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Chronology of World War II

The "Flying Tigers"
The "Flying Tigers"

Sunday, March 1, 1942

In Burma... The Chinese 5th Army moves into position at Toungoo on the Sittang River, 150 miles from Rangoon. The "Flying Tigers" volunteer air force under the command of Chennault's move to the RAF bomber base after their exceptional air defense of Rangoon.

On the Eastern Front... The Red Army begins a new offensive in the Crimea.

From Germany... General Halder, estimates that German losses in the war with the Soviet Union have reached 1,500,000

In the East Indies... The remainder of Doorman's naval squadron withdraws from Java fighting rear guard actions in the Sunda Strait. The force loses three cruisers and four destroyers. Japanese forces land with little or no opposition on Java at Kragan, Merak and Eretenwetan.


Japanese General Homma arrives in the Philippines
Japanese General Homma arrives in the Philippines

Monday, March 2, 1942

In the Philippines... Japanese forces land on Mindanao. Japanese warships bombard targets on Mindanao, Ceo and Negros Islands.

In Burma... the Japanese troops cross the Sittang River in force.

In the East Indies... Batavia on Java falls to Japanese Troops


Tuesday, March 3, 1942

On the Eastern Front... German reports acknowledge the difficulties of 16th Army in the north, which is still partially encircled.


General Stilwell
General Stilwell

Wednesday, March 4, 1942

In China... US China headquarters is established by General Stillwell at Chunking

In the Central Pacific... American Admiral Halsey's naval force attacks Marcus Island.


General Brooke
General Brooke

Thursday, March 5, 1942

From London... Admiral Pound is replaced by General Brookes as Chairman of the British Chiefs of Staff Committee. This appointment improves relations between Churchill and the Committee as Admiral Pound was noted for a strictly maritime point of view.

In Burma... British General Alexander arrives in Rangoon to assume command. He orders counterattacks.

In the South Pacific... Japanese invasion forces leave Rabaul for New Guinea.


Friday, March 6, 1942

In the Arctic... The German battleship Tirpitz sets sail from her base in Trondheim to intercept the ships of convoys QP-8 and PQ-12 running from Iceland to Archangel. Despite information sent to the British carrier Victorious, no contact is made between the forces. The British Admiralty draws criticism because of its inaction.

In Burma... British General Alexander's' counterattacks against the Japanese fail and he confirms the order to retreat from Rangoon.

In the Mediterranean... British carrier Eagle brings 18 Spitfires to Malta. 7 Blenheim bombers are also sent to aid in the defense of the island and offensive actions against Axis convoys.


British destroy supplies before retreating
British destroy supplies before retreating

Saturday, March 7, 1942

In Burma... The British troops leave Rangoon and Pegu, retiring north. The fall of port at Rangoon means that all Allied supplies must be brought in overland from India. By nightfall, the Japanese 33rd Division occupies the city.

In the Dutch East Indies... Japanese forces takes Surabaya and Lembang on Java

In New Guinea... The Japanese invasion forces land in the Salamaua area.


Sunday, March 8, 1942

In New Guinea... Japanese invasion forces land at Lae and Salamaua.


Monday, March 9, 1942

In the Dutch East Indies... The Dutch government on Java is evacuated. The Japanese have complete control of the island. General Ter Poorten agrees to surrender 100,000 Allied troops.

From Washington... Admiral Ghormley is relieved by Admiral Hard Stark as commander US naval forces in European waters.


USS Yorktown
USS Yorktown

Tuesday, March 10, 1942

In New Guinea... American aircraft launched from the American carriers Lexington and Yorktown attack Japanese vessels near Lae.


General Wainwright and General MacArthur
General Wainwright and General MacArthur

Wednesday, March 11, 1942

In the Philippines... "I shall return." Words spoken by American General Douglas MacArthur as he leaves Luzon. General Wainwright takes over his command.

In Burma... American General Stillwell takes command of the Chinese 5th and 6th Armies (actually size of European army divisions). His first action is to concentrate forces around Mandalay and in the Shan States.

In the Mediterranean... German U-boat, U-565 sinks the British cruiser Naiad, north of Sollum.


Propoganda poster exhorts the Dutch to free the East Indies
Propoganda poster exhorts the Dutch to free the East Indies

Thursday, March 12, 1942

In the Dutch East Indies... Japanese accept the formal surrender of the Dutch forces. Units of the Japanese Imperial Guard land in northern areas of Sumatra.

In the South Pacific... On New Caledonia, American troops land to garrison the island. These forces include the first operational "Seabees."

On the Solomon Islands... The Japanese complete the conquest of the islands.


Friday, March 13, 1942

On the Eastern Front... In a mass attack launched from the Kerch Peninsula in the Crimea, the Soviets lose 130 tanks in three days.


Saturday, March 14, 1942

In Australia... Large numbers of American troops arrive.


Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler

Sunday, March 15, 1942

In Berlin... Hitler announces that the Soviet Union will be "annihilatingly defeated" in the next summer offensive.


Monday, March 16, 1942

On the Eastern Front... In response to the problem of partisans in the occupied Soviet Union, the Germans set up a special air detachment in Bobruisk, with orders to bomb partisan camps and seek partisan units from the air. They will take part in Operation Munich, a three-week anti-partisan sweep to begin in the third week of March.

