Historical Events in April 1942

Apr 2 USS Hornet with Jimmy Doolittles B-25 departs from San Francisco

Apr 2 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Dorothy Kirby retains title by 5 strokes ahead of Eileen Stulb

Apr 8 Arnold Schoenberg & Tudor's ballet "Pillar of Fire" premieres in NYC

Apr 9 Battle of Bataan; US-Filipino forces overwhelmed by Japanese at Bataan
Apr 9 Alexander Gretchaninov's 4th Symphony premieres at Carnegie Hall, NYC, with John Barbirolli conducting the New York Philharmonic
Apr 10 Cigarettes & candy rationed in Holland
Apr 11 US Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal established
Apr 12 Japan kills about 400 Filipino officers in Bataan

Apr 13 9th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Byron Nelson wins an 18-hole playoff by 1 stroke over runner-up Ben Hogan

Apr 15 George VI awards George Cross to people of Malta

Apr 16 Japanese occupying army on Java installs film censorship
Apr 17 12 Lancasters bomb MAN factory in Augsburg
Apr 17 Operations begin to destroy Sobibor Concentration Camp
Apr 17 POW French General Henri Giraud escapes from his castle prison in Festung Königstein
Apr 18 "Stars & Stripes" paper for US armed forces starts
Apr 18 James Doolittle bombs Tokyo & other Japanese cities
Apr 18 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Toronto Maple Leafs beat Detroit Red Wings, 3-1 for a 4-3 series win; Toronto recovers after losing first 3 games
Apr 20 46th Boston Marathon won by Joe Smith in 2:26:51.2
Apr 20 German occupiers forbids Dutch access to their beach
Apr 23 4-day allied bombing on Rostock begins
Apr 23 1st night Exeter bombed by German Luftwaffe
Apr 24 2nd night Exeter bombed by German Luftwaffe
Apr 25 Beginning of a 3 night bombing blitz on Bath by German Luftwaffe - 417 killed
Apr 26 Coal mine explosion kills 1,549 at Honkeiko, Manchuria
Apr 27 Belgian Jews are forced to wear stars
Apr 27 Tornado destroys Pryor, Oklahoma, killing 100, injuring 300
Apr 28 German Luftwaffe estimated to have flown over 11 thousand sorties against Malta since 20th March
Apr 28 "WW II" titled so, as result of Gallup Poll
Apr 28 Nightly "dim-out" begins along US East Coast
Apr 29 Japanese troop march into Lashio, cutting off Burma Road
Apr 29 Jews forced to wear a Jewish Star in Netherlands & Vichy-France
Apr 30 1st submarine built on Great Lakes launched, (Peto), Manitowoc, Wisconsin