes. The carrier lists heavily to port before sinking at 10:55 hours. Vampire shares the same fate. Just over 300 sailors die in the engagement, while another 600 are picked up by a nearby hospital ship. It is the last action Kidō Butai takes before withdrawing to Malaya today.
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Although the Japanese have no further ambitions in the Indian Ocean and will shift their attention back to the Pacific, the British come to the bitter conclusion that they lack the strength to meet a determined attack against Ceylon or India's east coast. They will withdraw the Eastern Fleet to Kenya and Bombay, hoping to at least hold control over the vital supply lines to and from the Middle East running along the African coast.
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Photo: Japanese carrier Akagi during the Indian Ocean Raid, April 1942.
Source: Kure Maritime Museum
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#KidoButai #Akagi #Fuchida #Ceylon ...

On 9 April 1942, Bataan surrenders after holding the Japanese off for three months. Back on the 7th, we saw how the few reserves the Allies had were committed in a last-ditch counterattack, which did nothing but speed up the disintegration of the troops as they began withdrawing to the Alangan River.
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Only skeletal remains of what were once regiments reach the line on the morning of the 8th, where many are on the verge of total exhaustion. When the usual Japanese morning bombardment commences, many drop their equipment and flee into the jungle, further thinning out the already undermanned line. When the first Japanese units probe the Allied positions in the afternoon, they stumble on large gaps waiting to be exploited. Before evening, the Alangan River line has already caved in.
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Another night of chaotic withdrawal follows, during which many collapse on the roadside. At Cabcaben, an artillery battery is ordered to destroy its guns and take up positions north of the village. In the morning, they see the scattered remains of the 2nd Corps come trickling in. It has virtually ceased to exist. It is at this dire hour that General Edward King, commanding the forces on Bataan, receives the order from General Jonathan Wainwright on Corregidor to launch a breakout attempt with the 1st Corps in the west. King deems it an impossible order that would only lead to more pointless deaths. He has seen enough. Bataan will surrender.
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While all remaining military equipment that could be of use to the Japanese goes up in smoke, and what can be evacuated to Corregidor is shipped out, King drives to meet General Homma's representative at Lamao. The Japanese are quick to ask where Wainwright is, to which King replies that he is speaking only for his command, which is Bataan. Although King had hoped to secure good treatment for his 76.000 men and the civilians that have fled onto the peninsula, they do not reach an agreement on the matter, resulting in an unconditional surrender. The prisoners are therefore left to the mercy of the Japanese, who are unlikely to show much of it.
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Photo: Japanese troops guard American POWs, April 1942.
Source: National Archives, USMC 114538
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#POW ...