Air Operations, Europe

17 aircraft bomb the submarine bases at St Nazaire and 17 Hampdens lay mines off Lorient. 1 Hampden is lost.

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-587 sinks the British anti-submarine trawler Northern Princess (655t) off the Grand Banks, Newfoundland with the loss of her entire crew of 38.
• The US freighter Barbara is torpedoed and sunk by U-126 about 9 miles north-northwest of West Tortuga Island, Dominican Republic. A PBY rescues one group of survivors while the remainder reach shore. Some time later the US freighter Cardonia is shelled and sunk by U-126 about 5 miles west-northwest of San Nicholas Mole, Haiti. 22 survivors reach safety at San Nicholas Mose less than 5 hours after the ship sinks.
• The US freighter Independence Hall, straggling from convoy SC-73, founders and sinks off Sable Island. There are 28 survivors of the 38-man crew and no losses among the 9-man Armed Guard.
• The Brazilian steamship Arbabutan is torpedoed and sunk by U-155 off the Virginia capes. The US Coast Guard cutter Calipso (WPC-104) rescues 54 survivors the next day and transfers them to Little Creek, Virginia.

Photo was taken on 7 March 1942 when the 120 IAP of the Moscow Air Defence (PVO) was made a Guards Regiment as 12 Gv.IAP as a reward for its merits.

A Line of MiG-3s on the Vnukovo Airport, near Moscow

Burma

Rangoon is evacuated by the Allies. British troops retiring north towards Prome have to fight through road blocks in the area of Taukkyan on the way. The Pegu garrison is ordered to break out and make its way north. As Rangoon is the only significant port in Burma, all supplies for the Allies must now come overland from India or by air. Late in the day units of the Japanese 33rd Div occupy Rangoon. They now control the Burmese end of the Burma Road.

Dutch East Indies

On Java, Japanese troops take Surabaya and Lembang. All Allied fighter aircraft have been destroyed. Radio communication with Bandoeng is cut off. The Dutch government administration has fled to Australia. The garrison, under the command of Gen ter Poorten, surrenders to the Japanese.

Eastern Front

Elements of Moskalenko's 38th Army attacks German positions north of Kharkov. After heavy fighting, a bridgehead is secured on the west bank of the Northern Donets.

Mediterranean

The carriers Eagle and Argus ferry 18 Spitfires to Malta. 7 Blenheim bombers are also flown in. These Spitfires are the first of Britain's best fighter planes that can be spared for service overseas. The planes fly from the carriers south of Majorca. 10 more similar operations will take place from late March to October, 1942.

New Guinea

The Japanese invasion fleet arrives in the Gulf of Huon on New Guinea in the Salamaua area. Under cover of fire from the escort vessels, the first contingents of troops land at Salamaua and Lae meeting no opposition.

Spitfires on the flight deck of HMS Eagle in readiness for the flight to Malta early on 7 March 1942.

Spitfires on the HMS Eagle