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Vincennes (CA 44) arrives at Simonstown, South Africa (see 30 March).

      Coast Guard receives report that crew of Italian motor tanker Villarperosa, interned at Wilmington, North Carolina, is sabotaging the ship. The Coast Guard investigates reports that the crews of Italian and German vessels in American ports had received orders to “sabotage and disable” them (see 30 March).

      30 Sunday

      ATLANTIC. Heavy cruiser Vincennes (CA 44) departs Simonstown, South Africa, for New York, with a cargo of gold for deposit in the United States (see 16 April).

      UNITED STATES. As the result of Coast Guard investigation of report that crew of Italian motor tanker Villarperosa was sabotaging its ship, United States takes protective custody of two German, 26 Italian, and 35 Danish ships in American ports; Coast Guardsmen take over the vessels. Executive order consequently imprisons 850 Italian and 63 German officers and men.

      PACIFIC. Element of the First Defense Battalion (5-inch artillery, Detachment “A”) arrives at Palmyra Island in stores issue ship Antares (AKS 3) to begin construction of defenses.

      Elements of the First Defense Battalion (5-inch artillery, Detachment “B,” and Machine Gun Battery, Detachment “A”) arrive at Johnston Island in high-speed minesweeper Boggs (DMS 3) to begin construction of defenses.

      31 Monday

      ATLANTIC. South Greenland Survey Expedition, in Coast Guard cutter Cayuga, arrives at Godthaab, Greenland.

      APRIL

      1 Tuesday

      PACIFIC. Heavy cruisers Chicago (CA 29) (Rear Admiral John H. Newton, Commander Cruisers Scouting Force) and Portland (CA 33) and destroyers Clark (DD 361), Conyngham (DD 371), Reid (DD 369), Cassin (DD 372), and Downes (DD 375) arrive at Suva, Fiji Islands (see 3 April).

      ANTARCTIC. Interior Department motorship North Star and auxiliary Bear (AG 29) of the U.S. Antarctic Service, depart Punta Arenas, Chile; the former will proceed back to the United States via the west coast of South America, the latter via the east coast (see 5 May and 18 May, respectively).

      3 Thursday

      PACIFIC. Heavy cruisers Chicago (CA 29) and Portland (CA 33) and destroyers Clark (DD 361), Conyngham (DD 371), Reid (DD 369), Cassin (DD 372), and Downes (DD 375) depart Suva, Fiji Islands, for Pearl Harbor (see 10 April).

      6 Sunday

      EUROPE. German troops invade Yugoslavia and Greece; Italy declares war on Yugoslavia.

      7 Monday

      ATLANTIC. Naval Operating Base, Bermuda, is established, Captain Jules James in command.

      9 Wednesday

      ATLANTIC. Battleship North Carolina (BB 55) is commissioned at New York Navy Yard, the first new U.S. Navy battleship to enter the fleet since West Virginia (BB 48) was commissioned in 1923.

      Secretary of State Cordell Hull and Danish Minister to the United States Henrik de Kauffman sign Agreement Relating to the Defense of Greenland.

      10 Thursday

      ATLANTIC. President Roosevelt, equating the defense of the United Kingdom to the defense of the United States, authorizes, under Lend-Lease, the transfer of 10 Lake-class Coast Guard cutters to the Royal Navy. Coast Guardsmen will train the British crews in the waters of Long Island Sound (see 30 April, and, 2, 12, 20, and 30 May).

      PACIFIC. Heavy cruisers Chicago (CA 29) and Portland (CA 33) and destroyers Clark (DD 361), Conyngham (DD 371), Reid (DD 369), Cassin (DD 372), and Downes (DD 375) arrive at Pearl Harbor, thus winding up the Australia–New Zealand goodwill cruise.

      11 Friday

      UNITED STATES. President proclaims that the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are no longer combat areas and are open to U.S. shipping.

      ATLANTIC. Destroyer Niblack (DD 424), while rescuing survivors of Dutch freighter Saleier (torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U 52 the day before at 58°04′N, 30°48′W, after the dispersal of convoy OB 306) depth charges what she believes to be a German U-boat off Iceland. A thorough investigation by the German navy, however, will conclude that none of their submarines are in the vicinity at the time of Niblack’s attack. The U.S. Navy’s conclusion is that Niblack depth charged a false contact.

      Officers and men salute the colors during the commissioning of new battleship North Carolina (BB 55), New York Navy Yard, 9 April 1941. (NHC, NH 44719)

      13 Sunday

      GENERAL. Soviet-Japanese Non-Aggression Pact is signed.

      15 Tuesday

      UNITED STATES. President Roosevelt signs executive order allowing Navy, Marine Corps, and Army Air Corps individuals to sign contracts with the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO) in China for one year, after which time the men can rejoin their respective services with no loss in rank. This is the first step toward forming the American Volunteer Group (AVG), which will become known as the “Flying Tigers.” Over half of the pilots in the AVG will be from the Navy and Marine Corps.

      16 Wednesday

      ATLANTIC. Heavy cruiser Vincennes (CA 44) arrives at New York, having transported gold from Simonstown, South Africa.

      17 Thursday

      EUROPE. Yugoslavia capitulates to Axis.

      ATLANTIC. Egyptian steamship Zamzam is shelled and sunk by German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis (Schiffe 16) in South Atlantic; 138 Americans (including 21 ambulance drivers) are among rescued passengers. Even U.S. citizens traveling in ostensibly neutral ships find themselves at risk.²⁶

      21 Monday

      ATLANTIC. Battleship Arizona (BB 39) and destroyer Davis (DD 395) collide while fueling during exercises in Hawaiian Operating Area.

      22 Tuesday

      UNITED STATES. Authorized enlisted strength of regular navy is increased to 232,000.

      23 Wednesday

      MEDITERRANEAN. Greece signs armistice with Germany.

      24 Thursday

      ATLANTIC. Neutrality Patrol is extended east to 26°W.

      25 Friday

      ATLANTIC. Coast Guard cutter Ingham relieves sister ship Campbell at Lisbon, Portugal.

      26 Saturday

      ATLANTIC. Neutrality Patrol is ordered extended southward to 20°S. Accordingly, carrier task group patrols are inaugurated this date when carrier Wasp (CV 7) (embarked squadrons: VF 72, VS 71, and VS 72) departs Hampton Roads, Virginia, with heavy cruiser Quincy (CA 39) and destroyers Livermore (DD 429) and Kearny (DD 432). TG 2, as the force is designated, will steam 5,292 miles before it arrives at Bermuda on 12 May.

      27 Sunday

      PACIFIC. American-Dutch-British Conference at Singapore ends, having reached agreement on combined operating plan of local defense forces in the event of war with Japan; Captain William R. Purnell, Chief of Staff to Admiral Thomas C. Hart, Commander in Chief Asiatic Fleet, is senior U.S. representative.

      30 Wednesday

      ATLANTIC. First four Lake-class Coast Guard cutters are turned over to the Royal Navy. Pontchartrain becomes HMS Hartland, Tahoe becomes HMS Fishguard, Mendota becomes HMS Culver, and Itasca becomes HMS Gorleston (see 2, 12, 20, and 30 May).

      MAY

      1 Thursday

      UNITED STATES. Office of Public

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