04/04 Tue.  United States naval vessel damaged:  
             Destroyer HALL (DD-583), by coastal defense gun,  
              Marshall Islands area,  
              09 d. 30' N., 170 d. 00' E. 
04/05 Wed.  Japanese naval vessel sunk:  
             Auxiliary submarine chaser No. 46, by carrier-based  
              aircraft, Caroline Islands area. 
04/07 Fri.  United States naval vessel damaged:  
             Destroyer CHAMPLIN (DD-601), by intentional ramming  
              of German submarine and by gunfire, North Atlantic  
              area,  
              40 d. 18' N., 62 d. 22' W.  
              [Who rammed who? LWJ]  
            Japanese submarine sunk:  
             I-2, by destroyer SAUFLEY (DD-465), north of New  
              Ireland,  
              02 d. 17' S., 149 d. 14' E.  
            German submarine sunk:  
             U-856, by destroyer CHAMPLIN (DD-601) and destroyer  
              escort (DE-145), North Atlantic area,  
              40 d. 18' N., 62 d. 22' W. 
04/09 Sun.  United States naval vessel sunk:  
             Submarine chaser SC-984, by grounding in New  
             Hebrides.  
            German submarine sunk:  
             U-515, by aircraft (VC-58) from escort carrier  
              GUADALCANAL (CVE-60), and destroyer escorts  
              PILLSBURY (DE-133), POPE (DE-134), FLAHERTY (DE- 
              135), and CHATELIN (DE-149), off Madeira Island,  
              34 d. 35' N., 19 d. 18' W. 
04/10 Mon.  German submarine sunk:  
             U-68, by aircraft (VC-58)from escort carrier  
              GUADALCANAL (CVE-60), off Madeira Island,  
              33 d. 25' N., 03 d. 58' W. 
04/11 Tue.  United States naval vessel damaged:  
             Destroyer escort HOLDER (DE-401), by submarine  
              torpedo, western Mediterranean area,  
              37 d. 03' N., 03 d. 58' E.  
            Japanese naval vessel sunk:  
             Destroyer AKIGUMO, by submarine REDFIN (SS-272),  
              Celebes Sea,  
              06 d. 43' N., 122 d. 23' E. 
04/12 Wed.  United States naval vessels sunk:  
             PT-135, damaged by grounding, Bismarck Archipelago  
              area,  
              05 d. 29' s., 152 d. 09' E.;  
              sunk by United States forces.  
             Rescue tug ATR-98, by collision, Azores area,  
              44 d. 05' N., 24 d. 08' W. 
04/13 Thu.  Japanese naval vessel sunk:  
             Destroyer IKAZUCHI, by submarine HARDER (SS-257),  
              Central Pacific area,  
              10 d. 13' N., 143 51' E. 
04/15 Sat. Alaskan Sea Frontier (Vice Adm. F. J. Fletcher) with  
           headquarters at Adak, Aleutian Islands, and  
           Seventeenth Naval District (Rear Adm. F. E. M.  
           Whiting) with temporary headquarters in Adak and  
           permanent headquarters at Kodiak, Alaska, are  
           established.  
           United States Naval Base, Abemama, Gilbert Islands,  
           is established.  
           Carrier HANCOCK (CV-19) is commissioned at Fore  
           River, Mass. 
04/16 Sat. Battleship WISCONSIN (BB-64) is commissioned at  
           Philadelphia, Pa.  
            United States naval vessel damaged:  
             Destroyer escort GANDY (DE-764), by intentional  
              ramming of German submarine, North Atlantic area,  
              40 d. 09' N., 69 d. 44' W.  
             German submarine sunk:  
              U-550, by destroyer escorts PETERSON (DE-152),  
               JOYCE (DE-317), and GANDY (DE-764), North  
               Atlantic area,  
               40 d. 09' N., 69 d. 44' W. 
04/17 Mon.  United States naval vessel sunk:  
             Submarine TROUT (SS-202), Pacific Ocean area,  
              reported as presumed lost.  
            German submarine sunk:  
             U-986, by minesweeper SWIFT (AM-122), and submarine  
              chaser PC-619, North Atlantic area,  
              50 d. 09' N., 12 d. 51' W. 
