President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt dies
suddenly at Warm Springs, Georgia. Vice President Harry S.
Truman becomes the 33rd President.
Eighth Air Force. 2 United States Army Air Force (USAAF) fighters
groups escort medium bombers of Ninth Air Force in attack
on ordnance depot.
Ninth Air Force. 167 United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
medium bombers and light bombers attack Hof rail bridge, Kempten
ordnance depot, and Goppingen marshalling yard, plus a town
area and a casual target. Over 275 planes abort because of
weather. Fighters escort 9th Bomber Division, attack town
of Kothen, fly armed reconnaissance and sweeps over wide areas
of Germany and support ground forces. Fighters also support
United States III, XVI, and XVIII Corps as they continue to
reduce the Ruhr pocket, 9th Armoured Division on Saale River
near Werben and Bad Lauchstadt, XX Corps from Saale River
North and South of Jena East across the Weisse Elster River,
VIII Corps along the Saale further South of Jena, XII Corps
Southeast of Coburg on Hasslach River, 2d Armoured Division
across the Elbe River near Randau South of Magdeburg, 5th
Armoured Division on West bank of the Elbe River at Wittenberge,
and XVI Corps as it continues fighting in Duisburg and Dortmund
areas.
Twelfth Air Force. United States Army Air Force (USAAF) light
bombers, during
11-12
April 1945, hit Po River crossings, medium bombers, restricted
by low clouds, bomb approaches to Maribor bridge, hit targets
along Brenner rail line, and support British Eighth Army in
Argenta area. Fighter-bombers attack Northeast Italian railroad
lines, including fuel dumps and command targets in Po Valley.
Fifteenth Air Force. 400 United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
heavy bombers hit command in North Italy and South Austria,
attacking railroad bridges at Padua, Ponte di Piave, Nervesa
della Bataglia, and Sankt Veit an der Glan, ammunition dump
at Malcontenta, and supply dump at Peschiera del Garda. 124
P-51 Mustang fighter-bombers provide escort. 123 P-38 Lightning
fighters bomb railroad bridges at Unzmarkt and Arnoldstein.
128 B-24 Liberator heavy bombers, with P-51 Mustang fighter-bombers
escort, sent against North Italian command abort due to bad
weather. 38 P-51 Mustang fighter-bombers escort Mediterranean
Allied Tactical Air Force (MATAF) B-25 Mitchell medium bombers
on raids in North Yugoslavia.
Tenth Air Force. 75 United States Army Air Force (USAAF) fighter-bombers
continue to pound targets in Central Burma battle area. Troop
concentrations, gun positions, supplies, vehicles, and general
targets are attacked along battlefront, behind enemy lines,
and along roads South of bomb line. 369 air supply sorties
are flown throughout the day.
Fourteenth Air Force. 12 United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
B-24 Liberator heavy bombers supported by 14 P-51 Mustang
fighter-bombers, bomb Wuchang railroad yards and airfield.
7 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers bomb Hsuchang railroad yards,
3 hit Loning, 2 attack Likuanchiao, 2 bomb Tenghsien, and
single B-25 Mitchell medium bombers attack storage areas at
Pingyao and Huaiching. 100 fighter-bombers attack troops,
horses, bridges, river shipping, trucks, and railroad targets
at several locations in Indochina and at points scattered
over South and East China.
Far East Air Force (FEAF). United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
P-38 Lightning fighters and A-20 Havoc light bombers support
ground troops on Cebu and Negros. B-24 Liberator heavy bombers
bomb Sapakan, Kabacan, and Davao Bay areas. P-38 Lightning
fighters hit Cotabato and also Kabacan. Other B-24 Liberator
heavy bombers, B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, A-20 Havoc light
bombers, and fighter-bombers pound targets throughout Cagayan
Valley, blast defences at Balete Pass and in Baguio area,
and hit troops, command targets, and defences at numerous
points in South West and Southeast Luzon. B-24 Liberator heavy
bombers attack Tainan and bomb Okayama airfield.
Twentieth Air Force. 94 United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
B-29 Superfortress heavy bomber's strike Nakajima aircraft
factory at Tokyo while 11 hit secondary target of Shizuoka
engine plant. Very heavy bomber gunners claim 16 fighters
downed. 130 other B-29 Superfortress heavy bomber's bomb 2
chemical p]ants at Koriyama. 32 more very heavy bombers hit
various targets. During 12-
13
April 1945, 5 B-29 Superfortress heavy bomber's mine Shimonoseki
Strait. Fighters from VII Fighter Command escorting the daylight
operations over Tokyo area claim 15 aircraft downed.
Seventh Air Force. 24 United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
B-24 Liberator heavy bombers, based on Angaur hit personnel
area at Kabacan. During 12-
13
April 1945, 6 Iwo based fighters, operating singly at intervals,
bomb and strafe targets at Kita, Chichi, Haha, and Ani Jima.
Eleventh Air Force. United States Army Air Force (USAAF) P-38
Lightning fighters shoot down paper bomb balloons over Attu.
Go To: 13th
April
Articles:
The Second Great War.
Edited by Sir John Hamilton
The War Illustrated.
Edited by Sir John Hamilton
2194 Days Of War.
ISBN-10: 086136614X
For a complete list of
sources
