tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43437912804746807222023-11-15T10:02:00.011-07:00World War Two DailyWorld War II Day By DayUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger968125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-72004812610314883952020-07-25T20:52:00.007-06:002020-08-09T12:01:42.557-06:00March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suursaari<h1>Friday 27 March 1942</h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jzOuCqQtcys/Xxzsw2SCzbI/AAAAAAACh0U/zLSgthnnyuASpsMbS6346DXI-5Q7XEx0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/U-123_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="U-123 in February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="640" height="456" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jzOuCqQtcys/Xxzsw2SCzbI/AAAAAAACh0U/zLSgthnnyuASpsMbS6346DXI-5Q7XEx0gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h456/U-123_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="U-123 in February 1942" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">U-123, the victor of the Action of 27 March 1942, in port at Lorient (Lockpick, Federal Archives, <a href="https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?query=Bild+101II-MW-3983-23" target="_blank">Figure 101II-MW-3983-23</a>).</td></tr></tbody></table><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /><b>Eastern Front:</b> The Battle of Suursaari begins in earnest at 04:00 on <b>27 March 1942</b> when Finnish artillery opens fire on Soviet positions on Gogland. The Finns are able to attack across the ice between the mainland and the island, making for an unusual battle where the Soviets essentially are defending the island against a land attack. The Soviets block one entry point to Gogland but the Finns successfully enter via another route. Two Finnish battalions secure much of Gogland by nightfall, with some Soviet holdouts fleeing across the ice around midnight. There remain isolated pockets of Soviet troops that fight ferociously for two more days. Fierce air battles rage over the island throughout the battle, with Finnish Air Force Fokker D.XXI, Curtiss P-36 Hawk, and Brewster F2A Buffalo fighters reporting kills of a total of 27 Soviet Polikarpov I-153 and Polikarpov I-16 fighters.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> US submarine USS Gudgeon (SS-211) torpedoes and sinks 6526-ton Japanese freighter Nissho Maru southeast of Kumun Island. The ship is later salvaged after the war and re-enters service.<br /><br />Japanese 7952-ton ocean liner Kitano Maru hits a Japanese mine and sinks off Mabilao, Lingayen Gulf, Philippines. There are three dead soldiers among the 650 being transported.<br /><br />Dutch planes based in Australia sink 4109-ton Japanese collier Ubari Maru off Koepang, Timor.<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RkkTVZEA72k/XxznKelYB4I/AAAAAAAChzw/v0xxi5pN7psRM2gA3feSJNQzG0l0PZOFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s809/Marion_Star_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Marion Star, 27 March 1942" border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RkkTVZEA72k/XxznKelYB4I/AAAAAAAChzw/v0xxi5pN7psRM2gA3feSJNQzG0l0PZOFgCLcBGAsYHQ/w506-h640/Marion_Star_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="The Marion Star, 27 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" width="506" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Marion Star, 27 March 1942, headlines the RAF attacks on Essen of the previous two nights. The attacks were the first major efforts in weeks but accomplished little.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<b>European Air Operations:</b> During the day, the RAF sends a dozen Boston bombers to attack the Ostend power station. However, the bombs are all dropped in fields short of the target. After two nights of attacks on Essen, RAF Bomber Command switches to St. Nazaire. It sends 35 Whitleys and 27 Wellington bombers to support Operation Chariot, the Commando raid on the dry-dock gates in the port. Due to poor weather conditions, only four bombers bomb the port, while six drop bombs on other targets. The RAF loses one Whitley. Secondary operations are 8 Blenheims sent to Holland (Schipol and Soesterburg) and 15 Hampdens laying mines (13 successfully) off the northwest German coast. The RAF loses one Blenheim and three Hampdens on these missions.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">The Luftwaffe sinks 496-ton British collier Staghound off Torquay. The Staghound later is salved for use as a practice bombing target and eventually is sunk again off St. Thomas' Head while being used for that purpose.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">German 482-ton coastal vessel Sperrbrecher 147 Koert (requisitioned Dutch vessel Raket) hits a mine and sinks after an explosion off the Dutch coast. </div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tVbEDySEq60/XxzrlAxStAI/AAAAAAACh0I/I-pzPv67uj0cKfMGFZwqEgUCcjhOA6kfQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Atik_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="USS Antik" border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="640" height="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tVbEDySEq60/XxzrlAxStAI/AAAAAAACh0I/I-pzPv67uj0cKfMGFZwqEgUCcjhOA6kfQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h420/Atik_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="USS Antik, sunk on 27 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">USS Antik, sunk on 27 March 1942.</td></tr></tbody></table><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"> </div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<b>Battle of the Atlantic:</b> The Action of 27 March 1942 is fought. While patrolling 300 miles off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia, 6610-ton Q-ship USS Atik is torpedoed by U-123 (Kapitänleutnant Reinhard Hardegen). U-123, on its eighth patrol out of Lorient, is in the midst of the most successful U-boat war patrols as part of Operation Paukenschlag. The Q-ship is damaged but does not sink immediately, so this begins an unusual surface action between U-123 and the Atik in which the US ship uses all of its many weapons against the surfaced U-boat. Captain Hardegan responds to the US salvos, which only slightly damage the U-boat's bridge, with his own deck gun. The Americans finally abandon ship after U-123 submerges and pumps another torpedo into the ship.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">Hardegan then surfaces again and watches the ship explode, killing all 141 US sailors at the cost of one German midshipman killed. All that is found of the Atik is some wreckage and five empty lifeboats. This is another example of a lesson the Royal Navy learned long ago, that Q-ships simply become targets themselves.<br /><br />The Allies "get one back" when British warships spot U-587 (Kptlt. Ulrich Borcherdt), on its second war patrol out of St. Nazaire. Royal Navy vessels HMS Grove, Aldenham, Volunteer, and Leamington (formerly USS Twiggs) are covering Convoy WS-17 when they use depth charges to sink U-587 a few hundred miles southwest of Ireland. There are no survivors. U-587 ends its patrol and career having sunk five ships of 23,389 tons.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">U-105 (Korvettenkapitän Heinrich Schuch), on its sixth patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 7616-ton Norwegian tanker Svenør about 300 miles east of Cape Hatteras. Captain Schuch surfaces and uses his deck gun to fire 76 round when the tanker does not sink right away. There are eight dead and 29 survivors. As Schuch sails away, he spots another ship, the Portuguese (neutral) freighter Cunene. He stops the Portuguese ship and directs it to the location of the Svenør's lifeboats, where the survivors are picked up and taken to Philadelphia on 31 March.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H_P4efC4QlE/XxzqfL9_OvI/AAAAAAACh0A/d_u2GLvvnTYqjrDKC-kjvq-Kdm1lB7mJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Equipoise_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Panamianian freighter Equipoise, sunk on 27 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="640" height="404" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H_P4efC4QlE/XxzqfL9_OvI/AAAAAAACh0A/d_u2GLvvnTYqjrDKC-kjvq-Kdm1lB7mJQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h404/Equipoise_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="Panamian freighter Equipoise, sunk on 27 March 1942" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freighter Equipoise, sunk on 27 March 1942.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br />U-160 (Kptlt. Georg Lassen), on its first patrol out of Helgoland, torpedoes and sinks 6210-ton Panamanian-flagged SS Equipoise about 60 miles southeast of Cape Henry, Virginia. There are 13 survivors and 41 deaths. All 8 Americans on board perish. This is the first of 26 victories for U-160.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br />Rough weather in the North Atlantic is no joke, and the danger to all is proven once again. Rear Admiral John W. Wilcox, Jr., is the commander of a task force heading toward the Arctic Convoy routes aboard battleship USS Washington when disaster strikes. He falls or is swept overboard off Sable Island and spotted face down about 80 minutes later. His body is never recovered, and an SB2U-2 Vindicator crashes during the search, killing its two-man crew. A board of inquiry is convened the same day. Since nobody saw him fall overboard, rumors spread that the death was not entirely accidental. Nothing untoward is ever proven, and the death is ruled accidental. Wilcox becomes the first US admiral lost at sea. There is a cenotaph to Admiral Wilcox located at Memory Hill Cemetery in Milledgeville, Georgia.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">The rough weather also claims 63-ton Canadian sailing vessel Tatagamouche off Nova Scotia.<br /></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Co9qTKW36Gw/Xxzo2FD-i7I/AAAAAAAChz4/vShTl17_XR04UHjNleMcgMhHPKieZ9o_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Japanese_farmer_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Japanese farmer in California during World War II" border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="640" height="570" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Co9qTKW36Gw/Xxzo2FD-i7I/AAAAAAAChz4/vShTl17_XR04UHjNleMcgMhHPKieZ9o_wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h570/Japanese_farmer_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="Japanese Farmer near Centerville, CA, 27 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Japanese farmer transplanting tomatoes near Centerville, California, 27 March 1942 (<a href="https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/28722/bk00173213t/?brand=oac4" target="_blank">Online Archives of California</a>).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><b>Battle of the Mediterranean:</b> Fierce Axis air attacks on Malta continue. They finish off British 9776-ton ocean liner MV Breconshire, which was damaged during the Second Battle of Sirte and never repaired while anchored at Marsaxlokk.<br />
<br />Italian 2606-ton freighter Oreste hits a mine and sinks about 13 nautical miles off Cape Platamone (south of Cattaro/Kotor) in Montenegro.<br /><br /><b>Special Operations:</b> The Royal Navy and Commando forces en route to St. Nazaire for Operation Chariot come upon two French fishing trawlers (La Slack and Nungesser et Coli). So as not to give away the operation's secrecy, the Royal Navy evacuates the crews and sinks the two trawlers. The crews of these ships are pro-Allies and eventually join the Free French.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2izCAsYdIsw/Xxzk77q2sFI/AAAAAAAChzo/oaQTUokbcvwPU6f9arcqHDZtNacuhd5KgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/HMS_Thunderbolt_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="HMS Thunderbolt 27 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="640" height="488" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2izCAsYdIsw/Xxzk77q2sFI/AAAAAAAChzo/oaQTUokbcvwPU6f9arcqHDZtNacuhd5KgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h488/HMS_Thunderbolt_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="HMS Thunderbolt" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HMS Thunderbolt as seen from Submarine Depot Ship HMS Forth in Holy Loch, 27 March 1942 (© IWM <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205142400" target="_blank">A 8454</a>).</td></tr></tbody></table><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">The attack convoy heads in toward the target, with the Germans presumably distracted from its approach by a major RAF raid on the port. The Commando attack is planned for early on 28th March.<br /><br /><b>US Military:</b> The US Army War Plans Division is busy mapping out future operations. Today, it issues "Plan for Operations in Northwest Europe," which provides for a limited cross-Channel operation in the summer of 1942 (Operation Sledgehammer). If Sledgehammer is not conducted, then a larger cross-Channel invasion is planned for early 1943 (Operation Roundup). The buildup of supplies for an eventual invasion is given the codename Operation Bolero.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">A mysterious group of B-25 bombers is at Sacramento (California) Air Depot undergoing a flurry of modifications and training flights. Their special equipment has not been tested and many items such as practice bombs have to be tracked down on short notice from supply officers who have no idea that there is any urgency. In fact, there is tremendous urgency because these are the bombers preparing for the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo that is due to begin shortly.<br /><br /><b>Holocaust:</b> The Germans begin the first of more than 65,000 deportations from Drancy, France, to Auschwitz and other concentration camps.<br /><br /><b>Australian Homefront:</b> A state of emergency is declared in the northern territories.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vqg4PrxpjBI/XxzkJlOShQI/AAAAAAAChzg/Xn9vBx1e-TUMV5mJkvnkiJ-1p2XhANWGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Louis_Simon_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="U-123 in February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="640" height="404" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vqg4PrxpjBI/XxzkJlOShQI/AAAAAAAChzg/Xn9vBx1e-TUMV5mJkvnkiJ-1p2XhANWGgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h404/Louis_Simon_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Louis vs. Simon II, 27 March 1942.</td></tr></tbody></table><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><b><br /></b></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><b>American Homefront:</b> Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis technically knocks out Abe Simon in the sixth round at Madison Square Garden. This is Louis' first fight for the US Army and he receives no purse, as all proceeds go to the Army Relief Fund. Simon loses for the second time to Louis and later develops a successful acting career that includes roles in "On the Waterfront" and "Requiem for a Heavyweight." Simon passes away on 24 October 1969.<br />
<br /><b>Future History:</b> Michael Hugh Johnson is born in Fulmer, Buckinghamshire, England. After graduating from Oxford, embarks on a career in acting and changes his name. As Michael York, he first acts on stage and has his first film role as Lucentio in "The Taming of the Shrew" (1967). He goes on to a legendary career in the cinema that includes starring roles in "Romeo and Juliet" (1968), "Cabaret" (1972), and "Logan's Run" (1976), and the Austin Powers film (1997-2002), among many others. Michael York apparently is retired as of this writing in 2020.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r27vOlXjr6o/XxzjNUnxN3I/AAAAAAAChzY/dZ7kh-7Dr7krrCWDtLDrPrUUabPiTLiGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s871/Jewish_News_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Detroit Jewish News 27 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r27vOlXjr6o/XxzjNUnxN3I/AAAAAAAChzY/dZ7kh-7Dr7krrCWDtLDrPrUUabPiTLiGwCLcBGAsYHQ/w471-h640/Jewish_News_27_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.jpg" title="The Jewish News" width="471" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detroit Jewish News has its first issue on 27 March 1942.</td></tr></tbody></table><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br /></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><span class="updated">2020</span>
</div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-68684954165165757332020-07-21T13:58:00.005-06:002020-08-09T12:01:02.410-06:00March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Thursday 26 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v9I4_i6k93E/Xxc4LVDG0NI/AAAAAAAChxc/Vz6M7iehVrMHLeVF-9AoHylNv4r0WY5cwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Akagi_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi, 26 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="640" height="482" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v9I4_i6k93E/Xxc4LVDG0NI/AAAAAAAChxc/Vz6M7iehVrMHLeVF-9AoHylNv4r0WY5cwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Akagi_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi departing from Starling Bay, Celebes Islands, on 26 March 1942. Note the line of ships stretching into the distance. The task force is heading for the Indian Ocean to defeat the British Eastern Fleet and destroy British airpower in the region in order to protect the flank of the invasion of Burma.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> General Douglas MacArthur gives a rousing <a href="http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/policy/1942/1942-03-26a.html" target="_blank">speech</a> at a <b>26 March 1942</b> dinner in his honor (he receives the citation for his Medal of Honor) at the Australian Parliament House, Canberra, Australia. MacArthur notes, "Although this is my first trip to Australia," that he already feels at home. He calls the war a "great crusade of personal liberty" and further says:<br />
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<b>There can be no compromise. We shall win or we shall die, and to this end, I pledge you the full resources of all the mighty power of my country and all the blood of my countrymen.</b></blockquote>
Privately, MacArthur meets with the Australian Advisory War Council and reassures them that the Japanese do not have the power to mount a large-scale invasion of Australia. However, MacArthur cautions that the Japanese still might attempt it "to demonstrate their superiority over the white races." The real danger, he says, is from small-scale invasions and raids in which the Japanese would attempt to set up air bases in Australia.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M1wbEdG6pVE/Xxc9ZjjXAKI/AAAAAAAChxs/Jc1Xef8L6YUxdD8WZ11I0HZFMicJEtz9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MacArthur_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="General Douglas MacArthur, 26 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M1wbEdG6pVE/Xxc9ZjjXAKI/AAAAAAAChxs/Jc1Xef8L6YUxdD8WZ11I0HZFMicJEtz9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/MacArthur_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">General Douglas MacArthur in Canberra, 26 March 1942 (CREDIT:F.J. HALMARICK, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/from-the-archives-1942-general-macarthur-takes-charge-20200310-p548nc.html" target="_blank">The Sydney Morning Herald</a>).</td></tr>
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On the Bataan Peninsula, the large force that MacArthur was ordered to leave continues to be shelled throughout the day as the Japanese prepare for a major offensive. Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon and his family evacuate aboard three USAAF B-17s to Australia.<br />
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At the Battle of Toungoo in Burma, the Japanese 112th Regiment attacks in the northwest of the Chinese perimeter but makes no progress. Other attacks elsewhere take the western part of the city to the west of the railroad, but the Chinese retain the heart of the city to the east of the railroad. The two sides close to within 100 meters on either side of the railway, firing at each other across the tracks. Both sides take heavy casualties, and eventually, the Japanese withdraw about 200 yards to give their artillery and bombers room to operate. Late in the day, the New 223nd Division arrives to the north of Yedashe and forces the Japanese to dilute their attacking strength by sending the 2nd Battalion, 143rd Regiment in a blocking move. A temporary stalemate develops.<br />
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A Japanese task force including aircraft carriers departs from the naval base at Kendari on Celebes Island, Netherlands East Indies, for the Indian Ocean. This is the beginning of a major raid in the Indian Ocean by the Kido Butai force that conducted the raid on Pearl Harbor. The first target will be Colombo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xTg9_tu6aww/Xxc1EOijGrI/AAAAAAAChxI/rpq3GY-ewm817v3uUcL6PcVr4OXxINUQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Napa_Register_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Napa Register, 26 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xTg9_tu6aww/Xxc1EOijGrI/AAAAAAAChxI/rpq3GY-ewm817v3uUcL6PcVr4OXxINUQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Napa_Register_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Napa (California) Register of 26 March 1942 headlines MacArthur's "Win or Die" pledge below a disaster at Sandits Eddy Lehigh Cement in Pennsylvania.</td></tr>
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> In the Crimea, Soviet General Kozlov opens his third offensive against the German line on the Parpach Narrows. The objective is the German strongpoint at Koi-Asan. The Soviet 390th Rifle Division and 143rd Rifle Brigade of the 51st Army lead the assault. They are supported by two T-26 companies, six KVs, and three T-34s from the 39th and 40th Tank Brigades and the 229th Separate Tank Battalion. The operation, much smaller than the previous two Soviet offensives, fails almost immediately.<br />
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Finnish forces begin a military operation (the Battle of Suursaari) in the frozen Gulf of Finland. The goal is to recover islands ceded to the Soviet Union after the Winter War in the Moscow Peace Treaty. These islands are Gogland and Bolshoy Tyuters. The islands already have changed hands twice since the peace treaty, as Soviet troops abandoned the islands, they were then occupied by the Finns, and then Soviet troops returned to recover them. The Finns have assembled three battalions in the nearby Haapasaaret Islands for this operation under the command of Major General Aaro Pajari. Today's preparations for the assault include opening two roads over the ice to the vicinity of the islands.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XlV7IKC4lB4/XxdBSIsoScI/AAAAAAAChx0/weQ55vEG_7Mh3I9v5I9yC6nawBjMEH3bgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Berliner_Zeitung_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Berliner Illustrierter Zeitung, 26 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XlV7IKC4lB4/XxdBSIsoScI/AAAAAAAChx0/weQ55vEG_7Mh3I9v5I9yC6nawBjMEH3bgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Berliner_Zeitung_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="470" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Berliner Ilustrierte Zeitung, 26 March 1942. Everything is sunny in the Reich, and the articles include an account of the destruction of a Soviet tank and ambitious plans in the United States that don't seem to be possible. Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung, March 26, 1942, Howard Mowen NSDAP Collection, Western Michigan University.</td></tr>
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<b>European Air Operations: </b>RAF Bomber Command sends 24 Boston bomber to Le Havre. One bomber is lost.<br />
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After dark, the RAF sends a follow-up raid to Essen. The raid on the night of the 25th was a failure, with few bombers even hitting the city. Tonight's raid of 104 Wellingtons and 11 Stirlings is not a surprise and is met by heavy opposition, including Flak and night fighters. However, while a much smaller raid, it is somewhat more successful. Unlike the previous night, hits are scored on the target, the Krupps works, and fires are started in the city. However, accuracy remains a huge problem for the RAF and only 22 high-explosive bombs are counted in the city. Six people are killed, 14 injured, and two houses are destroyed at a cost of 10 Wellingtons and one Stirling lost, a terrible 10% loss rate.<br />
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There also are smaller attacks sent against Le Havre (8 bombers), Holland (11 Blenheims), minelaying off Wilhelmshaven (36 bombers), and 15 bombers on leaflet operations over France. In the Holland raid, hits are scored on Schipol Airport and the port area of Rotterdam, along with Leeuwarden and Soesterburg Airfield. Two Blenheims (from the attack on Schipol) and two Hampdens (minelayers) fail to return.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ppVcbv2deM/Xxc6L0hnAiI/AAAAAAAChxk/7wIy72ZfL4YRwWk8KIVgmQUtvRDt5-2RgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/HMS_Adamant_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Officers aboard HMS Adamant, 26 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="640" height="490" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ppVcbv2deM/Xxc6L0hnAiI/AAAAAAAChxk/7wIy72ZfL4YRwWk8KIVgmQUtvRDt5-2RgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/HMS_Adamant_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captain R S Warne, RN, (left) Captain of HMS ADAMANT, and his First Lieutenant, Lieut Cdr W H Hills on the bridge of Royal Navy submarine depot ship HMS Adamant in the North Atlantic, 26 March 1942. © IWM <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205142380" target="_blank">A 8431</a>.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic: </b>U-71 (Kptlt. Walter Flachsenberg), on its fifth patrol out of St. Nazaire, torpedoes and sinks 8046-ton US tanker Dixie Arrow about a dozen miles off Diamond Shoal Light Buoy (Cape Hatteras). With the break of day, Flachsenberg was about to submerge for the day when he spotted the masts of the Dixie Arrow approaching. He hits the tanker with three torpedoes at 08:58. There are 11 deaths and 14 survivors who are picked up about two hours later.<br />
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In a small-boats action in the North Sea, Royal Navy motor torpedo boats torpedo and sink 229-ton Dutch fishing trawler FV Corrie near Texel.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-obG4s5_IsF0/XxcjPR90vkI/AAAAAAAChws/B9cm1e7JHtctvfJS4Uu6IyLPGGYvfHNUACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Pampas_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="British freighter Pampas burning at Malta, 26 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="640" height="352" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-obG4s5_IsF0/XxcjPR90vkI/AAAAAAAChws/B9cm1e7JHtctvfJS4Uu6IyLPGGYvfHNUACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Pampas_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">British freighter Pampas burning at Malta on 26 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean: </b>This is the beginning of the worst period of the war for the British in the Mediterranean. Malta is isolated and ships are being sunk left and right. With the weather improving, attacks on land in North Africa can be expected to resume soon, too.<br />
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Incessant Axis air raids on Malta following the Second Battle of Sirte claim two more victims, 5415-ton British freighter MV Pampas and 6798-ton Norwegian freighter SS Talabot. Both ships from Convoy MW10 are sunk at their docks where they are being unloaded in between air attacks. Both ships remain where they sink until after the war (Talabot is not completely removed until 1985). In addition, Royal Navy submarine P-39 nearby is seriously damaged and ultimately written off, then scrapped at Kalkara.<br />
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With these attacks, Convoy MW 10, the one attacked during the Second Battle of Sirte, turned out to be a massive failure. While 26,000 tons (23 587 metric tonnes) were shipped, only about 5000 tons (4536-metric tons) actually make it off the ships to Malta. In addition, several ships were lost at minimal cost to the Axis.<br />
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U-652 (Oblt. Georg-Werner Fraatz), on its eighth patrol out of Salamis, sinks two ships. They are Royal Navy destroyer HMS Jaguar (F 34, 193 men lost, 53 survivors) and 2623-ton British fleet oiler Slavol (36 dead, 26 survivors). The attacks are made about 25 miles north of Sidi Barrani, Egypt. Jaguar was escorting the Slavol and other ships to Tobruk, and Fraatz first picked it off and then attacked Slavol in the resulting confusion.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Y8NpaRz6j4/XxcyzchWjjI/AAAAAAAChw0/biu_Qenfq-wrUQ1PSUUCS7cce9DQOrJ-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Talabot_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="SS Talabot was sunk at Malta on 26 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="640" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Y8NpaRz6j4/XxcyzchWjjI/AAAAAAAChw0/biu_Qenfq-wrUQ1PSUUCS7cce9DQOrJ-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Talabot_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SS Talabot, sunk in Malta's Grand Harbor on 26 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Partisans: </b>German security forces begin Operation Bamberg. This is an anti-partisan sweep through Hlusk District, Babruysk, Polesia, Byelorussia. This operation has been planned since 26 February 1942 to clear the area of partisans. The three objectives are: 1) annihilate partisan bands, 2) pacify the forested region, and 3) collect grain, livestock, and other supplies. This is the second major anti-partisan operation in the region, which has many Soviet army officers helping to organize resistance. The main strategy is to encircle an area with a diameter of 25-30 km (16-19 miles) and then gradually move inward to trap the partisans.<br />
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<b>Special Operations: </b>Royal Navy ships (three destroyers, a gunboat, motorboats, and motor torpedo boats) set out from Falmouth Bay, Cornwall England carrying special forces. Their target is the French port of St. Nazaire located at the mouth of the Loire Estuary. This is the beginning of Operation Chariot.<br />
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<b>Spy Stuff:</b> Police in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, announce that they have broken up a spy ring and arrested 200 suspects. This is one in a series of such operations by local authorities in South America.<br />
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<b>US Military: </b>Admiral Ernest J. King takes over as Chief of Naval Operations from Admiral Harold R. Stark. This makes King Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations. His primary assistants are Vice Admiral Frederick J. Horne (Vice Chief of Naval Operations) and Vice Admiral Russell Willson (COMINCH Chief of Staff). Stark heads to England to become Commander of United States Naval Forces Europe. While this undoubtedly is a demotion for Stark due to fallout from the Pearl Harbor attack, he does good work preparing for and supervising the buildup of US forces for the D-Day landings.<br />
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Stark will be the beneficiary of a greatly increased US Navy presence in the European Theater of Operations. Today, Rear Admiral John Wilcox sails his Task Force 39, led by the battleship USS 'Washington' (BB-56), the aircraft carrier USS 'Wasp' (CV-7), the heavy cruisers USS 'Wichita' (CA-45) and 'Tuscaloosa' (CA-37) and six destroyers, from Portland, Maine, for Scapa Flow. This large force will supplement the British Home Fleet during the pendency of Operation Ironclad, the projected invasion of Vichy French Madagascar.<br />
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<b>Egyptian Government: </b>The ruling Wafd Party wins 240 of 264 seats in elections. This is partly due to a boycott of the election by the opposition.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2HeIePzAFhE/Xxc2qrhlzdI/AAAAAAAChxU/5XmDCZbeiFs_NNo_w0ZQh2DwG412cJnEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Orli_Wald_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Orli Wald, an inmate registered at Auschwitz on 26 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2HeIePzAFhE/Xxc2qrhlzdI/AAAAAAAChxU/5XmDCZbeiFs_NNo_w0ZQh2DwG412cJnEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Orli_Wald_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orli Wald (original name Aurelia Torgau) registers at Auschwitz Concentration Camp, 26 March 1942. Wald has been in prison since 1936 when she was charged with high treason for being a communist and engaging in political resistance. She serves in the infirmary at Auschwitz-Birkenau and survives the war, dying in 1962.</td></tr>
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<b>Holocaust: </b>Near Riga, Latvia, German occupation forces and their local auxiliaries begin the Second Dünamünde Action (Aktion Dünamünde). This operation results in about 1840 deaths of Jews who have been deported from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and Moravia. The technique used is to lure the victims of Jungfernhof concentration camp to a supposed new resettlement facility in an area called Daugavgrīva (Dünamünde) with promises that things will be better. These victims are all older people, with younger people prohibited from accompanying them. Once aboard the transport trucks, the victims are taken to the Biķernieki woods north of Riga. The victims are forced to lie in trenches above previous victims in a pattern called "sardine packing" which the Germans consider to be the most effective use of space. They are then shot and more victims ordered to lie above them until the trenches are full.<br />
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The first trainload of female prisoners arrives at Auschwitz from Ravensbruck Concentration Camp and Slovakia via Poprad transit camp.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bbm7yA61hEg/XxdC1TKq0eI/AAAAAAAChx8/eYnmQYyDvAkSvYh5z-XMPFIhfPPlLGPrgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Judy_Garland_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Judy Garland and Gene Kelly rehearsing, 26 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="640" height="496" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bbm7yA61hEg/XxdC1TKq0eI/AAAAAAAChx8/eYnmQYyDvAkSvYh5z-XMPFIhfPPlLGPrgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Judy_Garland_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judy Garland rehearses with Gene Kelly (his first film for MGM) for the upcoming musical "For Me and My Gal." Kelly later said, "I learned a great deal about making movies doing this first one, and much of it was due to Judy." (Photo credit: Kim Lundgreen via <a href="https://judygarlandnews.com/2019/03/26/on-this-day-in-judy-garlands-life-and-career-march-26/" style="font-size: 19.2px;" target="_blank">judygarlandnews.com</a><span style="font-size: 19.2px;">).</span></td></tr>
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<b>American Homefront:</b> The leaders of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) promise to aid the war effort for the duration of the conflict by curbing strikes.<br />
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Football star Tom Harmon, the winner of the 1940 Heisman Trophy and the first pick in the 1941 NFL draft, enlists in the US Army Air Corps. As a pilot, Harmon will win the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. After four years in the service, he returns to play for the Los Angeles Rams in 1947 and 1948, then enters broadcasting.<br />
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An explosion due to a premature detonation at Sandits Eddy Lehigh Cement five miles outside of Easton, Pennsylvania, kills dozens of men. The explosion is felt 50 miles away.<br />
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<b>Future History: </b>Erica Mann is born in New York City, New York. Under her married name, Erica Jong, she becomes famous as a fiction writer due to her 1973 novel "Fear of Flying," which explores female sexuality and sells 20 million copies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7XtQlHIfSQc/Xxc0cp6ZqrI/AAAAAAAChxA/MQ-XvjddNCIQsW4quzTNshMVtgFw6WDPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Tom_Harmon_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Football star Tom Harmon enlisted in the USAAF on 26 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7XtQlHIfSQc/Xxc0cp6ZqrI/AAAAAAAChxA/MQ-XvjddNCIQsW4quzTNshMVtgFw6WDPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Tom_Harmon_26_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Football star Tom Harmon enlists on 26 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-34343831643878866132020-07-20T03:02:00.008-06:002021-10-25T14:46:29.109-06:00March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Wednesday 25 March 1942</h1>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AMnkXqMhXW0/XxVMfshDK4I/AAAAAAAChvs/sTDtaBzMQJ48yUpxBqmTl_iCavKGytqiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Bainbridge_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bainbridge Island 25 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="640" height="532" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AMnkXqMhXW0/XxVMfshDK4I/AAAAAAAChvs/sTDtaBzMQJ48yUpxBqmTl_iCavKGytqiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Bainbridge_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A US Army soldier hands out copies of Civilian Exclusion Order No. 1 to Bainbridge Island, Washington, residents. All 227 Japanese-Americans on the island are required to vacate the island by the end of the month. <a href="https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsmohai/id/9186/" target="_blank">The Seattle Daily Times</a>, March 30, 1942, page 2. </td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> Heavy fighting continues in Toungoo, Burma, on <b>25 March 1942</b> as the Allied defenses crumble save for desperate Chinese resistance. The Japanese attack the Chinese defensive perimeter at Toungoo on the north, west, and south, trying to overrun what has become a pocket. Behind the Chinese is the Sittang River, and trying to retreat across it while being attacked would be suicidal. The Chinese 200th Division at Toungoo, however, holds its ground for much of the day. Nighttime brings a different result. Around 22:00, Japanese infiltrators gain access through the carefully constructed defenses in the northwestern sector of the perimeter and a ferocious battle begins. A Chinese counterattack fails and they are forced to cede the lost ground, compressing the Chinese bridgehead even further. The Japanese airforce and artillery also manage to destroy a critical bridge over the Sittang, further reducing Chinese chances of retreat.<b><br /></b>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Idv6oCulrM/XxVTS2nQW7I/AAAAAAAChwU/n8xIC9OnFLgXahsBeGvYqZOdVDD_ycH6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/USS_Enterprise_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Men relaxing on USS Enterprise, 25 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="640" height="508" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Idv6oCulrM/XxVTS2nQW7I/AAAAAAAChwU/n8xIC9OnFLgXahsBeGvYqZOdVDD_ycH6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/USS_Enterprise_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photograph was taken 25 March 1942 on the foretop of <a href="https://worldwartwo.filminspector.com/2021/01/uss-enterprise-galloping-ghost-of-wwii.html" target="_blank">USS Enterprise</a> (CV-6). The three men (two reporters and an officer, center) are awaiting news of a strike against Marcus Island (<a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/80-G-66000/80-G-66028.html" target="_blank">US Navy History and Heritage Command</a>).</td></tr>
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It is a busy day in the Pacific for US submarines. They score three successes:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>USS Drum sinks a freighter about 120 miles southwest of Japan;</b></li>
<li><b>USS Pompano sinks a tanker about 70 miles northwest of Okinawa;</b></li>
<li><b>USS Tautog sinks a transport about 460 miles southeast of Ulithi.</b></li>
</ul>
The Japanese bombardment of the Allied position on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines continues. Lieutenant General Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright IV's United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) is hit with salvoes from 190 artillery pieces. These include some of the biggest guns of the war, including 150 mm cannons and even Type 42 240 mm howitzers. Japanese commanding General Homma, however, is not yet ready for a full-scale attack.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rQAOqcon59s/XxVKpHPTicI/AAAAAAAChvk/oFEJwanxb3cfjmV7pfq8pvccy_Zc_tdbACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Joplin_Globe_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Joplin Globe 25 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rQAOqcon59s/XxVKpHPTicI/AAAAAAAChvk/oFEJwanxb3cfjmV7pfq8pvccy_Zc_tdbACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Joplin_Globe_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="530" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 25, 1942, front page of the Joplin Globe, Joplin, Missouri is sunny and bright about the war situation - until you look a little closer. Aside from the tales of vanquishing hordes of Japanese, it also announces the loss of USS Edsall DD-219 and USS Pillsbury DD-227. While the paper "fears" the ships are lost, the US Navy knows full well the Edsall sank on 1 March 1942 and the Pillsbury sank on 2 March 1942. The Navy quickly names new destroyers after these two sunken ships.</td></tr>
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The US 162nd Infantry Regiment of the 41st Infantry Division arrives at Bora Bora in French Polynesia. Companies C and D of the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion disembark from light cruiser USS St. Louis at Midway. They bring a 37 mm gun battery for the 3rd Defense Battalion.<br />
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Japanese submarine HIJMS I-9 launches an E14Y1 reconnaissance "Glen" aircraft to reconnoiter Kiska and Amchitka Islands.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Eastern Front:</b> In the Crimea, Soviet General Kozlov readies his third offensive against the German 11th Army line on the Parpach Narrows for the morning of the 26th. This drive will be aimed at the German strongpoint at Koi-Asan. This will be a much smaller operation than the previous offensives due to the large losses Kozlov's 51st Army has suffered.<br />
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German coast batteries sink Soviet patrol boat CKA-121 off Musketeers Bay, Sevastopol.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-35rrragXAQI/XxVVS2aSK6I/AAAAAAAChwc/9yrvgZfHQnQWm7Ms3IzTw05bhktVK6w4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Royal_Navy_Ships_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Royal Navy ships on maneuvers, 25 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="865" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-35rrragXAQI/XxVVS2aSK6I/AAAAAAAChwc/9yrvgZfHQnQWm7Ms3IzTw05bhktVK6w4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Royal_Navy_Ships_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="472" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Navy ships performing high-speed maneuvers off Fort William, 25 March 1942. © IWM <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205143195" target="_blank">A 9340</a>.</td></tr>
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<b>European Air Operations: </b>During the day, nine Boston bombers with a fighter escort attack the Le Trait, France, shipyard. There are no losses.<br />
<br />
After dark, RAF Bomber Command launches its first major attack in about two weeks. Things do not go particularly well. The RAF sends 254 aircraft (192 Wellingtons, 26 Stirlings, 20 Manchesters, 9 Hampdens, and 7 Lancasters) in a full-strength attack against Essen. Nine aircraft (5 Manchesters, 3 Wellingtons, and 1 Hampden) are lost. The attack is intended to hit the Essen Krupps works, but savvy German deception efforts lure most of the bombers to a phony site at Rheinburg some 18 miles to the west. Damage is extremely light in Essen itself, and the Germans exactly 1627 propaganda leaflets dropped on the town along with 9 bombs and 700 incendiaries. Only one house is destroyed, with five people killed and 11 injured. The Krupp works are undamaged. One bomber on this mission bombs Airfield Haamstede near the town of Haamstede on the island of Schouwen-Duiveland in the southwest of the Netherlands<br />
<br />
In secondary operations, 27 bombers attack St. Nazaire, 38 lay mines off Lorient, and 30 bombers drop leaflets over France. A single bomber hits Lannion airport in Brittany. Two bombers, a Wellington and a Hampden, are lost on these secondary raids. Overall for the night, 11 out of 349 aircraft are lost, a 3.2% loss rate.<br />
<br />
The day is notable for a "first" when US Army pilot Major Cecil P. Lessig becomes the first US Army Air Force pilot to fly a mission over France during World War II. He flies a Spitfire with RAF no. 64 Squadron out of Hornchurch, England. Lessig is part of an abortive sweep of 34 fighters that is recalled when 50 Luftwaffe fighters appear on the scene.<br />
<br />
<b>Battle of the Atlantic:</b> U-105 (KrvKpt. Heinrich Schuch), on its sixth patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 10,389-ton British tanker Narragansett about 400 miles east of Hampton Roads, Virginia. The ship sinks at 06:18, taking all 49 men with it. Schuch had a difficult time with the tanker, missing with two separate salvoes totaling five torpedoes in the early morning hours before finally getting the tanker with two torpedoes.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">HMT Sulla, a minesweeper in the service of the Soviet Navy, sinks in the Arctic due to foul weather.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ILflJYoodlc/XxVQzDiLQ3I/AAAAAAAChwI/KF_usLg1X0AaqxYTnjEWWsBhTcs05EnPwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Greek_Navy_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="New Greek Navy recruits on parade in Alexandria, 25 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="800" height="402" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ILflJYoodlc/XxVQzDiLQ3I/AAAAAAAChwI/KF_usLg1X0AaqxYTnjEWWsBhTcs05EnPwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Greek_Navy_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some 500 new recruits in the Greek Free Navy marching in Alexandria after being sworn in, Egypt, 25 March 1942. © IWM <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205142767" target="_blank">A 8848</a>.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean: </b>Axis airforces have been pounding Malta ever since the Second Battle of Sirte a few days ago. Today, they score two victories, sinking Royal Navy destroyer Legion and submarine P39 in the Grand Harbor, Valletta. Attempts to repair P39 are considered, but later bomb damage seals her fate. She is finally scrapped in 1954. Legion, already damaged by previous bomb damage, also is considered for repair but the damage is too great. She is completely scrapped by 1946.<br />
<br />
British tanker HMS Breconshire, badly damaged during the Second Battle of Sirte, finally is towed into Marsaxlokk Harbour, Malta. The ship carries 5000 tons of oil that are badly needed by the island garrison. The ship has been stranded offshore due to continual Axis air raids ever since the battle. Destroyer HMS Southwold had been protecting her, but it blundered into a British minefield and sank, leaving the tanker defenseless until today.<br />
<br />
<b>UK Government: </b>The ruling Tories lose a by-election in Grantham. This is their first loss since September 1939.<br />
<br />
<b>US Government:</b> The Department of War forms the White Hosue Communications Agency. This office is intended to create secure communications for the President wherever he is.<br />
<br />
<b>Finnish Government: </b>President Risto Ryti writes a <a href="https://histdoc.net/pdf/Ryti_to_Mannerheim,25March1942.pdf" target="_blank">letter</a> to Field Marshal Mannerheim at his headquarters at Mikkeli about a proposed offensive toward the Murmansk railway line that the Germans badly want. Ryti notes that "from an operative point of view" the offensive "can be carried out." While Ryti tells Mannerheim to "use your own discretion," he very strongly hints that it would be a better idea to not attack in order to husband Finland's resources. In addition, he mentions the possibility that "the Germans are forced to retreat on the St. Petersburg front," which would "cause us great difficulties and hazards." Among other considerations is the fear that the United States might declare war on Finland due to such an attack. Ultimately, Mannerheim decides to postpone the attack and, in fact, the attack is never made.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QRJDCikN81c/XxVao-WmfKI/AAAAAAAChwk/5HN2S_UoZjIniQTre3ebftR9IlST_N5tgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/B-25_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="B-25B in Florida, on or about 25 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="640" height="310" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QRJDCikN81c/XxVao-WmfKI/AAAAAAAChwk/5HN2S_UoZjIniQTre3ebftR9IlST_N5tgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/B-25_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North American Aviation B-25B Mitchell 40-2291 at Eglin Field, Florida, March 1942. (U.S. Air Force).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>German Military:</b> An Me 262 fighter prototype is fitted with BMW 003 turbojet engines and flown at Rechlin Airfield north of Berlin. This is the plane's first test flight with its intended jet engines, and it does not go well. Shortly after takeoff, the compressor blades in the jet engine shatter, leaving the Me 262 powerless. However, fortunately for test pilot Fritz Wendel, the prototype still is equipped with a traditional propeller Junkers Jumo 210 G engine in the nose. He switches that on and lands safely. This mishap effectively ends the BMW engine as the one to be used on the plane. The engineers, fortunately, have another jet engine in development, the Junkers Jumo 004 A. They switch to that. Although this sets the program back a few months, that is what testing and test flights are for.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><b><br /></b></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><b>US Military: </b>The US Army activates the 77th Infantry Division at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.<br />
<br />
Some B-26s of the 22nd Bomber Group (Medium) arrive from the United States at Archerfield Aerodrome, Brisbane. This is part of the standard ferry operation from the States to Australia via the South Pacific.<br />
<br />
General Douglas MacArthur visits Lt. General George Brett, the man he replaced in charge of Allied forces in Australia. Brett, who still commands all air units in the Theater, recalls that MacArthur expressed "contempt" for the air units. Brett also recalls MacArthur saying that the Philippines were lost, but not due to anything MacArthur had done. Specifically, Brett recalls MacArthur saying about the air units, "They lack discipline, organization, purposeful intent." MacArthur has a reputation of preferring to deal only with his personal cronies, and Brett is not counted among them.<br />
<br />
USS California, a battleship sunk during the 7 December 1941 Pearl Harbor raid, is re-floated today and dry-docked for repairs. Restoring her to service will take until 31 January 1944, after which she earns a total of seven battle stars during the war.<br />
<br />
Twenty-two North American Aviation B-25B Mitchell twin-engine medium bombers of the 34th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 17th Bombardment Group (Medium), U.S. Army Air Force, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Harold Doolittle, begin a two-day, low-level, transcontinental flight to the Sacramento Air Depot, McClellan Field, California. These bombers will participate in the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo.<br />
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<b>Holocaust: </b>A train carrying 997 young women departs from Poprad railway station in the Slovak Republic bound for Auschwitz. This is the first mass transport by trains of Jews to the extermination camp.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YY0WyQ6g1hY/XxVP-xjOoTI/AAAAAAAChwA/1hCQN6kcc8wzTgVfR6I0CuieL8CtH2SnQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Athens_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Greek Independence Day parade in Athens, Greece, 25 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="640" height="432" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YY0WyQ6g1hY/XxVP-xjOoTI/AAAAAAAChwA/1hCQN6kcc8wzTgVfR6I0CuieL8CtH2SnQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Athens_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greeks march in the streets of Athens to celebrate National Independence Day on 25 March 1942. They carry a large Greek flag and sing patriotic songs (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/127906254@N06/24519736176/" target="_blank">National Museum of the US Navy</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Greece:</b> Greeks defiantly march in the streets of Athens to celebrate National Independence Day. This is very dangerous due to the occupation and the parade is quickly dispersed.<br />
<br />
<b>Future History: </b>Aretha Louise Franklin is born in Memphis, Tennessee. After singing gospel in her local church in Detroit, Michigan, Aretha becomes a recording artist at first Columbia Records and then Atlantic Records. She has a string of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, including "Respect," "Think," and "I Say a Little Prayer." Aretha Franklin passes away on 16 August 2018.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QUsvi41dZnI/XxVNlWTTPUI/AAAAAAAChv0/M0kvzQRM-gsZjGPe3rzm_K1GgU8kHeNEgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Sailing_Shipos_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sailing vessels in Boston Harbor, 25 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="640" height="488" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QUsvi41dZnI/XxVNlWTTPUI/AAAAAAAChv0/M0kvzQRM-gsZjGPe3rzm_K1GgU8kHeNEgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Sailing_Shipos_25_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sailing ships apparently in Boston Harbor, 25 March 1942. <a href="https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:3r0756205" target="_blank">Boston Public Library</a>.</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-10531963006148620592020-07-18T20:49:00.003-06:002020-08-09T11:59:53.260-06:00March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Tuesday 24 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6P5qOJiYW78/XxOwFd09oHI/AAAAAAAChu0/Ti8CB6-bvUk6HvHXfZe0d2HyVlbJLLCigCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Nippon_News_March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Japanese soldiers 24 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="640" height="390" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6P5qOJiYW78/XxOwFd09oHI/AAAAAAAChu0/Ti8CB6-bvUk6HvHXfZe0d2HyVlbJLLCigCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Nippon_News_March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese soldiers setting out on a mission, Nippon News, Number 094, Nippon News, No. 094, March 24, 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> Chinese infantry in Burma is falling back on 24 March 1942 as Allied defenses continue to crumble. A determined Japanese attack by the 55th Division along the Yunnan-Burma Road north of the Kan River takes the Toungoo airfield and a nearby railroad station. This compels the Chinese 200th Division to evacuate fortified positions at Oktwin and fall back on Toungoo. The 112th Japanese Regiment follows close behind in the jungle and wooded area. The Chinese take advantage of the city walls of Toungoo but have a tenuous supply line to the east. The Burma 1st Division, meanwhile, was helping the defense of Toungoo but is forced to withdraw to the Irrawaddy River. The Japanese plan an assault on Toungoo for the morning of the 25th.<br />
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The Japanese are eager to set their final conquest of the Philippines in motion, and General Masaharu Homma is under heavy pressure to move fast. Today, the Japanese begin a concentrated air and artillery bombardment of the Allied positions on Bataan and Corregidor. Japanese bombers also attack at night for the first time. All is not bad for the Allies, however. Fortuitously, a Filipino patrol captures orders from a dead Japanese officer. They spell out a plan to take Mount Samac on 26 March. This geographical feature divides the 1st and 2nd US Corps sectors and is a potential weak spot in the line. Having this warning enables the US Army to prepare its defenses in the area.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vrxNam0snZQ/XxOyM0Jb_AI/AAAAAAAChu8/j81pn_wyS4wzXnAoqG51lLj5LxGU5664wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/LA-Examiner-March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Los Angeles Examiner 24 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vrxNam0snZQ/XxOyM0Jb_AI/AAAAAAAChu8/j81pn_wyS4wzXnAoqG51lLj5LxGU5664wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/LA-Examiner-March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Los Angeles Examiner of 24 March 1942 trumpets the relocation scheme for Japanese-Americans which is just starting to gear up.</td></tr>
