3 March 1939

UNITED KINGDOM: London: US Ambassador Joseph Kennedy writes to President Roosevelt intimating that the US should intervene on behalf of Britain in any forthcoming conflict. More...

U.S.A.: Students at Harvard University begin the 'sport' of goldfish swallowing.

Port of Astoria, Washington State: Port commissioners vote to ban shipments of scrap to Japan. More... (Bruce Ramsey, Seattle Times 1999)

Lt. Gen. Lennart Oesch, who had until now been the Chief of General Staff at the Finnish GHQ, replaces Maj. Gen. Kurt Wallenius as the CO of the Coastal Group. Wallenius held the command for only two days. Wallenius's career is in ruins, he is retired from the Army and is not called back to service even during the Continuation War.

U.S.S.R.: Writing in Pravda Ia. Viktorov says the war "was concocted by the English and French imperialists who want to maintain their status in Europe." (Mike Yared)

This morning SS ATHELTEMPLAR arrives at anchorage off Methil, Fife, with her flag at half mast. Mr S. Hill, Second Officer of the ATHELSULTAN, bombed off May Island three weeks previously and returned to North Shields for repairs, was instructed to travel up to Methil to bring the ATHELTEMPLAR back to the Tyne. She too was to spend a further period under repair at Smith’s Dock having the entire amidship accommodation rebuilt.

Mr S. Hill, Second Officer of the ATHELSULTAN, bombed off May Island three weeks previously and returned to North Shields for repairs, was instructed to travel up to Methil to bring the ATHELTEMPLAR back to the Tyne. She too was to spend a further period under repair at Smith’s Dock having the entire amidship accommodation rebuilt.

FOWEY detached from giving anti-aircraft cover to EN79 at Duncansby Head, and CURAÇOA took over from Buchan Ness. EN79 did not continue without incident: With Tiumpan Head in sight, where part of the convoy should have detached to continue south whilst most made for Loch Ewe, they followed in error (one of the dangers of following ships closely, with most attention focussed on maintaining position). INDIAN STAR was dispatched to round them up, and, in the process, collided with MAURITZ, another ship in the convoy.
MAURITZ then proceeded to Stornaway for repairs. TEWKESBURY was repaired following the convoy reaching Loch Ewe at 1300 on 3 March, and then joined the ocean convoy OB295 for the usual tense journey to the dispersal point at 19º West. These convoys were vast, covering many square miles of ocean, and so communications across the entire convoy, in which it was vital to maintain radio-silence, relied upon signal lamps and flag hoists, often took much time. Real threats to the convoy had to be dealt with quickly if catastrophe was to be averted, and this overall necessity to be constantly at the ready led to misunderstandings, and false alarms, caused by imagined periscopes, unrecognised aircraft, etc. Once a ship opened fire it was difficult to propagate the order to cease fire, and so there was a great danger of being caught in friendly fire from excited gunners firing at anything that moved. Friendly fire was also a considerable hazard when a convoy was under attack by low flying aircraft. From dispersal the voyage continued uneventfully, and the crew were able to relax a little and enjoy the tropical clime, but still they had to be wary of potential surface raiders. TEWKESBURY unloaded her coal at Buenos Aires and then steamed up the River Pirana to Rosario to load beef.

The pilots of the RAF who flew convoy protection missions must have dreaded the task: During the passage of EN79 friendly aircraft overflew the convoy four times giving the correct recognition signal. On each occasion the ships in the convoy opened fire with machine-guns. One ship fired rockets, and HMS WOOLSTON who was in the vicinity also opened fire.

By the end of the war 17 out of the 35 ships comprising EN79 were sunk.
Many in the convoy were coasters, so, in fact, 65,778 grt of shipping was sunk out of a total of 96,123 grt.

U.S.S.R.: Moscow: The USSR warns Bulgaria that its does not approve of its pro-Axis regime, saying that the German occupation will only escalate the war.

GREECE: As German troops in Bulgaria reach the border, Italian air force planes bombard the earthquake zone of Larissa.

Athens: During the early morning there are no less than four meetings between the Greek and British military staffs, trying to agree on a defensive strategy. In the event of an attack on Macedonia the British urge a quick pull back to the Aliakhmon line whereas Papagos clings to the more advanced Nestos line, "If the Yugoslavs should fight, that is where we Greeks should stand", declared Papagos. Dill snapped, "General, you will have to fight that battle."

Wavell arrives later in the morning in Athens, and some time later Maitland Wilson, the commander-designate of the British forces in Greece, arrived at Tatoi airfield.

I am happy to inform you that the garrisons of the Kufra Oases surrendered at 9:00 A.M. on March 1, after a three-week siege. The capture of these enemy positions by Free French forces, is one more step toward final victory. Vive le France!

LIBYA: General Erwin Rommell Commander of the Afrika Korps, moves the advance force of the 5th Light Division forward and beings construction of a defence line 17 miles (27 kilometres) west of Aghelia.

PUERTO RICO: Pan American World Airways Sikorsky S-42A, msn 4206, registered NC15376 and named “Dominican Clipper, sinks after an accident in San Juan Harbor. Two are killed and 25 injured.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-97 lost a man overboard in the Bay of Biscay. [Bootsmaat Artur Mei].

U-124 refuelled from the German supply ship Charlotte Schliemann at Las Palmas, Canary Islands.

UNITED KINGDOM: The new Lancaster bomber makes its operational debut, when four aircraft lay mines in the Heligoland Bight with No.44 (Rhodesia) Squadron.

Commander James Douglas Prentice RCN was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). The citation, awarded as per the London Gazette of 03 Mar 42 (there was no Canada Gazette), read: "For bravery and enterprise in action against enemy submarines - HMCS Chambly." James "Chummy" Prentice was born in Victoria, BC After service with the RN (retired in the rank of Commander), he was enrolled in the RCN as a LCdr (Temp), on 15 Jun 27. The records indicate he was serving as a staff officer at HMC Naval Base, Sydney, CB, on 28 Aug 39, in the rank of Acting Commander. He went on to become one of Canada's premier U-boat killers with three U-boats to his credit (U-501 on 10 Sep 41, U-621 on 18 Aug 44, and U-984 on 20 Aug 44). He retired from the RCN in the rank of Captain on 02 Apr 46.

Paris: 'We were returning with Robert Rey from dining near the Opéra', wrote Galtier-Boissière, 'when the antiaircraft opened up violently, making the ground shake. Away to the west there was a terrific raid. The Pont Neuf was crowded with bystanders who watched the bombing as they would have done a firework display on July 14.' This, the first massive air-raid on Paris, was targetted on the Renault factory at Boulogne-Billancourt, where tanks were being made for the Heer. The bombing was inaccurate; some 500 killed and three times as many wounded.

RAF Bomber Command dispatches 235 aircraft, 89 Wellingtons, 48 Hampdens, 29 Stirlings, 26 Manchesters, 23 Whitleys and 20 Halifaxes to bomb the Bellincourt Renault Factory during the night of the 3rd-4th. The Renault factory, in the town of Boulogne-Billancourt just west of the center of Paris, was making an estimated 18,000 trucks a year for the German forces. The aircraft were dispatched in three waves, the crews of the leading wave being selected for their experience. The plan called for the massed use of flares and a very low bombing level so that crews could hit the factory without too many bombs falling in the surrounding town. There were no Flak defences. The target was bombed by 223 aircraft which caused serious damage to production facilities; unfortunately, some bombs fall off target, hitting nearby houses, killing 500 Frenchmen, including whole families. Only one Wellington is lost. The main raid lasted 1 hour and 50 minutes. One aircraft bombed the port area at Dieppe while two Whitleys drop leaflets over Paris.

VICHY FRANCE: The government announces that 'official' German figures put the number of French arrested in 1941 at 5,390 and executions at more than 250.

GERMANY: Four RAF Bomber Command Wellingtons jettisoned their bombs over Emden during the night of the 3rd/4th; one Wellington was lost. Four Lancasters fly a minelaying mission in Heligoland Bight; this was the first Lancaster mission of the war.

INDIAN OCEAN: The gunboat USS Asheville (PG-21) is sunk by gunfire of Japanese destroyers HIJMS Arashi and Nowaki about 355 miles (571 miles) south-southeast of Tjilatjap, Java. Asheville's sole survivor will perish in a POW camp in 1945. (Jack McKillop and James Paterson)

BURMA: Fighting continues in the Waw-Pyinbon area, northeast of Pegu. The British 63d Brigade Group arrives at Rangoon.
Chinese leader Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek meets General Archibald Wavell, Commander in Chief India, in Burma.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Whilst escorting a number of Allied ships, destroyer HMS Stronghold is intercepted by a force of three IJN cruisers and two destroyers and sinks due to gunfire, 220 miles South of the Sunda Strait at 11 30S 109 03E. There are 70 casualties, and all ships in company (depot ship Anking, MMS.51 RFA Francol) are sunk except for the Dutch MV Zaandam.

USS Seawolf (SS-197) sinks an armed transport at 07-02 N, 125-33 E in Davao harbor.

USS TAMBOR (SS-198) sinks a civilian cargo ship at 21-18 N, 108-39 E, NW of Hainan Island.

0200: USS HADDOCK (SS-231) sinks a civilian cargo ship at 32-18 N, 126-52 E. (Skip Guidry)

After having attacked Wake Island on 24 February, Task Force Sixteen (TF 16) built around the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) is en route to attack Marcus Island. SBD Dauntlesses on antisubmarine patrol attack two Japanese submarines but the task force commander, Rear Admiral William F. “Bull” Halsey, opts to continue the mission.

JAVA SEA: On the evening of 1 March, the submarine USS Perch (SS-176) surfaced 30 miles (48 kilometres) northwest of Surabaja, Java, and started in for an attack on the enemy convoy that was landing troops. Two Japanese destroyers attacked and drove her down with a string of depth charges which caused her to bottom at 135 feet (41 meters). Several more depth charge attacks caused extensive damage, putting the starboard motors out of commission and causing extensive flooding throughout the boat. After repairs, the sub surfaced at 0200 hours on 2 March only to be again driven down by the enemy destroyers. The loss of oil, and air from damaged ballast tanks, convinced the enemy that the sub was breaking up and they went on to look for other kills, allowing USS Perch to surface. With the submarine's decks awash and only one engine in commission, the crew made all possible repairs. During the early morning of 3 March, a test dive was made with almost fatal results. Expert handling and good luck enabled her to surface from that dive; only to be attacked by two enemy cruisers and three destroyers. When the enemy shells commenced to straddle, the commanding officer ordered all hands on deck, and with all possible hull openings open, USS Perch was scuttled. The entire crew of 54 men and five officers were captured by a Japanese destroyer; all but six men, who died of malnutrition in Japanese POW camps, survived the war.

NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES: The Dutch continue a losing battle for Java against superior enemy forces.

AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: At 1000 hours local, 12 Japanese Navy Zero fighters swept in over the harbour at Broome, early today in an attack which killed 70 people and destroyed 24 flying boats and land aircraft.

The flying boats had been carrying refugees including children, from the war in Java, with Broome as a staging post on the evacuation route. Warning of a possible raid was given when a Japanese aircraft appeared yesterday, making three circuits of the port before flying off. Aircraft captains were warned to take off as soon as possible after daybreak.

In 15 minutes, the raiders - who were not opposed - wrecked every flying boat and destroyed all land aircraft including two Flying Fortresses and two Liberators, one of which took off only to be shot down over the sea. Only one of the 33 people on board survived. The raid, and smoke sighted at sea, caused the impression among many townspeople that the Japanese were about to invade.

The aircraft include two B-17 Flying Fortresses, two B-24 Liberators, two RAAF Hudsons and 12 amphibians.

Two of the dozen flying boats destroyed are two Short S-23 C-Class Empire Boats, (1) British Overseas Airways Corp. (BOAC), msn S-845, registered G-AEUC and named “Corinna,” and RAAF A18-12, msn 849, ex Qantas VH-ABC, named “Coogee.” Casualties include 20 USAAF airmen and an estimated 45 Dutch women and children. The airfield at Wyndham, Western Australia, is also attacked.
Japanese fighters returning to their carrier from the raid on Broome shoot down KNILM Douglas DC-3-194B, msn 1937, registered PK-AFV. This is one of the last civilian aircraft to leave Java and is carrying a very valuable consignment of diamonds; there are no survivors.. Jack McKillop)

NEWFOUNDLAND: U-587 fired torpedoes into the harbour at St John's, but did not sink anything.

U.S.A.: The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) take under consideration a recommendation to continue Operation SUPERGYMNAST, the projected plan to combine the US and British plans for the seizure of Dakar, Casablanca and Tunisia, as an "academic study" only. Thus the proposed Northwest African venture (Operation GYMNAST) ceases to affect the USAAF 8th Air Force until it is revived later as Operation TORCH.

By executive order, the War Department reorganises into three autonomous sections: Army Air Forces, Army Ground Forces, and Services of Supply. The Air Corps continued to exist as a combatant arm of the Army.

