1 March 1944

UNITED KINGDOM: The British minesweepers ME 35, commanded by Lieutenant Jack Nielsen, and ME 83, commanded by Lieutenant I Carlo F. Sørensen, are manned with Danish crews and flying 2 flags, Orlogsflaget (Danish Naval Ensign) and the White Ensign.

FRANCE: Rommel has arrived in northern France to take command of the German forces awaiting the long-expected Allied invasion. The legendary "Desert Fox" has been dismayed to discover that the Führer's vaunted "Atlantic Wall" is largely a figment of Hitler's imagination, and he is urgently throwing up fortifications along the Normandy coast.

Vital training programmes have had to be dropped because, unable to get labour and materials from the Todt Organization, he is having to use his troops as labourers to cut trees for stakes on the beaches. Fuel shortages have created transport problems, and he has been driven to depend on horses and carts. Field Marshal Rommel asked for 50 million mines to sow as the first line of defence on the beaches; he expects to receive about 6 million. He reckons that he needs 240 loads of cement daily for fortifications; he is receiving fewer than 50.

To compound Rommel's problems, he is in disagreement with Field Marshal von Rundstedt, the C-in-C West. Rommel considers that the Allied invasion will be mounted in Normandy; von Rundstedt is certain it will be in the Pas de Calais and is holding back an armoured reserve which Rommel argues is vital for hitting the enemy when he is weakest, at the moment of landing.

GERMANY: Berlin: Fritz Sauckel, the Reich plenipotentiary for the allocation of labour, says that there are five million slave workers in Germany.

In response to the emergency created by the Allied Combined Bomber Offensive, the Armaments and Air Ministries create the Fighter Staff (Jägerstab) program, which was to produce between 1,000 and 4,000 fighters per month. (Mike Yared)

U.S.S.R.: Marshal Zhukov takes over the command of the First Ukrainian Front from the injured General Vatutin; the German General Walter Model is promoted to Field Marshal.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-358 (Type VIIC) is sunk north of the Azores, in position 45.46N, 23.16W, by depth charges from the British frigates HMS Gould (ex-USS Lovering), Affleck, Gore and Garliese. 50 dead and 1 survivor. On 5 May, 1943 U-358 was depth charged in the North Atlantic by the British destroyer escort HMS Pink. The boat was damaged so badly that she had to return to base.

U-603 (type VIIC ) sunk in position 48.55N, 26.10W, by depth charges from the US destroyer escort USS Bronstein. 51 dead (all hands lost).

U-709 (type VIIC) is sunk north of the Azores, in approximate position 49.10N, 26.00W, by depth charges from the US destroyer escorts USS Thomas, Bostwick and Bronstein. 52 dead (all hands lost). 12 Jul, 1943 A torpedo explosion on board of U-709 killed 2 men and wounded another

Whilst in company with several escorts hunting down a submarine contact, frigate HMS Gould is torpedoed (A homing torpedo) and sunk at 7.20pm 480 miles NNE of the Azores by U-358 (Kapitanleutnant Rolf Manke). There are 123 casualties and 14 survivors. (James Paterson and Alex Gordon)(108)

BURMA: Air Commando Combat Mission N0. 13 3:15 Flight time. No details of results were noted. (Chuck Baisden)

ADMIRALTY ISLANDS: US troops defending Los Negros drive off Japanese attacks on the perimeter.

Aircraft carrier USS Tarawa laid down.

Destroyer escort USS Fieberling laid down.

Submarines USS Sea Robin and Stickleback laid down.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: During an air attack U-703 suffered 3 dead and 3 wounded. The damaged boat reached Narvik, Norway two days later. [Funkobermaat Paul Kretschmar (died on 7 March), Bootsmaat Erich Junker Maschinengefreiter Heinz Schade].