In the Philippines... Japanese siege guns bombard American forts in Manila Bay. One 240 mm shell detonates beneath a Fort Frank powder room, breaking up the concrete and hurling some 60 (filled) powder cans about. Miraculously, none of them explode or catch fire.


MacArthur (right) arrives in Australia
MacArthur (right) arrives in Australia

Tuesday, March 17, 1942

In Australia... American General Douglas MacArthur arrives in Australia and assumes the position of Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific.


Wednesday, March 18, 1942

From London... Admiral Mountbatten is appointed Chief of Combined Operations.


Thursday, March 19, 1942

In Burma... General Slim takes command of the British Forces in Burma. They are reorganized as the British 1st Burma Corps.


Friday, March 20, 1942

In the Mediterranean... An important convoy leaves Gibraltar for Malta, to supply food and munitions to the besieged island. Its escort, led by Admiral Via, consists of 5 light cruisers and 17 destroyers faces opposition from the entire Italian Mediterranean Fleet.


Saturday, March 21, 1942

On the Eastern Front... The units of the German 16th Army entrapped at Demyansk begin attempts to break out.


Buildings reduced to rubble on Malta
Buildings reduced to rubble on Malta

Sunday, March 22, 1942

In the Mediterranean... The Italians send out the battleship Littorio, two heavy cruisers, one light cruiser and eight destroyers to intercept the British convoy to Malta carrying vital food supplies and ammunition. The convoy is located, but the British escort under Admiral Vian manages to beat off the attack using torpedoes and smokes screens. The heavy attacks by German and Italian forces continue and only 5000 tons of food and equipment is off loaded at Malta. The food and weapons situation on the island is now critical.


Monday, March 23, 1942

In the Indian Ocean... Operation Ironclad. The British launch an occupation of the island of Madagascar to prevent it from being used as a point of contact between the Axis forces in the Middle East and the Japanese. Churchill has expressed fears of Madagascar becoming a "halfway house" for the Axis powers.


Japanese tanks participating in the assault on Bataan
Japanese tanks participating in the assault on Bataan

Tuesday, March 24, 1942

In the Philippines... American positions on Bataan and Corregidor are attacked by Japanese aircraft and artillery.

In China... General Alexander and Chiang Kai-shek meet to discuss plans for the co-operation of Chinese and British Forces.

In Burma... Japanese troops continue their advances around Toungoo against the Chinese Army.


Wednesday, March 25, 1942

From the United States... Rear Admiral John Wilcox commanding Task Force 39 with the battleship Washington, two cruiser and six destroyers sail for Scapa Flow to protect British home waters for the duration of Operation Ironclad -- the British invasion of Vichy French controlled Madagascar. This is a reflection of the heavy Allied losses in capital ships to Japanese action in the Pacific.


Thursday, March 26, 1942

In London... Churchill comments, "It now seems very likely that we and our Allies cannot lose this war... except through our own fault."


Japanese soldiers overrun British airfield in Burma
Japanese soldiers overrun British airfield in Burma

Friday, March 27, 1942

In Burma... All RAF aircraft and the remainder of Chennault's American volunteer air force are withdrawn from Burma. Japanese attacks on Toungoo against the Chinese 200th Division continue.

In London... Admiral Somerville is given command of the British Far East Fleet at Ceylon.

In Australia... General Blamey returns to Australia with troops from North Africa. He is appointed to command Allied land forces in Australia.


Damage from the raid at St Nazaire
Damage from the raid at St Nazaire

Saturday, March 28, 1942

In Occupied France... British commandos stage a raid at St. Nazaire. The dock gates of the port are damaged, however the raid suffers great losses. The damage done however, will prevent German battleship Tirpitz from docking in western France.


Results of the bombing raid on Lubeck
Results of the bombing raid on Lubeck

Sunday, March 29, 1942

In Germany... A British bombing raid on Lubeck is so successful that Hitler orders reprisal raids. These reprisal raids will become known as the "Baedeker Raids."

In Burma... General Stillwell orders British troops to attack Boungde to relieve pressure on the Chinese fighting at Toungoo.

In the Arctic... A British convoy, bound for the port of Murmansk in the USSR, is fired upon by German surface vessels. The convoy escapes. However, the heavy German ships are now based in Norway due to the destruction of the deep port at St. Nazaire and the northern convoys will face heavier opposition.


Monday, March 30, 1942

From Washington... The Joint Chiefs divide the Pacific into two command spheres. Admiral Nimitz is appointed Commander in Chief of the Pacific Ocean zone and General MacArthur, the Commander in Chief of the Southwest Pacific. This demarcation will lead to friction when planning the reconquest of the east.


General Stillwell with a Chinese officer
General Stillwell with a Chinese officer

Tuesday, March 31, 1942

In Burma... General Stilwell's attempt to relieve pressure on the Chinese armies with a British attack fails and the Chinese forces must withdraw from Toungoo.

In the Indian Ocean... Admiral Somerville responds to intelligence concerning a coming Japanese attack by its main carrier forces, by moving the British Eastern Fleet from Ceylon. Somerville plans to avoid detection during the day and hunt the Japanese ships by night as the British have a tactical advantage in night operations.

Copyright © 2018 Ralph Zuljan