March 31, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 31 MARCH 1943

(Eleventh Air Force) A reconnaissance airplane finds impenetrable weather and returns to base. Two P-38's make an uneventful sweep.

BURMA AND INDIA (Tenth Air Force) In Burma, 9 B-25's bomb the marshalling yard at Pyinmana, blasting railroad tracks and warehouses.
Lost is B-24D pilot Jensen.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) The 16th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group with P-40's transfers from Chenyi to Kweilin. The 75th Fighter Squadron, 23d Fighter Group with P-40's transfers from Yunnani to Lingling.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) P-40's and P-38's hit the Suavanau Point area on Rekata Bay. The 23d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 5th Bombardment Group (5th BG) at Bomber 1 begins operating B-17s from Guadalcanal.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) A-20's hit Salamaua, while B-24's bomb Babo. Individual B-24's attack Lae Airfield, Finschhafen, and Samoa Point and Timper River bridges.

U.S. Army: 41st Division "MacKechnie Force" is transported to the mouth of the Waria River and secure Dona and Dona Airfield.

IJN: Japanese cargo ship Nanshin Maru is sunk in collision with Ona Maru west of Oshima, off Hakata, Honshu, 34°13'N, 133°06'E.

USN: Commissioned is USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) at New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey.