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• USS Cassin Young supported the invasion of Okinawa, Japan. ww2dbase [Cassin Young | CPC]
• USS Franklin crossed the International Date Line. ww2dbase [Franklin | CPC]
• USS Missouri covered the landings at Okinawa, Japan. ww2dbase [Missouri | CPC]
• An Ohka special attack mission was launched and damaged USS West Virginia off Okinawa, Japan; on the same day, a cache of 15 Ohka aircraft was captured by the United States Marines on Okinawa, who nicknamed them baka, Japanese for "fool", as the discovery was made on April Fool's Day. ww2dbase [MXY7 Ohka | CPC]
• Allied troops captured Doetinchem, Borculo, Eibergen, and Enschede in the Netherlands. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Soviet artillery began a 6-day artillery bombardment against Königsberg, East Prussia, Germany. ww2dbase [East Prussian Offensive | CPC]
• US 158th Regimental Combat Team landed near Legaspi, Luzon, Philippine Islands. ww2dbase [Philippines Campaign, Phase 2 | CPC]
• American prisoners of war held at Ziegenhain, Germany were liberated by troops of the US 455th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front captured Wiener Neustadt, occupied Austria. ww2dbase [Battle of Vienna | TH]
• US First Army captured Paderborn and Hamm, Germany. ww2dbase [Crossing the Rhine | TH]
• US First and Ninth Armies complete the encirclement of the Ruhr industrial area at Lippstadt, cutting off the 21 divisions (about 500,000 men) of the German Army Group B. ww2dbase [Fall of the Ruhr | AC]
• US Tenth Army invaded Okinawa, Japan. Japanese aircraft launched a massive counter-attack, damaging USS West Virginia, USS Tennessee, and HMS Indefatigable, among others. ww2dbase [Okinawa Campaign | TH]
• British Sub Lieutenant R. H. Reynolds's Seafire carrier fighter shot down two A6M5 Zero fighters; these were the first Seafire fighter victories against Zero fighters. ww2dbase [Spitfire | CPC]
• USS Tirante attacked a Japanese landing ship with three torpedoes, but all missed. ww2dbase [Tirante | CPC]

• British troops commenced Operation Roast across Lake Comacchio in northern Italy. ww2dbase [Operation Grapeshot and Operation Roast | Comacchio, Emilia-Romagna | CPC]

• USS Kimberly departed Okinawa, Japan. ww2dbase [Kimberly | Okinawa Campaign | Okinawa | CPC]
• The Japanese government imposed drastic increases on public utility rates. Postage, for example, increased from 3 sen to 5 sen for postcards and from 7 sen to 10 sen for letters. Third-class train fare increased by about 30%, second-class increased to equal three times third-class fare, and first-class increased to equal six times third-class fare. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Landing ship No. 173 was completed. ww2dbase [No. 101/103-class | CPC]
• USS Yorktown (Essex-class) began several days of direct support missions for the troops landing on Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands. About every three days, USS Yorktown (Essex-class) retired east for refueling, rearming, and re-provisioning. ww2dbase [Yorktown (Essex-class) | Okinawa Campaign | Okinawa | DS]
• USS Luce patrolled waters off Okinawa, Japan. ww2dbase [Luce | Okinawa | CPC]
• Crown Prince Yi Un was made a member of the Supreme War Council of Japan. ww2dbase [Yi Un | CPC]
• Light carrier Ryuho entered the drydocks at Kure, Japan for repairs; the repair would be halted shortly after as the damage was judged to be too extensive. ww2dbase [Ryuho | Kure Naval Arsenal | Kure, Hiroshima | CPC]

• RAF Takali on Malta was transferred from the Royal Air Force to the Fleet Air Arm and was renamed HMS Goldfinch. ww2dbase [RAF Takali | Ta' Qali | CPC]

• USS Tunny completed her lifeguard duties off Okinawa, Japan and set sail for US Territory of Hawaii via Midway Atoll. ww2dbase [Tunny | CPC]

• Destroyer USS Shaw departed San Pedro Bay, Leyte bound for Cebu. ww2dbase [Shaw | San Pedro Bay, Leyte | DS]

• Kamoi arrived at Singapore and was tied to quay No. 12. ww2dbase [Kamoi | Singapore | CPC]

• B-24 bombers of 43rd Bomb Group (H) of US 5th Army Air Force attacked Giran Airfield in northern Taiwan. ww2dbase [Giran Airfield | Giran, Taihoku | CPC]
• B-25 bombers of US 38th Bombardment Group attacked Karenko Airfield, Taiwan. ww2dbase [Karenko Airfield | Karenko | CPC]
• The 11,000-ton Japanese liner Awa Maru, given safe passage by the Americans because she had revealed that she was carrying Red Cross parcels and other aid to Allied POWs, was torpedoed and sunk by American submarine USS Queenfish in the Taiwan Strait after a breakdown in communications. Of the estimated 2,500 people on board, many of them skilled Japanese technicians, only one survived. For the only time in the war, the US Government acknowledged responsibility for wrongfully sinking an enemy ship and promised compensation after the war. Queenfish's commanding officer was court martialled for negligence, but was later exonerated based on the fact that Awa Maru was later discovered to be smuggling rubber and other war materials. ww2dbase [Queenfish | AC]

• Allied convoy RA-65 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | Loch Ewe, Scotland | CPC]

1 Apr 1945 Interactive Map