MARCH 1942.                                         PACIFIC WAR
    Mar 1 . Perth and Houston sunk during raid on Banter Bay
    Mar 1 . 2nd Japanese landing on Java.
    Mar 1 . Exeter, Encounter, Evertsen, and Pope sunk S. of Borneo.
    Mar 1 . Pecos and Edsall sunk N. of Australia. Edsall attacked 2 BB, 1 CA.
    Mar 1 . ABDA naval command disbanded.
    Mar 1 . U-656 attacked by Hudson bomber near Newfoundland is first U-boat sunk by USN.
    Mar 2 . Pillsury, Stronghold, Witte de With sunk.
    Mar 3 . Asheville sunk.
    Mar 4 . Yarra, Anking, Francol, MMS.51 sunk. The Allies are losing the war.
    Mar 4 . Enterprise (CV-6,TF 8, Halsey) raids Marcus Island.
    Mar 5 . King-FDR "We cannot in honor let Australia and New Zealand down".
    Mar 6 . Lexington (Fitch) and Yorktown (Fletcher) join up intending to raid Rabaul.
    Mar 6 . LtGen Stilwell arrives Chungking as Chiang Ki-shek's (China) chief of staff.
    Mar 7 . British troops land in Greece, weakening the Africa front just as Rommel arrives.
    Mar 8 . Japanese invade New Guinea at Lae and Salamaua.
    Mar 8 . Alcan highway construction starts, 1,390 miles.
    Mar 9 . Java surrendered.
    Mar 10. MacArthur ordered to Australia. FDR promised her defend to allow Aussie troops to remain in Africa.
    Mar 10. Lexington and Yorktown attack Japanese invasion force at New Guinea.
    Mar 11. Enterprise (Halsey) returns to Pearl after Marcus Island raid.
    Mar 11. MacArthur, family, staff depart Corregidor in 4 PT boats at night.
    Mar 12. Roosevelt signs the Lend Lease Act, military aid to England, China, USSR,
    Mar 12. U.S. Army lands on New Caledonia (French) to establish base at Noumea.
    Mar 12. Fall of Netherlands East Indies.
    Mar 12. British armed trawlers augment U.S.N. anti-sub efforts off Atlantic City, NJ.
    Mar 12: German Panzer division to North Africa.
    Mar 13. Japanese land in Solomon Islands from Rabaul.
    Mar 13. MacArthur's PT boats arrive Cagayan, PI.
    Mar 14. The first American troops reach Australia.
    Mar 15. MacArthur's party depart in B-17 for Darwin.
    Mar 16. Submarine Permit (SS-178) delivers ammunition to Corregidor, evacuates code breakers.
    Mar 17. United States assumes strategic defense of the Pacific Ocean.
    Mar 17. MacArthur arrives Australia by B-17 during Japanese attack.
    Mar 18. FDR signs Executive Order "Establishing the War Relocation Authority" to house enemy aliens moved from war zone.
    Mar 19. FDR ordered men between 45 and 64 to register for non military duty.
    Mar 20. South Dakota (BB-57) commissions, enters Pacific in Aug.
    Mar 20. Hornet (CV-8), new carrier, arrives at San Francisco.
      Yorktown patrols Coral Sea; Lexington enroute to Pearl from New Guinea raid.
    Mar 21. MacArthur & family arrive Kooringa by train; discovers no U.S. Army waiting.
    Mar 22. MacArthur arrives Melbourne, greeted by 360 American troops.
    Mar 23. Italian Spring Offensive in Albania ends, heavy losses, no progress.
    Mar 23. Japanese occupy Andaman Islands, Bay of Bengal.
    Mar 23. Submarine Gato (SS-212) bombed by blimp off San Francisco Bay.
    Mar 24. Japanese naval planes begin daily bombings of Corregidor.
    Mar 24. Rommel makes first offensive, pushes British back to Egypt in 3-weeks.
    Mar 24. British Far East Fleet assembles at Ceylon : 5 BB, 3 CV, 2 CA, 6 CL,15 DD, 5 SS.
    Mar 25. Messerschmitt Me-262 twin-jet fighter flown; first combat jet.
    Mar 25. Adm King diverts forces to establish base at Efate, New Hebrides, leaving Noumea, N.Caledonia, for Army.
    Mar 26. Washington (BB-56), Wasp (CV-7), Wichita (CA-45), Tuscaloosa (CA-37) and 8 DD sail from Portland, Maine, to reinforce British Home Fleet.
      [Fair trade for two armed trawlers.]
     Mar 26. Japanese fleet departs Celebes to raid Ceylon : 4 BB, 5 CV, 2 CA, 1 CL, 8 DD, 5 SS.
    Mar 26. Lexington arrives Pearl from Coral Sea for dry dock overhaul.
    Mar 27-28. British raid St. Nazaire, Fr, use old US destroyer to destroy locks.
    Mar 28. A second Japanese fleet departs for Bay of Bengal: 4 CA, 1 CVL, 8 DD for merchant raid.
    Mar 29. The forward echelon of Marine Fighter Squadron 212 arrived at Efate to construct an air strip; initiated operations New Hebrides 27May'42.
    Mar 29. Battle of Cape Matapan: the British navy destroys Italian cruiser division off Crete.
    Mar 30. Joint Chiefs divide Pacific Ocean (Nimitz) and SW Pacific (MacArthur).
    Mar 30. Japanese forces occupy Christmas Island, Indian Ocean.
    Mar 31. Two army transports and escorts arrive at Ascension Island to build an airfield.         
    Mar 31. Colorado (BB-45) sails from W.Coast; in overhaul since Jun'41.
      US Asiatic submarines sink two ships in March, ten ships in the first 4-months of war.   See dud torpedoes.
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