Offensive Renewed (W/ Video)

WED 3 MAR 1943
Pacific
Battle of the Bismarck Sea continues as Allied aircraft renew the offensive with relentless low-level bombing and strafing runs against the luckless enemy convoy. Rear Admiral Kimura is wounded on board his flagship, destroyer Shirayuki. Destroyer Asashio is sunk by USAAF B-25s, 45 miles southeast of Finschafen, New Guinea, 07°15'S, 148°15'E; destroyers Arashio, Tokitsukaze, and Shirayuki are sunk by other aircraft (Arashio by USAAF B-17s), 55 miles southeast of Finschafen, 07°15'S, 148°30'E; supply ship Noshima, damaged by U.S. aircraft and collision with destroyer Arashio, sinks 50 miles southeast of Finschafen, 07°15'S, 148°30'E. Japanese army cargo ship Oigawa Maru, damaged by Allied aircraft, is sunk by motor torpedo boats PT-143 and PT-150, 06°58'S, 148°16'E; army cargo vessels Aiyo Maru, Shinai Maru, Taimei Maru and Kembu Maru, and transport Teiyo Maru are sunk by U.S. and Allied aircraft, east of New Guinea, 06°56'S, 148°08'E.

Japanese guardboat Choei Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft, off Vella Lavella, Solomons.

Submarine Halibut (SS-232) torpedoes Japanese naval auxiliary Nichiyu Maru about 170 miles south of Guam, 10°25'N, 145°25'E. Nichiyu Maru reaches Apra harbor under tow, but deemed beyond salvage by 17 June, never resumes active service (see 12 and 25 June 1944).

Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Harvey W. Scott, bound for Iran in convoy DN 21, is torpedoed by German submarine U-160 off the coast of South Africa, 31°54'S, 30°37'E; first boatload of survivors (there are no casualties among the 42 merchant sailors or the 19-man Armed Guard) reaches shore (see 4 March).

Atlantic
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, 16°44'S, 36°33'E (see 4 March).