Today in World War II History—April 3, 1940 & 1945

‘Fantails’ or Buffalo amphibians transport German prisoners through a flooded landscape south of Comacchio Lagoon, Italy, 11 April 1945 (Imperial War Museum: NA 23992)
80 Years Ago—April 3, 1940: Soviets begin massacre of 20,000 Polish officers in Katyn Forest.
US Congress cuts military spending 10 percent and refuses to fund heavy bombers as “aggressive weapons.”
75 Years Ago—Apr. 3, 1945: Soviet 2nd Ukrainian Front takes Wiener Neustadt, Austria.
British commandos & Italian partisans secure islands in Comacchio Lagoon, Italy.