Two large enemy supply ships torpedoed by light naval forces
in North Sea.
The British Royal Air Force (RAF) Mosquitoes bombers bombed
railway workshops at Paderborn, West Germany, in daylight.
Russian Front. Soviet shock troops held Wehrmacht to ground
forces attacks South of Kharkov and West of Byelgorod.
Northwest African Air Forces (NAAF). United States Army Air
Force (USAAF) B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers attack shipping
between Tunisia and Sicily, leaving 2 small vessels aflame.
Weather prevents completion of other bomber operations. Fighters
fly reconnaissance and patrols but bad weather hides enemy
ground activity.
Ninth Air Force. 1st Provisional Training Unit is established
to train replacement crews for medium bombers and fighters
groups. Personnel is drawn from Headquarters Squadrons of
IX Fighter Command, 9th Fighter Wing, and 8th Fighter Wing.
P-40 fighters fly fighter-bomber operations against enemy
positions as British ground forces prepare to conduct limited
attacks as a preliminary to main assault against Mareth Line.
Tenth Air Force. 6 United States Army Air Force (USAAF) B-24
Liberator heavy bombers damage approaches to Pazundaung bridge.
8 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers attack Myitnge bridge, scoring
at least 2 hits, but the structure remains intact. P-40 fighters
hit positions North of Sumprabum.
Fourteenth Air Force. United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
P-40 fighters strafe Mong Yaw storage area and docks, warehouse
area, and rail-river terminal (for phosphate mines) at Lao
Kay.
Fifth Air Force. United States Army Air Force (USAAF) B-25
Mitchell medium bombers bomb Lae. B-17 Flying Fortress heavy
bombers bomb Rapopo airstrip and attack Ubili, sub off Cape
Turner, town of Marienberg, and Cape Gloucester area. B-24
Liberator heavy bombers unsuccessfully attack cargo ships
between Bitsjaroe Bay and Fak.
Thirteenth Air Force. United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers and B-24 Liberator heavy
bombers on harassing raids bomb Kahili, Vila, and Ballale
airfields.
Eleventh Air Force. 16 United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, 13 B-24 Liberator heavy bombers,
8 P-40 fighters and 32 P-38 Lightning fighters (cover/escort)
sorties are flown to Kiska in one weather reconnaissance and
2 attack missions from Adak, and in 3 more missions from Amchitka.
Targets hit are North Head, Main Camp area, radar sites and
submarine base. On last Amchitka mission 1 enemy floatplane
is shot down with 2 more probables 4 heavy bombers are hit
and 1 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers does not return.
Go To: 17th
March
Articles:
The Second Great War.
Edited by Sir John Hamilton
The War Illustrated.
Edited by Sir John Hamilton
2194 Days Of War.
ISBN-10: 086136614X
For a complete list of
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