SUNDAY, 1 MARCH 1942
Burma: Burma 1st Div covers concentration of Ch 5th Army in Toungoo area. 200th Div of the army, which is already disposed in this area, regains Nyaunglebin and Pyuntaza, on Rangoon- Mandalay road. Gen Wavell arrives in Burma and orders Rangoon held as long as possible, at least until reinforcements en route (63d Brig Gp) arrive. Ind 17th Div returns toward Waw, which is to be defended.
SWPA: The last heavy bomber mission is flown from Java, Air echelon of 9th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy),
7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), ceases operating from Jogjakarta and begins a movement to India with B-17's and LB-30's. Ground echelon is
already enroute from Australia to India. 11th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy),
7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), begins a movement from Jogjakarta to Melbourne with B-17's and LB-30's. Air echelon of 14th Bombardment
Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group, attached to 19th Bombardment
Group (Heavy) ceases operating from Singosari with B-17's, B-24's and LB-30's and begins moving to Melbourne. Ground
echelon is at Bugo, Mindanao. 33d Bombardment Squadron (Medium),
22d Bombardment Group (Medium), transfers from Brisbane to Ipswich, Australia
with B-26's; first mission is 6 Apr. Air echelon of 91st Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group, ceases operating from Malang and begins moving to Brisbane; ground echelon is on Bataan. 93d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 19th Bombardment Group (Heavy),
transfers from Singosari to Melbourne. HQ 27th Bombardment Group transfers from Bataan to Batchelor Field. HQ 35th Pursuit Group (Interceptor)
transfers from Brisbane to New Delhi.
Dutch: Japanese oiler Tsurumi is torpedoed by Dutch submarine K-XV east of Nicholas Point, Banten Bay on Java. Sunk by gunfire is MV Modjokerto.
USN: Battle of Sunda Strait continues as heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-30) and Australian light cruiser HMAS Perth (Captain Hector M.L. Waller, RAN), heading for Sunda Strait, are attacked by three Japanese cruisers and nine destroyers (Rear Admiral Kurita Takeo). In the melee, Houston (05°50'S, 105°55'E) and Perth are sunk by torpedoes and gunfire of Japanese heavy cruisers Mogami and Mikuma; Japanese minesweeper W.2 and transports Ryuho Maru, Tatsuno Maru, Sakura Maru and Horai Maru are sunk, and landing ship Shinshu Maru damaged, by torpedoes fired by heavy cruiser Mogami; destroyers Shirakumo and Harukaze are damaged by gunfire. Houston's commanding officer, Captain Albert H. Rooks, killed while his ship is being abandoned, is later awarded the Medal of Honor (posthumously) in recognition of his heroism, courage, gallantry and distinguished service during the period between 4 and 27 February.
During the Second Battle of the Java Sea (The Battle off Bawean Island) Japanese heavy cruisers Myoko, Ashigara, Haguro and Nachi engage three Allied ships (Captain Oliver L. Gordon, RN) fleeing Java, sinking British heavy cruiser HMS Exeter (68) and destroyer HMS Encounter (H10). USS Pope (DD-225), the third ship, escapes the cruisers but is located and bombed by floatplanes from seaplane carriers Chitose and Mizuho. Damaged by one close-miss, Pope is then located by carrier attack planes from Ryujo and bombed; scuttling is in progress when Myoko and Ashigara deliver the coup de grace with gunfire at 04°00'S, 111°30'E.
Japanese planes bomb Surabaya, Java; destroyer USS Stewart (DD-224), previously damaged on 19 and 20 February 1942, is damaged again, by bomb.
Japanese naval forces sweep the waters south of Java. USS Edsall (DD-219) is sunk by gunfire of battleships Hiei and Kirishima, heavy cruisers Tone and Chikuma, and planes from carriers Akagi and Soryu. In total, the amount of shells expended at the destroyer amounts to 297 15" shells and 844 8" shells. After the sinking, eight of the crew were picked up by the Japanese Navy Heavy Cruiser Chikuma and later executed at Kendari. Oiler USS Pecos (AO-6), with USS Langley (AV-3) survivors on board as well as evacuees from Java, is bombed and sunk by carrier bombers from Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, and Soryu, south of Christmas Island at Lat 14°27'S, Long 106°11'E.
USS Perch (SS-176) is depth-charged and damaged by Japanese destroyers Amatsukaze and Hatsukaze, 73 miles west of Bawean Island in the Java Sea at Lat 06°30'S, Long 113°50'E.
As Japanese invasion of Java proceeds, Allied planes bomb enemy ships off the beaches: RAF Wildebeests damage light cruiser Kinu, transport Johore Maru, and army cargo ship Tokushima Maru. Dutch Martin 139s, RAF Blenheims, RAAF (or RAF) Hudsons also claim damage to Japanese ships.
E14Y Glen piloted by W/O Fujita Nobuo from Japanese submarine I-25 reconnoiters Hobart on Tasmania.
USMC: At Midway Airfield, Marine Aircraft Group 22 (MAG-22) is formed from Marine Scout-Bomber Squadron 231 (VMSB-231) and Marine Fighter Squadron 221 (VMF-221).
IJN: Japanese 14th Army, during period 6 January to date, has suffered severe setback on Luzon and sustained almost 7,000 casualties (2,700 killed and over 4,000 wounded).
ABDA: American, British, Dutch, Australian Command was formerly dissolved.
NEI: Japanese, now in undisputed control of air and sea, make rapid progress on the ground on Java. Allied planes based on Java are virtually wiped out, many of them on the ground. After a final effort to stall enemy by air, surviving air personnel begin assembling in Jogjakarta, the last remaining airfield in Java, for withdrawal to Australia. Since Java ports are untenable, Allied naval command is dissolved and ships are directed to withdraw to Australia.
