World War II Database

• Home
• » Events
• » Events
• » 17 Apr 1944

• British Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Bomber Command commenced minelaying in the approaches of the English Channel in preparation for the forthcoming invasion of Europe. ww2dbase [Normandy Campaign, Phase 1 | AC]
• Louis Mountbatten's headquarters moved from Delhi, India to Kandy, Ceylon. ww2dbase [Louis Mountbatten | CPC]
• USS Bailey departed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii as an escort for a convoy bound for Majuro Lagoon, Marshall Islands. ww2dbase [Bailey | DS]

• USS Skipjack departed the Pribilof Islands, US Territory of Alaska. ww2dbase [Skipjack | CPC]

• 674th Bomb Squadron (flying A-20 aircraft) of USAAF 417th Bomb Group was transferred from Dobodura Airfield to Saidor Airfield, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Saidor Airfield | Saidor | CPC]

• Roza Shanina was awarded the Order of Glory 3rd Class while fighting in Byelorussia; she was the first woman of 3rd Byelorussian Front to receive this award. ww2dbase [Roza Shanina | CPC]

• Patrol Boat No. 102 departed Tarakan, Dutch East Indies at 0657 hours. ww2dbase [Stewart | Tarakan, Borneo | CPC]

• USS Guitarro arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. ww2dbase [Pearl Harbor Navy Base and Ford Island Naval Air Station | Guitarro | Honolulu, Oahu | CPC]
• Barbers Point Naval Air Station: Part of ARGUS-17 arrived on board. ww2dbase [Barbers Point Naval Air Station | Ewa, Oahu | DS]

• General Renya Mutaguchi ordered Lieutenant General Kotoku Sato to capture Kohima, India by 29 Apr 1944. On the front, Anglo-Indian and Japanese troops clashed at Garrison Hill and FSD Hill near Kohima. ww2dbase [Battle of Imphal-Kohima | Kohima, Assam | CPC]

• Yamato arrived at Kure, Japan to load supplies. ww2dbase [Yamato | Kure, Hiroshima | CPC]

• USS Harder sank Matsue Maru and damaged an armed escort, firing four torpedoes and scoring one hit on each ship. ww2dbase [Harder | CPC]
• USS Whale spotted two small Japanese vessels in the East China Sea but failed to achieve attacking position. ww2dbase [Whale | East China Sea | CPC]

• A Constellation aircraft piloted by Howard Hughes and Jack Frye flew from Burbank, California, United States to Washington DC, United States in 6 hours and 57 minutes, breaking the record. ww2dbase [C-69 Constellation | Washington | CPC]

17 Apr 1944 Interactive Map