Today In the History Of Atlantic and Mediterranean Theaters

February 21, 1940
-U.S. freighter Sahale is detained by British authorities at Gibraltar; freighter Exhibitor, detained since 17 February, is allowed to proceed.

February 21, 1942
-Unarmed U.S. tanker J.N. Pew is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-67 about 225 miles west of Aruba, D.W.I; two survivors reach the coast of Colombia, 35 miles east of Riohacha.
-Unarmed U.S. tanker Republic is torpedoed by German submarine U-504 about three miles east of Jupiter Inlet, Florida; three crewmen perish in the initial explosion, while two drown in the abandonment. One lifeboat reaches shore unaided (18 men on board) while U.S. tanker Cities Service Missouri rescues six men from a second boat.
-Admiral Leahy receives instruction to see Admiral Darlan immediately about German submarine U-156's receiving assistance at Martinique. Unless the Vichy French can assure the U.S. government that no Axis ships or planes will be allowed to enter French ports or territory in the Western Hemisphere, and that unless such assurances are rigidly maintained, the United States "will take such action in the interest of security of the Western Hemisphere as it may judge necessary and in accordance with existing inter-American obligations." Leahy writes in his diary that everything points to his early recall to Washington "for consultation".

February 21, 1943
-Battle to protect ON 166 from German submarines begins as U-332 and U-603 torpedo and sink Norwegian motor tanker Stigstad; U-92 torpedoes British steamer Empire Trader (she will be scuttled by Canadian corvette HMCS Dauphin). Coast Guard cutter Campbell (WPG-32), British corvette HMS Dianthus and Canadian corvette Dauphin, aided by flying boats, temporarily drive off U-332, U-454, and U-753 threatening the merchantmen. Coast Guard cutter Spencer (WPG-36) sinks German submarine U-225.
-U.S. freighter Rosario, steaming in convoy ON 167, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-664. Fourteen of the 17-man Armed Guard, and 14 of 44 merchant crewmen are picked up by British rescue ship Rathlin; the rest perish with the ship.
-British merchantman Penrith Castle rescues 15 merchant seamen and 13 Armed Guard sailors, survivors of freighter Roger B. Taney, that had been sunk by U-225 on 7 February.

 

February 22, 1940
-U.S. freighter Sahale, detained by British authorities at Gibraltar the previous day, is released.
-The German destroyer Z3 ‘Max Schultz’, hits a mine and sinks whilst trying to evade an air attack in the North Sea.

February 22, 1942
-U.S. tanker Cities Service Empire is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-128 25 miles north of Bethel Shoals. Destroyer Biddle (DD-151) rescues survivors from life rafts while Coast Guard cutter Vigilant (WPC-154) goes alongside and rescues men directly from the burning ship. All told, 3 of the 9-man Armed Guard are lost, in addition to 11 of the 41-man civilian complement.
-Unarmed U.S. tanker W.D. Anderson is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-504 about 12 miles northeast of Jupiter Point Lighthouse. The sole survivor of the 36-man crew swims ashore at Stewart, Florida.
-Unarmed U.S. freighter West Zeda is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-129 about 125 miles southeast of Trinidad, B.W.I. Schooner Emeralda rescues the entire 35-man crew, who suffer no casualties in the encounter with the U-boat.

February 22, 1943
-Battleship Iowa (BB 61) is commissioned at New York, New York, the first of the four-ship Iowa class that will be the last American battleships built.
-Battle to protect convoy ON 166 in the North Atlantic continues. British rescue ship Stockport rescues Empire Trader's survivors; German submarine U-92 torpedoes Norwegian motor tanker Nielson Alonso (which is again torpedoed by U-92 and then by U-753, but is eventually scuttled by Polish destroyer Burza); U-606 torpedoes a trio of merchantmen: U.S. freighters Chattanooga City, Expositor, as well as British steamer Empire Redshank. Chattanooga City sinks. Canadian corvette HMCS Trillium rescues all hands (including the 21-man Armed Guard) from Chattanooga City as well as 34 of 41 merchant sailors (two of whom die of their wounds) and the entire 21-man Armed Guard from Expositor. Trillium scuttles Empire Redshank. U-606's opportunity to savor her triple play is short-lived, for Canadian corvette HMCS Chilliwack and Polish destroyer Burza depth charge U-606 and drive her to the surface, where Coast Guard cutter Campbell (WPG-32) rams and sinks her. Campbell, damaged in the encounter, is taken in tow by Burza.
-Late in the evening German submarines locate Curacao, N.W.I.-bound convoy UC 1; four U.S. destroyers comprise part of the escort force.
The chase and battle continues into the next day.

February 23, 1944
-Motor torpedo boat PT-200 is sunk in collision with unknown object off Long Island, N.Y.

Mediterranean
Five German E-boats approach Anzio beachhead during the night, but all are driven off without inflicting any damage. Submarine chaser PC-621 claims destruction of one E-boat and drives another ashore.

