Air Operations, Bismarcks

B-24s of the 90th Heavy Bomb Group attack Rabaul-area airfields and mount single-plane attacks against Cape Gloucester and a ship off Powell Point.

Air Operations, CBI

• 7 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a bridge at Myitnge.

Air Operations, Europe

There is a fighter-bomber raid on Hastings. During the night there is a 50-plane raid on Newcastle.

• There is an unsuccessful raid on Stuttgart by 314 aircraft including 152 Lancasters, 109 Halifaxes and 53 Stirlings.
• The Pathfinders claim to have marked the target area accurately, but the Main Force is late arriving. The first use by the Germans of dummy target indicators is reported. Most of the bombs fall in open country, but the southwest suburbs of Vaihingen and Kaltental are hit. 118 buildiings are destroyed, mostly houses. 112 people are killed and 386 are injured.
• 6 Halifaxes, 3 Stirlings and 2 Lancaster are lost.

• 11 Stirlings and 3 Lancasters lay mines in the Frisians and the Gironde River without a loss.

A B-26 and a B-25 involved in a ground collision at New Caledonia in the South Pacific, 11 March 1943.

Ground Collision at New Caledonia

Air Operations, Mediterranean

• NASAF B-26s attack an Axis convoy at sea between Sicily and Tunisia, but B-25s on anti-shipping sweeps in the area are unable to locate any targets.
• 2 Me-201s are downed by 82nd Fighter Group P-38 pilots during a fighter sweep to Sicily.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Bomber Command A-20s attack the Guadagasal and Vickers Ridge areas.
• 1 B-24 of the 90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24 attacks Finschhafen.
• More than 20 Japanese bombers, escorted by approximately 30 fighters, attack the airfield at Dobodura, where they destroy 3 Allied planes on the ground. Of this attack force, 49th Fighter Group P-38s shoot down 2 G4M 'Betty' bombers and 10 A6M Zeros over the Bismarck Sea between 1015 and 1050 hours.

Air Operations, Tunisia

NAAF medium bombers and fighters attack German Army tanks and vehicles in the Bedja, Jefna, and Sedjenane areas.

Battle of the Atlantic

The British destroyer Harvester, escorting Convoy HX-228, rams U-444 and the 2 vessels stay locked together for about 10 minutes. U-444 then crawls away but is rammed again and sunk by the French corvette Aconit west of Ireland. As the damaged Harvester tries to catch up with the convoy, her remaining engine failed. She is then hit by 1 torpedo from U-432 and sinks almost immediately. 183 members of her crew are lost. 60 survivors are picked up by the French corvette Aconit. The corvette gains contact with U-432 within the hour and blows her to the surface with depth-charge attacks before ramming her.

Eastern Front

The SS Corps enters Kharkov in force and penetrates to the center of the town after fierce fighting. The German thrust was a brilliant tactical move by von Manstein. The Russian units held a seven-to-one manpower advantage, but the Germans were able to secure a solid line along the Donets River.

A Sdkfz. 250/2 (German: Sonderkraftfahrzeug 250; 'special motor vehicle') of the Panzer Grenadier Regiment of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler Division, moves toward the center of Kharkov, on March 11, 1943.

A German Sdkfz. 250/2

The Grossdeutschland Div captures Bogodukhov; the SS Panzer Corps fights its way into Kharkov. The Stavka orders the 1st Tank and 21st Armies to the north of Belgorod and the 64th Army from the reserve in an effort to save the situation at Kharkov.

Bogodukhov falls to Grossdeutschland after a brief struggle. Bitter fighting rages through Kharkov as the SS Panzer Corps plunges deep into the urban sprawl. Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler penetrates into the city center, Das Reich is involved in heavy fighting as it penetrates from the west, while SS Totenkopf captures Krasnokutsk and Murafa, deepening the crisis between 69th and 3rd Tank Armies.

In an effort to prevent the continued deterioration of the situation, the Stavka orders 1st Tank and 21st Armies to deploy north of Belgorod and begin the movement of the 64th Army west from the reserve.

North Africa

In the British 1st Army area, the V Corps remains under enemy pressure in the Tamera sector.

A British 'Pheasant' 17-pdr anti-tank gun in action on the Medenine front in Tunisia, 11 March 1943. A 'Pheasant' 17-pdr anti-tank gun in action on the Medenine front, 11 March 1943.

A British 17-pdr Anti-Tank Gun in Action

United States, Politics

The Americans extend the Lend-Lease agreements for another year. Their value for the 2 years until the end of Feb 1943 is reported to have been 9,632,000,000.