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• » 15 Apr 1942

• German headquarters at Arras, France was attacked by members of the French Resistance. ww2dbase [The French Resistance | TH]
• Orde Wingate returned to Maymyo, Burma from China. ww2dbase [Orde Wingate | CPC]
• Wickes was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Wickes | CPC]
• Alexander, Slim, and Stilwell met at Maymyo, Burma. ww2dbase [William Slim | CPC]
• USS Lexington was assigned to US Navy Task Force 11. ww2dbase [Lexington (Lexington-class) | CPC]
• Allied convoy PQ-14, how down to 6 cargo ships and 2 tankers, was spotted by a German BV 138 flying boat. Later in the day, Fw 200 Condor aircraft relieved the BV 138 aircraft in keeping track of this convoy. They called in several air attacks, but none of them succeeded in sinking any ships. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | CPC]

• German submarine U-575 sank US freighter Robin Hood 250 kilometers east of New Jersey, United States at 0338 hours, killing 14 of 38 aboard. ww2dbase [Second Happy Time | CPC]

• USS S-44 arrived at Brisbane, Australia. ww2dbase [S-44 | Brisbane, Queensland | CPC]
• USS S-43 arrived at Brisbane, Austalia. ww2dbase [S-43 | Brisbane, Queensland | CPC]

• As Japanese troops began to push through the British Minhia-Taungdwingyi-Pyinmana defensive line along the Irrawaddy River in Burma and approached the oil-producing region of Yenangyaung, William Slim gave the order to destroy 1,000,000 gallons of crude oil to prevent Japanese capture while the British 7th Armoured Division pushed through Japanese road blocks to prepare men on the line to fall back. ww2dbase [Invasion of Burma | CPC]

• 152 British bombers (111 Wellington, 19 Hampden, 15 Stirling, and 7 Manchester) attacked Dortmund, Germany for a second night in a row, destroying 1 home and killing 1 civilian. 4 bombers were lost on this attack. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | Dortmund, Westfalen-Süd | CPC]

• Barbers Point Naval Air Station commissioned ww2dbase [Barbers Point Naval Air Station | Ewa, Oahu | DS]

• Nachi departed Akkeshi Bay, Hokkaido, Japan. ww2dbase [Nachi | Akkeshi Bay, Hokkaido | CPC]
• Yugure departed Sasebo, Japan at 1500 hours. ww2dbase [Yugure | Sasebo, Nagasaki | CPC]

• King George awarded Malta the George Cross for heroism and devotion. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | TH]

• A tunnel near the James and Morrison coastal gun batteries at Corregidor island, Philippine Islands collapsed from Japanese artillery bombardment, killing 70. To the north, the Japanese continued to transfer US and Filipino prisoners of war from Balanga to Orani and Lubao on the Bataan Peninsula, while the first arrivals at Orani and Lubao were now being marched north for San Fernando; en route, the prisoners continued to die from heat, dehydration, disease, and murders. At the southern island of Mindanao, motor torpedo boat PT-41 was scuttled by her own crew to prevent capture. ww2dbase [Invasion of the Philippine Islands | CPC]

• USS Marblehead departed Simon's Town, South Africa. ww2dbase [Marblehead | Simon's Town | CPC]

• USS Impulse (Lieutenant Commander M. Lyons) departed Londonderry, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom for New York, United States. ww2dbase [Londonberry, Northern Ireland | AC]
• German bombers attacked Middlesbrough in northeastern England, United Kingdom after dark, lasting until the next date. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Middlesborough, England | CPC]

• Henry Kaiser’s Vancouver Shipyard laid down its first keel. The ship would go on to become the Liberty-ship George Vancouver. ww2dbase [Kaiser Vancouver Shipyard | Henry Kaiser | Liberty-class | Vancouver, Washington | DS]

15 Apr 1942 Interactive Map