Air Operations, Europe
BOMBER COMAND- There is another RAF night raid on the German battlecruisers at Brest. This one is carried out by 12 Wellingtons and 8 Stirlings, but clouds completely covered the target area.
- A larger bombing operation involving 55 planes is made to Bremen. There are no losses in this evening's actions.
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]Air Operations, Pacific
The last RAF fighters on Singapore are tranferred to Sumatra.
[ | ]Allied Planning
There is the first meeting of the Pacific War Council in London. Representatives of Britain, New Zealand, Australia and Holland are present.
[ | ]Battle of the Atlantic
Churchill offers to transfer immediately to the US Navy 34 anti-submarine vessels and trained crews. The first will arrive in New York in early March.
[ | ]Burma
The Indian troops defending the Salween River line near Martaban are forced to fall back under Japanese pressure. They abandon the town and carry out a fighting withdrawal to Thaton. The Japanese troops begin to cross the Salween near its mouth at Martaban and Pa-an. Reinforcements are ready to follow.
[ | ]Canada, Home Front
French-Canadian M.P. Pierre Gautier speaks out against a Canadian $1 billion grant to Britain. He says 'so-called patriots' supporting such aid will 'throw this country into the arms of the United States sooner than we expect.'
[ | ]Dutch East Indies
The Japanese continue their occupation of Borneo and the Celebes by landing in force at Makassar. The Japanese continue their southward-moving consolidation of the area.
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Eastern Front
NORTHERN SECTORCol Fritz Morzik is the Luftwaffe chief of air transport responsible for supplying the troops inside the Demyansk Pocket. He has estimated that, to deliver 300 tons daily, he will need at least 150 operational aircraft. The commander of the 1st Air Fleet, Gen Alfred Keller, is cooperating fully with Morzik. Inside the pocket the landing airfields are Demyansk, Pieski (which will be completed in March), Supply Drop Area Demyansk (a marked open area used to drop supplies during the coming muddy season) and Cholm. Unfortunately, the Junkers Ju-52 transport aircraft earmarked for the supply operation will have little fighter support. The air fleet staff urge Morzik to 'select that route which offers the best chance of avoiding losses'. In response to this and growing losses, Morzik will order his planes to fly at an altitude of 2,500m (8,200ft) and in groups of 20-30 aircraft to battle enemy fighters with concentrated fire.
CENTRAL SECTORThe Soviet 4th Shock Army penetrates into Velizh, but its units are repelled by counterattacks. The 3rd Panzer Army is now approaching the town, albeit slowly.[MORE]
Russian Troops with German Prisoners |
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| ]Midway
While shelling Midway, the Japanese submarine I-69 is attacked and damaged by Marine F2A Buffalo fighters.
[]North Sea
The German steamer Wolfram (3648t) is sunk by torpedo off Borkum Island.
[ | ]Pacific
The American tanker Mindanao (5236t) is attacked by Japanese aircraft, captured by Japanese forces and renamed Palembang Maru for Japanese use.
[ | ]Philippines
The defenders continue their activity against the larger of the Japanese salients on the Bataan peninsula. In the area of Anyasan the pressure is increased on the invaders.
[ | ]Singapore
The British withdraw from the western part of the island to a stronger defensive line running from Kranji to Jurong. Owing to a confusion of orders, the Allied forces fall back farther than is necessary and abandon some good defensive positions on the Jurong Line. They counterattack, but to no effect.
Malayan Soldiers Charging Forward |
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Wavell visits Singapore and orders the island is to be held at all costs. All remaining RAF personnel, however, are ordered to be evacuated.
[ | ]Soviet Union, Home Front
Out of 30,000 Jews in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, only 702 have escaped repeated SS massacres.
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