Air Operations, Bismarcks

• 19 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s, escorted by more than 60 AirSols fighters, attack the Lakunai airfield at Rabaul. XIII Bomber Command B-24s attack Japanese Army troops near Rabaul.
• VMF-211 and VMF-321 F4Us down 7 A6M Zeros in the Rabaul area between 0740 and 0900 hours and VF-17 F4Us down 16 A6M Zeros over the Rabaul area at 0900 hours. 6 AirSols fighters are lost.

Air Operations, Central Pacific

• 6 41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Nauru Island.
• 12 VMF-422 F4U pilots who ditched together near the Ellice Islands on January 25 are rescued by a US destroyer, which has already picked up 1 squadron pilot who went down alone. Together with 1 pilot who reached Funafuti on his own and 3 who are rescued elsewhere, 17 of the original 23 pilots and 1 airplane are saved. VMF-422 will be rehabilitated and returned to combat status in March 1944.

Air Operations, East Indies

380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack shipping and the town area at Dili, Timor.

Air Operations, Europe

• Berlin is the target as 515 Lancasters and 15 Mosquitoes are sent. 38 aircraft abort.
• The German fighters are committed to action earlier than normal, some being sent out 75 miles over the North Sea from the Dutch coast. A number of elaborate feints and diversions have some effect. Half of the German fighters are lured north by the Heligoland mining diversion and action in the main bomber stream is less intense than on recent nights. The target is again cloud-covered and skymarking has to be used. Bomber Command is not able to make any assessment of the raid except to state that the bombing appears to have been spread well up and down wind. The time over the target is 20:28-20:42. 1,704 tons of bombs are dropped including 1,036 tons of high explosives and 668 tons of incendiaries.
• Clouds over the Berlin area and strong winds cause the bomb loads to be spread across Berlin. 17 districts report damage. 413 people are killed and 20,000 are bombed out. 61 communities outside Berlin also report damage, mostly down wind to the east. 28 people are killed in those areas.
• 33 Lancasters are lost on the raid. Aircrew casualties include 172 killed, 55 POWs and 4 evaders.
• Extensive operations are carried out in support of the Berlin raid. 80 Stirlings and Wellingtons fly to the Dutch coast and lay mines there, 21 Halifaxes do the same near Heligoland, both hoping to draw the German fighters up early. 9 aircraft fly RCM sorties and 12 Mosquitos fly Serrate patrols. 18 Mosquito-bomber aircraft drop imitation 'fighter flares' away from the main bomber routes to and from the target. In effect, 140 aircraft are engaged in various operations in support of the main raid.
• 1 mine-laying Stirling is lost.

• 9 Mosquitos attack a flying bomb site at Herbouville, 8 Halifaxes fly Resistance operations sorties, and 10 OTU aircraft make leaflet flights over France.
• There are no losses.

Air Operations, Marshalls

9 41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack the Wotje Atoll. 23 531st Fighter-Bomber Squadron A-24s and 10 VII Fighter Command P-39s attack the Mille Atoll. 7 VII Bomber Command B-24s mount a dusk attack against the Taroa airfield on Maloelap.

Air Operations, New Guinea

42 V Bomber Command B-24s attack the Lorengau airfield on Manus and the town in the Admiralty Islands. B-24s attack shipping at Sorong and MacCluer Gulf. More than 70 B-25s and A-20s, and V Fighter Command P-39 fighter-bombers are joined by RAAF bombers in an attack against the Bogia and Madang areas.

Eastern Front

The Siege of Leningrad ends after 872 days. Gen Leonid Govorov, commanding the Leningrad Front, issues a special order of the day announcing that the blockade of Leningrad has been completely lifted. Between 1,300,000 and 1,500,000 people have died of which 100,000-200,000 were military. Nearby, Valosovo, Tosno and the railway line from Tosno to Lyuban are taken restoring at long last communications between Leningrad and Moscow. In the south Shpola is captured by Konev's forces as the encircling attacks proceed.

Govorov announces that the siege of Leningrad is completely lifted, Tosno and Valosovo falling to the 8th Army. The 67th, 8th and 54th Armies threaten to isolate the XXVIII Corps and elements of the I Corps.

The 60th Army launches strong attacks around Rovno but the going is difficult.

Shpola falls to the 5th Guards Tank Army while the 6th Tank Army captures Lysyanka, the spearheads of the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts drawing closer together.

Italy

In the southern sector of the 'Gustav' Line the divisions of the British X Corps try again to reinforce the bridgehead on the right bank of the Garigliano. Under an intensive German barrage the 46th Div makes for Monte Juga and the 5th Div for Monte Natale which is west of the village of Santa Maria Infante. Further north the regiments of the 34th Div of II Corps takes Height 771 and Monte Maiola, north of Cassino, advancing very slowly on account of the Germans' effective defense. The 168th Regt of the 34th Div, having taken Caira, pushes on towards Monte Cairo.

The 3rd Algerian Div, French Expeditionary Corps, is driven from Monte Abate by German counterattacks.

New Britain

The Cape Gloucester bridgehead is further expanded by the Marines' capture of Natamo in the northwest.

Occupied France

39 aero engines are destroyed in a Resistance raid on the Bronzavia plant in Lyons.

War Crimes

Over the next several days, Britain, the United States and Australia formally protest about the ill-treatment of prisoners of war by the Japanese, as more information comes to light. All three nations promise that there will be tribunals to investigate and punish those responsible.

Images from January 27, 1944

M33 Artillery Prime Mover, Italy, 27 January 1944

The M33 was based on the Vehicle, Tank Recovery, T2 (standardized as the M31 TRV) which was derived from the M-3 Lee Medium Tank. In 1943-1944, the M31 TRV was being replaced by the M32 Tank Recovery Vehicle, based on the M4 Sherman tank. Over 100 of the M31 TRVs were converted to the M33 prime mover.

Leningradians lining up for water

Anti-aircrafters Guarding the Skies of Leningrad