German submarine U-969 attacks convoy GUS 31 off the coast of Algeria, irreparably damaging U.S. freighters Peter Skene Ogden and George Cleeve, 37°18'N, 06°59'E; other than one fatality on board the former, there are no casualties to the American ships. Both ships are towed and beached to facilitate salvage: Peter Skene Ogden at Herbillon and George Cleeve to Bone, Tunisia. Both are later written off as total losses.

February 22, 1944
-Motor torpedo boat PT-200 is sunk in collision with unknown object off Long Island.
-In the Mediterranean Sea, five German E-boats approach Anzio beachhead during the night, but all are driven off without inflicting any damage. Submarine chaser PC-621 claims destruction of one E-boat and drives another ashore.
-German submarine U-969 attacks convoy GUS 31 off the coast of Algeria, irreparably damaging U.S. freighters Peter Skene Ogden and George Cleeve; other than one fatality on board the former, there are no casualties to the American ships. Both ships are towed and beached to facilitate salvage: Peter Skene Ogden at Herbillon and George Cleeve to Bone, Tunisia. Both are later written off as total losses.

 

February 23, 1940
-U.S. freighter Lehigh is detained for several hours at Gibraltar by British authorities, but is allowed to proceed the same day.
-Crews of HMS Exeter and HMS Ajax cheered through London after return from South America.

February 23, 1941
-In the Mediterranean Sea, Stuka's sink a British Destroyer and the Monitor Terror off the North African coast, near Tobruk.

February 23, 1942
-U.S. freighter Lihue is torpedoed by German submarine U-161 about 275 miles west of Martinique; Lihue, damaged, engages U-161 in a surface gunnery action before the freighter is subsequently abandoned and the crew rescued by British tanker British Governor. Canadian armed merchant cruiser HMCS Prince Henry places a salvage party on board in attempt to save Lihue. Minesweeper Partridge (AM-16) tries to tow Lihue to safety, but the crippled merchantman sinks short of St. Lucia, the intended destination. There are no casualties to either the 36-man merchant crew or the 9-man Armed Guard.
-Unarmed U.S. tanker Sun is torpedoed by German submarine U-502 about 54 miles north of Aruba and although initially abandoned is reboarded. She is ultimately repaired and returned to service; there are no casualties among the 36-man crew.
-Unarmed U.S. tanker Republic, torpedoed by German submarine U-504 on 21 February, having drifted onto reefs off Hobe Sound, Florida, sinks.
-The British submarine HMS Trident, torpedo's the cruiser Prinz Eugen which is sailing to Norway from Kiel, forcing its return to Germany for substantial repairs.

February 23, 1943
-Battle to protect convoy ON 166 continues as German submarines continue the onslaught. After Canadian corvette HMCS Trillium's attempt to scuttle U.S. freighter Expositor (torpedoed the previous day by U-606) with depth charges fails; it falls to German submarine U-303 to administer the coup de grace to the hardy American merchantman. U-186 then torpedoes and sinks U.S. freighter Hastings as well as British motor tanker Eulima; from Hastings, nine merchant sailors (of the 41-man civilian complement) perish, but all 20 Armed Guards and the ship's sole passenger survive, rescued by Canadian corvette HMCS Chilliwack. U-707 torpedoes and sinks straggling U.S. freighter Jonathan Sturges; no. 1 lifeboat (with 19 survivors on board) from Jonathan Sturges encounters one from torpedoed Dutch motorship Madoera (three men on board) and transfers eight men to the Dutch lifeboat to equalize the number of survivors in each craft; Jonathan Sturges's no. 3 lifeboat (nine men) locates one merchant sailor in the no. 2 boat and four Armed Guards from the ship; that second group of survivors is then divided between boats no. 2 and no. 3 to distribute them evenly.
-German submarines attack Curacao, N.W.I.-bound convoy UC 1, which is shepherded by four U.S. destroyers, two British frigates and three corvettes. Despite the proximity of the Anglo-American escort force, U-382 torpedoes Dutch motor tanker Murena; U-202 torpedoes British tankers Empire Norseman and British Fortitude, and U.S. tanker Esso Baton Rouge. British sloop HMS Totland rescues Esso Baton Rouge's survivors, who include 24 of the 25-man Armed Guard and 41 of the 43-man merchant complement.
-District patrol craft YP-336 sinks after running aground, Delaware River.

February 23, 1945
-In the Mediterranean Sea, conversion of tank landing ships into seatrain LSTs is completed at Palermo, Sicily. LST-32 is to ferry rolling stock from Bizerte, Tunisia, to Reggio, Italy; LST-140 is to ferry rolling stock from Oran, Algeria, to Marseilles, France.
-Open lighter YC-693 is struck from the Naval Vessel Register this date. A thorough search of all sector activities fails to disclose any trace of this particular district craft, and it is stricken from the Register this date. It's exact fate is unknown.
-In the North Sea, the U.S. freighter Jane G. Swisshelm is damaged by explosion of V-2 rocket at Antwerp, Belgium. Only three men of the combined complement of 8 officers, 36 enlisted men, 27 Armed Guards and one passenger report any injuries.
-U.S. freighter Henry Bacon, straggling from Scotland-bound convoy RA 64, is sunk by German planes after her Armed Guard puts up a stiff fight against a large number of attacking aircraft. Seven of the 26-man Armed Guard die in battle. British destroyers HMS Opportune, HMS Zest and HMS Zambesi rescue the survivors.

