Thursday, March 7, 2024

Tuesday, March 7, 1944. U-Go and women at war.

The Japanese launched Operation U-Go on the Indian Burmese border.


It was a major Japanese offensive, and would be one of their last.

Today In Wyoming's History: March 71944  It is announced that the Wyoming State Hospital at Rock Springs will be training nurses for the Army.

In Germany, the National Socialist Women's League (Nationalsozialistische Frauenschaft, abbreviated NS-Frauenschaft) started making house calls to recruit women between the ages of 17 and 45 to work in "the service of the community" as part of an effort to address the German labor shortage.

Navajo woman with carrots, near Phoenix, Arizona, March 7, 1944.

On Bougainville, the Japanese were preparing for an assault, which is the same day these men of the 37th Infantry Division were photographed.



Last prior:

3 comments:

Frank M said...

I wonder how many were of the opinion that the allies should seek peace with either of Japan or Germany on this day? Italy had surrendered in Sept1943.

Pat, Marcus & Alexis said...

On the Italian surrender: https://lexanteinternet.blogspot.com/2023/09/wednesday-september-8-1943-italy.html

There are several entries prior to that on the events leading up to it.

Pat, Marcus & Alexis said...

On the question itself, by March 1944 opinions in Allied countries that the Allies should negotiate a separate peace with Germany or Japan would have been few and far between. There were never really any such voices in regard to Japan. As for Germany, after the twin German defeats at Stalingrad and in North Africa in 1943, the ultimate Allied victory was presumed, and presumed correctly.

By March 44, the Soviets had crossed the prewar Polish frontier and while the 5th Army was having a hard time in Italy, the Western Allies were already planning for Operation Overlord and Operation Dragoon. Large scale daylight bombing of Berlin had occured for the first time this very week, with P51 escorts making it possible.

Separate peace arrangements were being considered with some German allies, however. The Finns and the Soviets were in negotiations by March 44, and the Romanian government had considered approaching the Soviets until the Germans had shut that down.