Admiralty Islands

After a violent preliminary air bombardment, a squadron of the US 7th Cav lands on Hauwei Island, north of Manus, and manages to establish a small beachhead there. There is strong Japanese resistance under the command of Col Yoshio Ezaki.

Air Operations, Bismarcks

VMF-216 and VMF-222 F4Us down 4 A6M Zeros in the Rabaul area between 1100 and 1145 hours. These Japanese aircraft have been assembled by maintenance personnel from numerous wrecks and spare parts.

Air Operations, CBI

• 1 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25 and more than 50 10th Air Force P-51s, P-40s, and A-36s attack Shaduzup, supply dumps at Malakawng and Manywet, and troops and supplies near Kamaing and at Shedwiyang.

Air Operations, Europe

• 11 Mosquitos are sent to Aachen and 3 to Duisburg without a loss.

• Despite bad weather, 52 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack the St.-Pol/Siracourt Airdrome or nearby targets of opportunity.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• 12 V Bomber Command B-25s attack Japanese Army ground troops and communications facilities at Lorengau, Manus Island. More than 40 B-24s, B-25s, and A-20s attack targets around Wewak.
• 35th Fighter Group P-47s and 49th Fighter Group P-40s down a total of 18 Japanese fighters over the Wewak area between 1040 and 1130 hours.

Air Operations, Solomons

• The Japanese Army attack against the Piva Uncle and Piva Yoke airfields on Bougainville falters but cannot be fully contained by US Army ground forces. Japanese artillery, which has been silent for two days, bombards the airfield complex with great intensity. One Piper Cub is destroyed and steel planking on the runway is damaged.
• Throughout the day, 114 AirSols SBDs and 45 TBFs continuously attack Japanese ground troops and artillery batteries.

Allied Planning

The Allied Joint Chiefs of Staff issue a directive for Gen MacArthur and Adm Nimitz laying down the principles of collaboration between the two commanders, and setting as their objectives February 1945 the invasion of Luzon and Formosa. The projected invasion of Kavieng is cancelled. Instead, Emira in the St Matthias Islands will be occupied. The need to invade Hollandia, in New Guinea, is confirmed. Kavieng and Rabaul are to be neutralized and isolated with the least possible expenditure of forces.

Bougainville

The 148th Infantry Regiment captures Hill 700 after methodically attacking the captured pillboxes on the hill one at a time with grenades, flamethrowers, and bazookas. Over 300 Japanese soldiers are found dead on the hill.

he 182nd Infantry Regiment supported by infantry companies from the 132nd Infantry attacks again to capture South Knob on Hill 260 but is unable to hold the gains made.

Burma

In the northeast of the country the Chinese and Americans try to surround the Japanese 18th Div, cutting the Kamaing road south of Jambu Bum Pass. In the Arakan sector the 15th Indian Div advances towards Razabil. The Japanese 33rd Div reaches Witok on the approaches to the Shenan Saddle.

CBI

The 1st Battalion of the Marauders moves south the cut the main road near Shaduzup as the Chinese 22nd and 38th Divisions advance. The Marauders have the Chinese 113th Regiment attached to them. The 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Marauders move toward Inkangahtawng. The rest of the 3rd Battalion moves to block Japanese troop movement over the Chindwin River.

Diplomatic Relations

London orders a halt to all travel between the Irish Republic and Great Britain because the Irish refused to order German and Japanese diplomats out of the country.

Eastern Front

Konev's forces reach the River Bug at Gayvoron. Other attacks capture Donliskaya. Uman in the Ukraine is captured by the 2nd Ukraine Front.

Italy, Home Front

Pope Pius XII appeals to the belligerents to spare Rome from destruction.

Marshalls

US forces occupy Wotho Atoll. There is is no opposition.

Occupied Czechoslovakia

The Czech Government in London broadcasts a call to arms for civilians in Czechoslovakia.

Pacific

• The US submarine Flying Fish (SS-229) sinks the Japanese merchant cargo ship Taijin Maru (1937t) about 10 miles northwest of Daito Jima.
• The US submarine Gato (SS-212) sinks the Japanese army cargo ship No.3 Okinoyama Maru (873t) north of New Guinea.

Solomons

On Bougainville the American forces begin to gain the upper hand over the attacking Japanese.

United States, Planning

The JCS issues a directive declaring Formosa-China-Luzon to be the operational objectives in the Pacific for 1944, ordering Adm Nimitz's staff to begin planning for the invacion of Formosa (Operation CAUSEWAY), scheduled for the spring of 1945.

The JCS orders offensive operations against Kavieng, New Ireland, cancelled, but allow seizure of the Mussa Islands or Emirau, north of Kavieng, as a substitute. Offensive operations to seize Hollandia in New Guinea are approved as outlined in MacArthur's RENO IV plan. Truk will be bypassed and the Mariana Islands will be captured by June 15, with the Palau Islands following in September. Gen MacArthur is to prepare plans for an invasion of Mindanao scheduled for November 15. The JCS sets February 15, 1945 as the date for a decision on whether to continue with the conquest of the Philippines by capturing Luzon, or to conduct operations to capture Formosa. The JCS maintains its two-pronged offensive plan, which was first laid out in May 1943, but does not indicate whether the Philippines will be liberated as the main effort (MacArthur's plan) or bypassed in favor of a main effort directed against Formosa (Nimitz's plan).

The JCS instructs Adm Nimitz to plan for offensive operations to occupy the Palau Islands beginning September 8, 1944. The operation is called STALEMATE.

Images from March 12, 1944

A Jeep Towing Another Jeep out of the Water

Crash Landing at Friston, Sussex

Captured Dewoitine D-520C1 Used as Trainer