Bombing of Mandalay: The Burmese capital ofMandalay suffered a devastating air raid when the Japanese dropped incendiary bombs that created afirestorm killing about 2,000 civilians.[3]
The Luftwaffe carried out OperationEisstoß (Ice Assault) with the objective of smashing the Soviet fleet atKronstadt, which was well-protected by anti-aircraft guns. 62Stukas, 70 bombers and 50Bf 109s were deployed and managed to inflict damage on thirteen Soviet warships, but not a single one was sunk.[4]
A devastating air raid was conducted against the Maltese capital ofValletta.[5] TheRoyal Opera House, one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, took a direct hit and was reduced to rubble.[6]
The floating drydockDewey was scuttled atMariveles, Bataan to prevent capture by the Japanese. She would later be raised by the Japanese but resunk by Allied forces.
The Canadian government created the Park Steamship Company to buildPark ships, the Canadian equivalent of the AmericanLiberty ships and BritishFort ships.
TheImber friendly fire incident occurred atImber, England when aRoyal Air Force fighter aircraft taking part in a firepower demonstration accidentally opened fire on a crowd of spectators, killing 25 and wounding 71.
Iran broke off diplomatic relations with Japan.[11]
TheFederal Communications Commission reduced the minimum required programming time of U.S. television stations from 15 hours a week down to 4 for the duration of the war.
OnBudget Day in the United Kingdom,Chancellor of the ExchequerKingsley Wood announced that Britain's war expenditures for the year ended March 31 totalled £4 billion, exceeding the estimate by £285 million.[13] Wood projected expenditure for 1942–43 at £5.286 billion and raised taxes on non-essential goods and services such as alcohol, tobacco, cinema admissions and cosmetics.[14]
TheRiom Trial was adjournedsine die because the defendants were presenting their own cases too well and increasingly discrediting the Vichy regime.[16]
InBurma, the Japanese 55th Infantry Division captured Thawatti on the road toMandalay.[17]
TheDoolittle Raid was conducted by U.S. warplanes on the Japanese capital ofTokyo. Although little damage was done it provided an important boost to American morale.
TheToronto Maple Leafs defeated theDetroit Red Wings 3-1 in Game 7 of theStanley Cup Finals to complete one of the greatest comebacks in sports history. After losing the first three games of the series, the Maple Leafs won the next four and claimed their fourthStanley Cup in franchise history.
The Allies executedOperation Calendar, the delivery of 48Supermarine Spitfire aircraft to Malta. However, the planes were almost immediately destroyed on the ground.
American troops arrived inNew Caledonia to assist in defense of the archipelago.[24]
Berlin radio announced that French generalHenri Giraud had escaped fromKönigstein Fortress.[24] A 100,000 mark reward was offered for information leading to his recapture.[25]
The GermanReichstag convened for what would be its final session. Chancellor Adolf Hitler gave a long speech asking for total legislative and judicial power that would give him the right to promote or punish anyone with no regard to legal procedures. The Reichstag agreed and Hitler was given absolute power of life and death.[26][27]
Aplebiscite on conscription was held inCanada. 65.53% voted in favour of conscription, with Quebec being the only province to have a majority voting against.
Hitler met withBenito Mussolini atSalzburg for a conference on Axis war strategy.[12] Mussolini agreed to send more Italian troops to the Eastern Front.[33] The problem of what to do aboutMalta was also discussed, and plans for an invasion that would be codenamedOperation Herkules took shape.[34]
In Burma the Japanese occupiedLashio, cutting communications betweenMandalay and China.[2]
^abcChronology and Index of the Second World War, 1938–1945. Research Publications. 1990. pp. 117–118.ISBN978-0-88736-568-3.
^abcEvans, A. A.; Gibbons, David (2012).The Illustrated Timeline of World War II. Rosen Publishing. p. 99.ISBN978-1-4488-4795-2.
^Clodfelter, MichealWarfare and Armed Conflicts- A Statistical Reference to Casualty and Other Figures, 1500–2000. 2nd Ed. McFarland & Company, 2002. p. 553.ISBN978-0-7864-1204-4.
^Forczyk, Robert (2009).Leningrad 1941–44: The Epic Siege. Osprey Publishing. p. 44.ISBN978-1-84603-441-1.
^abDay By Day: The Forties. New York: Facts On File, Inc. 1977. p. 210.ISBN0-87196-375-2.
^Yust, Walter, ed. (1943).1943 Britannica Book of the Year. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. p. 7.
^Weinberg, Gerhard L. (1995).Germany, Hitler, and World War II: Essays in Modern German and World History. Cambridge University Press. p. 66.ISBN978-0-521-56626-1.
^Hamilton, Hope (2011).Sacrifice on the Steppe: The Italian Alpine Corps in the Stalingrad Campaign, 1942–1943. Havertown, PA: Casemate. p. 16.ISBN978-1-61200-002-2.
^Corvaja, Santi (2008).Hitler & Mussolini: The Secret Meetings. New York: Enigma Books. pp. 202–203.ISBN978-1-929631-42-1.
