SprueStack Zero Hour: WW2 day by day

2 March 1943

What happened on this day in the Second World War, from 1939 to 1945, with a source for every entry.

About this page

Each day we list events from the Second World War that happened on that date, from 1939 to 1945. Every entry names its source and links to it, so you can read further. Entries are sourced and machine-screened before they go up, a subset is human-reviewed, and we add more over time.

8 of 10 sourced entries for this date, chosen by the editor.

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Entries

Bismarck Sea

Allied planes make damaging attacks on enemy convoy bound for Huon Gulf. Some Japanese are rescued from sinking transport and put ashore at Lae, night 2-3, by DD’s.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Tunisia

18 Army Group: In Br First Army’s 5 Corps area, enemy renews attack on N along Mateur-Tabarka road near Jefna and forces 139th Brig, 46th Div, back to Sedjenane.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Wingate's Chindits continue their localised strikes in Burma.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
Battle of the Bismarck Sea. U.S. and Australian naval forces, over the course of three days, sink eight Japanese troop transports near New Guinea.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea Allied aircraft defeat a Japanese attempt to ship troops to New Guinea.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
Australian and U.S. air forces attacked and destroyed a large Japanese naval convoy in the Bismarck Sea, north of Papua New Guinea.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
China-Burma-India Theater

THOR mission records show at least 30 Allied sorties (5 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1943-03-02, flown by USAAF 10th Air Force, USAAF 14th Air Force. Targets included BURMA, CHINA.

Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

THOR is a secondary compilation with known gaps, not a complete record.
Mediterranean Theater

THOR mission records show at least 66 Allied sorties (10 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1943-03-02, flown by USAAF 9th Air Force, USAAF 12th Air Force, RAF. Targets included TUNISIA.

Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

THOR is a secondary compilation with known gaps, not a complete record.

The full list for this date is being cleaned and will return soon.

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2 March in other years 1940 1941 1942 1944 1945

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2 March 1943

Entries

Allied planes make damaging attacks on enemy convoy bound for Huon Gulf. Some Japanese are rescued from sinking transport and put ashore at Lae, night 2-3, by DD’s.

18 Army Group: In Br First Army’s 5 Corps area, enemy renews attack on N along Mateur-Tabarka road near Jefna and forces 139th Brig, 46th Div, back to Sedjenane.

Wingate's Chindits continue their localised strikes in Burma.

Battle of the Bismarck Sea. U.S. and Australian naval forces, over the course of three days, sink eight Japanese troop transports near New Guinea.

During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea Allied aircraft defeat a Japanese attempt to ship troops to New Guinea.

Australian and U.S. air forces attacked and destroyed a large Japanese naval convoy in the Bismarck Sea, north of Papua New Guinea.

THOR mission records show at least 30 Allied sorties (5 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1943-03-02, flown by USAAF 10th Air Force, USAAF 14th Air Force. Targets included BURMA, CHINA.

THOR mission records show at least 66 Allied sorties (10 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1943-03-02, flown by USAAF 9th Air Force, USAAF 12th Air Force, RAF. Targets included TUNISIA.

Talk about it