1 Apr 1939

- Bersagliere was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Bersagliere | CPC]
- At the launching ceremony of German battleship Tirpitz, Adolf Hitler gave a fiery speech that was so extreme that it was decided at the last minute that it would not be broadcast to foreign nations in fear of talks of war provocation. The broadcast to the United States was cut off halfway, leading to false rumors that Adolf Hitler was assassinated amidst the speech. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
- Battleship Tirpitz was launched at the Kriegsmarinewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Grossadmiral Alfred von Tirpitz's daughter Ilse von Hassel christened the battleship named after her father. ww2dbase [Kriegsmarinewerft | Tirpitz | Wilhelmshaven, Weser-Ems | CPC]
- The Deutsche Werke Kiel AG operations in Kiel, Germany and the Kriegsmarinearsenal merged and became Kriegsmarinewerft Kiel. ww2dbase [Howaldtswerke Kiel | Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein | CPC]
- Prototype A6M Zero fighter took its maiden flight at Kagamigahara airfield, Japan. ww2dbase [A6M Zero | Kagamigahara, Gifu | CPC]
- Minoru Ota was assigned to the 6th Defense Unit of 6th Base Force. ww2dbase [Minoru Ota | CPC]
- The order for the future battleship Alabama was issued. ww2dbase [Alabama | CPC]


1 Apr 1939 Interactive Map
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
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