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• » 20 Mar 1943

• The British Eighth Army broke through German Mareth Line in Tunisia. ww2dbase [Operations Pugilist and Supercharge II | TH]
• Churchill's post war plans, broadcasted over radio, was criticized as very socialist. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | CPC]
• The Japanese Navy was ordered to execute all Allied personnel captured at sea. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Major John Sapp of US Marine Torpedo-Bomber Squadron 143 led the first American aerial mine-laying mission in the South Pacific off the Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [CPC]
• USS Pollack damaged a Japanese freighter between Jaluit and Makin Atolls in the Gilbert Islands and Marshall Islands area, hitting her with one of four torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Pollack | CPC]

• Alpino Bagnolini sighted smoke in the Atlantic Ocean at 2045 hours, and lost contact with the source of it at 2237 hours. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | CPC]

• Archibald Wavell ordered the offensive in Arakan Peninsula, Burma abandoned, falling back to the Maungdaw-Buthidaung line. ww2dbase [First Battle of Arakan | Arakan | CPC]

• B-24 Liberator bombers of US 373rd Bombardment Squadron arrived at Yangkai Airfield in Yunnan Province, China. ww2dbase [Yangkai Airfield | Yangjiacun, Yunnan | CPC]

• Light carrier Ryuho arrived in the Inland Sea in Japanese waters. ww2dbase [Ryuho | Inland Sea | CPC]
• Kongo arrived at the West Inland Sea, with Yugure and Hagikaze in escort. ww2dbase [Kongo | Yugure | Seto Inland Sea | CPC]

• The 1,474-ton Greek merchant steamer Varvara carrying munitions from Alexandria, Egypt received fatal damage from German aircraft 500 yards southwest of the Tripoli harbour entrance, Libya. ww2dbase [HM]

• Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier USS Bogue and her task group departed Argentia, Newfoundland bound for mid-Atlantic rendezvous with eastbound Convoy SC123. ww2dbase [Bogue | Argentia | DS]

• USS Whale attacked a Japanese convoy off Saipan, Mariana Islands, damaging Mogamigawa Maru and Arizona Maru, hitting them with 4 of 6 torpedoes fired, but also suffered serious damage by depth charges and aerial bombs. ww2dbase [Whale | CPC]

20 Mar 1943 Interactive Map