North Africa. First Army troops retired from Sejenane to Tamera.
French troops occupied Nefta in South Tunisia.
In the Mediterranean. Heavy bombers raided Naples by night.
Russian Front. In Donetz Basin The Wehrmacht ground forces
claimed recapture of Proletarskaya and Slavyansk.
Eighth Air Force. 42 United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
heavy bombers fly missions over Germany and the Netherlands,
28 hitting the shipyards at Rotterdam and 16 attacking Hamm
marshalling yard. This is first Eighth Air Force attack on
a Ruhr industrial target.
Northwest African Air Forces (NAAF). United States Army Air
Force (USAAF) B-25 Mitchell medium bombers and B-26 Marauder
medium bombers fly unsuccessful missions against shipping
between Tunisia and Sicily. B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers
attack convoy North West of Bizerte, claiming 4 vessels sunk.
Ninth Air Force. United States Army Air Force (USAAF) P-40
fighters fly top cover mission as British Eighth Army completes
concentration of troops and weapons in forward areas and awaits
attack which seems imminent in view of troop movement in motorised
transport West of Medenine.
Tenth Air Force. 3 United States Army Air Force (USAAF) B-25
Mitchell medium bombers bomb railroad facilities at Ywataung.
Fifth Air Force. Allied aircraft continue to bombard remnants
of Japanese convoy in Huon Gulf, thus ending Battle of Bismarck
Sea, a decisive Allied victory. Fifth Air Force and Royal
Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft sink 12 vessels in 3
days. This is last enemy attempt to use large vessels to reinforce
positions on Huon Gulf. After World War II General MacArthur
calls this the decisive aerial engagement in his theatre.
A-20 Havoc light bombers hit Lae airfield and vicinity, B-17
Flying Fortress heavy bombers attack Ubili and power launches
off Lae and Cape Gloucester, and several B-25 Mitchell medium
bombers and single B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers and
B-24 Liberator heavy bombers hit harbour and airfield at Lae
and barges off Finschhafen.
Thirteenth Air Force. United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
B-24 Liberator heavy bombers hit airfields on Ballale Island
and bomb Kahili.
Eleventh Air Force. 4 United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
P-40 fighters fly over Kiska but drop no bombs due to weather.
M364
Minesweeper
Commissioned 4 March 1943
R199
R-boat
Launched 4 March 1943
Go To: 5th
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
sources