 

February 24, 1940
-U.S. freighter Scottsburg is detained for several hours at Malta by British authorities, but is allowed to proceed the same day.

February 24, 1941
-Auxiliary Bear (AG-29) and Interior Department motorship North Star rendezvous off Adelaide Island to begin evacuation of East Base of U.S. Antarctic Service. Heavy pack-ice south of this area, however, prevents the ships from reaching East Base. The two vessels retire north to Dallman Bay. The time spent in the Mechior Archipelago, however, is not unfruitful, as North Star's people conduct surveys, make soundings, and make a geological study of the island group, in addition to collecting further examples of flora and fauna. Bear, meanwhile, gets underway soon thereafter to attempt to find a way through the pack ice to reach East Base. She is unsuccessful. Amidst growing concern over whether or not a full or partial evacuation can take place since mid-March, and the shortening of the polar days, is approaching, North Star, running short of supplies and fuel, is sent to Punta Arenas, Chile, to replenish and return if required.

February 24, 1943
-Carrier Ranger (CV-4) launches USAAF P-40s off Accra, Gold Coast, for further transfer to the North African theater in her second such ferry mission of 1943.
-BM-3 (VP 74) sights Italian submarine Barbarigo attacking Spanish merchantman Monte Igueldo and attacks the enemy submersible, which comes to the surface and fights it out with the flying boat. Neither side, however, inflicts damage on the other.
-Defense of convoy ON 166 continues; German submarine U-604 is damaged by depth charges from Coast Guard cutter Spencer (WPG-36) or corvettes HMCS Chilliwack, HMCS Rosthern or HMCS Trillium. U-621 conducts unsuccessful attack on Spencer.
-In the Mediterranean Sea, U.S. freighter Nathanael Greene, en route to join Algiers-bound convoy MKS 8, is first torpedoed by German submarine U-565 about 40 miles northeast of Oran and then is hit with an aerial torpedo during an air attack, forcing her abandonment. British minesweeper HMS Brixham takes on board 26 survivors directly from the sinking ship, and plucks others from the water. Brixham tows the ship out of further danger, transferring the tow to rescue tug Restive, which beaches Nathanael Greene off Oran, where salvage vessel Redwing (ARS-4) saves 400 of the 1,300 tons of cargo. Nathanael Greene will be written off, however, as a total loss. Of her complement, four merchant sailors die in the initial explosion but the Armed Guard (16 men) survives intact.

February 24, 1944
-PBY-5As (VP-63), employing Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) gear, and a PV-1 (VB-127), together with RAF Catalina (No. 202 Squadron) bomb German submarine U-761 as she attempts to transit the Straits of Gibraltar. British destroyers HMS Anthony and HMS Wishart rescue the 51 survivors who abandon their badly damaged U-boat after scuttling her to avoid capture. U-761 is the first U-boat destroyed through the employment of MAD equipment.
-Open lighter YC-523 sinks after grounding off Portsmouth, N.H.

February 24, 1945
-German submarine U-3007 is sunk by USAAF aircraft, Bremen, Germany.
-German U-boats sink 8 ships and 2 destroyers from a convoy bound for the Russian port of Murmansk.

 

February 25, 1940
-U.S. freighter West Camargo is stopped by unidentified French cruiser off north coast of Venezuela; French make no attempt to board but only request information "where from, where bound, and what cargo" before allowing the merchantman to proceed after a 20 minute delay.

February 25, 1941
-The British submarine, HMS Upholder, sinks the Italian Cruiser Armando Diaz to the southwest of Malta.

February 25, 1942
-Coast Guard assumes responsibility for U.S. port security.

February 25, 1943
-Battle to protect convoy ON 166 comes to a close; U-92 and U-600 conduct unsuccessful attacks on Coast Guard cutter Spencer (WPG-36); U-628 torpedoes and sinks British steamer Manchester Merchant bringing to a close enemy operations against ON 166, for the enemy loses contact with the convoy this evening.

February 25, 1944
-Convoy JW-57 (43 ships and 19 escorts) sailing the Loch Ewe to the Kola Peninsula, is attacked off Norway. One destroyer, HMS Mahratta, is sunk by U-990 for 1,920 tons.
-In the Mediterranean Sea, Tank landing craft LCT-26 founders and sinks in heavy weather off Anzio, Italy.

 

February 26, 1940
-U.S. passenger liner Washington is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities.

