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• USS Franklin set sail for Gulf of Paria, Trinidad for her shakedown cruise. ww2dbase [Franklin | CPC]
• A Japanese aircraft attacked USS Tunny with eight light bombs near Toagel Mlungui Pass in the Palau Islands, causing no damage. ww2dbase [Tunny | CPC]
• Mason was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Mason | CPC]
• USS Pollack sank Japanese freighter Hakuyo Maru in the Nanpo Islands area, Japan with one of two torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Pollack | CPC]
• USS Cabrilla attacked a Japanese transport off British Malaya; all six torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [Cabrilla | CPC]
• Japanese troops captured Ukhrul, India, defeating the Indian Parachute Regiment and a brigade from the British 23rd Division. ww2dbase [Battle of Imphal-Kohima | CPC]
• Minoru Ota was made the commanding officer of Sasebo Guard Force. ww2dbase [Minoru Ota | CPC]

• Submarine USS Narwhal arrived at Fremantle, Australia ending her tenth war patrol. ww2dbase [Narwhal | Fremantle | DS]

• US 4th Marine Regiment secured Emirau, Bismarck Islands. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 3 | Emirau | CPC]
• USS New Mexico bombarded Kavieng, New Ireland. ww2dbase [New Mexico | New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 3 | Kavieng, New Ireland | CPC]
• Destroyer USS Saufley arrived at Emirau Island, Bismarck Islands and covered the landings there. At the end of the day, Saufley took aboard 8 injured Marines and set a course for Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Saufley | Emirau, Bismarck Islands | DS]

• Orde Wingate visited the Aberdeen site in Meza valley, Burma. ww2dbase [Operation Thursday | CPC]
• 1st Battalion of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) suffered 1 dead and 2 wounded after encountering a Japanese machine gun nest north of Shaduzup, Burma. Also on this date, Frank Merrill met with his officers at the village of Japan and gave orders. Orange Combat Team of 3rd Battalion was to remain in Janpan. 2nd Battalion and Khaki Combat Team of 3rd Battalion were to cut off Kamaing Road south of Shaduzup somewhere between Warazup and Malakwang, under Colonel Charles Hunter's tactical command; they would depart within hours with Blue Combat Team of 2nd Battalion at the vanguard. The forward elements reached Nhgum Ga by the end of the day. ww2dbase [Battle of Myitkyina | Charles Hunter | Shaduzup | CPC]

• Barbers Point Naval Air Station: Officers and men of Air Group 100 arrived on board. ww2dbase [Barbers Point Naval Air Station | Ewa, Oahu | DS]

• Romanian troops arrived in Hungary to assist in the German occupation. ww2dbase [CPC]

• British 78th Infantry Division joined in the attack of Cassino, Italy. ww2dbase [Battle of Monte Cassino | Cassino, Lazio | CPC]
• The "Valanga" Guastatori naval infantry battalion was made a part of Xa MAS of Italian Navy. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Zuikaku departed Seletar, Singapore, arriving at Lingga Roads later on the same day. ww2dbase [Zuikaku | Seletar | CPC]

• Soviet troops captured Vinnitsa, Ukraine and Adolf Hitler's "Werwolf" field headquarters. ww2dbase [Vinnitsa | TH]

• The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against dock facilities at Frankfurt, Germany but turned back because of weather. ww2dbase [RAF Thurleigh | Thurleigh, England | DS]

• USS Preston was commissioned into service with Commander Goldsborough S. Patrick in command. ww2dbase [Preston (Fletcher-class) | CPC]

• Submarine USS Thresher arrived at Johnston Island, refueled, and departed again bound for the area. ww2dbase [Thresher | Johnston Island | DS]

20 Mar 1944 Interactive Map