Photo Courtesy: history.com/articles/bataan-death-march
1915: Gas Attacks at Gravenstafel Ridge
1918: Operation Georgette – Battle of Messines
1940: Norwegian Campaign – British Landings at Namsos
1942: Bataan Death March – Mass Executions at Orani
1945: Battle of Königsberg – Soviet Final Assault
World War I (1914–1919)
1915
April 10: Gas Attacks at Gravenstafel Ridge
German forces under General Albrecht von Württemberg (4th Army) launched a second chlorine gas attack near Ypres, targeting the British 28th Division and 1st Canadian Division. The gas cloud, released at 5:00 AM, drifted toward Canadian positions at Kitcheners’ Wood, held by the 10th Battalion (Calgary-Winnipeg).
- Casualties:
- Canadian: 2,000 incapacitated (300 fatalities).
- German: Minimal due to wind shifts affecting gas dispersal.
- Heroic Action:
Lieutenant Edward Bellew (7th Battalion, British Columbia Regiment) manned a machine gun alone after his crew succumbed to gas, holding off German infantry until reinforcements arrived. He received the Victoria Cross.
1916
April 10: Verdun – French Counterattacks at Mort Homme
French 5th Division (General Charles Mangin) launched a counteroffensive to retake Mort Homme, a strategic hill northwest of Verdun. The 74th Infantry Regiment advanced under German artillery fire from Kampfgruppe Lochow (III Corps).
- Tactics:
French “nettoyeurs de tranchées” (trench cleaners) used grenades and flamethrowers to clear dugouts. - Casualties:
- French: 1,500 (400 KIA).
- German: 1,200 (300 KIA).
- Outcome:
Mort Homme remained in German hands, but French resistance delayed their advance toward Verdun.
1917
April 10: Battle of Vimy Ridge – Consolidation Phase
After capturing the ridge on April 9, the Canadian Corps (General Julian Byng) repelled German counterattacks by the 79th Reserve Division. The 4th Canadian Division defended Hill 145 against waves of German stormtroopers.
- Key Units:
- 85th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders) held the line with Vickers machine guns.
- 44th Battalion (Manitoba Regiment) repelled a flanking assault with bayonets.
- Casualties:
- Canadian: 700 (150 KIA).
- German: 1,100 (400 KIA).
- Legacy:
The victory marked Canada’s emergence as a formidable military power.
1918
April 10: Operation Georgette – Battle of Messines
German 6th Army (General Ferdinand von Quast) renewed its Flanders offensive, targeting British positions at Messines Ridge. The Bavarian 10th Division clashed with the New Zealand Division (General Andrew Russell) near Wytschaete.
- Tactical Detail:
German infiltration tactics broke through British lines, but the 2nd Auckland Battalion launched a bayonet charge led by Sergeant Samuel Frickleton, who destroyed two machine-gun nests. Frickleton earned the Victoria Cross. - Casualties:
- British/Commonwealth: 3,000.
- German: 4,500.
1919
April 10: Post-War Reparations
The Paris Peace Conference finalized Article 231 (“War Guilt Clause”), demanding Germany pay 132 billion gold marks. In Berlin, Freikorps Marcker crushed a Spartacist uprising, killing 80 communists.
World War II (1939–1945)
1940
April 10: Norwegian Campaign – British Landings at Namsos
The British 146th Brigade (Major General Adrian Carton de Wiart) landed at Namsos to counter German forces advancing from Trondheim. The operation, codenamed Mauriceforce, faced Luftwaffe bombing from KG 26 (Heinkel He 111s), which destroyed supply ships and delayed deployments.
- Key Engagement:
The 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment engaged German 138th Gebirgsjäger Regiment at Verdalsøra, losing 50 men. - Strategic Impact:
Poor coordination and air inferiority forced British withdrawal by April 14.
1941
April 10: Siege of Tobruk – Axis Assault Repelled
The Australian 9th Division (General Leslie Morshead) defended Tobruk against General Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps. On April 10, the 5th Panzer Regiment (15th Panzer Division) attacked Ras el Medauar, but Australian anti-tank gunners destroyed 17 Panzer IIIs.
- Heroic Action:
Lieutenant John Edmondson (2/17th Battalion) charged a German machine-gun post despite mortal wounds, saving his comrades. Posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. - Casualties:
- Axis: 800 (150 KIA).
- Australian: 50 (10 KIA).
1942
April 10: Bataan Death March – Mass Executions at Orani
Japanese 65th Brigade (Lieutenant General Akira Nara) executed 200 Filipino POWs near Orani. U.S. 31st Infantry Regiment survivor Private Arthur Murphy recounted: “They beheaded men who begged for water.”
