Air Operations, Aleutians11th Air Force fighters and bombers attack Kiska. [ | ]Air Operations, Bismarcks43rd Heavy Bomb Group B-17s and 90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the Gasmata airfield on New Britain and Rabaul-area shipping, airfields, and port facilities. [ | ]Air Operations, CBIBURMA
Air Operations, EuropeThe RAF begins a new, 'round-the-clock' air offensive over Europe. Soon the Allies divide their tasks: the British carry out night raids while the Americans undertake daylight raids. Nuremberg, in Bavaria, is heavily bombed at night. BOMBER COMMANDEvening Ops:
Air Operations, New GuineaV Bomber Command A-20s attack Japanese ground troops. [ | ]Air Operations, Solomons
Air Operations, Tunisia
Allied PlanningThe Southwest Pacific and South Pacific headquarters draft the plans for Operation RENO, the advance to the Philippines. [ | ]Battle of the AtlanticThe 5-day battle of Convoy ON-166 ends. 15 out of 49 ships have been sunk. U-606 is lost. [ | ]Eastern FrontThe Soviet attack in the Caucasus continues and east of Krasnodar Mingrelsk is captured. CENTRAL SECTORCentral Front joins the attack tward Orel in an effort to smash through the German front line before the onset of the spring thaw. The Stavka intends to turn the southern flank of Army Group Center and prevent it from giving any support to Army Group South. The 2nd Tank and 65th Armies attack, with support from II Guards Cavalry Corps. SOUTHERN SECTORGolikov moves an additional tank corps from 40th Army over to assist the 69th Army in the capture of Poltava. The 38th Army lags well behind the 40th Army's right wing, which is ordered to capture Sumy. Valki and Novaya Vodolaga falls to the 3rd Tank Army. The SS Panzer Corps attacks in force from Pavlograd. As the Soviet forces flee across the steppe, fierce German fire inflicts heavy losses. The XLVIII Panzer Corps also moves north, encountering strong resistance at Bogdanovka. However, the Barvenkovo-Lozovaya railway line is severed. On the approaches to Barvenkov XL Panzer Corps encounters heavy fighting, elements of Group Popov attempting to hold the German attack. [ | ]New Zealand, Home FrontJapanese PoWs stage a mass break-out attempt. 48 Japanese and 1 guard are killed. [ | ]North AfricaTUNISIAThe battle of Kasserine ends with the city's occupation by the units of the US II Corps. But the Axis attack has caused 10,000 casualties among the allies, more than half of them American, against 2,000 Axis dead. In the British 1st Army area, the US II Corps, hampered only by mines and booby traps, recovers Kasserine Pass. The 9th Div is concentrating in the Tébessa area under corps command. [ | ] |
[February 24th - February 26th] |