March 2, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 2 MARCH 1944

USA: At the 16th Academy Award in Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, With the Marines at Tarawa won the Academy Award for for Best Documentary Short Subject. A plaster Oscar was presented to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) due to wartime shortages of metal.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 9 B-24s fly a futile shipping search over the Kuriles; turned back by a weather front, they either jettison or bring back their bombs.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 5 P-51s bomb artillery positions in the Maingkwan area; Twenty P-40s hit a fuel dump at Myitkyina, artillery at Shingban, and trucks on a road near Walawbum; 8 A-36s and P-51s hit an encampment on Pagoda Peak near Mogaung. HQ 81st Fighter Group arrives at Karachi from Italy.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, 4 B-25s sink a small steamer near Mon Cay and bomb railroad shops and coal treating plant at Campho. In China, 10 P-38s damage 2 bridges and strafe 2 barracks areas north of Nanchang; 2 P-40s bomb and strafe the airfield and barracks at Kengtung.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24's from Makin and Abemama bomb Ponape and Kusaie. B-25s bomb Maloelap.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): P-40s join USN fighters in covering a USN dive bomber strike on shipping installations in the Keravia Bay area; 12 B-25s pound Rabaul while 11 others, with USN fighter support, bomb Rapopo; shortly afterwards, 20 escorted B-24's blast the town area of Rabaul; 14 P-38s follow immediately with a strike on the same target. P-39s hit Japanese-occupied Piano and Monoitu Mission. 67th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group, based in the Russells begins operating from Bougainville with P-39s; the squadron will convert to P-38s in April.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, 80+ B-24s and P-40s hit the Hansa Bay area including Nubia Airfield, and the Madang-Alexishafen area. 60+ B-25s and A-20s pound enemy forces on Los Negros as Allied ground forces occupy Momote Airfield; P-47s providing cover for the B-25s claim 7 enemy fighters shot down.

U.S. Army: U.S. Army 1st Cavalry Division, 1st Brigade captures Momote Airfield.

Rabaul: Due to the heavy bombing of Rabaul, the Allied Prisoners Of War (POWs) detained at Rabaul Prisoner Compound (Rabaul POW Prison) were trucked to Tunnel Hill POW Camp (Cave Camp) and detained in a single tunnel guarded by 6th Kempeitai (6th Kempei-Tai).