The War Production Board decrees that suits for men and boys no longer will have trouser cuffs and pleats, vests and patch pockets.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: An unarmed U.S. freighter, the 5,104-ton Mary, of the A.H. Bull Steamship Company, en-route from New York to Suez. is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-129 about 250 miles (402 kilometres) northeast of Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana. One man dies. (Jack McKillop & Keith Allen)

At 1705, the unescorted and unarmed SS (Hog Islander) Mary was hit by two torpedoes from U-129 about 165 miles off the north coast of Brazil, while steaming on a nonevasive course at 10 knots. The first torpedo struck on the port side at the #3 hold. The explosion blew a column of water over the bridge, wrecked the radio shack and killed one crewman. The second struck about 8 seconds later at the #4 lower hold. Most of the eight officers and 26 crewmen had abandoned ship in two lifeboats, before the ship was hit by a coup de grâce at 1717 on the port side at the #1 hold, causing the ship to sink about 15 minutes later. The U-boat surfaced and Clausen questioned the survivors in the boat of the master before leaving the area. The survivors in the lifeboats were picked up after sailing 540 miles in six days by the American steam merchant Alcoa Scout about 38 miles northeast of Georgetown, British Guyana and taken to Port of Spain, Trinidad. The master, Severin Broadwick, also lost his next ship to a U-boat, when the George Calvert was sunk by U-753 (Von Mannstein) on 20 May 1942. He survived the sinking again, but lost another ship to a U-boat, when Thomas Ruffin was so badly damaged by U-510 (Neitzel) on 9 Mar 1943, that the ship was declared a total loss.

UNITED KINGDOM: London: People descending the steps to the shelter at Bethnal Green tube station in East London last night were crushed to death and suffocated to death in a tragic accident when not a single bomb has fallen. A middle-aged woman carrying a baby tripped near the bottom of the first flight of 20 steps.

Her fall brought down the man behind her, and others hurrying down to the shelter after the air-raid warning fell in their turn. Within minutes dozens of bodies were crushed on top of each other. Unaware, others pressed in from the street building up a wall of death. Out of 400 victims of the disaster, 173 died of suffocation, and 62 were badly injured. The woman lived. Her baby died.

In its largest daylight mission to date, VII Bomber Command dispatches a total of 566 B-17s and B-24s against Wilhelmshaven port area. A total of 434 B-17s and 105 B-24s drop a record 1,488 tons of bombs on the briefed target area between 1307 and 1335 hours. Seven B-17s are lost with 70 crewmen. This is also the first time that a bomb group goes out in double strength. The 90th BG (H) dispatches 50 B-17s. (Skip Guidry)

GERMANY: A tunnel is broken at OFLAG XXIB at Schubin which puts out 33 AF POW's led by the "Big X", Lt Cdr Buckley, who drowned on his way to Sweden. Buckley was the inspiration for Roger Bushell, who later headed up the Great Escape from STALAG-LUFT III at Sagan. None of the escapers make a home run. (Marc James Small)

U.S.S.R.: The Red Army captures the German base of Rzhev, and Lgov, west of Kursk.

INDIAN OCEAN: At 2322, U-160 made her first attack on Convoy DN-21 about 40 miles south of Port St John's, South Africa, sank the Harvey W. Scott and Nirpura and damaged the Tibia. The Harvey W. Scott in station #32 was stuck by one torpedo on the port side at the #2 hold. The ship settled slowly as the engines were secured and the radio operator sent a distress signal. 11 minutes after the hit all eight officers, 34 crewmen and 19 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in and four 20mm guns) abandoned ship in the four lifeboats. The vessel sank just after midnight, plunging bow first. 16 survivors in one boat were picked up by the Argentine SS Ombu and landed at Durban on 6 March. On 3 March, the motorboat with 7 survivors, including the master and chief mate, made landfall near Port St Johns. They traded the boat to the natives for food and clothes and were taken by horse and wagon through the jungle to Umtata, Natal. The remaining two boats landed at Umtata on 4 and 6 March. All survivors were then taken by train to Durban. 38 men from the Nirpura were lost and 88 (including the master) were picked up by the SAAF crash launch R-8 and landed at Durban. Tibia was hit at 2322 by a torpedo on port side, which immediately caused a heavy list to that side. The engine was stopped and the starboard tanks were counterflooded. The crew (with the exception of most Chinese) had worked efficiently and at 2341, the ship set course for Durban at full speed, arriving at 1740 on 4 March.

BURMA: The Chindits cross the Mu river, and cut the rail link between Mandalay and Myitkyina for a second time.

PACIFIC OCEAN: SHIRAYUKI IJN, Japanese Destroyer, Sunk 55 miles south-east of Finchharven by USAAF and RAAF air attack.

TOKITSUKAZE IJN, Japanese Destroyer, sunk along with Shirayuki. (James Paterson)

Light cruiser USS Amsterdam laid down.

Destroyer USS Gatling laid down.