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Ten P-40s of the 1st Fighter Squadron of the Flying Tigers (AVG) conduct a long-range mission from Kunming Aerodrome, China, against Chiengmai Aerodrome in Thailand. This requires staging through Loiwing and Namsang, Burma. The Japanese are taken completely by surprise by the air raid, which is from 07:10 to 07:25. The AVG fighters strafe the airfield and destroy fifteen Japanese bombers on the ground at a cost of two P-40s lost to ground fire. One of the AVG pilots perishes and the other eventually is taken prisoner after eluding capture for four weeks.<br />
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In the Solomon Islands, Australian coastwatchers Don McFarland, Martin Clemens, and Ken Hay set up a post on the isolated west coast of Guadalcanal at the town of Lavor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--NUhC06cJIM/XxOLshdEyII/AAAAAAAChuI/WSYypZnUsUojtSOSCgr4JwF4xNTFbZxsACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Daily_Gleaner-March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Daily Gleaner 24 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--NUhC06cJIM/XxOLshdEyII/AAAAAAAChuI/WSYypZnUsUojtSOSCgr4JwF4xNTFbZxsACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Daily_Gleaner-March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Western media remains quite positive about the war situation despite a very grim actual situation. Kingston (Jamaica) Gleaner, 24 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> The German relief attempt, Operation Brueckenschlag, to rescue the almost 100,000 troops trapped at Demyansk makes more progress today. General Seydlitz's men reach the Redya River, halfway to the Lovat. The weather has warmed up sufficiently for the ground to turn to slush. The Soviets are bringing in major reinforcements from the north and south in the valleys of both the Redya and the Lovat. In addition, a Soviet parachute brigade has landed within the pocket itself, though it is accomplishing little. This has been the easiest part of the advance for the Germans, however, as the forests between the Redya and Lovat are extremely dense and roadless.<br />
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The German 11th Army is still locked in a tight stalemate with General Kozlov's 51st Army on the Kerch Peninsula of the Crimea. The weather has improved enough for the Luftwaffe to build up its forces after replenishment back in the Reich. Today, KG 51 attacks Tuapse again to try to isolate Kozlov's troops. The Junkers Ju 88s sink transports Yalta and Neva. Despite this, Kozlov is preparing a third offensive to break through the Parpach Narrows. This is planned for 26 March 1942.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EDk7DGGtdIA/XxOMm3aXYYI/AAAAAAAChuQ/sNiwXzsYiCsJVqh574yF2lVMIsOh1ddUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Pravda-March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pravda 24 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EDk7DGGtdIA/XxOMm3aXYYI/AAAAAAAChuQ/sNiwXzsYiCsJVqh574yF2lVMIsOh1ddUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Pravda-March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="465" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pravda, 24 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>European Air Operations: </b>A winter lull is still in effect, but things are slowly starting to pick up. During the day, a dozen Bostons attack the Comines power station and another half-dozen attack the Abbeville railway station. The Abbeville raid is probably designed to entice up JG-26, which is stationed there, for combat, but it doesn't result in any action. After dark, RAF Bomber Command sends 35 bombers to lay mines off the submarine pens at Lorient. A Hampden and a Lancaster (RAF No. 44 Squadron) are lost, the first RAF losses in 11 days and nights. This is the first Lancaster lost on an operation.<br />
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Training and routine patrols often lead to losses for a variety of reasons: fatigue, poor maintenance, bad weather, inexperience, etc. Today, an RAF No. 820 Squadron Albacore crashes on takeoff at Habston in the Orkneys. The three crewmen are lost.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PsxNDGxn9bY/XxOsXJYn1DI/AAAAAAAChus/UjNr4WKyPVUNr4knfwkgV3N9lYDwErIpACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/SEC-March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="SEC headquarters 24 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="640" height="490" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PsxNDGxn9bY/XxOsXJYn1DI/AAAAAAAChus/UjNr4WKyPVUNr4knfwkgV3N9lYDwErIpACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/SEC-March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Staff at the Securities and Exchange Commission headquarters in Philadelphia, March 24, 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic: </b>In the Barents Sea, Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Sharpshooter spots a U-boat southeast of Bear Island and rams it. It is U-655 (KrvKpt. Adolf Dumrese), on its first patrol out of Helgoland. U-655 does not sink or damage any ships during its brief career. All 45 men aboard perish.<br />
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U-123 (Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen), on its 8th patrol out of Lorient, continues a very successful patrol. At 03:01, U-123 torpedoes and sinks 8138-ton British tanker Empire Steel northeast of Bermuda (east of Delaware). This follows a 5-hour pursuit of the tanker. Hardegen gets impatient when the tanker refuses to sinks and surfaces to fire nine rounds from his deck gun. There are 39 deaths and eight survivors, who are picked up by the US tug Edmund J. Moran, which spots them while towing another vessel, 5184-ton passenger vessel Robert E. Lee.<br />
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German minesweeper M-3615 hits a mine and sinks just outside the port of Ostend. There are 15 deaths. The wreck was salvaged and scrapped in 1950.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u2JzTkbI1Ec/XxOrYgownmI/AAAAAAAChuk/YMzd_WVY2Ykm1uymToQypA6GDw0hyrliwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Daily_Review-Star-March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Nassau Daily Review-Star 24 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="640" height="392" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u2JzTkbI1Ec/XxOrYgownmI/AAAAAAAChuk/YMzd_WVY2Ykm1uymToQypA6GDw0hyrliwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Daily_Review-Star-March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything is okay on that pesky war front, with the Japanese already losing according to the 24 March 1942 Nassau (Long Island, NY) Daily Review-Star.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean: </b>Royal Navy destroyer Southwold (Cdr C T Jellicoe), returning from the Second Battle of Sirte, sinks just under two miles off Malta due to an accident involving a British mine. There are five deaths. The wreck is still visible but is too deep for sport diving at 70 meters (230 feet).<br />
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<b>Anglo/Sino Relations: </b>Relations between the British and Chinese remain tense due to the Tulsa Incident, but British General Harold Alexander, General Officer Commanding Burma Army, and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek meet to talk things over.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U7h2hYijZMY/XxONq7mnUQI/AAAAAAAChuc/WOB77K-0xEglUrDAy2WttoMTA9ywHXyDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Murder_Inc-March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Vito Gurino 24 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U7h2hYijZMY/XxONq7mnUQI/AAAAAAAChuc/WOB77K-0xEglUrDAy2WttoMTA9ywHXyDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Murder_Inc-March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="384" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the real front-page hot story from the Long Island newspaper: "Vito Gurino, formerly of Brooklyn's famous Murder, Inc., is seen on the left as he appeared when he was brought to Nassau county court yesterday to plead guilty to second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of John Bagdonowiz in Albertson in 1933. He is shown handcuffed to Detective Sergeant Charles Snyder of the Nassau County warrant squad." (Page 1, Nassau Daily Review-Star, 24 March 1942).</td></tr>
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<b>US Military:</b> The Combined Joint Chiefs of Staff institutionalize a decision made previously between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill and formally give control of the Pacific Theater of Operations to the United States.<br />
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The 23rd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) of the 7th Air Force transfers within Hawaii from Hickam Field to Mokuleia. The B-17s will fly patrols from there.<br />
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The 91st Bombardment Squadron, 27 Bomber Group begins moving its A-24s from Brisbane, Australia, to Charters Towers. The ground echelon for this unit remains trapped in Bataan.<br />
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<b>American Homefront:</b> In San Diego, 20th Century Fox premieres "To the Shores of Tripoli" directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring John Payne, Maureen O'Hara, and Randolph Scott. The film is notable for being shot in Technicolor and having portions of the film shot at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. The film is a success and greatly aids Marine recruiting during World War II.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d2sSx28NcCU/XxOJyzs9dlI/AAAAAAAChuA/aPUDZ16jCD0CdKiT2tkFJUx8Us5bmupVQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Look-Magazine-March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Look magazine 24 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="640" height="434" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d2sSx28NcCU/XxOJyzs9dlI/AAAAAAAChuA/aPUDZ16jCD0CdKiT2tkFJUx8Us5bmupVQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Look-Magazine-March-24-1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look magazine, 24 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-39166357810391105082020-07-13T19:24:00.004-06:002020-08-09T11:59:23.793-06:00March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Monday 23 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lpobNh__f4E/Xw0E6xFTqkI/AAAAAAAChtM/pScXcj8CfXUKwik6yDIbFAXrhJPtBeStACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Andaman_Islands_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Andaman Islands invasion, 23 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="640" height="356" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lpobNh__f4E/Xw0E6xFTqkI/AAAAAAAChtM/pScXcj8CfXUKwik6yDIbFAXrhJPtBeStACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Andaman_Islands_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese troops land on the Andaman Islands, 23 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<div>
<b>German Military:</b> While to all appearances the western borders of the Greater Reich are peaceful and secure on 23 March 1942, Hitler does not believe what everyone else is seeing. Instead, Hitler views the Atlantic coastline as being wide open to an imminent invasion by enemy forces. Accordingly, Fuhrer headquarters issues <a href="http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/40.html" target="_blank">Fuhrer Directive No. 40</a>, "Competence Of Commands In Coastal Areas." The intent behind the Directive is made clear in the opening lines:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>The coastline of Europe will, in the coming months, be exposed to the danger of an enemy landing in force. The time and place of the landing operations will not be dictated to the enemy by operational considerations alone. Failure in other theatres of war, obligations to allies, and political considerations may persuade him to take decisions that appear unlikely from a purely military point of view.</b></blockquote>
This is Hitler's first concrete admission that the Reich has gone over to the defensive in a major theater of operations. It comes barely a month after the 13 February 1942 cancellation of projected Operation Sealion, showing just how subtly but quickly the tides shift during World War II.<br />
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While not one of Hitler's better-known Directives, it is early evidence of operational tendencies that will become dominant themes within the command of the Reich for the remainder of the war. One of these is the priority of political over military considerations, a typical Hitler trait which he here projects upon his adversaries. Another is his command that "Enemy forces which have landed must be destroyed or thrown back into the sea by immediate counterattack" - an all-or-none philosophy that simply assumes sufficient superiority to ward off any attacks and does not require skill or strategy.<br />
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Fuhrer Directive 40 might be viewed as simply a belt-and-suspenders safety precaution. However, diving deeper into the Directive shows real concern, almost fear. Most significant are admonitions that "Fortified areas and strongpoints will be defended to the last man" and "No Headquarters or formation is to initiate withdrawal in such circumstances." Concerns about fighting to the last cartridge are not the mark of a commander secure in the overwhelming power of his forces. These two rules - no retreat and fighting to the last man - will become the basic Wehrmacht policy in virtually every situation before long.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ODyrJ-jJuRI/Xwz7ztAcJfI/AAAAAAAChsM/5lphn-lckTQBAuevoSuyXiTnM0Rg3dOjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Newsweek_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Newsweek 23 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ODyrJ-jJuRI/Xwz7ztAcJfI/AAAAAAAChsM/5lphn-lckTQBAuevoSuyXiTnM0Rg3dOjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Newsweek_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="470" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newsweek Magazine, 23 March 1942 features "Chinese Army: Key to Far East Strategy."</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> The Japanese occupy the undefended Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean. The landing by a battalion of the 18th Division at Ross And Chatham Island is supported by aircraft carrier Ryujo. The invading force quickly takes the naval installation at Port Blair. The tiny British garrison (most were evacuated in January) is sent to Singapore for imprisonment, while local officials such as Chief Commissioner Waterfall and Deputy Commissioner Major A. G. Bird are imprisoned locally.<br />
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The purpose of taking the Andaman Islands is to protect the sea route from Singapore to Burma. An airbase is operational by the end of March. This is the farthest point of Japanese expansion into the Indian Ocean aside from the occupation of Burmese territory to the northwest. It also is the only part of India that is occupied more than temporarily and remains in Axis possession until 1945. As in Singapore, the Japanese quickly enroll Indian soldiers in the Andaman Islands into Subash Chandra Bose's Indian National Army. Civilians are soon forced into sexual servitude and forced labor.<br />
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Since General MacArthur escaped to Australia about ten days ago, world attention has drifted away from the embattled Allied forces in the Philippines. In fact, both sides are having issues, the Americans low on supplies because of the Japanese blockade and the Japanese with 13,000 troops in the hospital and daily rations in the 14th Army cut from 62 to 23 ounces. General Gomma Masaharu is under heavy pressure from Tokyo to wrap up the campaign, so he plans an attack through the center of the Allied line to Mount Samat and then around the base of the mountain. General Wainwright ignores repeated Japanese demands that he surrender, relying on 32,000 troops in the I Corps area in the west and 28,000 troops in the II Corps on the eastern half of the Bataan defensive line (the Main Defensive Line).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2T3q4hlAJOE/Xw0BYlw9XAI/AAAAAAAChs4/QJP-sHq_yR8z7KPsN_FCoWhB7tZmgNgPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Decatur_Daily_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Decatur Daily, 23 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2T3q4hlAJOE/Xw0BYlw9XAI/AAAAAAAChs4/QJP-sHq_yR8z7KPsN_FCoWhB7tZmgNgPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Decatur_Daily_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US newspapers remain very positive about the war, with optimistic headlines such as this one in the Decatur (Alabama) Daily of 23 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> The German relief effort aimed at the Demyansk pocket continues to make steady progress in weather that hovers around the freezing mark. Several regiments approach the Redya River, a key landmark in the wilderness, but they remain less than halfway to their real objective. Meanwhile, the Soviets are busy shipping in reinforcements from both the north and south, and the battle is becoming a race between the Germans heading east and the Soviets trying to cut them off. Two Soviet parachute brigades also are dropped into the Demyansk pocket itself but accomplish little.<br />
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<b>Battle of the Black Sea: </b>A Luftwaffe raid on Tuapse, on the Black Sea coast south of Rostov, sinks a motor torpedo boat and 2121-ton minelayer Ostrovskiy (some sources indicate 611-ton transport Yalta also is sunk today). The planes also damage two Soviet submarines, S-33 and D-5. Another German aircraft sinks 2690-ton Soviet transport Vasiliy Chapaev near Kherson (Ukraine) lighthouse. These attacks by Junkers Ju 88s of KG 51 are intended to provide indirect relief to the Germans in the Crimea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6MFGVmYJEMo/Xw0CKXssXtI/AAAAAAAChtA/-QcL1VO7FA8uNnolkFnVHQ_kk5KEDFQngCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Japanese_farmer_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bainbridge Island, 23 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="640" height="458" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6MFGVmYJEMo/Xw0CKXssXtI/AAAAAAAChtA/-QcL1VO7FA8uNnolkFnVHQ_kk5KEDFQngCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Japanese_farmer_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"A Japanese farmer and his daughter view the strawberry farm they must leave on Bainbridge Island, in Washington, on March 23, 1942." (Library of Congress).</td></tr>
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<b>European Air Operations: </b>A fairly quiet period in the air war continues on 23 March 1942. A dozen Hampdens, three Stirlings, and two Manchester bombers conduct minelaying operations off the submarine base of Lorient in southwest France. The Stirlings engage in the minelaying campaign for the first time.<br />
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic: </b>U-754 (Kptlt. Hans Oestermann), on its second patrol out of Brest, torpedoes and sinks 8620-ton British tanker British Prudence northeast of Halifax. British Prudence is a straggler from Convoy HX-181. There are 47 survivors and three deaths.<br />
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U-553 (Kptlt. Karl Thurmann), on its sixth patrol out of St. Nazaire, torpedoes and sinks 8106-ton British tanker MV Diala about 300 miles southeast of Cape Race, but today's action that actually sinks the tanker is the conclusion of a long story. The Diala was initially torpedoed on 15 January 1942 by U-553, which burned but did not sink. Its crew quickly abandoned the tanker, which had had its bow blown off, but <i>another </i>sunken ship's crew (from the Athelcrown, sunk by U-82 on 22 January 1942) later spotted the drifting vessel and boarded it. The Athelcrown crew was rescued from the Diala after another eight days. The Diala itself thereafter continued to drift after attempts to tow it proved unsuccessful. Today, 23 March 1942, over two months later, it finally receives the coup de grace from U-587 (Kptlt. Ulrich Borcherdt). This is one of those bizarre sequences that add to the mystery and lore of the North Atlantic convoys.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IgbZrnM1mVk/Xwz-DgGKNOI/AAAAAAAChsc/K-gesONTGOQqg4oVn6fghA4JBNgrWoprgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Catalinas_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PBY Catalinas over Iceland, 23 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="640" height="472" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IgbZrnM1mVk/Xwz-DgGKNOI/AAAAAAAChsc/K-gesONTGOQqg4oVn6fghA4JBNgrWoprgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Catalinas_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">Consolidated PBY Catalinas of the VP-73 (US Navy patrol squadron) over Reykjavik, Iceland, March 23, 1942.</td></tr>
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U-124 (Kptlt. Johann Mohr), on its eighth patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 5373-ton US freighter Naeco about 65 miles southeast of Cape Lookout, North Carolina. There are 24 dead and 14 survivors. This concludes a very successful patrol for Captain Mohr, whose U-124 has sunk seven ships (42,048 tons) and damaged three others (26,167 tons) since 14 March 1942. It appears Mohr only broke off the patrol so soon because he ran out of torpedoes.<br />
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Italian submarine Morosini (C.C. Fraternale) torpedoes and sinks 9741-ton British tanker Peder Bogen about 680 miles southeast of Bermuda. The submarine surfaces and uses its deck gun when the tanker does not sink right away. All 53 men on board the Peder Bogen survive.<br />
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In the far South Atlantic northeast of Tristan da Cunha, German auxiliary cruiser Thor captures and scuttles 3942-ton Greek collier Pagasitikos.<br />
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Convoy WS 17 departs from Oversay bound for Freetown. This is a major convoy whose escort includes aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. Many of the ships will take a full month to reach Durban and almost two months to reach Bombay, India.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7zvxEddgZ8/Xwz_znRTnXI/AAAAAAAChsw/LrTp7BrKHOIrXX2zhnIO3jipllO7awe7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Dasheshism_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The founding of Daheshism, 23 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7zvxEddgZ8/Xwz_znRTnXI/AAAAAAAChsw/LrTp7BrKHOIrXX2zhnIO3jipllO7awe7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Dasheshism_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Dahesh (a pen name for Salim Moussa Achi) proclaims Daheshism in this Lebanon dwelling on 23 March 1942. Daheshism focuses on the immortality of the spirit and reincarnation. Daheshism retains popularity in the Arabic world. </td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean:</b> The Second Battle of Sirte that began on 22 March 1942 continues today. Unlike yesterday, however, the main threat to the British is air attack, as the Italian fleet has withdrawn. The Axis planes sink one freighter, 7255-ton MS Clan Campbell, about 50 miles (80 km) from its destination in Malta and badly damage oil tanker Breconshire. Two other freighters, however, make port in Valletta, where they are subjected to intense aerial attacks in the coming days. While Breconshire is towed into port, it will succumb to these attacks and capsize on 27 March 1942.<br />
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Italian destroyer Lanciere, heading from Messina, Sicily, toward the Second Battle of Sirte, sinks due to the weather after seawater contaminates its fuel in rough seas. Italian destroyer Scirocco also sinks in the same storm, with only two survivors.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fFuamkLjUu0/Xwz-zeJHcPI/AAAAAAAChsk/kRlPR17C0hMeifg_X2xLI1f_gFZQIoPDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Manzanar_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Manzanar Internment camp, 23 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="640" height="476" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fFuamkLjUu0/Xwz-zeJHcPI/AAAAAAAChsk/kRlPR17C0hMeifg_X2xLI1f_gFZQIoPDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Manzanar_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese-Americans relocated from Los Angeles to their new home at Manzanar take their first meal there on 23 March 1942 (AP Photo).</td></tr>
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<b>US Military:</b> The Army begins construction of Otter Point Airfield on Umnak Island. This base will cover Dutch Harbor on nearby Unalaska Island and the main US base in the Aleutian Island chain. The ground is soft, so Marston matting is used for the 5000-foot runway.<br />
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<b>American Homefront:</b> Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt, the Western Defense Commander, issues his first Civilian Exclusion Order. This compels residents of Japanese ancestry to leave Bainbridge Island, Washington, before 30 March 1942. The entire West Coast of the United States has been declared a "Theater of War" since shortly after the 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.<br />
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James Sakamoto writes a <a href="https://lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/collections/exhibits/harmony/exhibit/documents/correspondence/fdr" target="_blank">letter</a> on behalf of "American Citizens of Japanese parentage" to President Roosevelt. He comments that "We shall obey willingly" relocation orders and "shall continue to trust you and to give our allegiance to the ideals you enunciate." He asks that the US provide "some refuge in the heart of the country far removed from even the suspicion or possibility to do harm. We have helped to feed the nation in the past." Sakamoto also acknowledges that "there have been dissident elements among us, often unknown to ourselves" but that the government can "Restore our good name to us" by removing those of Japanese ancestry from sensitive areas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3p0S_h4qk50/Xwz3wmcOJMI/AAAAAAAChsE/P8n_CxAj6lIfB9wwfd2HerrxfDl-X8UqACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Life_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Life magazine, 23 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3p0S_h4qk50/Xwz3wmcOJMI/AAAAAAAChsE/P8n_CxAj6lIfB9wwfd2HerrxfDl-X8UqACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Life_23_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life magazine, 23 March 1942.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-23515898543346681152020-07-12T22:21:00.005-06:002020-08-09T11:58:53.937-06:00March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Sunday 22 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y2aQqYHyOVA/XwvcRRECa9I/AAAAAAAChro/wumUEbHvcosKWPI2xvSYGZFB5-r1pr0_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ATS_22_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ATS Recruitment 22 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y2aQqYHyOVA/XwvcRRECa9I/AAAAAAAChro/wumUEbHvcosKWPI2xvSYGZFB5-r1pr0_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/ATS_22_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) recruiting parade in Rishon le-Zion (Rishon LeTsiyon) on March 22, 1942 (Esther Herlitz, <a href="https://jwa.org/media/ats-3-still-image" target="_blank">Jewish Women's Archive</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> In Burma (Myanmar), the British Burma Corps under Lieutenant General William Slim gives up its biggest remaining foothold when they abandon the airfield at Magwe (Magway) on <b>22 March 1942</b>. This opens up the Irrawaddy River valley, where the Japanese are eager to occupy the Yenangyaung oil fields. It will take the Japanese a few weeks to bring the 33rd Division into position for a set-piece attack on the oil field. The British are short of supplies, especially water, and are counting on newly arrived Chinese troops to help hold the oil.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jaPhZm8tlEQ/XwvX4H02l3I/AAAAAAAChrQ/EhFAEfJSaF40TzAY288007vi7PUBnGHRACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Time_22_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Time magazine cover of General Yamashita 22 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jaPhZm8tlEQ/XwvX4H02l3I/AAAAAAAChrQ/EhFAEfJSaF40TzAY288007vi7PUBnGHRACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Time_22_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.jpg" title="" width="468" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese General Yamashita, leader in the Philippines, on the cover of the 22 March 1942 Time magazine.</td></tr>
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> The stalemate on the Kerch Peninsula in the Crimea continues. Two Soviet attacks to break it have failed, while the most recent attempt by the German 22nd Panzer Division also has failed. Soviet General Kozlov is preparing for a third attack on the German strongpoint at Koi-Asan which is scheduled to begin on 26 March. Both sides have taken heavy casualties during these battles, but the unsuccessful Soviet attacks have been particularly hard on their own forces. However, Stalin is insistent that the attacks continue because he sees this as a continuation of the successful winter counteroffensives even though winter is rapidly turning into spring this far south.<br />
<br />
The temperature rises above freezing on the front north of Moscow, where the German Operation Brueckenschlag enters its second day toward the pocket at Demyansk. The Germans make good progress against spotty Soviet resistance. The first objective, the Redyat River, is coming within sight, but the snow is turning to slush, which favors the defense. The Soviets are determined to take the pocket before it is relieved and are sending in reinforcements from both the north and south. They also are preparing two paratrooper brigades to land in the Demyansk pocket and take it from within.<br />
<br />
<b>European Air Operations: </b>It is a quiet day on the Channel front, with no major operations.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wekNHK2KMrs/XwvdldR_DqI/AAAAAAAChrw/tH4gwE2mH-UUoaXxEoD_LwAb5t39LU-BQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Navy_22_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Greenville SC News, 22 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wekNHK2KMrs/XwvdldR_DqI/AAAAAAAChrw/tH4gwE2mH-UUoaXxEoD_LwAb5t39LU-BQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Navy_22_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Navy Asks For More Men For Production" is a headline in the 22 March 1942 Greenville (South Carolina) News.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic: </b>U-123 (Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen), on its eighth patrol out of Lorient, gets its first success of a highly successful cruise off the east coast of the United States. Hardegen puts one torpedo into 7034-ton U.S. tanker Muskogee about 335 miles north-northeast of Bermuda. The torpedo hits the engine room and the tanker sinks quickly. While ten survivors make it onto rafts and are questioned by Hardegen, all 34 men aboard the Muskogee disappear and never see land again.<br />
<br />
U-373 (Oblt. Paul-Karl Loeser), on its fourth patrol out of La Pallice, torpedoes and sinks 5575-ton British freighter Thursobank about 200 miles southeast of Nantucket. There are 30 dead and 34 survivors. This incident has a peculiar case of mutiny after the sinking when Chinese crewmen, who outnumber the British survivors, refuse to share their food with the British. The Chinese crewmen are arrested when rescued after three days by passing tanker Havsten.<br />
<br />
Seas are rough along the North Atlantic convoy routes. One ship, 5786-ton Norwegian tanker Nueva Andalucia, runs aground off Mars Rock, Halifax Harbor. It is ultimately is towed to port but not repaired until 1947. All 39 men aboard survive.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xoMZvVqICaY/XwvbQtuugxI/AAAAAAAChrg/7eanzu0DkQgZB-Pb2HovWRJII3_phod1ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Malta_22_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bomb damage in Malta, 22 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="640" height="484" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xoMZvVqICaY/XwvbQtuugxI/AAAAAAAChrg/7eanzu0DkQgZB-Pb2HovWRJII3_phod1ACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Malta_22_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bomb damage in Malta on or about 22 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean: </b>As a Royal Navy convoy approaches Malta, it is attacked by sustained Axis air power and also aggressive moves by the Italian Navy. The Italian battleship Littorio and several Italian cruisers keep the British on the defensive. Littorio damages Royal Navy destroyer HMS Havock with a near-miss. Destroyer Kingston also is badly damaged. Three of four freighters ultimately make it to Valletta but the port itself comes under heavy air attack. The Italians, though having the advantage, break off the attack at nightfall and head back to port. The battle is considered an Italian tactical victory but a Royal Navy strategic victory because the Italians fail at their objective of destroying or turning back the convoy.<br />
<br />
<b>Propaganda/Partisans</b>: The BBC begins sending news in Morse Code to resistance fighters on the Continent.<br />
<br />
<b>British/Indian Relations: </b>Sir Stafford Cripps is in India (the "Cripps Mission") attempting to arrange a settlement with Indian nationalists. Cripps is friends with Jawaharlal Nehru, but he has an unclear mandate from the British government. The British viceroy, Lord Linlithgow, is hostile to the Cripps Mission, and with good reason - one of Cripps' proposals is to remove Linlithgow. Cripps is only able to promise what the Indian Nationalists want - Dominion Status and ultimately full independence - after the war. Ultimately, the Cripps Mission fails. Mahatma Gandhi comments sarcastically that Cripps' promise of Dominion Status after the war was a "post-dated cheque drawn on a failing bank."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YS4DiTEQ-Dk/XwvfcBi4XdI/AAAAAAAChr4/y1I3_aYeIwsGkyWtbbksPBJJ-PDSp-FZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Solar_22_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector_1..jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Article on solar power, 22 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YS4DiTEQ-Dk/XwvfcBi4XdI/AAAAAAAChr4/y1I3_aYeIwsGkyWtbbksPBJJ-PDSp-FZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Solar_22_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector_1..jpg" title="" width="452" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Frank Thone poses an interesting question about solar power in the 22 March 1942 Galveston (Texas) Daily News.</td></tr>
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<b>American Homefront:</b> The Japanese-American internment camp at Manzanar officially opens pursuant to Executive Order 9066 of 19 February 1942 signed by President Franklin Roosevelt. This is the first internment camp to open. At first, Manzanar is known euphemistically as the "Owens Valley Reception Center." It will acquire its better-known name of the Manzanar War Relocation Center on 1 June 1942. The first Japanese-Americans that arrive help to build the camp under the auspices of the US Army's Wartime Civilian Control Administration (WCCA).<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3P1JqFyrrg/XwvY18Af5_I/AAAAAAAChrY/FS36LotkJSALDxRvGvwZoE9vCwSSHxxRACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Chevrolet_22_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Chevrolet ad, 22 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="926" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3P1JqFyrrg/XwvY18Af5_I/AAAAAAAChrY/FS36LotkJSALDxRvGvwZoE9vCwSSHxxRACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Chevrolet_22_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" title="" width="442" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All production of automobiles has been halted due to the war situation. So, with no 1942 models to sell, dealerships are selling whatever they can find. In this case, it is 1940 Chevrolet with "lovely mohair upholstery". Lewiston (Idaho) Tribune, March 22, 1942.</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-78061876063114327092020-07-11T18:03:00.004-06:002021-11-12T23:53:06.533-07:00August 9, 1939: Goering's Fateful Vow<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Wednesday 9 August 1939</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MpQDARaCak0/XwpP8Rad1GI/AAAAAAAChqE/CDBGlJclf5QgZc1QaP1ZEsfjSvmSE9kggCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Goering_Saying_9_August_1939_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="RAF bomber quoting Hermann Goering's 9 August 1939 boast worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="640" height="474" itemprop="image" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MpQDARaCak0/XwpP8Rad1GI/AAAAAAAChqE/CDBGlJclf5QgZc1QaP1ZEsfjSvmSE9kggCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Goering_Saying_9_August_1939_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As its nose art, this RAF bomber quotes Hermann Goering as saying "No enemy bomber will operate over the Reich territory" (Life).</td></tr>
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<b><br /></b></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><b>German Government: </b>On <b itemprop="name">9 August 1939</b>, <a href="https://worldwartwo.filminspector.com/2014/06/hermann-goering-reichsmarshall-and.html" target="_blank">Hermann Goering</a> (Göring), the head of the Luftwaffe, makes a prediction:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>The Ruhr will not be subjected to a single bomb. If an enemy bomber reaches the Ruhr, my name is not Hermann Göring: you can call me Meyer!</b></blockquote>
The phrase "I want to be called Meyer if …." is a typical German idiom meant to imply that the thing mentioned is impossible. While some view Goering's use of the word Meyer (or Meier) as being an insult to Jews, that does not appear to have been the intent. In fact, Meyer (spelled in different ways) is the second most common surname in Germany.<br />
<br />
The promise, of course, is quickly broken. Some Allied bomber crews even paint the phrase or a variation of it on the noses of their aircraft as a sort of impudent rebuke. By 1945, Berlin's air raid sirens become known to the city's residents as "Meier's trumpets," or "Meier's hunting horns." However, Goering himself remains popular with the people even during the last days of the Battle of Berlin.<br />
<br />
At Berchtesgaden, Adolf Hitler holds a conference on the Danzig (Gdansk) situation with Albert Foster, the NSDAP Gauleiter for the city. The plan is for Foster to stage "agitations" for a German annexation of the city and prepare the way for the entry of German troops, many of whom will be arriving before the outbreak of hostilities in plain clothes. Hitler has a full slate of meetings scheduled for this week during which he announces his fateful plans for the outbreak of World War II.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iV3fTug-I88/XwpQyf63YMI/AAAAAAAChqM/PShRyOlU3dg871zycINB_o79MjYsQdoZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Phyllis_Gordon_9_August_1939_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="RAF bomber quoting Hermann Goering's 9 August 1939 boast worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="640" height="500" itemprop="image" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iV3fTug-I88/XwpQyf63YMI/AAAAAAAChqM/PShRyOlU3dg871zycINB_o79MjYsQdoZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Phyllis_Gordon_9_August_1939_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silent film actress Phyllis Gordon (1889 – 1964) window-shopping in Earls Court, London, on August 9, 1939. She is accompanied by her four-year-old cheetah, flown to Britain from Kenya.</td></tr>
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<b>Italian Government:</b> The Mussolini government imposes fines on anyone moving from rural areas to cities with populations over 25,000 inhabitants. The intent is to keep people safe from possible bombing raids upon the cities. The Italian government is actively encouraging citizens to move out of citizens, and this new law is intended to further these internal migration patterns.<br />
<br />
<b>British Government:</b> George VI conducts a fleet review of 133 ships at Weymouth Bay. Throughout the war, King George remains very close to military affairs.<br />
<br />
<b>US Government:</b> Among a flurry of bills being finalized before its recess, Congress passes 31 USC 401. It authorizes the confiscation and forfeiture of vehicles, vessels, and aircraft being used to transport certain illegal items. This act is amended in 1950 to include a vast array of drug-related contraband among the items making a vehicle etc. subject to forfeiture.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o7UidqiEFzU/XwpOYifOzjI/AAAAAAAChp8/7vGqwk9zwu4HYVmr7yvXCxPM3v_gCdxewCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Fremont_Tribune_9_August_1939_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="RAF bomber quoting Hermann Goering's 9 August 1939 boast worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="640" height="640" itemprop="image" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o7UidqiEFzU/XwpOYifOzjI/AAAAAAAChp8/7vGqwk9zwu4HYVmr7yvXCxPM3v_gCdxewCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Fremont_Tribune_9_August_1939_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" width="450" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Fremont, Nebraska, Fremont Tribune for 9 August 1939 notes that 'Yankees Fret As Losses Continue," but today is the start of something big for them and one of their players.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>American Homefront:</b> In her nationally syndicated "My Day" column, Eleanor Roosevelt <a href="https://www2.gwu.edu/~erpapers/myday/displaydoc.cfm?_y=1939&_f=md055340" target="_blank">ponders</a> the beginning of a long recess for Congress:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>As I look over the last few weeks, I begin to think that some of the press is correct in thinking that the Republican minority with 20 to 25 percent of the minority Democrats are going to stand out primarily for their sporting disposition. These two minorities, which constitute a majority, have made two bets with the public. One is that there will be no war in Europe until they return in January. If they lose, it might be rather serious, for little influence could be brought to bear by the Executive to try to avert war.</b></blockquote>
Of course, nobody overseas is looking to Washington to have any influence on a coming European war. However, Roosevelt's comments always give some insight into how the highest echelons of the U.S. government are viewing world affairs, and the threat of war clearly is on her mind.<br />
<br />
New York Yankees third baseman Red Rolfe begins an 18-game run-scoring streak that will never (as of this writing) be broken and only tied once in 2000. Rolfe's 139 runs scored in 1939 leads the league.<br />
<br />
<b>Future History: </b>Claude Wilson Osteen is born in Caney Spring, Tennessee. He becomes a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1957 - 1975 and a three-time All-Star.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8-ndx0Tv-ik/XwpNXhPWbII/AAAAAAAChp0/_W6OEhq-w6s8QCb0NGyrfrju6EnNkgimACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Treasure_Island_9_August_1939_worldwartwo.filminspector.com.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="RAF bomber quoting Hermann Goering's 9 August 1939 boast worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="640" height="414" itemprop="image" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8-ndx0Tv-ik/XwpNXhPWbII/AAAAAAAChp0/_W6OEhq-w6s8QCb0NGyrfrju6EnNkgimACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Treasure_Island_9_August_1939_worldwartwo.filminspector.com.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Golden Gate International Exposition, a World's Fair held on Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay, declares 9 August 1939 "Matson Day" after the shipping company.</td></tr>
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<br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-16716404901730217602020-04-12T23:45:00.003-06:002020-08-09T11:58:16.418-06:00March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Saturday 21 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nU3_COEngzg/XpP0kTqeGqI/AAAAAAACg1M/xwGxC3Ixu-kBsZFBl0B4a3ldroJcigl5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Demyansk_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="German troops attacking toward Demyansk, 21 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="640" height="434" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nU3_COEngzg/XpP0kTqeGqI/AAAAAAACg1M/xwGxC3Ixu-kBsZFBl0B4a3ldroJcigl5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Demyansk_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The German relief force attacking toward the Demyansk pocket, 21 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> Having made a rapid shift of forces, primarily Luftwaffe planes, from the successful Volkhov operation, the Wehrmacht opens a vital relief attack toward the encircled garrison at Demyansk. Operation Brueckenschlag ("Bridge-building") begins at daylight through a wilderness of trees and snow. The Soviet defenders are taken by surprise and in some spots fall back in confusion. The Germans have four divisions to cover the 25 miles to the pocket and must cross the Lovat River five miles from it. The trapped men in the pocket are barely holding off the Soviet attacks and cannot hold out much longer.<br />
<br />
The Red Army fights desperately to open a supply corridor to the 130,000 troops now trapped on the west side of the Volkhov River due to the Germans' Operation Raubtier. The Soviets manage to open a small corridor for a short time, through which General Kirill A. Meretskov (undoubtedly under orders) personally enters the pocket to take command of the 2nd Shock Army. The Red Army troops in the pocket end their offensive toward Lyuban and Chudovo and prepare to defend the ground where they stand. The Soviets know better than to break out to the East without orders, as troops that did that during the Winter War were disciplined and sometimes executed. Stalin has not issued orders to retreat.<br />
<br />
In Crimea, operations have ceased again as both sides have failed in recent attempts to end the stalemate on the Parpach Narrows. General Kozlov, commander of the Soviet forces, is building up his forces for a third attempt on the strong German base at Koi-Asan. General Manstein, meanwhile, is helped by a continuing Luftwaffe building as units return from the Reich after badly needed refits.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B15-mseS9d8/XpPqt-1T1AI/AAAAAAACg0M/4C5Pph3F6vQj7XZx7yDWVgZeNp8uQ5pdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Kholm_captured_Soviet_tank_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="German troops using a captured Soviet T-60 tank at the Kholm pocket 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="640" height="457" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B15-mseS9d8/XpPqt-1T1AI/AAAAAAACg0M/4C5Pph3F6vQj7XZx7yDWVgZeNp8uQ5pdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Kholm_captured_Soviet_tank_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">Germans using a captured Soviet T-60 light tank in defense of the Kholm pocket (Kampfgruppe Scherer) during spring 1942 (Muck, Richard, Federal Archive <a href="https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?channelid=dcx-channel-channel_barch_typ_foto&query=&day=21&month=03&yearfrom=1942&yearto=&imageid=&title=&farbe=&kostenfrei=&ausrichtung=&view=gallery&submit=" target="_blank">Figure 183-J19893</a>). </td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> General MacArthur and his party, including his wife and young son, arrive at Adelaide on 21 March 1942. Among those greeting MacArthur are the Australian Minister for the Army, Frank Forde, and senior US officers including Brigadier-General Patrick Hurley of the US Army. MacArthur now has supreme command of all Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific. MacArthur's escape has attracted worldwide attention by both sides. Incidentally, MacArthur already has made his famous "I Shall Return" speech while changing trains on the 20th, and he has nothing remotely as consequential to add today. MacArthur now changes to a special carriage on the Adelaide Express for the final run into Melbourne, where he will arrive on the 22nd.<br />
<br />
MacArthur quickly sets to work establishing his General Headquarters (GHQ) Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA). He staffs it with his fellow escapees from Corregidor, and they become known as the "Bataan Gang." This headquarters becomes known for its fanatical loyalty to MacArthur and its insularity. Lieutenant (junior grade) John D. Bulkeley, who led the PT boats that brought MacArthur out of the Philippines, goes on to a brilliant US Navy career and becomes MacArthur's biggest cheerleader, calling him "the greatest general as well as statesman since George Washington."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O-fABzbtpzs/XpPw0ivQsvI/AAAAAAACg0s/i1CvC-ph4-oSpvz6ktKOoq8n4UDif_sCACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Brooklyn_Eagle_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Brooklyn Eagle 21 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="883" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O-fABzbtpzs/XpPw0ivQsvI/AAAAAAACg0s/i1CvC-ph4-oSpvz6ktKOoq8n4UDif_sCACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Brooklyn_Eagle_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="462" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Brooklyn Eagle, 21 March 1942. General MacArthur's escape receives worldwide attention.</td></tr>
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MacArthur learns officially (he already has been told this unofficially at Batchelor Airfield) that he has little to work with. There is not a single tank in Australia and only 32,000 Allied troops - and most of these service troops. The only combat-ready unit is one brigade of the Australian 6th Division. Official Australian strategy in the event of a Japanese invasion is to withdraw immediately to the "Brisbane Line" in order to hold the populated areas along the eastern and southern coasts. In other words, Darwin is ripe for the taking. MacArthur calls this his greatest shock and surprise of the entire war.<br />
<br />
At Taungoo, Burma, about 60 Sikh sowars of the Burma Frontier Force make a desperate and futile cavalry charge against advancing Japanese infantry. This is the last British cavalry charge in history. The Japanese 112th Regiment is still assembling its forces for a major attack on the Oktwin position. The Chinese 200th Division today complete their defenses at Oktwin and Toungoo, helped by the time gained by the sacrificial cavalry charges. The Japanese, having finally overcome these delaying tactics, today close up on the 200th Division outposts at Oktwin and prepares for a set-piece attack. In a formality, the Chinese Expeditionary Force under Lt. General Joseph Stilwell and Chinese Lt. General Lin Wie officially becomes operational today.<br />
<br />
Japanese aircraft raid the Magwe Airdrome at 14:30 and destroy nine RAF Blenheim Mk IV bombers and three American Volunteer Group P-40s on the ground, and three Hawker Hurricane Mk. II fighters in the air. Magwe now is the home base of the AVG "Flying Tigers." The defending AVG shoots down two "Nate" bombers.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nVhY7wWzlN4/XpPxZ5CzVyI/AAAAAAACg00/n97Bs797XmU46pOTiOdWzsPaMvq6AlGxACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Warship_Week_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Opening Ceremony of Warship Week, 21 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="640" height="484" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nVhY7wWzlN4/XpPxZ5CzVyI/AAAAAAACg00/n97Bs797XmU46pOTiOdWzsPaMvq6AlGxACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Warship_Week_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">"The Lord Mayor of London (back to camera) inspecting the Naval Guard of Honour at the opening ceremony." Warship Week Opening Ceremony in Trafalgar Square, 21 March 1942 (© IWM <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205141970" target="_blank">A 7981</a>). </td></tr>
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The Japanese have been raiding northern Australia repeatedly recently. Today, they send a Mitsubishi Ki-15 Army Type 97 Command Reconnaissance aircraft from Koepang, Timor, over Darwin to scout out new targets. A US Army Air Force P-40 of the 9th Pursuit Squadron shoots it down after an alert from a coast watcher on Bathurst Island. Later in the day, the Japanese bomb Katherine, Australia, about 200 miles (322 km) south of Darwin, with little result.<br />
<br />
Before invading Australia, the Japanese want to completely secure New Guinea. The RAAF today sends four Curtiss Kittyhawks Mk. IAs of RAAF No. 75 Squadron to help defend Port Moresby there. However, nervous antiaircraft gunners there mistake the planes for Japanese attackers and open fire. Three of the four planes are damaged, one irreparably, but manage to land at Seven Mile Aerodrome.<br />
<br />
In the Philippines, the Allied forces on the Bataan Peninsula continue to hold out against the Japanese following MacArthur's escape. Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright, commander of U.S. Forces in the Philippines (USFIP), organizes his command on Corregidor Island. He appoints Major General Lewis Beebe his chief of staff. Major General Edward P. King, Jr., is named commander of Luzon Force. Today, General Yamashita sends a surrender demand to General Wainwright that is ignored. The US forces make a small raid on Mindanao to keep the Japanese busy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WqE9JaLyR64/XpPy1Ktkq8I/AAAAAAACg08/-18AbeCpfcIJ7mBzGKCr1Dt1pFfpRGaSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Warship_Week_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Opening Ceremony of Warship Week, 21 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="640" height="482" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WqE9JaLyR64/XpPy1Ktkq8I/AAAAAAACg08/-18AbeCpfcIJ7mBzGKCr1Dt1pFfpRGaSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Warship_Week_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Warship Week opening ceremony in Trafalgar Square, 21 March 1942. Note that nobody seems particularly concerned about air attack. © IWM <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205141969" target="_blank">A 7980</a>.</td></tr>
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<b>European Air Operations: </b>An extended lull in operations on the Channel Front continues today. RAF Bomber Command sends one Wellington bomber to attack Essen, but it returns early due to weather conditions.<br />
<br />
<b>Battle of the Atlantic: </b> U-124 (Kptlt. Johann Mohr), on its eighth patrol out of Lorient, continues a very successful patrol off of the East coast of the United States by torpedoing two ships:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>7934-ton US tanker Esso Nashville</b></li>
<li><b>11,355-ton US tanker Atlantic Sun</b></li>
</ul>
These add to the Allies' miseries of losing many tankers recently. However, neither tanker sinks completely. Esso Nashville, hit at 06:08 by one torpedo about 16 miles northeast of Frying Pan Lightship Buoy, breaks in two, with the bow section sinking but the stern section towed into Morehead City (it ultimately is repaired and returned to service). Atlantic Sun, carrying a full load of crude oil, suffers only minor damage from one torpedo fired under non-ideal circumstances and makes it to Beaufort, North Carolina, under its own power.<br />
<br />
The weather in the Atlantic is rough today, causing 598-ton Panamanian Lumberboat Vamar to capsize off Port Saint Joseph, Florida, in 25 feet of water. The ship was carrying building materials for the Naval Base to be built at Guantanamo Bay. This wreck becomes a favorite spot for sport divers known as the "Lumberboat" or "Lumbership wreck." Previously named Eleanor Boling, the Vamar had served as Admiral Byrd's research vessel and supply ship during his quest to circumnavigate the South Pole in 1928. During this service, the ship brought the first mechanized vehicles (converted Model T Fords) to Antarctica.<br />
<br />
German Kriegsmarine submarine commissionings continue to outpace the occasional losses. Today, U-442 (F.Kapt. Hans-Joachim Hesse) and U-517 (Kptlt. Paul Hartwig) are commissioned. The new boats have longer range and capabilities than most of the submarines the Reich began the war with. The new submarines are sent to training flotilla to work up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9IKjRYNDdys/XpPuawnm59I/AAAAAAACg0c/SxhxQrlHNj0jEHgt4JMPk2zrbns4uQmtwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Rommel_Hitler_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Adolf Hitler and General Erwin Rommel at Rastenburg, 21 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="640" height="448" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9IKjRYNDdys/XpPuawnm59I/AAAAAAACg0c/SxhxQrlHNj0jEHgt4JMPk2zrbns4uQmtwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Rommel_Hitler_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adolf Hitler personally gives General Erwin Rommel the Oak Leaves with Swords to the Cross of the Iron Cross at Rastenburg on 21 March 1942 (they were awarded on 20 January 1942, but Rommel was busy in North Africa). Rommel is the 10th recipient of this award.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean: </b>The Italians have become aware of the Royal Navy supply convoys heading for Malta from both east and west. To stop them, Italian Vice Admiral Angelo Iachino sails from Taranto, Italy, aboard battleship Littorio accompanied by four destroyers. In addition, Rear-Admiral Angelo Parona sets sail from Messina with the heavy cruisers Gorizia and Trento, the light cruiser Bande Nere, and four destroyers. The plan is to intercept the British ships sailing west from Alexandria near the Gulf of Sirte. The British Force H, meanwhile, launches 16 Spitfires for Malta from the convoy heading east from Gibraltar.<br />
