12 Mar 1944

Aden
  • A lifeboat containing the survivors of Norwegian motor vessel Tarifa (sunk by German submarine U-510 on 7 Mar 1944), including Master Hans Bjønness, made landfall at the RAF base on Socotra island in the Arabian Sea in the evening. ww2dbase [Socotra | HM]
Belgium
  • Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld died near Saint-Hubert, Belgium where his Bf 110 aircraft crashed in poor weather. ww2dbase [Egmont | Saint-Hubert, Walloon | CPC]
Burma
  • In the Arakan region of Burma, Corpporal Nand Singh won the Victoria Cross for capturing Japanese positions despite being seriously wounded. ww2dbase [Arakan | AC]
  • Orde Wingate sent Winston Churchill a message noting the initial successes of Operation Thursday in Burma. ww2dbase [Orde Wingate | Winston Churchill | Operation Thursday | CPC]
  • The 3 battalions of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) departed Shikau Ga, Burma at 0830 hours for the village of Inkangahtawng, which was 10 miles south of Shaduzup, to establish a roadblock prior to the Chinese attack on Jambu Bum. The Americans were guided by Burma-born hunter Jack Girsham. ww2dbase [Battle of Myitkyina | Shikau Ga | CPC]
Caroline Islands
  • Patrol Boat No. 102 arrived at Palau, Caroline Islands at 1000 hours. ww2dbase [Stewart | Palau | CPC]
Czechoslovakia
  • The Czechoslovakian government-in-exile called civilians to rise up against German occupation. ww2dbase [CPC]
Dutch East Indies
  • PBY Catalina aircraft attacked a Japanese convoy en route to Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea and sunk the motor sailboat Hosho Maru. ww2dbase [New Guinea | HM]
Estonia
  • Z35 and the German 6th Destroyer Flotilla laid a minefield in Narva Bay, Estonia while shelling Soviet positions on the eastern shore of the bay. ww2dbase [Z35 | Narva Bay | CPC]
Germany
  • Adolf Hitler ordered the occupation of Hungary, Operation Margarethe. ww2dbase [CPC]
Indian Ocean
  • The 9,925-ton German tanker Brake was shelled and sunk by British warships in the Indian Ocean. ww2dbase [HM]
  • While in the Indian Ocean, UIT-24 aborted her journey toward Bordeaux, France as the tanker scheduled to refueled her was attacked by destroyer HMS Roebuck and was ultimately scuttled. ww2dbase [Comandante Cappellini | CPC]
Ireland
  • The government of Ireland banned international travel. ww2dbase [CPC]
Japan
  • American Submarine USS Flying Fish (Lieutenant Commander Robert Dunlap Risser) torpedoed and sank the 1,942-ton Japanese merchant cargo ship Taijin Maru off Daito Jima, Okinawa, Japan, hitting her with both of the two torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Flying Fish | Daito Jima, Okinawa | CPC, HM]
  • The keel of landing ship No. 105 was laid down by Osaka Zosen. ww2dbase [No. 101/103-class | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
  • The 3,723-ton French steamship Killisi, under German control, was bombed by Allied aircraft and sank off the River Ebro, Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. ww2dbase [HM]
Pacific Ocean
  • USS Gato (SS-212) sank the 871-ton Japanese army cargo ship Okinoyama Maru No. 3 by gunfire north of New Guinea. ww2dbase [Gato | HM]
Sweden Ukraine
  • German troops and Ukrainian nationalists burned the village of Plikorov near Lvov, killing 385 people as reprisal against partisan operations. ww2dbase [Plikorov | CPC]
United Kingdom
  • All travel between Great Britain and neutral Ireland were banned to prevent details of the invasion of France being leaked to the enemy. ww2dbase [Normandy Campaign, Phase 1 | AC]
United States

12 Mar 1944 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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