March 30, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 30 MARCH 1943

(Eleventh Air Force) Six missions are dispatched against Kiska and Attu. From Adak, 6 B-24's, 6 B-25's, and 4 P-38's are over Kiska at 1200 hours local but cannot bomb due to weather. Four B-24's, 4 P-38's, and 2 F-5A's then bomb the runway at Attu. Next, 5 B-24's and 4 P-38's bomb the Main Camp; intense AA fire downs 1 B-24. From Amchitka, four P-38's bomb Little Kiska. Next, 4 P-38's bomb Kiska through the overcast, followed by 6 B-25's bombing and strafing radar, radio installations, Main Camp, runway, and personnel on Kiska.

BURMA AND INDIA (Tenth Air Force) In Burma, 5 B-25's bomb the Maymyo railroad yards, scoring hits on machine shops, sheds, and tracks. Sixteen P-40's hit targets of opportunity at Npyentawng, Wuja, and Mohnyin.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) P-40's strafe eight locomotives southwest of Lashio, exploding 3 of them.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) Heavy bombers continue snooper strikes on Vila and Kahili Airfield.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) A-20's, B-25's, B-24's, and B-17's pound Finschhafen including shipping, the harbor, and town area. Damaged is B-17F "Taxpayer's Pride" 41-24448. B-24's hit Gasmata. Single aircraft attack several targets, mostly shipping and coastal areas, in the Netherlands East Indies, northeastern New Guinea, and New Britain.

NEIAF: B-25C Mitchell N5-133 force landing after a reconnaissance mission, crew rescued.

USN: USS Tuna (SS-203) attacks Japanese convoy north of Manus sinks army cargo ship Kurohime Maru, 00°22'S, 147°46'E, and survives the resultant depth-charging by escort vessels.