Air Operations, Europe

• 323 aircraft are sent to Lorient in a well-executed raid. Included in the total are 100 Wellingtons, 81 Halifaxes, 80 Lancasters and 62 Stirlings.
• 3 Lancasters, 2 Halifaxes and 2 Wellingtons are lost.

• 2 Mosquitos bomb Essen and Hamborn without a loss.

Lancasters of No 83 Squadron at Rest

A pilot looks across at his aircraft before departing on the night's raid.

A Pilot Before the Raid

A Lancaster of No 83 Squadron during the Afternoon Air Test

Air Operations, New Guinea

1 90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24 attacks Babo and Dobo and another B-24 attacks Kaukenau and Timika.

Air Operations, Sardinia

In retaliation for the February 6 attack by Axis aircraft on an Allied convoy, XII Bomber Command send 32 B-17s and 19 B-26s against Elmas Airdrome. The attack takes place about 1500 hours. Bombs are also dropped on the seaplane base at Cagliari. Bomber crews claim 25 Axi aircraft destroyed on the ground and numerous fires started, bomber gunners claim 5 Bf-109s, downed in the air, and 82nd Fighter Group P-38 escort pilots down 2 Bf-109s.

Air Operations, Solomons

15 Cactus Air Force SBDs and several fighters mount an evening attack against Japanese destroyer-transports in New Georgia in very bad weather. VGS-11 F4Fs down 3 A6M Zeros.

Air Operations, Tunisia

XII Fighter Command A-20s and fighters mount numerous recon missions over eastern Tunisia, and some fighters strafe artillery batteries in the Gafsa-Maknassy area.

Battle of the Atlantic

• 6 ships of the strongly escorted convoy SC-118 are sunk by U-402. The US tanker Robert E. Hopkins (6625t) is sunk 650 miles west of Northern Ireland losing 1 member of her Armed Guard. Survivors are rescued by the British corvette Mignonette. Next to be sunk this day by U-402 is the US passenger ship Henry R. Mallory (6063t). 49 of the 77-man crew die in the attack, as do 15 of the 34 Armed Guard sailors and 208 of the 283 embarked passengers. Coast Guard cutters Bibb (WPG-31) and Ingham (WPG-35) rescue 227 men, 5 of who will die from their injuries.
• U-160 torpedoes and sinks the US freighter Roger B. Taney (7191t), en route to Bahia, Brazil. 3 of her 47-man crew die in the attack.
• U-609 is shadowing convoy SC-118 when she is attacked by the French corvette Lobelia.

U-609

• Fortress 'J' of No 220 Squadron is flying in support of convoy SC-118 when she sights U-624 about 9 miles away. Using cloud cover to move into attack position, the aircraft dropped 7 depth charges from 50ft. After the depth charge boil had subsided an oil slick was observed on the surface along with wooden wreckage.

U-624

Diplomatic Relations

Chiang Kai-shek in a message to Pres Roosevelt, agrees to the employment of his forces in the campaign for the re-conquest of Burma, but asks for a big increase in American aid.

Eastern Front

Not even the heroic defense put up by both von Manstein and von Weichs can stop the Russian thrust. The Russians take Azov at the mouth of the Don and move closer to Rostov. In the Ukraine they also capture Kramatorsk just south of Slavyansk and north of Donetsk and cut the main road linking Dursk and Orel.

The Germans pull out of Korocha after a fierce battle with 40th Army. Other units of the army enter the outskirts of Belgorod, forcing the Grossdeutschland Division back east of the city. The Germans have to punch their way out of the town in a day of bloody action. Elements of the 3rd Tank Army punch their way across the Donets at Andreyevka while Kramatorsk, south of Slavyansk, falls to 1st Guards Army. The 44th Army of South Front takes Azov on the Don River.

February 7, 1943 – During the Great Patriotic War, the North Caucasian Front liberated the city of Azov. On the same day across the Neva was the first train with food for the besieged Leningrad.

North Caucasian Front Liberates the City of Azov

In the Kuban the 17th Army launches a fierce counterattack in an effort to destroy the Soviet bridgehead at Novorossiysk. Despite ferocious fighting the 47th Army can not be dislodged.

Guadalcanal

The 161st Infantry, 25th Div, crosses the Umasani River and advances northwestward to Bunina Point. Patrols reach the Tambalego River, 1,200 yards further. Moving forward from Titi in a column of companies at 0730, the 2nd Battalion, 132nd Infantry, Americal Div, Col Alexander George is wounded in the leg ant Lt-Col George F. Ferry, commanding the 2nd Battalion, 132nd, assumes command while Maj H. W. Butler takes over the 2nd Battalion. The battalion advances to Marovovo and bivouacs there for the night.

During the night Japanese destroyers make a final run down the Slot to Cape Esperance to evacuate troops. Aircraft from Henderson Field attack and damage 2 of the 18 destroyers making up the new 'Tokyo Night Express', in which the rest of the Japanese contingent is leaving the island after 6 months of bitter struggle.

North Africa

In the British 1st Army area, the 1st Ranger Battalion arrives at Gafsa by air and is attached to the US II Corps. The 168th Regimental Combat Team, less the 1st Battalion, 34th Div, is attached to the 1st Armored Div.