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• The US 4th Marine Defense Battalion and US Marine Fighter Squadron 212 were diverted from their original destination of Tongatapu, Tonga for Port Vila, Efate, New Hebrides. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Hukbalahaps, an armed Filipino communist resistance group, was formed. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Between 2318 hours on the previous date until about 0300 hours on this date, 234 RAF bombers attacked Lübeck, Germany, killing 320, injuring 784, and destroying 30% of the city. The Lübeck Cathedral, among other buildings, were destroyed in the city's historical center.The new "Gee" navigation systems were used by the British bombers on this attack. 12 bombers were shot down by German anti-aircraft defenses. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | CPC]
• Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru departed Guam. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | CPC]
• Destroyer Yukikaze departed Ambon, Dutch East Indies escorted the Japanese invasion force for western New Guinea, Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [Yukikaze | CPC]
• HMS Eagle delivered 7 Spitfire fighters to reinforce Malta. ww2dbase [Eagle | CPC]
• Commander Oliver Middleton Read was named the commanding officer of USS Helena, relieving Commander Gerald D. Linke. ww2dbase [Helena (St. Louis-class) | CPC]

• German destroyer Z26 sank Panamanian ship Bateau of Allied convoy PQ-13 in the Barents Sea shortly after 0000 hours; 37 were killed, 6 survived. At 0943 hours, British cruiser HMS Trinidad spotted Z26 along with Z24 and Z25, hitting Z26 with gunfire; at 1024 hours, HMS Trinidad was hit by a torpedo that she fired and circled around, killing 31. At 1032 hours, British destroyer HMS Eclipse continued the attack, hitting Z26 with 6 more shells; at 1120 hours, Z24 and Z25 coordinated an attack on HMS Eclipse, hitting her with two shells, killing 23. Shortly after, Z26 sank from the heavy damage. 243 of those aboard Z26 were killed, 96 survived; 88 of the survivors were picked up by Z24 and Z25, while German submarine U-376 picked up the remaining 8. HMS Trinidad was given temporary repairs in Murmansk, Russia and sailed for home on 13 May 1942. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | Barents Sea | CPC, HM]

• German submarine U-160 sank US ship City of New York 50 kilometers east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, United States at 1936 hours; 24 of 157 aboard were lost during the sinking or subsequently aboard lifeboats. Further north at 2058 hours, German submarine U-571 sank British ship Hertford 350 miles east of Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States; 4 were killed, 58 survived. Also on this day, Italian submarine Calvi sank British ship Tredinnick in the Mid-Atlantic, killing all 46 aboard. ww2dbase [Second Happy Time | CPC]

• In Australia, the B-26 Marauder bombers that had arrived from the US Territory of Hawaii one week prior were moved from Brisbane to Townsville for combat training. ww2dbase [Townsville, Queensland | CPC]

• Japanese penetrated the Chinese defenses at Taungoo, Burma and threatened to trap the Chinese 200th Division in the city. General Dai Anlan issued the order to retreat from the city after sundown, falling back northward. During the withdraw, the Chinese failed to destroy the bridge over the Sittang River. To the west, Japanese captured a main road near Shwedaung, disrupting the Allied withdraw; an Anglo-Indian attack from the south failed to break the roadblock. ww2dbase [Invasion of Burma | CPC]

• Naka departed Bantam Bay, Java, Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [Naka | Java | CPC]

• U-576 departed Saint-Nazaire, France, starting her fourth war patrol. ww2dbase [U-576 | Saint-Nazaire, Pays de la Loire | CPC]

• USS Bluegill fired 2 torpedoes at Japanese cargo ship Konan Maru (former British cargo steamer War Sirdar, captured at Batavia, Dutch East Indies in 1942). Both torpedoes hit, sinking her off Ninh Hoa, Annam, French Indochina. ww2dbase [Bluegill | Ninh Hoa, Annam | CPC]

• Tatsuta Maru arrived at Yokohama, Japan. ww2dbase [Tatsuta Maru | Yokohama, Kanagawa | CPC]

• German submarine U-585 departed Kirkenes, Norway to operate against convoy PQ-13. She would send her last radio message on this day. ww2dbase [Kirkenes, Finnmark | HM]

29 Mar 1942 Interactive Map