March 4, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 4 MARCH 1943

(Eleventh Air Force) Four P-40s fly over Kiska but drop no bombs due to weather.

(Tenth Air Force) In Burma, 3 B-25s bomb the railroad facilities at Ywataung.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) B-24s bomb Ballale Airfield and Kahili.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) Allied aircraft continue to strike the remnants of the Japanese convoy in the Huon Gulf. Damaged and abandoned Arashio is sunk by Allied planes.

The Battle of the Bismarck Sea concludes as a decisive Allied victory where Fifth Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft sink 12 of 16 vessels over three days. The Battle of the Bismarck Sea ends with a decisive victory for Allied aircraft and was the last attempt by the Jpaanese to use large vessels to reinforce positions on the Huon Gulf.

A-20s hit Lae Airfield and vicinity, B-17s attack power launches off Lae. Several B-25s, a single B-17 and B-24s hit Huon Gulf and Lae Airfield and barges off Finschhafen. B-17s attack Ubili and power launches off Cape Gloucester.