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• Axis forces launched a failed pre-emptive strike, Operation Capri, in southeastern Tunisia near Medenine. The operation was canceled by the evening as Rommel concluded that his forces did not have the initiative of battle. ww2dbase [Battle of Medenine | CPC]
• German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels called off a round of deportation of Jews from Berlin because of public protests at a Jewish home for the aged. He secretly ordered the deportations to resume after a few weeks when public sentiments would have eased off a little. ww2dbase [Joseph Goebbels | CPC]
• Croatian Catholic Archbishop Stepinac protested the killing of Jews married to Christians to little effect. ww2dbase [CPC]
• George Patton was named the commanding officer of the US II Corps. ww2dbase [George Patton | CPC]
• Destroyer Yuzuki rescued survivors of sunken Kiriha Maru and assisted Mitto Maru, which was damaged in the same attack. ww2dbase [Yuzuki | CPC]
• The German 71st Werfer Regiment went into action in support of Field Marshal Rommel's disastrous tank attack on the Eighth Army at Medenine in Tunisia. Personally brought forward by Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) Count Claus von Stauffenberg, later organizer of the 1944 bomb plot against Hitler, the regiment's three batteries were rapidly knocked out by Allied fighter bombers-the dust thrown up by the launching of the Nebelwerfer rockets having revealed their camouflaged positions. ww2dbase [15 cm NbW 41 | AC]
• The Chindits reached Wuntho-Indaw railway in Burma near Nankan and Pinlebu. They fought off the Japanese units guarding key points of the railway and proceeded to destroy tracks, blasted cliffs to cause rocks to fall onto tracks, mined rail bridges, and destroyed other rail bridges. ww2dbase [Operation Longcloth | CPC]
• Light cruiser Astoria was launched. ww2dbase [Astoria (Cleveland-class) | CPC]
• Joseph Stalin was created a Marshal of the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [Joseph Stalin | AC]
• Kanichi Kashimura was shot down by a F4F fighter over the Russell Islands in the Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Kanichi Kashimura | CPC]

• The headquarters of USAAF 49th Fighter Group was transferred from Port Moresby to Dobodura Airfield, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Dobodura Airfield | Dobodura | CPC]

• Japanese aircraft attacked American positions at the Russell Islands in the Solomon Islands for the first time; these positions were manned by the US Marine Corps 11th Defense Battalion. Meanwhile, US warships bombarded the Vila-Munda area in New Georgia. ww2dbase [Solomon Islands Campaign | CPC]
• Shortly after midnight, destroyers USS Fletcher, USS Nicholas, USS O’Bannon, and USS Radford formed a bombardment line offshore of the Japanese airstrip at Munda, New Georgia, Solomon Islands and shelled the airstrip. By daybreak, the destroyer group had entered Purvis Bay, Tulagi, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Solomon Islands Campaign | Nicholas | New Georgia, Solomon Islands | DS]

• Repair ship Akashi completed the repair work for destroyers Maikaze and Hamakaze and began repairing destroyer Kawakaze at Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Akashi | Truk | CPC]

• Kamoi arrived at Ambon, Maluku, Dutch East Indies; she departed later on the same day. ww2dbase [Kamoi | Ambon, Maluku | CPC]

• The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the port facilities at Lorient, France. ww2dbase [RAF Thurleigh | Bombing of Cities in France and Low Countries | Lorient | DS]

• USS Pollack departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her sixth war patrol. ww2dbase [Pollack | Pearl Harbor Navy Base and Ford Island Naval Air Station | Honolulu, Oahu | CPC]

• USS Sunfish hit a Japanese ship in the East China Sea with 3 of 7 torpedoes fired; she was lightly damaged by the subsequent depth charging.27,122.5 ww2dbase [Sunfish (Gato-class) | East China Sea | CPC]

• Destroyer Luce was launched at Bethlehem Mariners Harbor, Staten Island, New York, United States. She was sponsored by the wife of Stephen B. Luce, Jr., who was the grandson of Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce, who in turn was the namesake of the ship. ww2dbase [Luce | Staten Island, New York | CPC]
• Swedish steam tanker Sveadrott landed the master and nine survivors of Norwegian motor merchant Leif at Key West, Florida, United States. Leif was sunk by German submarine U-653 on 28 Feb 1942. ww2dbase [Key West, Florida | HM]
• USS Ranger arrived at Norfolk, Virginia. ww2dbase [Ranger | Norfolk Navy Yard | Norfolk, Virginia | DS]

6 Mar 1943 Interactive Map