Admiralty Islands
The capture of Los Negros is virtually complete. The first American ships tie up in Seeadler Harbor without the Japanese guns being able to fire upon them.
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]Air Operations, Bismarcks
- Although the withdrawal of many AirSols fighters from the besieged Bougainville airfields results in the availability of no escorts, XIII Bomber Command B-24s and B-25s nonetheless attack targets in the Rabaul area. Also, P-39s based at the Nissan airfield mount their first attack against Rabaul.
- US Marine ground forces occupy the Talasea airfield on New Britain.
| ]Air Operations, Carolines
VII Bomber Command B-24s attack Kusaie and Ponape islands.
[ | ]Air Operations, CBI
BURMA- 23 No. 1 Air Commando P-51s attack the airfields at Anisakan, Onbauk, and Shwebo, where more than 30 Japanese aircraft are destroyed on the ground and 2 P-51s are downed by ground fire. In a follow-up attack, 5 No. 1 Air Commando B-25s and 2 P-51s attack the Shwebo airfield. Also, 3 10th Air Force B-25s attack bridges at Lalawng and Warazup. 16 P-51s and A-36s attack targets of opportunity between Chanmoi and Shaduzup. 9 No. 1 Air Commando B-25s attack Japanese airfields during the evening.
- A No. 1 Air Commando P-51 downs 2 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighters over the airfield at Onbauk during an afternoon mission. A No. 1 Air Commando P-51A downs an 'Oscar' fighter Ki-43 over the Anisakan airfield during an afternoon mission.
| ]Air Operations, Europe
US heavy bombers raid Berlin again with the Erkner(Erker?) ball-bearing factory being their main target. 75 direct hit on the target are reported. 580(590?) bombers are sent but the force again loses about 10 percent(37 planes?) of its number despite an escort of 800 fighters. The raid results in the halting of ball-bearing production for some time.
[ | ]Air Operations, Marshalls
8 G4M 'Betty' bombers evade US Marine Corps night fighters and attack Engebi Island in the Eniwetok Atoll for approximately 90 minutes beginning at 0407 hours. 1 Marine is killed on the ground, and 7 are wounded.
[ | ]Air Operations, New Guinea
- In the Admiralty Islands, V Bomber Command B-25s mount numerous low-level attacks in support of US Army ground forces completing the seizure of Los Negros Island. 17 B-24s and 11 B-25s attack targets on Manus Island and islands in Seeadler Harbor.
- More than 70 V Bomber Command B-24s, B-25s, and A-20 attack the airfields at Awar and Nubia.
- A 49th Fighter Group P-40 downs a Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter near Wewak at 1400 hours.
| ]Air Operations, Solomons
- Japanese Army artillery destroys a XIII Bomber Command B-24 and 3 F4Us, and damages 19 other aircraft at the Piva Uncle and Piva Yoke airfields on Bougainville. Air, naval, and artillery attacks are mounted against the Japanese artillery position.
- During the day, AirSols light bombers and fighter-bombers complete 120 effective sorties against the Japanese Army artillery bomarding their bases and Japanese Army ground troops attempting to break into the Allied Bougainville perimeter. Approximately half of the 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s based at Stirling Airfield in the Treasury Islands also take part in attacking Japanese Army ground troops in the Empress Augusta Bay area.
| ]Bougainville
The Japanese surprise the Americans by opening a tremendous artillery fire on the beachhead and the Piva runways, destroying 1 bomber and 3 fighters and damaging 19 more. The American bombers are immediately evacuated and transferred to New Georgia. American field guns, supported by fire from a number of destroyers and by bombers, try to locate and silence the enemy artillery. During the night 2 Japanese companies attack the American positions in the 37th Div's defensive sector.
[ | ]Burma
The Japanese offensive U-GO begins. The aim is to destroy the British forces around Imphal and Kohima and then push on through the passes to Dimapur, cutting off the Chinese and Americans in the north, and with the road to India ahead. 3 divs of Gen Renya Mutaguchi's 15th Army are to be employed in the initial operations. The offensive begins with advances by Gen Motoso Yanagida's 33rd Div against the positions of Gen David T. Cowan's 17th Indian Div around Tiddim. These attacks are meant to commit the British reserves so that when the main attack goes in its task will be easier.
The British are well aware that the Japanese plan to attack, but they underestimate the strength of the force to be used. The plan is for the 17th and 20th Indian Divs, both in fairly advance positions, to fall back to around Imphal and protect and live off the large base organization there. The British forces at this stage are all from Lt-Gen Sir Geoffrey Scoones' IV Corps. It is an essential part of the Japanese plan to capture large quantities of British supplies because most of their advances are to be made over jungle tracks impassable to supply vehicles. Food is the crucial element of the problem. It is precisely because of these difficulties that the British expect a smaller attack.
In the northeast a Chinese-American attack on Japanese units surrounded in the Walawbum area fails for lack of co-ordination. The Chinese-American armored group enters Walawbum but does not get the expected infantry support and has to withdraw.
[ | ]Diplomatic Relations
The Finns reply to the Russian armistice terms asking for further guarantees. The principal difficulty is the Russian demand for the internment of German military personnel. This reply is rejected by the Russians on March 10.
Following secret meetings, the Finns reject the offer of a Soviet armistice on account of the harshness of Moscow's terms.
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Eastern Front
Russian forces are now within 60 miles of Rumania.
FINNISH SECTORFollowing secret negotiations, the Finns reject a proposed armistice. The terms dictated by the Soviets are too harsh to accept. However, Finland continues its surreptitious dialogue with the Soviet Union.
SOUTHERN SECTORThe 5th and 7th Guards Armies push toward Pervomaisk, throwing the 8th Army back. Novy Bug falls to Group Pliev as the flank of the 6th Army is turned.
With the Ukrainian front in tatters, Hitler declares a number of towns to be fortified places. Local commanders are made responsible for their defense but usually have only meager resources with which to carry out their assignments. Hitler mistakenly believes that enough of these fortified places can break up the Russian advance and bring it to a grinding halt.
[ | ]New Britain
The attacks of the 1st Marine Div make good progress toward Talasea as does the other American advance along the coast from Cape Gloucester.
[ | ]Solomons
The Japanese begin attacks on the American positions on Bougainville. The airfields at Piva are shelled causing the Americans to withdraw some of their bombers. American arty and naval vessels return the fire. Japanese infantry infiltrate the positions of 37th Div. The attacking troops are mostly from Gen Haruyoshi Hyakutake's 6th Div.
[ | ]Southwest Pacific
The US 41st Div begins to move from Australia to Cape Cretin, New Guinea, where it is to concentrate for the attack on Hollandia.
[ | ]Images from March 8, 1944
A Vickers machine gun of 2/7th Middlesex Regiment in the Anzio bridgehead, 8 March 1944 |
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8 March 1944: Cassino – into the Front Line in the Mountain Snow |
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Wreck of FW 190 |
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New Zealanders at Monte Cassino |
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Saskatoon Light Infantry |
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Maj Gen Gale, Gen Montgomery and Brig Kindersley, Salisbury Area, 8 March 1944 |
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RAAF Kittyhawks on Momote Airstrip, Los Negros Island, 8 March 1944 |
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Universal Carrier Equipped with a Vickers Machine Gun |
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