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• Vichy French government allowed its citizens to join the German SS organization. ww2dbase [CPC]
• German SS troops massacred all Jewish children under the age of 13 in Kovno, Lithuania. ww2dbase [CPC]
• The government of the United Kingdom banned foreign travel. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Japanese 58th Regiment launched an all-out attack on Sangshak, India. Brigadier Maxwell Hope-Thompson, commanding officer of the defending Allied troops, ordered a retreat from Sangshak at 1800 hours. On the same day, William Slim requested the British 2nd Division to help defend nearby Dimapur. ww2dbase [Battle of Imphal-Kohima | CPC]
• Japanese troops attacked the Broadway site of Operation Thursday in Burma. ww2dbase [Operation Thursday | CPC]

• USS Ray arrived at Fremantle, Australia, ending her third war patrol. ww2dbase [Ray | Fremantle, Western Australia | CPC]

• P-40 and Beaufighter aircraft of Royal Australian Air Force 78 Squadron operating out of Kiriwina, Australian Papua misidentified two United States Navy PT Boats in Bangula Bay, New Britain and began multiple strafing runs. For the most part, the PT Boats did not return fire and in the end, PT-353 and PT-121 both burned and sank with 8 men killed, 14 wounded, and 13 rescued. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 3 | PT-class | Bangula Bay, New Britain | DS]

• Lieutenant Colonel George McGee, Jr. and the troops of his 2nd Battalion of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) arrived at Auche, Burma at 1000 hours. The remainder of the 3rd Battalion arrived in afternoon. Frank Merrill ordered 2nd Battalion to withdraw to Nhpum Ga and 3rd Battalion even further north to the clearing named Hsamshingyang to prepare an airfield. ww2dbase [George McGee | Frank Merrill | Battle of Myitkyina | Auche | CPC]

• The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against La Rochelle, France. ww2dbase [RAF Thurleigh | Bombing of Cities in France and Low Countries | La Rochelle | DS]

• HMS Cumberland met US Task Group 58.5 (Aircraft Carrier USS Saratoga and destroyers USS Cummings, USS Dunlap, and USS Fanning) SW off Cocos Islands with ships of Eastern Fleet. ww2dbase [Cumberland | Cummings | Saratoga | DS]

• The submarine USS Tullibee was sunk by one of her own Mark XIV torpedoes which made a circular run when launched against Japanese vessels off Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Tullibee | AC]
• Lookouts on USS Hoel spotted a 40-foot outrigger canoe in the open ocean southwest of Emirau Island with 27 Japanese naval landing force troops. As Hoel approached, the Japanese began shooting one another. Hoel answered with 40mm fire and all aboard the canoe were killed. No sign of any intent to surrender was observed. Hoel made a special note that, “The Japanese personnel were all of large stature. All appeared to be in excellent physical condition.” ww2dbase [Hoel | DS]
• Gato-class submarine USS Silversides shifted areas to waters off northern New Guinea. Upon crossing the equator, Silversides "Dove to obtain bathythermograph observations and properly indoctrinate 24 polywogs." ww2dbase [Line Crossing Ceremony | Silversides | DS]

• Allied convoy JW-58 departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | Liverpool, England | CPC]

• The US Supreme Court granted a review of Fred Korematsu's case. ww2dbase [Fred Korematsu | Washington | CPC]

27 Mar 1944 Interactive Map