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• Yamato was designated the flagship of Battleship Division 1 under Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki. ww2dbase [Yamato | CPC]
• Soemu Toyoda was named the commander-in-chief of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet. ww2dbase [Soemu Toyoda | CPC]
• USS Parche began pursuing a seven-ship Japanese convoy south of Taiwan spotted by wolfpack mate USS Tinosa. ww2dbase [Parche | CPC]
• USS Seahorse was relieved from lifeguard station duty in the Mariana Islands and set sail for Milne Bay, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Seahorse | CPC]
• USS Gunnel started her fifth war patrol. ww2dbase [Gunnel | CPC]

• USS Harder arrived at Fremantle, Australia, ending her fourth war patrol. ww2dbase [Harder | Fremantle, Western Australia | CPC]

• 7 B-25 bombers of the Chinese-American Composite Wing attacked Japanese troop concentrations near Mihsien and Yueyang in Hunan, China and strafed the town of Hsiangcheng. On the same day, 10 P-40 fighters of the Chinese-American Composite Wing damaged the bridge on the Yellow River and destroyed 15 Japanese trucks northwest of Chenghsien near Luoyang, Henan, China. ww2dbase [Luoyang, Henan | CPC]

• Indian 4th Brigade attacked GPT ridge near Kohima, India, which failed to capture all Japanese positions. ww2dbase [Battle of Imphal-Kohima | Kohima, Assam | CPC]

• USS Whale arrived at Majuro, Marshall Islands, ending her seventh war patrol. ww2dbase [Whale | Majuro | CPC]
• While USS Hornet was anchored at Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher was discharged on the hangar deck for unknown reasons as a film was being shown. This triggered a stampede that threw two sailors overboard. One was rescued and the other's body was recovered two days later. At the time of the incident, Rear Admiral J. J. Clark recommended to Hornet Captain Miles Browning that a boat should be lowered to search for crewmen in the water and that a muster should be called to see if any sailors were missing. Browning declined both suggestions, something Clark saw as reckless and led directly to Browning losing command of Hornet. ww2dbase [J. J. Clark | Kwajalein | DS]

• Dwight Eisenhower wrote George Patton a personal letter in which he informed Patton that Patton would be allowed to keep his post even after the public relations rows that Patton had created. ww2dbase [Dwight Eisenhower | England | CPC]

• The US Joint Chiefs of Staff directed Joseph Stilwell to make Myitkyina, Burma his primary goal, independent of SEAC, in order to develop communications with China in support of the American effort in the Pacific. ww2dbase [Battle of Myitkyina | Joseph Stilwell | AC]

• USS Golet arrived at Midway Atoll. ww2dbase [Midway Bases | Golet | Midway | CPC]
• USS Proteus arrived at Midway Atoll and joined Submarine Squadron 20. ww2dbase [Proteus | Midway | CPC]

3 May 1944 Interactive Map