8 Mar 1943
  • American forces were attacked by Japanese troops on Hill 700 in Bougainville, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Solomon Islands Campaign | CPC]
  • The American ban on sliced bread, originally intended on saving wrapping paper but was found to be ineffective, was lifted. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • In Germany, over 1,000 non-Jewish wives of deported Jewish men continued to protest in Berlin. Propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels released 1,500 Jewish men to stabilize the situation. ww2dbase [Joseph Goebbels | CPC]
  • Allied forces pursuing the retreating Operation Capri forces gave up the chase due to poor weather in southeastern Tunisia. ww2dbase [Battle of Medenine | CPC]
  • General Henry Arnold agreed to give Claire Chennault an air force independent from the USAAF, but maintained Chennault's position underneath Joseph Stilwell. ww2dbase [Claire Chennault | CPC]
  • Destroyer Yukikaze arrived at Shortland Islands, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Yukikaze | CPC]
  • USS New Mexico arrived at Efate, New Hebrides. ww2dbase [New Mexico | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
  • A lone Catalina flying boat of the US 53rd Patrol Squadron returning from a patrol spotted the German submarine U-156 east of Barbados. The submarine was on the surface with her crew sunbathing and fishing on deck, and with hatches open. The lookouts failed to spot the aircraft as it delivered its attack at sea level. Three bombs straddled the submarine which could soon be seen to be sinking fast. A rubber dinghy was dropped but when rescuers arrived no trace could be found of survivors. ww2dbase [AC]
Caroline Islands
  • Yugure and Hagikaze escorted Chuyo out of Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Chuyo | Yugure | Truk | CPC]
Dutch East Indies
  • Kamoi arrived at Babo, Dutch New Guinea at 1015 hours. At 1212 hours, a PBY Catalina aircraft attacked Kamoi with 3 bombs, all of which missed. ww2dbase [Kamoi | Babo, Dutch New Guinea | CPC]
France
  • US bombers, including the 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh, escorted by RAF Spitfires attacked the U-Boat supply centre of Rennes and Rouen in France. The accompanying Spitfire fighters claimed the destruction of 25 enemy fighters.n ww2dbase [RAF Thurleigh | Bombing of Cities in France and Low Countries | AC]
Hawaii Indian Ocean
  • The unescorted 7,176-ton American merchant ship James B. Stephens (Master John Edward Green Jr.) was hit by a torpedo on the port side from German submarine U-160 (Kapitänleutnant Georg Lassen) in the Indian Ocean about 40 miles east of the South African coast. The crew began to abandon ship in four lifeboats and three rafts. About 10 minutes after the first hit, at 2032 hours, she suffered a second torpedo hit again on the port side, breaking her in two. The second explosion overturned one of the lifeboats, killing an armed guard of the ship who could not swim; all remaining 62 men aboard this ship would survive. ww2dbase [CPC]
Pacific Ocean
  • USS Permit attacked a Japanese convoy between Honshu island and Hokkaido island consisted of nine merchant ships and two escort vessels, sinking merchant ship Hisashima Maru, hitting her with 2 of 3 torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Permit | CPC]
United States Photo(s) dated 8 Mar 1943
A Jeep brought litters to the B-17F Fortress “The Old Man” of the 65th Bomb Squadron shortly after landing at Dobodura, New Guinea, Mar 8 1943. The B-17 was attacked by 13 Japanese fighters during a photo-recon mission over Gasmata, New BritainRighting Oklahoma during her salvage at Pearl Harbor, 8 Mar 1943Aerial view of the Boston Navy Yard, 8 Mar 1943. Note the three-masted square-rigged frigate and veteran of the War of 1812 USS Constitution near the top of the image.

8 Mar 1943 Interactive Map

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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