Air Operations, Bonin Islands16 15th Fighter Group P-51s mount an attack against the Susaki airfield on Chichi Jima, their first offensive mission since arriving on Iwo Jima on March 6. Through the end of the war, VII Fighter Command fighter-bombers will fly 1,638 effective sorties to neutralize airfields and interdict shipping in the Bonins. [ | ]Air Operations, Carolines24 Japanese amikaze aircraft based on Kyushu attack US Navy ships in the Ulithi anchorage. 22 of the attackers are downed by anti-aircraft fire, one intentionally crashes into a small island, and one crashes into the fleet carrier USS Randolph, which will be out of commission for a month. [ | ]Air Operations, CBIBURMA
Air Operations, EuropeRAF BOMBER COMMANDDaylight Ops:
Minor Ops:
Air Operations, Formosa
Air Operations, JapanDuring the night, 285 of 310 XXI Bomber Command B-29s dispatched attack Nagoya with incendiary bombs from 5,100 to 8,500 feet. 6 B-29s attack other targets. 1 B-29 is lost. [ | ]Air Operations, PacificIn Operation TAN GINGA fast 2-engined bombers carry out a night kamikaze raid on the Ulithi Atoll, the Pacific Fleet base. The carrier Randolph (CV-15) is damaged in the raid. [ | ]Air Operations, Philippines
Battle of the Atlantic
Britain, Home Front70 Germans stage a mass escape from a PoW camp at Bridgend, Glamorgan in southern Wales. All will be recaptured by March 17. [ | ]BurmaIn the British XXXIII Corps sector, the 19th Indian Div carries on the battle for the capture of Mandalay, occupying a hill that overlooks the northeast part of the city. (10th?)Mongmit is captured by a converging attack by the 2 bdes of the British 36th Div which have moved south from Myitsos and the 3rd bde of the division which moves in from the west. [ | ]Diplomatic RelationsEmperor Bao Dai proclaims Vietnam's independence from the French, but the Japanese remain in firm control. [ | ]Eastern FrontTroops of the 2nd Front press from the south toward Danzig and Gdynia. Berlin announces slight penetrations inthe area of Küstrin (Kostrzyn). In Hungary, the Germans persist with their offensive, but their losses are getting heavier and heavier, and the Russian resistance is stiffening. CENTRAL SECTORFierce fighting rages around Kustrin as the 5th Shock Army and 8th Guards Army attempt to dislodge the isolated garrison. Gen Rendulic is appointed to command Army Group Kurland, Gen Weiss, Army Group North and Gen Manteuffel the 3rd Panzer Army. Von Saucken takes over the remains of the 2nd Army in East Prussia. [ | ]Germany, Home FrontIn a Berlin speech commemorating Heroes' Day, Hitler urges Germans to fight on: 'We know what the fate of Germany would be otherwise. Our enemies, drunk with victory, have made it clearly known: extermination of the German nation.' [ | ]Iwo JimaThe 4th Marine Div finally overcomes Japanese resistance in its sector on the right flank of the American line. In the center, the 3rd Marine Div eliminates the remaining Japanese strongpoints one by one, while on the left the 5th Div advances very slowly despite support from close-range fire and the use of tanks armed with flame-throwers. [ | ]PhilippinesOn Luzon in the US XIV Corps sector, the 43rd Div replaces the 1st Cav Div in the operations against the Shimbu line. A regiment of the 6th Inf Div makes considerable progress south of Antipolo and repulses a series of night counterattacks by the Japanese. In the southern part of Luzon the Americans occupy the Batangas area. In the I Corps sector, the US 33rd Div advances to within 10 miles west of Baguio, while on the Villa Verde track the 32nd Div is held up by the Japanese at Salacsac Pass. Units of the 35th Div occupy Salazar. The US 41st Div occupies Zamboanga City on Mindanao Island. The completion of the occupation of the islands of Burias and Ticao is handed over to the Filipino guerrillas. During the night small American units land unopposed on Romblon Island. [ | ]Secret WarUltra gives warning of jet attacks on the Remagen Bridge. [ | ]Western FrontWith the capture of the Blucher strongpoint, the 35th Div, XVI Corps, US 9th Army, completes its advance on Wesel. American units take up positions around the Remagen bridgehead. The 78th Div, III Corps, 1st Army, is responsible for the northern flank of the bridgehead, while in the center the 9th Div continues its attacks in the Hargarten area and on the right the 99th Div appears, in an offensive toward the southeast and south that reaches Leubsdorf and Ariendorf. Meanwhile, further south, the 2nd Div, V Corps, strengthens its positions on the Rhine. The VIII and XII Corps, US 3rd Army, continue mopping-up operations on the west bank of the Rhine and betwen the Rhine and the Moselle, in preparation for a crossing of the Moselle. The Moselle is also the objective of the XX Corps, whose 10th Arm Div begins to advance toward the river in the Bullay sector. [ | ]Images from March 11, 1945
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[March 10th - March 12th] |