Air Operations, Australia

-40 pilots of the 49th Pursuit Group's 9th Pursuit Squadron down 3 Japanese Army twin-engine bombers over Darwin at 1310 hours.

Air Operations, Europe

• During the night 234 aircraft, including 146 Wellingtons, 41 Hampdens, 26 Stirlings and 21 Manchesters are sen on a raid to Lübeck, in Schleswig-Holstein, on the Trave estuary some 10 miles from the Baltic Sea. This raid is the first major success for Bomber Command against a German target. The attack was carried out in good visibility, with the help of an almost full moon and, because of the light defences of this target, from a low level, many crews coming down to 2,000 ft. The force was split into 3 waves, the leading one being composed of experienced crews with Gee-fitted aircraft; although Lübeck was beyond the range of Gee, the device helped with preliminary navigation. More than 400 tons of bombs were dropped; two thirds of this tonnage was incendiary. 191 crews claimed successful attacks. Many ancient buildings and monuments are destroyed. The reports from the ground say 1,425 buildings are destroyed, 1.976 are seriously damaged and 8,411 are lightly damaged. These totals represent 62 per cent of all the buildings in Lübeck. The casualty report from the city includes 320 people killed and 784 injured. This action gives Hitler an excuse for recalling two groups of bombers from Sicily and ordering them to carry out reprisal raids on a number of historic British cities, including Exeter, York and Canterbury. These 'Baedeker Raids' begin in April.

Lübeck Bombed

On the night of March 28, a strong force of heavy bombers gave the Baltic port of Luebeck, thirty-five miles north of Hamburg, one of the heaviest bombings experienced by any German city so far. The port handles nearly all the traffic between Germany and Sweden, and large imports of iron ore and other raw materials pass through it on their way to feed Germany's war industries. In addition it was being used for the dispatch of military stores to Finland and to the German armies on the northern front, as well as to the army of occupation in Norway. The fact that it was also an important centre of U-boat construction and a training depot for submarine crews made it an extremely desirable target for the R.A.F.'s attention. The attack was pressed home with great determination, and soon after it began, fires could be seen dotted all over the city. These rapidly spread until it looked as if there was only one huge fire. Very heavy damage was done, and it was estimated that about 1,500 houses were destroyed, mostly by fire.

Lübeck City Center

This photograph shows a section of the centre of the city stretching over 1,500 yards. In this area the Central Electric Station, the Market Hall and the Reich Bank were all completely gutted, and a close inspection of the picture shows that there is scarcely a building in the whole area retaining its roof. The first picture shows chaos caused by bombs in Breitstrasse.

Vertical aerial photograph taken during the major raid on Lübeck on the night of 28/29 March 1942, showing the glare of incendiary fires in the Altstadt (upper left), illuminating the Klughafen on which a number of barges can be seen moored.

Lübeck During the Raid

• RAF air superiority in Europe is now firmly established due to the increasing demands of the Eastern Front on Luftwaffe resources.
• In minor operations, 2 Blenheims raid Holland, 7 Hampdens lay mines in the Frisians and 14 aircraft on leaflet flights over Holland. There are no losses.

Atlantic

The British destroyer Campbeltown is used as an explosive vessel against the gate of the massive dry dock Normandie at St Nazaire, France.

Battle of the Atlantic

The Battle of Convoy PQ-13 takes place over the next 4 days. After being scattered by storms, the convoy and escorts are attacked by German bombers, torpedo planes, 6 U-boats and 3 destroyers. 5 merchant ships are sunk. The cruiser Trinidad cripples the destroyer Z-26, but is then hit by 1 of her own torpedoes which circles back causing serious damage. (See May 14.)

Burma

In response to a request by Gen Stilwell, Gen Alexander orders the I Burma Corps to attack in the Irrawaddy sector. The Japanese are heavily engaged at Paungde, southeast of Prome.

On 28 March 1942, a British sub near Antipaxo sunk the Italian ocean liner Galilea, which was being used to transport troops from North Africa back to Italy. The loss of the liner entailed the loss of 768 Italian soldiers and crewmen.

The Italian Liner Galilea

Diplomatic Relations

The Vatican establishes diplomatic relations with Japan.

France

St Nazaire Raid, Operation CHARIOT. The German battleship Tirpitz is in Norway, but the British fear it can break out and be a menace to Atlantic convoys. If it were to break out it could only be docked at the St Nazaire lock. British Commandos are, therefore, given the task of destroying the huge lock. In the early morning hours the HMS Campbelltown, the ex-USS Buchanan, deliberately rams the dock gates at St Nazaire, under murderous German fire, while 260 British commandos set about to destroy the dock machinery. 5 tons of high explosive charges in Campbeltown's bow explodes about noon before the Germans could disarm her killing many German naval personnel. The operation succeeds but only after the force is severly mauled. All but 2 of the 18 coastal craft that accompanied the Campbeltown are sunk stranding many of the Commandos. 170 of the men are either killed or captured.

British Destroyer Campbeltown

The British destroyer HMS Campbeltown sits destroyed, wedged into the dock gates of Normandie dry dock at St. Nazaire in German-occupied France, on 28 March 1942. Members of the Royal Navy and British Commandos carried out an amphibious raid on the docks earlier that day, attempting to prevent the Germans from possessing such a valuable asset. The Campbeltown was packed with with delayed-action explosives, which later detonated, killing more than 300 Germans and knocking the dock out of commission. (German Federal Archive)

Occupied France

The first trainload of Jews from Paris begin being shipped to Auschwitz. 6,000 Jews are earmarked for imprisonment.

Philippines

On Luzon the Japanese prepare to launch the final offensive against the Bataan peninsula. The supply situation of the defenders has become precarious under the incessant bombing and shelling.