Tuesday, March 2, 1943. Japanese disaster commences. Jewish residents of Berlin deported to their deaths.

The Battle of the Bismarck Seas started on this day in 1943, in which aircraft of the U.S. Fifth Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force  attacked a Japanese convoy carrying troops to Lae, New Guinea,

The Japanese knew that the convoy run was risky, but considered it worthwhile as it stood to be more effective than marching the troops overland.  The Allies had detected preparations for the convoy, and then deciphered Japanese communications regarding it so that the details concerning it were well known.

Around 2,900 Japanese servicemen lost their lives in the battle.  Thirteen Allied airmen were killed.  All eight Japanese transport vessels went down, and four of the eight destroyer escorts over a two day period.

1,500 Jewish residents of Berlin were deported to Auschwitz, with 1,350 of them being murdered immediately upon arrival there.

The Honouliuli Internment Camp opened in Waipahu, Ohau, Hawaii. Hawaiian Nisei are sometimes mistakenly believed to have escaped internment.  It was not as widespread as it was on the North American Pacific coast, but it did occur.

Built to house 3,000 people, it initially held 160 Japanese Americans and 69 Japanese citizens.  Ultimately it came to house  more than 4,000 Okinawans, Italians, German Americans, Koreans, and Taiwanese civilians.

A fire occurred in Douglas:

Today In Wyoming's History: March 2:1943 The Pepsi Cola bottling plant in Douglas was damaged by fire.  While soft drink bottling plant operations are not unknown in the state now, at that time smaller ones were more common.  Casper had a Coca Cola bottling plant.