Submarine USS Guavina laid down.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: MS Doggerbank was returning as blockade-runner from Japan. At 2153, U-43 torpedoed a steamer of the Dunedin Star type, but it was soon clear the she had sunk the Doggerbank, which was ahead of her scheduled arrival and was sunk in error. Built as British Speybank for Andrew Weir and Co, London 31 Jan 1941 captured by the German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis in the Indian Ocean. A prize crew brought the ship to Bordeaux. Taken over by the Kriegsmarine, renamed Doggerbank (Schiff 53) and converted to auxiliary minelayer. Laid mines off South Africa and proceeded to Japan.

SWITZERLAND: Zurich: News has reached Switzerland that some 6 million workers are on strike today in a vast area of northern Italy, stretching from Tuscany and Emilia to the borders with France, Switzerland, Austria and Yugoslavia. Armaments factories of crucial importance to the Wehrmacht - Breda and Marelli, the Pirelli Italiana rubber and cable works and the Isotta Fraschini aero-engine manufacturers - have been brought to a standstill.

Notices posted by the strikers around the city of Milan demand an end to the deportations of Italian forced labour to Germany, and improvement in living conditions in Italy and the repeal of the military service law. The underground communist newspaper Unita Proletaria published in Rome, has recently exposed Fascist plans to deport one million more workers. Wages for these forced labourers are minimal and the working conditions are so barbaric as to prove fatal for some.

Railway workers, too, have supported the stoppages. No trains have reached Switzerland from Milan since Wednesday night. In an attempt to terrorize the strikers into returning to work the Fascist press publishes accounts of punishments of anti-fascists. Two partisans in Milan have been shot dead immediately on arrest.

BURMA: Air Commando Combat Mission N0 15 3:10 Flight time (daytime flight) From Hailakandi to Kyaithin, Burma. Attempted to bomb storage depots and dumps. Fairly good results but no definite damage could be noted. Fires started in several buildings.

Combat Mission N0 16 3:15 Flight time (night flight) Night formation over Japanese lines. Dropped one thousand pound general purpose bombs at intervals. Object was to get their attention and make them a bit jittery. (Chuck Baisden)

ADMIRALTY ISLANDS: US forces repel a major Japanese attack on Los Negros, inflicting severe casualties.

NEW CALEDONIA: The Cannon Companies of the infantry regiments of the Americal Division join the Division from the continental United States. (Yves J. Bellanger)

PACIFIC OCEAN: SHIRAKAMI IJN, Japanese Minelayer, Sunk south of the Kuriles in a collision with army transport Nachiran Maru. (James Paterson)

2200: USS PINTADO (SS-387) sinks the destroyer AKIKAZE at 16-48 N, 117-17 E, NW of Manila. (Skip Guidry)

U.S.A.: Washington: Roosevelt says that the Italian fleet is to be distributed equally between Britain, the US and the USSR.

The motion picture "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is released. Directed by Albert Lewin, this horror movie based on an Oscar Wilde novel stars Hurd Hatfield, George Sanders, Donna Reed, Angela Lansbury and Peter Lawford. The film is narrated by Cedric Hardwicke.

UNITED KINGDOM: Tonight, Luftwaffe fighters shoot down 20 British bombers as they return from bombing Kamen and the Dortmund-Ems canal.

NETHERLANDS: RAF bombers kill over 500 civilians in the Hague when they miss their target, a V2 launch site.

The commander of U-733 died after an accident in Wesermünde. [Oberleutnat zur See Hans Hellmann].

BURMA: Lt William Basil Weston (b.1924), Green Howards, led an attack superbly but fell at a bunker. To save his men casualties, he blew up the bunker - and himself - with a grenade. (Victoria Cross)

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Manila: The last pockets of Japanese resistance are cleared. Over 20,000 Japanese soldiers have died in the battle for the city.

VOLCANO ISLANDS: Iwo Jima: Corporal Charles Joseph Berry of the US Marine Corps, 1st Battalion, 26th Marines, 5th Marine Division, displays conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life and beyond as a member of a machine-gun crew in action against Japanese forces. MOH

CANADA: HMS LST 3560, 3561, 3562, 3563, 3564, 3565, 3566, 3567, 3568, 3569, 3570, 3571, 3572, 3573, 3574 ordered. All cancelled 18 Aug 45.

U.S.A.: The motion picture "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is released. Directed by Albert Lewin, this horror movie based on an Oscar Wilde novel stars George Sanders, Donna Reed, Angela Lansbury and Peter Lawford. The film is narrated by Cedric Hardwicke.

Destroyers USS John A Bole and Robert K Huntington commissioned.

Destroyer USS Bordelon launched.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: ASW trawler HMS Southern Flower sunk by U-1022 at 64.05N, 23.15W.