Admiralty IslandsThe US 8th Cav begins to mop up the eastern part of Manus Island. [ | ]Air Operations, Central PacificVII Bomber Command B-24s attack Wake Island. [ | ]Air Operations, CBIBURMA
Air Operations, Europe
Evening Ops:
Air Operations, New Guinea
Battle of the AtlanticThe German submarine U-1059 is sunk by aircraft from the US escort carrier Block Island (CVE-21) in the Atlantic area. [ | ]BurmaIn the northeast sector, a detachment sent from the British and Chinese strongpoint at Fort Hertz occupies the village of Sumprabum. The US 5307th unit is ordered to block the road to Kamaing near Inkangahtawng. In the central sector the 5th Indian Div moves, partly by train and partly by air, into the area where the Japanese pressure is strongest. [ | ]Eastern FrontKonev's 2nd Ukraine Front forces reach and crosses the Dniestr near Yampol capturing Soroki a little to the south. Northwest of Konev's forces the German strongpoint of Mogilev-Podolsky is taken by assault by Soviet divisions converging from northeast and southeast. Near Dubno the Russians also take the town of Krzemieniec(Kremenech?). CENTRAL SECTORThe 1st Belorussian Front launches a limited attack north of the Pripet Marshes. SOUTHERN SECTORKovel falls to the 47th Army of the 2nd Belorussian Front after a brisk battle. This army has been deployed on the Front's left wing in order to strengthen the westward thrust. The 2nd Tank Army takes Soroki while the 6th Tank Army reaches the Dniestr on a broad front around Mogilev-Podolsky. Raus' 1st Panzer Army is virtually isolated by these deep Soviet thrusts, being hemmed in between Mogilev Podolsky and Tarnopol. DIPLOMACY: HUNGARYPremier Kallay flees to Turkey as German units cross the border to bring Hungary under military contro. Operation MARGARET is successfully carried out as the Ostheer secures its lines of communication for Army Group South. [ | ]HungaryIn Operation MARGARETE I (PANZERFAUST?) the Germans move into Hungary to prevent a collapse and ensure a line of retreat for their forces and continued access to the oil resources. It is also to forestall Hungarian attempts to make peace with the Allies. Prime Minister Miklos Kallay resigns and Dome Sztojay, the Ambassador in Berlin, forms a collaborationist government. German forces occupy Hungary under an operation codenamed MARGARET. Ever since the Hungarian Army suffered huge losses around Stalingrad in early 1943, Hungary has been a lukewarm member of the Axis. Indeed, from April 1943 Premier Miklos Kallay has committed only a small number of poorly armed troops to the Axis war effort. Hitler has received reports proving that Hungary has been clandestinely dealing with the enemy and, in mid-March, Himmler learned from agents in Budapest that Kallay was advocating the sabotage of German military trains running through Hungary to Manstein's and Kleist's army groups on the Eastern Front. In view of all these things, and fearing that Hungary might conclude a separate peace, Hitler has ordered the occupation of Hungary and will force the government to increase its contribution to the war effort. Kallay flees to Turkey. Dome Sztojay, a pro-Nazi, becomes the new prime minister. His government will jail political leaders, dissolve the unions and resume the deportation of Hungarian Jews to the death camps. It also looks as if Rumania is about to collapse in the face of the Russian advance and the BBC warns the Rumanian people that the hour of defeat is about to strike. [ | ]ItalyIn the Monte Cassino sector a German counterattack fails to recapture Height 193, but the Allies advance slows down. The fighting is ferocious, although during one episode, reminiscent of ancient chivalry, both sides agree to a 2 hours' truce to allow the dead and wounded to be carried off the battlefield. The Allies lend their stretchers to the Germans and give chocolate to wounded men and stretcher-bearers. [ | ]New GuineaUS destroyers repeat their shelling of the Japanese base at Wewak. After putting in at Wewak the Japanese supply convoy has put to sea again for Hollandia, but is surprised and destroyed by bombers and torpedo-aircraft of the US 5th Air Force. [ | ]Images from March 19, 1944
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
[March 18th - March 20th] |