March 5, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 5 MARCH 1942

Kriegsmarine: Launched is U-168 in Bremen.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS (10th Air Force): Major General Lewis H. Brereton who arrived in India from the NEI on 25 Feb, formerly takes command of the 10th Air Force (10th AF) with only eight B-17s. British remove Thomas Hutton from command of their forces on Burma, and replace him with General Sir Harold Alexander, who two days later will retreat from Rangoon.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): Air echelon of 30th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 19th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrives at Melbourne from Singosari with B-17's, B-24's and LB-30's. The ground echelon is on Luzon and Mindanao attached to the 5th Interceptor Command (Provisional).

Hawaii: U.S. Army personnel investigate bomb craters on the southern slopes of Mount Tantalus on Oahu.

Australia: Do 24K-1 X-36 is burned fearing further Japanese air raids or an invasion was immanent.