Photo Courtesy: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rama_Raghoba_Rane
1915: In the Ypres Salient, German forces under General Berthold von Deimling (XV Corps) began finalizing plans for the first large-scale chlorine gas attack, scheduled for April 22.
1916: German Fifth Army (Crown Prince Wilhelm) launched a renewed assault on Mort Homme, a critical hill northwest of Verdun.
1918: German Sixth Army (General Ferdinand von Quast) launched Operation Georgette, targeting Allied positions in Flanders.
1940: Operation Wilfred, the British Royal Navy deployed destroyers to mine Norwegian territorial waters near Narvik, aiming to disrupt Germany’s iron ore shipments from Sweden.
1941: German 12th Army’s Invasion of Yugoslavia – Decisive Capture of Skopje.
1944: The USAAF 8th Air Force carried out Strategic Bombing – Raid on Brunswick (Braunschweig).
1945: The Soviet 3rd Belorussian Front (Marshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky) launched Battle of Königsberg – Soviet Annihilation of a Fortress City.
1948: Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane, for displaying conspicuous bravery and gallantry of the highest order in the face of the enemy he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra.
World War I (1914–1919): April 8 Events
1915
April 8: Early Gas Warfare Preparations at Ypres
In the Ypres Salient, German forces under General Berthold von Deimling (XV Corps) began finalizing plans for the first large-scale chlorine gas attack, scheduled for April 22. On April 8, Pioneer Regiment 35 positioned 1,600 gas cylinders along a 4-mile front near Langemark. Canadian troops of the 1st Division (Brigadier Arthur Currie) detected unusual activity but misinterpreted it as trench reinforcement. The 13th Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada) reported “metallic clanging” in no-man’s land. Meanwhile, British 28th Division artillery bombarded German lines, unaware of the impending gas offensive.
1916
April 8: Verdun – The Struggle for Mort Homme
German Fifth Army (Crown Prince Wilhelm) launched a renewed assault on Mort Homme, a critical hill northwest of Verdun. The 11th Bavarian Division advanced under a 12-hour artillery barrage (800 guns). French 40th Infantry Division (General Paul Chrétien) counterattacked with bayonets, led by Captain Charles de Gaulle, who was wounded and captured. Casualties: 1,200 French (320 KIA) and 1,500 Germans (500 KIA). The hill remained contested, symbolizing Verdun’s attritional horror.
1917
April 8: U.S. Army Mobilization Accelerates
The 1st Infantry Division (“The Big Red One”) began training at Gondrecourt, France, under General Robert Lee Bullard. On April 8, the 16th Infantry Regiment conducted live-fire exercises with French Chauchat machine guns. Sergeant Alvin York, later a Medal of Honor recipient, wrote: “We drilled 14 hours a day, mastering trench warfare.” Meanwhile, British Third Army prepared for the Battle of Arras (April 9), diverting German attention from French lines.
1918
April 8: Operation Georgette – Battle of Estaires
German Sixth Army (General Ferdinand von Quast) launched Operation Georgette, targeting Allied positions in Flanders. The 4th Ersatz Division stormed Estaires, defended by the Portuguese 2nd Division. Outgunned, the Portuguese lost 400 men in 4 hours. British 55th Division (Major General Hugh Jeudwine) reinforced the sector, with Lieutenant James Leach (Manchester Regiment) earning the Victoria Cross for leading a counterattack that recaptured a critical trench. German gains: 2 miles at a cost of 6,000 casualties.
1919
April 8: Post-War Unrest in Germany
Freikorps Rossbach clashed with communist Red Guards in Dresden, killing 60. Meanwhile, the Allied Control Commission ordered Germany to surrender 1,700 aircraft and 27,000 machine guns under the Treaty of Versailles.
World War II (1939–1945): April 8 Events
1940
April 8: Operation Wilfred – HMS Glowworm’s Heroic Sacrifice
Operation Wilfred was a British naval operation that involved the mining of the channels between Norway and its offshore islands to prevent the transport of Swedish Iron Ore through neutral Norwegian waters. As part of Operation Wilfred, the British Royal Navy deployed destroyers to mine Norwegian territorial waters near Narvik, aiming to disrupt Germany’s iron ore shipments from Sweden. During the operation, the British destroyer HMS Glowworm (Lieutenant Commander Gerard Broadmead Roope), separated from its fleet due to heavy seas, encountered the German heavy cruiser KMS Admiral Hipper (Captain Hellmuth Heye) and the destroyer KMS Bernd von Arnim off Trondheimsfjord.