<br />
In a continuing effort to distract the Germans from events at sea, the British Eighth Army launches more harassing attacks against Axis forces near Benghazi. This keeps the Axis reconnaissance aircraft occupied over the land rather than scouting out at sea where they might spot the numerous British ships. However, Italian submarines Onice and Platino both spot British convoy MW 10 and report its position. The Axis command in Rome orders Italian submarines Perla, Acciaio, and Galatea and German submarines U.73, U-205, and U-403 to the area. Commando Supremo also readies the Italian 4th Air Fleet and German II Air Corps for attacks. The Axis air forces get their first victim when 6 Italian Fiat CR-42 bombers sink British motor launch boat ML-129 between Gibraltar and Malta. There are seven deaths.<br />
<br />
Axis air attacks on Malta continue today without let-up. The main German target, the RAF field at Ta Qali, suffers repeated attacks, as do the communities near it. Dozens of people are killed.<br />
<br />
<b>Battle of the Black Sea: </b>German aircraft sink 2482-ton Soviet transport ship SS Georgi Dimitrov (Георгий Димитров) in Sevastopol Harbor. There are no casualties.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LVJh0toM1bQ/XpPspxPTy3I/AAAAAAACg0U/1qAlSk6O92ssW5miFHmsAhxgiGxUhl7rwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Bristol_Bombay_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A Bristol Bombay being transported in Northern Ireland, 21 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="640" height="474" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LVJh0toM1bQ/XpPspxPTy3I/AAAAAAACg0U/1qAlSk6O92ssW5miFHmsAhxgiGxUhl7rwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Bristol_Bombay_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">"Bristol Bombay in a street in Hollywood, Northern Ireland, after a forced landing at Clandeboye." 21 March 1942 (© IWM <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205293747" target="_blank">HU 110308</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Partisans:</b> Václav Morávek, a Czech officer, has been a member of the "Three Kings" partisan movement. He has had a reputation for daring, even foolhardy, exploits against the occupying Germans. Today, that comes to an end when the Gestapo arrests his colleague Václav Řehák. Morávek tries to intervene and the Gestapo guns him down. He is not forgotten, however, as he is posthumously promoted to Brigadier General and becomes famous in a Czech television series about the Three Kings. The death of Václav Morávek basically ends the Three Kings.<br />
<br />
Despite the loss of the Three Kings, the Czechs have real trouble brewing for the Germans. The British SOE has had agents embedded in the Prague vicinity since late December looking for an opportunity to assassinate Gauleiter Reinhard Heydrich. This is Operation Anthropoid.<br />
<br />
<b>US/Chinese Relations: </b>The United States agrees to provide US$500 million in aid to China. This is a very strategic move as Chinese troops now are carrying most of the burden of fighting in Burma as the battered British forces there try to regroup.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MiPLq0_Qb10/XpPz4UsK_8I/AAAAAAACg1E/dtBqNQ8wAOodM_Nek2rKO5JtV4hn90BpACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/New_Yorker_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The New Yorker, 21 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MiPLq0_Qb10/XpPz4UsK_8I/AAAAAAACg1E/dtBqNQ8wAOodM_Nek2rKO5JtV4hn90BpACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/New_Yorker_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="462" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The New Yorker, 21 March 1942.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>US Military:</b> The Assam-Burma-China Ferry Command is activated. It commands 25 Pan-American World Airways DC-3 transports. Their main mission is to take supplies to China over the Himalayas (the "Hump") but first they must supply the Allied troops under pressure in Burma.<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese Military: </b>In a curious incident, Rear Admiral Sosa Tanetsuga writes an article in the Japan Times warning of the vulnerability of the Japanese homeland to air attack from the Aleutian Island chain. The Aleutians have been watched closely by both sides for the same reason - their possible use for air attack - but why a Japanese officer chooses a newspaper to broadcast this is a mystery.<br />
<br />
<b>German Government:</b> Fritz Sauckel, one of Hitler's old "street fighter" comrades, is appointed Reich Plenipotentiary General for Labor Mobilization. Sauckel's portfolio includes the power, in Hitler's name, to ship laborers from all across occupied Europe to Reich labor squads by any means necessary. This includes "shanghaiing" men off the streets. However, Sauckel cannot (under current practices) use the thousands of Jews now being deported from Eastern Galicia to the new death camp at Belzec (this will change in the near future). Sauckel, whose appointment is a sign of German recognition that the war in the Soviet Union is going to be harder and longer than anticipated, will receive the death penalty at Nuremberg for his treatment of laborers.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EPBpCy-lsJ8/XpP2qyYn8LI/AAAAAAACg1U/Za_ubUGWPHkKkzxpNVIP-Bjp9sbB4yF4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Winnipeg_Tribune_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Winnipeg Tribune, 21 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="640" height="450" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EPBpCy-lsJ8/XpP2qyYn8LI/AAAAAAACg1U/Za_ubUGWPHkKkzxpNVIP-Bjp9sbB4yF4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Winnipeg_Tribune_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Winnipeg Tribune reports in its 21 March 1942 edition that the "Women's Land Army Has 21,000 Workers Throughout The Counties of England."</td></tr>
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<b>American Homefront:</b> "Secret Agent of Japan" from 20th Century Fox premieres at the Globe Theater in New York City. It is the first motion picture to depict the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor - which, for most Americans, is still shrouded in secrecy and misinformation. "Secret Agent of Japan," directed by Irving Pichel, is a typical wartime espionage thriller starring Preston Foster and Lynn Bari.<br />
<br />
<b>Future History: </b>Ali Abdullah Saleh is born in Al-Ahmar, Yemen He will serve as the 1st President of Yemen from 22 May 1990 to 25 February 2012. Notable for developing deeper ties with Western powers, particularly in the war on terror, Saleh passes away on 4 December 2017.<br />
<br />
Françoise Dorléac is born in Paris, France. The sister of famous actress Catherine Deneuve, Françoise also becomes an actress primarily in Europe. Françoise Dorléac dies tragically on the cusp of stardom on 26 June 1967 in a car accident.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c77cX-G8gBE/XpPwSpGidcI/AAAAAAACg0k/13lOI1J--bYN68vgJazQX5ifowIsNY4wgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Womens_Weekly_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Australian Women's Weekly, 21 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="910" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c77cX-G8gBE/XpPwSpGidcI/AAAAAAACg0k/13lOI1J--bYN68vgJazQX5ifowIsNY4wgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Womens_Weekly_21_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="450" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Australian Women's Weekly, 21 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-39852053050010161482020-04-04T15:57:00.006-06:002020-08-09T11:57:49.149-06:00March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Friday 20 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TO0jlsw2r4s/Xoj-KsDsWCI/AAAAAAACgtg/pxGD5gQMAHQIA6UMfJ9rAZrkPLlXhzTmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MacArthur_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="MacArthur at Terowie, 20 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TO0jlsw2r4s/Xoj-KsDsWCI/AAAAAAACgtg/pxGD5gQMAHQIA6UMfJ9rAZrkPLlXhzTmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/MacArthur_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="444" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The MacArthur family (Jean, Arthur, and Douglas) at the Terowie train station on 20 March 1942 (Photo - Terowie Citizens' Ass. Inc.).</td></tr>
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<div>
<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> During his seemingly endless train ride from Alice Springs to Melbourne, General Douglas MacArthur seizes a chance at Terowie railway station north of Adelaide, Australia, to make a speech on <b>20 March 1942.</b></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>The President of the United States ordered me to break through the Japanese lines and proceed from Corregidor to Australia for the purpose, as I understand it, of organizing the American offensive against Japan, a primary object of which is the relief of the Philippines. I came through and I shall return.</b></blockquote>
The phrase "I shall return" becomes a battle cry for many in the Pacific Theater of Operations. MacArthur does not spend much time at Terowie, where he and his party are only changing trains, but his remarks are broadcast around the world. He has had a long, lonely ride to think up what to say, and he does it right.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8FQI2sL-eL8/XojoMN7m-UI/AAAAAAACgsI/DM_Bmmb8LT42dtMgw4Hjn0krCxUvIfXWACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Wavell_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wavell and Hutton, 20 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="640" height="530" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8FQI2sL-eL8/XojoMN7m-UI/AAAAAAACgsI/DM_Bmmb8LT42dtMgw4Hjn0krCxUvIfXWACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Wavell_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Burma. 20 March 1942. General Sir Archibald Wavell (right) is greeted by General T. J. Hutton, General Officer Commanding in Chief of Burma, upon his arrival at an RAF airfield." Australian War Memorial <a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C342150" target="_blank">P02491.106</a>.</td></tr>
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Elsewhere, the Japanese remain on the attack. In Burma, the Battle of Yunnan-Burma Road continues with the beginning of the Battle of Oktwin. The Japanese 143rd Regiment, reinforced with cavalry units of the 55th Division, attacks the positions of the Chinese 5th Army Cavalry Regiment north of the Kan River. The Chinese quickly pull back to the north of Toungoo, leaving only one company to keep tabs on the advancing Japanese. There is little to delay the Japanese advance on Toungoo, but the 200th Chinese Division now has had enough time to build defensive positions in the Toungoo area which may be useful. The Japanese have the fresh 18th and 56th divisions, which just arrived by sea at Rangoon over the past few days, available.<br />
<br />
The Japanese attempt to neutralize the strong Allied air power in Burma by attacking the American Volunteer Group (AVG) base at Magwe. They also attack "Burwing" (the RAF command in Burma). The British pull back from Tharrawaddy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yP1XKtw7xKo/XojwACpX8SI/AAAAAAACgsY/FDXRnd2Vip8HCw_LYgzkhMM5b0Q8574gwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Brooklyn_Eagle_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Brooklyn Eagle, 20 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yP1XKtw7xKo/XojwACpX8SI/AAAAAAACgsY/FDXRnd2Vip8HCw_LYgzkhMM5b0Q8574gwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Brooklyn_Eagle_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="454" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 20 March 1942 Brooklyn Eagle is full of optimism due to the stirring words of General MacArthur in Australia.</td></tr>
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In the Philippines, Major General Jonathan Wainwright learns that he has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General. He now is given command of all U.S. forces in the Philippines (USFIP).<br />
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Japanese Mitsubishi G4M Navy Type 1 "Betty" bombers attack Broome Airfield in Western Australia. They attack from high altitude and do not cause any damage because most of the bombs miss the airfield completely. One nearby aboriginal is killed by a bomb splinter.<br />
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USS South Dakota (BB-57) is commissioned in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It will see heavy action in the Pacific during the second half of 1942 and later serve in the Atlantic for a while before returning to the Pacific.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YZLYx1WB5vw/Xoj0ti0QHkI/AAAAAAACgs4/AJlyOtluCaEEGx9CeBurpc9qw1LC1elzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/USS_Grunion_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="USS Grunion, 20 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="640" height="492" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YZLYx1WB5vw/Xoj0ti0QHkI/AAAAAAACgs4/AJlyOtluCaEEGx9CeBurpc9qw1LC1elzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/USS_Grunion_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"USS_Grunion (SS-216), stern view at rest. March 20, 1942, at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. In a little less than 6 months, the boat and all her crew would be M.I.A." (<a href="http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08216.htm" target="_blank">U.S. Navy</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> General Erich von Manstein, commander of the German 11th Army in Crimea, launches a minor counterattack to recover ground lost during the recent Soviet offensives on the Parpach Narrows. The attack is aimed to recover Korpech', a German strongpoint which was the only major Red Army gain in the recent battles. The spearhead of the German/Romanian advance is the 22nd Panzer Division, which is inexperienced and equipped with weak Czech-built Panzer 38(t)s.<br />
<br />
The attack goes wrong right from the start, with some of the panzers running into a minefield and others being slowed by thick fog. The Red Army reacts quickly and blocks the advance with a battalion of T-26 tanks and four heavy KV-1 tanks of the 55th Tank Brigade. After losing 32 of 152 tanks damaged or destroyed, Manstein calls off the attack. The one success of the attack is that it disrupts the Soviets' own planned attack in the same area, so it serves as an unintended spoiling attack.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMjWCFmb0AM/Xoj5OVSYajI/AAAAAAACgtI/IPxF-98u44U8XN01QghtA9ny8MDComcoQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Raiden_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mitsubishi Raiden, 20 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="640" height="342" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMjWCFmb0AM/Xoj5OVSYajI/AAAAAAACgtI/IPxF-98u44U8XN01QghtA9ny8MDComcoQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Raiden_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">The first flight of Mitsubishi J2M1 Raiden "Jack" was on 20 March 1942. It will make its combat debut in June 1944 at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The Raiden became a mainstay of the Japanese Air Force in the last year of the war.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On the Volkhov River, the Germans participating in Operation Raubtier have cut off 130,000 Soviet troops to the west. The Red Army finally realizes the danger and General Kirill A. Meretskov’s Volkhov Front launches a determined attempt to relieve the pocket. This bears some fruit and a small opening is achieved through which a limited number of men and supplies can be funneled. However, the Germans are determined to seal their victory and the fierce battle along the river continues. The Soviet relief attempt is insufficient for the trapped Soviet forces to escape, and, in any event, they do not have permission to retreat back across the Volkhov even were that possible.<br />
<br />
With Operation Raubtier having accomplished its main mission, the Wehrmacht quickly shifts to the next operation on the docket. This is Operation Brueckenschlag ("Bridge-building"), an attempt to relieve the Demyansk pocket. There is some doubt whether the trapped men in the Demyansk Pocket can hold out through the Spring thaw ("Rasputitsa"), which is fast approaching, so every day is precious. German resources, especially in the air, are so light that they cannot do even these small operations contemporaneously, but only in sequence. Adolf Hitler personally is ordering these shifts from East Prussia, keeping a close eye on daily developments. The Luftwaffe spends today shifting its units from the Volkhov to the Demyansk area, and Generalmajor Walter von Seydlitz-Kurzbach shifts his attack units into position on the X Corps line. The relief attack is scheduled to begin at daylight on the 21st.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UtTzLnO61WQ/Xojzkp8F88I/AAAAAAACgsw/in7UVrix0HAygQRsFAeL2ZFqFAr6v6BqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Antiaircraft_gunner_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="British anti-aircraft gunner, 20 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UtTzLnO61WQ/Xojzkp8F88I/AAAAAAACgsw/in7UVrix0HAygQRsFAeL2ZFqFAr6v6BqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Antiaircraft_gunner_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="584" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Seaman James Sweeney with his Lewis gun." A gunner on board the trawler HMS Cornelian, 20 March 1942. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205142002" target="_blank">A 8009</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>European Air Operations: </b>A prolonged lull in operations continues today on the Channel Front. During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends 13 Manchesters and 6 Lancasters to lay mines in the Frisian Islands. Due to poor weather, only 11 manage to lay their mines in the proper area. The RAF also sends two bombers to attack Essen, but they return without completing their mission due to weather conditions.<br />
<br />
"Plan for Initiation of U.S. Army Bombardment Operations in the British Isles" is released by the US Army Air Force. It spells out an agenda of using the British Isles to bomb German infrastructure on the Continent. Major General Ira C Eaker submits a report to Major General James E Chaney, requested on 25 February 1942, analyzing the best methods for this air offensive. It concludes that an effective campaign can be waged by combining USAAF daylight precision bombing with RAF night area bombing. The effects of the bombing campaign can be enhanced by close coordination between the two air forces.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7m1QRblQfck/Xojw4eAWNoI/AAAAAAACgsg/QLVlaLNTKEQ-oa_rFSdNcEZ8rCEzaIPggCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/USS_Birmingham_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Launching of USS Birmingham, 20 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="640" height="510" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7m1QRblQfck/Xojw4eAWNoI/AAAAAAACgsg/QLVlaLNTKEQ-oa_rFSdNcEZ8rCEzaIPggCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/USS_Birmingham_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Launch of the U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Birmingham (CL-62) at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company shipyard, Newport News, Virginia (USA), on 20 March 1942." US Naval History and Heritage Command <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-75000/NH-75592.html" target="_blank">NH 75592</a>.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic: </b>U-71 (Kptlt. Walter Flachsenberg), on its fifth patrol out of St. Nazaire, uses its machine gun to stop 5766-ton US freighter Oakmar about 300 miles east of Cape Hatteras. Oakmar is unarmed, so the U-boat's machine gun alone is sufficient to force the crew to abandon ship (the seas are too rough to use the deck gun). Flachsenberg then fires a torpedo that misses due to the rough seas, but a second at 21:39 hit forward of the bridge, causing the ship to sink. There are six dead and 30 survivors, with several of the crew lost due to the rough weather.<br />
<br />
Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli (Cmdr Carlo Fecia di Cossato) spots British tanker Davila while heading back to Bordeaux but cannot attack because of previous war damage on its patrol. However, the crew of the Davila spots the submarine and decides to attack it. Cossata dives when the Davila begins firing at him. Both ships escape without damage. This is a rare instance of a tanker attacking a submarine instead of vice versa.<br />
<br />
Norwegian 823-ton freighter Risøy is attacked by three aircraft and sunk near Trevose Head, Cornwall, England. There is one death.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tU1L_JkVG6U/XojxjnKr6NI/AAAAAAACgso/dtyZUA3bbdEfTgDOBqat2zqUNfaKDy1bwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Davila_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="British tanker Davila, 20 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tU1L_JkVG6U/XojxjnKr6NI/AAAAAAACgso/dtyZUA3bbdEfTgDOBqat2zqUNfaKDy1bwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Davila_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">British tanker Davila, which attacked the Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli on 20 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean: </b>U-652 (Oblt. Georg-Werner Fraatz), on its eighth patrol out of Salamis, Greece, when its crew spots 1050-ton British destroyer HMS Heythrop (L 85) about 40 miles northeast of Bardia. At 10:54, Fraatz fires four torpedoes, one of which hits destroyer Heythrop. HMS Eridge (L 68) takes Heythrop in tow, but it sinks on the way to Alexandria. There are 16 dead and 150 survivors.<br />
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The Royal Navy is running another major convoy operation to Malta from Gibraltar. Force H brings a flight of Spitfires to replace the planes lost in the recent Luftwaffe onslaught on the island. This is operation MG 1. A separate convoy of four freighters, MW-10, also departs from Alexandria bound for Malta. The Royal Navy positions six submarines in the Gulf of Taranto in case the Italian Fleet decides to intervene. With all of these ships in motion, the possibility of a major battle is likely, and this leads eventually to the Second Battle of Sirte.</div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><br /></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">Luftwaffe Field Marshal Albert Kesselring, who has brought his headquarters of Luftflotte 2 to Italy from the Eastern Front, begins a massive aerial assault on Malta. Kesselring considers Malta the key to control of the central Mediterranean and asks Hitler around this time to invade it, to which Hitler replies, "I will, Field Marshal, I will!"<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TtwARty_oxA/Xoj8s1Wh73I/AAAAAAACgtQ/umC5mQTtCo0HiKsblbasMvgMCXzQZnbXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Heythrop_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="British destroyer Heythrop, sunk on 20 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="640" height="342" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TtwARty_oxA/Xoj8s1Wh73I/AAAAAAACgtQ/umC5mQTtCo0HiKsblbasMvgMCXzQZnbXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Heythrop_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">British destroyer Heythrop, sunk by U-652 off Bardia on 20 March 1942.</td></tr>
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As a decoy for the naval operations, the British Eighth Army is tasked with drawing German attention to land operations. It launches raids against German landing grounds in the Derna and Benghazi area after dark.<br />
<br />
Malta itself remains under heavy air attack. Bombs land all over the island, and there are several mass air raids involving many dozens of Luftwaffe aircraft. The Germans also increasingly are strafing civilian areas with cannon fire. Ta Qali airfield is so badly damaged that the Army must be called to repair it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wSjUUBjnyrE/Xoj4ROiqCvI/AAAAAAACgtA/p2GreAL607IHuyH3m3NlyOaOIp4-MDKfQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Leggo_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rhodesian pilot Douglas Leggo, KIA on 20 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="640" height="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wSjUUBjnyrE/Xoj4ROiqCvI/AAAAAAACgtA/p2GreAL607IHuyH3m3NlyOaOIp4-MDKfQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Leggo_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.webp" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhodesian Pilot Officer Douglas Leggo, shown here before his commission, was shot down and perished on 20 March 1942. The message on the plane is written in Shona (Media Drum World).</td></tr>
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<b>Partisans:</b> Operation Munich, an anti-partisan operation in the Yelnya-Dorogobuzh area that began on 19 March, continues today. The partisans sometimes make a stand and fight ferociously, but more often they just melt away into the forests and towns and blend in with innocent townspeople. The Red Army has reinforced the partisan forces with trained soldiers who provide organizational and weapons skills.<br />
<br />
At the Polish town of Zgierz, the German occupation forces decide to enforce draconian new rules for taking reprisals against partisans. The Germans round up 100 Poles from a nearby labor camp and execute them in front of an assembled crowd of 6000 from Zgierz and the surrounding area.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cjt3U3lVD-M/Xoj9HzKvlAI/AAAAAAACgtY/cMKoxCUyrDgLavT3HD2fCWCQOoVduZL0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Oakmar_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="US tanker Oakmar, sunk on 20 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="640" height="302" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cjt3U3lVD-M/Xoj9HzKvlAI/AAAAAAACgtY/cMKoxCUyrDgLavT3HD2fCWCQOoVduZL0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Oakmar_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US tanker Oakmar, sunk by U-71 on 20 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Soviet/Japanese Relations:</b> While both nations are engaged in fights to the death, Japan and the USSR maintain eerily normal relations. Today, their representatives sign an extension of the 1928 Russo-Japanese Fishing Convention in Kuibyshev (the location of most of the bureaucracy of the Soviet government).<br />
<br />
<b>US Military:</b> New US Navy aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) arrives in San Diego after transiting the Panama Canal. It will soon begin carrier qualifications. The Hornet has been experimenting with launching B-25B bombers in anticipation of a bombing raid on a target yet to be disclosed to anyone on board the ship. Sixteen B-25s are being prepared for this mysterious mission by stripping them of everything not deemed essential.<br />
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<b>British Government:</b> Sir Stafford Cripps, on his way to India to talk to Mahatma Gandhi and other Indian nationalists, stops off in Cairo to receive a briefing.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iFyuB5HwPSk/Xoj_8M9m9aI/AAAAAAACgto/Glm3agqpkIsGbMAl-QsVCtEjGiaCVJYqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Railroad_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Railroad Magazine, March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iFyuB5HwPSk/Xoj_8M9m9aI/AAAAAAACgto/Glm3agqpkIsGbMAl-QsVCtEjGiaCVJYqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Railroad_20_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Railroad Magazine, March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Holocaust:</b> Adolf Hitler discusses the Final Solution with Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels at Rastenburg. Goebbels notes in his diary:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Here, the Fuhrer is as uncompromising as ever. The Jews must be got out of Europe, if necessary by applying the most brutal methods.</b></blockquote>
It is not only the Jews, of course, who are the recipients of the "most brutal methods." Hitler's first objective, though, is to obtain slave laborers for the Reich's war needs.<br />
<br />
An English translation of a dispatch in which the Chilean consul in Prague, Gonzalo Montt Rivas discusses the Holocaust winds up in American files by 20 March 1942. This is the earliest proof that American authorities had reason to know the Holocaust was in progress. In the memo, Rivas tells his colleagues about a German decree that Jews living abroad could no longer be German subjects and that their property would be confiscated. Writing in Spanish, Rivas says:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>The Jew [residing abroad] loses German nationality immediately... The fortune which the Reich obtains in this manner will serve to solve the questions in connection with Jews</b></blockquote>
Rivas notes that "The German triumph [in the war] will leave Europe freed of Semites."<br />
<br />
The first mass transport of Jews to the Auschwitz death camp begins on 20 March 1942. Occupation authorities in Poprad, Slovakia, tell local unmarried Jewish women and girls to assemble at the local school at 8 a.m. to be taken to do war work. The Hlinka guard, the military arm of Catholic priest Jozef Tiso’s First Slovak Republic, loads them into windowless cattle cars. The car is empty save for a vegetable tin to serve as a toilet. Within a week, the 800 victims, joined by others along the way, are inmates at Auschwitz.<br />
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<b>American Homefront:</b> With fuel rationing in effect, companies are finding creative ways to get their employees to work. Today, the Chief of Transportation at Redstone Ordnance Plant (later Redstone Arsenal) in Madison County, Alabama, establishes a Share-A-Ride program. The Army provides gasoline to drivers with cars who are willing and able to drive other employees to and from work. A growing fraction of these employees, incidentally, are women.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fXPIcMo3-Y0/XojrdnhA08I/AAAAAAACgsQ/A_aiRplLB-IZ6jDfbWA9Ib1miRbXuMPKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Lil_Abner_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Lil Abner, 20 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="640" height="190" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fXPIcMo3-Y0/XojrdnhA08I/AAAAAAACgsQ/A_aiRplLB-IZ6jDfbWA9Ib1miRbXuMPKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Lil_Abner_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">''Li'l Abner'' Comic Strip From 20 March 1942 Featuring Li'l Abner & Mammy Yokum -- Drawn & Signed by Al Capp.</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-36529510730305136172020-04-03T11:34:00.002-06:002020-08-09T11:57:17.963-06:00March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Thursday 19 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HiUiQT8_NkQ/XodtlmSqkVI/AAAAAAACgrg/Mt95FIiJ7WwW2ou_UOHS1QVuEwtHkULCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Spitfire_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Spitfire on HMS Eagle, 19 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="640" height="624" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HiUiQT8_NkQ/XodtlmSqkVI/AAAAAAACgrg/Mt95FIiJ7WwW2ou_UOHS1QVuEwtHkULCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Spitfire_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Supermarine Spitfire on board HMS Eagle, ca. 19 March 1942. The Spitfires are being taken to Malta with Force H (© IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205143392" target="_blank">A 9580</a>)).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Eastern Front:</b> The German I Corps and XXXVIII Corps, pushing into the base of a Soviet salient across the Volkhov River from the north and south, respectively, meet late in the day on <b>19 March 1942</b>. This threatens to trap 130,000 Red Army troops to the west that have been trying to take Lyuban. The most significant Soviet outfit in the salient is the 2nd Shock Army, led by General Andrei Vlasov. This follows a typical pattern early in the war when the Red Army basically shrugs off these kinds of German tactics, usually to the Soviets' eventual detriment.<br />
<br />
The Wehrmacht advance has been difficult because there are no north-south roads in the area, requiring a difficult route through snow and trees in frigid weather. The battle is not over, and the Soviets will reopen a small gap, but this encirclement in Operation Raubtier is the first major German success in the USSR since the fall.<br />
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In Crimea, General Erich von Manstein is preparing an attack on the Soviet line in the Parpach Narrows. He wishes to recover the small amount of territory lost in the recent Soviet attacks. However, the Soviets also are building up their own forces for a renewed attack. The only question is which side attacks first. Manstein's offensive, which he has prepared hurriedly and that relies on inexperienced troops using sketchy Czech tanks, is scheduled for the morning of 20 March 1942.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpFlA1M8LfA/Xodwp3WBkzI/AAAAAAACgsA/Rrx_cusSpjwLztwCV5oyNJhF_D7li9KgQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Port_Moresby_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bombs at Port Moresby, New Guinea, 19 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="640" height="411" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpFlA1M8LfA/Xodwp3WBkzI/AAAAAAACgsA/Rrx_cusSpjwLztwCV5oyNJhF_D7li9KgQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Port_Moresby_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"PORT MORESBY, NEW GUINEA. 1942-03-19. THICK SMOKE BILLOWS UP FROM TUAGUBU HILL AFTER A JAPANESE AIRCRAFT ATTACK AGAINST A 3.7 INCH ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERY." Australian War Memorial <a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C238453" target="_blank">129807</a>.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> The Japanese score their first success in the Battle of Yunnan-Burma Road that began on 18 March when they win the Battle of Tachiao in the Sittang Valley. The 143rd Regiment of the 55th Division advances about 12 miles north and takes Pyu. The next Japanese objective is to attack the defenses of the Chinese Army Cavalry Regiment north of the Kan River. These will become known as the Battles of Toungoo and Oktwin, the main defensive position of the Chinese forces in the area.<br />
<br />
Toungoo, now under Japanese attack, is the original training base of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) aka the "Flying Tigers." The AVG pilots and ground crew have had to "bug out" to northern India and China. Lieutenant General William J. Slim, former General Officer Commanding 10th Indian Division in Syria, arrives in Burma to take command of Imperial troops. Slim wants to hold the current Prome-Toungoo defensive line, which is good defensive terrain due to the presence of heavy jungles.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PJH8MgCyFQk/XodhnOo-biI/AAAAAAACgrA/SlijGEaseHcjL3g1mOvOBNCiF6pwuTiGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Burma_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Map of Burma as of 19 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PJH8MgCyFQk/XodhnOo-biI/AAAAAAACgrA/SlijGEaseHcjL3g1mOvOBNCiF6pwuTiGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Burma_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="446" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The situation in Burma as of 19 March 1942 (Charles F. Romanus, Riley Sunderland).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Chinese troops in Burma are commanded by US Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell, and communication issues arise between the different allied forces. While experienced fighters, the Chinese divisions are the size of British brigades. The British troops are all defeated remnants of the previous Japanese advance across Burma, but Slim does have a potent tank force in the 7th Armored Brigade.<br />
<br />
Seven Japanese bombers raid Darwin city, Myilly Point, and Larrakeyah in the Northern Territory of Australia. The 9th Fighter Squadron of the 49th Fighter Group, USAAF scrambles from Batchelor Field (where General MacArthur landed recently) to intercept them, but they arrive after the bombers have left.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9oTcl-rDMTI/Xodrke2h2bI/AAAAAAACgrQ/kwSxMdNU_tYtDTqG-yPmCkJaLsMeWPPXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MacArthur_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Border Watch of Mount Gambier, Australia, 19 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9oTcl-rDMTI/Xodrke2h2bI/AAAAAAACgrQ/kwSxMdNU_tYtDTqG-yPmCkJaLsMeWPPXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/MacArthur_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="604" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mount Gambier, Australia, The Border Watch of 19 March 1942 trumpets General MacArthur's arrival on the front page. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
General Douglas MacArthur, recently arrived in Australia from the Philippines, and his party continues the long train ride from Alice Springs to Melbourne, Australia. MacArthur's journey is closely watched in the media, but the trip is arduous, lasting several days. Their railroad coach is tiny, with hard wooden seats running lengthwise that prevent movement within the train between coaches. In addition, the air is full of flies and this is a sheepherding region, with the train stopping once to aid a stricken sheepherder. The journey will require a change of trains at Terowie on the 20th, where MacArthur will make his famous "I shall return" speech. The party could fly, but Mrs. MacArthur refuses.<br />
<br />
Japanese submarine HIJMS I-25 launches a Yokosuka E14Y1 "Glen" to reconnoiter Suva on Viti Levu Island, Fiji. As with all similar Japanese reconnaissance missions of the sort, this one goes unobserved by the Allies.<br />
<br />
Following the path taken by General MacArthur, Philippine President Manuel Quezon and 13 members of his party use motor torpedo boat PT-41 to evacuate threatened Dumaguete, Negros Island. They sail the 240 miles to Oroquito, Mindanao Island, where the US Army still maintains an airbase.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1-qNFsbo-Aw/XodstxIAwLI/AAAAAAACgrY/ZwUgb71c8fcu2KGE9L2AyHiiDV-tCSfdQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Tempo_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Tempo magazine, 19 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="869" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1-qNFsbo-Aw/XodstxIAwLI/AAAAAAACgrY/ZwUgb71c8fcu2KGE9L2AyHiiDV-tCSfdQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Tempo_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="470" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Italian magazine Tempo features a cover story on "Surveillance aircraft at work upon enemy positions" in its issue for 19 March 1942.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>European Air Operations:</b> An extended lull in operations continues on the Channel front. RAF Bomber Command sends one Wellington bomber to Essen during the day, but weather conditions force its early return to base.<br />
<br />
<b>Battle of the Atlantic: </b>The U-boat fleet has been sinking tankers almost every day recently. This has caused great concern in London and Washington and has led to fuel rationing in the United Kingdom. The situation only gets worse today as more tankers go down.<br />
<br />
U-124 (Kptlt. Georg-Wilhelm Schulz), on its eighth patrol out of Lorient, continues a very successful patrol off the east coast of the United States when it torpedoes and sinks two U.S. tankers about 15 miles southwest of Cape Lookout:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>5939-ton tanker Papoose (2 dead, 32 survivors)</b></li>
<li><b>7076-ton tanker W.E. Hutton (13 dead, 23 survivors)</b></li>
</ul>
Schulz puts two torpedoes into Papoose beginning at 04:31. He then follows up by hitting the W.E. Hutton at 05:38. The men of both ships are rescued during the day by other passing freighters.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R7Uy3eeN7LM/XodfNfH0e2I/AAAAAAACgqw/4IgSB3VhD8IXR4DCX_uHRySu-rh8SIgmACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Liberator_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="SS Liberator, 19 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="640" height="160" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R7Uy3eeN7LM/XodfNfH0e2I/AAAAAAACgqw/4IgSB3VhD8IXR4DCX_uHRySu-rh8SIgmACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Liberator_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SS Liberator, one of the ships lost on 19 March 1942.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
U-332 (Kptlt. Johannes Liebe), on its third patrol out of La Pallice, torpedoes and sinks 7,720-ton US freighter Liberator about three miles west of the Diamond Shoals Buoy off Cape Hatteras. The ship is carrying 11,000 tons of sulfur, which ignites and creates fumes that force the crew to quickly abandon ship. There are five dead. The 30 survivors are picked up within an hour by USS Umpqua (AT 25), which witnesses the attack. This concludes U-332's patrol, during which it has sunk 25,125 tons of shipping off the east coast.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F9Zmz9jsqkk/Xodu1OTiL7I/AAAAAAACgrw/opeVDfHfguYRlkXpPOVt5Wk36-T75PScACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Hutton_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="US tanker W.E. Hutton, sunk on 19 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="640" height="515" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F9Zmz9jsqkk/Xodu1OTiL7I/AAAAAAACgrw/opeVDfHfguYRlkXpPOVt5Wk36-T75PScACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Hutton_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">U.S. tanker W.E. Hutton, lost on 19 March 1942.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Battle of the Mediterranean:</b> The sustained Axis air assault on Malta continues on 19 March. The list of sites hit is extensive:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>1 JU 88 - 4 x 250kg (Ta Qali Aerodrome)</b></li>
<li><b>4 ME 109 - 4 x 250kg (Grand Harbour)</b></li>
<li><b>5 JU 88 - 20 x 250kg; 30 x 50kg (Grand Harbour)</b></li>
<li><b>6 JU 88 - 24 x 500kg (Marsaxlokk)</b></li>
<li><b>10 JU 88 - 8 x 500kg; 15 x 250kg; 36 x 50kg (Ta Qali Aerodrome)</b></li>
<li><b>3 JU 88 - 12 x 250kg; 24 x 50kg (Luqa and Safi strip)</b></li>
<li><b>6 JU 88 - 20 x 500kg (West of Luqa)</b></li>
<li><b>13 JU 88 - 44 x 250kg; 100 x 50kg (South Malta)</b></li>
</ul>
Despite the air attacks, Malta remains in operation as a supply base for Royal Navy submarines. Today, HMS Unbeaten departs on patrol after a quick resupply turnaround, and Upright heads to Gibraltar and then the US for a refit.<br />
<br />
Royal Navy submarine Upholder (Lt.Cdr. M.D. Wanklyn) uses its deck gun to sink 22-ton Italian auxiliary minesweeper B-14 (Maria) about 20 nautical miles south of Brindisi, Italy. There is no record of casualties.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sQ-MXyejXKQ/XoduW9EF9QI/AAAAAAACgro/vAZNJV3Aq5wK5BKtYLc0A9l66QLPEgOZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Papoose_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="US tanker Papoose, sunk on 19 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="640" height="270" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sQ-MXyejXKQ/XoduW9EF9QI/AAAAAAACgro/vAZNJV3Aq5wK5BKtYLc0A9l66QLPEgOZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Papoose_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">U.S. tanker Papoose, sunk on 19 March 1942.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Partisans: </b>The Soviet partisan movement is becoming a serious problem for the Wehrmacht. The Third Panzer Army war diary states during late March:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>There are indications that the partisan movement in the region of Velikye Luki, Vitebsk, Rudnya, Velizh, is now beiing organized on a large scale. The fighting strength of the partisans hitherto active is being bolstered by individual units of regular troops.</b></blockquote>
Some of the partisans are soldiers trapped during the rapid start of Operation Barbarossa. Others are Red Army troops flown in and dropped behind the German lines specifically to engage in partisan operations. The German troops sometimes see these Red Air Force planes landing in the distance to their rear and know exactly what is going on. As usual, the German response to this problem involves a massive application of force.<br />
<br />
The Germans launch Operation Munich. This is a combined air/ground operation in the Yelnya/Dorogubuzh region against Soviet partisans. The Germans also are preparing and begin a similar anti-partisan action in the area of Hlusk District-Pariczi-Oktiabrskij to the south of Bobrujsk, in the eastern Polesie. This latter operation, more widely known, is Operation Bamberg.<br />
<br />
In Serbia and Croatia, the Axis occupation authorities issue a draconian directive calling for the destruction of any village suspected of harboring or aiding partisans:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Removal of the population to concentration camps can also be useful. If it is not possible to apprehend or seize partisans, themselves, reprisal measures of a general nature may be in order, for example, the shooting of male inhabitants in nearby localities.</b></blockquote>
The directive specifies as an example of these "reprisal measures" that 100 local inhabitants be shot for every German that is killed, with 50 to be shot for every wounded Wehrmacht soldier. This is severe even by German standards.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ekvXwCBYpU/XodpmafbUJI/AAAAAAACgrI/C2Y7636x40gulGWNz6X3FPYsE-Ftu_SIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/USS_Juneau_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="USS Juneau in New York, 19 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ekvXwCBYpU/XodpmafbUJI/AAAAAAACgrI/C2Y7636x40gulGWNz6X3FPYsE-Ftu_SIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/USS_Juneau_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="502" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"USS Juneau (CL-52), March 1942. Light cruiser at New York (also known as Brooklyn) Navy Yard, New York City, New York, March 19, 1942. U.S. Bureau of Ships Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. (2015/02/18)." National Museum of the U.S. Navy <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/explore/photography/ships-us/ships-usn-j/uss-juneau-cl-52/19-lcm-31285.html" target="_blank">19-LCM-31285</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>US Military: </b>Admiral King sends a memo to President Roosevelt in which he claims that it is "not at all sure that the British are applying sufficient effort to bombing German submarine bases and building (repair) yards." He adds that "It seems that the R.A.F. is not fully cooperative in complying with the views of the Admiralty in this (and other) matters relative to the selection of military objectives." He suggests "a directive from 'higher authority'" to remedy this situation. There is a constant tension throughout the war as different allied services request priority in the choice of bombing targets.<br />
<br />
US Military Intelligence warns that the Japanese may seize the Aleutian Islands soon. The Aleutian Islands have been a preoccupation by both sides since the 1920s, with both the US and Japan worried they will be used for bombing operations against their respective homelands. The Intelligence position is that the Japanese also would use the islands to interrupt US/Soviet communications. Soviet-flagged ships continue to pass between the United States and the USSR in the North Pacific area because Japan is not at war with the Soviet Union.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x1e31gdADog/XodgyFGLjbI/AAAAAAACgq4/Cu5fEyQbbgUEl13JVWfVRUdYeooRp2-bwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Rosyth_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="HMS Wallace, 19 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="640" height="484" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x1e31gdADog/XodgyFGLjbI/AAAAAAACgq4/Cu5fEyQbbgUEl13JVWfVRUdYeooRp2-bwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Rosyth_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Ratings aboard HMS WALLACE being issued with free gift cigarettes. Lieut Cdr J P Reid, RNVR, the CALO at Rosyth is handing out the gifts." 19 March 1942 (© IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205141987" target="_blank">A 7999</a>)).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>British Government: </b>In Parliament, PM Winston Churchill announces various appointments. These include the appointment of R.G. Casey, the Australian Minister of Washington, as Minister of State in Cairo and a member of the British War Cabinet. Australian Prime Minister Curtin objects to this appointment, which he makes clear to Churchill in a testy exchange by message.<br />
<br />
British home secretary Herbert Morrison accuses the London paper The Daily Mirror of "reckless indifference to the national interest" for its practice of publishing stories with an antiwar slant. This has been a continuing theme of the Winston Churchill government during the war, as Churchill expects nothing but cheerleading from the British press.<br />
<br />
<b>US Government:</b> Congress is busy working on the relocation of people along the west coast of the United States for defense reasons. The Select Committee Investigating National Defense Migration issues a report today recommending the imposition of a penalty of a $5,000 fine and misdemeanor conviction with the possibility of up to one-year imprisonment for persons violating restriction orders related to the military zones. This passes quickly, with little debate or discussion.<br />
<br />
<b>Holocaust:</b> A new gas van, driven by two junior SS officers, Götz and Meyer, is used for the first time in Belgrade to address the "Jewish problem." These first victims of the gas van are staff and patients at the two Jewish hospitals in the city. The victims are loaded in groups of 80 and 100 and then driven through Belgrade. The vehicle exhaust is fed into the truck, killing the occupants within 15 minutes. The 800 dead in the two-day operation that concludes today are driven to Jajinci, a village at the base of mount Avala, south of the city. There, seven Serbian prisoners bury the dead in mass graves.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7pskgJ4MdhU/XodveXE_gfI/AAAAAAACgr4/wNO0SHsnoBkoQGW5K7d9dFIRKiw6dBFmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Spitfire_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Spitfire on HMS Eagle, 19 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="640" height="490" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7pskgJ4MdhU/XodveXE_gfI/AAAAAAACgr4/wNO0SHsnoBkoQGW5K7d9dFIRKiw6dBFmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Spitfire_19_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Spitfire taking off from HMS Eagle, 19 to 23 March 1942 (© IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205143396" target="_blank">A 9586</a>)).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-13614222127553018402020-04-01T13:26:00.003-06:002020-08-09T11:56:32.037-06:00March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Wednesday 18 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wLkST3CzHsc/XoTocGyEmXI/AAAAAAACgqc/kA6jfx5uZY4QcIAt4ph2Vm_qZxkyJzu0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Patrol_Boat_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Royal Navy patrol boat 18 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wLkST3CzHsc/XoTocGyEmXI/AAAAAAACgqc/kA6jfx5uZY4QcIAt4ph2Vm_qZxkyJzu0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Patrol_Boat_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"HMT ADRONIE CAMIEL with a barrage balloon above her." 18 March 1942 in Milford Haven and Fishguard. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205141910" target="_blank">A 7908</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Pacific: </b>In Burma, the two-day Battle of Tachiao begins on <b>18 March 1942</b> when about 200 Japanese reconnaissance troops on motorbikes are ambushed while advancing toward a critical bridge 35 miles south of Toungoo and 12 miles south of Pyu. The Japanese lose 30 dead and much equipment but resume their advance as the main body of troops arrives. This conflict begins the Battle of Yunnan-Burma Road which will last until early June 1942.<br />
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The American Volunteer Group (AVG), or "Flying Tigers," are still causing the Japanese problems in Burma. At 07:55, they attack the Japanese airfield at Moulmein and destroy three bombers, two transport planes, and 11 fighters on the ground. The Japanese realize they need to beef up their air presence in Burma. So, during the day, the Japanese transfer 420 aircraft from recently conquered Malaya and the Netherlands East Indies to reinforce their forces in Burma.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-14T21Ht_qds/XoTnYukyWAI/AAAAAAACgqU/2DJYEL_fCzQlL5O6DRqlK9HqMBvkycPGQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/minesweeper_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Royal Navy Minesweeper 18 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="640" height="488" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-14T21Ht_qds/XoTnYukyWAI/AAAAAAACgqU/2DJYEL_fCzQlL5O6DRqlK9HqMBvkycPGQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/minesweeper_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Motor Minesweeper J514." 18 March 1942. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205143530" target="_blank">A 9738</a>).</td></tr>
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After spending the night in Alice Springs, Australia, General MacArthur's party boards a three-car wooden train drawn by a steam locomotive that General Brett has commandeered from the Australians and heads for Melbourne via Adelaide. This journey will take several days and involve numerous stops and changes of trains. MacArthur is traveling by train because his wife, Jean, is tired of flying.<br />
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The United States' presence in Australia is still very light. Today, the US Army Air Force has a strength of 213 combat aircraft. This includes a dozen B-17 Flying Fortresses, 27 A-24 Dauntless dive bombers, various other medium and light bombers, 33 P-39 and 52 Bell P-400 Aircobras (export version of the P-39), 92 P-40 fighters, and assorted other transport and trainer aircraft.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--T4x-UL4uys/XoTlDMw5UoI/AAAAAAACgp8/P8Rzoxnc1EwUGIcvGDTZ3GKP-F5_iTKXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Bateman_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="USAAF pilot Paul Bateman enlists on 18 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--T4x-UL4uys/XoTlDMw5UoI/AAAAAAACgp8/P8Rzoxnc1EwUGIcvGDTZ3GKP-F5_iTKXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Bateman_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="434" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">Let's take a look at an average pilot. "Lt. Paul H. Bateman enlisted on 18 March 1942 at Fort Bragg, NC. Assigned to the 370th Fighter Squadron in April 1943, he completed his combat tour of duty in July 1944 with 301-1/2 hours and 1-3/4 aerial victories and 1-1/3 ground. Aircraft included P-51B CS-O 42-106926." American Air Museum <a href="http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/38438" target="_blank">UPL 38438</a>.</td></tr>
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> The Wehrmacht scores a minor victory in Operation Raubtier when elements of I Corps advancing from the north cut a Soviet supply road into the large salient on the western side of the Volkhov River. With the "Erika" lane in their possession, the Germans continue driving from both north and south toward the remaining supply lane, codenamed "Dora." The Red Army has 130,000 troops to the west whose only source of communications to the east is along the Dora lane, which now is in severe jeopardy.<br />
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<b>European Air Operations:</b> The RAF is in the midst of an extended lull in operations. RAF Bomber Command sends five Wellington bombers to Essen but they return without attacking due to weather conditions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FPiPeWo6Ls8/XoTm4HzYpbI/AAAAAAACgqM/NzRxRtLE8EAbygrzBz2L1NOFvIU3Uaw5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/SS_Kassandra_Louloudis_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="SS Kassandra Louloudis, lost on 18 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="640" height="350" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FPiPeWo6Ls8/XoTm4HzYpbI/AAAAAAACgqM/NzRxRtLE8EAbygrzBz2L1NOFvIU3Uaw5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/SS_Kassandra_Louloudis_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SS Kassandra Louloudis, lost on 18 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic:</b> U-124 (Kptlt. Johann Mohr) has a big day off the east coast of the United States. It sinks two unarmed US tankers. First, at 01:14, Mohr spots and sinks independent 5106-ton Greek tanker Kassandra Louloudis (Master Themistokles Mitlas) about seven miles off Diamond Shoals, Cape Hatteras. All 35 men on board survive. At 08:27, Mohr spots and sinks independent 9647-ton US tanker E.M. Clark (Master Hubert L. Hassell) about 22 miles southwest of the Diamond Shoals Lighted Buoy. Two torpedoes hit, and the tanker sinks ten minutes later. There are one death and 40 survivors.<br />
