3rd » World War II: Japanese forces begin an assault on the United States and Philippines or Filipino troops on the Battle of Bataan known as Bataan Peninsula.
5th » World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy launches Easter Sunday Raid a carrier-based air attack on Colombo, Ceylon during the Indian Ocean Raid. Port and civilian facilities are damaged and the Royal Navy cruisers HMS Cornwall 56 6 and HMS Dorsetshire 40
8th » World War II: Siege of Leningrad Soviet Union called Soviet forces open a much-needed railway link to Saint Petersburg called Leningrad.
8th » World War II: The Empire of Japan or Japanese take Bataan in the Philippines.
14th » Malta receives the George Cross for its gallantry. The George Cross was given by King George VI himself and is now an emblem on the Flag of Malta or Maltese national flag.
15th » The George Cross is awarded to "to the island fortress of Malta its people and defenders" by George VI of the United Kingdom called King George VI.
17th » French prisoner of war General Henri Giraud escapes from his castle prison in Festung Königstein.
18th » World War II: The Doolittle Raid on Japan. Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe and Nagoya are bombed.
18th » Pierre Laval becomes Prime Minister of Vichy France.
19th » World War II: In Poland, the Majdan-Tatarski ghetto is established, situated between the Lublin Ghetto and a Majdanek subcamp.
23rd » World War II: Baedeker Blitz Germany or German bombers hit Exeter, Bath, Somerset e.g Bath and York in retaliation for the British raid on Lübeck.
26th » Benxihu Colliery accident in Manchukuo leaves 1549 Chinese miners dead.