March 18th, 1943 (THURSDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Submarine HMS Surf commissioned.
Destroyer HMS Hardy launched.
GERMANY: US bombers attack Vegesack.
U-1101 laid down.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: At 0834, U-593 attacked a small convoy near Derna, Cyrenaica and sank two ships, Dafila and Kaying. The master, nine crewmembers and five gunners from Dafila were picked up by armed whaler SAS Southern Maid and landed at Derna. 19 crewmembers and three gunners were lost. The badly damaged Kaying foundered the next day in heavy weather. Seven crewmembers and two gunners were lost. The master, 67 crewmembers and four gunners were rescued and landed at Alexandria.
TUNISIA: Gafsa falls to Darby's Rangers of Patton's II Corps, which pushes on to El Guettar. (Jeff Chrisman)
ALGERIA: Algiers: General Giraud has issued a series of decrees abolishing Nazi-inspired anti-Semitic laws in Vichy France. In general, says Giraud, all laws passed in France since the armistice was signed on 22 June 1940 are null and void.
Specifically, all discrimination in citizenship against Jews as such is abolished. They are to be reinstated into the public service, and their property is to be returned. European Jews will be treated by law as Frenchmen; North African Jews as Arabs.
BURMA: Allied soldiers give up the attempt to drive the Japanese from Donbaik.
CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Bayfield departed Esquimalt for Halifax via Panama Canal.
U.S.A.:
Destroyer USS Cassin Young laid down.
Destroyer USS Cowell launched.
SOUTH AMERICA: French Guiana declares itself on the side of the Free French.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 1643, U-221 hit the Walter Q. Gresham in station #21 of Convoy HX-229 with a stern shot and sank her SE of Cape Farewell. At 16.49 hours, one FAT and two standard torpedoes were fired. The FAT missed and detonated at the end of it's run, while the other two struck the Canadian Star in station #23, which sank in 15 minutes. The master, 22 crewmembers, 2 gunners and nine passengers from the Canadian Star were lost. 33 crewmembers, 6 gunners and 15 passengers were picked up by HMS Anemone and Pennywort and landed at Gourock. Master Robert David Miller was posthumously awarded the Lloyd’s War Medal for bravery at sea.
SS Mollie Pitcher sunk by a coup de grāce from U-521 at 0550.
At 1540, Clarissa Radcliffe, a straggler from Convoy SC-122 since a heavy storm on 9 March, was torpedoed and sunk by U-663 west of Boston. Three torpedoes missed the ship, before the fourth sank the ship almost immediately. The master, 42 crewmembers and 12 gunners were lost.