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British 1547-ton freighter Ebro, carrying a load of fish from Reykjavik (Iceland) to Hull (GB), runs aground in Strathberg Bay, 2 nm NW of Rattray Lighthouse (Scotland, UK) and is written off. There is no report of any casualties.<br />
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U-653 (Kptlt. Gerhard Feiler), on its second patrol out of Brest, is lurking along the North Atlantic route near Convoy SL-119 when it is spotted by a patrolling Liberator aircraft of Squadron 120/F. The submarine crew realizes it has been spotted and quickly dives, but it leaves one man topside who is lost. The U-boat sustains damage during the attack and barely makes it back to Brest on 30 April.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cgZiSSiWHjA/XoTmPXEAi1I/AAAAAAACgqE/0T7KPub-q9IxlxmEGl4wryIocaWVvUnHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Tricheco_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Italian submarine Tricheco, lost on 18 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="640" height="450" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cgZiSSiWHjA/XoTmPXEAi1I/AAAAAAACgqE/0T7KPub-q9IxlxmEGl4wryIocaWVvUnHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Tricheco_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Italian submarine Tricheco, shown being launched in 1931, was lost on 18 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean:</b> Royal Navy submarines continue their recent streak of sinking Italian submarines in the Mediterranean today. HMS Upholder (Lt.Cdr. Malcolm David Wanklyn) spots Italian submarine Tricheco sailing from Augusta, Sicily, to Brindisi and pumps a torpedo into it. The Tricheco splits into two pieces and sinks within seconds. There are 38 deaths and three survivors, including the captain.<br />
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The Luftwaffe continues its daily raids on Malta today. Junkers Ju 88s begin the barrage at around 08:00, and air battles continue over the island throughout the day. Both sides suffer losses, and the Germans succeed in further damaging Hal Far Airfield and other key points.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mP4CSL_w5B0/XoTj-yPEoSI/AAAAAAACgp0/HiauQScrn_4vNuWO9f3tXjvm3ujhnkoOACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Admiral_Burnett_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rear Admiral Robert Lindsay Burnett,18 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="640" height="484" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mP4CSL_w5B0/XoTj-yPEoSI/AAAAAAACgp0/HiauQScrn_4vNuWO9f3tXjvm3ujhnkoOACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Admiral_Burnett_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Rear Admiral Robert Lindsay Burnett, OBE, addressing the ship's company of HMS ASHANTI. On the right just below the Admiral is the ship's captain, Commander R G Onslow, RN." 18 March 1942. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205141964" target="_blank">A 7972</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Anglo/US Relations:</b> President Roosevelt sends Winston Churchill promising to send "one new battleship, two heavy cruisers, one carrier, five or six destroyers" to form a large part of Admiral Ghormley's European command. These forces, however, will "be under operational orders of CINC Home Fleet," meaning British command. This suggests that Ghormley is more of an administrator than a commander.<br />
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<b>US/Chinese Relations:</b> The United States Navy leases its river gunboat Tutuila to the Chinese government for the duration.<br />
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<b>US/Australian Relations:</b> General Brett, now technically General MacArthur's deputy even though MacArthur is still en route from Darwin, announces that the USAAF and Australian Air Force (RAAF) will fly together as a combined force.<br />
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<b>British Military:</b> Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten is named Chief of Combined Operations.<br />
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<b>US Military: </b>Two companies of the 182nd Infantry Regiment and a company of engineers arrive on Efate Island in the New Hebrides to construct an airfield.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lykVcMzPElo/XoQuopORPlI/AAAAAAACgpk/xNO9EZBXfqUG_nVg_M9LAEe5t4kpT3HAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Auschwitz_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="An Auschwitz victim executed on 18 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="640" height="287" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lykVcMzPElo/XoQuopORPlI/AAAAAAACgpk/xNO9EZBXfqUG_nVg_M9LAEe5t4kpT3HAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Auschwitz_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polish Jew Abraham Weinberger (No. 25986) of Tarnów, a political prisoner, was executed at Auschwitz on 18 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>US Government:</b> President Roosevelt signs Executive Order No. 9102. This creates the War Relocation Authority (WRA), which handles the relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The order directs in part:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Take all people of Japanese descent into custody, surround them with troops, prevent them from buying land, and return them to their former homes at the close of the war.</b></blockquote>
Milton S. Eisenhower (the brother of Dwight) is appointed as the first director despite the fact that he is largely against the whole internment scheme. He writes his former boss, Agriculture Secretary Claude Wickard:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>When the war is over, and we consider calmly this unprecedented migration of 120,000 people, we, as Americans, are going to regret the unavoidable injustices that we may have done.</b></blockquote>
Eisenhower, unable to cut back the program as he desires, will resign on 18 June 1942. However, during his brief tenure, he does manage to implement some reforms, such as raising wages for the interned people and establishing an internee advisory council.<br />
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The WRA's main objective is to take internees from their temporary "assembly centers" established by the military's Wartime Civilian Control Administration (WCCA) and move them into permanent camps. This is done successfully at ten camp locations, most of which are on tribal land, though often the arriving internees themselves have to help with the camp construction.<br />
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<b>American Homefront:</b> "Reap the Wild Wind," directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring John Wayne and Ray Milland, hits theaters today. While one of Wayne's lesser-known films, "Reap the Wild Wind" is very successful and helps to cement his status as a major Hollywood star. It also is one of Wayne's more unusual films in that he plays a very dark character that is very similar to his later role in "Wake of the Red Witch" (1948). Paulette Goddard also stars.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R6whxFOCBrA/XoQvc3ncWpI/AAAAAAACgps/znO7EMSiFC4U81v7_SNxHusyXGCbdJiGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Aircraft_workers_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Female aircraft workers in England, 18 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="942" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R6whxFOCBrA/XoQvc3ncWpI/AAAAAAACgps/znO7EMSiFC4U81v7_SNxHusyXGCbdJiGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Aircraft_workers_18_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Two women workers sit inside the cockpit of an aircraft as they wire up the pilot's instrument panel, at a factory somewhere in Britain. According to the original caption, one woman is a GTC (Government Training Centre) trainee, and the other has been recently transferred from the canteen." 18 March 1942. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205196505" target="_blank">L 346</a>).</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br /></div>
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-85398275430289836332020-03-29T22:05:00.003-06:002020-08-09T11:55:55.473-06:00March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Tuesday 17 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Cl9BnAOSjE/XoFjS4baeKI/AAAAAAACgns/fX4swP-477wriET6zeZNiLUEb-slVQz5ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/US_Troops_Australia_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="US GIs arriving in Australia, 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="640" height="542" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Cl9BnAOSjE/XoFjS4baeKI/AAAAAAACgns/fX4swP-477wriET6zeZNiLUEb-slVQz5ACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/US_Troops_Australia_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">United States troops arrive in Australia, 17 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> General Douglas MacArthur completes his escape from the Philippines by arriving on <b>17 March 1942</b> at the emergency field Batchelor Airfield about 50 miles from Darwin, Australia. Arriving at 09:00 in two B-17 bombers from Mindanao, MacArthur and his group have had to leave their luggage behind because a third bomber experienced engine troubles. The bombers take off at 01:30 on the 17th with one engine spluttering due to a bad supercharger and with MacArthur sitting in the radio operator's seat. His chief of staff, Major General Richard K. Sutherland, rides out the 1500-mile flight in the cramped bomb bay.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NJtd1naBQYI/XoFhmZNnk1I/AAAAAAACgnc/a88p7oBpPbUKCAdaoOr7T1lGauA0wDHzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/NY_Times_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="NY_Times, 18 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NJtd1naBQYI/XoFhmZNnk1I/AAAAAAACgnc/a88p7oBpPbUKCAdaoOr7T1lGauA0wDHzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/NY_Times_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="474" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The NY Times edition that announced the return of General MacArthur notes optimistically in its headline that "Move hailed as foreshadowing turn of [the] tide."</td></tr>
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MacArthur's journey almost had a disastrous ending. As the two B-17s approached Darwin, the original destination, the crew learned that a Japanese air raid was in progress over the airfield. The planes are able to divert without incident to nearby Batchelor Airfield, where a very grateful General MacArthur awards Silver Stars to the crews of the two bombers. Waiting at the airfield are two Australian National Airways DC-3 transport planes. Because the general's wife, Jean MacArthur, is tired of flying, the general has the planes fly them only to the nearest railway station at Alice Springs, 1000 miles (1600 km) away. There, the general, his wife, and a few cronies spend the night on cots on a hotel verandah before later boarding a special train to Melbourne.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jM-9hQMnyNs/XoFk4AR2pGI/AAAAAAACgn8/zvKGGzHQC0YjKkc5UQmGw_hzl3jSlOq_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Advertiser_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Adelaide, Australia, Advertiser, 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jM-9hQMnyNs/XoFk4AR2pGI/AAAAAAACgn8/zvKGGzHQC0YjKkc5UQmGw_hzl3jSlOq_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Advertiser_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="514" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Advertiser of Adelaide, Australia, of 17 March 1942 notes in its headline that the Japanese have bombed Darwin for the third time. However, there does not appear to be any mention of General MacArthur's arrival.</td></tr>
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MacArthur's arrival receives worldwide attention. President Roosevelt issues a public statement congratulating the general on his escape:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>I know that every man and woman in the United States admires with me General MacArthur's determination to fight to the finish with his men in the Philippines. But I also know that every man and woman is in agreement that all important decisions must be made with a view toward the successful termination of the war. Knowing this, I am sure that every American, if faced individually with the question as to where General MacArthur could best serve his country, could come to only one answer.</b></blockquote>
President Roosevelt quickly sends off a <a href="http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/_resources/images/mr/mr0009.pdf" target="_blank">cable</a> to Winston Churchill apprising him of the general's arrival in Australi with "a small staff." Roosevelt also instructs General Brett, the US commander in Australia, to propose MacArthur as the supreme commander in that region to Australian Prime Minister Curtin. This offer is immediately accepted by PM Curtin, making MacArthur the overall commander of Allied forces in the southwest Pacific Ocean.<br />
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The United States officially takes responsibility for the strategic defense of the Pacific Theater of Operations. The British still have a presence there, of course, but the overwhelming power lies in the hands of the Americans and this is just an acceptance of the reality of the situation.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-THGv5P0eoyU/XoFoMv-PuiI/AAAAAAACgoU/gHcuzvc-Dxc_37cIeMZ1h3BAqIGLI53RQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Hattiesburg_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hattiesburg, Mississippi, American, 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-THGv5P0eoyU/XoFoMv-PuiI/AAAAAAACgoU/gHcuzvc-Dxc_37cIeMZ1h3BAqIGLI53RQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Hattiesburg_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="490" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hattiesburg (Mississippi) American of 17 March 1942 notes the arrival of General MacArthur but also trumpets the series of tornadoes that have devastated many nearby states from 15-17 March 1942.</td></tr>
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The trapped men left behind in the Philippines (two-thirds of whom do not survive the war) are not quite as joyful as some others, but nobody in the outside world can hear them anyway. However, the Axis propaganda networks are trumpeting MacArthur's departure from the Philippines, a fact which makes Roosevelt urge Churchill to issue a joint press release announcing the general's escape so that the effects of such propaganda is "forestalled." MacArthur will further this effort on 20 March 1942 when he makes his famous "I shall return" speech.<br />
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US Navy submarine USS Grayback (SS-208, Lt. Cdr. W. A. Saunders) sinks 3291-ton Japanese collier Ishikari Maru six miles west of Port Lloyd, Chichi Jima, Bonin Islands. There is no indication of casualties.<br />
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US Navy submarine USS Permit is damaged by depth charges off Tayabas Bay, Luzon, but remains on patrol.<br />
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<b>Eastern Front: </b>Operation Raubtier, the German attempt to encircle Soviet forces that have advanced across the Volkhov River, continues to make slow but steady progress. The Germans in the north are coming very close to one of the two Soviet supply roads, codenamed "Erika." If they take it, the Soviets will have only one other supply road, codenamed "Dora," for their two armies operating to the west.<br />
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<b>European Air Operations: </b>A prolonged lull in major RAF operations continues. A lone Wellington bomber is sent to Essen but, due to clouds that prevent accurate navigation, drops its bombs in the Ruhr River.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-doEucABHZ-U/XoFmuv4ideI/AAAAAAACgoE/JW3yafBUwrIR47dVS0nMjrelUqROB19QACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/San_Demetrio_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Tanker San Demetrio, sunk on 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="640" height="430" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-doEucABHZ-U/XoFmuv4ideI/AAAAAAACgoE/JW3yafBUwrIR47dVS0nMjrelUqROB19QACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/San_Demetrio_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanker San Demetrio, sunk on 17 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic:</b> U-68 (K.Kapt. Karl-Freidrich Merten), on its third patrol out of Lorient, has a big day while operating about 28 miles southwest of Cape Palmas, Ivory Coast. It sinks three ships. First, at 06:35, Merten torpedoes and later uses the deck gun to finish off independent 5755-ton British freighter Ile de Batz. There are four deaths and 39 survivors. Then, at 13:26, Merten puts two torpedoes into 4917-ton British freighter Scottish Prince. Once again, Captain Merten surfaces and the crew uses the deck gun to finish off the slowly sinking Scottish Prince. There is only one death, and the 38 survivors make it to Cape Palmas in the boats. Finally, at 21:03, Merten spots his third victim, 5081-ton British freighter Allende. Two torpedoes send the Allende to the bottom. There are five dead and 38 survivors.<br />
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U-404 (Kptlt. Otto von Bülow), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 8073-ton British tanker San Demetrio. The tanker is traveling independently northwest of Cape Charles, Virginia. There are 19 dead, and the 34 survivors spend two days in lifeboats before being picked up by passing American freighter Beta. The master, Conrad Vidot, receives the Lloyds War Medal for Bravery at sea. This is another in a series of devastating tanker losses for the Allies in early 1942 which are causing concern in Washington and London.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0On30IVW728/XoFq-qiEEGI/AAAAAAACgoc/Nxatnqyek80j-_Xxdv_aCUw7a52e4Y6gwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Allende_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="British freighter Allende, sunk on 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="640" height="346" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0On30IVW728/XoFq-qiEEGI/AAAAAAACgoc/Nxatnqyek80j-_Xxdv_aCUw7a52e4Y6gwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Allende_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">British freighter Allende, sunk on 17 March 1942 off the coast of Africa.</td></tr>
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U-124 (K.Kapt. Johann Mohr), nicknamed "Edelweisseboot," on its eighth and most successful patrol, torpedoes and sinks 1698-ton Honduran freighter Ceiba off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The crew of the independent Ceiba has brought along their wives and children, and many of them are among the 44 deaths. There are only a dozen survivors.<br />
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U-71 (K.Kapt. Walter Flachsenberg) is operating about 450 miles southeast of Philadephia, Pennsylvania when it puts two torpedoes into 6355-ton Norwegian tanker Ranja at 18:58. The ship catches fire and develops a list but does not sink and even continues to make headway, so Flachsenberg puts another torpedo into it at 19:54. That does the trick and the tanker becomes a blazing wreck that soon sinks. There are 34 deaths.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jEQS9xJxLLQ/XoFsPvldbJI/AAAAAAACgos/_LGaSeuyD2M91xuMuYpwD7Y2ObNEmwcVACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Ranja_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Norwegian tanker Ranja, sunk on 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="640" height="367" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jEQS9xJxLLQ/XoFsPvldbJI/AAAAAAACgos/_LGaSeuyD2M91xuMuYpwD7Y2ObNEmwcVACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Ranja_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Norwegian tanker Ranja, sunk on 17 March 1942.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
U-373 (Kptlt. Paul-Karl Loeser), on its fourth patrol out of Brest, torpedoes and sinks independent 4292-ton Greek freighter Mount Lycabettus at 15:08 in the mid-Atlantic. All 30 men on board perish and this sinking was a mystery under post-war records were consulted. According to one source, the Lycabettus was chartered by neutral Switzerland with a Swiss cross painting and "Switzerland" prominently written on her hull, but this did not save her.<br />
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Royal Navy 630-ton rescue tug HMS Adept runs aground at Paterson's Rock near Sanda Island, Scotland, in thick fog. The sea batters the tug before it can be refloated and it is written off. There is no indication of any casualties.<br />
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British 3738-ton freighter Clare Lilley runs aground at Portuguese Cover, Halifax Harbor, and is lost. There are five deaths, and the rest of the crew is saved only due to heroic efforts by locals residents. The Clare Lilley's cargo of munitions remains a local hazard until the present day, though much of it was removed in the 1970s.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ykzONyFBEyE/XoFrtdMKYsI/AAAAAAACgok/4hSR4GJXXBgS6IEqmo0TpcTIMtrHWaqrACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Guglielmotti_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Italian submarine Guglielmotti, sunk on 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="640" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ykzONyFBEyE/XoFrtdMKYsI/AAAAAAACgok/4hSR4GJXXBgS6IEqmo0TpcTIMtrHWaqrACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Guglielmotti_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Italian submarine Guglielmotti, sunk on 17 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean: </b>Royal Navy submarine HMS Unbeaten (captain Edward Arthur Woodward) spots Italian submarine Guglielmotti off Capo dell Armi, Sicily, At 06:40, Captain Woodward fires four torpedoes and sinks the Italian submarine. All 61 men on board perish. Guglielmotti ends its career having sunk only one vessel, 4008-ton Greek tanker Atlas on 6 September 1940. This is the second British sinking of an Italian submarine recently, with HMS Ultimatum having sunk one on 14 March 1942.<br />
<br />
U-83 (Kptlt. Hans-Werner Kraus) torpedoes and badly damages 2590-ton British tanker Crista between Alexandria and Tobruk. There are seven deaths, but the ship does not sink. A British motor torpedo boat (MTB 266) finds it abandoned and anchors it off Bardia, Libya. It is then towed back to Alexandria, arriving on the 28th. Crista is put back into service after repairs in 1944.<br />
<br />
Royal Navy carrier-based aircraft attack 1778-ton German freighter Achaia and send it on a frantic attempt to escape. This causes the ship to blunder into a minefield, which does sink her about 25 miles east of Tripoli, Libya. There is no record of casualties.<br />
<br />
Heavy Axis bombing of Malta resumes after a day of rest. Numerous bombs are dropped, particularly on favored targets Luqa and Grand Harbour. There are 30 civilian deaths recorded and one Spitfire is lost, along with several planes damaged on the ground. All told, the Luftwaffe drops 79,000 kg of high explosives today on the island.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ByS2tfi4U6E/XoFnYOp-mkI/AAAAAAACgoM/DfJZnOeRcCQscOllG0mc2kAwwqC81kl3ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/US_soldier_funeral_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Funeral for US seaman in the UK, 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="640" height="486" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ByS2tfi4U6E/XoFnYOp-mkI/AAAAAAACgoM/DfJZnOeRcCQscOllG0mc2kAwwqC81kl3ACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/US_soldier_funeral_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funeral of a United States seaman on 17 March 1942 in Gillingham Cemetery, Kent. "US Marines and US Seamen standing at the salute at the graveside." © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205141834" target="_blank">A 7813</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>British Military: </b>Air Vice Marshal Donald F. Stevenson, commanding Allied air forces, transfers his headquarters from Burma to Calcutta. India.<br />
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<b>US Military: </b>Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley establishes his new United States Naval Forces Europe command. This will plan joint operations with the Royal Navy. Ghormley, former commander of the USS Nevada and Assistant Chief of Naval Operations, has been President Roosevelt's Special Naval Observer in the United Kingdom since August 1940. While Ghormley has a fancy new title, his European command actually only encompasses a very few ships, at least one of which the British have "lent" the US Navy (USS Impulse, formerly the British corvette HMS Begonia, commissioned into the US Navy on 16 March 1942 at the Albert Dock.).<br />
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The US Army Air Force 9th Pursuit Squadron arrives at Darwin, Northern Territory, equipped with P-40Es. The port city has been under regular Japanese air raids and today, of course, is when General MacArthur arrives there from the Philippines.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hgIKbyXELnw/XoFiZRX69qI/AAAAAAACgnk/bl_NTANq4jYZOwNf85KYxLI6jUGAYY5gACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Nada_Dimic_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Serbian communist and anti-fascist militant Nada Dimić, executed 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="640" height="405" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hgIKbyXELnw/XoFiZRX69qI/AAAAAAACgnk/bl_NTANq4jYZOwNf85KYxLI6jUGAYY5gACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Nada_Dimic_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On 17 March 1942, occupation authorities execute Serbian communist and anti-fascist militant Nada Dimić. She is executed in the Stara Gradiška concentration camp. Nada Dimić was a member of a partisan group in Croatia. She was executed for helping people escape the fascists into partisan areas.</td></tr>
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<b>Holocaust:</b> At recently constructed Belzec extermination camp in Poland, daily gassings of prisoners begin. This is done quietly by experienced Aktion T4 (euthanasia program) personnel brought in under the guise of being Operation Todt construction laborers. While there have been gassings of prisoners before during the T4 euthanasia program (since ended, at least officially, due to public outcry), Belzec is the first stationary extermination camp to enter operation (Auschwitz is already functional but is not yet gassing inmates).<br />
<br />
The Germans take great pains to conceal the camp's true purpose by creating two separate zones, or camps that are completely screened from each other. These are smaller gas chambers than are used later, made of planks and insulated with sand and rubber. It takes time to perfect the extermination process, with many rooms not functioning properly, and this quickly creates a massive backlog of thousands of people awaiting execution with more arriving daily by train. New gas chambers of brick and mortar are soon built as a result of the lessons learned from this early process. There is little time to waste, as today the Germans send the first transport trains of Jews from the cities of Lublin and Lwów (Lviv) to Belzec.<br />
<br />
In Ilja, north of Minsk, USSR, the SS rounds up and liquidates 900 Jews. The incident is notable because the victims attempted collective resistance, but it failed.<br />
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In Kovno, 24 Jewish residents are found outside the ghetto buying food from local Lithuanians. Such "escapes" are strictly forbidden, and all 24 men are shot by the Gestapo.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2B7vSCIZwwQ/XoFkBhigT0I/AAAAAAACgn0/CQ5Ks5qGFy8v2ecHkdHDRPJwwYbfDhLmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Draft_Lottery_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="First US draft lottery held on 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2B7vSCIZwwQ/XoFkBhigT0I/AAAAAAACgn0/CQ5Ks5qGFy8v2ecHkdHDRPJwwYbfDhLmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Draft_Lottery_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="606" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first United States wartime draft lottery takes place on 17 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>British Homefront: </b>The recent surge in U-boat sinkings of tankers, such as the sinking of tanker San Demetrio today, leads to a painful result in Great Britain. Drastic cuts are announced by Hugh Dalton, the president of the board of trade, in parliament. The British government imposes fuel rationing of about 25%. Coal, gas, and electricity for home heating are all subject to new limits. Persistent over-consumption will lead to prosecution and a complete cut-off of supply. In addition, the government announces cuts in the civilian clothing ration in order to release 50,000 textile workers for war production. All pleasure boating also is banned in order to save fuel.<br />
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<b>American Homefront:</b> The Wartime Civil Control Administration of the Western Defense Command and Fourth Army announce two new steps to speed up the "voluntary" evacuation of alien and American-born Japanese from the Pacific Coast military area. These include the opening of new services centers in 64 communities in the three Pacific Coast states and Arizona. In addition, the Farm Security Administration announces a plan for continuing full production on agricultural lands to be evacuated by the departing internees.<br />
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<b>Future History:</b> John Wayne Gacy is born in Chicago Illinois. He becomes involved with the Illinois Democratic Party in 1960, becoming an assistant precinct captain. He then engages in a series of odd jobs, including that of a mortuary attendant. During the 1960s, Gacy is believed to have begun sexually assaulting minor boys, and for one incident he is convicted and serves time in the Anamosa State Penitentiary. During the 1970s, Gacy's sexual violence escalates and he begins a string of murders, again of minor boys. He performs at events as ""Pogo the Clown" or "Patches the Clown," which enables him to disarm his victims into thinking he is safe. Gacy is arrested on 21 December 1978 and convicted of sodomy of a teenage boy in Iowa in 1968, serves his time, and returns to Illinois. He then continues his string of murders, which leads in 1980 to convictions of 33 counts of murder. After spending 14 years on death row, John Wayne Gacy is executed by lethal injection on 10 May 1994.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hf_Bfm6nSeQ/XoFtWlDoP3I/AAAAAAACgo0/7zLM0c6Tt9M7SVJugBQ953JQbbF1qAK1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Decatur_Illinois_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Decatur, Illinois, Daily Review, 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="640" height="506" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hf_Bfm6nSeQ/XoFtWlDoP3I/AAAAAAACgo0/7zLM0c6Tt9M7SVJugBQ953JQbbF1qAK1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Decatur_Illinois_17_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 17 March 1942 Decatur (Illinois) Daily Review features scenes of devastation from the series of hurricanes that hit the southern half of the United States in mid-March 1942.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-9128408287174255002020-03-28T18:53:00.004-06:002021-02-07T02:21:25.500-07:00March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Monday 16 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YpWpDF3jqvM/Xn_kt62qBnI/AAAAAAACgl4/3ZIw9Zn4ySgtx6uTFDlCVnBW65ryKkBLwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/U-502_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="U-502 arriving back at Lorient on 16 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="640" height="450" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YpWpDF3jqvM/Xn_kt62qBnI/AAAAAAACgl4/3ZIw9Zn4ySgtx6uTFDlCVnBW65ryKkBLwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/U-502_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">U-502 arrives back in port after a successful patrol during which it sank 33,800 tons of enemy shipping on 16 March 1942 (Moravia; Junkers, Federal Archive <a href="https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?channelid=dcx-channel-channel_barch_typ_foto&query=&day=16&month=03&yearfrom=1942&yearto=&imageid=&title=&farbe=&kostenfrei=&ausrichtung=&view=gallery&submit=" target="_blank">Figure 101II-MW-3810-20A</a>).</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> Just before midnight on 16 March 1942, General Douglas MacArthur, his family, and his staff finally receive planes to take them from Del Monte, Mindanao, Philippines, to Australia on <b>16 March 1942</b>. Three B-17 bombers of the US Army 5th Air Force arrive for this mission but one requires repairs before it can make the return trip (defective supercharger). Lead pilot Lieutenant Frank P. Bostrom readies for a quick turnaround by drinking a pot of coffee. He informs the general that he and his party must leave behind any luggage - including Mrs. MacArthur's prized mattress which she brought from Corregidor.<br />
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Japanese siege guns continue bombarding US Army forts on their fortified islands near Manila. The Japanese have emplaced additional artillery southwest of Temate and US counterbattery fire is ineffective. Already, several US guns have been knocked out at Forts Drum and Frank. The Japanese guns range up in size to 240 mm, and one shell hits a Fort Frank powder room but somehow fails to detonate the 60 filled powder cans inside. US Navy submarine USS Permit arrives at Corregidor Island to evacuate naval radio and communications intelligence soldiers.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8t30b9maVe8/Xn_lkYc2gCI/AAAAAAACgmA/1sVKV1gFWIQIg7A93XpDJ_vICnViixrJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/U-502_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="U-502 arriving back at Lorient on 16 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="640" height="450" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8t30b9maVe8/Xn_lkYc2gCI/AAAAAAACgmA/1sVKV1gFWIQIg7A93XpDJ_vICnViixrJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/U-502_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The happy crew of U-502 as it arrives back at Lorient on 16 March 1942. Note the victory pennants signifying a successful patrol. (Moravia; Junkers, Federal Archive <a href="https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?channelid=dcx-channel-channel_barch_typ_foto&query=&day=16&month=03&yearfrom=1942&yearto=&imageid=&title=&farbe=&kostenfrei=&ausrichtung=&view=gallery&submit=" target="_blank">Figure 101II-MW-3810-24A</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> Operation Raubtier, the German mission to cut off Soviet troops that have advanced past the Volkhov River in an effort to take Lyuban, continues from both the north and south. Progress is slow but steady. The Soviet defenders on each end of the six-mile-wide breakthrough are slowly being compressed together. Even small German advances greatly improve their chances of final success.<br />
<br />
The Germans need Operation Raubtier to end quickly so that they transfer the forces there to relieve the men trapped in the Demyansk pocket. In the pocket, General Walter von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt, commander of the II Army Corps, has been talking about staging a desperate breakout to the west. To reassure him, Army Group North commander Georg von Küchler makes an unusually risky flight for an army group commander. He flies into the Demyansk pocket. During the flights in and out, Küchler makes personal observations about the relative positions of the two forces. He sees that the Soviets are attacking from the north and south, which means that an attack from the west might well succeed. Still, the relief attack will have to cover a full 20 miles, no small feat in the snowy or, if the attack is postponed too long, boggy terrain.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sbCg53Kuqtc/Xn_vOGK5a2I/AAAAAAACgnI/PVxYlHT7bfAJST5a6EdA3D1oLNUbvlqMACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Panzer_IV_16_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Examining a captured Panzer IV on 16 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="640" height="630" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sbCg53Kuqtc/Xn_vOGK5a2I/AAAAAAACgnI/PVxYlHT7bfAJST5a6EdA3D1oLNUbvlqMACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Panzer_IV_16_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"A captured German Mk IV tank is examined back at base in the Western Desert, 16 March 1942." © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205203700" target="_blank">E 9309</a>).</td></tr>
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The Soviet attack at the Parpach Narrows in Crimea begun on 13 March 1942 is over. It has accomplished virtually nothing except the capture of the strongpoint at Korpech'. That small victory came at great cost in men, tanks, and planes. The Germans begin preparing a counterattack set to start on 20 March 1942. They bring in the fresh 22nd Panzer Division in order to recapture Korpech'. However, while the 22nd Pzr is powerful, it is equipped with obsolete Czech-built Panzer 38(t)s. The Soviets, meanwhile, are also building up their forces for a renewal of their attack, and the big question is who attacks first.<br />
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<b>European Air Operations: </b>It is a very quiet night on the Channel Front. There are standard anti-shipping sweeps during the day but no bombing missions.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rejkILxCWhk/Xn_jprkZAiI/AAAAAAACglw/2Zh2RhYT1BwYjEawPydy43WIXin_34PbACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/U-502_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="U-502 arriving back at Lorient on 16 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="640" height="450" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rejkILxCWhk/Xn_jprkZAiI/AAAAAAACglw/2Zh2RhYT1BwYjEawPydy43WIXin_34PbACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/U-502_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The commander of U-502, Kptlt. Jürgen von Rosenstiel, on deck after his boat docks in Lorient on 16 March 1942 (Moravia; Junkers, Federal Archive <a href="https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?channelid=dcx-channel-channel_barch_typ_foto&query=&day=16&month=03&yearfrom=1942&yearto=&imageid=&title=&farbe=&kostenfrei=&ausrichtung=&view=gallery&submit=" target="_blank">Figure 101II-MW-3810-26A</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic: </b>U-332 (Kptlt. Johannes Liebe), on its third patrol out of La Pallice, torpedoes and sinks 11,628-ton US tanker Australia. The independent tanker is zigzagging near the Diamond Shoals Light Buoy of Cape Hatteras near other ships when U-332 spots its silhouette against the shore lights in the background. Liebe hits the tanker with a torpedo in the engine room, killing four men instantly. Freighter William J. Salman picks up the men in their three lifeboats in only 95 minutes. The ship submerges but does not completely sink (masts still visible) and has to be completely sunk later (20 March 1942) in order for the owner to receive compensation from the US War Shipping Administration (WSA). There are four dead and 36 survivors.<br />
<br />
U-68 (KrvKpt. Karl-Friedrich Merten), on its third patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 3386-ton British freighter Baron Newlands six miles south of Cape Palmas, Liberia. The ship is sunk after a difficult pursuit through a thunderstorm. There are 20 survivors and 18 deaths. The survivors apparently managed to swim to shore or clung to flotsam and jetsam as no lifeboats were launched.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vKRxkagzo_Q/Xn_uSh0RXkI/AAAAAAACgnA/3ooJjVOBCtYbxKPou9xfaWAAWICIyN6BQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Oscilla_16_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dutch tanker Oscilla, sunk on 16 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="640" height="370" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vKRxkagzo_Q/Xn_uSh0RXkI/AAAAAAACgnA/3ooJjVOBCtYbxKPou9xfaWAAWICIyN6BQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Oscilla_16_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dutch tanker Oscilla, sunk near the Windward Islands on 16 March 1942.</td></tr>
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Italian submarine Morosini torpedoes, shells, and sinks 6341-ton Dutch tanker Oscilla about 100 miles northeast of the Windward Islands. There are four survivors and four deaths, including the captain, M.A.F. Kuypers.<br />
<br />
Italian submarine Morosini also (apparently it is the Morosini, this is not confirmed) torpedoes and sinks 2802-ton British freighter Manaqui northeast of Barbuda. Morosini is known to be operating in this area. There are 41 dead. Another candidate for this sinking is U-504.<br />
<br />
U-504 (KrvKpt. Hans-Georg Friedrich Poske), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 5966-ton British freighter Stangarth about 300 miles north of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The ship, which is carrying ammunition and other military goods, explodes and sinks immediately. All 46 men on the Stangarth perish. Another candidate for this sinking is the Morosini.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v80C-9CnqFg/Xn_tOcGI2BI/AAAAAAACgm4/KtAA_g7CMgsq3U47j9Feqoq8RFCiPV-AwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/USS_Impulse_16_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="USS Impulse, commissioned on 16 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v80C-9CnqFg/Xn_tOcGI2BI/AAAAAAACgm4/KtAA_g7CMgsq3U47j9Feqoq8RFCiPV-AwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/USS_Impulse_16_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Commissioning of USS Impulse, formerly the British corvette HMS Begonia. 16 March 1942, Albert Dock." USS Impulse served with the US Navy until being returned to the Royal Navy in 1945. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205141812" target="_blank">A 7789</a>).</td></tr>
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Danish 1458-ton freighter Agnete (under German control) is bombed and sunk by RAF aircraft about eight miles northeast of Terschelling, the Netherlands. Casualties are not recorded.<br />
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German 2642-ton freighter Utlandshorn hits a mine and sinks in the waters off northern Norway (Grense Jakobselv). The ship apparently is supplying the German garrison at Pechenga. Casualties are not recorded.<br />
<br />
German harbor defense vessel (patrol boat) HS-97 hits a mine and sinks near Dunkirk. No details on this one.<br />
<br />
British 430-ton freighter Miriam Thomas collides with Admiralty Hospital Ship Vasna and sinks about 15 miles south of Chicken Rocks near Holyhead, UK. All eight men aboard perish.<br />
<br />
Dutch 4539-ton freighter Alcyone hits a mine and sinks 18 miles off Green Point, Capetown, South Africa. The mine was laid by the Speybank, a captured ship being used by the Germans. There are 46 deaths.<br />
<br />
British 4270-ton freighter Cressdene hits a mine and is severely damaged near Swansea, UK. It sinks while under tow on the 17th. Details are scarce on this ship.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BrfMTF3b8Ts/Xn_rIsPJzYI/AAAAAAACgmo/2PsRI15jCCIiSNRTa3FO_aWHokVcH-SkQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Halfaya_Pass_16_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Tanks in Halfaya Pass on 16 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BrfMTF3b8Ts/Xn_rIsPJzYI/AAAAAAACgmo/2PsRI15jCCIiSNRTa3FO_aWHokVcH-SkQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Halfaya_Pass_16_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="610" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The gun turret of a Matilda tank that had been captured [by Axis forces] and concreted into position to be used as part of the defenses of Halfaya Pass, 16 March 1942. A Valentine tank passes by in the background." © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205203701" target="_blank">E 9320</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean: </b>The Royal Navy and RAF combine in an attack on the Italian E-boat base in Rhodes. This is Operation MF.8. Light cruisers HMS Dido and Euryalus and six destroyers bombard the island during the night of 15/16 March 1942.<br />
<br />
Italian submarine Galatea uses its deck gun to sink a small sailing vessel off the Palestinian coast.<br />
<br />
The situation on Malta is critical in certain vital areas that the Axis air forces have targeted. Ta Qali Airfield, in particular, is in trouble due to incessant bombing attacks. In addition, the field has to be modified for the use of new Spitfire squadrons. The island government sends out a request for volunteers to help with this work.<br />
<br />
Royal Navy submarine HMS Ultimatum (P 32) arrives in Malta with 14 Italian survivors of its 14 March 1942 sinking of Italian submarine Ammiraglio Millo in the Ionian Sea off Punta (Cape) Stilo, Calabria, Italy. Commander Harrison of the Ultimatum makes a quick turnaround and departs for a new patrol on 17 March.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFeUOTl_qSk/Xn_pSZNARAI/AAAAAAACgmY/8t_bH4lRz-QCeNTe0qiMeOc8vh5E8xJfACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Dr_Seuss_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dr. Seuss cartoon on 16 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="640" height="583" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFeUOTl_qSk/Xn_pSZNARAI/AAAAAAACgmY/8t_bH4lRz-QCeNTe0qiMeOc8vh5E8xJfACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Dr_Seuss_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">Dr. Seuss cartoon from 16 March 1942. Image from Dr. Seuss Went to War (<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/english/nelp/childlit/seuss/20316.html" target="_blank">Mandeville Special Collections Library, UC San Diego</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Partisans:</b> Joseph Goebbels notes in his diary that:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>The activity of the partisans has increased notably in recent weeks. They are conducting a well-organized guerilla war.</b></blockquote>
The Germans at the front are busy preparing "Operation Munich," an anti-partisan sweep set to begin on 19 March 1942. This is planned as a large-scale operation to include a special air detachment established Bobruisk on 14 March 1942. Another such mission in the same general area set to begin later in March 1942 is Operation Bamberg.<br />
<br />
<b>Anglo/US Relations:</b> President Roosevelt cables Prime Minister Winston Churchill with an offer to send a large US Navy force ("two battleships, two cruisers, an aircraft carrier, and a squadron of destroyers") to homeland British bases such as Scapa Flow. He notes that recent tanker sinkings are "very disturbing." He promises that by 1 July 1942 "our mounting production of small escort vessels and planes will come fully into play."<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tTSHRQv05KE/Xn_oClnyFII/AAAAAAACgmI/NDpr6wr7LcoXE4SQ6Ral3KMomHktvpqNACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Time_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Time magazine on 16 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tTSHRQv05KE/Xn_oClnyFII/AAAAAAACgmI/NDpr6wr7LcoXE4SQ6Ral3KMomHktvpqNACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Time_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time magazine, 16 March 1942. The cover story, "The Viceroy of India." Cover credit: Ernest Hamlin Baker.</td></tr>
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<b>Anglo/Indian Relations:</b> British Lord Privy Seal Sir Stafford Cripps departs from London to enter negotiations with Indian leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru who demand independence. He also will talk with Moslem League President Mohammed Ali Hinnah who wants a separate Pakistan. Cripps is an avowed socialist who is sent on missions like this regularly.<br />
<br />
<b>Anglo/Soviet Relations:</b> The Soviet Ambassador to Great Britain repeats Joseph Stalin's repeated request that the western Allies open a second front in Europe.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MvmqPKoi4QU/Xn_otQ4x_KI/AAAAAAACgmQ/GNoNbz96yaIP1OVJ1LBg4Q2wvZasghIRQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Life_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Life magazine on 16 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="841" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MvmqPKoi4QU/Xn_otQ4x_KI/AAAAAAACgmQ/GNoNbz96yaIP1OVJ1LBg4Q2wvZasghIRQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Life_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="486" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life magazine, 16 March 1942. Note that the soldier on the cover is wearing a World War I helmet.</td></tr>
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<b>US Military:</b> Lt. General W.J. Slim departs India for Magwe, Burma, in order to establish the 1st Burma Corps. This is to include the 1st Burma Division, the 17th Indian Division, and the 7th Armored Brigade. All of these units have been battered during the retreat across Burma. This will become known as "Burcorps" after it is officially established on 19 March 1942.<br />
<br />
The 39th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 35th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), transfers from Ballarat to Mount Gambier with its P-39 fighters. The 64th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrives at Sydney, Australia from the US with its B-17s. The 68th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 58th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), arrives at Amberly Field, Australia from the US with its P-39s.<br />
<br />
<b>US Government: </b>The Maritime Commission places orders for another 234 Liberty ships. These are generic freighters built according to a standard plan that prioritizes cheap parts and ease of construction. For instance, they use a 140-ton vertical triple expansion compound steam engine of obsolete design rather than modern steam engines because the latter type is more difficult to build and requires special tooling. Everybody, including President Roosevelt, makes fun of the Liberty ships and their ugly appearance, but they get the job done.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xWUPPU1tcM0/Xn_qDeF8nMI/AAAAAAACgmg/_j_X0V07BFUPL4xfhWObXjpkOuDO13VZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Weather_map_16_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Weather map, morning of 16 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="640" height="382" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xWUPPU1tcM0/Xn_qDeF8nMI/AAAAAAACgmg/_j_X0V07BFUPL4xfhWObXjpkOuDO13VZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Weather_map_16_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The weather map from the morning of March 16th [1942] showed low pressure over central Oklahoma, with an associated warm front lifting northward across central Illinois. Temperatures were unseasonably warm across the area, rising into the mid to upper 70s by afternoon." <a href="https://www.weather.gov/ilx/16mar1942-tornadoes" target="_blank">National Weather Service</a>.</td></tr>
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<b>Holocaust: </b>The Germans deport about 1600 Jews from Lublin, Poland, to Belzec concentration camp. Belzec is an extermination camp that opened on 13 March 1942 and already an estimated 6000 people have been murdered there.<br />
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<b>American Homefront:</b> Powerful tornadoes hit the Central and Southern United States. States affected include Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Many of these areas do not usually get tornadoes, so they come as real shocks. The outbreak goes on for almost three full days, with 149 fatalities and 1312 injuries. On the Fujita scale, some of the tornadoes score the maximum rating of tornado damage, with costly property damage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-35T33knVRVQ/Xn_snoYzdzI/AAAAAAACgmw/jFLUJgMCD1Y0phs9gthFcI7UvoS-AtxWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Tornado_16_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Lacon F5 Tornado of 16 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-35T33knVRVQ/Xn_snoYzdzI/AAAAAAACgmw/jFLUJgMCD1Y0phs9gthFcI7UvoS-AtxWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Tornado_16_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="486" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lacon F5 Tornado of 16 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-37636639948390285352020-03-24T08:17:00.001-06:002020-08-09T11:54:31.306-06:00March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Sunday 15 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hMt94Q-2sio/Xnn-ZoKpvQI/AAAAAAACgiM/COlQn6TIaGcoLyzJoKsIJnkES764hRaCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Hitler_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hitler greets disabled veterans, 15 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hMt94Q-2sio/Xnn-ZoKpvQI/AAAAAAACgiM/COlQn6TIaGcoLyzJoKsIJnkES764hRaCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Hitler_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adolf Hitler greets disabled veterans as part of the Heroes Day celebrations, 15 March 1942 (Polish National Digital Archives).</td></tr>
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> After two days of postponements, Army Group North's 18th Army finally begins Operation Raubtier ("Beast of Prey") on <b>15 March 1942</b>. The weather remains frigid, but the Luftwaffe sends its Stukas to soften up the Soviet defenders on the Volkhov River salient at 07:30. German I Corps and 38th Corps advance from the north and south, respectively, in an effort to pinch off the Soviet salient and create a pocket. The troops in the southern section include General de División Augustín Muñoz Grandes’s <i>División Azul</i>, or Blue Division, the Spanish volunteer formation known to the Germans as the 250th Division.<br />
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The two German attacks advance slowly, with the northern group advancing about 3500 yards (3200 meters) and the southern group only about 880 yards (800 meters). The Germans find that the snow greatly lessens the effectiveness of the Stukas, because when the planes drop their bombs far ahead of the advancing troops, the Soviets have time to recover. When the Stukas drop their bombs closer to the advancing troops, they often hit their fellow German soldiers. Operation Raubtier continues despite the slow progress, however, and eventually does cut off the Soviet salient and create a Soviet pocket on the west side of the Volkhov River.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9CTx69FuMEg/XnoNrIMvxAI/AAAAAAACgi8/JU3pRqV9LgMRHjRND_bk1wnzvcO_iPEzQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Life_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Life Infographic March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="640" height="304" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9CTx69FuMEg/XnoNrIMvxAI/AAAAAAACgi8/JU3pRqV9LgMRHjRND_bk1wnzvcO_iPEzQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Life_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This March, 1942, infographic from Life magazine showed the lines of Axis attack against the United States and its Allies.</td></tr>
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In the Army Group South sector, the Soviet offensive at the Parpach Narrows peters out without achieving his major objective of a breakthrough to relieve Sevastopol. The only victory by the Soviet 51st Army is the capture of strongpoint Korpech’, which requires heavy Soviet losses and is something of a Pyrrhic victory. While the attacks continue sporadically for a few days, the main effort ends on 15 March 1942 because the Soviets are out of ammunition and have taken devastating tank losses.<br />
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The Germans have destroyed 157 Soviet tanks in three days, including 88 tanks of the 56th Tank Brigade. Among the heroes of the defensive victory for the Germans is Fritz Schrödel, whose StuG III destroyed eight Soviet tanks, of which two were KV-1s, and Lieutenant Johann Spielmann, whose StuG III destroyed 14 T-34s in one day. This is the heyday of the German tank destroyers, which are almost as effective as tanks but vastly cheaper to produce because they lack expensive turrets.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tAf-xRxRl6A/XnoM6Q5zIeI/AAAAAAACgi0/SxOmldJ42VcxIN631NY6apHUtVrEbcYGACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Sunday_Star_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Sunday Star, 15 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tAf-xRxRl6A/XnoM6Q5zIeI/AAAAAAACgi0/SxOmldJ42VcxIN631NY6apHUtVrEbcYGACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Sunday_Star_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The headline on the 15 March 1942 Washington, D.C., The Sunday Stary is, "Allies Reveal Loss of 12 Ships, Including U.S. Cruiser Houston, In Last-Ditch Battle for Java." Information, especially about losses, was released very slowly during World War II.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> The British 1st Burma Division wards off the advancing Japanese 55th Division and retreats toward India. It is being replaced in the front lines by the Chinese Division in Burma.<br />
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The Japanese High Command is beginning to plan Operation C, a full carrier strike in the Indian Ocean against the British Eastern Fleet stationed in Colombo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka). They order reconnaissance of the western coast of India and Ceylon. Meanwhile, on the British side, Vice-Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton is announced as the new commander-in-chief of Ceylon.<br />
