March 17

1941:

Halfway between Iceland and southern Norway, off the Faeroe Islands, the Canadian merchantman J.B. White is torpedoed and sunk by U-99 with a loss of two of her crew of 40. This would be one of the most costly U-boat attacks of the war on Allied supply lines. A total of 88 merchant ships in two convoys; HX229 and SC122 with four destroyers and two corvettes as escorts, lose a total of 22 vessels to U-boat pack attacks.

1942:

MacArthur flies to Darwin, Australia; promises "I shall return" to the Philippines

1945:

While involved in mine-sweeping duties, HMCS GUYSBOROUGH is torpedoed and sunk by U-878 off Brest, France with the loss of 51 of her crew.