29 April 1944

UNITED KINGDOM: Hal Turell completes his 30th mission by flying to Berlin. Thirty out, thirty back. Hooray! (Hal Turell)

Slapton Sands, Devon: At least 638 American soldiers and sailors were killed when an "Overlord" training exercise codenames "Tiger" was attacked in the Channel by E-boats (German motor torpedo boats) in darkness. Some who took part in the exercise believe the death toll to be much higher because of a communications mix-up which also led to the men being shelled by their own warships on the beaches of Slapton Sands.

E-boats from Cherbourg slipped past patrolling British MTBs during the night of 27-28 April, sank LST (landing ship tank) 507 and LST 531, and torpedoed LST 289. Senior commanders were dismayed to learn that among the missing were ten men who had top-secret information about Overlord. All ten bodies have been recovered.

Some men involved in "Tiger" claim that some landing craft were not told of a one-hour postponement of the exercise and that men began going ashore while the naval bombardment continued.

Whilst pursuing German Elbing class torpedo boats T.27 and T.28 which were based at St.Malo, Tribal class destroyer HMS Athabaskan is struck aft by a torpedo which starts a fire and brings her to a standstill. Ten minutes later she exploded either due to a second torpedo hit or a magazine explosion. T.27 is driven aground by HMS Haida, and then returns to the site of the sinking to find about 100 of Athabaskan’s crew in the water. Haida’s motorboat and a number of floats are left to aid the survivors, and then Haida heads for Devonport which is 100 miles away. Haida’s motorboat loaded with survivors heads north and is chased by three German minesweepers before being escorted by a couple of Spitfires. Later the motorboat is met by a motor launch which took off the crew and survivors. (Alex Gordon)(108)

U-2325 laid down.

U-806, U-901, U-1056 commissioned.

U-1132 launched.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: U-421 sunk at 1200 in the Mediterranean near Toulon, France, in position 43.07N, 05.55E, by US bombs.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: The Coast Guard-manned Army vessel FS-367 was commissioned April 29, 1944, with LTJG R.H. Greenless, USCGR, as commanding officer. She reached her final destination in the Philippines on 30 December 1944. In Operation L-3, near San Jose, Mindoro Island, Philippines, she anchored 500 yards off Bulong Point midway between Blue and White beaches. The USS Mariposa, Navy X-126, Liberty-type, converted oil tanker, dropped anchor about 300 yards away and some 800 yards from shore. At 1530 Japanese planes, in a sudden and devastating attack of shipping in the harbour sunk or damaged 24 ships. One crashed the USS Arturus, a PT-boat tender, which sank almost immediately. A second made a low level strafing and bombing attack on a group of LSTs unloading at White Beach blowing the stern off one of them and than turned on the Mariposa, into which it crash dived. The tanker immediately burst into flames and a number of the crew either were blown or jumped into the water. The FS- 367 went to her assistance. At the same time a third Japanese plane made a low-level attack on the destroyers outside the harbour, straddling two destroyers with bombs and finally crashing into the USS Ganesvoort, which immediately began to burn and settle in the water, being assisted by two other destroyers, in a sinking condition. Proceeding to assist the Mariposa, the FS-367 took several men aboard with her boarding net and James D. Ellis sighting a man struggling in the water and calling for help, dove into the water and supported him until both were picked up by an LSM. The FS-367 stayed alongside the Mariposa until all survivors had been taken off. About 1900 the FS-367 withdrew out of the line of fire of guns that were about to shell the Mariposa. Later, this was cancelled and the Ganesvoort launched 2 torpedoes into her. Immediately thereafter a great amount of burning gasoline spread over the bay making the FS-367's anchorage unsafe. As she was preparing to move, the Ganesvoort requested she come alongside and take off her crew. By the time she had reached the destroyer, however, the gasoline had spread so widely that the Ganesvoort was in immediate danger of being engulfed. The FS-367, instead of stopping to take off personnel, warped alongside the destroyer and began towing her to a safe anchorage. While so occupied another alert sounded and a Japanese plane was shot down immediately overhead. The FS-367 finally got the Ganesvoort to safety several hundred yards off White Beach. The next day the Ganesvoort was abandoned by her crew in a sinking condition. No casualties ware suffered by the FS-367. She was decommissioned 24 September 1945.

PACIFIC OCEAN: The captured airfields at Hollandia and Aitape are now in use by MacArthur's forces.

Gunboat FS Tahure sunk off Hainan in position 13°02'N, 109°28'E by submarine USS Flasher.

CAROLINE ISLANDS: Task Force 58, which had supported these landings, is now freed and begins a two-day attack against Truk Atoll. Today, 84 USN fighters fly a dawn sweep over Truk and during the day, USN aircraft shoot down 58 Japanese aircraft. During the night, Seventh Air Force B-24s, staging through Eniwetok Atoll from Kwajalein Atoll, bomb Truk and Jaluit Atolls.

U.S.A.: "San Fernando Valley" by Bing Crosby reaches Number 1 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in the U.S. This song, which debuted on the charts on 11 March 1944, was charted for 22 weeks, was Number 1 for 5 weeks and was ranked Number 8 for the year 1944. Also on this day, Helen Forrest's record of "Time Waits For No One" makes it to the Billboard Pop Singles chart. The song is from the motion picture "Shine On, Harvest Moon" starring Ann Sheridan, Jack Carson, Dennis Morgan and Marie Wilson. This is her first single to make the charts and it stays there for 10 weeks reaching Number 2.