World War II As It Happened
A MaritimeQuest Daily Event Special Presentation
Friday, April 3, 1942
(Good Friday)
Day 946

April 3, 1942: Front page of the Press and Journal, Aberdeen, Scotland.
(Click on the image for a readable version.)
 
Note the report in column 5: "Toll of U-Boats - Three More Sunk"
(The report claims that U.S. Naval forces recently sank another three German submarines, bringing the total number of German U-boats sunk by the U.S. to twenty-one. This was the propaganda released by the U.S. Navy, the reality was quite different. To date, only two U-boats had been sunk by U.S. Naval forces, neither of them by a warship or off the U.S. east coast. The first U-Boat sunk by U.S. forces was U-656, which was sunk on Mar. 1, 1942 by a Lockheed Hudson flown by Ens. William Tepuni, USNR of VP-82. This was off Newfoundland. A second, U-503, was sunk off Newfoundland, also by an aircraft of VP-82, on Mar. 15th. The first U-boat sunk off the U.S. east coast was U-85, which was sunk by USS Roper DD-147 on Apr. 14, 1942.)


April 3, 1942: Front page of the Evening Telegraph and Post, Dundee, Scotland.
(Click on the image for a readable version.)
 
Note the report in column 4: "H.M.S. Heythrop Sunk"
(HMS Heythrop was sunk on Mar. 20, by U-652, fifteen men were lost in the ship.)


April 3, 1942: Front page of The Winnipeg Tribune, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
(Click on the image for a readable version.)
 
Note the photo report at bottom right: "Life Begins At Sea"
(Mrs. Desanka Mohorovicic, wife of an attaché to the Yugoslav consulate in New York, was a passenger on the 8,272-ton passenger/cargo ship City of New York, which was sunk by U-160 on Mar. 29. The survivors were picked up the following day by USS Roper DD-147. The baby boy was named Jesse Roper Mohorovicic in honor of the rescue ship's namesake.)


April 3, 1942: Front page of the Biddeford Daily Journal, Biddeford, Maine.
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April 3, 1942: Front page of The Evening Star, Washington, D.C.
(Click on the image for a readable version.)
 
Note the report in columns 5-6: "U.S. Prisoners Well Treated By Japanese, Says Red Cross"
(The reality for those in Japanese custody was much different.)


April 3, 1942: Front page of The Evening Gazette, Xenia, Ohio.
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April 3, 1942: Front page of The Port Arthur News, Port Arthur, Texas.
(Click on the image for a readable version.)
 
Note the headline and the report in column 7: "Subs Sink 3 U.S. Vessels - 2 Barges Also Sent To Bottom By Raiders"
(The first ship mentioned was the 5,104-ton freighter Mary, which was sunk on Mar. 3 by U-129. The only casualty was Able Seaman Robert S. Hart. The unnamed tug was the 441-ton Menominee, which was sunk on Mar. 31st, along with the barges Allegheny and Barnegat by U-754. Sixteen men were lost with the ship. I have not been able to identify the third ship.)


April 3, 1942: Front page of the Tucson Daily Citizen, Tucson, Arizona.
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April 3, 1942: Front page of The Southern Jewish Weekly, Jacksonville, Florida.
(Click on the image for a readable version.)
 
Note the report in column 2: "Japs Persecute Jews In Java And Shanghai"
Also note the report in column 4: Two Sole Struma Survivors Granted Palestine Entry"


April 3, 1942: Front page of The Bakersfield Californian, Bakersfield, California.
(Click on the image for a readable version.)


April 3, 1942: Front page of the Völkischer Beobachter, the official newspaper of the NSDAP.
(Click on the image for a readable version.)
1. Der feindliche Schiffsraum schmilzt unaufhaltsam - Im März 646.900 BRT. versenkt - Im Jänner 400.600 - Im Februar 525.400 BRT.
(Enemy shipping is melting inexorably - In March 646,900 GRT. sunk - January 400,600 - February 525,400 GRT.)



   
Page published April 3, 2023