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April 30th, 1942

UNITED KINGDOM: With renewed bombing attacks, civilian casualties this month went up to 938 killed and 998 injured. Frigate HMS Waveney launched.

Destroyers HMS Tantaskide and Obedient launched. (Dave Shirlaw) GERMANY:

U-464, U-620 commissioned.

U-358, U-447, U-524 launched.

U-280, U-741 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

POLAND: Warsaw: This month, 4,432 Jews have died in the ghetto of starvation and typhoid.

BARENTS SEA: The cruiser HMS EDINBURGH, with a cargo of Soviet gold, is torpedoed and badly damaged by U-456. She was then put into tow and was thus helpless when caught by 3 German destroyers and had to be scuttled to prevent possible capture.

BURMA: General Stilwell is given permission to withdraw his men to India. The bridge at Ava north of the Irrawaddy is destroyed at one minute to midnight, as the British withdraw. The town of Mandalay is doomed. Burmese, Sikhs, Punjabis, Yorkshiremen, Gurkhas and Marines trudge by, carrying each others' wounded, with 900 miles of jungle ahead of them.

AUSTRALIA: Two Consolidated PBY-4 Catalinas of Patrol Squadron One Hundred One (VP-101) based at Perth, Western Australia, fly a circuitous route back to the Philippines and rescue 30 nurses from Corregidor Island. (Jack McKillop)

MICRONESIA: Japanese carriers, Shokaku, Zuikaku and Shoho sail from Truk. They are part of Operation "MO" (も) an amphibious assault on Port Morseby, New Guinea.

CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Hespeler ordered.

Trawler HMS Cailiff launched Collingwood, Ontario. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: The 78th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) and its three subordinate units, the 82d, 83d and 84th Pursuit Squadrons (Interceptor), USAAF, are transferred to Muroc Army Air Base, Muroc, California on 30 Apr 42 and began training with Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. (Jack McKillop)

The motion picture "My Gal Sal" is released in the U.S. Directed by Irving Cummings, this musical stars Rita Hayworth, Victor Mature, Carole Landis, James Gleason and Phil Silvers. Gay 90s musical of songwriter Paul Dresser (Mature) in love with singer Hayworth. The film was nominated for two technical Academy Awards and won one. (Jack McKillop)

Destroyer escorts USS Harold C Thomas and Wileman laid down.

Destroyer USS McCook launched.

Submarine USS Peto launched.

Battleship USS Indiana commissioned.

Corvette USS Saucy commissioned.

Destroyer USS Bancroft and Woodworth commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0152, the Athelempress, dispersed from Convoy OS-25 was torpedoed and sunk by gunfire by U-162 180 miles east of Barbados. Two crewmembers and one gunner were lost. The master and 18 crewmembers landed at Gros Inlet Bay, St Lucia. The chief officer and 27 crewmembers were picked up by the Norwegian tanker Atlantic and landed at Trinidad.

At 0336, the Ashkhabad was torpedoed by U-402 south of Cape Hatteras and was abandoned. On 3 May 1942, the wreck had to be scuttled with gunfire by a US warship.

The unescorted and unarmed Federal proceeded on a zigzag course at 8 knots for Cuba to obtain a cargo of molasses, when a lookout spotted U-507 three miles away on the horizon. The tanker changed course for land and the U-boat submerged. At 1810, U-507 surfaced about 450 yards away and began shelling the ship about five miles north of Gibara, Cuba. The first shell went through the quarters of the crew, killing the chief cook and wounding the third mate. After approximately 30 rounds at the rate of three to four rounds per minute the crew of eight officers and 25 men abandoned ship in one lifeboat and two rafts. The shellfire had destroyed the #3 and #4 lifeboat and made it impossible to launch the #2 boat. U-507 approached the tanker close to the port side and put more then 100 rounds into her. The wooden bridge was set on fire and three men were killed. The Federal settled on even keel, then listed to port, capsized and sank stern first an hour after the first shot was fired. A US Navy aircraft arrived at the scene one hour after the ship sank followed by a second aircraft 20 minutes later. They unsuccessfully searched for the U-boat and other survivors. At 2115, USAT Yarmouth circled the survivors several times and steamed away, due the danger of being torpedoed. Fishing craft from Gibara two and a half hours after the attack picked up the 15 survivors on the rafts. The 14 survivors in the boat followed the craft to shore. The third mate died from wounds after reaching shore.

SS Taborfjell sunk by sunk by U-576 at 41.52N, 67.43W. (Dave Shirlaw)