February 26, 1942
-Unarmed U.S. bulk carrier Marore is torpedoed, shelled, and sunk by German submarine U-432 off the North Carolina coast. U.S. tanker John D. Gill rescues 25 survivors; 15 more men land at Coast Guard Big Kinnakeet Lifeboat Station. There are no casualties.
-U.S. tanker R.P. Resor is torpedoed by German submarine U-578 five miles off Sea Girt, Delaware; of the 41-man merchant crew and 8 Armed Guard sailors on board, one civilian and one Armed Guard sailor are rescued by submarine chaser PC-507. Coast Guard cutters Icarus (WPC-110) and Antietam (WPC-128), yacht Zircon (PY-16) and coastal minesweeper AMc-200 converge on the scene; Eagle Boat PE-55 attacks sound contact in the vicinity without result.
-U.S. tanker Cassimir is sunk in collision with U.S. freighter Lara 48 miles from Frying Pan Shoals lightship.
-The RAF launch an attack against the battleship Gneisenau, which is being repaired at Kiel's floating dock. The damage caused is severe and the battleship is never again put to sea under her own power.

February 26, 1944
-Mediterranean
Tank landing ship LST-349 sinks after running aground off south coast of Italy; LCT-36 sinks after grounding off Naples.

February 26, 1945
-U.S. freighter Nashaba, bound for Ghent, Belgium, in convoy TAM 91, sinks after striking a mine in the Schelde estuary. There are no casualties among the 27-man Armed Guard.

 

February 27, 1940
-U.S. freighter Sundance is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities.

February 27, 1942
-Joint U.S.-Mexican Defense Commission is established.

February 27, 1944
-In the Mediterranean Sea, the light cruiser Philadelphia (CL-41) carries out seven gunfire support missions off Anzio.

February 27, 1945
-German submarine U-327 is sunk by PB4Y-1 (VPB 112), and British escort vessels HMS Labuan, HMS Loch Fada and HMS Wild Goose in the English Channel.
-Destroyer Bainbridge (DD-246) is damaged by paint locker explosion, 350 miles north of Puerto Rico.

 

February 28, 1942
-German submarine U-578 torpedoes and sinks destroyer Jacob Jones (DD-130) off the Delaware capes.
-Unarmed U.S. tanker Oregon is torpedoed, shelled, and sunk by German submarine U-156 about 150 miles northeast of Mona Passage; U-156 machineguns the crew trying to launch one of the lifeboats, killing six men. One group of 26 survivors reaches Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, on 4 March; U.S. tanker Gulfpenn rescues other group of four men the following day.
-PBY (VP 73) mistakenly bombs and damages submarine Greenling (SS-213) outside submarine sanctuary off New London, Connecticut.

February 28, 1943
-In the Mediterranean Sea, the U.S. freighter Daniel Carroll, in convoy TE 16, is torpedoed by German submarine U-371 off the coast of Algeria but is towed by a British tug to Algiers, arriving there the following day; she suffers no casualties to either her merchant crew or her 27-man Armed Guard or 30 passengers.

February 28, 1945
-Destroyer escort Fowler (DE-222) and French L'Indiscret sink German submarine U-869 off Morocco.

February 29, 1940
-U.S. freighter Cold Harbor is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities.

February 29, 1944
-In the Mediterranean Sea, Tank landing ship LST-197 is damaged by shore battery off Anzio.

 

March 1, 1940
-U.S. freighter Exeter is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities.

March 1, 1941
-Support Force Atlantic Fleet (Rear Admiral Arthur L. Bristol) composed of destroyers and patrol plane squadrons and supporting auxiliaries is established for protection of convoys in North Atlantic.
-Bulgaria joins the Axis as German troops occupy the country.

March 1, 1942
- Train, Atlantic Fleet is redesignated Service Force Atlantic.
-PBO (VP 82), on an antisubmarine sweep, bombs and sinks German submarine U-656 south of Newfoundland. U-656 is the first U-boat sunk by U.S. Navy forces during World War II.
-Tug Sagamore (AT-20) attempts to tow damaged U.S. tanker R.P.Resor (torpedoed by German submarine U-578 on 27 February) to shallow water to permit salvage, but to no avail. The gutted ship sinks about 31 miles east of Barnegat, New Jersey.

March 1, 1943
-Atlantic Convoy Conference meets in Washington, D.C.
-U.S. freighter Wade Hampton, straggling from convoy HX 227, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-405; British corvette HMS Vervain rescues 41 merchant seamen and 26 Armed Guard sailors (see 3 March 1943). Lost with Wade Hampton are Soviet motor torpedo boats RPT 1 (ex-PT-85) and RPT 3 (ex-PT-87), lend-lease craft being carried as deck cargo.
-U.S. freighter Fitz John Porter, in Bahia, Brazil-to-Trinidad convoy BT 6, is torpedoed by German submarine U-518, and abandoned. While there are no casualties among the merchant sailors, one Armed Guard seaman is blown overboard and lost. Brazilian minelayer Carioca rescues the survivors, and Fitz John Porter sinks the following evening.

