Sunday, March 8, 2026

Sunday, 8 March 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Japanese naval force (Rear Admiral Kajioka Sadamichi) occupies Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea.

            Japanese occupy Rangoon, Burma.

            Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I-25 reconnoiters Wellington, New Zealand.

ATLANTIC—Net tender Mulberry (YN-22) rescues 14 survivors from U.S. freighter Cardonia, sunk by German submarine U-126the day before.

            Coast Guard cutter Calypso (WPC-104) rescues 54 survivors from Brazilian steamship Arabutan, sinks their lifeboats as a hazard to navigation, and transports the men to Little Creek, Virginia.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

TENTH AF—HQ Tenth AF begins moving from Patterson Field to India. Between this date and 13 Mar, the 8 B‑17’s in India transport 474 troops and 29 tons of supplies from India to Magwe and on the return flights evacuate 423 civilians.

ELEVENTH AF—Col William O Butler assumes command of the Eleventh with HQ at Ft Richardson.

US ARMY

ALASKA—Brigadier General William O. Butler assumes command of U.S. Eleventh Air Force under Alaska Defense Command (Maj General Simon B. Buckner, Jr.). Alaska Defense Command is in turn under Western Defense Command (Lt General John L. De-Witt), which was designated a theater of operations early in the war.

BURMA—63d Brigade and elements of 16th, with tank and artillery support, clear Japanese block on Rangoon–Prome road at Taukkyan. During period 8–13 March, heavy bombers of U.S. Tenth Air Force transport troops and supplies from India to Magwe, Burma.

MIDDLE EAST—General Ritchie is ordered by General Auchinleck to provide diversion in Libya for passage of convoy to Malta. Supply situation on Malta is very serious.

US MARINE CORPS

Japanese land at Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea.

 

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