03/01 Sun. Battle of Sunda Strait which commenced shortly before 
           midnight 28 February 1942 continues.  After the Battle of the 
           Java Sea (see 27 February 1942) Allied vessels heading for 
           Sunda Strait are attacked by superior Japanese surface 
           forces.  One United States cruiser, 1 Australian cruiser, and 
           1 Netherlands destroyer are sunk.  Four Japanese transports 
           are lost. 
           Base Force, Pacific Fleet, is redesignated Service Force 
           Pacific; Train, Atlantic Fleet, is redesignated Service Force 
           Atlantic. 
           American-British-Dutch-Australian Command is dissolved. 
            United States naval vessels sunk: 
             Heavy Cruiser HOUSTON (CA-30), by torpedoes and gunfire, 
              Sunda Strait, Java Sea, 
               05 d. 50' S., 105 D. 55' E. 
             Destroyer POPE (DD-225), by dive bomber, and surface 
              gunfire, Java Sea, 
              04 d. 00' S., 111 d. 30' E. 
             Destroyer EDSALL(DD-219) and PILLSBURY (DD-227), by naval 
              gunfire, south of Christmas Island, 
              14 d. 30' S., 106 d. 30' E. 
             Oiler PECOS (AO-6), by dive bomber, south of Christmas 
              Island, 
              14 d. 27' S., 106 d. 11' E. 
            German submarine sunk: 
             U-656, by naval land-based aircraft (VP-82), south of 
              Newfoundland, 
              46 d. 15' N., 53 d. 15' W.
03/02 Mon. Antisubmarine Warfare Unit, Atlantic Fleet, is established at 
           Boston, Mass. 
           Japanese troops land at Zamboanga, Mindanao, P. I.
03/03 Tue.  United States naval vessels sunk: 
             Submarine PERCH (SS-176), damaged by depth charges and 
              surface gunfire, scuttled by crew in Java Sea. 
             Gunboat ASHEVILLE (PG-12), by naval gunfire, south of Java, 
              Netherlands East Indies area, 
              12 d. 33' S., 111 d. 35' E.
03/04 Wed. Aircraft from carrier task force (Vice Adm. W. F. Halsey) 
           bomb Marcus Island. 
           Japanese seaplanes raid Oahu, T. H.; no damage.
03/07 Sat.  United States naval vessels sunk: 
             Submarine SHARK (SS-174), Pacific Ocean area, reported as 
              presumed lost.
03/08 Sun. Japanese forces invade Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea. 
           Japanese occupy Rangoon, Burma.
03/09 Mon. Naval Air Transport Service Squadron (VR-1) is commissioned 
           at Norfolk, Va., for operations in Atlantic area. 
           Java surrenders to the Japanese.
03/10 Tue. Aircraft from carriers LEXINGTON (CV-2) and YORKTOWN (CV-5) 
           bomb Japanese shipping at Salamaua and Lae, New Guinea. 
           Japanese invade Finschhafen, New Guinea.
03/11 Wed. Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur and Rear Adm. F. W. Rockwell leave 
           Luzon, P. I., by motor torpedo boat for Mindanao, P. I.
03/12 Thu. United States forces arrive in New Caledonia to establish a 
           base at Noumea. 
           President, by executive order, combines duties of Commander 
           in Chief United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations. 
           (See 26 March 1942).
03/13 Fri.  United States naval vessel sunk: 
             PT-32, by scuttling, Philippine Islands area, 
              10 d. 58' N., 121 d. 12' E.
03/14 Sat. Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet (Rear Adm. R. M. Brainard) 
           is established.
03/15 Sun.  United States Coast Guard vessel sunk: 
             Tender ACACIA (AGL-200), by German submarine, south of 
              Haiti. 
            German submarine sunk: 
             U-503, by naval land-based aircraft (VP-82), 
              North Atlantic area, 
              46 d. 50' N., 48 d. 50' W.
03/17 Tue. United States Naval Forces Europe is established.  (See 30 
           April, 1942.) 
           United States, in agreement with Allied governments, assumes 
           responsibility for the strategic defense of entire Pacific 
           Ocean.
03/18 Wed. Naval force (Rear Adm. J. W. Wilcox, USN) including 2 
           battleships, 1 carrier, 2 cruisers, and 8 destroyers is 
           ordered to Great Britain to join British Home Fleet.
03/20 Fri. Battleship South Dakota (BB-57) is commissioned at New York, 
           N. Y.
03/23 Mon. Japanese occupy Andaman Islands, Bay of Bengal.
03/26 Thu. Adm. E. J. King relieves Adm. H. R. Stark as Chief of Naval 
           Operations.  Admiral King is Commander in Chief United States 
           Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations.  His principal 
           assistants are Vice Adm. F. J. Horne, Vice Chief of Naval 
           Operations, and Vice Adm. R. Willson, Chief of Staff. 
           Commander Eastern Sea Frontier is given operational control 
           of certain Army Air Force units for antisubmarine patrol duty 
           in the Atlantic. 
            United States naval vessel sunk: 
             Miscellaneous auxiliary ATIK, by submarine torpedo, 
              36 d. 00' N., 70 d. 00' W.
03/29 Sun. Marines arrive at Efate, New Hebrides.
03/30 Mon. Joint Chiefs of Staff order Pacific Ocean divided into two 
           commands: Pacific Ocean Areas ( Adm. C. W. Nimitz), and 
           Southwest Pacific Area (Gen. Douglas MacArthur). 
           Pacific War Council representing United States, Great 
           Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, and 
           China is established in Washington, D. C., to plan war 
           policy. 
           Christmas Island is occupied by Japanese forces.
03/31 Tue. Commander of All Forces Aruba and Curacao, Netherlands West 
           Indies, is established (Rear Adm. J. B. Oldendorf, USN).