March 1, 1944
-Destroyer escort Bronstein (DE-189) sinks German submarine U-603 in the North Atlantic and teams with destroyer escorts Thomas (DE-102) and Bostwick (DE-103) to sink U-709.

March 1 , 1945
-U.S. freighter Robert L. Vann, in convoy ATM 76, sinks after striking a mine off Ostend, Belgium. There are no casualties among the 27-man Armed Guard.

 

March 2, 1940
-U.S. passenger liner Manhattan is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities, but is released the same day. Some 80 of 200 items of cargo, however, are detained subject to guarantees as to their destinations.
-British India liner Domala bombed in English Channel, killing 100 people.

March 2, 1942
-Antisubmarine Warfare Unit, Atlantic Fleet is established at Boston, Massachusetts.
-Churchill declares that the Tirpitz is 'the most important naval vessel in the situation today' and believes her destruction would 'profoundly affect the course of the war'.

March 2, 1943
-German submarine U-759's attack on U.S. freighter Meriwether Lewis, straggling from convoy HX 227, fails, but U-634, summoned to the scene by U-759, torpedoes the U.S. merchantman. After Meriwether Lewis breaks in two, U-634 sinks the after part of the ship with gunfire. Despite a two-day search by Coast Guard cutter Ingham (WPG-35), however, no trace of the freighter's crew (44 merchant sailors and a 25-man Armed Guard) is ever found.
-Submarine chaser SC-1024 is sunk in collision off North Carolina.

March 2, 1945
-In the Mediterranean Sea, seatrain tank landing ship LST-32 (see 23 February) is damaged when she strikes a submerged wreck at Reggio Calabria on her first lift of 20 railroad cars from Bizerte.

 

March 3, 1942
-Unarmed U.S. freighter Mary is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-129 about 250 miles northeast of Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana.

March 3, 1943
-British destroyer HMS Beverly rescues last survivor of freighter Wade Hampton, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-405 on 28 February.
-U.S. freighter Staghound, proceeding independently from New York to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is torpedoed and sunk by Italian submarine Barbarigo in the South Atlantic off the coast of Brazil.

March 3, 1944
-President Roosevelt announces that the Italian Fleet will be distributed among the United States, Great Britain, and Soviet Union.

 

March 4, 1940
-U.S. freighter Exeter, detained at Gibraltar by British authorities since 1 March, is released, but not before 155 sacks of mail for Germany are removed, as are 95 sacks for Italy and 59 for Switzerland. Some 140 sacks previously removed from other neutral ships, however, are brought on board and the ship is permitted to sail.

March 4, 1943
-Survivors from U.S. freighter Staghound, torpedoed and sunk by Italian submarine Barbarigo in the South Atlantic off the coast of Brazil the day before, are rescued by Argentine steamship Rio Colorado. There are no casualties among the 59-man merchant complement or the 25-man Armed Guard.

March 4, 1944
-Convoy RA-57 (31 ships) sailing the Arctic route from the Kola Peninsula to Loch Ewe, is attacked off Norway. The steam merchant Empire Tourist is sunk by U-703 for 7,062 gross tons lost. However, the convoys escorts sink 3 U-boats en-route.

 

Picture of the Barbarigo and other Italian subs.
Zebra striped one is cool.

http://www.subnetitalia.it/regiostoria41.htm

 

March 5, 1941
-The Royal Navy begins escorting British and Commonwealth troop convoys from Egypt to Greece.

March 5, 1942
-Coastal yacht Alabaster (PYc-21) collides with unidentified merchant ship while patrolling off Cape May, New Jersey, but since the damage suffered by neither ship is serious enough to hamper their operations, both vessels continue on their way.
-Unarmed U.S. freighter Collamer, straggling from convoy HX 178, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-404 off the coast of Nova Scotia. British freighter Empire Woodcock rescues the 24 survivors from the 31-man crew.
-Unarmed U.S. freighter Mariana is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-126 east of Nassau, Bahamas. There are no survivors from the 36-man crew.
-German reconnaissance planes locate the British convoy PQ-12 bound for Murmansk.

March 5, 1943
-Escort carrier Bogue (CVE-9) begins escort of convoy duty in North Atlantic. This is first time a ship of her type is assigned antisubmarine operations as primary duty; she will operate in support of convoy HX 228 until 14 March.
-German submarine U-255 attacks Loch Ewe, Scotland-bound convoy RA 53, torpedoing U.S. freighter Executive and freighter Richard Bland; the former is abandoned without orders, with the survivors (one Armed Guard sailor and four merchant seamen are lost with the ship) being rescued by British trawlers HMS St. Elstan and HMS Northern Pride. Executive is scuttled. Richard Bland although damaged by a dud torpedo that nevertheless passes clean through the ship, remains with the convoy; she has suffered no casualties.

