March 10th, 1944 (FRIDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Scotland: Convoy RA-57, returning from Russia, arrives safely in Loch Ewe having lost one ship, sunk three U-boats and damaged two others.
Corvette HMCS Leaside (ex-HMS Walmer Castle) commissioned South Bank-on-Tees.
EIRE: Dublin: Diplomatic "spies" in Eire endanger the lives of US troops awaiting orders to liberate Europe, the US told Dublin on 21 February; it urged the expulsion of Axis diplomats. Today Eire formally rejected the request, saying it would be "the first step to war". But the Irish say a radio transmitter at the German legation has been silenced.
GERMANY: Mauthausen: Adolf Eichmann">Eichmann and his team meet to organize the deportation of Hungary's Jews to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
U-2321 laid down.
U.S.S.R.: Polar Fleet and White Sea Flotilla: (Sergey Anisimov)(69)Submarine loss. "S-54" - unknown case, at Berlevog Harbor area.
Soviet troops take the German airbase at Uman.
Kiev: The Red Army has made another breakthrough, the third in a week, in the Ukraine. On the whole 500-mile front, from the approaches to the Dnieper estuary north to Tarnopol, von Manstein's Army Group South is in flight, desperately trying to avoid being encircled. The Wehrmacht, bogged down in the black Ukrainian mud, is abandoning arms and equipment in its flight. The Russians claim to have captured 200 Tiger and Panther tanks among the booty.
The new breakthrough was made by Konev's Second Ukrainian Front, which as torn a hole 110 miles wide and 40 miles deep in German lines. A Pravda report says that "it seems incredible that the army could advance one step in this flooded terrain, but it has reached that superlative point at which all obstacles are powerless to halt it."
MEDITERRANEAN SEA:
U-450 sunk in the western Mediterranean south of Ostia, in position 41.11N, 12.27E, by depth charges from escort destroyers HMS Blankney, Blencathra, Brecon and Exmoor and destroyer USS Madison. 42 survivors (No casualties).
NEW BRITAIN: Talasea falls to US forces.
BURMA:Air Commando I flew no missions from March 9th to 11th 1944 Finally got a couple of days off. No notes of what we did, but when we got any kind of a break at all, it was time to wash clothes, try to scrounge some 10-in one rations to get away from the constant diet of Spam and Vienna sausages. One time a crew chief and I got one of our aircraft life rafts and took it to a nearby lake in an attempt to grenade some fish. The grenades had been left behind by our Chindits when they loaded into the gliders taking off from Hailakandi on the 5th. We did get a few fish but found the lake had its share of leeches which put an end to our fishing expedition. (Chuck Baisden)
CANADA: Tug HMCS Streetsville assigned to Shelburne , Nova Scotia.
U.S.A.: The motion picture "The Fighting Seabees" is released in the U.S. The war drama, supposedly about the U.S. Navy's Construction Battalions (Seabees), is directed by Edward Ludwig and stars John Wayne, Susan Hayward, Dennis O'Keefe and William Frawley. The film was nominated for one Academy Award.
Escort carrier USS Matankikau laid down.
Minesweeper USS Magnet commissioned.
Destroyer USS Ingraham commissioned.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-845 (type IXC/40) is sunk, in position 48.20N, 20.33W, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Forester, the Canadian destroyer HMCS St Laurent, the corvette HMCS Owensound and the frigate HMCS Swansea. 10 dead and 45 survivors. KKpt Weber was among those lost in the action. The attacking ships were part of Escort Groups C-1 and EG-9, which had been sent to support Convoy SC-154. U-845, who had conducted one unsuccessful attack, surfaced astern of the convoy to recharge batteries and to reposition for further attacks. St Laurent sighted her at 1647, who closed at high speed and forced the U-boat to submerge. U-845’s batteries had been depleted to 60-percent, which placed her at a major disadvantage. A prolonged series of attacks lasted until 22 -34 when the submarine re-surfaced and attempted to disengage. Weber made many innovative attempts to evade but was thwarted by ideal acoustic conditions and bright moonlight. A running gun battle ensued that resulted in the sinking of the submarine at 23 -38. St Laurent expended 119 rounds of 4.7-inch and 1,440 rounds of 20-mm ammunition. KKpt Weber was killed by gunfire.
U-625 (type VIIC) is sunk west of Ireland, in position 52.35N, 20.19W, by depth charges from a Canadian 422 Sqn Sunderland aircraft (RCAF Sqdn. 422/U). 53 dead (all hands lost). U-625 was engaged in operations against the 30-ship Halifax to Liverpool convoy SC-154 when she was attacked on the surface in the late afternoon. The submarine dove as she was attacked but resurfaced three minutes later and the crew abandoned the boat. A signal was sent by lamp to the aircraft from the survivors in their life raft that read "Nice bombing." SC-154 arrived in Liverpool on 15 Mar 44 with all of its ships intact.
U-275 sunk in the English Channel south of Newhaven, in position 50.36N, 00.04E, by a mine. 48 dead (all hands lost).
U-681 sunk at 0930hrs in the English Channel west of Isles of Scilly, in position 49.52.433N, 06.38.633W, by depth charges from a US Liberator aircraft (VPB-103). 11 dead and 38 survivors. The boat struck a rock while submerged near the Bishop Rock and was forced to surface and was then attacked by the Liberator aircraft. It sank roughly 4 miles to the north-east of the Isles of Scilly.
(Alex Gordon)
Corvette HMS Asphodel sunk by U-575.