No Foolin', 75 Yrs. Ago

APRIL

• SAT 1 APR 1944
  Pacific
  TU 57.10.9, composed of destroyer escort Sanders (DE-40), tank landing ship LST-127, and infantry landing craft LCI-346 and LCI-449 occupies Ailuk Atoll, Marshalls. The landing is unopposed. [Nice work if you can get it. — M.B.]
  
  Submarine Flying Fish (SS-229) sinks Japanese cargo ship Minami Maru at Kaito Daito Jima, 25°57'N, 131°19'E.
  
  Japanese minelayer Nasami sinks as the result of damage suffered off Rabaul, New Britain, on 30 March.
  
  Mediterranean
  Convoy UGS 36 is attacked by German torpedo bombers off Algiers; tank landing ship LST-526 is damaged when low- flying enemy plane knocks off radio antenna. ["Low- flying" is rather an understatement. — M.B.]
  
  U.S. freighter Jared Ingersoll is torpedoed; destroyer escort Mills (DE-383) and British tug Mindful rescue the crew (including the 29-man Armed Guard) from the sinking ship. After one attempt to quell the fires consuming the ship fails, Mills places a firefighting party on board which succeeds in its attempt; the destroyer escort then assists in towing Jared Ingersoll out of danger. Beached off Algiers, the freighter is subsequently returned to service.