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• Weather data for 31 Mar 1942

• USS Colorado completed the overhaul that began in Jun 1941. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• Laffey (Benson-class) was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• The Indian Congress Party demanded immediate independence from the United Kingdom. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Unhappy with the progress of the interior ministry, Hitler reassigned the task of providing housing to those displaced by Allied bombing to propaganda chief Goebbels. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• German submarine U-754 sank US tug Menominee, barge Allegheny, and barge Barnegat 10 kilometers northeast of Hog Island Lighthouse, Virginia, United States at 0800 hours; 16 were killed, 9 survived. At 2222 hours, 480 miles east of Virginia, U-71 sank British tanker San Gerardo; 51 were killed, 6 survived. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• Italian submarine Tazzoli arrived at Bordeaux, France. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Eight A-24 Banshee aircraft under US Army Captain Floyd Rogers arrived at Port Moresby, Australian Papua; it was the first US squadron to be based at Port Moresby. ww2dbase [CPC]

• The Death penalty for forging ration cards was introduced in Belgium as the food situation worsens. ww2dbase [AC]

• Tenryu provided cover for the landings at Kieta, Bougainville, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Main Article | Tabular Record of Movement | CPC]
• Japanese troops occupied Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Naka supported the landing on Christmas Island as the invasion force's flagship; submarine USS Seawolf attempted a torpedo attack on Naka at 0949 hours but failed to score hits. ww2dbase [Main Article | Tabular Record of Movement | CPC]
• 850 Japanese troops landed on Christmas Island unopposed. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Japanese troops occupied Ceram Island, Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• USS S-31 completed her first war patrol off the Panama Canal Zone. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Surviving ships of Allied convoy PQ-13 began to arrive at Murmansk, Russia after several attacks by German destroyers, submarines, and aircraft. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Ten Norwegian freighters and tankers, interned by the Swedish at Gothenburg, attempted to break out for Britain. Two of them, transport Lind and tanker B. P. Newton, would make the escape. Six of the remaining eight ships were sunk by mines, German aircraft, and German warships, while the final two were forced to return to Gothenburg. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Light cruiser Fargo, previously ordered but not yet laid down, was reordered by the US Navy as a carrier to be named Crown Point. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

31 Mar 1942 Interactive Map