March 29, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

MONDAY, 29 MARCH 1943

CARIBBEAN (Sixth Air Force): 29th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 40th Bombardment Group (Heavy) with A-17's transfers from Aguadulce to Anton.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) Seven heavy and medium bombers, with fighter escort, bomb and strafe Kiska runway and nearby Main Camp area. Heavy AA fire damages 6 bombers and 2 P-38's

BURMA AND INDIA (Tenth Air Force) In Burma, 4 B-24's bomb shipping and dock area at Tavoy. Nine B-25's bomb the Maymyo railroad yards, 7 P-40's blast possible Japanese HQ north of Maingkwan. Eight others pound positions WNW of Sumprabum.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) In Burma, P-40's strafe trucks at Bhamo and fuel drums at Chefang, China.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) A lone B-17 bombs the Gasmata Airfield while another attacks the Mur-Weber Point area. Richard Bong claims his 9th kill when he shoots down a Doris (a mis-identified medium bomber).

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) B-17's and B-24's pound Buin and Kahili. P-38s strafe the seaplane base at Faisi. Over the target, P-38 piloted by Barber claimed a destroyer [sic subchaser] sunk and collided with the radio mast but managed to return safely to land at Fighter 2. Afterwards, he painted a ship ship silhouette on the nose.

A joint-service mission led by Captain Thomas G. Lanphier, Jr. of eight P-38 Lightnings from 339th Fighter Squadron (339th FS) and 70th Fighter Squadron, (70th FS) with eight U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) F-4U-1 Corsairs from Marine Fighting Squadron 124 (VMF-124) took off on a fighter sweep and strafing mission against Shortland Harbor. Due to poor weather and difficulty in rendezvousing, only five P-38s (P-38G pilot Captain Thomas G. Lanphier, Jr., P-38G "Daisy 2nd" Nose 125 pilot 1st Lt. Rex T. Barber, P-38G "Miss Virginia" 43-2264 pilot 1st Lt. Petit, P-38G pilot 1st Lt. Topoll and P-38G pilot 1st Lt. Moore and one F4U Corsair pilot 1st Lt. Eben Dale reach the target. At dawn, they strafe Shortland Harbor Seaplane Base and set fire to 5-7 F1M2 Pete floatplanes. Other damage reports state they claimed 8 aircraft destroyed. Departing, they spot a "destroyer "[sic Subchaser CH-28] east of Shortland Island and make repeated strafing runs and leave it burning and listing 15°. Returning one one engine, P-38G "Old Ironsides" 43-2239 was damaged and written off, left outer wing used to repair P-38G "Daisy 2nd" Nose 125.

USN: USS Gato (SS-212) evacuates certain military and civilian people (including 9 women, 3 nuns, and 27 children) from Teop Island, Solomons. USS Gudgeon (SS-211) sinks Japanese fleet tanker Toho Maru in Makassar Strait, 00°00'N, 118°18'E, and damages tanker Kyoei Maru, 00°54'N, 119°01'E. USS Wahoo (SS-238) sinks Japanese auxiliary cable ship Yamabato Maru south of Kyushu, 30°26'N, 129°41'E.

IJN: At dusk, F/Lt William E. Newton was executed at Kela Point.