March 1, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SUNDAY, 1 MARCH 1942

Burma: Burma 1st Div covers concentration of Ch 5th Army in Toungoo area. 200th Div of the army, which is already disposed in this area, regains Nyaunglebin and Pyuntaza, on Rangoon-Mandalay road. Gen Wavell arrives in Burma and orders Rangoon held as long as possible, at least until reinforcements en route (63d Brig Gp) arrive. Ind 17th Div returns toward Waw, which is to be defended.

SWPA: The last heavy bomber mission is flown from Java, Air echelon of 9th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), ceases operating from Jogjakarta and begins a movement to India with B-17's and LB-30's. Ground echelon is already enroute from Australia to India. 11th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), begins a movement from Jogjakarta to Melbourne with B-17's and LB-30's. Air echelon of 14th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group, attached to 19th Bombardment Group (Heavy) ceases operating from Singosari with B-17's, B-24's and LB-30's and begins moving to Melbourne. Ground echelon is at Bugo, Mindanao. 33d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 22d Bombardment Group (Medium), transfers from Brisbane to Ipswich, Australia with B-26's; first mission is 6 Apr. Air echelon of 91st Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group, ceases operating from Malang and begins moving to Brisbane; ground echelon is on Bataan. 93d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 19th Bombardment Group (Heavy), transfers from Singosari to Melbourne. HQ 27th Bombardment Group transfers from Bataan to Batchelor Field. HQ 35th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) transfers from Brisbane to New Delhi.

Dutch: Japanese oiler Tsurumi is torpedoed by Dutch submarine K-XV east of Nicholas Point, Banten Bay on Java. Sunk by gunfire is MV Modjokerto.

U.S. Navy: The Battle of Sunda Strait continues as heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-30) and Australian light cruiser HMAS Perth under Captain Hector M.L. Waller, RAN heading for the Sunda Strait, are attacked by three Japanese cruisers and nine destroyers under Rear Admiral Kurita Takeo. In the melee, USS Houston (CA-30) is sunk at roughly Lat 5°50'S, Long 105°55'E with Captain Albert H. Rooks killed later earns the Medal of Honor, posthumously. HMAS Perth is sunk by torpedoes and gunfire of Japanese heavy cruisers Mogami and Mikuma; Japanese minesweeper W.2 and transports Ryuho Maru, Tatsuno Maru, Sakura Maru and Horai Maru are sunk, and landing ship Shinshu Maru damaged by torpedoes fired by heavy cruiser Mogami; destroyers Shirakumo and Harukaze are damaged by gunfire.

During the Second Battle of the Java Sea (The Battle off Bawean Island) Japanese heavy cruisers Myoko, Ashigara, Haguro and Nachi engage three Allied warships under Captain Oliver L. Gordon, RN fleeing Java and sink heavy cruiser HMS Exeter (68) and destroyer HMS Encounter (H10). USS Pope (DD-225), the third ship, escapes the cruisers but is located and bombed by floatplanes from seaplane carriers Chitose and Mizuho. Damaged by one close-miss, USS Pope is found by carrier attack planes from Ryujo and bombed; scuttling is in progress when Myoko and Ashigara deliver the coup de grace with gunfire at 04°00'S, 111°30'E.

Japanese planes bomb Surabaya on Java. Destroyer USS Stewart (DD-224) is damaged by a bomb.

Japanese oiler Tsurumi is torpedoed by Dutch submarine Hr, Ms. K-XV east of Nicholas Point bordering Banten Bay on Java.

Japanese naval forces sweep south of Java. USS Edsall (DD-219) is sunk by gunfire of battleships Hiei and Kirishima, heavy cruisers Tone and Chikuma, and carrier planes from Akagi and Soryu. In total, the amount of shells expended at the destroyer amounts to 297 15" shells and 844 8" shells. After the sinking, eight of the crew were picked up by the heavy cruiser Chikuma and later executed at Kendari. Oiler USS Pecos (AO-6) with USS Langley (AV-3) survivors on board as well as evacuees from Java, is bombed and sunk by carrier bombers from Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, and Soryu, south of Christmas Island at Lat 14°27'S, Long 106°11'E.

USS Stewart (DD-224) in a Dutch floating drydock at Surabaya is scuttled with demolition charges inside and the surrounding drydock is demolished to cause maximum damage.

USS Perch (SS-176) is depth charged and damaged by Japanese destroyers Amatsukaze and Hatsukaze, 73 miles west of Bawean Island in the Java Sea at Lat 06°30'S, Long 113°50'E.

As Japanese invasion of Java proceeds, Allied planes bomb enemy ships off the beaches: RAF Wildebeests damage light cruiser Kinu, transport Johore Maru, and army cargo ship Tokushima Maru. Dutch Martin 139s, RAF Blenheims, RAAF (or RAF) Hudsons also claim damage to Japanese ships.

E14Y Glen piloted by W/O Fujita Nobuo from Japanese submarine I-25 reconnoiters Hobart on Tasmania.

NEI: American, British, Dutch, Australian Command (ABDA) is dissolved before the fall of Java. Japanese, now in undisputed control of air and sea, make rapid progress advancing on Java. Allied planes based on Java are virtually wiped out, many of them on the ground. After a final effort to stall enemy by air, surviving air personnel begin assembling in Jogjakarta Airfield for withdrawal to Australia. Since ports on Java are untenable, Allied naval command is dissolved and ships are directed to withdraw to Australia.

USMC: Marine Aircraft Group 22 (MAG-22) is commissioned at Midway Airfield comprised of Marine Scout-Bomber Squadron 231 (VMSB-231) and Marine Fighter Squadron 221 (VMF-221) at Midway Airfield. Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 241 (VMSB-241).

IJN: Japanese 14th Army, during the period January 6, 1942 to March 1, 1942 has suffered severe setbacks on Luzon and sustained almost 7,000 casualties including 2,700 killed and over 4,000 wounded.