Air Operations, Pacific

During the night the first regular bombing attack on Port Moresby is carried out by Japanese Navy planes.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-103 sinks the American tanker W. L. Steed (6182t) 90 miles off the mouth of the Delaware River with the loss of 34 of her crew. The crew left the ship in 4 lifeboats, but there are only 4 survivors because of the rough weather when the boats are found up to 2 weeks later.

Hedgehog, a 24 "barreled" anti-submarine mortar, mounted on the forecastle of the British destroyer Westcott, 28 November 1945. The 27-year veteran Westcott claimed the first-ever kill by Hedgehog February 2, 1942, when she sank U-581.

Hedgehog, an Anti-Submarine Mortar

China

Maj-Gen Joseph W. Stilwell is named Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-shek and is instructed 'to increase the effectiveness of United States assistance to the Chinese Government for the prosecution of the war and to assist in improving the combat efficiency of the Chinese Army.' Stillwell, who is fluent in Chinese, will become one of the most successful commanders in the Far East. Stilwell and the Joint Chiefs of Staff agree that the overland route to China through Burma is the most important priority. Stilwell is to work toward improving the training of Chinese forces in India and overseeing the effort to equip the units properly for combat in Burma. Additional Chinese divisions will be trained and equipped in China to support future operations in Burma.

Dutch East Indies

The resistance of the Dutch-Australian forces on Amboina Island is overcome by the Japanese.

Eastern Front

The Russians reoccupy Feodosiya on the Black Sea.

Heavy fighting rages along the Volkhov as the 18th Army pounds the 2nd Shock Army. Neither the 52nd nor 59th Armies are able to break through on the flanks, leaving the 2nd Shock in isolation. Farther south, the fighting around Demyansk and in the Valdai Hills intensify as the Soviets strike the left flank of the 16th Army. There is continued fighting around Kholm as Group Scherer repulses repeated attacks by the 3rd Shock Army.

Egypt, Politics

The cabinet resigns after a petty dispute with King Farouk over his pro-Axis sympathies.

North Africa

With both Barce and Cyrene in the hands of Axis troops, they continue their advance towards Derna. Gen Auchinleck orders the British 8th Army to hold the Tobruk fortress at all costs as a supply base for future operations.

Pacific

• The US submarine Seadragon (SS-194) sinks the Japanesee army cargo ship Tamagawa Maru (6441t) off Cape Bolinao, Philippines.
• The Japanese minesweeper W-9 is sunk, and minesweepers W-11 and W-12 are damaged by Dutch mines off Ambon, Dutch East Indies.

Philippines

In the Bataan peninsula American and Filipino forces attack the Japanese bridgehead across the Pilar River. During the night the Japanese retire across the river. The Americans, however, still cannot destroy the Japanese bridgehead at Point Quinauan, though some progress is made in the Anyasan sector.

US Navy patrol boats and US aircraft defeat a Japanese force attempting to land on southwest Bataan behind the US lines. Several Japanese landing attempts for south Bataan have been defeated over the last week resulting in the loss of two Japanese battalions.

Secret War

The British Naval Staff reports that Gneisenau and Scharnhorst will probably attempt to leave Brest and pass up the Channel through the Straits of Dover. (see February 11.)

Major Vidkun Quisling, leader of the Norwegian National-Socialist party, is seen 2 February 1942, in Oslo, as he accepts his appointment as Minister President of occupied Norway, under the administration of German Reichs Commissioner Josef Terboven.

Major Vidkun Quisling