World War II Database

• Home
• » Events
• » WW2 Timeline
• » 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]

• 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]

• Yugure and Hagikaze escorted Chuyo out of Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Chuyo | Yugure | Truk | CPC]

• 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]

• 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]

• Destroyer USS Shaw shifted from Berth B-17 to Drydock No. 1 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. ww2dbase [Pearl Harbor Navy Base and Ford Island Naval Air Station | Shaw | Pearl Harbor, Oahu | DS]

• 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]

• 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]

• Henry Arnold arrived in Kansas, United States. ww2dbase [Henry Arnold | Kansas | CPC]

8 Mar 1943 Interactive Map