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The front on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines remains deceptively quiet, but the Japanese are working furiously to build up their forces. Heavy artillery along the southern shore of Manila Bay southwest of Ternate renews intensive bombardment of the fortified Allied islands in the bay such as Forts Frank and Drum. The US Army attempts counterfire, but it is insufficient to make a difference. The Japanese bombardment damages four guns at Battery Ermita (Battery E, 91st Coast Artillery) in Fort Frank, two beyond repair.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jo2no3S8Nuo/XnoTj2nmiiI/AAAAAAACgj0/UzXtRGPADOAGKL76YUSq91-jaD4ZYh94QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/British_Resources_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="British tanker British Resources, 15 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="640" height="372" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jo2no3S8Nuo/XnoTj2nmiiI/AAAAAAACgj0/UzXtRGPADOAGKL76YUSq91-jaD4ZYh94QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/British_Resources_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">British tanker British Resources, sunk on 15 March 1942.</td></tr>
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At Del Monte Airfield on Mindanao, General MacArthur continues to cool his heels waiting for B-17s to carry him and his party on to Australia. MacArthur is furious at the delay and commands General Brett in Australia to send him the three best bombers in the theater. In order to make Mrs. Jean MacArthur more comfortable during her wait, MacArthur aid Sid Huff moves her preferred mattress (yes, she brought her mattress on the PT boat) ashore for her. This leads to a cynical rumor that the mattress is stuffed with treasure, which it isn't - apparently.<br />
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Pursuant to President Roosevelt's telegram to Winston Churchill of 14 March 1942, the US Army informs Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell, Commanding General American Army Forces, China, Burma, and India, that Chiang Kai-Shek's request that he be placed in charge of Allied operations in Burma is being denied. This is a delicate diplomatic situation because Chiang is still bitter about the British attempt to commandeer lend-lease supplies allocated to him in December 1941. Chiang has gotten along well with Stilwell and apparently wants to show his preference for the Americans. British General Archibald Wavell, Commander in Chief India, will remain responsible for operations In Burma even though he is no favorite of Churchill's. The British power base in India makes this a pragmatic if not altogether ideal solution.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-khxUVmyzCm8/XnoOqeWk0MI/AAAAAAACgjE/0_m1oIY36UoMp47yEHwbI80gwmoDbalxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Luftwaffe_Field_Division_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Luftwaffe Field Division Lieutenant, March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="973" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-khxUVmyzCm8/XnoOqeWk0MI/AAAAAAACgjE/0_m1oIY36UoMp47yEHwbI80gwmoDbalxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Luftwaffe_Field_Division_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) of a Luftwaffe Field Division (the Meindl division) in Russia, March 1942. He has the Iron Cross First Class and a pilot's badge (House Block, Federal Archive <a href="https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?query=Bild+101I-395-1513-30" target="_blank">Figure 101I-395-1513-30</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>European Air Operations: </b>RAF Bomber Command is in the middle of a lengthy quiet period as it builds its forces and waits for better flying weather. During the day, six Bostons fly unproductive sweeps off the Brittany coast. After dark, three Blenheims make solo attacks on Dutch airfields, including Schiphol near Amsterdam.<br />
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The Luftwaffe conducts a coastal sweep and sinks 91-ton Belgian fishing boat Gratie Gods in Oxwich Bay on the south of the Gower Peninsula, Wales.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-77kF-fB0DHE/XnoPwMr91xI/AAAAAAACgjM/QDM9nJmlujcjR7_aCGGzEhoAcnS1fxGjACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/HMS_Vortigern_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="HMS Vortigern (D 37), sunk on 15 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="640" height="352" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-77kF-fB0DHE/XnoPwMr91xI/AAAAAAACgjM/QDM9nJmlujcjR7_aCGGzEhoAcnS1fxGjACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/HMS_Vortigern_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HMS Vortigern (D 37), sunk on 15 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic:</b> The early morning hours see a brutal sea action off the eastern British coast. In a typical night-time attack, five German E-boats (S 105, S 111, S 62, S 104, and S 108) swarm English coastal convoy FS-749 near Cromer. Royal Navy destroyer HMS Vortigern is defending the merchantmen and occupies the E-boats while the rest of the convoy escapes. E-boat S-104 sinks Vortigern with a torpedo, causing the loss of 147 lives with only 14 survivors. On the way back to their base, the E-boats tangle with Royal Navy MGB 87, 88, and 91, and E-boat S-111 takes heavy damage and eventually sinks. A force of Spitfires from Nos. 234 Squadron, 317 Squadron, and 412 Squadron also attack the E-boats and claim to sink one E-boat (probably S-111) and damage four others.<br />
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The crew of another Royal Navy destroyer nearby witnesses the Vortigern sinking but they do not stop to render aid, as Captain S. Lonbard-Hobson feels that it makes more sense to remain with the fleeing convoy to protect it. This action leads to a Court of Inquiry that is inconclusive. The loss of life is the worst for any single sinking along the English east coast during World War II.<br />
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U-503 (Kptlt. Otto Gericke), on its maiden patrol out of Bergen, has been at sea for only 16 days when it is spotted by a patrolling US PBO-1 Hudson aircraft (VP-82 USN) about 250 miles southeast of St. John's, Newfoundland. The Hudson quickly attacks and sinks U-503. All 51 men on board perish. U-503 has sunk no ships during its brief career.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cBhslmJXIEs/XnoRXjVq1EI/AAAAAAACgjc/dHZUNU4VX8EU6UYTC2teZpY6IzlIGs6hgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/British_Cruiser_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="HMS Dido, 15 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cBhslmJXIEs/XnoRXjVq1EI/AAAAAAACgjc/dHZUNU4VX8EU6UYTC2teZpY6IzlIGs6hgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/British_Cruiser_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">HMS Dido as seen from HMS Euryalus in the Meditteranean, 14 or 15 March 1942. They are en route to bombard the Italian base at Rhodes (© IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205142515" target="_blank">A 8578</a>)).</td></tr>
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U-158 (Kptlt. Erwin Rostin), on its first patrol out of Helgoland, is in a heavily trafficked spot about 15 miles south of Cape Lookout when it spots 7118-ton tanker Olean. At 06:04, Rostin hits the tanker with one torpedo and the crew abandons ship even though the tanker is still moving forward (though out of control). Rostin pumps a second torpedo into the tanker at 06:18 and then departs the scene. However, the tanker does not sink. Olean is later towed to Hampton Roads and eventually repaired and returned to service first under the new name Sweep and then USS Silver Cloud (IX 143), being used as a mobile floating storage tanker. There are six dead and 36 survivors.<br />
<br />
U-158 is not done for the day. At 07:22, Rostin spots a second tanker, 6952-ton Ario about four miles from Olean. He pumps one torpedo into Ario, then surfaces and opens fire with his deck gun. The tanker's crew abandons ship but reboards it after U-158 (which is close by and almost collides with a lifeboat) departs the scene. Unlike Olean, though, this tanker really is sinking, though it takes its time and drifts to within 10 miles east of Cape Lookout before finally going under. There are 26 survivors and 8 dead, most of whom perish as their lifeboat is struck by a shell as it is being lowered to the water.<br />
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U-161 (Kptlt. Albrecht Achilles), on its second patrol out of Lorient, concludes a successful patrol by using its deck gun to sink 1130-ton USCG Acacia, a Coast Guard lighthouse west of St. John's and north of Haiti (about 80 miles southwest of Saint Kitts and Nevis). This is the only US Lighthouse Service vessel lost during World War II. All 35 men aboard the lighthouse are rescued and taken to San Juan.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mLRPkd-UTAA/XnoTHAFSrlI/AAAAAAACgjs/5WHoiESEqPIYautVBCWQfkLgQ9CzMgNWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Sarnadioc_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Canadian freighter Sarniadoc, sunk on 15 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="640" height="354" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mLRPkd-UTAA/XnoTHAFSrlI/AAAAAAACgjs/5WHoiESEqPIYautVBCWQfkLgQ9CzMgNWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Sarnadioc_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canadian freighter Sarniadoc, sunk on 15 March 1942.</td></tr>
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U-161 also torpedoes and sinks 1940-ton Canadian freighter Sarniadoc in the same area as Acacia. All 21 men on board perish.<br />
<br />
U-124 (KrvKpt. Johann Mohr), on its eighth patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes 7209-ton British tanker British Resource about 230 miles north of Bermuda late on 14 March. After the first two torpedoes do not sink her, Mohr fires another which turns the tanker into a blazing wreck. It sinks during 15 March, with 46 deaths and only seven survivors, including the master, third radio operator, and three gunners.<br />
<br />
Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli sinks 8780-ton British tanker Athelqueen near the Bahamas using torpedoes and gunfire. There are three deaths.<br />
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British 971-ton freighter Presto sinks during a convoy from Blyth to Dover due to a collision with fellow freighter Llandover. There is no record of casualties.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dWk26ITf0q4/XnoSRVSOGCI/AAAAAAACgjk/wZrIhrlmiXoipXHBnFdSpapL-YbsVWgTQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/H-5_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="German freighter H-5, sunk on 15 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="640" height="440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dWk26ITf0q4/XnoSRVSOGCI/AAAAAAACgjk/wZrIhrlmiXoipXHBnFdSpapL-YbsVWgTQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/H-5_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">German freighter H-5, sunk on 15 March 1942.</td></tr>
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German 4974-ton freighter H-5, the former Nicole Schiaffino captured on 5 August 1940 at Bordeaux and used as a troop transport, wrecks at Finnsnesrenna, Gisund, south of Tromsø, Norway. There is no record of casualties.<br />
<br />
German FW 200 Condor aircraft bomb and sink 1757-ton British freighter Dago near Cape Carvoeiro during a passage from Lisbon to Oporto. There is no record of casualties. The location of this wreck was finally pinpointed in 2014 by a volunteer team of divers (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1095-9270.12042" target="_blank">International Journal of Nautical Archaeology</a>).<br />
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British 127-ton utility barge Sparsholt hits a mine and sinks in the Thames Estuary. There are seven deaths.<br />
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British 231-ton fishing vessel Danearn runs aground at Scotstoun, North of Peterhead, and is written off. There is no record of casualties.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jot9iWz5ME0/Xnn2ayVXBzI/AAAAAAACgh8/gft0UcMU2msR_iUF6Mg3z8VIZOmSdiUBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WRENs_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="British WRENS in the Middle East, 15 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="640" height="493" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jot9iWz5ME0/Xnn2ayVXBzI/AAAAAAACgh8/gft0UcMU2msR_iUF6Mg3z8VIZOmSdiUBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/WRENs_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Two Wrens having a banquet of oranges, a rare treat for them." The ladies have just arrived in the Middle East, probably Cairo, on 14 or 15 March 1942 (© IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205142388" target="_blank">A 8440</a>)).</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean:</b> The Luftwaffe resumes its major bombing campaign against Malta on 15 March 1942, targetting Valletta for the first time. The most notable feature of today's raids is the first use of 1800kg (two-ton) "Satan" bombs. These are the heaviest bombs carried by Junkers Ju 88s. The Luftwaffe presence has greatly increased recently, and enemy fighters now outnumber defending RAF planes during raids. In all, the Axis planes drop over 15,000kg of high explosive bombs on Valletta, killing a dozen civilians and a British serviceman.<br />
<br />
With the British occupied in Malta, the Italian Navy mounts Operation Sirio, a supply convoy of two transport ships from Naples to North Africa via Messina. The British also send supply ships of their own in Operation MF-8 to transfer supplies to Malta and return empty freighters to Alexandria.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y0uPnAVtqrY/XnoQTMADydI/AAAAAAACgjU/7EmfjXRu0DQRTt9Vlv1iLxJ5fScz7rJBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Valletta_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Valletta, Malta, 15 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="640" height="486" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y0uPnAVtqrY/XnoQTMADydI/AAAAAAACgjU/7EmfjXRu0DQRTt9Vlv1iLxJ5fScz7rJBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Valletta_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"A large cloud of smoke rising from the center of Valletta as a bomb bursts on St Ursula's Church." Malta, 15 March 1942. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205143426" target="_blank">A 9624</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>POWs: </b>At the Colditz officer's camp, the Germans have set the prisoners to work removing dirt that they have discovered being stockpiled in an attic. It has been moved there from an abortive tunnel being dug beneath the chapel and discovered by the Germans in January. The prisoners are forced to load carts full of the dirt and take them through Colditz town for dumping. Today, as one of the carts is rolling through town, French Lieut. H. Desjobert is spotted emerging from beneath the mound of dirt. He is quickly apprehended.<br />
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<b>US Military:</b> The US Army Air Force activates the XI Interceptor Command (11th and 18th Pursuit Squadrons) at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage.<br />
<br />
The USAAF 67th Pursuit Squadron arrives in New Caledonia. This is the first USAAF tactical unit in the theater. It brings with it 45 crated P-40 fighters.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HuCI1kbzCwE/XnoLhsnzo4I/AAAAAAACgis/4nUPjd2JybcuZm9xzY8OfuBGRSYCegoYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Hitler_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="NSDAP collection of Hitler speeches that ends on 15 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="640" height="520" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HuCI1kbzCwE/XnoLhsnzo4I/AAAAAAACgis/4nUPjd2JybcuZm9xzY8OfuBGRSYCegoYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Hitler_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A three-volume collection of Adolf Hitler's speeches issued by the Central Publishing House of the NSDAP concludes with his address at the Sportspalast on 15 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>German Government:</b> In the evening, Adolf Hitler gives his annual <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler%27s_Speech_for_the_Heroes%27_Memorial_Day_(15_March_1942)" target="_blank">speech</a> at the Berlin Sportpalast in honor of Heroes' Memorial Day. In it, Hitler accuses the victors of World War I of causing World War II through the draconian Treaty of Versailles that caused the "impoverishment" of Germany. He further accuses the western Allies ("especially in the United States") of planning World War II "as far back as 1935 and 1936." The speech is loaded with references to "the Jews who pull the strings" who fomented a "conspiracy of the Plutocracies and of Bolshevism." He vows:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Therefore, there can be only one solution, which is, to continue this fight until a permanent peace has been guaranteed, i.e., until the destruction of the enemies of such a peace has been accomplished.</b></blockquote>
The 15 March 1942 speech is notable for a somewhat pessimistic tone. Rather than bragging about Wehrmacht successes as in past speeches, Hitler makes a curiously truthful reference to the role played by the Russian winter on the course of the conflict:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Sooner than any experience or scientific knowledge had anticipated, a winter broke upon our army which now gave the adversary four months' time, to bring about on his part the turning point in this fateful struggle. It was the sole hope for the potentates of the Kremlin, in this behavior of the elements of nature which even they had never experienced, to inflict the Napoleonic fate of 1812 on the German Wehrmacht. In the superhuman struggle, under the exertion of the last forces of body and soul, the German and allied soldiers have withstood these trials and thus have conquered the hordes.</b></blockquote>
Of course, the Wehrmacht still faces the "hordes" and they are far from conquered, a fact his audience well knows.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dMiasQlinos/XnoKHLDcX1I/AAAAAAACgik/ufkSJx0JWf0XsbnY3zyQcsl1jzuCSinswCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Uncanny_Tales_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Uncanny Tales, March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dMiasQlinos/XnoKHLDcX1I/AAAAAAACgik/ufkSJx0JWf0XsbnY3zyQcsl1jzuCSinswCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Uncanny_Tales_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="434" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncanny Tales, March 1942. Melvin R. Colby, No. 15 Volume 2, Canadian pulp magazine.</td></tr>
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<b>Holocaust:</b> The Dünamünde Action (Aktion Dünamünde) takes place in Biķernieki forest, near Riga, Latvia. Conducted by SS troops under the command of SS General Friedrich Jeckeln and local collaborators, the Dünamünde Action involves the murder of about 1900 Jews who had been deported recently to Latvia from Germany, Austria, and the province of Bohemia and Moravia (former Czechoslovakia). The victims of the Riga Ghetto are tricked into boarding trucks that they are told will take them to a better camp called Daugavgrīva (Dünamünde), but in fact, the trucks take them to the words north of Riga where they are shot. They are buried in pre-dug mass graves. A similar second incident that is sometimes called the Second Dünamünde Action takes place on March 26, 1942, with 1840 people murdered and buried in that action.<br />
<br />
The Dünamünde Action is notable because it marks the beginning of efforts to make these kinds of mass killings more "efficient." General Jeckeln has become disturbed by the haphazard manner in which his troops have been conducting executions, which he considers wasteful. In the Dünamünde Actions, Jeckeln invents <i>Sardinenpackung </i>(sardine packing). This involves forcing the victims to climb down into the pit and lie down in a pattern that occupies the least amount of space, usually above the corpses of previous victims in a head-to-foot arrangement, before they are shot. This greatly reduces the number of pits that must be dug.<br />
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At Auschwitz, the SS men running the camp get drunk and decide to have some fun. They force prisoners to exercise, which directly leads to 278 prisoner deaths and 28 others who perish later in the prison hospitals from the effects of exposure and beatings. The dead today include 198 Poles, 103 Soviet POWs, 68 Jews, 30 Czechs, 8 Germans, and 2 Yugoslavians.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q3oh77LIM-g/XnoJbeiWKNI/AAAAAAACgic/R1WL0pIhB_QTEnY7sXkQwtpEvRXHSJPkQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Vogue_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Vogue magazine, 15 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q3oh77LIM-g/XnoJbeiWKNI/AAAAAAACgic/R1WL0pIhB_QTEnY7sXkQwtpEvRXHSJPkQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Vogue_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The latest fashion in the 15 March 1942 Vogue, as captured by Horst P. Horst (Horst Bohrmann).</td></tr>
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<b>Norwegian Homefront:</b> The Quisling government arrests more than 1300 schoolteachers who have refused to teach the required German curriculum. A total of 12,000 out of 14,000 teachers have refused to join the teacher's association and the occupation authorities wish to make a point. Half of the teachers are held in a concentration camp outside of Oslo, while the rest are sent to Kirkenes in the Arctic to perform forced labor alongside Soviet prisoners of war.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bw1bgnVy7M8/XnoIEC6WzkI/AAAAAAACgiU/Uiynstd4bt4Mvoo3HIJ7IXglZX2oPk5VgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Australia_Salvation_Army_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Salvation Army in Australia, 15 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="640" height="470" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bw1bgnVy7M8/XnoIEC6WzkI/AAAAAAACgiU/Uiynstd4bt4Mvoo3HIJ7IXglZX2oPk5VgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Australia_Salvation_Army_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Salvation Army assembly in Newtown, New South Wales, Australia, 15 March 1942 (<a href="http://archival.sl.nsw.gov.au/Details/archive/110024548" target="_blank">State Library New South Wales 30906</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>New Zealand Homefront: </b>As in other Allied nations, New Zealand begins to experience tire shortages due to reduced rubber supplies.<br />
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<b>British Homefront: </b>World War I veteran J. R. R. Tolkien, who has attempted to become a World War II cryptographer but failed, is working on a new book. He writes a letter to friend John Kettle on 15 March 1942 in which he discusses "The Hobbit," his book published on 21 September 1937. He goes further, though, and also discusses a new book that he is writing in which:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>You will meet the perennial Gandalf again… Bilbo and many other hobbits of Took descent, and also one Sam Gamgee; Tom Bombadil… Trotter the Ranger; Ents (very strange creatures); Elrond, Gollum, and others; and visit the Mines of Moria, the elf-lands of Lothlórien; the Riders of Rohan; the Fortress of Minas Tirith; and come to the final overthrow of the Dark Tower. Or I hope so. And supposing you want to.</b></blockquote>
This will become "The Lord of the Rings," finally published in 1954. It will become one of the best-selling novels ever written, with over 150 million copies sold.<br />
<br />
<div>
<b>Future History:</b> Mollie Peters is born in Walsham-le-Willows, Suffolk, England. Starting out as a model, she changes her name slightly to Molly Peters and branches out into acting. Film director Terence Young takes an interest in her and casts her as Patricia Fearing, a nurse who takes care of James Bond (Sean Connery") in "Thunderball" (1965). Her final on-screen appearance is in 1968, and Molly Peters passes away on 30 May 2017.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xfo-k5cWQkY/Xnn3hVZMl0I/AAAAAAACgiE/3kW65z6Pk5wxc1PM0UN-Qt2kg8lR06qJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Macleans_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Macleans magazine, 15 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xfo-k5cWQkY/Xnn3hVZMl0I/AAAAAAACgiE/3kW65z6Pk5wxc1PM0UN-Qt2kg8lR06qJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Macleans_15_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="474" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maclean's, 15 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-2882561757948892472020-03-23T11:16:00.005-06:002021-11-27T05:59:04.673-07:00March 14, 1942: US Leans Toward Europe<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Saturday 14 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GAGkvBEmxpc/Xnjh6IetI7I/AAAAAAACgg8/Y2s61UEZwNUlmMjZYwvollG3Ri3LI7dOwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Himmler_Keitel_Milch_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Heroes Day in Berlin 14 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="640" height="470" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GAGkvBEmxpc/Xnjh6IetI7I/AAAAAAACgg8/Y2s61UEZwNUlmMjZYwvollG3Ri3LI7dOwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Himmler_Keitel_Milch_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Generalfeldmarschall Keitel, <a href="https://worldwartwo.filminspector.com/2014/05/heinrich-himmler-hitlers-executioner.html" target="_blank">Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler</a>, and Generalfeldmarschall Milch waiting for Adolf Hitler in front of the Berlin armory at the 14 March 1942 Heroes Day ceremony. Note that Keitel is holding his Marshal's baton. (Federal Archive <a href="https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?channelid=dcx-channel-channel_barch_typ_foto&query=&day=14&month=03&yearfrom=1942&yearto=&imageid=&title=&farbe=&kostenfrei=&ausrichtung=&view=gallery&submit=" target="_blank">Figure 183-J00683</a>).</td></tr>
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<b><br /></b></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing"><b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff has been split between focusing on Japan or Germany as it builds up its forces. On <b>14 March 1942</b>, it finally decides to lean toward Europe and maintain a more defensive posture in the Pacific Theater of Operations. This decision is strongly opposed by Admiral Ernest J. King, who prefers to focus on the PTO, but he is overruled. Throughout the war, though, King remains a lone voice calling for greater efforts against the Japanese.<br />
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During the late morning, coast watchers on the southern shores of New Guinea in the village of Kerema, just west of Port Moresby, spot a large force of Japanese planes heading west. They alert the RAAF by radio. They turn out to be eight Mitsubishi G4M1 heavy bombers escorted by twelve A6M2 Zeros of the 4th Kokutai The Japanese bombers took off from both Rabaul and Lae airfields, are heading toward Australia.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FnYkjA7vQ10/XnjlvkesZPI/AAAAAAACghM/HxcD6T3atP8PVPoWZPnw-YGtTd7txj-ggCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Berlin_14_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Heroes Day in Berlin 14 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="640" height="470" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FnYkjA7vQ10/XnjlvkesZPI/AAAAAAACghM/HxcD6T3atP8PVPoWZPnw-YGtTd7txj-ggCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Berlin_14_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">The Heroes Day ceremony in Berlin, 14 March 1942. On the platform are Adolf Hitler, Grand Admiral Raeder, Generalfeldmarschall Keitel, Generalfeldmarschall Milch, Reichsführer SS Himmler, Colonel General Fromm, Reichsführer General d. Inf. Reinhardt and Reich War Victim Leader Oberlindober. The ceremony involves laying a wreath on the cenotaph dedicated to heroes. Among other things, this photo is interesting for showing how utterly concerned the Germans are about air attack at this stage of the war (Federal Archive <a href="https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?channelid=dcx-channel-channel_barch_typ_foto&query=&day=14&month=03&yearfrom=1942&yearto=&imageid=&title=&farbe=&kostenfrei=&ausrichtung=&view=gallery&submit=" target="_blank">Figure 183-J00682</a>).</td></tr>
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The Japanese bombers raid Horn Island, which is ten miles (16 km) north of Queensland, Australia. They destroy a Hudson bomber and a fuel dump and cause some other damage to infrastructure. The RAAF is able to get fighters in the air due to the warning and shoot down two Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters (according to the Japanese) or four Zeros and a bomber (according to the Australians). While little noticed by the public, Horn Island is in a critical location in the Torres Strait between Queensland and New Guinea and thus perfectly suited for air operations between Australia and New Guinea. The Allies realize this and are building the island up into the main tactical base for Allied air operations in the Torres Strait. This is the first of nine Japanese air raids against Horn Island.<br />
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The first US Army troops land in Australia. General MacArthur, their commander, remains stuck at Del Monte Field on Mindanao in the Philippines awaiting air transport to Darwin.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uIHv3kZVnCA/XnjDT6BbFCI/AAAAAAACggs/0VF_P8jvpnMj1mwICXW2Par02nPkkofGACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Crimea_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="German soldiers in Crimea 14 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="640" height="462" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uIHv3kZVnCA/XnjDT6BbFCI/AAAAAAACggs/0VF_P8jvpnMj1mwICXW2Par02nPkkofGACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Crimea_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German troops during the March 1942 fighting in Crimea (Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe<a href="https://audiovis.nac.gov.pl/obraz/2514/" target="_blank"> 2-840</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> It is the second day of the Soviet offensive in the Parpach Narrows, and already it is floundering. The fighting is bitter, but the Germans skillfully protect their strongpoint at Koi-Asan using antitank guns, StuG III tank destroyers, and an increased Luftwaffe presence. The Soviets are launching attack after attack (at least ten in all) with three rifle divisions, but the ground is soggy due to the beginning of the Spring Thaw (<i>Rasputitsa</i>). This slows down the advancing tanks and supporting infantry enough for the Germans to stop them.<br />
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The Germans remain determined to begin Operation Raubtier ("Beast of Prey"), the mission to encircle a Soviet salient across the Volkhov River. It already has been delayed for one day due to poor weather. As the new day dawns, however, the temperature has fallen precipitously (-31° F (-35° C). General Küchler, commander of Army Group North, reluctantly postpones the operation for another day. This leaves the infantry, in exposed forward positions ready for the attack, to suffer through another day and night of subzero weather.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8pB993P6hlI/XnjskcIwgaI/AAAAAAACgh0/fuASr8NHxJg9OIZtF_wuVfNEGFPwkztFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Adelaide_14_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Troops disembarking in Adelaide, Australia, 14 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="640" height="436" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8pB993P6hlI/XnjskcIwgaI/AAAAAAACgh0/fuASr8NHxJg9OIZtF_wuVfNEGFPwkztFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Adelaide_14_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Adelaide, SA. 14 March 1942. Troops of the 7th Australian Division, disembarking from His Majesty's Transport (HMT) Orcades on their return from the Middle East." Australian War Memorial <a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C338251" target="_blank">030126/06</a>.</td></tr>
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<b>European Air Operations: </b>RAF Bomber Command, having conducted major operations against Cologne and scattered other targets during the night of 13/14 March, have a quiet night on the 14th. It sends six Boston bombers on an anti-shipping sweep off Le Havre. This begins a lengthy period in which Bomber Command conducts only small-scale missions as it builds up its strength and waits for good summer weather.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5lAgHP6bu_4/XnjkzNHhTRI/AAAAAAACghE/KqFNRp1Zf-AjsdNYubtgmxFKdkqf8l9FgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Periscope_14_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Soldier testing a telescope in France, 14 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="640" height="444" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5lAgHP6bu_4/XnjkzNHhTRI/AAAAAAACghE/KqFNRp1Zf-AjsdNYubtgmxFKdkqf8l9FgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Periscope_14_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A soldier in a French workshop working on a telescope (Gourmet, Federal Archives <a href="https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?channelid=dcx-channel-channel_barch_typ_foto&query=&day=14&month=03&yearfrom=1942&yearto=&imageid=&title=&farbe=&kostenfrei=&ausrichtung=&view=gallery&submit=" target="_blank">Figure 101II-MW-3708-11</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic: </b>After dark, German E-boats attack a British convoy in the North Sea. They sink Royal Navy destroyer HMS Vortigern at a cost of five of their own boats.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1bgcm_-EWco/Xnjn5UTC5II/AAAAAAACghY/5ATP2R_33L4E-XqAYNl6s0Z1X97_DBpZACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/North_Africa_14_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Aircrew of a Short Sunderland, 14 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="640" height="543" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1bgcm_-EWco/Xnjn5UTC5II/AAAAAAACghY/5ATP2R_33L4E-XqAYNl6s0Z1X97_DBpZACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/North_Africa_14_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"North African coast area. 14 March 1942. Five members of the aircrew having a cup of tea in the wardroom of a Sunderland flying boat while on coastal patrol off the North African coast. A Sunderland aircraft carries a normal crew of eight." Australian War Memorial <span style="font-size: 19.2px;"><a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/MED0354/" target="_blank">MED0354</a>.</span></td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean: </b>U-133 (Kptlt. Eberhard Mohr), on its third patrol but first under new captain Mohr, strikes a mine and sinks two hours south of Salamis. The Salamis wandered off course into a German defensive minefield. All 45 men on board perish. During its career, U-133 sank one ship of 1,920 tons. There is a myth about U-133 that it was on a secret mission to sail up the Colorado River and destroy the Hoover Dam, but that is all it is - a myth.<br />
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HMS Ultimatum (P 34, Lt. P.R.H. Harrison, DSC, RN) torpedoes Italian submarine Ammiraglio Millo in the Ionian Sea off Punta (Cape) Stilo, Calabria, Italy. Two out of four torpedoes hit. Commander Harrison takes aboard 14 survivors (57 dead) and then proceeds to Malta.<br />
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The German state radio pays the anti-aircraft efforts on Malta a rare compliment, saying:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Malta’s Anti-Aircraft artillery must be counted among Tommy’s very best, and plays the greatest part in the defense of the Island.</b></blockquote>
The Luftwaffe continues its attacks on Malta's airfields with raids on Hal Far. The Luftwaffe suffers an unfortunate accident when two Bf 109s collide over the island, killing Heinrich Blum, III/JG3. The other pilot, Leutnant Walter Seiz, manages to return to base (14 victories, POW 23 August 1944).<br />
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<b>Partisans:</b> Soviet partisans are becoming a problem for the Germans. They begin to plan operations using military forces to root them out. Today, in anticipation of the first such operation ("Operation Munich") set to begin on 19 March 1942, the Germans set up a special anti-partisan air detachment at Bobruisk.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MnktL36VCI4/XnjA699yERI/AAAAAAACggk/3wM0uVyF1sUYZUTtzyj4bMj33Jkwk87SACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Stalin_Bunker_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Stalin's bunker in Kuibyshev, 14 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MnktL36VCI4/XnjA699yERI/AAAAAAACggk/3wM0uVyF1sUYZUTtzyj4bMj33Jkwk87SACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Stalin_Bunker_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stalin's secret bunker in Kuibyshev. The portrait is of Alexander Suvorov (<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stalin%27s_Bunker_0020.JPG" target="_blank">ShinePhantom</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>German/Italian Relations</b>: The two Axis partners sign a new trade agreement.<br />
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<b>Anglo/Soviet Relations:</b> The new British Minister to the USSR, Sir Archibald Clark Kerr, arrives in Kuibyshev (Kuybyshev, or Samara). This is the Soviets' alternative capital should Moscow fall and has become a center of the Soviet bureaucracy. Among other things, the Soviets are busy at this time building a secret bunker for Stalin located 37 meters below the CPSU oblast Committee building (later the Samara State University of Culture). Stalin and the military high command (Stavka), however, remain in Moscow and there is no evidence that Stalin ever visits his potential command post in Kuibyshev.<br />
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<b>Japanese Military:</b> Now that resistance on Java is over, Japanese Imperial General Headquarters issues orders for "Operation X" (the invasion and occupation of Christmas Island). Rear Admiral Shōji Nishimura is assigned to command the Second Southern Expeditionary Fleet's Occupation Force. The British only have 32 men on Christmas Island. A group of Punjabi troops there recently mutinied and killed five British soldiers, including the British commander, Captain L.W.T. Williams. The invasion is planned for 31 March 1942.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KC5oNGXxSXA/Xnjrqk0UlXI/AAAAAAACghs/PRjbDwaKin0W310tlJv1tjSgz1s8FMY4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Adelaide_14_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Troops disembarking in Adelaide, Australia, 14 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="640" height="490" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KC5oNGXxSXA/Xnjrqk0UlXI/AAAAAAACghs/PRjbDwaKin0W310tlJv1tjSgz1s8FMY4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Adelaide_14_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Adelaide, Australia. 14 March 1942. Troops of the 7th Australian Division, waiting to entrain at Adelaide after having disembarked from His Majesty's Transport (HMT) Orcades on their return from the Middle East." Australian War Memorial <a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C338252" target="_blank">030127/01</a>.</td></tr>
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<b>US Military: </b>US Army Air Force units of the 51st Pursuit Group, 10th Air Force, arrive in Karachi, India, from the United States. The 9th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), flying B-17s, also arrives from Australia. These B-17s fly their first mission on 2 April 1942.<br />
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Units of the USAAF 5th Air Force transfer from Melbourne to Laverton, Australia. These include the 13th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy), 43d BG (Heavy), later redesignated as the 403rd Bomber Squadron. There are other transfers of units to and from Melbourne as General Brett rebalances his forces, and the air echelon of 88th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy), 7th BG (Heavy), ceases operating from Townsville, Australia with B-17's and begins moving to Karachi, India.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSeBLwER8dg/XnjrOlLC-hI/AAAAAAACghk/aol7J9EhXnorBM1THKtlI5tQ3SKFsK3LwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/New_Yorker_14_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Troops disembarking in Adelaide, Australia, 14 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSeBLwER8dg/XnjrOlLC-hI/AAAAAAACghk/aol7J9EhXnorBM1THKtlI5tQ3SKFsK3LwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/New_Yorker_14_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The New Yorker, 14 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>British Military:</b> The British realize that Ceylon is a likely target of the Japanese and are beefing up their presence there. Today, they appoint General Sir Henry Pownall to lead the Ceylon Command.<br />
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The head of the British Military Mission to Chungking, Major-General Dennys, perishes in a plane accident near Kunming. Relations between Chiang Kai-Shek are not strained at the moment due to the lingering aftereffects of the Tulsa Incident.<br />
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<b>US Government:</b> U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent a proposal to all 48 state governors (Hawaii and Alaska are still territories) that speed limits throughout the nation be reduced to 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) to conserve tired due to the short supplies of rubber.<br />
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The War Production Board orders gasoline deliveries be cut 20 percent in 17 eastern states and the District of Columbia. This is due to the great loss of tankers in the past two months, particularly along the Eastern seaboard. Gasoline is already rationed.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Troops disembarking in Adelaide, Australia, 14 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FCFAMEeGRhg/Xnjm2Q-QysI/AAAAAAACghU/jlGODKHoKesiifrxMV62t0J91tBGCSIfQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Adelaide_14_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Adelaide, SA. 14 March 1942. Troops, hands extended, of the 7th Australian Division, receive a welcome from the people of the suburbs of Adelaide as they pass through a station on their way to Adelaide from the docks after having disembarked from His Majesty's Transport (HMT) Orcades on their return from the Middle East." Australian War Memorial <a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C338253" target="_blank">030127/02</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Australian Government:</b> Prime Minister John Curtin makes a speech to the public:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>We are, then, committed, heart and soul, to total warfare. How far, you may ask me, have we progressed along that road? I may answer you this way. Out of every ten men in Australia four are wholly engaged in war as members of the fighting forces or making the munition and equipment to fight with. The other six, besides feeding and clothing the whole ten and their families, have to produce the food and wool and metals which Britain needs for her very existence.</b></blockquote>
Curtin is trying to bring as many Australian troops home from other theaters as possible to defend the homeland.<br />
<br />
<b>Norwegian Homefront:</b> Seven Bishops of the Norwegian Lutheran Church resign their offices rather than co-operate with the Quisling government. They are Bishop Andreas Fleischer (Bergen), Bishop Wollert Krohn-Hansen (Tromso), Bishop Gabriel Skagestad (Stavanger), Bishop Hille (Hamar), Bishop Johan Storen (Nidaros, Trondheim), Bishop Berggrav (Oslo - Primate of the Norwegian Church), and Bishop Maroni (Agder Diocese).<br />
<br />
<b>Future History:</b> Rita Tushingham is born in Liverpool, England. She becomes an actress after working as an assistant stage manager at the Liverpool Playhouse. Her film debut is in "A Taste of Honey" (1961), in which she participates with Paul Danquah in what is reputed to be the first interracial kiss in film history. Other prominent film roles include supporting roles in "Doctor Zhivago" (1965), "Being Julia" (2004), and "The Leather Boys" (1964). Rita has won a Golden Globe and BAFTA Award. Rita Tushingham remains a working actress as of this writing in 2020.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JNk5uASSWnY/XnjUnk6-ayI/AAAAAAACgg0/LBQzt2SXBfws_mew7DOsFVBeMYJirHQJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Lil_Abner_14_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Al Capp's Lil' Abner, 14 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JNk5uASSWnY/XnjUnk6-ayI/AAAAAAACgg0/LBQzt2SXBfws_mew7DOsFVBeMYJirHQJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Lil_Abner_14_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early ''Li'l Abner'' Comic Strip From 14 March 1942 Featuring J. Sweetlips Garks aka Jeb S. Scragg -- Drawn & Signed by Al Capp.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-9112272079707472032020-03-22T17:14:00.005-06:002021-02-07T02:22:46.527-07:00March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again <div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Friday 13 March 1942</h1>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rZK8fo2h79g/XnflXmOLhnI/AAAAAAACgfU/lyrgerNMkHQNZkG_aPdZIqT90eCMjHLgQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Clausen_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="U-boat Captain Clausen, 13 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="994" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rZK8fo2h79g/XnflXmOLhnI/AAAAAAACgfU/lyrgerNMkHQNZkG_aPdZIqT90eCMjHLgQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Clausen_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="412" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kapitänleutnant Nicolai Clausen poses on board U-129 in the mid-Atlantic, 13 March 1942. Clausen is wearing a temporary Knights Cross made by his crew after receiving confirmation of the award. Clausen becomes the 103rd member of the Kriegsmarine and the 46th member of the U-Boat forces to receive the Knights Cross.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Eastern Front:</b> Following an order by Joseph Stalin, General Dimitri Kozlov's troops in the Crimea launch another attempt to break through German lines at the Parpach Narrows to relieve Sevastopol on <b>13 March 1942</b>. Stalin had commanded on 3 March, when the previous offensive failed, that the next one was to begin ten days later, and Kozlov dutifully complies.<br />
<br />
The main Soviet objective is the German strongpoint at Koi-Asan and the Soviets have 224 tanks. Soviet 44th Army mounts a feint against the German 132nd Infantry Division in the north along the coast, where the line bulges west slightly, but the main attack is in the center. The Red Air Force has brought in 581 aircraft to support the offensive, though most are obsolete models that are no match for the modern Luftwaffe planes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cZHyehcrIao/Xnft8E2IjbI/AAAAAAACggU/QEX4kLcBUfQpmndIDVYxwWJx_HsvCLwYACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/John_D_Gill_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="US tanker John D. Gill, sunk on 13 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="640" height="350" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cZHyehcrIao/Xnft8E2IjbI/AAAAAAACggU/QEX4kLcBUfQpmndIDVYxwWJx_HsvCLwYACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/John_D_Gill_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US tanker John D. Gill, sunk on 13 March 1942.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Soviet attack by 51st Army begins at 09:00. It quickly fails due to the boggy terrain caused by the early onset of the Spring thaw (<i>Rasputitsa</i>) in Crimea. The infantry has to struggle through the marshy ground that also slows the Soviet tanks. The Germans have anticipated an attack in this stop and have massed their anti-tank guns and StuG III assault vehicles under Lieutenant Johann Spielmann for this exact situation.<br />
<br />
While the Germans stay busy knocking out the tanks, though, the Soviet infantry launches attack after attack in bitter fighting. Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, commander of the German 11th Army, calls in a top Luftwaffe fighter wing, II./JG 77, and neutralizes the Red Air Force buildup. The Soviet attacks will last for three days and is a failure.<br />
<br />
Further north, the German 18th Army under the command of General Georg Lindemann, part of Generaloberst Georg von Küchler’s Army Group North, is trying to get its own offensive begun. The operation, codenamed Operation Raubtier ("Beast of Prey" or "Predator"), aims to cut off a Soviet salient north of Novgorod. One of the reasons for the offensive is to protect Lyuban, which is threatened by the Soviet salient. The offensive was planned to begin today, but fog and low clouds force a postponement.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mnnNic2Wv_Y/XnfrqQqr9uI/AAAAAAACgf4/Pvnre0eritcMtxxqhhT9YOcacenoYlnVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Calendar_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Guld Calendar for March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mnnNic2Wv_Y/XnfrqQqr9uI/AAAAAAACgf4/Pvnre0eritcMtxxqhhT9YOcacenoYlnVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Calendar_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gulf calendar for March 1942.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> The Japanese complete Operation SR, the invasion of Salamaua-Lae, New Guinea. They quickly begin building an airfield to support further operations in eastern New Guinea and the Coral Sea area. The Australian defenders withdraw toward Wau while conducting harassing operations with their Kanga Force. Japanese planes strafe 7 Mile Drom at Port Moresby and destroy a Ford Trimotor A45-2. Off Salamaua-Lae, Japanese minesweeper Tama Maru No. 2 sinks from damage inflicted by the 10 March 1942 US Navy air raid.<br />
<br />
The conquest of Salamaua-Lae frees up the forces to invade Tulagi in the Solomon Islands eventually. In preparation for that, the Japanese 4th Fleet sails from Rabaul, New Britain, to seize Buka Island, Solomon Islands.<br />
<br />
US Navy submarine USS Gar, on its maiden patrol, torpedoes and sinks 1520-ton Japanese freighter Chichiubu Maru about 6-10 miles southwest of Mikura Jima, Japan. Gar is patrolling near the Nagoya and the Kii Channel entrance to the Inland Sea of Japan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7x8rBCvgZrc/Xnftcw5hkRI/AAAAAAACggM/-TazRwlRWCkwu0QfgVMZ0dlF0J6wSbJ6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Tolten_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Chilean freighter Tolten, sunk on 13 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="640" height="330" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7x8rBCvgZrc/Xnftcw5hkRI/AAAAAAACggM/-TazRwlRWCkwu0QfgVMZ0dlF0J6wSbJ6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Tolten_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilean freighter Tolten, sunk by U-404 on 13 March 1942.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
HIJMS submarine I-64 sinks 1513-ton Norwegian freighter Mabella east of India. There are six deaths and six survivors.<br />
<br />
Japanese submarine HIJMS I-25 sends its "Glen" patrol plane to reconnoiter Auckland, New Zealand. As with similar flights, this one by Japanese Warrant Flying Officer Nobuo Fujita (who had flown over Melbourne on 26 February) passes unnoticed.<br />
<br />
Having secured Java on 12 March, the Japanese quickly send the Sakaguchi Detachment from there to Burma to rejoin the 56th Division.<br />
<br />
General MacArthur and most of his party, having escaped from Bataan, arrive at Cagayan on Mindanao Island aboard three motor torpedo (PT) boats after a two-day journey. MacArthur, however, is temporarily stranded there because there are no sufficiently reliable planes at Del Monte Airfield to take him to his destination in Australia. Major General George Brett, Commanding General U.S. Army Forces in Australia, sends three B-17 Flying Fortresses from there to pick up the general. A fourth PT boat had to divert to Tagauayan Island due to engine trouble. Submarine USS Permit arrives there during the day and picks up the crew and passengers. Permit's commander destroys the disabled PT boat (PT-32) with its deck gun before leaving.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdTLcu9DePs/XnfqIM8i2YI/AAAAAAACgfs/us-9ExjOWbEv1aq4keaMI6hZhY_Y01dMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/USS_Regulus_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="USS Regulus on 13 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="640" height="512" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdTLcu9DePs/XnfqIM8i2YI/AAAAAAACgfs/us-9ExjOWbEv1aq4keaMI6hZhY_Y01dMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/USS_Regulus_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">Stern view of USS Regulus (AK-14) at Mare Island, 13 March 1942. Regulus was under repairs at Mare Island from 17 January to 20 March 1942. Note the exposed after steering station on her stern (US Navy).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>European Air Operations:</b> During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends 11 bombers to attack the Hazebrouck marshaling yard, with ten making successful attacks.<br />
<br />
After dark, RAF Bomber Command attacks Cologne with 135 bombers (112 reach the target) at the cost of one Manchester. There is extensive damage in the Nippes section of the city, especially to the Franz Cloud rubber works and the Land- und See-Kabelwerke A.G. factory. Five churches and 1500 homes are hit. This is the first successful raid led by the Gee navigational system. It also involves the use of "Pathfinder" bombers (though they are not yet called that) which drop flares and incendiary bombs to identify the target for following bombers. The results are good, with 237 separate fires started, 62 Germans killed, and 84 injured.<br />
<br />
Bomber Command also sends two bombers to attack the port area at Ostend, 20 aircraft to bomb Boulogne (seven planes bomb the target), and 19 to bomb the port area of Dunkirk (11 complete the attack). One other bomber attacks Schiphol Airfield near Amsterdam, and one bombs Bonn. Another five Hampdens drop leaflets over France.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RTxWySmUisY/Xnfs7u1mtaI/AAAAAAACggE/B9jssW1NB-MAAHzURPKLkt1I4CHue4WKACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Albert_F_Paul_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="US schooner Albert F. Paul, sunk on 13 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="640" height="350" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RTxWySmUisY/Xnfs7u1mtaI/AAAAAAACggE/B9jssW1NB-MAAHzURPKLkt1I4CHue4WKACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Albert_F_Paul_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US schooner Albert F. Paul, sunk by U-332 on 13 March 1942.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Battle of the Atlantic:</b> U-332 (Kptlt. Johannes Liebe), on its third patrol out of La Pallice, torpedoes and sinks two ships northeast of Cape Hatteras:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>735-ton US schooner Albert F. Paul (all 8 aboard killed)</b></li>
<li><b>5402-ton Yugoslavian freighter Trepca (4 dead, 33 survivors)</b></li>
</ul>
Both ships are independents, as an effective convoy system has not yet been organized along the US East Coast.<br />
<br />
U-404 (Kptlt. Otto von Bülow), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 1858-ton Chilean freighter Tolten east of Neptune, New Jersey. There is only one survivor and 27 dead. This sinking of a neutral ship leads to a diplomatic protest by the Chilean government, but things soon settle down and it does not lead to a break in relations between Chile and Germany.<br />
<br />
U-158 (Kptlt. Erwin Rostin), on its first patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 11,641-ton US tanker John D. Gill about 25 miles east of Cape Fear, North Carolina. There are 26 survivors (many badly burned) and 23 deaths.<br />
<br />
Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli torpedoes and sinks 6422-ton British freighter Daytonian in the Atlantic while en route from Mobile to Halifax.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cyKtSBm8ATA/Xnfq6K8U1fI/AAAAAAACgf0/3NEmm0794YEWBq3DMrCFSPWPSp2gtslkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Sidi_Barrani_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Artwork titled "Wrecked Italian tank at Sidi Barrani 13 March 1942" worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="640" height="448" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cyKtSBm8ATA/Xnfq6K8U1fI/AAAAAAACgf0/3NEmm0794YEWBq3DMrCFSPWPSp2gtslkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Sidi_Barrani_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Historical artwork by Peter McIntyre, "Wrecked Italian tank at Sidi Barrani, 13 March 1942" - watercolor (<a href="http://warart.archives.govt.nz/node/342" target="_blank">New Zealand government</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Battle of the Mediterranean:</b> Fierce Axis air attacks continue on Malta. Luftwaffe Ju 88 bombers drop bombs on Ta Qali, Hal Far, Dingli, Siggiewi, and Wardia.<br />
<br />
HMS Turbulent (Cdr. J.W. Linton) sinks 32-ton Greek schooner Anastassis (KAL-155) with its deck gun west of Serifos, Greece.<br />
<br />
Freighter Rabmanso leaves Haifa, Palestine, with a cargo of 7000 tons grain in emergency food supplies for Greece.<br />
<br />
<b>Anglo/US Relations:</b> President Roosevelt cables Winston Churchill to discuss relations with China. Chiang Kai-Shek has requested the appointment of General "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell to command all Allied forces in Burma and southern China. While FDR notes that this would be "unwise," he tells Churchill that he is "pleased" that Chiang is forming a "closer working relationship" with the US and UK. Chiang, of course, remains upset with the British over the Tulsa Incident in which local British commanders in Burma tried to take US Lend-Lease goods intended for China.<br />
<br />
<b>Australian/US Relations:</b> Prime Minister Curtin broadcasts to the United States that "Our minds are set on attack." He instructs Minister for External Affairs Dr. Evatt to head immediately for Washington (this takes a week).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-icnx_f-neEA/XnfnK-sftyI/AAAAAAACgfk/94MFFTAriiMkSgfmr62Ek5bo7_GK4QObQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/US_Navy_Trainer_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="SNJ-2 Texan trainer on 13 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="640" height="472" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-icnx_f-neEA/XnfnK-sftyI/AAAAAAACgfk/94MFFTAriiMkSgfmr62Ek5bo7_GK4QObQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/US_Navy_Trainer_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A U.S. Navy North American SNJ-2 Texan (BuNo 2556) at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida (USA), in March 1942. (U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.488.166.130).</td></tr>
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<b>US Military: </b>Some US Army Air Force troops of the 10th Air Force, 26th Pursuit Squadron, originally sent to Java arrive in Karachi after being diverted. These are the first US troops to reach the China-Burma-India Theater (aside from some individuals such as General Joe Stilwell and the "volunteer" air force known as the "Flying Tigers"). These units bring P-40 fighters. They will fly their first mission on 15 October 1942.<br />
<br />
The 8th Pursuit Group, 36th Pursuit Squadron, 5th Air Force, transfers from Brisbane to Lowood, Australia. They fly P-39s.<br />
<br />
USAAF XII Bomber Command headquarters is activated at MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida.<br />
<br />
Julia Flikke, Nurse Corps, becomes the first female Colonel in the U.S. Army, 13 March 1942.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2rbTbjufyUA/XnfucjVccPI/AAAAAAACggc/mU0dGzK8GxwQ7c7Us_L-GLTHwk30iCDtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Trepca_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Yugoslavian freighter Trepca, sunk on 13 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="640" height="432" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2rbTbjufyUA/XnfucjVccPI/AAAAAAACggc/mU0dGzK8GxwQ7c7Us_L-GLTHwk30iCDtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Trepca_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yugoslavian freighter Trepca, sunk by U-332 on 13 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Canadian Military: </b>The Canadian Women's Army Corps is integrated into the Canadian Army.<br />
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<b>Holocaust: </b>A transport of 62 Poles deported by Germans from Warsaw arrives at Auschwitz concentration camp. Among them are 23 prison wardens from Pawiak prison arrested for helping prisoners there to escape and communicate with the outside world.<br />
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<b>American Homefront:</b> 20th Century Fox releases the musical comedy film "Song of the Islands" starring Betty Grable and Victor Mature. While little remembered, "Song of the Islands" begins Grable's long run as a major box office star. She will remain in the top ten box office stars every year from 1942 into the 1950s, hitting No. 1 in 1943.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TygAuoP_LnM/XnfmYOLEsnI/AAAAAAACgfc/5rEH2mrtFh0lxrYbwQRcinfAw2hDhvkAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Spring_3100_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="NYPD magazine "Spring 3100" for March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TygAuoP_LnM/XnfmYOLEsnI/AAAAAAACgfc/5rEH2mrtFh0lxrYbwQRcinfAw2hDhvkAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Spring_3100_13_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NYPD New York City Police Department "Spring 3100 Magazine" from March 1942.Volume 13, No.1.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-60447598186864861692020-03-21T07:24:00.001-06:002020-08-09T11:52:39.063-06:00March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Thursday 12 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eMAD1Bo0WTw/XnYL99WZgJI/AAAAAAACgds/j6LCm3LigZUz41aE_btENVBR4HBgVEpSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Lysander_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="RAF Westland Lysander 12 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="640" height="482" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eMAD1Bo0WTw/XnYL99WZgJI/AAAAAAACgds/j6LCm3LigZUz41aE_btENVBR4HBgVEpSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Lysander_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">"Three Westland Lysander Mark IIIAs of No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron (part of the RAF Army Cooperation Command), based at Dunino, Fife, taking part in a low-level bombing exercise on a range in Scotland." 12 March 1942. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205207892" target="_blank">H 17776</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> On <b>12 March 1942</b>, the Battle of Java officially ends when the senior British, Australian, and American commanders are brought to Bandoeng to sign a formal instrument of surrender. The Japanese commander, Lieutenant-General Masao Maruyama, promises them their prisoner-of-war rights of the Geneva Convention. This marks the end of the ABDA Defense of the Netherlands East Indies. Java is garrisoned from this point forward by the 16th Army (the 2nd and 48th Divisions) while the Imperial Navy guards the eastern territory (the Lesser Sunda Islands, Celebes, Ambon, and Netherlands New Guinea).<br />
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In Sumatra, the Japanese advance inland and take the airfield at Medan. The Imperial Guard Division is ordered to complete mopping-up operations on the island.<br />
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In Burma, the fighting is nearing an end. The badly mauled 17th Indian Division receives orders to evacuate to India. The British and Gurkha garrison of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal evacuates to India, depriving the Allies of the seaplane base there. The Burma Army establishes its headquarters at the resort town of Maymyo (Pyin Ol Lwin), which has a large European population. The Japanese eventually incarcerate many of them due to suspected sympathies for the Allies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZA8Ul8fWD8/XnYSy78YZwI/AAAAAAACgec/0ORDDjOtt1sb7nf8Ihh2Z3jbXFbjINkgwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Captain_America_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Captain America 12 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZA8Ul8fWD8/XnYSy78YZwI/AAAAAAACgec/0ORDDjOtt1sb7nf8Ihh2Z3jbXFbjINkgwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Captain_America_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="463" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captain America Comics No.12 - March 1942, featuring The Weird Case of the Pygmies of Terror.</td></tr>
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While the front remains quiet on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines, all is not well on the Allied side. Malaria and dysentery are rampant due to contaminated water. About 500-700 men a day are reporting themselves sick, while others are not feeling well. The Japanese are building up for a major offensive to drive the Allies out of the Philippines but are not ready yet. Their fresh troops do not suffer the ailments facing the Allies.<br />
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General Douglas MacArthur and his party are en route from Luzon to Tagauayan Island in the Cuyo Group aboard fast motor torpedo (PT) boats. During the night, the four PT boats become separated and two of the boats develop mechanical issues. MacArthur's PT boat, however, proceeds without issue, and all four boats eventually arrive safely.<br />
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The British know that the next area of naval warfare is likely to be the Indian Ocean. Accordingly, aircraft carrier Formidable and destroyers Paladin and Panther depart today from Capetown bound for Colombo.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f8E-hLnS93Q/XnYSQu_jrBI/AAAAAAACgeU/tRtWt9Y9A4ova1PY8bTROpwvnrZDvVuUACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Olga_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="US freighter Olga, lost on 12 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="640" height="275" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f8E-hLnS93Q/XnYSQu_jrBI/AAAAAAACgeU/tRtWt9Y9A4ova1PY8bTROpwvnrZDvVuUACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Olga_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US freighter Olga, sunk near Cuba on 12 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> Ten Soviet parachute troops land behind German lines near Birza, Lithuania. Their mission is to commit sabotage. However, the Germans spot them and eliminate them quickly.<br />
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The Soviets under General Kozlov on the Crimea are preparing for another attempt to break through the German lines to relieve Sevastopol. Kozlov is under strict orders by Stalin issued on 3 March to resume the offensive within ten days. The Germans have laid down 2000 Teller mines in front of the key defensive area and concentrated their assault guns in a defensive posture. Due to the usual spring thawing (Rasputitsa), the ground is muddy and not suitable for an attack, but Kozlov has his orders. The attack will begin as ordered at 09:00 on 13 March 1942.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jRFPPE4ZLFo/XnYKlOxpI6I/AAAAAAACgdc/EAoDk8If3IkTkuROu30BdmN4Ae6YedxIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Lysander_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="RAF Westland Lysander 12 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="640" height="632" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jRFPPE4ZLFo/XnYKlOxpI6I/AAAAAAACgdc/EAoDk8If3IkTkuROu30BdmN4Ae6YedxIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Lysander_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Ground crew removes a Type F.24 camera from Westland Lysander Mark IIIA, V9437 'AR-V', of No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron (part of the RAF Army Cooperation Command), at Dunino, Fife, following a photo-reconnaissance sortie." 12 March 1942. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205207893" target="_blank">H 17778</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>European Air Operations: </b>RAF Bomber Command attacks Emden and Kiel. Twenty Wellingtons and 20 Whitleys are sent to Emden but only 22 of the 40 planes actually claim to reach the target (three lost). Subsequent aerial reconnaissance shows that the nearest bombs were dropped 5 miles (8 km) from the target. At Kiel, 68 Wellingtons attack the Deutsche Works U-boat shipyard, and 53 bomber crews report successful attacks. The RAF loses five Wellingtons over Kiel. Sixteen other bombers lay mines off of German ports, while one Hampden drops leaflets over France.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0qsQjjXvy4/XnYR4WMVjKI/AAAAAAACgeM/QWSE1r2zgvMHxlabNUZaRoJC2tIAtjWwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Ingerto_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Norwegian freighter Ingerto, lost on 12 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="640" height="370" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0qsQjjXvy4/XnYR4WMVjKI/AAAAAAACgeM/QWSE1r2zgvMHxlabNUZaRoJC2tIAtjWwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Ingerto_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Norwegian freighter Ingerto, sunk with no survivors on 12 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic: </b>At 02:34 and 06:11, respectively, U-126 (Kptlt. Ernst Bauer) torpedoes and sinks two ships north of Cuba (about 40 miles east of Nuevitas):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>7005-ton US freighter Texan (ten dead, 37 survivors)<br />2496-ton US freighter Olga (one dead, 32 survivors)</b></blockquote>
Both ships are unarmed. The survivors of the Olga are all taken to Guantanamo Bay. The suction from the Texan causes its lifeboats to capsize and leads to many men drowning.<br />
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U-578 (KrvKpt. Ernst-August Rehwinkel), on its third patrol out of St. Nazaire, torpedoes and sinks 3089-ton Norwegian freighter Ingerto about 370 miles southeast of Cape Race. The ship is a straggler of Convoy ON-70. Ingerto sinks quickly and takes all 32 men on board with her.<br />
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British 2291-ton passenger ship St. Briac hits a mine and sinks off Aberdeen. There are about 45 deaths of the 123 men on board. Many of the men aboard the St. Briac are Royal Naval sailors because it is classified as an air target vessel.<br />
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Two Royal Navy armed trawlers, HMS Wastwater (FY 239) and Le Tigre (Fy 243) begin patrols off the coast of New Jersey in the Third Naval District area.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GKkyPczwbEU/XnYRLtykB8I/AAAAAAACgeE/tc7OL_f3Bw0krPn3Fh-2wKZoG_ccH16IACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/HMS_Alcantara_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Repairing a signal flag on HMS Alcantara on 12 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GKkyPczwbEU/XnYRLtykB8I/AAAAAAACgeE/tc7OL_f3Bw0krPn3Fh-2wKZoG_ccH16IACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/HMS_Alcantara_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="610" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"A sailor onboard HMS ALCANTARA uses a portable sewing machine to repair a signal flag during a voyage to Sierra Leone." March 1942. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205196978" target="_blank">CBM 1049</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean: </b>Royal Navy submarine HMS Turbulent (Cdr. J.W. Linton) uses its deck gun to sink Greek caique Agia Paraskevi north of the Zea Channel. Two crewmen are wounded. The Germans are known to use such caiques for troop movements between the islands.<br />
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In Malta, the RAF has lost many planes on the ground in recent days from Luftwaffe bombing. Infantry battalions now are being used to build blast walls to shield parked planes from the explosions. The Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica continue their attacks today, dropping bombs on the Ta Qali airfield area and near St. Andrews, Kalafrana, Safi, and near St. Agata Church. These attacks slightly damage seven Hurricane fighters at Ta Qali. A bomb hits a shelter there, killing one soldier (eventually) and wounding several others.<br />
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<b>Japanese/Australian Relations:</b> Japanese Prime Minister General Tojo Hideki issues a surrender demand to Australia that is ignored.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VlNayDWCRLs/XnYLYSBSkSI/AAAAAAACgdk/T0AsEMj_pSYxLEMeN8weDfjXypGhF71IACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Lysander_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="RAF Westland Lysander 12 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="640" height="494" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VlNayDWCRLs/XnYLYSBSkSI/AAAAAAACgdk/T0AsEMj_pSYxLEMeN8weDfjXypGhF71IACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Lysander_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Three Westland Lysander Mark IIIAs of No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron RAF (part of the RAF Army Cooperation Command), based at Dunino, Fife, on a photographic-reconnaissance training sortie over snow-covered Scottish hills." 12 March 1942. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205207891" target="_blank">H 17770</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>US Military:</b> Admiral Ernest J King, Commander-in-Chief U.S. Fleet (CINCUS), is designated to replace Admiral Harold R Stark as Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) effective 26 March. The title of CNO is combined with CINCUS for the duration. Admiral Stark is heading to Europe to become Commander of United States Naval Forces Europe, where he will oversee the 6 June 1944 D-Day landings. In essence, Stark has been "kicked upstairs." Stark remains under a cloud due to the Pearl Harbor attack and eventually will face a Court of Inquiry over his actions leading up to it.<br />
<br />
Three transport ships carrying USAAF ground personnel arrive at Karachi from Australia. Many of the men no longer have aircraft to service, however, due to their loss in the sinking of USS Langley on 27 February 1942.<br />
<br />
US Army troops under Brigadier General Alexander M. Patch land on New Caledonia Island to establish a base at Noumea. This is Task Force 6814 consisting of 17,500 men. New Caledonia is of uncertain loyalty to the Allied cause due to the strong Vichy French presence on the island.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nBUiB6DqRVU/XnYPchFTw_I/AAAAAAACgd8/pspnLMlqurELsD5YsjJYytBrMZyaxYmtACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Lend-Lease_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="British housewives receiving Lend-Lease goods on 12 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="640" height="470" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nBUiB6DqRVU/XnYPchFTw_I/AAAAAAACgd8/pspnLMlqurELsD5YsjJYytBrMZyaxYmtACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Lend-Lease_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">British mothers at a Tottenham Welfare Center celebrate the arrival of scarce American lend-lease products such as orange juice and cod liver oil. 12 March 1942 (© Daily Herald Archive / National Science & Media Museum / Science & Society Picture Library <a href="https://www.ssplprints.com/image/94646/mothers-receiving-american-provisions-world-war-two-12-march-1942" target="_blank">10313768</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>British Government:</b> Oliver Lyttelton takes over the Ministry of War Production, which is the old Ministry of Production.<br />
<br />
<b>American Homefront: </b>The Esposito brothers, Anthony and Esposito, are executed in the electric chair in Sing Sing prison. They were convicted of the "thrill kill" murders of a police officer and a holdup victim on 14 January 1941. While their defense of insanity failed, it did accelerate a long history of such defenses in the court system.<br />
<br />
Bing Crosby appears on the Kraft Music Hall and sings ten songs. These are later released as an album, including patriotic song "We're the Gang that Feeds the Army."<br />
<br />
In Omaha, Nebraska, 11-year-old Warren Buffett buys his first shares of stock (Buffett himself gives the date as 12 March 1942, though other sources say it is 11 March 1942). They are three shares of Cities Service preferred stock. Being underage, he must use his father's brokerage account. The purchase consumes all of the money Buffett has saved since age 6. "I went all in," Buffett reminisced in February 2019. "I had become a capitalist, and it felt good."<br />
<br />
<b>Future History:</b> James Sherman Wynn is born in Hamilton, Ohio. He earns the nickname "The Toy Cannon" while playing for several Major League Baseball teams primarily as a center fielder in the 1960s and 1970s. He winds up his career with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1977.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qfhawuAdUtc/XnYObVxZRJI/AAAAAAACgd0/GKOX_l7xbO0AH2vT_RS-0YK-8bEj4L82gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Sugar_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cambridge man wins his appeal on 12 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qfhawuAdUtc/XnYObVxZRJI/AAAAAAACgd0/GKOX_l7xbO0AH2vT_RS-0YK-8bEj4L82gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Sugar_12_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reflecting on the importance of the essentials during wartime, the 12 March 1942 Boston Globe reports that a man previously convicted of stealing one pound of sugar from a Cambridge, Massachusetts, store has won his appeal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-46340527125134933562020-01-02T22:37:00.002-07:002020-01-06T20:52:18.746-07:00February 2, 1941: Wehrmacht Supermen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Sunday 2 February 1941</h1>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-euONIwaYXpM/WJNSkAAC0HI/AAAAAAAB6ck/TctuRPNDZxwApk42sRbawZUh4kkf7n3BACLcB/s1600/Voronoff_2_February_1941_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="2 February 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Dr. Voronoff" border="0" height="510" itemprop="image" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-euONIwaYXpM/WJNSkAAC0HI/AAAAAAAB6ck/TctuRPNDZxwApk42sRbawZUh4kkf7n3BACLcB/s640/Voronoff_2_February_1941_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Serge Voronoff at his monkey-gland laboratory in France.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Italian/Greek Campaign</b>: The Greeks (Cretan 5th Division of II Corps) on <b itemprop="name">2 February 1941</b> finally take full possession of the Trebeshina (Trebeshinë) massif. The nearby Greek 15th Division also makes small gains, completing the capture of the village of Bubeshi.<br />
<br />
Italian forces in the area, however, remain unusually feisty for Italian troops of World War II. Thus, little profit appears likely from this commanding position in the area achieved by the Greek troops. Further progress may depend upon British troops, which remain in Egypt and Libya pending the completion of operations there and Greek approval to accept them. The RAF is busy in support of the Greeks. The Greeks are trying to take the strategically decisive port of Valona (Vlorë) quickly, and capture of the Trebeshinë heights is necessary to accomplish that. However, Klisura Pass is just the gateway toward Valona, not on its doorstep, and much work remains to be done (such as the capture of Tepelenë) before the port is even threatened, much less overcome.<br />
<br />
With the benefit of hindsight and in light of later events (Operation Marita), the protracted defense of the Trebeshinë heights by two battalions of the Italian Blackshirts may be seen as having secured Valona and, thus, the entire Italian position in Albania for the duration of World War II. It salvages a tiny bit of Italian military honor. With the benefit of even more hindsight and perhaps a bit of arguable interpretation, the use of crack Cretan troops in Albania rather than keeping them in Crete may have contributed to future Allied defeats there as well.<br />
<br />
Spinning things out a bit further.... perhaps beyond the breaking point... the successful Italian defense of the Trebeshinë heights may have played an even larger role in the outcome of World War II. If the Italians in Albania had folded completely in a short period of time, Hitler might not have authorized Operation Marita (at least partly intended to rescue the Italians). In that case, he might have had those troops available at the start of Operation Barbarossa. Many historians theorize that, had those troops been used in the Soviet Union right from the opening of hostilities, Moscow might have been captured before the winter snows and the entire course of world history altered. But, that is sheer speculation.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EYVBJFGbClo/WJNaai6GrJI/AAAAAAAB6dM/vo9YAoBeUPMv3sfba3krpoKAYsK-bgZnwCLcB/s1600/Keren_Map_2_February_1941_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="2 February 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Keren Eritrea battle map" border="0" height="522" itemprop="image" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EYVBJFGbClo/WJNaai6GrJI/AAAAAAAB6dM/vo9YAoBeUPMv3sfba3krpoKAYsK-bgZnwCLcB/s640/Keren_Map_2_February_1941_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_6.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of initial attacks on Keren, Eritrea.</td></tr>
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<b>East African Campaign</b>: The Italian collapse in Eritrea continues. The 5th Indian Infantry Division takes Barentu, with the Italians retreating at first down a small road that turns into a mule track. The reported prisoner haul is 8000, but this figure seems high. Ultimately, the Italians abandon the road altogether and simply hike overland toward the coast. While this prevents the pursuing British from catching up to them, it also forces them to abandon every single vehicle, including guns, trucks, and tanks. The Italian troops (largely colonial) from both the Cochen Mountain and Barentu fronts head for Keren on the Keren Plateau, which has fewer natural defensive advantages than the positions the British already have overcome. However, it is located at 4300 feet above sea level, which forces the British to attack essentially while going uphill.<br />
<br />
Preliminary operations against Keren already are underway. Gazelle Force crosses the Baraka River with some difficulty (the Italians have blown the Ponte Mussolini bridge) and ascends toward the plateau. The British troops make it all the way to within about 6 km of Keren, where it is stopped at the Donglolaas Gorge. Normally, the area can be traversed without difficulty, but the Italians have dynamited the overhanging escarpments, filling the gorge with boulders and debris. The Italians also rather unhelpfully have mined the approaches.<br />
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In Abyssinia, the advancing South African troops capture Hobok.<br />
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<b>European Air Operations</b>: RAF Bomber Command begins a sustained campaign against the Channel invasion ports, in conjunction with Coastal Command. Among the targeted ports today are Berck, Le Havre, and Ostend. After dark, the RAF bombs Brest.<br />
<br />
The Circus Operations continue. As opposed to Rhubarb missions, which are fighters only, the Circus missions include a token force of bombers to make their interception by the Luftwaffe more potentially profitable. This attack in the daylight is by five Blenheims against Boulogne. The British claim three fighters destroyed.<br />
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The Luftwaffe remains dormant. There are scattered raids over eastern England, with a few bombs dropped here and there.<br />
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic</b>: German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, which have been in the far North Atlantic near Bear Island for several days waiting for the weather to improve, finally manage to complete refueling from tanker Adria. They each receive about 3400 tons of fuel and then quickly head to the southwest. Rather than head south of Iceland, as they did during their abortive breakout attempt in late January, the two ships head north of Iceland. Their objective is a passage through the Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland. Around this time, one of the Gneisenau's crewmen, named Liske, is lost overboard in the heavy seas and not recovered.<br />
<br />
The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 834-ton British freighter The Sultan in the outer fringes of the Thames Estuary. There are two deaths and 12 survivors.<br />
<br />
Royal Navy 505 ton trawler HMT Almond hits a mine and sinks off Falmouth. All 19 onboard perish.<br />
<br />
Belgian 168 ton coaster Pallieter (formerly Hero) has its cargo shift during a storm. This causes the ship to sink in the Firth of Forth.<br />
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The Luftwaffe attacks 5135-ton British freighter Waziristan in the Atlantic shipping lanes west of the Faroes Islands. A near miss disables the ship, which eventually is taken under tow by tug Bandit and brought to Kirkwall.<br />
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Convoy FN 398 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 402 departs from Methil, Convoy BS 14 departs from Suez.<br />
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U-431 is launched.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r1moSf92RNo/WJNY9sYzEjI/AAAAAAAB6dA/LyXnHQ35o9IZFturbmRKqKEMduL3EjI9gCLcB/s1600/Italian_POWs_2_February_1941_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="2 February 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Italian POWs Tobruk" border="0" itemprop="image" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r1moSf92RNo/WJNY9sYzEjI/AAAAAAAB6dA/LyXnHQ35o9IZFturbmRKqKEMduL3EjI9gCLcB/s1600/Italian_POWs_2_February_1941_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_5.jpg" title="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">Italian POWs are being brought to the fortress area at Tobruk for processing, 1941 (Australian War Memorial). Tobruk serves as the embarkation point for Italian POWs heading for Alexandria.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean</b>: The Australian 6th Division continues pursuing the Italians west of Derna. While not in wild flight, the Italians are moving with some alacrity back toward Benghazi - which itself is being evacuated. They also are engaging in skillful minelaying and combat destruction. This is slowing down the Australian infantry, as each minefield requires a methodical clearing before the advance can continue.<br />
<br />
With Middle East Commander Archibald Wavell's permission in hand, General O'Connor of XIII Corps is preparing to send his armored forces south of the mountain (Jebel Akhdar, or Green Mountain) that bifurcates northeast Libyan operations. This requires supplies that must be shipped to Tobruk - not in perfect working order after the recent battles there - and then transport north toward Derna. O'Connor is torn between getting his supplies in order and then sending his troops (Combe Force) out fully prepared, or sending what he has available out quickly in order to increase the likelihood of blocking the Italian retreat.<br />
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O'Connor adopts the latter course. He orders Lieutenant Colonel J.F.B. Combe, commanding 11th Hussars, 2nd Rifle Brigade and assorted field, antitank and antiaircraft artillery) to set out first thing in the morning of the 3rd. The 7th Armoured Division will follow shortly thereafter. The basic plan is for the Australians to herd the Italians westward north of the mountain, while Combe Force moves directly westward and cuts them off further west. This unit becomes known as Combe Force.<br />
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Elsewhere, the Royal Navy is active. Operation Picket by Force H is launched from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. This is an attack by eight Skuas of RAF No. 810 Squadron on a strategically important San Chiara Ulla Dam at Lake Tirso, Sardinia. This attack, which aims to destroy hydroelectric facilities as well using torpedoes, is executed but does not damage the targets due to low clouds, hail, rain, antiaircraft fire, barking dogs and the whole lot. Four torpedoes are released, but apparently, they hit a sandbar or other obstruction. The British lose a Skua, with the three crewmen rescued by the Italians and taken prisoner. It is an interesting operation in the abstract, full of derring-do and the like, but results only in quite a bit of profitless effort on both ends of the Mediterranean.<br />
<br />
Admiral Somerville still plans to carry off companion operation Operation Grog (formerly Result) (the bombardment of Genoa). However, he decides against it on this sortie due to the weather. Force H then retires to Gibraltar. Many lessons are learned from this somewhat embarrassing affair which is put to good use eventually in the famous "Dambusters" raid later in the war.<br />
<br />
A diversionary operation for the disappointing Operation Picket and abortive Operation Result is underway in the eastern Mediterranean. In Operation MC 7, a large force of Royal Navy ships essentially simulates a typical convoy from Alexandria to Malta.<br />
<br />
Italian tug Uso sinks between the islands of Korčula and Lastovo, Yugoslavia. The cause of sinking apparently is a mine; some accounts say it is by a torpedo, but the source of the supposed torpedo is not given. Sometimes, witnesses at the scene don't even know what happened and can only guess. Post-war record checks don't always resolve such issues.<br />
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In Malta, the government decides to set up a new department, the Food and Distributions Office. This office, under Marquis Barbaro of St George, will implement a rationing scheme. As part of this process, households will be issued rationing cards.<br />
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Wellingtons based on Malta attack Castel Benito, a Libyan airfield that the Italians enlarged in the late 1930s. This is but the latest in many air attacks on the field.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KiPo4EEhM9U/WJNat3HyewI/AAAAAAAB6dQ/AEZ9xdz7gbsnfGuanCciO8Wxx1qPfP0dQCLcB/s1600/Keren_Map_2_February_1941_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="2 February 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Dr. Voronoff Keren Eritrea" border="0" height="424" itemprop="image" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KiPo4EEhM9U/WJNat3HyewI/AAAAAAAB6dQ/AEZ9xdz7gbsnfGuanCciO8Wxx1qPfP0dQCLcB/s640/Keren_Map_2_February_1941_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_7.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keren, Eritrea, around the time of World War II.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Indian Ocean</b>: The Gneisenau and Scharnhorst aren't the only German heavy ships operating in the Atlantic; battlecruisers Admiral Scheer and Admiral Hipper also are on the loose. There also are many other German ships of various purposes roaming the high seas which can help them fulfill their commerce-raiding missions. One of them operating in the western Indian Ocean, north of Madagascar, is German raider Atlantis. Today, it captures 7301-ton Norwegian tanker Ketty Brøvig, which is full of 6370 tons of fuel oil and 4125 tons of diesel oil from Bahrain. The Atlantis puts a prize crew aboard and will use the tanker to fuel itself and whatever other Axis ships it encounters. This is an example of how an entire fleet can "live off the land" in the middle of the ocean.<br />
<br />
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Formidable is on its way up the eastern African coast to join the Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria. Its presence there is necessary to replace the battered HMS Illustrious, which is heading for permanent repairs in the United States (at some point the two carriers pass, which must give the boys on the Formidable quite an eyeful of what to expect for themselves). Today, it operates as part of Force K, a determined British effort to track down German raider Atlantis. While having no success in that mission, it is in the vicinity of Italian Somaliland (Somalia), and the British decide to take advantage of that fact. Formidable launches its Swordfish against Mogadishu harbor to lay mines. The nine Albacores then attack Mogadishu itself in Operation Breach.<br />
<br />
Italian destroyers are operating in the Red Sea. After dark, they attack one of the BS convoys but are deterred by the Royal Navy escorts.<br />
<br />
German battlecruiser Admiral Scheer transits from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean.<br />
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<b>Battle of the Pacific</b>: German raider Orion completes an overhaul at Maug Island in the Marianas and heads for the Indian Ocean.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gk3_bkS3upw/WJNUVrtE-8I/AAAAAAAB6c0/aSp8zOGr0pAtI8cogMCWbuaGsmSxDH9pACLcB/s1600/Voronoff_2_February_1941_worldwartwo.filminspector.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="2 February 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Dr. Voronoff" border="0" height="298" itemprop="image" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gk3_bkS3upw/WJNUVrtE-8I/AAAAAAAB6c0/aSp8zOGr0pAtI8cogMCWbuaGsmSxDH9pACLcB/s640/Voronoff_2_February_1941_worldwartwo.filminspector.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Voronoff claims that monkey glands may contain the secret to eternal youth. <a href="http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57577451/?terms=Serge%2BVoronoff" target="_blank">Brooklyn Daily Eagle</a>, 13 July 1924.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>British Government</b>: General Alan Brooke, commander of United Kingdom Home Forces and in charge of anti-invasion preparations, records in his diary that he had dinner at Chequers and then gave a presentation to Prime Minister Churchill, Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and various others in Churchill's coterie. Everybody is complimentary, he says, but Churchill "would not acknowledge that an invasion ... was possible in the face of partial sea-control and local air-control."<br />
<br />
<b>US Government</b>: Dean Acheson is made Assistant Secretary of State.<br />
<br />
<b>Canada</b>: Prime Minister William Mackenzie King makes a radio speech to the Canadian people. He states that the Germans are engaging in barbarity:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Total war means an indiscriminate attack on every front, by every means, however fiendish. Practiced by the [fascists], as we have seen, it is war against homes, hospitals, schools and churches. It is war on men, women and children.</b></blockquote>
King emphasizes the importance of fully supporting the war effort. He informs the public that Canada will double the number of troops it already is contributing to the war effort in Europe.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Australia</b>: Prime Minister Robert Menzies continues his epic journey from Melbourne to London, recorded in his voluminous diary (these entries most likely written on the plane). Today, he stops at Baghdad. He meets the Regent, who he describes as "clear-headed but only 25, afraid of his advisers." Menzies describes the new Iraqi Prime Minister as "a stop-gap, being a little better [than his predecessor] but not much." He then continues on to Jerusalem for the night.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>China</b>: The indeterminate fighting in Southern Honan (Henan) continues. The Japanese 11th Army evacuates Wuyang.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f7bPXm8vVDY/WJNSW5qRlMI/AAAAAAAB6cg/eYIM7B9P7LcFS2prAA95FBRggHh9ezRHwCLcB/s1600/Voronoff_2_February_1941_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="2 February 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Dr. Voronoff" border="0" itemprop="image" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f7bPXm8vVDY/WJNSW5qRlMI/AAAAAAAB6cg/eYIM7B9P7LcFS2prAA95FBRggHh9ezRHwCLcB/s1600/Voronoff_2_February_1941_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Voronoff claims that monkey glands may be able to create a race of supermen. <a href="http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52704724/?terms=monkey+glands" target="_blank">Brooklyn Daily Eagle</a>, 23 September 1936.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>French Homeland</b>: For unexplained reasons, the Germans seize the monkeys of French researcher Dr. Serge Voronoff. Now, this leads to the question, who is Dr. Voronoff and who cares about his monkeys? Well, there's a story to that.<br />
<br />
Dr. Voronoff is the 74-year-old brother-in-law of the wife of ex-King Carol II of Romania. He has maintained a monkey farm and laboratory near Mentone for decades. He is a specialist in monkey glands, specifically, applied uses of monkey glands for medicinal purposes.<br />
<br />
Now, monkey glands may not sound like a particularly exciting field. However, at this point in time, there are many hopes that monkey glands may have special powers. Specifically, there are claims that monkey glands are the fountain of youth. Dr. Voronoff does not mind the publicity, and in fact has made some wild claims of his own, reported in the international press, that monkey glands literally can create an army of supermen. And, in German hands, that would be an army of Wehrmacht Supermen.<br />
<br />
Which means there may be something quite special about these particular monkeys. Who knows what... alterations the good doctor has made to them? It makes the otherwise inexplicable decision of the Germans to seize the monkeys quite explainable. As for Dr. Voronoff - he and his 26-year-old wife previously booked tickets to New York and arrived there on 6 September 1940.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Italian Homeland</b>: Apparently as a result of reversals in Libya, Benito Mussolini declares southern Italy a war zone and places it under martial law.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sfpzp9aU_v4/WJNTK1WANVI/AAAAAAAB6co/je9OeAJoWrcSqo1gL7U1Wxwwlqkw1ejqACLcB/s1600/Voronoff_2_February_1941_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="2 February 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Dr. Voronoff" border="0" itemprop="image" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sfpzp9aU_v4/WJNTK1WANVI/AAAAAAAB6co/je9OeAJoWrcSqo1gL7U1Wxwwlqkw1ejqACLcB/s1600/Voronoff_2_February_1941_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" title="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Voronoff's monkeys seized; 2 February 1941 Brooklyn Daily Eagle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">February 1941</span><br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-1-1941-us-military.html" target="_blank">February 1, 1941: US Military Reorganization</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/03/february-2-1941-wehrmacht-supermen.html" target="_blank">February 2, 1941: Wehrmacht Supermen</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-3-1941-world-will-hold-its.html" target="_blank">February 3, 1941: World Will Hold Its Breath</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-4-1941-uso-forms.html" target="_blank">February 4, 1941: USO Forms</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-5-1941-hitler-thanks-irish.html" target="_blank">February 5, 1941: Hitler Thanks Irish Woman</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-6-1941-operation-sunflower.html" target="_blank">February 6, 1941: Operation Sunflower</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-7-1941-fox-killed-in-open.html" target="_blank">February 7, 1941: Fox Killed in the Open</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-8-1941-lend-lease-passes-house.html" target="_blank">February 8, 1941: Lend-Lease Passes House</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-9-1941-give-us-tools.html" target="_blank">February 9, 1941: Give Us The Tools</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-10-1941-operation-colossus.html" target="_blank">February 10, 1941: Operation Colossus</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-11-1941-afrika-korps.html" target="_blank">February 11, 1941: Afrika Korps</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-12-1941-rommel-in-africa.html" target="_blank">February 12, 1941: Rommel in Africa</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-13-1941-operation-composition.html" target="_blank">February 13, 1941: Operation Composition</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-14-1941-nomura-in-washington.html" target="_blank">February 14, 1941: Nomura in Washington</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-15-1941-churchills-warning.html" target="_blank">February 15, 1941: Churchill's Warning</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-16-1941-operation-adolphus.html" target="_blank">February 16, 1941: Operation Adolphus</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-17-1941-invade-ireland.html" target="_blank">February 17, 1941: Invade Ireland?</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-18-1941-panzerwaffe-upgrade.html" target="_blank">February 18, 1941: Panzerwaffe Upgrade</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-19-1941-three-nights-blitz.html" target="_blank">February 19, 1941: Three Nights Blitz</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-20-1941-priens-farewell.html" target="_blank">February 20, 1941: Prien's Farewell</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-21-1941-swansea-blitz-ends.html">February 21, 1941: Swansea Blitz Ends</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-22-1941-amsterdam-pogrom.html">February 22, 1941: Amsterdam Pogrom</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-23-1941-ob-288-convoy.html">February 23, 1941: OB-288 Convoy Destruction</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-24-1941-okuda-spies.html">February 24, 1941: Okuda Spies</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-25-1941-mogadishu-taken.html">February 25, 1941: Mogadishu Taken</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-26-1941-ob-290-convoy.html">February 26, 1941: OB-290 Convoy Destruction</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-27-1941-operation-abstention.html">February 27, 1941: Operation Abstention</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2017/02/february-28-1941-ariets-warns-stalin.html" target="_blank">February 28, 1941: Ariets Warns Stalin</a><br />
<br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-61696053100694089052019-12-30T09:52:00.002-07:002020-01-06T20:51:02.543-07:00October 24, 1939: Third Reich "Justice" Gets Rolling<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Tuesday 24 October 1939</h1>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vz7jauITBn8/Vx_4lCj0LQI/AAAAAAABx24/hn2ext701isH21_GuiWcSJeMHq_8TRDgACLcB/s1600/Roland_Freisler_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" itemprop="image" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vz7jauITBn8/Vx_4lCj0LQI/AAAAAAABx24/hn2ext701isH21_GuiWcSJeMHq_8TRDgACLcB/s640/Roland_Freisler_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roland Freisler and his "special court."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Battle of the Atlantic</b>: On <b itemprop="name">24 October 1939</b>, the Soviets are still confused about what to do with the City of Flint and its crew. Today, they send the crew, which the day before were going to return to their ship, into informal custody. The Americans are not allowed to contact the US embassy in Moscow but technically are not under arrest because of a highly technical reading of the international law of ship seizures. Nobody knows what the next step will be. There are conflicting reports, in fact, as to who exactly is being interned.<br />
<br />
U-37 (Korvettenkapitän Werner Hartmann) has a big day. It sinks the British freighters Ledbury (3,528 tons), Menin Ridge (2,474 tons) and Tafna (4,413 tons). The successes are all against independents and about 90 miles west of Gibraltar.<br />
<br />
Greek freighter Konstantinos Hadjipateras (5962 tons) hits a mine just off the English coast in the North Sea. Four perish, the rest are picked up by the Gorleston lifeboat Louise Stephens.<br />
<br />
The British detain the US freighter Wacosta. They release the US freighter Iberville after seizing its cargo. They also seize US mail destined for the Continent from the Finnish freighter Astrid Thorden. The aggressive British seizures are raising some eyebrows in the United States.<br />
<br />
Convoy HXF 6 departs from Halifax for Liverpool.<br />
<br />
<b>Western Front</b>: The Germans mount a minor attack on a French outpost in the Forest of Warndt in the Saar region. There are scattered raids all along the Front, but no concerted troop movements.<br />
<br />
<b>German Government</b>: State Secretary Roland Freisler of the Reich Ministry of Justice discusses "special courts," or Sondergerichte. He characterizes them as the "tank corps of penal law" which will be used to eliminate those who "stab the dagger in the people's back." In practice, they will constitute show trials, with Freisler shouting at defendants and berating them in open court. The defendants invariably are polite and respectful as Freisler hectors them and sentences them to concentration camps or death (sometimes the same thing). The trials are popular, and in a macabre way constitute the first use of courts as entertainment.<br />
<br />
<b>German/Soviet Relations</b>: Foreign Minister Ribbentrop signs a trade deal with the Soviets. The Soviets agree to supply 1 million tonnes of grain and fodder.<br />
<br />
<b>German Propaganda</b>: Ribbentrop makes a rare speech in Danzig. He affixes Great Britain with war guilt for working steadily against the Germans. He also blames the British for refusing to even consider "the hand of the Führer stretched out in a peace gesture."<br />
<br />
London almost immediately dismisses the speech, saying that it "introduces no new element into the situation nor is it considered as having any particular importance."<br />
<br />
<b>Finland</b>: The Finnish delegation once again returns to Helsinki to review border proposals made by the USSR.<br />
<br />
<b>Poland</b>: The Polish government-in-exile has had an ace up its sleeve all along. Only now Polish gold reach Paris that has been on the road via Romania and then Syria. It totals more than £15,000,000.<br />
<br />
Separately, the Polish government in London (the government-in-exile is still in Paris) announces that exile Poles will be used in a Polish Army in France.<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese/German Relations</b>: Ambassador Oshima meets with Hitler.<br />
<br />
<b>American Homefront</b>: Joe DiMaggio of the four-time World Series Champions New York Yankees is named the American League MVP. Joe hit .381. Red Sox first baseman Jimmie Foxx is second.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kS9MNHvvfk0/Vx_2rDOJ6gI/AAAAAAABx2s/mH6LpibbnEkyxf7YwvHxeMhm323FMqmqgCLcB/s1600/Nylons_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" itemprop="image" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kS9MNHvvfk0/Vx_2rDOJ6gI/AAAAAAABx2s/mH6LpibbnEkyxf7YwvHxeMhm323FMqmqgCLcB/s1600/Nylons_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nylons!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Nylon stockings go on sale nationwide for the first time. Stores report being sold out of their stock within hours. It is perhaps the biggest fashion moment of the decade.<br />
<br />
<b>Future History</b>: F. Murray Abraham is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He wins the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Antonio Salieri in "Amadeus."<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ScDn02oHzYc/Vx_1ghuI9SI/AAAAAAABx2k/uY9CAX9NiIgC7I0rgKXTCdQLowRFqpyAgCLcB/s1600/joe_dimaggio_hitting_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" itemprop="image" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ScDn02oHzYc/Vx_1ghuI9SI/AAAAAAABx2k/uY9CAX9NiIgC7I0rgKXTCdQLowRFqpyAgCLcB/s1600/joe_dimaggio_hitting_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Long Swing," Joe Dimaggio.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
October 1939</h2>
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-1-1939-occupation-of-warsaw.html" target="_blank">October 1, 1939: Occupation of Warsaw</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-2-1939-hel-peninsula-falls.html" target="_blank">October 2, 1939: Hel Peninsula Falls</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-3-1939-diamantis-incident.html" target="_blank">October 3, 1939: The Diamantis Incident</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-4-1939-otto-kretschmer-gets.html" target="_blank">October 4, 1939: Otto Kretschmer Gets Rolling</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-5-1939-polish-resistance-ends.html" target="_blank">October 5, 1939: Polish Resistance Ends</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-6-1939-hitler-peace-effort.html" target="_blank">October 6, 1939: Hitler Peace Effort</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-7-1939-british-have-arrived.html" target="_blank">October 7, 1939: The British Have Arrived</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/03/october-8-1939-first-raf-kill-from-uk.html">October 8, 1939: First RAF Kill from UK</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-9-1939-city-of-flint-incident.html" target="_blank">October 9, 1939: "City of Flint" Incident</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-10-1939-lithuania-under-pressure.html" target="_blank">October 10, 1939: Lithuania Under Pressure</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-11-1939-atomic-age-begins.html" target="_blank">October 11, 1939: The Atomic Age Begins</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-12-1939-england-rejects-hitlers.html" target="_blank">October 12, 1939: England Rejects Hitler's Peace Offer</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-13-1939-charles-lindbergh.html" target="_blank">October 13, 1939: Charles Lindbergh Speaks Out</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-14-1939-royal-oak-sunk.html" target="_blank">October 14, 1939: Royal Oak Sunk</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-15-1939-cuban-rockets.html" target="_blank">October 15, 1939: Cuban Rockets</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-16-1939-first-aircraft-shot.html" target="_blank">October 16, 1939: First Aircraft Shot Down Over UK</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-17-1939-marshall-mannerheim.html" target="_blank">October 17, 1939: Marshall Mannerheim Returns</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-18-1939-prien-receives-his-award.html" target="_blank">October 18, 1939: Prien Receives His Award</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-19-1939-preliminary-plan-for.html" target="_blank">October 19, 1939: Preliminary Plan for Fall Gelb</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-20-1939-hitler-grapples-with.html" target="_blank">October 20, 1939: Hitler Grapples with the Jews</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-21-1939-hurricanes-to-rescue.html" target="_blank">October 21, 1939: Hurricanes to the Rescue!</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-22-1939-goebbels-lies-through.html" target="_blank">October 22, 1939: Goebbels Lies Through His Teeth</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-23-1939-norway-center-of.html" target="_blank">October 23, 1939: Norway the Center of Attention</a><br />
<a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/tuesday-24-october-1939-roland-freisler.html" target="_blank">October 24, 1939: German "Justice" Gets Rolling</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-25-1939-handley-page-halifax.html" target="_blank">October 25, 1939: Handley Page Halifax Bomber First Flies</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-26-1939-jozef-tiso-takes.html" target="_blank">October 26, 1939: Jozef Tiso Takes Slovakia</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-27-1939-king-leopold-stands-firm.html" target="_blank">October 27, 1939: King Leopold Stands Firm</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/03/october-28-1939-first-luftwaffe-raid-on.html">October 28, 1939 - First Luftwaffe Raid on Great Britain</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-29-1939-tinkering-with-fall-gelb.html" target="_blank">October 29, 1939: Tinkering with Fall Gelb</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-30-1939-defective-torpedoes.html" target="_blank">October 30, 1939: Defective Torpedoes</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/october-31-1939-molotov-issues-ultimatum.html" target="_blank">October 31, 1939: Molotov Issues an Ultimatum</a><br />
<br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-78102543906672978112019-12-30T09:10:00.001-07:002020-01-06T20:49:49.880-07:00September 22, 1939: Joint Soviet-German Military Parade<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Friday 22 September 1939</h1>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LgtkTK1guJM/Vt7cZ9gSrFI/AAAAAAABv98/vIRuyVehjq8/s1600/russian_and_german_officers_meet_at_Brest-Litovsk_1939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Soviet German military parade Brest-Litovsk 22 September 1939 worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com" border="0" height="640" itemprop="image" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LgtkTK1guJM/Vt7cZ9gSrFI/AAAAAAABv98/vIRuyVehjq8/s640/russian_and_german_officers_meet_at_Brest-Litovsk_1939.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German and Soviet soldiers conversing, 22 September 1939.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Battle of Poland</b>: German forces under the command of General Heinz Guderian (XIX Corps) were in possession of territory on the eastern side of the Bug River. Soviet forces now arrived to assume control of that area under the secret terms of the 23 August 1939 Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact. Kombrig (Commanding officer of the brigade) Semyon Moiseevich Krivoshein of the Soviet 29th Tank Brigade, who had crossed the Polish border on 17 September, reached Brest-Litovsk on the morning of 22 September. Krivoshein found the Germans looting the town, with Guderian himself ensconced there. The German apparently had been there for several days already.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4e0PYwTZAQ/WgNZU7OAZ2I/AAAAAAACEx4/h-U_xJXp8JgX7PmjiP4bl__VrGTFuRe2QCLcBGAs/s1600/Brest-Litovsk_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Soviet German military parade Brest-Litovsk 22 September 1939 worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="564" itemprop="image" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4e0PYwTZAQ/WgNZU7OAZ2I/AAAAAAACEx4/h-U_xJXp8JgX7PmjiP4bl__VrGTFuRe2QCLcBGAs/s1600/Brest-Litovsk_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Wehrmacht soldier initiates peace talks with a Russian female soldier in Brest-Litovsk, Poland, 22 September 1939.</td></tr>
