Air Operations, Europe

34 Halifax bombers attack the Tirpitz in a fjord near Trondheim. They do not find the Tirpitz. Flak positions are bombed by 3 of the aircraft. 1 Halifax is lost at sea.

The German Battleship Tirpitz

The German battleship Tirpitz was on the top of the RAF's target list, seen here at Fættenfjord, where she was in March 1942. The Fleet Air Arm had failed to hit the Tirpitz when they had hastily mounted an attack when she was seen at sea on the 9th March 1942. Now the RAF would mount the second of what was to become a long campaign to disable the powerful battleship that threatened the Arctic convoys. On the evening of the 30th of March, just after 1800hrs BST, twelve Halifax aircraft from 76 Squadron took off from Tain to commence the first phase of the attack. Ten Halifax aircraft from 10 Squadron took off from Lossiemouth and twelve from 35 Squadron took off from Kinloss for the second phase of the attack. One 35 Squadron Halifax returned to base early due to engine trouble. The aircraft would be flying a total distance of approximately 1,300 miles with a total flight time, including time over target, estimated at being around eight to eight and a half hours. On reaching the Norwegian Coast the weather was clear with bright moonlight. However, on approaching the Trondheim area sea fog and 10/10 low cloud was almost totally obscuring the landscape below making it virtually impossible to locate Tirpitz. Many of the aircraft jettisoned their loads in the target area and bombed flak and searchlights that could be seen. However, no observations were made as to the effectiveness of these due to the sea fog and haze.

Arctic

U-585 is sunk by hitting a mine in the German Bantos field probably as a result of a navigation error. The entire crew is lost.

U-585

Ascension Island

A US detachment arrives on this small island between Africa and South America.

Burma

Unable to withstand Japanese pressure any longer, Toungoo is abandoned by the Chinese 200th Div of the 5th Army. The special force from I Burma Corps falls back on Prome from Paungde. In the evening the Japanese attack the 63rd Indian Bde at Prome and quickly put them to flight, so that the 17th Indian Div's flank is dangerously exposed.

Eastern Front

Only 8 of the 162 German divisions are at full strength at the conclusion of the great Russian counteroffensive. The 15 Panzer divisions have a grand total of only 140 serviceable tanks.

Indian Ocean

Japanese land troops on Christmas Island, south of Java.

Pacific, Command

The Joint Chiefs of Staff divide the Pacific into 2 commands. Adm Nimitz is to control the Pacific Ocean Zone and Gen MacArthur the Southwest Pacific which includes Australia, New Guinea, the Philippines, the Bismarcks, the Solomons and much of the Dutch East Indies. This division presages the later controversy between the two as to how the reconquest should be attempted. Nimitz prefers the 'great leaps' strategy while MacArthur supports a policy of reconquest 'from island to island'.

A Pacific War Council is set up in Washington. Countries represented include the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the Philippines and China.

Japanese Americans on the Seattle waterfront being evacuated to internment camps, 30 March 1942

Japanese Americans Being Removed from Seattle