Air Operations, Bismarcks

90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s mount single-plane attacks against the harbor and airfields at Rabaul, the Gloucester airfield on New Britain, a sawmill at Ubili, and shipping in the Solomon Sea.

Air Operations, CBI

• 7 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s employing 2,000-pound bombs for the first time in the CBI Theater attack the bridge at Myitnge.
• 12 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack a marshalling yard and railroad station at Rangoon.
• 12 P-40s attack a barracks at Lonkin.

Air Operations, Europe

• 16 Mosquitos attack targets in eastern Belgium and over the German border without a loss.

• 2 Mosquitos bomb Düsseldorf and Rheinhausen, 38 aircraft lay mines off Heligoland and in the Frisians and there are 5 OTU sorties. There are no losses.

Air Operations, Solomons

Cactus Air Force and 13th Air Force bombers and fighters attack the Munda Point airfield on New Georgia and antiaircraft emplacements.

Eastern Front

The Soviet progress is still rapid. In the Caucasus the Trans-Caucasus Front takes Krasnodar (Kuban), one of the three points of the triangle held by the remains of von Kleist's Army Group A in the Kuban. North and west of the Don Shakhty, Kommunarsk and Krasnoarmeskoye are all captured.

The escape route for the Germans from Rostov is narrowed as the Russians cut the main rail line at Krasnoarmeisk. Red Army units threaten with encirclement the German troops defending Kharkov.

The Bryansk Front assiste the offensive in the Ukraine by committing its 13th and 48th Armies against the 2nd Panzer in front of Orel

As the Soviet 40th Army advances north of Kharkov, around the city the 3rd Tank Army is engaged in bitter battles with the SS Leibstandarte Div. Vatutin is determined to push his 1st Guards, 3rd Guards, 5th Tank and 6th Armies further into the Ukraine to seize Stalino and Zaporozhye. In the Kuban the German 17th Army is pushed out of Krasnodar.[MORE]

New Guinea

The Allies initiate the Elton Plan (Operation ELECTRON?), the campaign to eject Japanese forces from New Guinea, New Britain and the Solomon Islands and isolate the Japanese base at Rabaul. In response to Allied victories in Papua and Guadalcanal, the Japanese begin pouring reinforcements into New Guinea, including the 18th Army under Lt-Gen Adachi Hatazo and the 4th Air Army.

North Africa

The British 8th Army spreads out into Tunisia heading for Ben Gardane and Medenine.

The British 1st Army, which has been strengthened by the arrival of the 46th Div during the first week of February, receives orders for reorganization. Shifts are scheduled to begin of the 15th.

Secret War

The 'Rotterdam Radar', as it was known, or a 10cm H2S radar, falls into German hands after being taken from a crashed British Stirling bomber near Rotterdam in Holland.

Southwest Pacific

Allied headquarters issues directives for the 'capture and occupation of the area New Britain-New Guinea-New Ireland'. Code-name for the operation is ELKTON.