WHAT ALL HAPPENED APRIL TO MAY 1944
Find out what all happened April to May 1944

World War II: British agent Nancy Wake, a leading figure in the French Resistance and the Gestapo's most wanted person, parachutes back into France to become a liaison between London and the local maquis group. (29. April 1944)

World War II: First bombardment of oil refineries in Bucharest by Anglo-American forces kills 3000 civilians. (4. April 1944)

German troops execute 216 civilians in the village of Kleisoura in Greece (5. May 1944)

Diplomatic relations between New Zealand and the Soviet Union are established. (13. April 1944)

Bombay Explosion: A massive explosion in Bombay harbor kills 300 and causes economic damage valued then at 20 million pounds. (14. April 1944)

World War II: Operation Persecution is initiated – Allied forces land in the Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura) area of New Guinea. (22. April 1944)

200 Communist prisoners are shot by the Germans at Kaisariani in Athens in reprisal for the killing of General Franz Krech by partisans at Molaoi (1. May 1944)

Heinrich Kreipe is captured by Allied commandos in occupied Crete. (26. April 1944)

Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler escape from the Birkenau death camp. (10. April 1944)

World War II: Nine German E-boats attacked US and UK units during Exercise Tiger, the rehearsal for the Normandy landings, killing 946. (28. April 1944)

Deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union government. (18. May 1944)

Forces of the Communist-controlled Greek People's Liberation Army attack the smaller National and Social Liberation resistance group, which surrenders. Its leader Dimitrios Psarros is murdered. (17. April 1944)

World War II: The Allies begin a major offensive against the Axis Powers on the Gustav Line. (11. May 1944)

The 1st Air Commando Group using Sikorsky R-4 helicopters stage the first use of helicopters in combat with CSAR operations in the China-Burma-India theater. (22. April 1944)

World War II: 270 inhabitants of the Greek town of Kleisoura are executed by the Germans. (5. April 1944)

Allied forces start bombing Belgrade, killing about 1,100 people. This bombing fell on the Orthodox Christian Easter. (16. April 1944)

World War II: Battle of Monte Cassino – Conclusion after seven days of the fourth battle as German paratroopers evacuate Monte Cassino. (18. May 1944)

Navigation errors lead to an accidental American bombing of the Swiss city of Schaffhausen. (1. April 1944)

Georgios Papandreou becomes head of the Greek government-in-exile based in Egypt. (26. April 1944)

The United Negro College Fund is incorporated. (25. April 1944)