March 6, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

MONDAY, 6 MARCH 1944

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 4 B-25s knock the center span out of the Sittang bridge and blast 2 AA positions; 14 B-25s lay mines around Kham Yai bomb nearby Prong and hit the marshalling yard at Pegu; 18 P-51s and P-40s attack Sawnghka bridge with poor results, start fires near Lalawng Ga, and bomb dumps near Walawbum. A flight of the 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, AAF India-Burma Sector (attached to Tenth Air Force), begins operating from Kisselbari with P-40s; the squadron is based at Guskhara.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): A-24s and P-40s from Makin bomb and strafe runways at Mille Airfield. B-25s from Tarawa pound Wotje Airfield.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On Bougainville, P-39s hit Monoitu Mission and huts and bridge on the Miwo River. 24 B-25s with fighter escort, pound Tobera, while 24 B-24s and 12 P-38s hit Kavieng and Panapai Airfield.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-25s continue to hit Japanese forces on Los Negros.  B-24s bomb the airstrip and other targets in the Awar-Nubia area; P-39s and RAAF aircraft hit Japanese forces around Madang. P-39s and P-38s strafe and dive-bomb the Cape Hoskins-Talasea area in support of the U.S. Marine landing. 405th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 38th Bombardment Group (Medium) moves from Port Moresby to Nadzab with B-25s. Lost is C-47A "Our Lillian Ethel Form 1A" 42-24228 (MIA) and P-39Q 42-19939 (KIA).

IJA: On Bougainville, the Japanese Army began actively probing and patroling around the American perimeter around Piva and Torokina in advance of their planned counterattack.

USMC: Marines land at Volupai on the Willaumez Peninsula in preparation for an advance to Talasea.