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After some back-and-forth, Krivoshein visited Guderian at the latter's headquarters. Guderian acknowledged that he had to relinquish the town, but proposed to make the German departure a formal occasion, complete with a parade. Krivoshein was not very enthusiastic about the idea, having just completed a quick advance to reach the city and not wanting any extra hassles. However, Krivoshein agreed to supply a few token battalions to support the effort, along with a military band. The informal parade began at 16:00, complete with festive bunting. Both German and Soviet troops marched through hastily constructed "Victory Arches" before the two commanding officers.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SOzuq9pkFUo/VuBZufw4RjI/AAAAAAABv-U/7qNjVrTVA2A/s1600/Guderian_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Soviet German military parade Brest-Litovsk 22 September 1939 worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com" border="0" itemprop="image" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SOzuq9pkFUo/VuBZufw4RjI/AAAAAAABv-U/7qNjVrTVA2A/s1600/Guderian_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guderian and Krivoshein at the Brest-Litovsk parade.</td></tr>
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Krivoshein later greatly downplayed the event in his memoirs and implied that the Soviet forces were merely present and not active participants. He recalled that he did not allow his troops to march with the German forces, who were rested and looked more presentable. However, it should be noted that subsequent events made downplaying any cooperation with the Germans a politically wise decision, and Soviet military historical works are notorious for their impeccable political hindsight.<br />
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Afterward, the German forces withdrew to the west bank of the Bug River as pre-ordained. The event has attracted much publicity in subsequent years due to the subsequent estrangement of the two forces. It is believed that the 22 September 1939 parade was the only such event that ever took place involving the two sides. Russian historians, in particular, are quick to minimize the event as being merely a "ceremonial departure" of the German forces, but the photographic record suggests that it was a bit more than that.<br />
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The Polish commander of Lwów hands it over to the Soviets.<br />
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Polish units of the 39th Infantry Division have been defending the village of Cześniki near Zamość. They have been holding off the German 27th Infantry Division and 4th Light Division. The 39th Infantry Division now is ordered to relieve Lwów and breaks through the German lines. With that city suddenly being surrendered, however, they are now on the move with nowhere to go.<br />
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"Honorary Colonel of the 12th Artillery Regiment" Generaloberst Werner Thomas Ludwig Freiherr von Fritsch is killed in Praga while "inspecting the front." He is picked off by either a sniper or a machine gun. Von Fritsch is believed to have voluntarily exposed himself to enemy fire due to his lingering disgrace over the false accusations of homosexuality used to depose him from his position as Commander in Chief of the Heer.<br />
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<b>Western Front</b>: The French claim to be approaching Zweibrücken in the Siegfried line. French radio also reports that the Wehrmacht has lost 150,000 men so far in the conflict. The actual figure is maybe 10% of that.<br />
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic</b>: The steamer Arkleside is torpedoed and sinks. A Grimsby trawler also is sunk.<br />
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<b>Romanian Government</b>: The government executes several members of the Iron Guard, including the assassins of the Romanian Prime Minister, in Bucharest.<br />
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<b>Allied Supreme Command</b>: In Hove, Sussex, the second meeting of the Allied Supreme War Council takes place between the British and French representatives. Nothing much is accomplished beyond issues of supply.<br />
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<b>British Homefront</b>: The Metropolitan Police Commission in London reports that road accidents have tripled so far in September. That is likely due to the blackout. The courts are clogged with blackout violations. Gasoline is rationed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-re6bpYv__Oo/Vt7cZrXZq1I/AAAAAAABv94/Lvsx9fidL1g/s1600/Soviet_German_military_parade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Soviet German military parade Brest-Litovsk 22 September 1939 worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com" border="0" itemprop="image" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-re6bpYv__Oo/Vt7cZrXZq1I/AAAAAAABv94/Lvsx9fidL1g/s1600/Soviet_German_military_parade.jpg" /></a></div>
<h2>
September 1939</h2>
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/01/september-1-1939-invasion-of-poland.html">September 1, 1939: Invasion of Poland</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/01/september-2-1939-danzig-annexed.html">September 2, 1939: Danzig Annexed</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/03/september-3-1939-france-great-britain.html">September 3, 1939: France, Great Britain Declare War</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/03/september-4-1939-first-raf-raid.html">September 4, 1939: First RAF Raid</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-5-1939-us-stays-out.html" target="_blank">September 5, 1939: The US Stays Out</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-6-1939-battle-of-barking-creek.html" target="_blank">September 6, 1939: Battle of Barking Creek</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-7-1939-germany-polish-hq-bugs.html" target="_blank">September 7, 1939: Polish HQ Bugs Out</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-8-1939-war-crimes-in-poland.html" target="_blank">September 8, 1939: War Crimes in Poland</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-9-1939-empire-strikes-back.html" target="_blank">September 9, 1939: The Empire Strikes Back</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-10-1939-germans-break-out.html" target="_blank">September 10, 1939: The Germans Break Out</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-11-1939-battle-of-kauszyn.html" target="_blank">September 11, 1939: Battle of Kałuszyn</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-12-1939-french-chicken-out.html" target="_blank">September 12, 1939: The French Chicken Out</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-13-1939-battle-of-modlin.html" target="_blank">September 13, 1939: The Battle of Modlin</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-14-1939-germany-captures.html" target="_blank">September 14, 1939: Germany Captures Gdynia</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-15-1939-warsaw-surrounded.html" target="_blank">September 15, 1939: Warsaw Surrounded</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-16-1939-battle-of-jaworow.html" target="_blank">September 16, 1939: Battle of Jaworów</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/03/september-17-1939-guderian-takes-brest.html">September 17, 1939: Soviets Invade Poland</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-18-1939-lublin-falls.html" target="_blank">September 18, 1939: Lublin Falls</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-19-1939-germans-soviets-hook.html" target="_blank">September 19, 1939: Germans, Soviets Hook Up</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-20-1939-krakow-army-surrenders.html" target="_blank">September 20, 1939: the Kraków Army Surrenders</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-21-1939-romania-convulses.html" target="_blank">September 21, 1939: Romania Convulses</a><br />
<a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/september-22-1939-joint-soviet-german.html" target="_blank">September 22, 1939: Joint Soviet-German Military Parade</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-23-1939-panama-conference.html" target="_blank">September 23, 1939: The Panama Conference</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-24-1939-luftwaffe-bombs-warsaw.html" target="_blank">September 24, 1939: The Luftwaffe Bombs Warsaw</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-25-1939-black-monday-for.html" target="_blank">September 25, 1939: Black Monday for Warsaw</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-26-warsaw-on-ropes.html" target="_blank">September 26, 1939: Warsaw on the Ropes</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/03/september-27-1939-hitler-decides-to.html">September 27, 1939: Hitler Decides to Invade France</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/03/september-28-1939-warsaw-capitulates.html">September 28, 1939: Warsaw Capitulates</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-29-1939-modlin-fortress-falls.html" target="_blank">September 29, 1939: Modlin Fortress Falls</a><br />
<a href="http://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2016/04/september-30-1939-graf-spee-on-loose.html" target="_blank">September 30, 1939: Graf Spee on the Loose</a><br />
<br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-49915611218425684922019-12-26T07:48:00.001-07:002020-08-09T11:52:09.193-06:00March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Wednesday 11 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D-5gs8ivu64/XgS9P6nTG5I/AAAAAAACdvg/ptiHSGhy6aEfhPfDsEKFxM0Y3SYsHI2hQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/HMS_Naiad_sunk_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="HMS Naiad, sunk on 11 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D-5gs8ivu64/XgS9P6nTG5I/AAAAAAACdvg/ptiHSGhy6aEfhPfDsEKFxM0Y3SYsHI2hQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/HMS_Naiad_sunk_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HMS Naiad, sunk in the Mediterranean on 11 March 1942.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> General Douglas MacArthur, the commander of United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), departs from Corregidor on <b>11 March 1942</b>. His escape has been moved up several days due to threats made over the Japanese propaganda network. MacArthur and his party board one of four PT boats at Corregidor's North Dock at 19:45, while others who are leaving (including Admiral Rockwell) are taken to Bataan where their boats await. MacArthur's boat then leads the three other boats in a diamond formation through rough weather. The four boats are separated in the darkness and sea swells, with MacArthur's boat and two of the others reaching Mindanao on 13 March (and Australia on 17 March). The fourth boat, PT-32, loses engine power and its party is taken back to Corregidor (they later make it to Australia). MacArthur thanks the men involved for saving him from "the jaws of death."<br />
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General Jonathan Wainwright now commands in Luzon, though MacArthur has indicated that he intends to continue to control operations through proxies. Wainwright commands roughly 95,000 Allied forces on Bataan and Corregidor. The Japanese commander, General Homma, is under firm orders from Tokyo to resume his offensive and evict the remaining Allied forces from the Philippines.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ND8ptGzIkvA/XgS97Sam-iI/AAAAAAACdvo/k82qW-jBR3cDcZDfVqnQvaGT873-Hq8pACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/M2_tank_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="US Army M2A4 light tank in British service, 11 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="640" height="638" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ND8ptGzIkvA/XgS97Sam-iI/AAAAAAACdvo/k82qW-jBR3cDcZDfVqnQvaGT873-Hq8pACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/M2_tank_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A US Army M2A4 light tank in British service, 11 March 1942. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205198278" target="_blank">H 17816</a>). Many of these tanks served in Burma.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In Burma, the British north of Rangoon launch a counterattack from Nyaunglebein. The 1st Burma Division with the 1st and 2nd Burma Brigades targets Pyuntaza and Shwegyin. This is all part of a retrograde movement toward the safety of India and the creation of a redoubt in northern Burma. After this attack, most of the units withdraw toward Kanyutkwin. Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell, Commanding General American Army Forces, China, Burma and India and newly appointed Chief of Staff of the Chinese Army, assumes command of the Chinese 5th and 6th Armies. These armies actually are quite small and amount in total to about the size of one British division.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oo9ZGUvJ22A/XgTFEURemlI/AAAAAAACdwI/QiFSJzVvMPcoiK1wXyQZJqziAU_zWOf4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/USS_Pollack_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="USS Pollack (SS-180) sank several Japanese ships on 11 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="640" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oo9ZGUvJ22A/XgTFEURemlI/AAAAAAACdwI/QiFSJzVvMPcoiK1wXyQZJqziAU_zWOf4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/USS_Pollack_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">USS Pollack (SS-180). Among its achievements was being among the first three US submarines on war patrol during World War II, the first to reach Japanese waters, and the first to get a confirmed victim (<a href="http://www.uss-pollack.org/ss180.html" target="_blank">USS Pollack SSN 603</a>).</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
USS Pollack (Lt. Cdr. S.P. Moselely, SS-180), operating in the East China Sea about 270 miles east of Shanghai, torpedoes and sinks 1454-ton Japanese freighter Fukushu Maru. It also apparently sinks 5266-ton passenger ship Baikal Maru. A little later, Pollack sinks two sampans with its deck gun. There is some dispute about Baikal, and either it was not sunk at all or was salvaged after the war and converted into a whale factory ship.<br />
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Japanese submarine I-2, operating off West Sumatra, torpedoes and sinks 4360-ton British passenger/cargo vessel SS Chilka. There are seven dead and at least three survivors.<br />
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US 4932-ton passenger/cargo ship SS Mount McKinley grounds off Unimak Island, Aleutians and is wrecked. Everyone survives.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dxr957w4LIk/XgTCSGondBI/AAAAAAACdvw/WoBKQ1builcchmUcVk6x8qWXY9sdRDa4ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/PBY_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PB2Y-3 11 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="640" height="488" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dxr957w4LIk/XgTCSGondBI/AAAAAAACdvw/WoBKQ1builcchmUcVk6x8qWXY9sdRDa4ACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/PBY_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PB2Y-3 at Noumea Harbor New Caledonia March 11, 1942 (USAF).</td></tr>
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> A snowstorm on the central front that began on 10 March increases in intensity throughout the night. Travel becomes difficult. General Walter Model manages to fly through the storm to Fuhrer Headquarters in East Prussia. He is there to argue in favor of the quick start of Operation Brueckenschlag, a drive toward Oshtakov which would close a gap between Army Groups Center and North (Brueckenschlag literally means "bridge-building"). This is an ambitious operation that, if successful, would trap six or seven Soviet armies and deprive them of a third of their gains during the winter counteroffensive. The weather is so bad, however, that today the Luftwaffe asks for a postponement of offensive operations due to severe icing conditions.<br />
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<b>European Air Operations: </b>After several days of full-strength raids, the RAF takes a day off to recuperate.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ael1iwZ21JI/XgTDiXOLuXI/AAAAAAACdv4/xB-CdD8Azb0me5tW9dx1DR4nIIPdLoOowCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Fukushu_Maru_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fukushu Maru, 11 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="640" height="398" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ael1iwZ21JI/XgTDiXOLuXI/AAAAAAACdv4/xB-CdD8Azb0me5tW9dx1DR4nIIPdLoOowCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Fukushu_Maru_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fukushu Maru, sunk on 11 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic:</b> U-126 (Kptlt. Erwin Rostin), on its first patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks independent 2609-ton US freighter Caribsea about a dozen miles east of Cape Lookout Lighthouse, North Carolina. Rostin had been chasing a tanker but settled on the Caribsea when it suddenly appeared. Because Caribsea sinks quickly, no distress call is sent and the men are forced to use two rafts that float free. Fortunately, they are found by a passing freighter after only ten hours. There are 21 dead and seven survivors.<br />
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U-701 (Kptlt. Horst Degen), on its second patrol out of St. Nazaire, torpedoes and sinks 507-ton Royal Navy trawler HMT Stella Capella about 12 miles southeast of Vattarnes Lighthouse, Iceland. The trawler is heading to Stornoway to repair its defective anti-submarine equipment. All 33 men on board perish.<br />
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U-94 (Oblt. Otto Ites), on its third patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 1630-ton Norwegian freighter Hvoslef about two miles east of Fenwick Island off Delaware Bay. There are six dead and three injured men who required hospitalization out of 14 survivors.<br />
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Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli (Cmdr Carlo Fecia di Cossato) sinks 3628-ton Panamian transport SS Cygnet about four miles east of Dixon's Light, San Salvador Island, Bahamas. Cossato uses his deck gun in addition to a torpedo, apparently to economize on torpedoes during a successful patrol far from his base. All 30 men aboard survive.<br />
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German E-boat S-70 torpedoes and sinks 951-ton British collier SS Horseferry off Sheringham. There are 10 deaths.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xBI18KCaLQ0/XgS7OCTFHOI/AAAAAAACdvQ/iIzqgb--7Ocx4ZyN0YrCkOFNEhvRX4RbACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/HMS_Naiad_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Survivors of HMS Naiad on 11 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="640" height="496" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xBI18KCaLQ0/XgS7OCTFHOI/AAAAAAACdvQ/iIzqgb--7Ocx4ZyN0YrCkOFNEhvRX4RbACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/HMS_Naiad_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Survivors of HMS NAIAD onboard HMS JERVIS." 11 March 1942. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205142341" target="_blank">A 8389</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Battle of the Mediterranean: </b>U-565 (Oblt. Johann Jebsen), on its fourth patrol out of La Spezia, torpedoes and sinks 5450-ton British light cruiser HMS Naiad north of Sidi Barrani, Egypt (south of Crete). There are 82 dead and 582 survivors.<br />
<br />
Malta comes under the jurisdiction of Commander in Chief Middle East Forces. Naval and RAF garrisons are under command of Commander in Chief Mediterranean and Air Officer Commanding in Chief, respectively. Lieutenant General Sir William Dobbie, Governor of Malta, remains commander in chief, but his days are numbered. The Axis has been pounding the island relentlessly in recent weeks and Winston Churchill is casting about for a replacement for Dobbie. There are some highly placed individuals who believe that Dobbie is a bit too religious and fatalistic.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JulVkR-Vy7o/XgS6J0mMMMI/AAAAAAACdvI/zCFfQh6BbdgM8E04Ralk9zq9MZaoaUOkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Italian_police_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Italian police officers in Berlin on 11 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JulVkR-Vy7o/XgS6J0mMMMI/AAAAAAACdvI/zCFfQh6BbdgM8E04Ralk9zq9MZaoaUOkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Italian_police_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="472" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Italian police at a conference in Berlin (Oranienburg), 11 March 1942 (Federal Archive <a href="https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?channelid=dcx-channel-channel_barch_typ_foto&query=&day=11&month=03&yearfrom=1942&yearto=&imageid=&title=&farbe=&kostenfrei=&ausrichtung=&view=gallery&submit=" target="_blank">Bild 121-1080</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>US/Canadian Relations</b>: Representatives of both countries meet in Ottawa to discuss the creation of a Northwest Staging Route. This will be the air route between Edmonton, Alberta, and Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, for the purpose of ferrying aircraft to Alaska.<br />
<br />
<b>Anglo/Indian Relations: </b>Following closely on President Roosevelt's cable suggesting political reform in India, Prime Minister Churchill issues a statement in which he agrees to negotiations with Indian leaders, including the Indian Congress Party, and appoints Sir Stafford Cripps as the negotiator. Cripps will leave on 22 March. Churchill's main goal is India's full participation in the war effort. For this, he embraces the "Draft Declaration" which contemplates self-government after the war. Sending Cripps is a calculated move by Churchill, who views him as a political rival and calculates that failure in India will damage Cripps.<br />
<br />
<b>Brazil:</b> President Getúlio Vargas issues a decree reiterating his authority to declare war or impose a state of national emergency. Brazilians are worried about U-boat attacks in the Caribbean and are preparing to seize Axis nationals and their property.<br />
<br />
<b>American Homefront:</b> In Omaha, Nebraska, 11-year-old Warren Buffett buys his first shares of stock (Buffett sometimes gives a date of 12 March 1942). They are three shares of Cities Service preferred stock. Being underage, he must use his father's brokerage account. The purchase consumes all of the money Buffett has saved since age 6. "I went all in," Buffett reminisced in February 2019. "I had become a capitalist, and it felt good."<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v3yARkQ70mc/XgS8bq0OQqI/AAAAAAACdvY/o47H9LYB-X81WQvzU9lDH6DimUBeGBqNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Lil_Abner_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Li'l Abner comic strip on 11 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="186" data-original-width="640" height="186" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v3yARkQ70mc/XgS8bq0OQqI/AAAAAAACdvY/o47H9LYB-X81WQvzU9lDH6DimUBeGBqNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Lil_Abner_11_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Li'l Abner" comic strip by Al Capp from 11 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-29156015390986664762019-12-24T08:52:00.001-07:002020-08-09T11:51:45.386-06:00March 10, 1942: US Navy Attacks Japanese Landings at Lae<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Tuesday 10 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DtS8-qV2F8Y/XgImsP7xEQI/AAAAAAACdrA/N9HiXFyCqm4QGB2SJc_S02pmqAOBEfc_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/New_Guinea_raid_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Raid on Lae-Salamaua area on 10 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="640" height="442" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DtS8-qV2F8Y/XgImsP7xEQI/AAAAAAACdrA/N9HiXFyCqm4QGB2SJc_S02pmqAOBEfc_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/New_Guinea_raid_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"View from a VT-5 TBD-1, showing KIYOKAWA MARU (Japanese seaplane tender, 1937-1945) under attack. Note bomb splash astern and what may be a "hit" aft. Planes were from USS YORKTOWN (CV-5)." 10 March 1942. <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-95000/NH-95444.html" target="_blank">Naval History and Heritage Command</a> NH 95444.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> On the Huon Peninsula in Papua, New Guinea, Japanese landings continue on <b>10 March 1942</b>. Having secured Lae and Salamaua, the Japanese take Finschhafen. Japanese aircraft based at Rabaul in the Solomon Islands support the landings and also attack Port Moresby. US Navy Task Forces 11 (Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr.) and 17 (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher) attack the Japanese ships in the Huon Gulf. This is a technically impressive feat because the carriers are 201 km (120 miles) away and the Dauntlesses must fly over the 15,000 Owen Stanley Range to reach their target. The planes and later B-17 bombers flying from Garbutt Field at Townsville sink three Japanese transport vessels (Kongō Maru, Tenyō Maru, and Yokohama Maru) and damage several other ships. This US Navy raid has far-reaching consequences, as Japanese military strategists decide that they will need aircraft carrier support in order to take Port Moresby. This leads to the Battle of the Coral Sea.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l7JPJaTONFc/XgIn5fJUlmI/AAAAAAACdrI/oo1h-aAVbz8H4kmJdL2jnqls9XDwbPxUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/New_Guinea_raid_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Raid on Lae-Salamaua area on 10 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="640" height="448" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l7JPJaTONFc/XgIn5fJUlmI/AAAAAAACdrI/oo1h-aAVbz8H4kmJdL2jnqls9XDwbPxUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/New_Guinea_raid_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Enlargement of picture of KIYOKAWA MARU (Japanese seaplane tender, 1937-1945), showing what appears to be a bomb hole aft. Note planes on deck-three Mitsubishi F1M2 ("Pete") and one E8N2 ("Dave"). Taken by a VT-5 TBD-1, from the USS YORKTOWN (CV-5) air group." 10 March 1942. <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-95000/NH-95446.html" target="_blank">Naval History and Heritage Command</a> NH 95446.</td></tr>
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Pleased with the bombing attack on Hawaii (Operation K) carried out by two Kawanishi H8K "Emily" flying boats on 4 March, the Japanese try again on 10 March 1942. This time, only one flying boat takes off from Wotje Atol, once again piloted by Pilot Lieutenant Hisao Hashizume, who led the first mission. The Americans have been closely monitoring Japanese radio broadcasts about the raid and are ready and waiting for another attempt. Brewster F2A Buffalo fighters of Squadron 221 (VMF-221) intercept Hashizume's flying boat southwest of Midway Atoll, killing him and his crew. The US Navy guards the French Frigate Shoals, the refueling site being used by the Japanese, for the remainder of the war.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AYp59iBcg6E/XgIpdjrQK_I/AAAAAAACdrQ/kIXczoj8E5w8DQpViXXLz4yGrMah3-cjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/New_Guinea_raid_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Raid on Lae-Salamaua area on 10 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="640" height="446" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AYp59iBcg6E/XgIpdjrQK_I/AAAAAAACdrQ/kIXczoj8E5w8DQpViXXLz4yGrMah3-cjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/New_Guinea_raid_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"View is taken from a VT-5 plane, a Douglas TBD-1 "Devastator" showing ships below maneuvering off Salamaua. Plane at upper right is TBD-1 (BuNo 0319) flown by Lieutenant Joe Taylor, USN Commanding Officer of VT-5. Radioman is ACRM (PA) H. S. Nobbs, USN. Note weathered markings and individual plane No. (1) on the fuselage." 10 March 1942. <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-95000/NH-95442.html" target="_blank">Naval History and Heritage Command</a> NH 95442.</td></tr>
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In the Philippines, General Douglas MacArthur informs Lieutenant General Jonathan M. Wainwright, Commanding General I Corps, that he will be leaving the Philippines shortly. Wainwright will take over command of all forces on Luzon. However, MacArthur makes clear that he intends to continue exercising control through orders to Colonel Lewis C. Beebe, who will be deputy chief of staff of USAFFE. MacArthur and his party, including Mrs. MacArthur, will depart from Corregidor Island to Mindanao aboard PT-41.<br />
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Japanese troops continue their occupation of the Solomon Islands, landing at Buka Island (north of Bougainville).<br />
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In Burma, the British 17th Indian Division and 7th Armoured Brigade complete a difficult withdrawal northwards to the Tharawaddy area. Chinese troops begin arriving in the Sittang River region, covered by the 1st Burma Division.<br />
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The Japanese make Lieutenant-General Hitoshi Imamura the new governor of Java and Madura. His boss is Field Marshal Count Hisaichi Terauchi, Supreme Commander of the Southern Army.<br />
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Japanese submarine I-62 uses its deck gun to sink 235-ton British sailing ship Lakshmi Govinda in the Indian Ocean. Japanese collier Kosei Maru hits a mine and sinks in Lingayen Gulf, Philippines. There are 13 deaths on the Kosei Maru.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VzsdhC_f8Eo/XgIqckoaXpI/AAAAAAACdrY/vm1QmuKMWjMek54Mi1VHORtD5pmM3lhMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/New_Guinea_raid_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Raid on Lae-Salamaua area on 10 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="640" height="508" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VzsdhC_f8Eo/XgIqckoaXpI/AAAAAAACdrY/vm1QmuKMWjMek54Mi1VHORtD5pmM3lhMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/New_Guinea_raid_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"View taken from a VS-5 SBD shows KONGO MARU (Japanese armed merchant cruiser, 1933-1942) sinking off Lae. Note paint finish: Dark gray with light mast tops, reminiscent of U.S. Measure 1." 10 March 1942. <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-95000/NH-95434.html" target="_blank">Naval History and Heritage Command</a> NH 95434.</td></tr>
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> German Fifth Panzer Division captures part of Soviet I Guards Cavalry Corps in a pocket south of Vyazma. After this, a blizzard hits the area which stops all movement for almost a week. The unusually heavy snowfall (even for the area) hampers the Uckermann relief attempt toward the Kholm pocket and creates dangerous icing conditions on the Luftwaffe's planes that are keeping the pocket from collapsing.<br />
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<b>European Air Operations: </b>RAF Bomber Command launches a large raid on Essen. The raid is notable for the first use of Lancasters in a raid on a German target. All told, 126 bombers (56Wellingtons, 43 Hampdens, 13 Manchesters, 12 Stirlings, and two Lancasters) set off. However, as has often been the case recently, the results of the raid are poor due to weather conditions. Only 85 bomber crews report bombing Essen, and the authorities in Essen see only limited damage (two bombs hit railway lines near the target, the Krupps factory). There are five deaths and 12 injured. A Polish service worker perishes when a spent anti-aircraft shell explodes near him. There are subsidiary raids on Bochum, Duisburg, and Gelsenkirchen. Two bombers attack Boulogne, while another bomber attacks the Rotterdam port area.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2VMP7h8lrUw/XgIrYhCYxEI/AAAAAAACdrg/m6Zrba-yR1AqkWomxV9-GcK6RZxT8YD7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/New_Guinea_raid_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Raid on Lae-Salamaua area on 10 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="640" height="406" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2VMP7h8lrUw/XgIrYhCYxEI/AAAAAAACdrg/m6Zrba-yR1AqkWomxV9-GcK6RZxT8YD7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/New_Guinea_raid_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"U.S. Navy Douglas TBD-1 Devastator aircraft from torpedo squadron VT-5, assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5), prepare to attack Japanese shipping with bombs in the Huon Gulf supporting the Japanese invasion of Lae-Salamaua, New Guinea, on 10 March 1942. Two Japanese ships, possibly the auxiliary vessel Noshiro Maru and minesweeper Hagoromo Maru, can be seen making a smoke screen below in anticipation of the air attack. The first plane on the left was piloted by Joe Taylor, the second by Leonard E. Ewoldt, and the third by Francis R. Sanborn." Scanned from the book: Cressman, Robert (2004), That Gallant Ship USS Yorktown (CV-5), Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, p. 75.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic:</b> U-161 (Kptlt. Albrecht Achilles), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and damages two ships in the harbor of Port Castries, St. Lucia. Achilles fires two torpedoes at 04:49. The first hits 7970-ton Canadian passenger ship Lady Nelson, while the second torpedo strikes 8141-ton British freighter Umtata. While both ships sink to the harbor bottom, the silver lining for the Allies is that the harbor is shallow and both ships are later raised. There are 18 deaths on board the Lady Nelson, including fifteen passengers, but all 92 people on board the Umtata survive.<br />
<br />
U-588 (Kptlt. Victor Vogel), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 6776-ton US tanker Gulftrade about three miles off of Barnegat Light (near Toms River, New Jersey). There are 18 dead and 16 survivors.<br />
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An unidentified U-boat or Italian submarine torpedoes and sinks 9957-ton Norwegian tanker Charles Racine in the mid-Atlantic northeast of the British Virgin Islands.<br />
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean: </b>Supermarine Spitfires which only arrived on Malta on the 7th get their first kill, downing Bf 109 piloted by Heinz Rahlmeier of Luftwaffe unit 8/JG53. The victorious pilot is Flt Lt Heppell of RAF No. 249 Squadron. The Spitfires and Hurricanes disrupt attacks on Luqa airfield.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J3YsXg3kD3I/XgIs8hDmXfI/AAAAAAACdro/MN32WNDUbkIZiDIbn7h6y4Rx_fBIzG3kACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Jane_Anderson_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Raid on Lae-Salamaua area on 10 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J3YsXg3kD3I/XgIs8hDmXfI/AAAAAAACdro/MN32WNDUbkIZiDIbn7h6y4Rx_fBIzG3kACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Jane_Anderson_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" width="526" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Failed propagandist Jane Anderson.</td></tr>
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<b>Propaganda War:</b> On 6 March 1942, Jane Anderson, a Georgia socialite (nicknamed "The Georgia Peach"), broadcast English-language propaganda from Berlin. She praised Adolf Hitler and denounced the usual targets: Jewish people, the Western press, and Winston Churchill. She described the fine dining available in Berlin. After hearing this, the Allies decide to translate the speech into German for the benefit of citizens of the Reich. They rebroadcast it today to the Reich in order to anger ordinary Germans subsisting on reduced rations with no frills. This works exactly as intended. As a result of this broadcast and its unexpected results, the German broadcasting service (Rundfunk) takes Anderson off the air.<br />
<br />
<b>Manhattan Project:</b> The Office of Scientific Research and Development contracts with Johns Hopkins University to open the Applied Physics Laboratory.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7s6CGaFmhCU/XgIuPDYWxYI/AAAAAAACdrw/qdA8WK_4tsUlunvIcVSIN13mTFEpMEuEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/New_Guinea_raid_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Raid on Lae-Salamaua area on 10 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="640" height="506" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7s6CGaFmhCU/XgIuPDYWxYI/AAAAAAACdrw/qdA8WK_4tsUlunvIcVSIN13mTFEpMEuEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/New_Guinea_raid_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Douglas SBD-3 "Dauntless" dive bombers en route to the target, at an altitude of 16,000 feet. Planes are from the USS YORKTOWN (CV-5) air group." 10 March 1942.<a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-95000/NH-95435.html" target="_blank">Naval History and Heritage Command</a> NH 95435. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>US/Anglo Relations:</b> President Roosevelt follows up his suggestions for reorganizing the war effort with another telegram to Winston Churchill. In this one, FDR broaches the delicate topic of India, which he admits "all of you good people know far more about than I." Roosevelt suggests setting up a "temporary government, headed by a small representative group covering different castes" that would lead to a "more permanent government." He justifies this suggestion by referring to "the world changes of the past half-century."<br />
<br />
<b>US/Iran Relations: </b>The United States extends Lend-Lease to Iran. Iran is becoming a major conduit for aid to the Soviet Union.<br />
<br />
<b>US Military:</b> US Fifth Air Force transfers the 3rd Bombardment Group and 13th Bombardment Squadron from Brisbane to Charles Towers.<br />
<br />
A P-40E Kittyhawk of the 20th Pursuit Squadron, 4th Air Depot Group, based at Laverton piloted by Captain Joseph Potter McLaughlin crashes into mountains near Aberfeldy in Victoria, Australia. The plane and pilot's remains are not found until 1948.<br />
<br />
<b>Chinese Military:</b> Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek appoints US Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell as his Chief of Staff.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1l0xA4MjbLQ/XgIxS81b3nI/AAAAAAACdr4/wiIoiLOQrYofisdFsVw5IWL45Gp2h9-GgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Umtata_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Raid on Lae-Salamaua area on 10 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="640" height="298" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1l0xA4MjbLQ/XgIxS81b3nI/AAAAAAACdr4/wiIoiLOQrYofisdFsVw5IWL45Gp2h9-GgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Umtata_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">British freighter Umtata, Sunk in Port Castries, St. Lucia on 10 March 1942 by U-161.</td></tr>
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<b>US Government: </b>The US House of Representatives approves an increase in the national debt limit from $65 billion to $125 billion.<br />
<br />
<b>British Government:</b> Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden makes a speech in the British House of Commons about Japanese atrocities in Hong Kong.<br />
<br />
The government reports that it already has spent over nine billion pounds on the war, more than during the entire First World War.<br />
<br />
<b>American Homefront:</b> Universal Pictures releases "Unseen Enemy," a wartime drama about German spies in San Francisco. "Unseen Enemy" is notable for being one of the first Hollywood films, if not the first, to put the title and credits after the film rather than before it. Only the Universal Logo appears before the action.<br />
<br />
David Eisenhower, Dwight D. Eisenhower's father, passes away in Abilene, Kansas. Dwight, who holds a critical U.S. Army staff position in Washington, D.C., notes in his diary: "war is not soft, it has no time to indulge even the deepest and most sacred emotions." He does, however, leave work early at 7:30 p.m., noting further, "I haven't the heart to go on tonight." He does not attend the funeral on 12 March but does close his office door for half an hour to think about this father and compose a eulogy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gjYpGut5zgs/XgIxz7B_QUI/AAAAAAACdsA/aBQSO4kcE1oVn3PkS0H0Wy_rHSkq9_aPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Lady_Nelson_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Raid on Lae-Salamaua area on 10 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="640" height="451" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gjYpGut5zgs/XgIxz7B_QUI/AAAAAAACdsA/aBQSO4kcE1oVn3PkS0H0Wy_rHSkq9_aPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Lady_Nelson_10_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady Nelson, sunk today by U-161 in Port Castries, St. Lucia.</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-80419153335960082112019-12-22T07:20:00.004-07:002020-08-09T11:51:19.215-06:00March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Monday 9 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mh-tNY65hBE/Xf9tTibupaI/AAAAAAACdoU/sgxfwF00vEc23RkE74HQhlueICXqE6yPwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Tirpitz_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Attack on the Tirpitz 9 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="640" height="419" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mh-tNY65hBE/Xf9tTibupaI/AAAAAAACdoU/sgxfwF00vEc23RkE74HQhlueICXqE6yPwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Tirpitz_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RAF warplanes spot the German battleship Tirpitz at sea, 9 March 1942. The Tirpitz appears to have just begun evasive maneuvers. Visible at the top is accompanying destroyer Friedrich Ihn.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> The Japanese complete the conquest of the Netherlands East Indies on <b>9 March 1942</b> when the Dutch commander of Java surrenders along with Governor General Jonkheer A.W.L. Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer. Observing that some Australian units in the interior continue to hold out, Japanese Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi orders Dutch Lt. General Hein Ter Poorten to make another radio broadcast at 14:30 telling them to surrender, which they do. The occupation of the Netherlands East Indies has been a critical Japanese war aim because it is the world's fourth-largest oil exporter after the United States, Iran, and Romania. The Axis now possesses two of the world's top four oil-exporting regions. This begins undisputed Japanese control of the area that lasts until the Japanese surrender in 1945.<br />
<br />
Some Dutch authorities manage to escape. The Lieutenant-Governor General of the Netherlands East Indies, Dr. van Mook, arrives in Adelaide. He promises that" "We are here to collect all the forces we can... There should be an end to destroying and retreating." However, Dutch strength in the Pacific effectively has ended for the time being.<br />
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The Japanese 35th Infantry Brigade under Major-General Kiyotake Kawaguchi completes the conquest of Borneo. There are still some Allied troops desperately holding out in isolated areas, but their position is hopeless.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OXxOl_YjMKI/Xf9zTRb_rvI/AAAAAAACdo8/rky1mk4O3tIdLijGByKzuzIHTLR6pVPBACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Time_Magazine_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Time magazine 9 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OXxOl_YjMKI/Xf9zTRb_rvI/AAAAAAACdo8/rky1mk4O3tIdLijGByKzuzIHTLR6pVPBACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Time_Magazine_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time Magazine of 9 March 1942 has many war pictures from around the world. At lower left is a photo of the "Flying Tigers" in Burma.</td></tr>
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Japanese forces land on the islands of Buka and Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. Their main intent is to provide flank protection for the main Japanese overseas base at Rabaul, New Britain. The Japanese quickly begin building airfields and naval bases with which they can harass Allied naval and air traffic between the United States and Australia. The Japanese also are looking at further landings in the Solomon Islands to the south at places such as Guadalcanal. At the moment, the Allies have a very weak presence in the Solomon Islands which is made weaker today when the Japanese execute Australian coastwatcher P. Good on Buka Island. Good's execution results from an indiscreet Australian news broadcast of some of Good's information about Japanese shipping movements.<br />
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As Japanese landings proceed at Lae and Salamaua, Allied Hudson bombers of No. 32 Squadron attack the convoys in the Huon Gulf, damaging Yokohama Maru and killing three and wounding eight. Japanese ship Asanagi also is lightly damaged off Lae. Meanwhile, Japanese aircraft bomb targets on New Guinea.<br />
<br />
Japanese forces complete the occupation of Rangoon, which the British abandoned before they arrived. Rangoon was the key Allied transit hub for Lend-Lease shipments to China, so the Allies must figure out another route to get the supplies across the Himalayas. The British fly the 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers to Magwe, Burma, where the British are trying to make a last stand in the country. These are the last British reinforcements to reach Burma.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9Hd1QZCJcg/Xf9vBHsCdpI/AAAAAAACdoc/uYny1ZrmnLIjOBfboN3PAhrssegs-eoZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/P-43_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Republic P-43A 9 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="640" height="502" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9Hd1QZCJcg/Xf9vBHsCdpI/AAAAAAACdoc/uYny1ZrmnLIjOBfboN3PAhrssegs-eoZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/P-43_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Republic P-43A Lancer 41-6687 in flight near Esler Airfield, Louisiana, 9 March 1942 (USAF).</td></tr>
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> The situation is growing critical at Kholm. The trapped German garrison, numbering almost 100,000 men, is barely surviving on each day's flight of supplies brought in by the Luftwaffe. The relief force under Generalmajor Horst von Uckermann remains stalled virtually within sight of the pocket, blocked by Soviet KV tanks. Soviet T-34 tanks are blasting the pocket's defenses, but so far they are holding. Hitler is losing confidence in Uckermann but has no alternatives at the moment. The Luftwaffe is using all of its transport resources from the entire front just to keep the pocket from collapsing.<br />
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<b>European Air Operations:</b> During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends six Bostons on a Circus raid to bomb the Mazingarbe fuel depot without loss.<br />
<br />
RAF Bomber Command sends another large mission out tonight. With the target being Essen, 187 bombers (187 aircraft, 136 Wellingtons, 21 Stirlings, 15 Hampdens, ten Manchesters, and five Halifaxes) use their Gee direction-finding equipment in poor weather conditions with thick ground haze. The bombers damage 72 buildings and destroy only two. In secondary raids, four bombers attack Emmerich and Oberhausen, nine Wellingtons and Stirlings bomb Boulogne (only four hit the target), and individual bombers attack Schipol and Soesterburg airfields. An additional five Hampdens lay mines in the Frisian Islands.<br />
<br />
Overall, the RAF loses two Wellingtons and a Halifax.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_medBLsyPN4/Xf9sphj8KCI/AAAAAAACdoM/pTZzcvU43jQY4c_3SQNNrn6F5cLHE0YSACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Tirpitz_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Attack on the Tirpitz 9 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="640" height="364" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_medBLsyPN4/Xf9sphj8KCI/AAAAAAACdoM/pTZzcvU43jQY4c_3SQNNrn6F5cLHE0YSACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Tirpitz_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using standard naval tactics, German gunners aboard the Tirpitz fire into the sea on 9 March 1942 ahead of attacking RAF warplanes to raise a "curtain of water." The British score no hits during this raid and shoot down two attacking planes.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic:</b> The Royal Navy has been keeping a close eye on a sortie against the Arctic convoys by German battleship Tirpitz and its accompanying fleet ("Operation Sportpalast"). While Admiral Otto Ciliax aboard the Tirpitz already has turned the force back to its port at Fættenfjord, just north of Trondheim (via Vestfjord), the British are determined to catch it at sea. Twelve Fairey Albacore torpedo bombers of RAF No. 832 Squadron from HMS Victorious attack in the morning, but the Tirpitz successfully evades the torpedoes. The Germans lose only three men wounded and shoot down two of the Albacores (four British airmen killed). The Tirpitz then continues on uneventfully to Vestfjord.<br />
<br />
While the Tirpitz does no damage to the Arctic convoys, the weather does. In rough seas near pack ice, 253-ton Soviet minesweeper Shera (formerly of the Royal Navy) capsizes in the Barents Sea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-exRM5haEzX4/Xf9xcKAvchI/AAAAAAACdos/rle9lkrBVRI-cjsjW0PSqSTjiguYCdF9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Tazzoli_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli 9 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-exRM5haEzX4/Xf9xcKAvchI/AAAAAAACdos/rle9lkrBVRI-cjsjW0PSqSTjiguYCdF9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Tazzoli_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="576" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli in 1941.</td></tr>
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Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli (Commander Fecia di Cossato), operating off the coast of Florida, torpedoes, shells, and sinks 5785-ton Uruguayan freighter SS Montevideo. There is a degree of irony in this sinking, as the Montevideo was an Italian freighter seized by Uruguayan authorities, renamed, and put into service.<br />
<br />
U-94 (Oblt. Otto Ites), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks independent 5152-ton Brazilian passenger/freighter SS Cayru about 130 miles off New York. There are 53 deaths and 36 survivors. There seems to be some disagreement about whether it is U-94 that scores this kill, but it is operating in that general area off Montauk Point on 9 March 1942. In any event, a U-boat definitely sinks SS Cayru.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yWaOmsg4WGA/Xf90jFbmjCI/AAAAAAACdpE/Cvmu27JPcfkw8Fh5_lyvF1vvMR9EOw2GgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Ites_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="U-boat Captain Otto Ites of U-94 9 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="869" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yWaOmsg4WGA/Xf90jFbmjCI/AAAAAAACdpE/Cvmu27JPcfkw8Fh5_lyvF1vvMR9EOw2GgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Ites_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">U-boat Captain Otto Ites of U-94. He later became a dentist.</td></tr>
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U-126 (Kptlt. Ernst Bauer), on its third patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks independent 8241-ton Panamanian tanker Hanseat about 10 miles northeast of Cape Maysi, Cuba. Two torpedoes hit at 13:17, one in the stem, the other in the stern. The Dutch crew manages to take to the boats before Bauer surfaces and starts shelling the sinking ship, which takes two hours to go under. All 38 men aboard survive.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5KNB-Lykefw/Xf9vy6Lf7DI/AAAAAAACdok/bkzJnaS_21AU-1sZEm5rulu2IyZCzsOoQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/HMS_Fury_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Refueling a destroyer at sea, 9 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="640" height="488" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5KNB-Lykefw/Xf9vy6Lf7DI/AAAAAAACdok/bkzJnaS_21AU-1sZEm5rulu2IyZCzsOoQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/HMS_Fury_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">"Paying out the oil fuel pipe from the cruiser HMS TRINIDAD which is hauled on board by the destroyer HMS FURY. Note the huge waves pounding the side of the cruiser." © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205141924" target="_blank">A 7923</a>).</td></tr>
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U-587 (KrvKpt. Ulrich Borcherdt), on its second patrol out of St. Nazaire, torpedoes and sinks 5719-ton Greek freighter Lily about 470 miles east of Halifax. The Lily technically is part of Convoy ON-68 but is a straggler. There are 29 survivors and 3 dead (who die of exposure after taking to the boats).<br />
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U-96 (Kptlt. Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock), on its eighth patrol out of St. Nazaire, torpedoes and sinks 4265-ton Norwegian freighter Tyr about 100 miles east of Halifax. The ship sinks within nine minutes. There are 13 dead and 18 survivors. Lehmann-Willenbrock on U-96 stops and gives the survivors directions to Sable Island.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pWs8Z8gVDbU/Xf9sC2dUuTI/AAAAAAACdoE/uaRJMlu8480SKrR_iPcwaLBnI9TEmb7rQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Tirpitz_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Attack on the Tirpitz 9 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="640" height="347" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pWs8Z8gVDbU/Xf9sC2dUuTI/AAAAAAACdoE/uaRJMlu8480SKrR_iPcwaLBnI9TEmb7rQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Tirpitz_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the Tirpitz on 9 March 1942 as it approaches safety in the Norwegian fjords after attacks by HMS Victorious.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean:</b> Radio Berlin today broadcasts that "the Island Fortress of Malta is under a hail of bombs by day and night." This is accurate, but that does not mean that resistance is weakening. Luftwaffe and Italian bombing continues on Luqa Airfield today, but at least the RAF claims three enemy planes destroyed and ten damaged. Anti-aircraft defenses claim another Axis plane destroyed with two more damaged. The Luftwaffe drops 19 "Hermann" 1000kg bombs, 67 500kg bombs, 58 250kg bombs, and 163 50kg bombs during the day. Continuing a tradition of both sides, the Germans write pointed inscriptions on their bombs, such as "Iron Greetings for Malta."<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmiUuQl3jug/Xf9yNvBRdWI/AAAAAAACdo0/ufFDRrh-CCkaX6JkOe5yv0gXNHFlfm1TQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Tazzoli_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Italian submarine captains being honored, March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="640" height="412" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmiUuQl3jug/Xf9yNvBRdWI/AAAAAAACdo0/ufFDRrh-CCkaX6JkOe5yv0gXNHFlfm1TQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Tazzoli_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commander Fecia di Cossato of the Italian submarine Tazzoli, far left, being honored for his successes in the Atlantic in March 1942. The other three Italian commanders being honored are Olivieri (submarine Calvi), De Giacomo (Torelli), and Judge (Finzi).</td></tr>
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<b>Propaganda War:</b> In the Philippines, General MacArthur continues a rather unusual propaganda offensive. Following up on his radio broadcast of the 8th that Japanese General Homma has committed suicide due to his utter failures as a commander, MacArthur broadcasts that General Yamashita Tomoyoki has replaced Homma. This is odd because Homma is alive and well and everybody with knowledge of the situation realizes it. However, MacArthur is hitting a raw nerve in the Japanese command because it is indisputable that Homma's offensive has bogged down and he has lost face. To get even the Japanese now use their Tokyo Rose radio operation to promise that MacArthur will be caught within the month. Tensions rise on both sides.<br />
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While all of this propaganda activity may seem peripheral and quaint, it has real-world consequences. President Roosevelt today again orders MacArthur to leave the Philippines aboard submarine USS Permit on 14 March, but this is overtaken by events almost immediately. The Japanese are monitoring press reports in the United States and, hearing increasing chatter that MacArthur should be put in charge in Australia, they increase their patrols in the Subic Bay area to prevent MacArthur's escape. Because of this, MacArthur's departure date is moved up and he is ordered to leave by high-speed torpedo boat rather than wait for the more secure submarine. The PT boats will take him to Mindanao as soon as possible, where he and his party will board three USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses at Del Monte Field for the flight to Australia.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3YKVt554sI/Xf92W720EJI/AAAAAAACdpU/AuQ4vfCZWFISQ9FWxhncIiUsr0jMszXlgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Lehmann-Willenbrock_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="U-boat Captain Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock of U-96, who sank a freighter on. 9 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3YKVt554sI/Xf92W720EJI/AAAAAAACdpU/AuQ4vfCZWFISQ9FWxhncIiUsr0jMszXlgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Lehmann-Willenbrock_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="394" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock of U-96.</td></tr>
