April 27th, 1943 (TUESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: The "Ground Grocer" device, based in East Anglia, starts jamming the German early-warning system.Submarine HMS Utica laid down.
GERMANY: U-806 laid down.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: At 1426, U-371 attacked a small convoy consisting of Merope and the French SS Cevennes, escorted by ASW trawler HMS Rothesay about 10 miles ENE of Cape Bengut. The Merope was hit by a torpedo fired from a distance of 3000 meters, settled with a heavy list to port and sank in a short time. The master and nine men from the crew of 28 crewmembers and six British gunners were lost. The survivors were picked up by the other two ships of the convoy and landed at Algiers.
TUNISIA: Djebel Bou Aoukaz falls to British forces.
Capt. Lord Charles Anthony Napier Lyell (b.1913), Scots Guards, led a group which silenced two heavy guns before he was killed. (Victoria Cross)
INDIAN OCEAN: U-180 met the Japanese submarine I-29. Two Indian Nationalists transferred to the Japanese submarine, which continued on its way to Japan.
AUSTRALIA: Minesweeper HMAS Benalla commissioned.
CANADA:
Corvette HMCS North Bay launched Collingwood, Ontario.
Corvette HMCS Shediac arrived Liverpool , Nova Scotia for refit.
U.S.A.: Destroyer escort USS Barber laid down.
Destroyer escort USS Neunzer launched.
Submarine USS Puffer commissioned.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-174 sunk south of Newfoundland, in position 43.35N, 56.18W, by depth charges from a USN VP-125 Ventura. 53 dead (all hands lost).