April 2, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 2 APRIL 1942

Burma: Burma I Corps withdraws from Prome.

10th Air Force: In the early evening,  a B-17 mission scheduled against the Rangoon area is aborted when B-17E pilot Parsel crashed on take off and another B-17s mechanical trouble, and the entire mission was aborted.

During the night of April 2, three B-17s led by Major General Lewis H. Brereton, Commanding Office (C.O.) 10th Air Force (10th AF) bomb Japanese shipping off Andaman Islands. They claim hits on a cruiser and a transport; two B-17's are damaged by AA and fighters, but all return safely.

U.S. Navy: USS Enterprise (CV-6) off Oahu launches nine SBD Dauntless on a training mission. During a side over maneuver, SBD Dauntless 2136 (pilot rescued, passenger missing) collides with SBD Dauntless 2165 (pilot rescued, passenger missing).

USMC: The first flight echelon of Marine Aircraft Group 13 (MAG-13) arrives at Tutuila and assumed the air defense of American Samoa.