April 7th, 1942 (TUESDAY)
GERMANY: Three Catholic priests and Karl Friedrich Stellbrink, a protestant theologian and Evangelist minister in Lübeck, are arrested for anti-Nazi activities. Stellbrink will be executed on 10 November 1943 in Hamburg.
NORWAY: Oslo: In a mass demonstration of protest 654 of Norway's 699 Lutheran clergymen, resigned today, Easter Sunday, from their positions as civil servants employed by the Quisling ministry for church and education. They will continue to minister to their congregations "so far as this is possible ... in accordance with the Holy Scripture, the Creed and the Altar Book."
In a declaration read from pulpits throughout Norway, the clergy emphasized the supremacy of God rather than of political ideologies. They said they had acted "with a heavy heart" for the sake of the Christian life of the Norwegian people.
The resignations are reported to have shaken the puppet government, which has been trying to force government employees into a Nazi-style Labour Front. Quisling called a hasty meeting of ministers. Afterwards a spokesman said: "It is an act of revolt, a declaration of war." The leaders of the campaign would be punished, he said.
U.S.S.R.: Soviet Army troops force a very narrow corridor to Leningrad, opening a tenuous rail link to the city. Trains run into the city with desperately needed supplies and came out with civilians and the wounded, all under heavy artillery fire from the Germans.
The Soviet Navy lists submarine M-176 Northern Fleet Varangerfjord (lost off Norwegian coast, former M-93) (Mike Yared)
BURMA: IJA 18th Division arrives in Rangoon from Singapore.
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: On Bataan, the Japanese, attacking again in the II Corps area with air and artillery support, force the entire corps main line of resistance back to the Mamala River line; this line, too, becomes untenable, and Americans and Filipinos withdraw under cover of darkness, during the night of the 7th/8th, to the Alangan River. The 26th Cavalry, Philippine Scouts, released to the II Corps from the I Corps reserve, establishes a holding position while the line is formed along the Mamala River. Meanwhile, attempts by Philippine Division units to form a continuous line prove futile. Philippine Constabulary regiments defending the beaches are ordered into the battle line. The I Corps is directed to withdraw southward to the Binuangan River line. (John Nicholas and Jack McKillop)
The remaining USAAF P-40 fighters on Bataan are ordered flown to Mindanao Island. During the next three days, the P-40s will fly reconnaissance, cover heavy bombers sent to Mindanao from Australia operating against concentrations at Legaspi, Cebu, Iloilo, and Davao, and carry out a strafing attack aircraft at Davao. After the heavy bombers return to Australia on 12 April, the fighters will continue to fly reconnaissance until Japanese forces envelop the troops on Mindanao on 1 May.
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: By proclamation, the 263 Japanese-Americans living in the territory are notified that they may be relocated to the continental U.S.
U.S.A.: The War Department officially states that the 8th Air Force will be established in the UK as an intermediate command between US Army Forces in British Isles (USAFBI) and the AAF commands. General George C Marshall notifies Major General James E Chaney, Commanding General of USAFBI, of this decision.