Air Operations, Bismarcks

43rd Heavy Bomb Group B-17s attack the town and port area at Rabaul.

Air Operations, CBI

• 8 51st Fighter Group P-40s disable the rail bridge at Myitkyina, but 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s are unable to hit the bridge at Myitnge.

Air Operations, Mediterranean

NASAF B-25s attack Axis shipping at sea north Cap Bon and claim 1 ship sunk.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-25s and A-20s again attack Japanese Army-occupied villages.

Air Operations, Sicily

IX Bomber Command B-24s attack the ferry installation at Messina.

Air Operations, Tunisia

• NASAF (Northtwest African Strategic Air Force) B-17s attack Kairouan.
• NASAF B-17s, B-25s, B-26s, and NATAF (Northwest African Tactical Air Force) A-20s and fighters attack German Army units retreating from Kassserine Pass.
• IX Bomber Command B-25s attack Aram, a position along the German Army's new Mareth Line, in southern Tunisia.
• NAAF (Northwest African Air Force) fighter pilots down 2 Axis aircraft during the day.

Battle of the Atlantic

• Over the next 2 days the U-boat group Rochen ('Castles') torpedo 7 tankers from Convoy UC-1. Acoustic homing torpedoes are used.
• U-522 is attacked by ex-US Coast Guard cutter Totland escorting convoy UC-1

U-522

Class	Type IXC
CO	Kapitänleutnant Herbert Schneider
Location	Atlantic, SW of Madeira
Cause	Depth charge
Casualties	51
Survivors	None

• In the continuing battle of Convoy ON-166 against the U-boats, U-186 torpedoes and sinks the US freighter Hastings (5401t) ant the British motor tanker Eulima (6207t). The Canadian corvette Chilliwack rescues 33 survivors of the 41-man crew and all 20 Armed Guard sailors from Hastings. U-707 torpedoes and sinks the straggling US freighter Jonathan Sturges (7176t). Survivors take to the lifeboats.
• In another convoy against U-boat battle, Convoy UC-1 bound for Curacao, N. W. I. is attacked by several U-boats. U-382 torpedoes the Dutch motor tanker Murena (8252t). U-202 torpedoes the British tankers Empire Norsemen (9811t) and British Fortitude (8482t) and the US tanker Esso Baton Rouge (7989t). The British sloop Totland rescues the survivors of Esso Baton Rouge, 24 of the 25 Armed Guard sailors and 41 of the 43-man crew.

Eastern Front

The Russians capture Sumy in the Ukraine and Lebedin northeast of Kharkov, but farther south the German counteroffensive is beginning to make real progress, especially with the attack toward Barvenkovo by XLVIII Panzer Corps. Heavy fighting for Orel takes place in violent snow storms. Further south, however, the German counteroffensive makes progress, while in the Caucasus units of Army Group A under von Kleist hold a small bridgehead near Novorossiysk and contain the pressure of the Russian Black Sea Army Group and the northern group of the Trans-Caucasus Front.

Bitter fighting erupts at the base of the Demyansk salient as the Soviet 27th Army tries to isolated the 16th Army. However, the Germans have considerably strengthened this area and are able to hold off the Soviet assaults. The evacuation of the salient is almost complete by this time and have largely proceeded according to plan, the bulk of the X and II Corps having escaped the pocket.

There is heavy fighting around Rzhev and Orel as the Soviets press home their attacks against Army Group Center. Here also the Germans are preparing to withdraw from their long held salient.

In an effort to halt the German advance the Stavka begin to pile forces up before them. A rifle, cavalry and tank corps have dug in to try and halt SS Panzer Corps. However, SS forces unleash a fierce attack, drive to within 12 miles of Lozovaya, and close upon Pavlograd. In conjunction with this attack the XLVIII Panzer Corps moves from the southeast, advancing from Chaplino to link up with other forces pushing north toward Boguslav. Elements of XLVIII Panzer Corps cross the Samara.

With his 6th Army in tatters, Vatutin orders a flanking rifle corps from the 1st Guards Army to move to the aid of the 6th Army. In addition, 69th and 3rd Tank Armies are ordered to turn south from Bogodukhov to support the 6th.

Mediterranean

U-443 is initially detected by shore radar at Algiers on February 20. Three destroyers, Bicester, Lamerton and Wheatland, are sent to investigate. The hunt lasted three days before the U-boat is depth-charged to destruction.

U-443

North Africa

Rommel assumes command of the German Army Group, Africa, as Axis forces continue their reorganization.

Gen Alexander informs Gen Montgomery that the situation at Kasserine has improved and orders him not to take any undue risks.

In the British 1st Army's US II Corps area, the final enemy forces withdraw into Kasserine Pass during the morning, followed unaggressively by Allied forces. Axis and Allied planes are active during the day.

An AEC Matador tows a 4.5-inch field gun across a wooden track built across soft ground on the border between Libya and Tunisia, 23 February 1943.

An AEC Matador Tows a 4.5-inch Field Gun

Soviet Union, Home Front

Stalin issues an Order of the Day to the Red Army on its 25th Anniversary: 'For 20 months the Red Army has been waging an heroic struggle without parallel in history against the German Fascist hordes. It has become the terror of the Fascist armies.'