 

March 6, 1942
-German submarine U-129 torpedoes and sinks unarmed U.S. freighter Steel Age about 130 miles northeast of Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana and takes the sole survivor captive.
-Having received permission from Hitler, the Battleship Tirpitz and 3 destroyers set sail from Trondheim to intercept convoy PQ-12, but is spotted by a British submarine which relays the information onto the British Admiralty. However, bad weather means that the Tirpitz is unable to locate PQ-12 and so heads back to base. Enroute to Trondheim the Tirpitz is spotted and attacked by aircraft from HMS Victorious, but is not damaged.

March 6, 1943
-German submarines locate convoy SC 121; escort group (Commander Paul R. Heineman) consists of Coast Guard cutter Spencer (WPG-36), destroyer Greer (DD-145), two Canadian corvettes, a British corvette and a rescue ship. Operations against this convoy will continue until 11 March.

March 6, 1944
-In the Mediterranean Sea, Convoy UGS 33, bound from New York to Alexandria, Egypt, strays into Allied minefield off Tunis. U.S. freighter Daniel Chester French is sunk by mines; four Armed Guard sailors (of the 28- man detachment), nine of the merchant crew (of 44 men) and 24 of the 86 Army passengers perish with the ship. British rescue tug Charon, steamer Thelma, and tug Rescue pick up the surviving crew and passengers. Freighter Virginia Dare is irreparably damaged. There are no casualties (including among the 28-man Armed Guard).

 

March 7, 1941
-Carrier Wasp (CV-7) encounters foundering U.S. lumber schooner George E. Klinck in storm off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and rescues her crew.
-U-47, commanded by top ace Günther Prien, hero of Scapa Flow, is sunk by the British Destroyer HMS Wolverine.

March 7, 1942
-Unarmed U.S. freighter Barbara is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-126 approximately nine miles north-northwest of West Tortuga Island, Dominican Republic; a PBY rescues one group of survivors while the remainder reach shore. Later, U-126 shells and sinks unarmed U.S. freighter Cardonia about five miles west-northwest of San Nicholas Mole, Haiti; 22 survivors reach safety at San Nicholas Mole less than five hours after the ship sinks.
-U.S. freighter Independence Hall, straggling from convoy SC 73, founders and sinks off Sable Island. Ten of the 38-man merchant crew perish; there are no casualties among the 9-man Armed Guard.
-Brazilian steamship Arbabutan is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-155 off the Virginia capes.
-In the Mediterranean Sea, Force H, consisting of HMS Argus and HMS Eagle and supported by a number of destroyers, sets sail for Malta with a number of Spitfires on board. Fifteen Spitfires were flown off when Force H came within range of the Island.

March 7, 1943
-A new wolfpack, codenamed 'Raubgraf' (Robber Baron), is created in the central North Atlantic. It will operate between the 7th and 20th March 1943 and includes U-84, U-89, U-91, U-435, U-468, U-600, U-603, U-615, U-621, U-638, U-653, U-664, U-758. Immediately the wolfpack attacks convoy ON-168 which is traveling between North America and the UK. One ship is damaged and abandoned on the 7th March, to be finally sunk on the 12th March for 6,537 gross tons.

March 7, 1945
-Im the Mediterranean Sea, Motor torpedo boats PT-305 and PT-307 are accidentally bombed (but not damaged) by friendly aircraft while patrolling southwest of Genoa, Italy.
TG 89.9, comprising aviation supply ship Tackle (IX-217) and fleet tug Moreno (ATF-87), departs Naples for Odessa, USSR, with supplies for American POWs liberated from German camps by Soviet troops.

 

March 8, 1940
-War again comes to the Americas: Canadian destroyer HMCS Assiniboine stops German freighter Hannover in Mona Passage, off the coast of the Dominican Republic, at which point the merchantman's crew sets fire to the ship and abandons her. Boarding party from British light cruiser HMS Dunedin, however, saves Hannover from destruction. Conflicting representations by British and German diplomats as to Hannover's exact position prompt the Dominican government to drop the question of violation of territorial waters. Hannover will ultimately be converted into the escort carrier HMS Audacity. The effort expended to capture Hannover, however, allows German freighters Mimi Horn and Seattle to escape the Caribbean and make a break for Germany. Mimi Horn is scuttled to avoid capture in Denmark Strait on 28 March; Seattle is lost during the early phases of the invasion of Norway on 8-9 April.

March 8, 1942
-Net tender Mulberry (YN-22) rescues 14 survivors from U.S. freighter Cardonia, sunk by German submarine U-126 the day before.
-Coast Guard cutter Calypso (WPC-104) rescues 54 survivors from Brazilian steamship Arabutan, sinks their lifeboats as a hazard to navigation, and transports the men to Little Creek, Virginia.

March 8, 1943
-PBY-5 (VP 53) sinks German submarine U-156, West Indies area.

March 8, 1944
-In the Mediterranean Sea, the U.S. freighter Virginia Dare, irreparably damaged by Allied mine on 6 March off Tunis, breaks up after encountering heavy weather; she is subsequently written off as a total loss.

