Admiralty Islands

The Japanese send in a strong night attack against the American force on Los Negros. The attackers take heavy losses however, and much of the Japanese strength on the island is thereby dissipated.

Air Operations, Bismarcks

A VMF-223 F4U downs an A6M Zero over the Tobera airfield at Rabaul.

Air Operations, Carolines

VII Bomber Command B-24s attack Ponape Island.

Air Operations, CBI

• 14 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the airfields at Hsenwi, Lashio, and Loiwing. 22 341st Bomb Group B-25s, escorted by RAF fighters, attack the Fort White area. 10 B-25s and 4 10th Air Force P-51s attack the airfields at Katha, Mawlu, and Shwebo. 12 B-25s and 8 P-51s attack rail facilities at 2 locations. 6 459th Fighter Squadron P-38 fighter-bombers attack a bridge at Okshitpin. More than 70 B-25s, A-36s, P-40s, and P-51s attack numerous fuel and supply dumps, and road targets.

• 14th Air Force P-40s attack a coal grading plant at Campha.

Air Operations, Europe

Lightnings carry out a sweep over Berlin.

• 16 Mosquitos are sent to Berlin, 10 to Düsseldorf, 1 to Krefeld, 2 to the flying-bomb site at Sottevaast, 45 aircraft lay mines off French ports, and there are 9 OTU sorties.
• There are no losses.
• 3 Wellington minelaying sorties flown on this night by 300 (Polish) Squadron, based at Ingham, are the last Wellington operations flown by a normal Bomber Command squadron. RCM squadrons of No 100 Group will continue to use Wellingtons in small numbers for several months and the OTUs will use Wellingtons until the end of the war.

• 748 8th Air Force heavy bombers are dispatched against industrial and aviation-industry targets in Berlin, Oranienburg, and Erkner, bud bad weather results in 669 abors. Only 75 B-17s and 4 B-24ss attack targets of opportunity.
• 8 bombers are lost to enemy fire, 3 downed from midair collision

• A record 730 USAAF fighters escort the bombers. 8 Luftwaffe fighters are downed over Germany between 1130 and 1230 hours.
• 6 P-51s and 1 P-38 are lost with 6 pilots, 1 P-47 crash-lands at its base

• 216 IX Bomber Command B-26s attack German Army installations at two locations, and the Beauvais/Tille, Laon/Couvron, Montdidier, Rosieres-en-Santerre, and Roye/Amy Airdromes.

• All three B-26 groups of the 42nd Medium Bomb Wing attack a marshalling yard at Ostiense with all bombs falling within 200 yards of the target. Damage to tracks, facilities, and rolling stock is extensive. B-26s also attack Benedetto de Marsi.
• XII Air Support Command A-36s attack a tent camp and a train between Rome and Magliano Romano.
• XII Air Support Command P-40s attack gun emplacements north of the Anzio beachhead area.

• 15th Air Force B-24s attack the landing ground at Canino, and the Fabrica di Roma and Viterbo Airdromes, but results are poor due to cloud cover over the targets. At least 80 B-24s and more than 100 P-38s abort because of bad weather.
• 15th Air Force B-17s attack Rome's Littorio and Tiburtina marshalling yards with results rated as 'good'.
• While supporting the Viterbo attack, 325th Fighter Group P-47 pilots down 7 Luftwaffe fighters between 1135 hours and noon.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• After being diverted from the Admiralty Islands because of bad weather, more than 30 43rd Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Alexishafen and the Hansa Bay area. 20 V Bomber Command A-20s attack Erima. 20 P-39s attack Bogadjim and Madang.
• During the afternoon, 6 345th Medium Bomb Group B-25s and 9 3rd Light Bomb Group A-20s brave bad weather to bomb and strafe Japanese Army ground positions on Los Negros.
• A 35th Fighter Group P-47 downs a Ki-46 'Dinah' reconnaissance plane near Manam Island at 1010. V Fighter Command P-38s down 2 Ki-21 'Sally' bombers and 2 fighters over Hollandia between 1800 and 1815 hours.

Burma

In the northeastern area that American 5307th 'provisional unit' occupies Lagang Ga and clears an open space for the dropping of supplies by air. The Japanese retire towards Walawbum, where they think they will find the Americans. A Chinese-American armored group, supported by units of the Chinese 22nd Div, occupies Ngam Ga, near Maingkwan, and repulses night counterattacks by the Japanese.

CBI

The Marauders block the road to Walawbum. A battalion of troops from the Chinese 65th Regiment attacks Japanese defenders at Maingkwan, supported by tanks of the 1st Provisional Tank Group. Lagang Ga is cleared for a landing strip.

Italy

There is another flurry of activity in the Anzio sector where the American 3rd Div meets and holds an attack near Ponte Rocco. After this failure the German 14th Army ceases bombardment and goes over to the defensive. In the afternoon the American division counter-attacks and re-takes some positions.

New Guinea

Allied strategists are at work on the first draft of a plan for the invasion of Hollandia, in New Guinea. Since the Japanese bases are out of range of land-based aircraft it will be necessary to call on the aircraft carriers. The nearest air bases that the Japanese have to Hollandia are about 120 miles away in the Sarmia area and Wadke Island.

Occupied Greece

Resistance groups EDES (Royalist) and ELAS (Communist) sign a 'cease-fire' agreement and promise to co-operate against the Germans.

Pacific

• The US submarine Narwhal (SS-167) sinks the Japanese river gunboat Karatsu (560t) in the Philippine Islands area.
• The US submarine Rasher (SS-269) attacks a Japanese convoy in the Celebes Sea and sinks the army transport Nittai Maru (6484t) about 290 miles northwest of Waisile, Halmahera.
• The US submarine Sand Lance (SS-381) attacks a Japanese convoy and sinks the transport Akashisan Maru (4541t) west of Uruppu, Japan.
The British submarine Sea Rover sinks the Japanese army cargo vessel No.1 Matsu Maru in the Strait of Malacca.

United States, Home Front

Under an agreement reached when Italy surrendered, Roosevelt announces that the Italian Fleet is to be distributed equally between the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union.

Images from March 3, 1944

Gen Wilson Visits the Front

Wilson Visiting Cassino

First Mission to Berlin

Sd.Kfz. 164 'Hornisse/Nashorn'