Axis Planning

Adm Arturo Riccardi, Chief of Staff of the Italian navy, and Adm Erich Raeder, Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy, meet at Merano with their respective staffs to discuss further naval collaboration.

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-96 sinks the British motor tanker Clea (8074t), straggling behind Convoy HX-106, southeast of Iceland. All 59 of the crew are lost.
• U-103 damages the British motor tanker Arthur F. Corwin (10,516t), also straggling behind Convoy HX-106. U-96 comes upon the burning ship about 3 hours later and finishes her off with the loss of the entire crew of 46.

Diplomatic Relations

Gen Franco meets Pétain at Montpellier.

Italian East Africa

The carrier Formidable attacks Massawa. This raid is repeated 2 more times (see February 21 and March 1) because the Formidable cannot pass through the Suez Canal to join the Mediterranean Fleet owing to mines which have been dropped by German planes. These are being cleared.