Air Operations, Pacific

The airfields near Batavia, the capital of the Dutch East Indies on the island of Java, are hit in raids by the Japanese.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The French corvette Alysse, escorting Convoy ON-60, is sunk by U-654 420 miles east of Cape Race, Newfoundland with the loss of 36 of her crew. 34 survivors are picked up by the Canadian corvettes Moosejaw and Hepatica.
• U-85 sinks the British steamer Empire Fusilier (5408t) southeast of St John's, Newfoundland with the loss of 9 crewmen. 38 survivors are picked up by the Canadian corvette Barrie.
• U-108 sinks the Norwegian steamer Tolosa (1974t) off the coast of North Carolina with the loss of her entire crew of 22.

Britain, Home Front

Soap is rationed: 4 oz (113g) per household or 2 oz (56g) toilet per person per month.

Burma

The Japanese cross the Salween River.

Canada, Home Front

In 4 by-elections the 'Anti-Conscriptions' candidates are heavily defeated.

Diplomatic Relations

Chiang Kai-shek visits Delhi. He confers with British officials and urges Indian national leaders, particularly Jawaharlal Nehru, to lay aside political differences and join in the military effort against Japan.

Roosevelt calls on the Vichy French government to reaffirm its position of neutrality. He notes reports of supplies being sent from France to Axis troops in North Africa.

Eastern Front

There is heavy fighting along the Volkhov as the 18th Army pounds the 2nd Shock Army in its vulnerable salient. The Soviets dig in around the Demyansk pocket and prepares to attack the encircled forces.

Indian Ocean

I-65 sinks the Dutch steamer Meroendoeng south of Ceylon.

Mediterranean

The German steamer Sullberg (1551t) is sunk by torpedo from the British submarine Umbra south of Hammamet, Tunisia.

North Africa

Italian bombers attack naval and air installations at Alexandria.

Pacific

• The US submarine Trout (SS-202) torpedoes and sinks Japanese gunboat Chuwa Maru (2719t) 53 miles off Keelung, Formosa.
• The Japanese destroyer Natsushio, torpedoed by US submarine S-37 (SS-142) off Makassar the previous day, sinks.

Philippines

In the Bataan peninsula the Filipinos and the Americans continue attacks on the Japanese salients. Japanese 'suicide squads' make repeated forays.

Singapore

Fierce fighting continues. Although reinforcements have been sent by Gen Percival, the Japanese reach Tengah airfield. Its capture permits quick re-supply of the invading forces. The Japanese Guards Division lands on the central-northern coast aroung Kranji. After crossing over the arm of the sea separating the Malaya mainland from the island of Singapore, 15,000 Japanese now occupy the western part of the island. Having repaired the Johor causeway, the Japanese now pour more than 30,000 troops of the 25th Army, commanded by Lt-Gen Yamashita, on to the island. These troops are supported by a large number of armored vehicles and ground-attack aircraft. The Japanese have complete air supremacy. Percival orders all defenses to be concentrated in the southern sector of the island, around the city of Singapore.

United States, Home Front

The troopship Lafayette (83,000t), the ex-French liner Normandie, catches fire in New York Harbor apparently the result of a welder's carelessness. She capsizes on February 10. Berlin implies it is the result of Axis sabotage.