March 17, 1776 The HMS Bolton and HMS Hawk are captured by a small American fleet commanded by Esek Hopkins
March 4 1781 The USS Alliance commanded by Commodore John Barry captures the British Privateer Alert
March 27th 1794- Congress authorizes the rebuilding of the US Navy.
March 5 1799- The French Brigantine the Les Amis is captured by the USS Deleware in the Straits of Florida.
March 4th 1814 The USS Adams captures the British sloop HMS Naynitne Fairy.
March 17 1814 The USS Frolic captures the British Brigantine Lillte Fox.
March 28th 1814 The USS Essex is captured by the British ships Phoebe and Cherub. 89 American sailors are killed in the battle
March 23rd 1815- The USS Hornet captures the HMS Pengiun near Tristan d' Acunha. The war had been over for 3 months.
March 11th 1847 The Mexican Schooner Jose Eliza is captured by the USS Portsmouth in the waters near Mazatlan.
March 8-9th Battle between the Monitor and the Virginia.
When the Confederates seized the navy base at Norfolk they came into possession of the hull of the frigate USS Merrimack. They raised the hull and outfitted it with thick steel plate surrounding it. They thus created the first ironclad. Word that the south was creating a ship that might threaten the union blockade fleet soon reached the North. In August Congress forced the Union navies hand when it enacted a law directing the building of three ironclads.
John Ericsson reluctantly submitted a bid for a radical design. It was a lightly armored small craft that was highly maneuverable, and had a heavily armored turret that could fire in any direction.
On March 8th the CSS Virginia was ready to sail. It steamed out of Norfolk harbor and headed for the Union blockade fleet at the mouth of the James at Hampton Roads. Five Union ship were waiting there. The Virginia headed for the first the Cumberland, shelled her and then rammed her sending the ship to the bottom. She then turned to the Congress, who was helpless against her onslaught. All the while the shells of the Union ships bounced harmlessly off the Virginia. Next on her list was the Minnesota, which had run aground. However, the Virginia's draft was too deep to allow her to close on the Minnesota. The Virginia retired for the night planning to finish off the Union fleet in the morning.
The next morning when the Virginia returned to finish its handiwork, it was surprised to discover a new strange vessel near the Minnesota. A crewman from the Virginia recounted- "we though at first it was a raft on which one of the Minnesota's boilers was being taken to shore for repairs". That raft soon came out and fired on the Virginia. Hour after hour the two ships slugged it out, neither side achieving a decisive advantage. Finally both ships withdrew. The day had ended in a draw. It was however a strategic victory of the Union, as its fleet had been saved and the Virginia was bottled up in the James River. The day of the wooden navy was over.
March 28th 1941- The British fleet met the Italian fleet at the battle off of Cape Matapan. The Italian Force was led by Vice Admiral Angelo Iachino, the British force was led by Admiral Cunningham. The British force included the battleships Warspite, Valiant and Barham. It also included the carrier Formidable. Cunnigham cruisers engaged part of the Italian force on March 28th. In the meantime Cunninghams main force was closing. When the British aircraft attacked, the Italians changed course and began to withdraw. Cunnighman then launched successive air attacks against the Italian fleet. The Vittorio Veneto was hit and forced to slow down, but was soon making 20 knots. The cruiser Polo was seriously damaged and two other cruisers and four destroyers were detached to escort the Pola. Cunnighams main force of battleships then struck the Italian cruiser in the middle of the night, Within three minutes the Italian cruisers Zara and Fiume were sunk. The destroyers Affeieri and Carducci soon followed. Finally the partially disabled cruiser Pola was boarded and captured. It was the greatest British naval victory since Trafalgar.
March 3 1942 The USS Perch (SS-176) is scuttled by its crew in the Java Sea. The USS Ashevelle (PG-21) is sunk by the Japanese in the Java Sea.
March 11, 1942 The USS Pollack sinks the Japanese Cargo Vessel Fukushu Maru.
March 13, 1942 The USS Gar sinks the Chichibu Maru. The Uss Grayback sinks the Ishikari Maru, both cargo ships.
March 12 1943 The German submarine U-130 is sunk by the USS Champlin
March 26th 1943- Battle of Komandorski Island- A US Cruiser Destryer Task force stopped a Japanese force trying to resupply Attu island. The USS Salt Lake City CA -25 and the Destroyer
USS Bailey DD-492 were damaged.
March 1st 1944- The Destroyer Escort
Brotstein (DE-189) sinks U-603. The same day the Brotstein was joined by the Bostwick and Thomas to sink the U-709.
March 13, 1944 The German submarine U-575 is sunk in the North Atlantic by a squadron of USS Bogue CVE-9 together with the Destroyer
Hobson (dd-464) and the USS Haverfield (DE -393).
The USS Sandlance (SS-381) sank the Light Cruiser Tatshuta near Honshu, Japan.
March 16 1944- The German submarine U-801 was sunk off the Frecnch West African Coast by planes from the Escort Carrier
USS Block Island.
March 23 1944 The US submarine Tunny sinks the Japanese submarine I-32 East of Mindano.
March 25th 1944 the Japanese Submarine Chaser No 54 is sunk by the US submarine USS Pollack
March 26th 1944- The Uss Tullitbbee - (SS-284 is sunk North of the Palau Islands.
March 5th 1945- The Submarine Tilfish (SS-307) sink the Japanese Minsesweeper No 15 off the Ryuku Islands.
