Day 923 March 11, 1942

Philippines. With no hope of relief from the Japanese assault on the Bataan peninsula, General Douglas MacArthur, Admiral Francis Rockwell, their families and staff leave the fortified headquarters on the island of Corregidor, at the Southern tip of Bataan. They will make the 560 mile trip to Cagayun on the island of Mindanao aboard 4 US motor torpedo boats PT-32, PT-34, PT-35 & PT-41 (Lieutenant John Bulkeley, commanding PT boat Squadron 3, wins the Medal of Honor). MacArthur will also be awarded the MOH for “conspicuous leadership in preparing the Philippine islands to resist conquest, for gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against invading Japanese forces, and for the heroic conduct of defensive and offensive operations on the Bataan peninsula” (at the time, Douglas MacArthur and his father Civil War General Arthur MacArthur are the only father & son MOH recipients). Although MacArthur intends to retain command from Australia as Allied Supreme Commander South West Pacific Area, General Wainwright is appointed as Allied commander in the Philippines.

At 2.11 AM 38 miles East of Iceland, U-701 sinks British anti-submarine trawler HMS Stella Capella (all 33 hands lost).

At 3.16 AM 2 miles East of Fenwick Island, Delaware, U-94 sinks Norwegian SS Hvoslef carrying sugar from Cuba to Boston (6 dead, 14 survivors in a damaged lifeboat make land 14 hours later). At 8 AM 14 miles East of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, U-158 sinks US steamer Caribsea carrying 3600 tons of manganese ore from Cuba to Baltimore (21 killed, 7 survivors on 2 rafts picked up 10 hours later by American SS Norlindo). Italian submarine Tazzoli sinks Panamanian SS Cygnet (all 30 hands survive) 5 miles East of San Salvador Island in the Bahamas.

British passenger freighter SS Chilka is heading to Padang, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, to embark Allied civilians and troops evacuated from Singapore. At 2 PM 340 miles West of Padang, Japanese submarine I-2 shells SS Chilka with both deck guns (7 killed). After taking 14 hits in 25 minutes, SS Chilka signals surrender and survivors abandon ship before I-2 resumes shelling and sinks her.

At 8 PM 30 miles North of Sidi Barrani, Egypt, U-565 sinks British cruiser HMS Naiad (82 killed, 582 survivors rescued by destroyers HMS Jervis, HMS Kipling and HMS Lively).

220 miles West of the Southern tip of Japan, US submarine USS Pollack sinks Japanese merchant ship Fukushu Maru and passenger-cargo ship Baikal Maru.