Air Operations, Asia

Japanese bombers make devastating a incendiary raid on the Burma Road and Toungoo. 400 people are killed.

Air Operations, Europe

There is an RAF night raid on Kiel.

Andaman Islands

Indian territory is attacked for the first time as the Japanese raid these islands in the Bay of Bengal south of Burma.

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-578 sinks the American tanker R. P. Resor (7451t) 20 miles east of Manasquan Inlet, New Jersey with the loss of 47 of her crew. 2 survivors are picked by the American Coast Guard picket boat CG-4344.

  Fire-swept and her back broken by two explosions on the night of 26 February 942, the R. P. Resor was afloat for two days before she capsized and sunk off Barnegat Light.

  the R. P. Resor

• U-432 sinks the American steamer Marore (8215t) off Wimble Shoals, North Carolina. The 39 crew members are picked up by American Coast Guard vessels and the American tanker John D. Gill.
• U-156 sinks the British steamer Macgregor (2498t) 15 miles northeast of Cabo Frances Viejo, Dominican Republic with the loss of 1 crewmen. 30 survivors are rescued by a San Domingo Coast Guard cutter.

Battle of the Java Sea

An Allied squadron, commanded by Adm Doorman, comprising 5 cruisers and 11 destroyers of 4 nationalities, tries repeatedly to intercept an invasion force bound for Java and, in a series of running battles lasting for two days, is almost totally eliminated. 2 Dutch cruisers, the Java and the De Ruyter, and 2 British, the Jupiter and the Exeter, and 1 Dutch destroyer, the Kortenaer, are sunk. 1 American, the Houston (CA-30), and 1 British cruiser are damaged. The Japanese heavy cruiser Haguro torpedoes and sinks the Dutch destroyer Kortenaer. Survivors are rescued by the British destroyer Encounter. Japanese destroyer gunfire sinks the British destroyer Electra while the British destroyer Jupiter sinks on a mine laid earlier in the day by the Dutch minelayer Gouden Leeuw. Allied gunfire damages the Japanese destroyers Asagumo and Minegumo. The US destroyers torpedo attack proves ineffective.

The Japanese, aided by their superior torpedo equipment, the Type-91 oxygen torpedo with a range of 25 miles or 5 times that of British and American models, and their superior night-fighting skills, suffer only slight damage which will not affect their invasion plans. Their force includes 4 cruisers and 14 destroyers. Adm Takagi is in command. They lose 2 transports with 1 cruiser and 6 destroyers receiving damage. (Summary)

The American flying-boat support ship Langley (AV-3), on the way to deliver 32 P-40s to Tjilatjap, Java, is sunk by 9 twin-engine Japanese aircraft 75 miles south of Tjilatjap with a loss of 16.

USS Langley near-missed on 27 February 1942 off Java.

USS Langley off Java

USS Langley being abandoned after receiving crippling damage from Japanese bombs, south of Java, 27 February 1942. The US destroyer Edsall (DD-219) is standing by off Langley's port side. Photographed from the US destroyer Whipple (DD-217). (Courtesy of Captain Lawrence E. Divoll, USN(Retired), 1981. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.)

USS Langley Being Abandoned

Eastern Front

The Stavka orders the Volkhov Front to form shock groups to break the German lines. The 2nd Shock forms a group of 4 divisions, 59th Army one of 3 divisions and 4th Army one of 2 divisions. Meretskov visits the 2nd Shock Army headquarters and finds its command disorganized and demoralized. Vlassov is appointed commander in place of Klykov.

The relief attack toward Demidov succeeds, as the garrison is relieved.

The Soviets begin a new attack in the Crimea aimed at dislodging the 11th Army from the Kerch peninsula and relieving Sevastopol. On the Kerch peninsula, the 51st Army attacks in unwieldy columns, supported by tanks, but is smashed by German artillery fire and air strikes. The costly attacks continue for the next two weeks. The Sevastopol garrison also attacks but is unable to break through the ring of forces around the city.

Germany, Home Front

Orders are given for the building of 5 crematoria at Auschwitz with the capability of 'processing' 12,000 gas chamber victims per day.

Indian Ocean

The British steamer Nam Yong is sunk by a Japanese submarine south of Christmas Island. 5 surviving crew members are made prisoners of war.

Mediterranean

The British submarine Upholder sinks the Italian steamer Tembien (5584t) 24 miles from the Tripoli lighthouse.

Pacific

I-53 sinks the Dutch steamer Moesie (913t) 25 miles from Banjoewangi, Java.

Philippines

The Japanese who sailed from Luzon land on the northeast coast of Mindoro and capture the airfield. The island is virtually undefended which makes it an easy task for the invaders.

Secret War

In the Bruneval Raid, Operation Biting, British paratroops destroy a radar station near Le Havre and escape by sea with vital components.

RAF photo-reconnaissance picture of the Würzburg radar array at Bruneval in December 1941

Würzburg Radar Array at Bruneval

A Royal Navy MTB brings men of 'C' Company, 2nd Parachute Battalion, into Portsmouth harbor on the morning after the Bruneval raid, 28 February 1942. The CO of the assault force, Major J D Frost, is on the bridge, second from left.

'C' Company, 2nd Parachute Battalion, Arriving Portsmouth