03/01 Wed. United States Naval Base, Milne Bay, New Guinea, and
Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Tanaga, Alaska, are
established.
German submarines sunk:
U-603, by destroyer escort BRONSTEIN (DE-189),
North Atlantic area,
48 d. 55' N., 26 d. 10' W.
U-709, by destroyer escorts THOMAS (DE-102),
BOSTWICK (DE-103), North Atlantic area,
49 d. 10' N., 26 d. 00' W.
03/02 Thu. Submarine NARWHAL (SS-167) delivers ammunition and
supplies and evacuates certain personnel from Butuan
Bay, Nasipit, Mindanao, P. I.
03/03 Fri. President announces that the Italian Fleet will be
distributed among the United States, Great Britain,
and Russia.
Japanese naval vessel sunk:
River boat KARATSU, by submarine NARWHAL (SS-167),
Philippine Islands area,
08 d. 52' N., 123 d. 23' E.
03/04 Sat. Army and Naval land-based aircraft attack Choiseul
Island, Solomon Islands.
Allied task force (Rear Adm. V. A. C. Crutchley, RN)
including 2 United States cruisers and 4 United
States destroyers, bombards Japanese shore batteries
and positions on Hauwei and Norilo Islands in the
Admiralty Islands; bombardment is repeated on 6 and 7
March.
03/05 Sun. NARWHAL (SS-167) delivers cargo and evacuates certain
personnel from Tawi Tawi, P. I.
03/06 Mon. United States naval vessels sunk:
Submarine SCORPION (SS-278), Pacific Ocean area,
reported as presumed lost.
United States naval vessel damaged:
Destroyer NICHOLSON (DD-442), by coastal defense
gun, Bismarck Archipelago area,
02 d. 00' S., 147 d. 00' E.
03/07 Tue. United States naval vessel sunk:
PT-337, by coastal defense gun, eastern New Guinea
area,
04 d. 09' S., 144 d. 50' E.
03/08 Wed. Japanese aircraft attack United States position on
Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands.
03/09 Thu. United States Naval Air Facility (Lighter than Air),
Santa Cruz, Brazil, is established.
United States naval vessel sunk:
Destroyer LEOPOLD (DE-319), by submarine torpedo,
south of Iceland.
03/10 Fri. United States naval vessel sunk:
Submarine chaser SC-700, by fire, Vella Lavella,
Solomon Islands.
03/11 Sat. German submarine sunk:
U-380 and U-410, by Army aircraft, Toulon, France.
03/13 Mon. Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Light cruiser TATSUTA, by submarine SANDLANCE (SS-
381), off Honshu, Japan,
32 d. 58' N., 138 d. 52' E.
German submarine sunk:
U-575, by aircraft (VC-95) from escort carrier
BOGUE (CVE-9), destroyer HOBSON (DD-464),
destroyer escort HAVERFIELD (DE-393), Canadian
vessel, and British aircraft, North Atlantic area,
46 d. 18' N., 27 d. 34' W.
03/16 Thu. Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Destroyer SHIRAKUMO, by submarine TAUTOG (SS-199),
off Japan,
42 d. 25' N., 144 d. 55' E.
German submarines sunk:
U-392, by naval land-based aircraft (VP-63) and
British surface craft, western Mediterranean area,
35 d. 55' N., 05 d. 41' W.
U-801, by aircraft (VC-6) from escort carrier BLOCK
ISLAND (CVE-21), destroyer CORRY (DD-463),
destroyer escort BRONSTEIN (DE-189), west of Cape
Verde Islands,
16 d. 42' N., 30 d. 26' W.
03/17 Fri. United States naval vessel sunk:
PT-283, by coastal defense gun, Solomon Islands
area,
06 d. 27' S., 155 d. 08' E.
03/18 Sat. Task group including 1 carrier, 2 battleships, and
destroyers (Rear Adm. W. A. Lee) bombs and bombards
Japanese installations on Mili Island in the Marshall
Islands.
Destroyers bombard enemy in Wewak area, New Guinea;
bombardment continues on 19 March.
United States naval vessel damaged:
Battleship IOWA (BB-61), by coastal defense gun,
Mili Island, Marshall Islands.
03/19 Sun. German submarine sunk:
U-1059, by aircraft (VC-6) from escort carrier
BLOCK ISLAND (CVE-21), Atlantic area,
13 d. 10' N., 33 d. 44' W.
03/20 Mon. Naval attack group (Commodore L. F. Reifsnider) lands
4th Marine Division (Brig. Gen. A. H. Noble) on
Emirau Island, Bismarck Archipelago.
Task force including 4 battleships, 2 escort
carriers, and destroyers (Rear Adm. R. M. Griffin)
bombards and bombs Kavieng, New Ireland.
Submarine ANGLER (SS-240) evacuates 58 persons
including women and children from west coast of
Panay, P. I.
Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Auxiliary submarine chasers Nos. 47 and 49, by Army
aircraft, north of New Guinea,
02 d. 55' S., 143 d. 40' E.
03/23 Thu. Destroyers bombard enemy installations on Mussau
Islands in the St. Matthias group, Bismarck
Archipelago.
United States Naval Air Facility, Dunkeswell,
England, is established.
Japanese submarine sunk:
I-42, by submarine TUNNY (SS-282), off Palau
Islands,
06 d. 40' N., 134 d. 03' E.
03/24 Fri. Japanese submarine sunk:
I-32, by destroyer escort MANLOVE (DE-36), and
submarine chaser PC-1135, Marshall Islands area,
08 d. 30' N., 170 d. 10' E.
03/25 Sat. Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Submarine chaser No. 54, by submarine POLLACK (SS-
180), north of Bonin Islands,
28 d. 34' N., 142 d. 14' E.
03/26 Sun. United States naval vessel sunk:
Submarine TULLIBEE (SS-284), probably by circular
run of own torpedo, north of Palau Islands,
Caroline Islands.
03/27 Mon. United States naval vessels sunk:
PT-121 and PT-353, accidentally by friendly bomber,
Bismarck Archipelago area,
05 d. 17' S., 151 d. 01' E.
United States naval vessel damaged:
PT-207, by naval gunfire, Italian area,
41 d. 27' N., 12 d. 40' E.
03/28 Tue. Destroyers bombard Japanese positions on
Kapingamarangi Atoll, north of New Ireland.
03/30 Thu. Fast carrier forces under Commander Fifth Fleet (Adm.
R. A. Spruance) commence intensive bombing of
Japanese airfields, shipping, fleet service
facilities, and other installations at Palau, Yap,
Ulithi, and Woleai in the Caroline Islands group.
Extensive minefields are planted by carrier-based
aircraft in and around the channels and approaches to
the Palau Islands. Attacks continue until 1 April.
United States naval vessel sunk:
Submarine GRAYBACK (SS-208), Pacific Ocean area,
reported as presumed lost.
United States naval vessel damaged:
Submarine TUNNEY, (SS-282), accidentally by
friendly aircraft off Palau Islands,
07 d. 29' N., 134 d. 26' E.
Japanese naval vessels sunk, Palau, Caroline Islands
raid:
Repair ship AKASHI, oilers OSE, SATA, and IRO,
submarine chasers Nos. 6 and 26, auxiliary
submarine chasers Nos. 22 and 53, and patrol boat
No. 31, by carrier-based aircraft.
03/31 Fri. Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Old destroyer WAKATAKE, by carrier-based aircraft,
off Palau Islands, Caroline Islands.