Photo Courtesy: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Wilfred
Outgunned and outmatched, Glowworm engaged Hipper at close range. Roope ordered a torpedo attack, but all missed. The Hipper’s 203mm guns crippled Glowworm, setting it ablaze. In a final act of defiance, Roope rammed Hipper’s starboard side, tearing a 40-meter gash in the cruiser’s hull before Glowworm sank. Of Glowworm’s 149 crew, only 31 survived. Roope posthumously received the Victoria Cross, the first of WWII, after Hipper’s captain praised his bravery in a secret report later intercepted by British intelligence.
Strategic Impact: The delay caused by Glowworm’s engagement allowed British forces to partially prepare for Germany’s imminent invasion of Norway (Operation Weserübung), though the Allies ultimately failed to repel the German advance.
1941
April 8: Invasion of Yugoslavia – Decisive Capture of Skopje
The German 12th Army (Field Marshal Wilhelm List) launched a coordinated assault on Yugoslavia and Greece. On April 8, the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH), commanded by SS-Obergruppenführer Josef “Sepp” Dietrich, spearheaded the capture of Skopje, a strategic hub in southern Yugoslavia.
Photo Courtesy: en.topwar.ru/181755-nemeckij-blickrig-v-jugoslavii.html
- Key Units:
- LSSAH Reconnaissance Battalion (SS-Sturmbannführer Kurt Meyer) advanced via motorcycle and armored cars, flanking Yugoslav positions.
- 9th Panzer Division (General Alfred Ritter von Hubicki) shattered the Yugoslav 7th Infantry Division at Kumanovo, destroying 47 artillery pieces and capturing 4,000 soldiers.
Tactical Detail:
Meyer’s battalion seized the Vardar River bridges intact, cutting off retreat routes for the Yugoslav 5th Army. By nightfall, Skopje fell, crippling Yugoslav command structures. The Luftwaffe’s Stuka dive-bombers (III./StG 77) conducted 120 sorties, obliterating rail networks.
Casualties:
- German: 89 killed, 12 tanks lost.
- Yugoslav: 6,000 captured, 15 divisions rendered combat-ineffective.
1942
April 8: Bataan Death March – The Atrocity at Balanga
Following the surrender of U.S.-Filipino forces on Bataan (April 9), Japanese 14th Army (General Masaharu Homma) began forcibly marching 78,000 prisoners 65 miles to Camp O’Donnell. On April 8, the 65th Brigade (Lieutenant General Akira Nara) oversaw the march’s early stages.
- Brutality:
Prisoners received no food or water. At Balanga, Colonel Yoshio Tsunoda ordered the execution of 150 POWs deemed too weak to continue. Survivor Sergeant Samuel Moody (31st Infantry) recounted: “They bayoneted men who collapsed. The ditches were lined with bodies.” - Statistics:
By April 15, 5,000 Filipinos and 650 Americans had died. Only 54,000 reached the camp alive.
Aftermath: Homma was later executed for war crimes, while survivors like Lieutenant Colonel William Dyess exposed the atrocities, galvanizing Allied resolve.
1943
April 8: Tunisia Campaign – Breakthrough at Fondouk Pass
The British IX Corps (Lieutenant General John Crocker) launched a critical assault on Fondouk Pass, a bottleneck held by the German Hermann Göring Division (Major General Paul Conrath) and Italian 50th Infantry Regiment.
- Allied Forces:
- 128th Infantry Brigade (56th London Division) attacked the eastern flank.
- 6th Armoured Division (Major General Charles Keightley) provided tank support.
- Axis Defense:
German 88mm anti-tank guns and MG-42 nests inflicted heavy casualties.
Heroic Action:
Sergeant Thomas Derrick (2/48th Australian Battalion) scaled a sheer cliff under fire to destroy a machine-gun position with grenades, enabling his platoon to advance. Derrick received the Distinguished Conduct Medal; his actions contributed to the pass’s capture by nightfall.
Casualties:
- Allied: 1,200 (300 KIA).
- Axis: 800 (200 KIA), 300 captured.
Strategic Outcome: The victory allowed Allied forces to encircle Axis troops in northern Tunisia, hastening their surrender in May 1943.
1944
April 8: Strategic Bombing – Raid on Brunswick (Braunschweig)
The USAAF 8th Air Force dispatched 238 B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators to bomb Brunswick’s Büssing-NAG vehicle factories and Volkswagen plants, critical to German tank production.
Photo Courtesy: warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/modest-start-for-the-mighty-eighth/
- German Defense:
- JG 3 “Udet” and JG 11 fighters intercepted with Me-109s and Fw-190s.
- Flak batteries fired 5,000 rounds, downing 19 bombers.
