Admiralty Islands

On Los Negros Island the Americans occupy the village of Loniu. There is intensive patrol activity on both Los Negros and on Manus with negligible Japanese opposition.

Air Operations, Carolines

• As Task Force 58 closes on the Palau Islands, it is attacked by 4 G4M 'Betty' torpedo bombers, based at Tinian and staging through Palau, but all are downed or driven away by antiaircraft fire.
• At about 2100 hours, 17 30th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s mount harrassment attacks against the Truk Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 8 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack supply dumps at Kamaing. 9 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s and more than 60 10th Air Force fighter-bombers support Allied ground troops in the Kamaing, Mogaung, and Sumprabum areas, and attack dumps and town areas as Kamaing, Manywet, and Mohnyin. 60 10th Air Force A-31s attack villages in the Chindwin area; and 6 A-31s attack Kalewa.

• 4 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a barracks area at Vinh Yen.

Air Operations, East Indies

380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Penfoei, Timor.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-24s attack Hollandia.

Burma

In the northeastern sector the Chinese and Americans block the Kamaing road below Shaduzup and drive off 5 Japanese counterattacks.

Canada, Home Front

Professor Stephen Leacock, economist and humorous writer, dies at the age of 73.

Eastern Front

After a vicious struggle Nikolayev, east of Odessa, falls to Malinovsky's men.

Over the next 2 weeks 24,145 German and Rumanian troops and wounded are evacuated from Odessa.

The 6th Tank Army reaches Khotin and blocks the 1st Panzer Army's line of retreat to the Prut. The isolated army comprises the III, XXIV and XLVI Panzer Corps, some 6 panzer, 1 panzer grenadier, 1 arty and 10 infantry divisions.

The 1st Guards Army launches heavy attacks against Group Neinhoff in Tarnopol. The German perimeter breaks and bloody fighting erupts inside the town. Farther south the 46th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front captures Nikolayev.

Italy

In the Anzio sector the American 34th Div replaces the 3rd Div at Cisterna.

Norwegian Sea

The British submarine Syrtis is lost near Bodø, Norway, probably to a mine, along with her crew of 48.

Images from March 28, 1944

Investiture Ceremony for British, French, Polish and American officers in Algiers, 28 MARCH 1944. General Wilson, General Devers and General Andre salute as a national anthem is played.

Investiture Ceremony in Algiers

452nd BG B-17 had its wing sheared off by flak during a 28 March 1944 raid to France. This eerie photograph captures the aircraft going down in flames moments after the flak hit.

B-17 Hit by Flak

Flak Damaged B-17

The heavily damaged B-17 'Whodat' / 'The Dingbat', serial: 42-37754, of the 534th BS, 381st BG, 8th AF On the mission of 28 March 1944 to bomb an airfield at Reims/Champagne, France, the B-17 took a direct flak hit just behind the waist gun positions. The hit killed both waist gunners and the tail gunner instantly and wounded another man. Despite not having any tail controls, both pilots (1st Lt. Daniel C. Henry, and 2nd Lt. Robert W. Crisler) were able to limp the plane back to England.

Lulu, mascot of the 6th New Zealand Field Ambulance Dressing Station, mounts lookout from atop her human minder, M. Batisch, near Monte Cassino. Photo taken by NZ war photographer George F. Kaye, 28 March, 1944.

Lulu, Mascot of the 6th New Zealand Field Ambulance Dressing Station

This photo shows Japanese weapons collected in the cleanup on Hill 260, Bougainville, after being taken by American troops 28 March 1944.

Collected Japanese Weapons on Bougainville

The Banyan tree, home of the precious Observation Post, and the key objective of the battle, lay in ruins after the fighting, 28 March 1944.

Banyan Tree Observation Post

Erwin Rommel Inspecting the Atlantic Sea Wall Installation in France, 28 March 1944

Sherman Tank of the 37th Infantry Division, Bougainville, March 1944