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• USS Franklin crossed the International Date Line. ww2dbase [Franklin | CPC]
• USS Cassin Young supported the invasion of Okinawa, Japan. ww2dbase [Cassin Young | CPC]
• British Sub Lieutenant R. H. Reynolds's Seafire carrier fighter shot down two A6M5 Zero fighters; these were the first Seafire fighter victories against Zero fighters. ww2dbase [Spitfire | CPC]
• US Tenth Army invaded Okinawa, Japan. Japanese aircraft launched a massive counter-attack, damaging USS West Virginia, USS Tennessee, and HMS Indefatigable, among others. ww2dbase [Okinawa Campaign | TH]
• US First and Ninth Armies complete the encirclement of the Ruhr industrial area at Lippstadt, cutting off the 21 divisions (about 500,000 men) of the German Army Group B. ww2dbase [Fall of the Ruhr | AC]
• US First Army captured Paderborn and Hamm, Germany. ww2dbase [Crossing the Rhine | TH]
• Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front captured Wiener Neustadt, occupied Austria. ww2dbase [Battle of Vienna | TH]
• American prisoners of war held at Ziegenhain, Germany were liberated by troops of the US 455th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. ww2dbase [CPC]
• US 158th Regimental Combat Team landed near Legaspi, Luzon, Philippine Islands. ww2dbase [Philippines Campaign, Phase 2 | CPC]
• Soviet artillery began a 6-day artillery bombardment against Königsberg, East Prussia, Germany. ww2dbase [East Prussian Offensive | CPC]
• Allied troops captured Doetinchem, Borculo, Eibergen, and Enschede in the Netherlands. ww2dbase [CPC]
• An Ohka special attack mission was launched and damaged USS West Virginia off Okinawa, Japan; on the same day, a cache of 15 Ohka aircraft was captured by the United States Marines on Okinawa, who nicknamed them baka, Japanese for "fool", as the discovery was made on April Fool's Day. ww2dbase [MXY7 Ohka | CPC]
• USS Missouri covered the landings at Okinawa, Japan. ww2dbase [Missouri | CPC]

• The 11,000-ton Japanese liner Awa Maru, given safe passage by the Americans because she had revealed that she was carrying Red Cross parcels and other aid to Allied POWs, was torpedoed and sunk by American submarine USS Queenfish in the Taiwan Strait just off the coast of Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China after a breakdown in communications. Of the estimated 2,500 people on board, many of them skilled Japanese technicians, only one survived. For the only time in the war, the US Government acknowledged responsibility for wrongfully sinking an enemy ship and promised compensation after the war. Queenfish's commanding officer was court martialled for negligence, but was later exonerated based on the fact that Awa Maru was later discovered to be smuggling rubber and other war materials. ww2dbase [Queenfish | Awa Maru | Fuzhou, Fujian | AC]

• M612 was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [M612 | CPC]

• British troops commenced Operation Roast across Lake Comacchio in northern Italy. ww2dbase [Operation Grapeshot and Operation Roast | Comacchio, Emilia-Romagna | CPC]

• USS Tirante attacked a Japanese landing ship with three torpedoes, but all missed. ww2dbase [Tirante | CPC]
• Light carrier Ryuho entered the drydocks at Kure, Japan for repairs; the repair would be halted shortly after as the damage was judged to be too extensive. ww2dbase [Ryuho | Kure Naval Arsenal | Kure, Hiroshima | CPC]
• Crown Prince Yi Un was made a member of the Supreme War Council of Japan. ww2dbase [Yi Un | CPC]
• USS Luce patrolled waters off Okinawa, Japan. ww2dbase [Luce | Okinawa | CPC]
• USS Yorktown (Essex-class) began several days of direct support missions for the troops landing on Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands. About every three days, USS Yorktown (Essex-class) retired east for refueling, rearming, and re-provisioning. ww2dbase [Yorktown (Essex-class) | Okinawa Campaign | Okinawa | DS]
• Landing ship No. 173 was completed. ww2dbase [No. 101/103-class | CPC]
• The Japanese government imposed drastic increases on public utility rates. Postage, for example, increased from 3 sen to 5 sen for postcards and from 7 sen to 10 sen for letters. Third-class train fare increased by about 30%, second-class increased to equal three times third-class fare, and first-class increased to equal six times third-class fare. ww2dbase [CPC]
• USS Kimberly departed Okinawa, Japan. ww2dbase [Okinawa Campaign | Kimberly | Okinawa | CPC]
• Casablanca-class escort carrier USS Steamer Bay and her task group arrived in their operating area southeast of Okinawa and began support operations. ww2dbase [Okinawa Campaign | Steamer Bay | Okinawa | DS]
• As the landings began on Okinawa, aircraft from escort carrier USS Sargent Bay resumed their close air support missions supporting the ground forces. ww2dbase [Sargent Bay | Okinawa Campaign | Okinawa | DS]

• RAF Takali on Malta was transferred from the Royal Air Force to the Fleet Air Arm and was renamed HMS Goldfinch. ww2dbase [RAF Takali | Ta' Qali | CPC]

• USS Tunny completed her lifeguard duties off Okinawa, Japan and set sail for US Territory of Hawaii via Midway Atoll. ww2dbase [Tunny | CPC]

• Destroyer USS Shaw departed San Pedro Bay, Leyte bound for Cebu. ww2dbase [Shaw | San Pedro Bay, Leyte | DS]
• USS Bailey covered the morning Army landings at Legaspi, Albay Gulf, Luzon. Bailey departed during the evening bound for Subic Bay, Luzon, Philippines. ww2dbase [Bailey | Legaspi, Luzon | DS]

• Kamoi arrived at Singapore and was tied to quay No. 12. ww2dbase [Kamoi | Singapore | CPC]

• B-24 bombers of 43rd Bomb Group (H) of US 5th Army Air Force attacked Giran Airfield in northern Taiwan. ww2dbase [Giran Airfield | Giran, Taihoku | CPC]
• B-25 bombers of US 38th Bombardment Group attacked Karenko Airfield, Taiwan. ww2dbase [Karenko Airfield | Karenko | CPC]

• Allied convoy RA-65 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | Loch Ewe, Scotland | CPC]

1 Apr 1945 Interactive Map