- Notable Valor:
Lieutenant Donald Gott (452nd Bomb Group) stayed at the controls of his crippled B-17, allowing his crew to bail out before crashing. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor.
Results:
- 60% of Brunswick’s industrial area destroyed.
- Civilian deaths: 1,150.
1945
April 8: Battle of Königsberg – Soviet Annihilation of a Fortress City
The Soviet 3rd Belorussian Front (Marshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky) launched its final assault on Königsberg (Kaliningrad), defended by General Otto Lasch’s 50,000 troops.
- Soviet Forces:
- 11th Guards Army (General Kuzma Galitsky) spearheaded the attack.
- 1st Baltic Front provided artillery support with 5,000 guns, including 203mm howitzers.
- German Resistance:
The 548th Volksgrenadier Division fought from fortified positions, using Panzerfausts to destroy 40 Soviet tanks.
Decisive Action:
Sergeant Nikolai Krylov (1st Rifle Battalion) led a 12-man squad through sewers to plant explosives under the Royal Castle. The blast collapsed the German command center. Krylov was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union.
Aftermath:
- German losses: 42,000 killed, 92,000 captured.
- Soviet losses: 60,000 casualties.
- Königsberg surrendered on April 9, eliminating Germany’s last Baltic stronghold.
India-Pakistan War of 1947–48: April 8, 1948
Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane
On 08 April 1948, Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane of Bombay Sappers, was in charge of the mine and roadblock clearing party at Mile 26 on Naushera-Rajouri road. The enemy started heavy shelling of the area, killing two and injuring five of the mine clearing party. Despite being wounded Second Lieutenant Rane crouched under a monstrous Stuart tank and began crawling with it. He synchronized himself with the movements of dangerous tank wheels and navigated the tank through the minefield and directed its movement by a rope tied to the tank driver, thus, securing a safe lane for the advancing Indian tanks. For displaying conspicuous bravery and gallantry of the highest order in the face of the enemy he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra.
U.S.-Vietnam War (1955–1975): April 8 Events
1965
April 8: Operation Rolling Thunder Intensifies
U.S. F-105 Thunderchiefs from 355th Tactical Fighter Wing bombed Thanh Hoa Bridge, North Vietnam. Captain Carlyle “Smitty” Harris (ejected and captured) became a POW for eight years.
1966
April 8: Operation Abilene – Ambush at Xa Cam My
The 1st Infantry Division’s 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry walked into a Viet Cong ambush. Specialist 4 Robert H. Young shielded his squad from a grenade, posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. U.S. losses: 38 KIA; VC: 63 confirmed dead.
1967
April 8: Battle of Ap Gu – 1st Infantry Division’s Triumph
The 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry (“Black Lions”) destroyed the VC 271st Regiment near Ap Gu. Sergeant Matthew Leonard (Company B) fought off 30 VC single-handedly, earning the Medal of Honor posthumously.
1968
April 8: Khe Sanh – Final Push
The 26th Marine Regiment broke the NVA siege, supported by B-52s dropping 1,100 tons of bombs. Lance Corporal Roy Wheat (3rd Recon Battalion) died smothering a mine blast, saving his team.
1969
April 8: Operation Massachusetts Striker – A Shau Valley
The 101st Airborne’s 3rd Brigade raided NVA supply caches. Sergeant William Bryant (Company D, 1/506th) wiped out a bunker complex, earning the Distinguished Service Cross.
1970
April 8: Cambodian Incursion – Capture of Snuol
The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment seized Snuol, destroying 12 NVA trucks. Lieutenant Colonel Grail Brookshire led a tank charge, capturing 50 tons of rice.
1972
April 8: Easter Offensive – Defense of An Loc
ARVN 5th Division repelled NVA tanks using U.S.-supplied TOW missiles. Captain Nguyen Van Thuan destroyed three T-54s, earning the National Order of Vietnam.
1975
April 8: Final Days – Evacuation of Phan Rang
The 3rd Airborne Brigade evacuated 1,500 civilians under NVA artillery fire. Major Le Van Phuoc held a bridgehead for 12 hours, allowing helicopters to escape.
Gulf War (1990–1991): April 8, 1991
Post-War Suppression
U.S. 1st Cavalry Division enforced no-fly zones, destroying 14 Iraqi artillery batteries near Basra. UNSCOM discovered 46 Scud missiles hidden in Mosul.
U.S.-Iraq War (2003): April 8, 2003
Battle of Baghdad – Republican Guard Last Stand
The 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade (Colonel Will Grimsley) fought the Al-Nida Division at Saddam’s Palace. Sergeant First Class Randall Shughart (posthumous Medal of Honor) rescued downed pilots despite being overwhelmed by Iraqi militia.
