04/01 Wed. Naval Air Transport Service Squadron (VR-2) is commissioned 
           at Alameda, Calif., for operations in the Pacific area. 
           Japanese occupy Buka Island, Solomon Islands.
04/03 Fri. Adm. C. W. Nimitz, USN, is named Commander in Chief Pacific 
           Ocean Areas (CINCPOA); Admiral Nimitz is also Commander in 
           Chief Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC).
04/05 Sun. Submarine SNAPPER (SS-185) delivers food to Corrigedor, P. 
           I., and evacuates certain military personnel. 
           Lorengau, Manus Island, in the Admiralty Islands, is occupied 
           by the Japanese.
04/07 Tue. United States naval patrol aircraft arrive at Natal, Brazil, 
           for operations in the South Atlantic.
04/08 Wed. Submarine SEADRAGON (SS-194) delivers food to Corrigedor, P. 
           I., and evacuates certain military personnel. 
           Hydrographic Office and Naval Observatory are transferred 
           from the Bureau of Navigation to the Office of the Chief of 
           Naval Operations 
            United States naval vessels sunk: 
             Minesweeper BITTERN (AM-36), damaged 10 December 1941, 
              Cavite, P. I., sunk by United States forces. 
             Tug NAPA (AT-32), by scuttling, Philippine Islands area, 
              14 d. 25' N., 120 d. 30' E.
04/09 Thu. United States-Philippine forces on Bataan, P. I., surrender 
           to the Japanese. 
            United States naval vessel lost: 
             PT-34, by horizontal bomber, Philippine Islands area; 
              beached and abandoned, 
              10 d. 16' N., 123 d. 52' E.
04/10 Fri. Pacific Fleet is reorganized into type commands:  Battleships 
           (Rear Adm. W. S. Anderson); Aircraft Carriers (Vice Adm. W. 
           F. Halsey); Cruisers (Rear Adm. F. J. Fletcher); Destroyers 
           (Rear Adm. R. A. Theobald); Service Force (Vice Adm. W. L. 
           Calhoun); Amphibious Force (Vice Adm. W. Brown); Submarine 
           Force (Rear Adm. T. Whiters); and Patrol Wings (Rear Adm. H. 
           S. McCain). 
           Japanese land on Cebu, P. I. 
            United States naval vessels sunk: 
             Submarine tender CANOPUS (AS-9), by scuttling, off 
              Mariveles Bay, P. I. 
             Minesweeper FINCH (AM-9), by horizontal bomber, Philippine 
              Islands area, 
              14 d. 22' N., 120 d. 35' E.
04/12 Sun.  United States naval vessel sunk: 
             PT-35, by scuttling, Philippine Islands area, 
              10 d. 18' N., 123 d. 54' E.
04/14 Tue.  German submarine sunk: 
             U-85, by destroyer ROPER (DD-147), off Virginia, 
              35 d. 55' N.
04/15 Wed. Submarine bases at Kodiak and Dutch Harbor, Alaska, are 
           established. 
           Naval Air Station, Barbers Point, Oahu, T. H., is 
           established. 
            United States naval vessel sunk: 
             PT-41, by scuttling, Philippine Islands area, 
              07 d. 53' N., 124 d. 15' E.
04/18 Sat. Vice Adm. W. F. Halsey in carrier HORNET (CV-8) launches 16 
           Army B-25's (Lt. Col. J. H. Doolittle) at point over 650 
           miles east of Honshu, Japan; bombers hit Tokyo, Yokosuka, 
           Yokohoma, Kobe, and Nagoya, Japan. 
           German submarine shells oil installations at Curacao, 
           Netherlands West Indies.
04/40 Mon. United States carrier WASP (CV-7), in Mediterranean Sea, 
           launches 47 British Spitfire aircraft for Malta.
04/26 Sun.  United States naval vessel sunk: 
             Destroyer STURTEVANT (DD-240), by mine, of Marquesas Key, 
              Fla.
04/28 Tue. United States Escort Force (Rear Adm. R. C. Giffen) departs 
           Scapa Flow, Scotland, to protect convoys to Russia.
04/29 Wed. First coastal convoy leaves New York for the Delaware River. 
           Japanese land on and seize Parang and Cotabato, Mindanao, P. 
           I.
04/30 Thu. Two naval patrol planes evacuate military and civilian 
           personnel from Corregidor, P. I. 
           Adm. H. R. Stark assumes command of United States Naval 
           Forces Europe. (See 17 March 1942). 
           Battleship INDIANA (BB-58) is commissioned at Newport News, 
           Va.