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• » 27 Mar 1944

• Vichy French government allowed its citizens to join the German SS organization. ww2dbase [CPC]
• German SS troops massacred all Jewish children under the age of 13 in Kovno, Lithuania. ww2dbase [CPC]
• The government of the United Kingdom banned foreign travel. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Japanese 58th Regiment launched an all-out attack on Sangshak, India. Brigadier Maxwell Hope-Thompson, commanding officer of the defending Allied troops, ordered a retreat from Sangshak at 1800 hours. On the same day, William Slim requested the British 2nd Division to help defend nearby Dimapur. ww2dbase [Battle of Imphal-Kohima | CPC]
• Japanese troops attacked the Broadway site of Operation Thursday in Burma. ww2dbase [Operation Thursday | CPC]

• USS Ray arrived at Fremantle, Australia, ending her third war patrol. ww2dbase [Ray | Fremantle, Western Australia | CPC]

• P-40 and Beaufighter aircraft of Royal Australian Air Force 78 Squadron operating out of Kiriwina, Australian Papua misidentified two United States Navy PT Boats in Bangula Bay, New Britain and began multiple strafing runs. For the most part, the PT Boats did not return fire and in the end, PT-353 and PT-121 both burned and sank with 8 men killed, 14 wounded, and 13 rescued. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 3 | PT-class | Bangula Bay, New Britain | DS]

• HMS Cumberland met US Task Group 58.5 (Aircraft Carrier USS Saratoga and destroyers USS Cummings, USS Dunlap, and USS Fanning) SW off Cocos Islands with ships of Eastern Fleet. ww2dbase [Saratoga | Cummings | Cumberland | DS]

• Lookouts on USS Hoel spotted a 40-foot outrigger canoe in the open ocean southwest of Emirau Island with 27 Japanese naval landing force troops. As Hoel approached, the Japanese began shooting one another. Hoel answered with 40mm fire and all aboard the canoe were killed. No sign of any intent to surrender was observed. Hoel made a special note that, “The Japanese personnel were all of large stature. All appeared to be in excellent physical condition.” ww2dbase [Hoel | DS]

• Allied convoy JW-58 departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | Liverpool, England | CPC]

• The US Supreme Court granted a review of Fred Korematsu's case. ww2dbase [Fred Korematsu | Washington | CPC]

27 Mar 1944 Interactive Map