March 8, 1945
-Inter-American Conference, in session at Mexico City since 21 February 1945, ends.
-Submarine chaser PC-564 engages German minesweepers M 412, M 432, M 442 and M 452 and nine smaller craft off Chaussey. The Germans are bound for the port of Granville, France.

 

March 9, 1940
-U.S. freighter Exmoor is detained at Gibraltar by British authorities.

March 9, 1942
-Naval Air Transport Service Squadron (VR 1) is established at Norfolk, Virginia, for operations in Atlantic area.
-U.S. freighter Alcoa Scout rescues survivors of U.S. freighter Mary, sunk by German submarine U-129 on 3 March.
-Brazilian steamship Cayru is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-94.

March 9, 1943
-Battle to protect convoy SC 121 continues as Coast Guard cutters Bibb (WPG-31) and Ingham (WPG-35) and destroyer Babbitt (DD-128) reinforce the escorts. Babbitt proves her worth this day as she helps keep U-boats down. Despite the efforts of the escorts, however, German submarine U-409 torpedoes U.S. freighter Malantic which is abandoned in a gale; 19 merchant seamen, five Armed Guard sailors and the ship's sole passenger perish in the attempt to reach British rescue vessel Melrose Abbey. Malantic will sink the next day.
-German submarine U-510 carries out series of attacks on ships of convoy BT 6, which is escorted by destroyer Borie (DD-215), gunboats Courage (PG-70) and Tenacity (PG-71) and two submarine chasers, off Cayenne, French Guayana. U-510 torpedoes U.S. freighters George G. Meade, Mark Hanna, James Smith, Thomas Ruffin and James K. Polk. George G. Meade suffers no casualties to either her merchant crew or the Armed Guard, and returns to service; Mark Hanna is abandoned by most of the crew, submarine chaser PC-592 rescuing the men while a portion of the complement remains on board to prepare the ship to be towed; after repairs, she returns to active service. James Smith suffers the loss of six merchant sailors and five Armed Guard seamen in the initial explosion, and is partially abandoned, with submarine chaser PC-592 rescuing a portion of the crew. The ship, however, will be towed to Trinidad by British tug Zwarte Zee and will eventually re-enter active service. Thomas Ruffin is partially abandoned, with Courage and PC-592 rescuing crewmen (four of the ship's merchant complement and two of the 15-man Armed Guard are killed); the ship will eventually be written off as a total loss. James K. Polk (one Armed Guard sailor is killed when the ship is torpedoed--the only casualty) is partially abandoned, with PC-592 serving as the rescuing agent; the master and a volunteer crew rig tarpaulins and with those makeshift sails proceed some 360 miles. Eventually towed to Trinidad and thence to Mobile, Alabama, James K. Polk will be written off as a total loss.
-U.S. freighter Puerto Rican, straggling from convoy RA 53, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-586; of the 40-man merchant complement and 25-man Armed Guard, only one man of the former will survive the abandonment in the below-freezing environment in which the sinking takes place.

March 9, 1944
-Naval Air Facility (Lighter than Air), Santa Cruz, Brazil, is established.
-Destroyer escort Leopold (DE-319) is torpedoed by German submarine U-255, 650 miles west of Scotland.
-In the Mediterranean Sea, the destroyer Edison (DD-439) sinks German submarine U-450 off Anzio.
-U.S. freighter Clark Mills is damaged by mine off North African coast; beached off Bizerte,the ship is later written off as a total loss. There are no casualties to either the merchant crew, passengers, or the 42-man Armed Guard.

March 9, 1945
-In the Mediterranean Sea, motor torpedo boats PT-304, PT-308 and PT-313 engage German flak lighters off Point Mesco, Italy, claiming one sunk, one hit, and one possibly hit; PT-304 is damaged by shrapnel during the attack. During retirement, however, PT-308 is damaged when she is accidentally rammed by PT-304.
-Submarine chaser PC-564, outgunned and badly damaged, manages to outrun the German force engaged late on 8 March and is grounded on the French coast at Pierre de Herpin light. French fishing boats arrive to help the wounded, and the next day, PC-564 is towed into St. Malo harbor. Shortly after PC-564 is knocked out of action, German raiding party attacks Granville, demolishing installations, releasing German POWs held there, and sinking small British freighters Kyle Castle, Nephrite, and Parkwood, and Norwegian merchantman Heien. The Germans seize collier Eskwood and tow her to Jersey, in the Channel Islands. German minesweeper M 412 runs aground and is blown up when it is realized that extricating her from her predicament is impossible in the time allowed.

 

March 10, 1940
-U.S. freighters Explorer, Exchester, and West Cohas are detained at Gibraltar by British authorities; all are released, however, after only several hours.