04/19 Wed. Allied naval force (Adm. J. F. Sommerville, RN),  
           including United States carrier SARATOGA (CV-3) and  
           three United States destroyers, strikes enemy  
           positions at Sabang, Netherlands East Indies. 
04/20 Thu.  United States naval vessel sunk:  
             Destroyer LANDSDALE (DD-426), by aircraft torpedo,  
              western Mediterranean area,  
              37 d. 03' N., 03 d. 51' E.  
            Japanese submarine sunk:  
             RO-45, by submarine SEAHORSE (SS-304), off Marianas  
              Islands,  
              15 d. 19' N., 145 d. 31' E. 
04/21 Fri. Naval task force (Vice Adm. M. A. Mitscher),  
           including carriers, battleships, cruisers, and  
           destroyers, bombs and bombards enemy airfields and  
           defensive positions at Hollandia, Wakde, Sawar, and  
           Sarmi areas of New Guinea; attacks continue on 22  
           April.  
04/22 Sat. Army forces land at Aitape, Tanahmerah Bay, and  
           Humboldt Bay in New Guinea.  The assault operation is  
           under the control of Rear Adm. D. E. Barbey and  
           supported by gunfire and carrier-based aircraft from  
           Vice Adm. M. A. Mitscher's carrier task force.  
           Submarine REDFIN (SS-272) lays mines off Sarawak,  
           Borneo. 
04/23 Sun.  Japanese naval vessel sunk:  
             Destroyer AMAGIRI, by mine, Makassar Strait,  
              Netherlands East Indies area,  
              02 d. 12' S., 116 d. 45' E. 
04/26 Wed.  Japanese submarine sunk:  
             I-180, by destroyer escort GILMORE (DE-18), North  
              Pacific area,  
              55 d. 10' N., 155 d. 40' W.  
            German submarine sunk:  
             U-488, by destroyer escorts FROST (DE-144), HUSE  
              (DE-145), BARBER (DE-161), and SNOWDEN (DE-246),  
              mid-Atlantic area,  
              17 d. 54' N., 38 d. 05' W. 
04/27 Thu.  United States naval vessel sunk:  
             Cargo ship ETAMIN (AK-93), by aircraft torpedo,  
              western New Guinea area,  
              03 d. 09' S., 142 d. 24' E.  
            Japanese naval vessels sunk:  
             Light cruiser YUBARI, by submarine BLUEGILL (SS- 
              242), southwest of the Palau Islands,  
              05 d. 20' N., 132 d. 16' E.  
             Minelayer KAMONE, by submarine HALIBUT (SS-232), 
              off Ryukyu Islands,  
              27 d. 37' N., 128 d. 11' E. 
04/28 Fri. Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox dies at Washington,  
           D. C.  
            United States naval vessels sunk:  
             LST 507, and LST 531, by torpedoes from surface  
              craft, English Channel,  
              50 d. 28' N., 02 d. 51' W.  
            Japanese submarine sunk:  
             I-183, by submarine POGY (SS-266), off Kyushu,  
              Japan,  
              32 d. 07' N., 133 d. 03' E. 
04/29 Sat. Aircraft from fast carrier task force (Vice Adm. M.  
           A. Mitscher), including 12 carriers, commence 2-day  
           bombing attack on Japanese shipping, oil and  
           ammunition bumps, aircraft facilities, and other  
           installations at Truk, Caroline Islands.  
            United States naval vessels sunk:  
             PT-346 and PT-347, accidentally by friendly  
              aircraft, Bismarck Archipelago area,  
              04 d. 13' S., 151 d. 27' E.  
            Japanese naval vessels sunk:  
             Submarine I-174, by aircraft from light carrier  
              MONTEREY (CVL-26) and destroyers MACDONOUGH (DD- 
              351) and STEPHEN POTTER (DD-538), Caroline Islands  
              area,  
              06 d. 13' N., 151 d. 19' E.  
             River gunboat TAHURE, by submarine FLASHER (SS- 
              249), South China Sea,  
              13 d. 02' N., 109 d. 28' E.  
            German submarine sunk:  
             U-421, by Army aircraft, Toulon, France. 
04/30 Sun. Cruiser and destroyer force (Rear Adm. J. B.  
           Oldendorf) bombards enemy positions on Satawan  
           Island, in the Namoi Group, Caroline Islands.