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<b>Manhattan Project: </b>Vannevar Bush, director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD), sends President Roosevelt a report discussing Robert Oppenheimer's work on the nuclear cross-section of uranium-235. By these calculations, Oppenheimer estimates that 2.5 to 5 kilograms of Uranium-235 could have a destructive power of 2000 tons of TNT. However, the report states that Oppenheimer is contemplating using an even more powerful fuel: plutonium. After this, Bush begins working on a budget for fiscal 1943 (which begins in September 1942).<br />
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<b>Angle/US Relations</b>: Continuing their ongoing correspondence, President Roosevelt sends a cable to Winston Churchill ("Former Naval Person, London"). He informs the PM that he is sending Admiral Harold Stark as his new naval observer to replace Vice-Admiral Ghormley, who is going to the Pacific. Roosevelt complains that he is "concerned by the complexity of the present operational command setup to which is added equal complexity in the political setup." This opens up a topic that almost certainly catches Churchill by surprise.<br />
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FDR proposes to replace the "obsolescent" command arrangements and give the United States sole authority in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Basically, he proposes a complete US takeover of all decisionmaking in the Pacific, which obviously is a consequence of British losses in the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Roosevelt outlines the concept of "offensives in northwesterly direction" on "Japan proper from Chinese or Aleutian or Siberian bases." This is the first hint of an Allied plan to go on the offensive in the Pacific, which at this time seems (and is) a bit premature and hopeful.<br />
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<b>British/Greek Relations:</b> The British and Greeks in Exile sign an agreement regarding the organization and employment of Greek troops.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--UPHzTYG8AQ/Xf9qhEp5JLI/AAAAAAACdn0/n5G9ETMPHyICi15AUwGQw3M-cG6oO5ZPwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Poland_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Jewish residents being marched to camps in Poland, 9 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="640" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--UPHzTYG8AQ/Xf9qhEp5JLI/AAAAAAACdn0/n5G9ETMPHyICi15AUwGQw3M-cG6oO5ZPwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Poland_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German soldiers marching Jewish residents of Mielec off to the camps, 9 March 1942 (Federal Archive B 162 Bild-00427).</td></tr>
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<b>US Military</b>: Vice Admiral Robert Ghormley, a special naval observer in the United Kingdom for President Roosevelt, is given command of South Pacific (COMSOPAC) on the initiative of Admiral Chester Nimitz. Ghormley was last at sea in 1938. This rather odd choice appears due to personal relationships within the uppermost reaches of the US naval command, including his friendship with Roosevelt. Admiral King tells him to "personally oversee" operations in the Solomon Islands.<br />
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A major reorganization ordered by President Roosevelt in an Executive Order of 28 February 1942 goes into effect today. A Zone of Interior (ZI) is established under General George C. Marshall as Chief of Staff. There are three autonomous commands: Army Ground Forces under Lieutenant General Lesley J. McNair, Army Air Forces under Lieutenant General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, and Services of Supply (later designated as Army Service Forces) under Major General Brehon B. Somervell. The Army Air Forces (AAF) goes out of existence.<br />
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In addition to these moves, the division of responsibilities in the naval high command is clarified. Admiral King is made Chief of Naval Operations in place of Admiral Stark, who is given command of US naval forces in European waters.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qzT1TpwRuD8/Xf93f9yZODI/AAAAAAACdpc/2A4MqIoeJsQndJnMXLzUf7MJFxTf2NCbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/HMS_Chrysanthemum_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A lady engineer in the Royal Navy, 9 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="640" height="566" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qzT1TpwRuD8/Xf93f9yZODI/AAAAAAACdpc/2A4MqIoeJsQndJnMXLzUf7MJFxTf2NCbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/HMS_Chrysanthemum_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"2nd Engineer Miss Victoria Drummond, MBE, MN, prepares for action against the enemy." 9 March 1942. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205141856" target="_blank">A 7842A</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Major General Alexander Patch lands his troops of Task Force 6814 (51st Infantry Brigade and 132d and 182d Infantry) at Noumea on New Caledonia Island. The local French authorities take issue with some of Patch's initial decisions, but the matter is quickly resolved.<br />
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US Navy Submarine USS Swordfish arrives in Fremantle, Western Australia, carrying U.S. High Commissioner to the Philippine Islands Francis B. Sayre and his party. General MacArthur remains in the Philippines but has firm orders to depart soon.<br />
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US Army Engineers arrive in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to work on the ALCAN highway. They will build the road to Fairbanks, Alaska.<br />
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<b>Australian Military: </b>The Australian high command had split the 7th Imperial Division, arriving from the Middle East, into two portions: part to go to Java, the rest to go to Adelaide. The men sent to Java today become prisoners of the Japanese, while the others arrive today in Adelaide.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_NvgWBwxdOE/Xf9nGXjuO3I/AAAAAAACdnk/3Kl117HRb_Ap_i1KvatzSN05x83Ftg3hgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Italian_Police_Berlin_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Italian police officers at a conference in Berlin, 9 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="640" height="470" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_NvgWBwxdOE/Xf9nGXjuO3I/AAAAAAACdnk/3Kl117HRb_Ap_i1KvatzSN05x83Ftg3hgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Italian_Police_Berlin_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Italian police at a conference in Berlin on 9 March 1942, surrounded by theater maps and under the all-seeing gaze of Adolf Hitler (Federal Archive <a href="https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?channelid=dcx-channel-channel_barch_typ_foto&query=&day=09&month=03&yearfrom=1942&yearto=&imageid=&title=&DC5Anlass=&DC5Verlag=&DC5TK50=&DC5Masstab=&farbe=&kostenfrei=&ausrichtung=&sort=DateImported+ASC&submit=&page=1" target="_blank">Bild 121-1079</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>British Government:</b> The Foreign Office announces a new Anglo-American Caribbean Commission for strengthening social and economic cooperation in the region.<br />
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<b>Hungary:</b> Miklós Kállay becomes Prime Minister at the request of Hungarian Regent Miklós Horthy. Horthy and Kállay are very lukewarm allies of the Reich, and Kállay refuses to participate in such activities as rounding up Jewish residents. He also permits a surprising amount of political expression, including non-communist left-wing opposition. However, Kállay does support the war effort by sending troops to serve with the Wehrmacht. Since the Germans already are running short of manpower, Hitler does not interfere - for now.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7E9NXfZARFE/Xf9rI6HQcNI/AAAAAAACdn8/_uPhOKQPaj0dcrMXnZYGdWg93YsZfAZKgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Poland_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Jewish residents being marched to camps in Poland, 9 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="911" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7E9NXfZARFE/Xf9rI6HQcNI/AAAAAAACdn8/_uPhOKQPaj0dcrMXnZYGdWg93YsZfAZKgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Poland_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" title="" width="448" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A young woman glances at the official Reich Propaganda Ministry photographer as she is marched off to the camps in Mielec, Poland, 9 March 1942 (Federal Archive B 162 Bild-00439).</td></tr>
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<b>Iran</b>: With the Allies in tight control of Iran, Ali Soheili becomes Prime Minister. The monarch remains Mohammad Reza Shah, in office since 16 September 1941. However, Reza Shah is just 22 and engaging in artistic pursuits such as writing French poetry. Iran is quickly becoming a key supply route for Lend-Lease to the Soviet Union.<br />
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<b>Holocaust:</b> Authorities in Slovakia order all Jewish residents to wear Yellow badges or "Stars of David."<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqM3c6LPi3w/Xf9oG1RGK8I/AAAAAAACdns/U_h0YnQR1TAd8R9XQzoJYzYzqpgU0I4wQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Poland_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Jewish residents being marched to camps in Poland, 9 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="640" height="446" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqM3c6LPi3w/Xf9oG1RGK8I/AAAAAAACdns/U_h0YnQR1TAd8R9XQzoJYzYzqpgU0I4wQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Poland_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German troops in Mielec, Poland, oversee the deportation of Jewish residents to camps, 9 March 1942 (Federal Archive B 162 Bild-00436).</td></tr>
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<b>American Homefront:</b> The <a href="http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist9/harvest.html" target="_blank">San Francisco News</a> reports on the problems associated with the war effort. In an article entitled "War Hits the Farm Lands," reporter John G. Brucato bemoans the fact that "the long arm of Uncle Sam has reached into rural areas and plucked thousands of young men from the farms and adjoining communities for military service." There is such a need for farm workers that the idea of "Victory Vacations" is floated, where city dwellers will work on farms during their "vacations." This would be "patriotic but would also be a matter of good health, through exercise and fresh air, and would repay those making the gesture definite cash returns."<br />
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<b>Future History:</b> Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco is born in Pueblo Nuevo, Cuba. He develops into a speedy baseball shortstop, entering the Major Leagues in 1964 with the Kansas City Athletics. He ties a major league on his first day in the major leagues by hitting two home runs. His real offensive specialty, though, is stolen bases, at which he leads the American League six times. After the Athletics transfer to Oakland, Bert Campaneris (as he becomes known) is a key player on the champion teams of 1972-1974. He still holds the A's franchise record for games played at 1795, hits, and at-bats. "Campy" retires in 1983 with the New York Yankees and currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Di7quf8c9M/Xf91jndzy_I/AAAAAAACdpM/ufqm6GJ0xvAQgkvvhcoiGIffiNu65BKnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Playbill_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Danny Kaye on the cover of Playbill, 9 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Di7quf8c9M/Xf91jndzy_I/AAAAAAACdpM/ufqm6GJ0xvAQgkvvhcoiGIffiNu65BKnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Playbill_9_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danny Kaye on the cover of Playbill for the week of 9 March 1942. Also featured in the magazine are Eve Arden and Vivian Vance.</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-29985911307734110822019-12-20T08:21:00.005-07:002020-08-09T11:50:54.848-06:00March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Sunday 8 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jVsqaLCAT8M/XfzWkB7LU0I/AAAAAAACdkY/2G3FwVx3e7oqkzcQkmd0yv1wcZnsSSseQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/PBY-5A_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PBY Catalina 8 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="640" height="402" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jVsqaLCAT8M/XfzWkB7LU0I/AAAAAAACdkY/2G3FwVx3e7oqkzcQkmd0yv1wcZnsSSseQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/PBY-5A_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PBY-5A on 8 March 1942 (USAF).</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> Japanese forces of the 33rd Division enter Rangoon, Burma on 8 March 1942. They find the city empty of Allied forces, as the British Army has known the city would fall for several days. British units of the 16th and 63rd Brigades force their way through a Japanese roadblock at Taukkyan on the Rangoon-Prome road. USAAF bombers begin ferrying operations to consolidate remaining British troops in Burma at Magwe, where they are protected by the "Flying Tigers" (American Volunteer Group, or AVG).<br />
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The Japanese invasion of Salamaua–Lae begins when a convoy arrives in the Huon Gulf. Troops land at Salamaua (144th Regiment) and Lae (2nd Maizuru Special Naval Landing Force) without interference. A RAAF Hudson (No. 32 Squadron) attacks the convoy and scores a hit on a large transport that sinks or is beached. The US Navy is preparing a raid by aircraft carriers USS Lexington and Yorktown against the Japanese landing force, but it will take days to launch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FslxPDHo5Fk/Xfza6LdkIQI/AAAAAAACdlA/hopjRhbCzicKnZPQR190KtqZqnSYaiIJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/25-pdr_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="British 25-pdr 8 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="640" height="634" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FslxPDHo5Fk/Xfza6LdkIQI/AAAAAAACdlA/hopjRhbCzicKnZPQR190KtqZqnSYaiIJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/25-pdr_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"25 pounders going into action in support of an Infantry Brigade during training in the Western Desert, 8 March 1942." © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205225907" target="_blank">E 9134</a>).</td></tr>
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The Japanese roll forward in their conquest of Java. The Commander-in-Chief of the Allied forces, Lieutenant General Hein Ter Poorten, broadcasts a general surrender over the radio at 09:00. In the afternoon, the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies and General Ter Poorten in the Bandoeng area surrender to Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi at Kalidjati. Japanese troops are in Surabaya by 18:00. The final broadcast by Dutch radio station NIROM is made at 23:00 with the words: "We are closing now. Farewell till better times. Long live the Queen!"<br />
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There are still determined Australian troops, "Blackforce," under Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur S. Blackburn in the hills at Tjikadjang which refuse to surrender. This is a blocking position which at least theoretically allows Allied forces on the south coast to continue evacuating, though those operations, by and large, are over. Blackburn has no hope of holding out for long but remains holed up for several days despite repeated radioed orders to surrender from RAF Air Vice-Marshal Maltby and Major General Hervey Sitwell, General Officer Commanding British Troops Java. Ultimately, Blackburn makes the very tough decision to surrender for the (presumed) good of his men. What the British do not know is that a large fraction (up to 25% in some cases) of Allied prisoners taken on Java will perish in the camps.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Rw8Hr1io7w/XfzejsZv6aI/AAAAAAACdlY/0sksBM_hasQC770161MFdiWAqYtToLUigCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/PBY_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PBY Catalina 8 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="640" height="332" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Rw8Hr1io7w/XfzejsZv6aI/AAAAAAACdlY/0sksBM_hasQC770161MFdiWAqYtToLUigCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/PBY_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PBY-5A, 8 March 1942 (USAF).</td></tr>
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There are still some Allied forces left on the southern portion of the island and Hawker Hurricanes based there fly their final mission before the command surrenders. The Lesser Sunda Islands Invasion forces under Rear Admiral Hara Kenzaburos leaves Surabaya bound for Lombok Island. At Northern Sumatra, Japanese forces take Sabang Island and Koetaradja. Troops quickly secure oilfields at Langsa and Pangkalanbrandan.<br />
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The front on Bataan in the Philippine Islands is relatively quiet. General Douglas MacArthur, Commanding General U.S. Army Forces, Far East, issues a communique stating that his opponent, General Homma Masaharu, has committed suicide out of frustration. Homma is far from dead, however, and sees the report of his supposed death with surprise. MacArthur apparently is engaging in psychological warfare, because the Japanese high command is upset with Homma for the stalemate at Bataan. It is unclear if it is coincidental or not, but staff officers arrive from Tokyo and insult Homma. They tell him to stop living the high life in Manila and finish the battle. Just to make their point crystal clear, they transfer some of Homma's staff to Manchuria, not considered a particularly desirable posting. Homma quickly begins planning an offensive. He secures a promise of reinforcements from Shanghai, some crack troops of the 65th Brigade and 4th Infantry Division, to resume the advance.<br />
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Dutch minesweeper Jan van Amstel is sunk by a Japanese destroyer in the Madura Strait near Java.<br />
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Japanese submarine HIJMS I-25 sends its Yokosuka E14Y1, "Glen," to fly over Wellington, Australia. As with other reconnaissance flights, the Allies do not spot it.<br />
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> The Soviets under General Kozlov are preparing to resume their offensive on the Crimea. They are under strict orders from Stalin to get moving quickly, who has taken a personal interest in the situation (he likes to vacation in the south). Kozlov's plan is to break the German defensive strongpoint at Koi-Asan, hitting the Germans where they are strongest. The Germans also are reinforcing their positions on the Parpach Narrows. The Germans are bringing in anti-tank StuG units while the Red Army is building up its tank force.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nVyx_jNINRk/XfzaMSQA6LI/AAAAAAACdk4/0DTUobYnRpMZ6KKIW3mIB4ZGor_pPnv6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Poissy_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="RAF raid on Poissy, France, 8 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nVyx_jNINRk/XfzaMSQA6LI/AAAAAAACdk4/0DTUobYnRpMZ6KKIW3mIB4ZGor_pPnv6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Poissy_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Low-level oblique aerial photograph was taken during the course of a daylight attack on the Matford automotive works at Poissy, France." 8 March 1942. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205211335" target="_blank">C 2282</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>European Air Operations:</b> It is a big day for the RAF. During the day, 24 Boston (Douglas A-20 Havoc) bombers raid targets in France. Twelve of them hit the Ford truck factory at Poissy, while, in diversionary raids, six each attack Abbeville railway yards and the Comines power station. The RAF loses its first Boston of the war after the raid on Poissy.<br />
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After dark, RAF Bomber Command sends 211 bombers (211 aircraft, 115 Wellingtons, 37 Hampdens, 27 Stirlings, 22 Manchesters, and 10 Halifaxes) to attack the German manufacturing center of Essen. Despite being led by Gee navigational equipment, the bombers have difficulty finding the target, some Krupp installations, and only 168 actually claim to bomb the factories. The raid illustrates the limitations of RAF direction-finding equipment, as the Gee system can only lead bombers to a city, not a specific target. The factories escape unscathed, but bombs kill ten people with an additional 19 missing. There also are raids by single bombers on the German cities Dortmund, Duisburg, Dusseldorf, Gelsenkirchen, and Oberhausen. Six Blenheim bombers raid the docks of Ostend, with four claiming hits. A group of 13 Wellington and Stirling bombers attack targets in the Netherlands, two bombing Soesterberg Airfield.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y9w2dvWeRyk/Xfzikk9NSdI/AAAAAAACdlg/qMPxIggM1JU7x18smsIXfsYgJuQXIpSVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Walrus_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Walrus being launched from HMS Shropshire, 8 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="640" height="580" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y9w2dvWeRyk/Xfzikk9NSdI/AAAAAAACdlg/qMPxIggM1JU7x18smsIXfsYgJuQXIpSVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Walrus_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supermarine Walrus aircraft being catapulted from the cruiser HMS Shropshire between 8 and 12 March 1942 (© IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205142058" target="_blank">A 8069</a>)).</td></tr>
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The Luftwaffe raids the western part of Lowestoft, England, at 22:56. There is some minor damage along Essex Road from four high explosive 250kg bombs. An unexploded 1000kg "Hermann" bomb falls in a field and does no damage, but remains there until 1948. There is one death and 10 wounded, with 14 houses destroyed and 75 others damaged.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--b_WBXV3wo4/Xfzc5tios0I/AAAAAAACdlI/TUzRU8oPteE4IeU9BviQSMLFKrsHz1WbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Lowestoft_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bombing of Lowestoft, 8 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="640" height="566" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--b_WBXV3wo4/Xfzc5tios0I/AAAAAAACdlI/TUzRU8oPteE4IeU9BviQSMLFKrsHz1WbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Lowestoft_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Damage in Lowestoft from the 8 March 1942 Luftwaffe raid (Bert Collyer via <a href="https://www.facebook.com/1642787119290638/posts/75-years-ago-tonight-on-8-march-1942-another-german-raid-saw-bombs-falling-in-th/1954565351446145/" target="_blank">Lowestoft Aviation Society</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic:</b> Royal Navy 541-ton anti-submarine trawler HMS Notts County hits a mine and sinks off Iceland. There are 41 deaths.<br />
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German battleship Tirpitz remains at sea on a mission to attack Arctic Convoys QP 8 and PQ 12. Unbeknownst to the Germans, Royal Navy battleship HMS King George V and aircraft carrier Victorious are in the vicinity to provide support to the convoys. The British know of the Tirpitz mission due to Enigma intercepts and are maneuvering into a position to attack. Late in the day, though, German commander Admiral Ciliax decides to return to port. The British still hope to intercept the German battleship with aircraft on the 9th.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uXFv6E1PYxs/XfzZkkTsQRI/AAAAAAACdkw/CS30qVJPMoMYDn4A5X9srYwYYa2VeUN2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Bren_Gun_Carrier_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bren gun carriers, 8 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uXFv6E1PYxs/XfzZkkTsQRI/AAAAAAACdkw/CS30qVJPMoMYDn4A5X9srYwYYa2VeUN2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Bren_Gun_Carrier_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="612" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Bren gun carriers moving off in the Western Desert, 8 March 1942." © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205203697" target="_blank">E 9140</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean:</b> British General Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander in Chief Middle East Command, orders Eighth Army Commander Lieutenant General Neil Ritchie to prepare a diversion to distract Axis forces from an incoming convoy.<br />
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At Malta, the Axis launches virtually continuous air raids on Luqa Airfield in an attempt to put it out of action. There are 325 bombs dropped. Some time bombs must be dealt with by the bomb disposal forces. There are multiple civilian casualties. Hal Far airfield and other locations also are attacked.<br />
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<b>Allied Relations: </b>The British and U.S. governments extend loans of £50 million and $500 million, respectively, to the Nationalist Chinese government.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J6pWO277QmU/Xfzdhg9cCLI/AAAAAAACdlQ/g3I2oCYkBqI2S3Vp10hhQKcmVtVL-vHEgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Lowestoft_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bombing of Lowestoft, 8 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J6pWO277QmU/Xfzdhg9cCLI/AAAAAAACdlQ/g3I2oCYkBqI2S3Vp10hhQKcmVtVL-vHEgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Lowestoft_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" title="" width="632" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Damage to Lowestoft from the 8 March 1942 Luftwaffe raid (Bert Collyer via Lowestoft Aviation Society).</td></tr>
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<b>US Military:</b> Brigadier General William O. Butler takes command of the USAAF 11th Air Force based in Ft Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska. The 11th Air Force is assigned to the Alaska Defense Command under Major General Simon B. Buckner, Jr. The Alaska Defense command is part of the Western Defense Command under Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt. While there is no enemy activity in Alaska at this time, the entire Western Defense command is a theater of operations.<br />
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The 10th Air Force based in Patterson Field, Fairfield, Ohio (near Dayton) begins transferring to India. Its mission is to assist with operations in Burma and, ultimately, perform supply operations to China over the "Hump" (mountains) in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater of Operations.<br />
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The 5th Air Force in Australia begins moving the 16th and 17th Bombardment Squadrons of the 27th Bombardment Group from Batchelor Field in the Northern Territory to Brisbane. The 3rd Bomber Group leaves Brisbane for Charters Towers.<br />
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On Bora Bora, Inshore Patrol Squadron VS-2-D14 begins air operations over the Society Islands.<br />
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The US Army Corps of Engineers (with assistance from US and Canadian civilian contractors) begins construction on the Alaskan Highway (ALCAN). Two separate crews set out from each end of the highway and plan to meet somewhere in the middle. The highway is completed by November 1942 and dedicated on 20 November 1942.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JEF392xrcaA/XfzY_UnI-2I/AAAAAAACdko/JfWQgj-cTUYiL6VhqA3ArNxLljDp_5r4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Carmen_Miranda_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Carmen Miranda, 8 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="913" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JEF392xrcaA/XfzY_UnI-2I/AAAAAAACdko/JfWQgj-cTUYiL6VhqA3ArNxLljDp_5r4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Carmen_Miranda_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="448" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carmen Miranda is on the cover of the 8 March 1942 Cine Radio Actualidad Magazine [Uruguay].</td></tr>
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<b>American Homefront:</b> There are practice blackouts in New England. For instance, the Draper Corporation plant in Hopedale, Massachusetts, has its first blackout.<br />
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José Raúl Capablanca passes away in New York City from complications of hypertension at the age of 53. Capablanca, ultimately buried in his native Havana, Cuba, is widely considered one of the truly great chess players and consistently either was the World Chess Champion or a serious contender for that title. Many of his books about chess are considered classics.<br />
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Richard Anthony Allen is born in Wampum, Pennsylvania. He goes on to a stellar career in professional baseball, becoming a seven-time All-Star for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QyMYjCJuydc/XfzYYPPMtnI/AAAAAAACdkg/0pw2l2d3ItYzPbihQAX-5OpHC4OYs1pRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Sunday_News_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Penny Singleton, 8 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QyMYjCJuydc/XfzYYPPMtnI/AAAAAAACdkg/0pw2l2d3ItYzPbihQAX-5OpHC4OYs1pRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Sunday_News_8_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="496" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actress Penny Singleton graces the cover of Sunday News magazine on 8 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4343791280474680722.post-51560718818314216322019-10-25T02:02:00.002-06:002020-08-09T11:50:22.751-06:00March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma<div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Thing">
<h1>
Saturday 7 March 1942</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9kspSvzBR30/XbKj7raCxII/AAAAAAACcTY/JABVUk5Dpx4wQM7rZ704LfkUjJQ37XEQACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Java_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Japanese in Java, 7 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="640" height="392" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9kspSvzBR30/XbKj7raCxII/AAAAAAACcTY/JABVUk5Dpx4wQM7rZ704LfkUjJQ37XEQACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Java_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese troops advancing in Java, March 1942 (Sectie Militaire Geschiedenes Landmachstaf).</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Pacific:</b> The battle in Burma nears its end on <b>7 March 1942</b> when the Japanese send the 17th Indian Infantry Division defending Pegu on the road to Rangoon in full retreat. A counterattack by the 1st Burma Division and 7th Armored Division also fails. The new commander in Burma, General Harold Alexander, realizes that Rangoon is lost and orders the British Indian to move first to Taukkyan and then to Prome, 200 miles to the north. Alexander himself remains with local commands in the vicinity of Rangoon, which now has been completely abandoned with strategic facilities destroyed. This begins a hard-fought retrograde movement by the British Army to India which lasts for several months. Today decides the Burma Campaign.<br />
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As at other ports facing capture, the Allies scuttle any ships at Rangoon that can't escape - but most have been able to leave due to the proximity of India and the time taken by the Japanese to cross Burma. This includes 382-ton British freighter SS Nyounghla. In the coming decades, the British Army awards the battle honors Pegu and Pegu 1942 to participants.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uSH1396R_Pg/XbKXs1bCrQI/AAAAAAACcSY/024FshwSvt0ENI9SiW8QmCtZhyCk6VaIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Arizona_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Arizona Daily Star, 7 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="640" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uSH1396R_Pg/XbKXs1bCrQI/AAAAAAACcSY/024FshwSvt0ENI9SiW8QmCtZhyCk6VaIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Arizona_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Arizona Daily Star for 7 March 1942 notes that "Allies Facing Exhaustion in Java Battles." Almost as interesting to the paper's readers is that "Filipinos Are Ordered to Give Up All Bolos." Bolos are knives that the locals use as both weapons and tools.</td></tr>
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The battle on Java also is coming to an end. Allied troops have moved to the interior of Java near Bandung. Japanese troops under Colonel Toshishige Shoji moving south from Batavia arrive at the plateau of Lembang, which is within 5 miles (8 km) of Bandung. The Allies under Major-General Jacob J. Pesman, the commander of Stafgroep Bandung, prepare to make a last stand in the hills south of the town. Other Japanese forces take the key port of Tjilatjap on the south coast, which would be the Allies' only avenue of escape. The situation is hopeless for the Allies, and they prepare to surrender.<br />
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South of Java, Japanese aircraft bomb and sink 3051-ton Norwegian freighter SS Woolgar. The crew manages to launch one lifeboat, and the crew endures an epic 88-day journey to Port Blair, Andaman Islands, where the Japanese make them prisoners. Japanese destroyer Arashio intercepts Dutch minesweepers Jan Van Amstel, which also is trying to escape Java, and sinks it. There are 23 deaths and the rest of the crew become prisoners.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IRkrCWaysIc/XbKmAO0xKHI/AAAAAAACcTo/Hjg_2ZNNJpsyXfVq61oQyyHnOonKd5vvwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Ishora_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="German Operation Sportpalast, 7 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="640" height="438" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IRkrCWaysIc/XbKmAO0xKHI/AAAAAAACcTo/Hjg_2ZNNJpsyXfVq61oQyyHnOonKd5vvwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Ishora_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German destroyers Friedrich Ihn, Hermann Schoemann and Z 25 sink Russian freighter Ishora during Operation Sportpalast on 7 March 1942. The photo is taken by V. Gernhard from Z 25. The Tirpitz, while part of the operation, was not present.</td></tr>
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A RAAF Hudson patrol plane of No. 32 Squadron sights a convoy of 11 Japanese ships heading for Salamaua/Lae. A Japanese invasion force lands in Northern Sumatra, with Japanese ships entering the South Andaman Sea.<br />
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Pleased with the success of the flying boat raid on Hawaii of 4 March 1942, the Japanese plan a second "K Operation" for 7 March. However, the planes and crew are not ready, so the operation is postponed to 10 March. The Americans, meanwhile, have been listening to Japanese propaganda broadcasts boasting of the raid's effects (which in reality were negligible), figure out how it was carried out, and prepare to give another such attack a hot reception.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDtqjqG1TsA/XbKntDabuYI/AAAAAAACcTw/XTgvbM_jLFkFk9QjAaNErXraLYbG0r-owCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/HMS_Eagle_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Aircraft carrier HMS Eagle in the Mediterranean, 7 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="640" height="488" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDtqjqG1TsA/XbKntDabuYI/AAAAAAACcTw/XTgvbM_jLFkFk9QjAaNErXraLYbG0r-owCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/HMS_Eagle_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_2.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The aircraft carrier HMS ARGUS which acted as fighter escort, with HMS EAGLE (center) and the battleship HMS MALAYA (right distance) prior to flying off to Malta of the Spitfires." 7 March 1942. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205141947" target="_blank">A 7953</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Eastern Front:</b> The Luftwaffe on the Eastern Front is overstretched, and this is beginning to affect overall operations. Eighteenth Army informs the OKH that it is ready to begin Operation Raubtier ("Beast of prey"), whose aim is to re-establish the former line along the Volkhov River and thereby trap Soviet 2nd Shock Army to the west. The gap in the German lines is only about six miles wide, though the Soviet incursion bulges out to the west. Closing this gap is well within the Wehrmacht's abilities. However, the operation depends upon strong Luftwaffe support, and it is fully engaged in supplying the trapped German garrisons at Kholm and Demyansk. Knowing that the two encircled outposts cannot survive without each day's deliveries, Hitler postpones Operation Raubtier. The Eighteenth Army then tries to build up its forces sufficiently so that it can mount the operation with only minor Luftwaffe support, that but will take several days.<br />
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<b>European Air Operations:</b> After dark, RAF Bomber Command sends 17 bombers to attack the U-boat pens at St. Nazaire. Another 17 Hampden bombers lay mines off Lorient, another major U-boat base. One Hampden fails to return.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C6zxZgtAGnw/XbKiQTXoZzI/AAAAAAACcTI/9WavDkYGOoEeIW1qfwaw9EJ1FKghV_tKQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Barbara_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="SS Barbara, sunk on 7 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="640" height="354" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C6zxZgtAGnw/XbKiQTXoZzI/AAAAAAACcTI/9WavDkYGOoEeIW1qfwaw9EJ1FKghV_tKQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Barbara_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SS Barbara, sunk on 7 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Atlantic:</b> U-126 (Kptlt. Ernst Bauer), on its third patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 4627-ton US freighter Barbara about 9 miles northwest of West Tortuga Island, Dominican Republic. The ship bursts into flame and the crew must jump into the sea quickly without being able to launch any lifeboats. The surviving crew clings to rafts and debris, with 16 of them, including the master and a stewardess, being picked up by a PBY Catalina flying boat (the pilot is cited for overloading his plane). Another 21 survivors make it to shore after almost three days at sea. In total, there are 26 dead and 59 survivors.<br />
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U-126 also sinks 5104-ton US freighter Cardonia in the same area. This time, Bauer uses his deck gun after the Cardonia's crew spots the U-boat sinking the Barbara and evades two torpedoes. After firing 56 rounds, the ship catches fire. After the crew abandons ship, Bauer fires a coup de grâce torpedo which sinks the ship at 12:16. Twenty of the crew make landfall in a lifeboat, while 15 others are rescued by USS Mulberry. The master, Gus Warren Darnell, is awarded the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal for his evasive maneuvers and other conduct during the attack. Overall, there is one dead (in the initial attack) and 37 survivors.<br />
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U-155 (Kptlt. Adolf Cornelius Piening), on its first patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 7874-ton Brazilian tanker Arabutan about 81 miles off Cape Hatteras. Arabutan sinks within 13 minutes. Piening claims to have seen no neutrality markings. The crew successfully launches the lifeboats and are rescued quickly by USCGC USS Calypso. There are 54 survivors and one death.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TshUOQeZETM/XbKiwM5t5JI/AAAAAAACcTQ/-q1G0LEaSzMa7ENmQpk8kb5SAwzb8-q2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Uniwaleco_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="SS Uniwalecto, sunk on 7 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="640" height="466" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TshUOQeZETM/XbKiwM5t5JI/AAAAAAACcTQ/-q1G0LEaSzMa7ENmQpk8kb5SAwzb8-q2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Uniwaleco_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SS Uniwaleco, sunk on 7 March 1942.</td></tr>
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U-161 (Kptlt. Albrecht Achilles), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 9755-ton South African tanker Uniwaleco. The first attack at 17:59 causes the ship to run out of control in circles, so a second torpedo is fired as a coup de grâce. The ship then sinks within three minutes. There are 33 survivors and 18 deaths.<br />
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U-701 (Kptlt. Horst Degen), on its second patrol out of St. Nazaire, torpedoes and sinks Danish 272-ton fishing trawler FV Nyggjaberg in the North Atlantic near Iceland. There are no survivors from the 21-man crew.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6LEtRbnhCiE/XbKlXu2VPUI/AAAAAAACcTg/MMbJCdPlI44Bkve3zV-yd47ntX66UMDswCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Ishora_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="German destroyers sink a Soviet ship, 7 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="640" height="438" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6LEtRbnhCiE/XbKlXu2VPUI/AAAAAAACcTg/MMbJCdPlI44Bkve3zV-yd47ntX66UMDswCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Ishora_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Russian steamer Ishora is under fire from the German destroyer Hermann Schoemann in the afternoon of 7 March 1942. The photo is taken from the German destroyer Z 25 by V. Gernhard.</td></tr>
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Operation Sportpalast, a German sortie into the Atlantic including battleship Tirpitz, continues today. in the Arctic. German destroyers Friedrich Ihn, Hermann Schoemann and Z 25 sink Russian 2815-ton passenger ship Ijora (or Izhora or Ishora) near the Kola Inlet. Tirpitz is not present during this encounter and does not meet up with the destroyers for another 30 minutes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fIu2C-T2-HU/XbKgkSA1gqI/AAAAAAACcS4/8xkuME3smqgFGOso9y7hnl5GNz3U0QbxACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/HMS_Eagle_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="HMS Eagle and Malaya, 7 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="640" height="364" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fIu2C-T2-HU/XbKgkSA1gqI/AAAAAAACcS4/8xkuME3smqgFGOso9y7hnl5GNz3U0QbxACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/HMS_Eagle_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"HMS EAGLE and HMS MALAYA whilst serving with Force H in the Mediterranean. Supermarine Spitfires are ranged on the deck of HMS EAGLE (photograph was taken from the aircraft carrier HMS ARGUS)." © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205119473" target="_blank">A 7840</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Battle of the Mediterranean:</b> The Royal Navy sends Force H from Gibraltar on a resupply convoy to Malta. The main objective is to fly off planes from aircraft carriers HMS Argus and Eagle to the embattled garrison, which has been enduring around-the-clock air raids for many days straight. Eagle flies 15 Spitfires off which make it to the island, becoming the first Spitfires to operate there. This doubles Malta's air cover.<br />
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<b>Applied Science</b>: US Navy non-rigid airship K-5 conducts a successful experiment in conjunction with the submarine USS S-20 off the New London, Connecticut coast fo a radio sonobuoy. The experiment shows the utility of using sonobuoys to detect the sounds of a submerged submarine's propellers. The blimp receives the signals at a distance of up to three miles and sometimes up to five miles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QPKy2JZ2Mr8/XbKhlPkoOxI/AAAAAAACcTA/NAAaKiM6bhgiAo0gs0FiXOhdZcuYVSLrACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/HMS_Atherton_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Onboard British destroyer HMS Atherstone, 7 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="640" height="474" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QPKy2JZ2Mr8/XbKhlPkoOxI/AAAAAAACcTA/NAAaKiM6bhgiAo0gs0FiXOhdZcuYVSLrACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/HMS_Atherton_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The ship's doctor giving a lecture on first aid to crew members on HMS ATHERSTONE at Plymouth, 7 March 1942." © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205141787" target="_blank">A 7761</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>US Military</b>: Major General Alexander M. Patch, arrives on New Caledonia Island. He will assume command of the New Caledonia Task Force.<br />
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US Navy Patrol Wing 10 completes a three-month, roundabout withdrawal from the Philippines via Java to Perth, Western Australia. The unit has been devastated by enemy action and having to leave equipment and ground personnel behind. Three out of its four wing squadrons (VP-21, VP-22, and VP-102) are officially stricken from the order of battle. The sole remaining squadron, VP-101, will conduct patrol operations off the Australian west coast, which the Japanese Air Force recently has raided, with its PBY-4 and PBY-5 Catalinas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XJSmoFv4Hak/XbKomnw7nQI/AAAAAAACcT4/v_N7CanH_2odtPUoKl4O8Zbeoa1vXTdiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/HMS_Eagle_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="British aircraft carriers HMS Argus and Eagle, 7 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="640" height="494" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XJSmoFv4Hak/XbKomnw7nQI/AAAAAAACcT4/v_N7CanH_2odtPUoKl4O8Zbeoa1vXTdiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/HMS_Eagle_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_3.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The aircraft carrier HMS ARGUS which acted as fighter escort, with HMS EAGLE (center) and the battleship HMS MALAYA (right distance) prior to flying off to Malta of the Spitfires." 7 March 1942. © IWM (<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205141948" target="_blank">A 7954</a>).</td></tr>
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Headquarters, 8th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) and the 35th, 36th, and 80th Pursuit Squadrons (Interceptor) arrive at Brisbane from the United States in their P-39s.<br />
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USAAF Fifth Air Force transfers the Headquarters, 22nd Bomber Group (Medium), from Brisbane to Ipswich, Australia.<br />
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The Tuskegee flying school for black pilots graduates its first class of students. They join the 99th Pursuit Squadron. The men are Capt. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., and Second-Lieutenants Mac Ross, Charles DeBow, LR Curtis, and George Roberts.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U-vNfT-ud5o/XbFXYwnIgmI/AAAAAAACcRo/Zl-1NASisec98gTyMQcXBlR1vvDe_n2jgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Tuskegee_Airmen_6_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="First Tuskegee airmen graduates, 7 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="640" height="459" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U-vNfT-ud5o/XbFXYwnIgmI/AAAAAAACcRo/Zl-1NASisec98gTyMQcXBlR1vvDe_n2jgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Tuskegee_Airmen_6_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">The first four Tuskegee airmen graduates, including Captain Ben Davis (<a href="https://www.afhistory.org/march-6-1942-2/" target="_blank">US Air Force Historical Foundation</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>US Government:</b> California Representative Carl Hinshaw warns the House that a major attack on the West Coast is imminent:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Word has come to us the Japanese timetable will bring the second phase of their plans into action about April 15. This includes a major attack on Hawaii, and the commencement of sabotage action on the West Coast, in preparation for events to follow.</b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>If our administrative officials do not get down to quick action to evacuate all Japanese and all other enemy aliens immediately — They may, by inaction, have committed so great a sin that even history may never forgive them.</b></blockquote>
There is a very real fear of a Japanese invasion all along the coast.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rKKKmPyeVhc/XbKcjHSL_xI/AAAAAAACcSg/zNRgTpC5k3sEuTnNQ1-lIp--KSCac91SgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/New_Yorker_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The New Yorker, 7 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rKKKmPyeVhc/XbKcjHSL_xI/AAAAAAACcSg/zNRgTpC5k3sEuTnNQ1-lIp--KSCac91SgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/New_Yorker_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="460" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">The New Yorker, 7 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>American Homefront:</b> The New Yorker for 7 March 1942 publishes a brief item (on page 7) which notes that:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>We've heard from a naval officer who got promoted recently, which necessitated a reshuffling of his insignia. When his stars were removed, he found, on the back of each, a label reading "Made in Japan."</b></blockquote>
Well, times sure have changed in a hurry.<br />
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The San Francisco News continues its series of "helpful hints" to ethnic Japanese regarding their coming internment. In today's entry, the paper warns against leaving too hastily to their new homes:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>General DeWitt again cautioned the aliens and Japanese-Americans against a too hasty disposition of farms, shops, residences, and other property, pointed out that Federal officials are being appointed to assist them in handling and transfer of their property. Until they have an opportunity to turn their properties over to an official custodian, such persons should not dispose of their possessions unless they receive full value in return, the general said.</b></blockquote>
There is a surreal air to these articles, which treat the evacuations as akin to a going away to summer camp with the government's sole aim to make the journey as painless and safe as possible.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VQ-71RT-oxs/XbKdI-58qQI/AAAAAAACcSo/pu4-AaeYnksdBL1xR5BBovrgFWrPR5EPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Saturday_Evening_Post_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Saturday Evening Post, 7 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VQ-71RT-oxs/XbKdI-58qQI/AAAAAAACcSo/pu4-AaeYnksdBL1xR5BBovrgFWrPR5EPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Saturday_Evening_Post_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Saturday Evening Post, 7 March 1942.</td></tr>
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<b>Future History:</b> Michael Dammann Eisner is born in Mount Kisco, New York. After graduating from Denison University in 1964, he quickly becomes involved in the entertainment industry. Very early in his career, Barry Diller at ABC hires Eisner as his personal assistant. This sets Micheal Eisner on a path to success, and he joins Paramount Pictures in the 1970s when Diller becomes chairman there. Diller makes his old assistant president and CEO of the film studio, and Eisner repays the favor by greenlighting a string of classic pictures including "Star Trek" and its sequels, "Saturday Night Fever," and "Beverly Hills Cop." In 1984, Diller leaves Paramount and Eisner moves on to the Walt Disney Company, where he becomes CEO and Chairman of the Board. Eisner once again proves to have an uncanny touch at choosing good films and is largely responsible for the "Disney Renaissance" that begins with "The Little Mermaid" in 1989. Eisner leaves Disney in 2005 and goes on to other entertainment pursuits such as his own talk show on CNBC. Michael Eisner remains involved in the entertainment industry and is a legendary corporate figure.<br />
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Tamara Faye LaValley is born in International Falls, Minnesota. In 1960, Tamara (known as Tammy Faye) meets Jim Bakker and marries him a year later. Together, they form a popular televangelist organization, the PTL (Praise The Lord) Club, which takes them to heights of fame. In 1987, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker get embroiled in scandal due to Jim Bakker's involvement with assistant Jessica Hahn. Tammy Faye divorces Bakker in 1992 after he is sent to prison for 45 years on 24 fraud and conspiracy counts. her next marriage, to property developer Roe Messner, also involves scandal when he is convicted of bankruptcy fraud. Tammy Faye Messner (her final name) passes away on 20 July 2007 from cancer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zoiSHtfVNqY/XbKdr1wm3pI/AAAAAAACcSw/H4-3_GzmFg8fBkaDZjIJAstBMlP13lpWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Colliers_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Collier's, 7 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com" border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zoiSHtfVNqY/XbKdr1wm3pI/AAAAAAACcSw/H4-3_GzmFg8fBkaDZjIJAstBMlP13lpWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Colliers_7_March_1942_worldwartwo.filminspector.com_1.jpg" title="" width="496" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collier's, 7 March 1942. During World War II, Collier's readership reaches 2.5 million.</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">March 1942</span><br /><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-1-1942-second-battle-of-java-sea.html" target="_blank">March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-2-1942-huge-allied-shipping.html" target="_blank">March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-3-1942-japan-raids-western.html" target="_blank">March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-4-1942-second-raid-on-hawaii.html" target="_blank">March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-5-1942-japan-takes-batavia.html" target="_blank">March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-6-1942-churchill-assaults-free.html" target="_blank">March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/10/march-7-1942-british-defeat-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-8-1942-rangoon-falls-to-japan.html" target="_blank">March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-9-1942-japanese-conquest-of-dutch.html" target="_blank">March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-10-1942us-navy-attacks-japanese.html" target="_blank">March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae</a><br /><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2019/12/march-11-1942-warren-buffetts-first.html" target="_blank">March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade</a></u></span><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-12-1942-japan-takes-java.html" target="_blank">March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-13-1942-soviets-attack-in-crimea.html" target="_blank">March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again </a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-14-1942-us-leans-toward-europe.html" target="_blank">March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-15-1942-operation-raubtier-begins.html" target="_blank">March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-16-1942-general-macarthur-gets.html" target="_blank">March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/03/march-17-1942-macarthur-arrives-in.html" target="_blank">March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-18-1942-japan-attacks-in-burma.html" target="_blank">March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-19-1942-soviets-encircled-on.html" target="_blank">March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-20-1942-i-shall-return-says.html" target="_blank">March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/04/march-21-1942-germans-attack-toward.html" target="_blank">March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-22-1942-second-battle-of-sirte.html" target="_blank">March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-23-1942-hitlers-insecurity-builds.html" target="_blank">March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-24-1942-bataan-bombarded.html" target="_blank">March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-25-1942-pq-16-convoy-attacked-in.html" target="_blank">March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-26-1942-win-or-die-vows-macarthur.html" target="_blank">March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-27-1942-battle-of-suusari.html" target="_blank">March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-28-1942.html" target="_blank">March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-29-1942-free-republic-of-nias.html" target="_blank">March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-30-1942-japanese-americans-off.html" target="_blank">March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island</a><br /><a href="https://worldwartwodaily2.filminspector.com/2020/07/march-31-1942-japanese-seize-christmas.html" target="_blank">March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island</a><br /><br />
<span class="updated">2020</span>
</div>
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