March 28, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SUNDAY, 28 MARCH 1943

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) The last remaining personnel of the battle-weary 11th Bombardment Group (Heavy) with B-17's leave SOPAC to return to Hawaii. P-38's of the 70th FS, and eight F4U's of VMF-124. Due to engine trouble and weather, seven Corsairs and three P-38s were forced out of the mission. The remaining planes hit the seaplane bases at Poporang and Shortland, claiming 8 aircraft destroyed, and attack a destroyer east of Shortland, leaving it listing.

USA: Joint Chiefs of Staff approve new directive for Gen MacArthur and Adm Halsey, altering previous directives of July 2, 1942. Operations are to be confined to the earlier Task Two, and bases are to be secured in the Trobriands. Timing is left largely to the discretion of the commanders. General MacArthur is to command SWPA forces and have general direction of the forces under the command of Admiral Halsey in the Solomons; have strategic control of Pacific Fleet task forces engaged in the operations.

The JCS issued a directive, cancelling that of 2 July 1942, which outlined a new scheme of operations for the campaign against Rabaul. The schedule called for the establishment of airfields on Woodlark and Kiriwina Islands to be followed by the seizure of bases on Huon Peninsula and the occupation of New Georgia, western New Britain and southern Bougainville.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) Medium and heavy bombers on individual missions attack Langgoer, Dobo, Gasmata, and barges and a small boat off Finschhafen and Kerema. Lost is P-40 pilot 1st Lt Cecil D. Dewees (MIA).

U.S. Army: MacKechnie Force, named after Col Archibald R. MacKechnie, C.O. 162d Inf, U.S. 41st Div, is formed, largely from 1st Bn to secure the mouth of the Waria River and Morobe Harbor.

IJN: D3A Val dive bombers attack Oro Bay destroy the Liberty Ship wharf and sink SS Masaya and SS Bantam.

RAAF: Lost is P-40E Warhawk A29-150 pilot Squadron Leader Keith "Bluey" W. Truscott (KIA) made a mock attack runs on a PBY Catalina, misjudged his height and crashed into the Bay of Rest near Herron Head inside Exmouth Gulf in Western Australia.

USN: USS Tunny (SS-282) damages Japanese troopship Suwa Maru off Wake Island, 19°13'N, 166°34'E; to prevent her from sinking, Suwa Maru is run aground off Wake's southern shore (near the wrecks of two patrol boats beached there on 23 December 1941) (see 5 April and 27 July).

Japan: Funakawa Maru is stranded off Shiraya Zaki and sinks, 41°22'N, 141°22'E.