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April 4th, 1943 (SUNDAY)

FRANCE: The U.S. Eighth Air Force dispatches 97 B-17s of the 1st Bombardment Wing to attack industrial installations in the Paris area including the Renault armament works and motor works. 85 aircraft drop 251 tons of bombs on the target between 1414 and 1417 local and cause severe damage; they claim 47-13-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17s are lost and 16 others are damaged by fierce fighter opposition. (Jack McKillop)

GERMANY: RAF bombers drop 1,300 tons of bombs on Kiel in a night raid.

ITALY: The U.S. Ninth Air Force dispatches 99 B-24s to attack Naples, concentrating on the dock area. In Sicily, RAF Liberators, under operational control of the IX Bomber Command, bomb Palermo. Meanwhile, Northwest African Air Force B-25s bomb small shipping at Carloforte on San Pietro Island and 64 B-17s hit Capodichino Airfield and the marshalling yards at Naples. (Jack McKillop)

TUNISIA: Northwest African Air Force P-38s dive-bomb a beached freighter off Cape Zebib. Other P-38’s escort the bombing raids. Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) A-20’s hit La Fauconnerie Airfield while B-25’s hit El Djem and Sainte-Marie du Zit airfields. Fighters accompany light and medium bombers on attacks, and carry out numerous patrols, reconnaissance flights, and fighter sweeps over the battle areas of Tunisia. (Jack McKillop)

LIBYA: The ‘Lady Be Good’ is a B-24 (s/n 41-24301) of the 514th Sqd, 376th Bomb Group, USAAF is lost on its first mission. (Dion Osika)

BURMA: 8 Tenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells hit the Maymyo engine sheds and 9 others bomb the Pyawbwe railroad yards. Seven B-24s heavily damage the Thilawa oil refinery. (Jack McKillop)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, USN, assumes the position of Commander Air Solomons (COMAIRSOL) which has operational control of all Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), USAAF, USMC and USN aircraft in the South Pacific. (Jack McKillop)

BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: Fifth Air Force B-17s bomb the town area and airfield at Kavieng on New Ireland. Individual B-17s bomb Cape Gloucester on New Britain. (Jack McKillop)

NEW GUINEA: Fifth Air Force B-25s and A-20s attack areas along the Huon Gulf, around Kitchen Creek and the Heaths and Lane Plantations. Individual B-17s bomb Salamaua. (Jack McKillop)

PACIFIC OCEAN: The USN submarine USS Porpoise (SS-172) sinks a Japanese whaling ship near Eniwetok Atoll. (Jack McKillop)