March 10, 1942
-U.S. tanker Gulftrade is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-588 about two miles east of Barnegat, New Jersey; net tender Larch (YN-16) and Coast Guard cutter Antietam (WPC-128), along with Eagle Boat PE-48 and Coast Guard motor lifeboats from the Barnegat station are sent to the scene. Larch rescues seven survivors; Antietam nine.

March 10, 1943
-Light cruiser Savannah (CL-42) and destroyer Eberle (DD-430) intercept German blockade runner Karin (ex-Dutch Kota Nopan) in the South Atlantic 400 miles west northwest of Ascension Island. Boarding party from Eberle, while attempting to retrieve intelligence documents, suffers seven killed and two wounded when scuttling charges explode on board Karin. Savannah takes on board the German survivors as POWs.
-German submarine U-185 attacks convoy KG 123, torpedoing U.S. tanker Virginia Sinclair and freighter James Sprunt. Submarine chaser SC-742 rescues all but seven of Virginia Sinclair's complement, but James Sprunt, laden with general cargo and explosives, disintegrates, killing all hands (44 merchant sailors and the 25-man Armed Guard) and showering nearby ships with debris.
-German submarines attack convoy HX 228; U-221 torpedoes U.S. freighter Andrea F. Luckenbach. Explosion of the after magazine blows off the stern and kills 10 of the 28-man Armed Guard outright. British oiler Appleleaf rescues 17 Armed Guard sailors and 46 of the 55-man merchant complement. U-444 torpedoes freighter William C. Gorgas; British destroyer HMS Harvester rescues the 27-man Armed Guard and 33 of the 43-man merchant complement, but is herself later torpedoed and sunk by U-432. Ultimately, only four Armed Guard sailors and eight merchant seamen from William C. Gorgas survive Harvester's sinking, rescued by Free French-manned British corvette HMS Aconit. U-757 administers the coup de grace to William C. Gorgas.
-German submarine U-255 torpedoes U.S. freighter Richard Bland, straggling from convoy RA 53; the ship breaks in two. During the abandonment in rough seas, 17 of the 26-man Armed Guard and 19 of 42-man merchant complement perish. Survivors are rescued (27 by British destroyer HMS Impulsive); the forward portion of the ship is eventually towed to Iceland and salvaged.
-Open lighter YC-1278 is destroyed off Atlantic Coast.

March 10, 1944
-Destroyer escort Leopold (DE-319) irreparably damaged by German submarine U-255, 650 miles west of Scotland, on 9 March, is scuttled by destroyer escort Joyce (DE-317).
-In the Mediterranean Sea, U.S. freighter William B. Woods is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-952 approximately 47 miles off Palermo, Sicily; one of the 28-man Armed Guard and 51 of the 407 Army troops being transported in the ship perish. There are no casualties among the 43-man merchant complement. Escorting Italian destroyer escort Aretusa provides no help.

 

March 11, 1940
-U.S. freighter Exmoor, detained at Gibraltar by British authorities since 9 March, is released.

March 11, 1941
-Congress passes Lend-Lease Act; "cash and carry" provisions of Neutrality Act of 1939 are changed to permit transfer of munitions to Allies. Although criticized by isolationists, the Act proves to be the primary means by which the United States will provide Great Britain, the USSR, and other belligerents with war material, food, and financial aid without the U.S. having to enter combat.

March 11, 1942
-Unarmed U.S. freighter Texan is torpedoed, shelled, and sunk by German submarine U-126 about 40 miles east of Nuevitas, Cuba; Cuban fishing boat Yoyo rescues survivors.
-Unarmed U.S. freighter Caribsea is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-158 about 14 miles east of Cape Lookout, North Carolina; U.S. freighter Norlindo rescues survivors.
-Coastal minesweeper AMc-202 rescues seven survivors from Brazilian steamship Cayru, sunk by German submarine U-94 on 9 March, and transports them to New London, Connecticut.

March 11, 1943
-The north Atlantic convoy ONS-169 is attacked by wolfpack 'Raubgraf' between the 11th and 12th March losing 2 ships for 10,531 gross tons. Atlantic convoys SC121 and HX228 are also attacked by other wolfpacks and lose 17 ships for the loss of just U-444 and U-432.

March 11, 1944
-In the Mediterranean Sea, Commander Cruiser Division 8 breaks flag in French light cruiser Emile Bertin and takes operational command of Emile Bertin, Gloire, Georges Leygues, and Duguay-Trouin for training purposes.
-USAAF aircraft sink German submarines U-380 and U-410, Toulon, France.

March 11, 1945
-LCVPs (TG 122.5.1) go into action 200 miles from the sea, sailors assisting in erecting and maintaining an army pontoon bridge at the Remagen bridgehead. Navy support of the army's crossing the Rhine River proves invaluable and adds greatly to the successful invasion of the enemy's homeland.
-USAAF heavy bombers (Eighth Air Force) sink German submarines U-2515 and U-2530 during raid on Hamburg, Germany.
-PB4Y-1 (VPB 103) sinks German submarine U-681 southwest of the Scilly Islands.