24 Mar 1942

- Admiral Chester Nimitz was appointed the Commander in Chief of the US Pacific Theater. ww2dbase [Chester Nimitz | TH]
- Minesweeper HMS Sharpshooter, escorting Allied convoy QP-9, spotted German submarine U-655 in a distance; she forced the submarine to surface by depth charges, rammed, and sank her; all 47 aboard U-655 were killed. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | CPC]
- German submarine U-123 sank British tanker Empire Steel with torpedoes and the deck gun 365 miles north of Bermuda at 0300 hours; 39 were killed, 8 survived. ww2dbase [Second Happy Time | CPC]
- British minesweeping whaler HMS Sulla was lost to heavy seas in the Norwegian Sea. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-585 was damaged by depth charges from 3 Allied warships in the Barents Sea, but was able to escape. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British minesweeper HMS Sharpshooter spotted German submarine U-655 on the surface in the Barents Sea and proceeded to ram and sink her; the entire crew of U-655, 45 men, were killed. ww2dbase [CPC]
- HMS Indomitable joined the British Eastern Fleet. ww2dbase [Indomitable | CPC]
- The British House of Commons began a two-day debate on the conduct of the war in Germany; bombing of German cities was to be a focal point. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | CPC]
- Japanese Navy aircraft began daily bombings of Corregidor in the Philippine Islands. ww2dbase [Invasion of the Philippine Islands | CPC]
- Deportation of Slovakian Jews to Auschwitz Concentration Camp began. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | CPC]
- Japanese 112th Regiment attacked Taungoo, Burma, overcoming the disorganized Chinese outer defenses. Meanwhile, Japanese 143rd Regiment flanked the Chinese defenses and captured the airfield and rail station 6 miles north of the city. Taungoo would be surrounded on three sides by the end of the day. ww2dbase [Invasion of Burma | Taungoo | CPC]
- Shokaku arrived at Staring Bay at Celebes, Dutch East Indies, joining Zuikaku. ww2dbase [Shokaku | Staring Bay, Celebes | CPC]
- 18 RAF Boston light bombers attacked targets in northern France, targeting power stations, rail marshaling yards, and other targets of military importance. ww2dbase [Bombing of Cities in France and Low Countries | CPC]
- German bombers attacked Malta, damaging British destroyer HMS Legion with near misses. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]
- USS Marblehead arrived at Simon's Town, South Africa to repair damages sustained during the Battle of Makassar Strait. ww2dbase [Marblehead | Simon's Town | CPC]


24 Mar 1942 Interactive Map
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Share this article with your friends: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
Change View
Desktop ViewSearch WW2DB & Partner Sites
News
- » Joseph Eskenazi honored at US National World War II Museum (16 Jan 2023)
- » Beethoven Original Manuscript to be Returned to Heirs of its Pre-WW2 Owner (13 Jan 2023)
- » WW2DB's 18th Anniversary (29 Dec 2022)
- » Two WW2-era Aircraft Crashed During Dallas Air Show (14 Nov 2022)
- » Wreck of Samuel B. Roberts Found (27 Jun 2022)
- » See all news
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,124 biographies
- » 334 events
- » 40,949 timeline entries
- » 1,200 ships
- » 346 aircraft models
- » 205 vehicle models
- » 368 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 248 facilities
- » 468 book reviews
- » 28,774 photos
- » 399 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us... they can't get away this time."Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, at Guadalcanal