Battle of Bismarck Sea Concludes

FRI 5 MAR 1943
Pacific
Battle of Bismarck Sea concludes, although attacks on survivors found on rafts and in landing barges ("grim and bloody work for which the crews had little stomach") continue over the ensuing days by Allied aircraft and U.S. motor torpedo boats. Failure of that operation, Japanese Navy officials admit later, proves "the impossibility of surface transport in the Lae area." Of the sixteen ships which sail for Lae, all eight transports are sunk, as are four of the escorting destroyers. Motor torpedo boats PT-143 and PT-150, patrolling 25 miles northeast of Cape Ward Hunt, New Guinea, in the wake of the battle, encounter a Japanese submarine rescuing survivors of the engagement and force her to submerge.

Submarine Tambor (SS-198) lands men, ammunition, and currency at Pagadian Bay, Mindanao, P.I.

Atlantic
Escort carrier Bogue (CVE-9) begins escort of convoy duty in North Atlantic. This is the 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 at 72°45'N, 11°40'E; 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 (see 10 March).