Admiralty Islands
An American brigade lands at Salami Plantation, Los Negros and the first US planes begin operations from Momote airfield.
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]Air Operations, Carolines
VII Bomber Command B-24s attack Kusaie and Ponape islands.
[ | ]Air Operations, CBI
BURMA- 6 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the airfield at Tavoy Airdrome. 10 B-24s attack a bridge and dumps at Kamaing. 8 B-24s attack Mogaung. 10 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s attack the airfields at Katha and Indaw. 10th Air Force P-51s, P-40s, and A-36s attack Japanese Army ground forces at Shaduzup and Walawbum, and dumps at Pyindaw.
- 13 CACW B-25s, escorted by 24 CACW P-40s, attack a foundry and floating docks at Shihhweiyao. 14th Air Force P-40s sweeping the Gulf of Tonkin coast attack an airfield on Weichow Island.
- 3rd CACW Fighter Group P-40d down a Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter and an A6M Zero near Shihweiyao at 1405 hours.
- More than 40 14th Air Force P-40s attack the airfield at Mon Cay, shipping at Hongay and Campha, a military base at Cao Bang, and a barracks at Luc Nam.
| ]Air Operations, Europe
RAF BOMBER COMMANDEvening Ops:
- 44 Lancasters of No. 5 Group raid an aircraft factory at Marignane near Marseilles. It is an accurate raid in bright moonlight.
- There are no losses.
- 8 Mosquitos are sent to Düsseldorf and there are 2 Serrate patrols.
- There are no losses.
GERMANY:
- Briefed for specific targets in the Berlin area, 339 8th Air Force B-17s are force by weather conditions to execute an area attack with 795 tons of bombs.
- 2nd Bomb Division B-24 formations, which are also briefed for berlin, attack various anti-aircraft concentrations at Brunswick, Hannover, and Nienburg after the lead pathfinder experiences an equipment failure.
- 8 heavy bombers are lost
- Escort and support for the heavy bombers is provided by 808 USAAF fighters, which account for no enemy aircraft downed.
ITALY:
- 12th Air Force B-25s attack the port facilities at Porto Santo Stefano and a bridge.
- XII Air Support Command A-36s attack a railroad station.
- XII Air Support Command P-40s attack several gun emplacements near the battle area.
| ]Air Operations, Marshalls
G4M 'Betty' bombers evade a pair of VMF(N)-532 F4U night fighters over Engebi Island in the Eniwetok Atoll at 0400 hours, score a direct hit on the air-search radar, and spend a leisurely two hours circling over the US base to drop their bombs. The island’s bomb dump is hit, as is a small fuel dump, but none of the parked aircraft are hit. The bombers also strafe ground targets before escaping without damage.
[ | ]Air Operations, New Guinea
- V Bomber Command B-25s attack Lorengau and other targets on Manus Island.
- 12 RAAF P-40s move into the Momote airfield on Los Negros.
| ]Air Operations, Solomons
Japanese Army artillery bombards airfields on Bougainville, and Japanese Army infantry breaks into the Bougainville perimeter. Throughout the day AirSols SBDs, TBFs, and fighters mount 107 sorties against several hills in the area occupied by the Japanese. A VMSB-244 SBD from which air strikes and artillery fire is being directed is struck by a bullet or shells and blown up in mid-air.
[ | ]Argentina, Home Front
President Pedro P. Ramirez resigns following an army coup.
[ | ]Atlantic
The US destroyer escort Leopold (DE-319) is sunk by a submarine torpedo south of Iceland.
[ | ]Bougainville
The Japanese resume their attacks along the perimeter of the Cape Torokina beachhead and succeed in making a small break in the lines of the American 37th Division. Counterattacks to eliminate the salient are unsuccessful. The Japanese switch their artillery fire from the Piva runways to the Torokina airfield.
[ | ]Burma
The Chinese-American 1st Armored Group, with units of the Chinese 22nd and 38th Divs, occupy Walawbum, from which the Japanese have withdrawn in good order. The occupation of Walawbum gives the Chinese control of the Hukawng valley. News of the advance of 33rd Div reaches Gen David Cowan's headquarters, but is not at first believed.
In Operation THURSDAY 9,000 Chindits commanded by Brigadier Wingate are droped by gliders 200 miles behind Japanese lines. Their mission is to cut the supply lines to the Japanese troops opposing Stilwell's advance to Myitkyina and the Chinese advance from Yunnan.
[ | ]Eastern Front
Nikolai F. Vatutin's 1st Ukraine Front takes Starokonstantinov south of Shepetovka and reaches the outskirts of Tarnopol where there is bitter house-to-house fighting against von Manstein's Army Group South. Rodion Malinovsky's 3rd Ukraine Front crosses the Ingulets River in the south.
SOUTHERN SECTORThe 1st Guards Army throws screening forces around Tarnopol. A furious attack is launched into the town but the Germans counterattack, forcing the Russians out. Starokonstantinovka also falls to the 38th Army after a brief struggle.
[ | ]Mediterranean
The US freighter Clark Mills (7176t) is damaged by a mine off the North African coast and beached off Bizerte. There are no casualties, but damage is to such an extent she is later written off as a total loss.
[ | ]New Britain
The 1/5 and 2/5 Marines, advancing to the attack, discover the enemy has abandoned Mount Schleuther.
[ | ]Pacific
The US submarine Lapon (SS-260) continues her pursuit of a Japanese convoy engaged the previous day in the South China Sea. The sinks the merchant cargo ships Toyokuni Maru (5792t)and Nicherei Maru (5396t).
[ | ]Solomons
On Bougainville the Japanese attacks on the Torokina Bridgehead against the 37th Div make a few gains. The airfields at Piva and Torokina are shelled.
[ | ]Images from March 9, 1944
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