22 April 1942

FRANCE: The British win a small victory with a commando raid on Boulogne, a port on the English Channel. The commandos suffer few casualties during a two-hour action.

GERMANY: The then Head of the Hamburg Gestapo Regional Headquarters, Oberregierungsrat SS-Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel) Heinrich Seetzen was instructed, in a letter from Adolf Eichmann">Eichmann to start the "Durchführung der Endlösung der Judenfrage" ("implementation of the Final Solution to the Jewish Problem"). (Russell Folsom) LINK)

Hitler comments: It is reported that the Metropolitan Opera House in New York is to be closed; but the reasons given for its closing are certainly false. The Americans do not lack money; what they lack is the artists required to maintain the activities of the greatest of their lyrical theatres. One requires but little knowledge to know that the most famous operas are all of either German, Italian or French origin, and that among the artists who perform them the Germans and the Italians are the most celebrated. Deprived of the services of the artists from these two countries, the management has preferred to close its doors rather than expose the inadequacy of American artists. Our newspapers must not miss this opportunity! Copious comment should be made on this illuminating pointer to the cultural standard of the United States. (207)

A spokesman for the Met says it was open through the war, when American opera stars rose in international stature.

U-259 had a collision with the fishing boat PG 556 - Weser off Kiel but suffered no damage.

U-354 commissioned.

U-383 launched.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: At 0445, U-81 shelled and sank two sailing vessels off Palestine. One was the El Saadiah and the other was unidentified.

BURMA: The British 7th Armoured Brigade and the Chinese 200th Division, retreat to take up positions around Meiktila and Taunggyi. Another unit, not following orders from General Stillwell, endangers this position.

The Japanese 15th Army pursues British Empire forces to within 150 miles (241 km) of Mandalay. In eastern Burma, a Japanese armoured column has bypassed the defences of Lt. Gen. Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell's Chinese army and is rushing toward Lashio, the eastern terminus of the Burma Road.

10th Air Force aircraft begin to evacuate military and civilian personnel and supplies from Burma to India. By 15 June the 10th Air Force has evacuated 4,499 passengers and 1,733,026 pounds (786 095 kg) of freight.

NEW ZEALAND: A joint US-New Zealand Naval Command is ordered established under Vice Admiral Robert L Ghormley, USN. It is to operate separately but in close liaison with General Douglas MacArthur and Vice Admiral Herbert F. Leary in Australia.

U.S.A.: The motion picture "Saboteur" premiers in Washington, D.C. This offbeat espionage thriller, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, stars Robert Cummings, Priscilla Lane and Otto Kruger. Cummings, a California aircraft worker, is accused of sabotage and chases the real saboteur across the country and confronts him on top of the Statue of Liberty in New York harbour.

The Office of Price Administration (OPA) announces that motorists in 17 eastern states will be allowed to purchase no more than 21.4 US gallons (17.8 Imperial gallons or 81 litres) of gasoline per week beginning 15 May.

Police and Federal agents raid Hitler birthday parties in Union City, Hoboken and 50 other New Jersey gatherings.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0905, the unescorted Derryheen was torpedoed and sunk by U-201 SE of Cape Hatteras. The master, 41 crewmembers, eight gunners and the passenger were picked up by the British-flagged Lobos and landed at Havana.

At 0329, the unescorted and unarmed San Jacinto was hit on the port side by one torpedo from U-201 about 375 miles SE of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The surfaced U-boat had been spotted only 300 feet off the port beam just before the torpedo struck slightly aft of amidships in the #5 hold near the waterline. The explosion blast vented upwards, tore up the deck and demolished the staterooms, recreation halls, radio room and the boat deck. The damaged engines were stopped and the ship lost all power. After the survivors of the eight officers, 71 crewmen and 104 passengers on board abandoned ship in six lifeboats and several rafts quickly and in good order, the U-boat fired 79 rounds from the deck gun at the vessel, which caught fire and sank after three hours. The master, four crewmen and nine passengers were lost. The survivors (among them 32 women and children) tied together the boats and rafts and waited until dawn to sent a distress signal from a portable radio transmitter in one of the boats because they feared an attack by the U-boat. They were picked up the same day by USS Rowan and landed at Norfolk on 24 April.