MONDAY, 6 APRIL 1942
10th Air Force: Ten Pan American Airways DC-3s begin hauling 30,000 gallons of fuel and 500 gallons of lubricants from Calcutta to Asansol, completing the mission on the following day.
This fuel is subsequently transferred via Dinjan to China. The fuel is positioned to refuel
B-25 Mitchells from the "Doolittle Raid" led by Colonel James H Doolittle on April 18, 1942 after bombing Japan. The B-25s are already at sea aboard USS Hornet (CV-8).
5th Air Force: 11th Bombardment Squadron and 22d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment
Group (Heavy), begin a transfer without personnel and equipment to the US. They
will be established at Columbia AAB, South Carolina on April 26, the re-equipped
with B-25's and transfer to India during July 1942. B-26 from 19th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) first combat mission.
RAAF:
No. 2 Operational Training Unit (No. 2 OTU) was formed at Port Pirie Airfield in South Australia.
U.S. Army: During the night of April 6, 1942 to April 7, 1942 the Japanese break the Philippine
II Corps front on Bataan. II Corps counterattacks N toward reserve line in Sector D but meets enemy attack head on and falls back. On corps E flank, U.S. 31st Inf and 21st Div (PA), directed to drive N in region E of Mt Samat, are unable to reach line of departure. In center, Philippine 33d Inf, followed by 42d and 43d, endeavors to drive N between Catmon and western slopes of Mount Samat, but 33d is surrounded and presumed lost and units to rear are routed. Hq of Sector D and W flank troops are thus separated from rest of II Corps. On W, Philippine 41st Inf, followed by 45th, makes limited progress, but 45th is unable to overtake 41st and 41st becomes isolated. U.S. 31st Inf and bn of 57th Inf (PS) are assigned to Sector C, where line is withdrawn to San Vicente R. Japanese receive effective air and arty support throughout day.
In Australia, advance elements of the 41st Division (41st ID) arrive Melbourne including Headquarters, 163rd Infantry Regiment (163rd IR), 167th Field Artillery Battalion (167th FA Bn) and other units.
U.S. Navy: During the night, River gunboats USS Mindanao (PR-8) and USS Oahu (PR-6) engage Japanese landing barges, claiming the destruction of at least four in Manila Bay. During the engagement, Mindanao is damaged by return fire.
IJN: Japanese Operation C continues: Second Expeditionary Fleet, Malay Force under Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo raids Allied shipping off the east coast of India. Japanese Northern Group under Rear Admiral Kurita Takeo attacks Allied convoy; unarmed U.S. freighter Exmoor is sunk by gunfire of heavy cruisers Kumano and Suzuya, and destroyer Shirakumo, 19°53'N, 86°30'E (there are no casualties among the 37- man crew), as are British merchantmen Silksworth, Autolycus, Malda and Shinkuang. Southern Group (Captain Sakiyama Shakao), consisting of heavy cruisers Mogami and Mikuma and destroyer Amagiri, sink British merchantmen Dardanus, Gandara and Indora. Central Group, formed around carrier Ryujo, heavy cruiser Chokai, light cruiser Yura, and destroyers Yugiri and Asagiri, attacks shipping in a third area. After planes from carrier Ryujo attack unarmed U.S. freighter Bienville, heavy cruiser Chokai shells and sinks the American merchantman at 17°50'N, 84°50'E; Japanese gunfire renders all lifeboats useless and kills 19 of the 41-man crew. Five more crewmen die later of wounds suffered in the attack. Lost with the ship is its cargo of 500 monkeys (which are most likely earmarked for infantile paralysis research in the United States). Floatplanes from Chokai bomb unarmed U.S. freighter Selma City (17°40'N, 83°20'E) and British freighter Ganges, sinking both. Two men wounded by bomb fragments constitute the only casualties on board Selma City; her 29-man crew reaches Vizagapatam later the same day by boat. Yura and Yugiri, meanwhile, sink Dutch motorships Banjoewangi and Batavia, and British steamer Taksang. Planes from Ryujo bomb and sink British steamer Sinkiang, and Dutch motorship Van der Capellen (the latter sinks on 8 April) and, at Vizagapatam, bomb and damage British motorship Anglo Canadian.
Unarmed U.S. freighter Washingtonian, en route from Suez to Ceylon, is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-5 at 07°25'N, 73°05'E; all hands (39-man crew and two passengers) survive the attack and reach the Maldive Islands in less than a day's rowing.
A small Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) landing force from Truk occupies Lorengau on Manus in the Admiralty Island Group (Admiralty Islands).