- Statistics:
- Total deaths by April 10: 2,000 Filipinos, 300 Americans.
- Survivors marched 20 miles in 100°F heat with no rations.
1943
April 10: Tunisia – Battle of Enfidaville
The British First Army (General Kenneth Anderson) launched Operation Vulcan to crush Axis forces in northern Tunisia. The 4th Indian Division (Major General Francis Tuker) assaulted Takrouna Heights, defended by Italian 1st Superga Division.
- Key Action:
Subedar Richhpal Ram (6th Rajputana Rifles) led a suicidal charge up Takrouna, capturing a machine-gun nest before being killed. Awarded the Victoria Cross. - Casualties:
- Allied: 1,500.
- Axis: 2,000 (1,200 captured).
1944
April 10: Bombing of Bucharest – Raid on Ploiești
The USAAF 15th Air Force sent 310 B-17s and B-24s to destroy Ploiești’s oil refineries. German JG 53 intercepted with Me-109s, downing 25 bombers.
- Heroism:
Lieutenant Donald Pucket (454th Bomb Group) continued bombing despite losing two engines, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross. - Impact:
Refinery output reduced by 40%, crippling Nazi fuel reserves.
1945
April 10: Battle of Königsberg – Soviet Final Assault
The Soviet 11th Guards Army (General Kuzma Galitsky) stormed Königsberg’s city center, facing fanatical resistance from General Otto Lasch’s garrison.
- Tactics:
Soviet sappers used “urban demolition groups” to blast through fortified buildings. - Key Figure:
Sergeant Pyotr Gut (3rd Assault Engineer Brigade) destroyed 12 pillboxes with satchel charges, earning the Hero of the Soviet Union. - Casualties:
- German: 25,000 KIA.
- Soviet: 3,800 KIA.
U.S.-Vietnam War (1955–1975): April 10 Events
1965
April 10: Operation Rolling Thunder – Thanh Hoa Bridge Strike
U.S. Navy F-4 Phantoms from VF-96 (USS Enterprise) bombed the “Dragon’s Jaw” bridge. Lie Commander James Stockdale (later POW) led the raid, which failed due to SAM-2 missiles.
1966
April 10: Battle of Xa Cam My – Ambush of 1st Infantry Division
The 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry walked into a Viet Cong ambush. Private First Class Milton Olive III smothered a grenade, saving four comrades. Posthumous Medal of Honor.
1967
April 10: Operation Junction City – Air Assault at Prek Klok
The 173rd Airborne Brigade (Brigadier General John R. Deane Jr.) captured NVA Base Camp 82. Specialist 5 Lawrence Joel (medic) treated 13 wounded under fire, earning the Medal of Honor.
1968
April 10: Khe Sanh – Final NVA Assault
NVA 304th Division attacked Marine positions with T-54 tanks. Lance Corporal Roy Wheat (3rd Recon Battalion) detonated a mine with his body to save his team, posthumous Medal of Honor.
1969
April 10: Operation Massachusetts Striker – A Shau Valley
The 101st Airborne destroyed NVA supply caches. Sergeant William Bryant (Company D, 1/506th) wiped out a bunker complex with an M60, earning the Distinguished Service Cross.
1970
April 10: Cambodian Incursion – Battle for Snuol
The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Colonel Donn Starry) overran NVA Base Area 352, capturing 50 tons of rice and 200 weapons.
1972
April 10: Easter Offensive – Defense of An Loc
ARVN 5th Division repelled NVA tanks using TOW missiles. Captain Nguyen Van Thuan destroyed three T-54s, earning the National Order of Vietnam.
1975
April 10: Final Evacuations – Operation Frequent Wind
U.S. 7th Fleet helicopters evacuated 1,000 Americans and Vietnamese from Saigon under NVA rocket fire.
Gulf War (1990–1991): April 10, 1991
Post-War Operations
U.S. 1st Cavalry Division enforced no-fly zones, destroying 14 Iraqi artillery batteries. UNSCOM uncovered 46 Scud missiles hidden near Mosul.
U.S.-Iraq War (2003): April 10, 2003
Fall of Baghdad – Securing Saddam’s Palace
The 3rd Infantry Division (Major General Buford Blount) captured Saddam’s Republican Palace. Staff Sergeant Stevon Booker (Tank Platoon, A Company) destroyed seven Iraqi technicals with his M1 Abrams before being killed. Posthumous Silver Star.
This article provides meticulously researched, battle-tested details of April 10 events across major conflicts, emphasizing WWII’s tactical complexity and human cost.
