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• German submarine U-108 pursued US tanker Mobiloil from 0900 hours to 1645 hours, finally sinking her 400 kilometers north to Puerto Rico with the sixth torpedo expended in this effort; all 53 aboard survived. ww2dbase [Second Happy Time | CPC]
• Japanese Special Naval Landing Force departed Rabaul, New Britain aboard transports for the invasion of the RAAF seaplane base at Tulagi, Solomon Islands. On the same day, other transports at Rabaul embarked equipment necessary to build a new base at Port Moresby, Australian Papua. In Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team intercepted a radio message from Isoroku Yamamoto to Shigeyoshi Inoue regarding Operation MO, in which Yamamoto made mention of northern Australia, thus giving Rochefort confidence regarding the hypothesis that Operation MO's target was Port Moresby. ww2dbase [Battle of Coral Sea | CPC]
• The Tenderloo chemical works in Belgium was destroyed by a resistance group, killing over 250 people. ww2dbase [TH]
• The rate of German retaliatory executions of Belgians was reported to be 25 to 30 per month. ww2dbase [TH]
• Soviet forces launched a counter offensive near Kursk, Russia. ww2dbase [CPC]
• British sailing vessel Terpsithea struck a mine (laid by German submarine U-562 on 13 Apr 1942) in Famagusta Bay, Cyprus in the evening; as British tug Alliance approached the damaged sail for rescue, she also hit a mine at 1945 hours and sank, killing 3. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Lansdowne was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Lansdowne | CPC]
• Admiral Ernest King established the South Pacific Amphibious Force composed primarily of the 1st Marine Division. ww2dbase [CPC]
• German submarine U-66 sank Panamanian tanker Harry G. Seidel 50 miles west of Grenada; 2 were killed, 48 survived. ww2dbase [Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico Campaigns | CPC]
• 4 minesweepers departed from the close escort force of Allied convoy QP-11 off northern Russia; later on the same day, the convoy was spotted by a German Ju 88 aircraft. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | CPC]

• Comandante Cappellini sighted an illuminated fishing vessel in the Atlantic Ocean at 2318 hours; the Italian submarine turned away to avoid detection. ww2dbase [Comandante Cappellini | CPC]

• Harold George passed away from injuries sustained during a ground accident at Batchelor Field, Northern Territory, Australia several days earlier. ww2dbase [Harold George | Batchelor, Northern Territory | CPC]

• In the morning, Three US B-28 bombers attacked Rabaul, New Britain, destroying five Zero fighters on the ground and damaged four more. ww2dbase [Rabaul, New Britain | CPC]
• Tenryu departed Rabaul, New Britain. ww2dbase [Tenryu | Rabaul, New Britain | CPC]

• Japanese 18th Infantry Division captured Kyaukse, Burma just south of Mandalay. To the west, Japanese 33rd Infantry Division pursued the Anglo-Indian withdraw across the Irrawaddy River toward India. To the north, 100 kilometers south of the border with China, Japanese 56th Infantry Division captured Lashio midday. ww2dbase [Invasion of Burma | CPC]

• 88 British bombers (73 Wellington, 9 Hampden, 6 Stirling) attacked the Gnome et Rhône aircraft engine factory near Paris, France; one building was destroyed and three buildings damaged at the cost of 3 bombers destroyed. ww2dbase [Bombing of Cities in France and Low Countries | Paris | CPC]

• USS St. Louis departed Bora Bora bound for San Francisco, California escorting transport SS President Coolidge carrying President Manuel Quezon of the Philippines from Australia to the United States. ww2dbase [St. Louis | Bora Bora, Society Islands | DS]

• Nachi was made the flagship of Vice Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya of the 5th Fleet. She departed Yokosuka, Japan later in the day. ww2dbase [Nachi | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]

• Kamoi departed Jabor, Marshall Islands. ww2dbase [Kamoi | Jabor | CPC]

• USS S-44 continued her war patrol after her crew repaired the failing port engine. ww2dbase [S-44 | CPC]

• Japanese troops landed at Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippine Islands. To the north at the island of Luzon, minesweeper USS Finch was damaged by Japanese air attacks. A large scale artillery and aerial bombardment was conducted at the island of Corregidor at the tip of Bataan Peninsula, Luzon. ww2dbase [Invasion of the Philippine Islands | CPC]

• Naka entered the drydock at Keppel Harbour, Singapore. ww2dbase [Naka | Singapore | CPC]

• USS Ranger and Augusta continue with their aircraft ferrying assignment and depart Port of Spain, Trinidad bound for Africa’s Gold Coast. ww2dbase [Augusta | Ranger | Port of Spain | DS]

• German bombers attacked Norwich, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Norwich, England | CPC]
• USS Wasp arrived at Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, completing Operation Calendar. ww2dbase [Wasp (Wasp-class) | Glasgow, Scotland | CPC]

29 Apr 1942 Interactive Map