Chronology of World War II

February 1944

Friday, February 4

Air Operations, Bismarcks

25 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s, escorted by more than 40 AirSols fighters, attack Rabaul's Tobera airfield. 18 XIII Bomber Command B-24s, escorted by more than 30 AirSols fighters, attack the Vunakanau airfield at Rabaul.
A 347th Fighter Group P-38 downs 1 A6M Zero over Rabaul's Vunakanau airfield at 1130 hours. 1 VF-17 F4U downs another Zero over the Tobera airfield, Rabaul at 1130 hours. VMF-212 F4Us down 1 Zero over the Rabaul area at 1205 hours.

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Air Operations, CBI

BURMA

12 10th Air Force P-51s attack the airfield at Indaw.

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Air Operations, Carolines

2 VMD-254 PB4Ys depart Stirling Airfield in the Treasury Islands during the night of February 3-4 to mount a dawn photographic-reconnaissance mission to the Truk Atoll. Fire from a Japanese battleship and a chase by several A6M2-N 'Rufe' fighters fail to stop the mission. At the conclusion of the 12-hour flight, both PB4Ys land safely at the Piva Uncle airfield on Bougainville. As a result of the mission, however, the Japanese Navy’s Combined Fleet will depart from the Truk anchorage on February 10, never to return. Nevertheless, while many large warships leave, smaller ones and many merchant ships remain.

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Air Operations, East Indies

V Bomber Command B-24s and B-25s attack Laha (Ceram), Amboina Island, and Namlea (Boeroe).

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Air Operations, Europe

RAF BOMBER COMMAND
Evening Ops:

9 Mosquitos are sent to Frankfurt, 5 to Elberfeld and 1 to Aachen, there are 2 Serrate patrols, 28 aircraft lay mines in the Bay of Biscay, and 49 aircraft are involved in Resistance operations. Included in that total are 27 Stirlings, 17 Halifaxes, 3 Lysanders and 2 Hudsons. This is the first widespread use of the No. 3 Group Stirling squadrons for Resistance operations work.

There are no losses.

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Air Operations, Marshalls

VII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Maloelap, Mille, and Wotje atolls. 41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack the Maloelap and Wotje atolls. 15th Fighter Group P-40 fighter-bombers attack the Mille Atoll.
During the afternoon, Kwajalein Island is declared secure, and other islands in the Kwajalein Atoll are occupied or captured.
Having successfully completed their role in the invasion of the Marshalls, 3 of Task Force 58’s 4 carrier task groups depart for the Majuro Atoll to replenish and take on replacement aircraft and airmen. This will be the first such use for the new advance fleet anchorage since its seizure on January 31. Task Group 58.4 remains on operational status in the Marshalls, where it relieves Task Group 58.3 in the pounding of the Eniwetok Atoll. Between January 29 and this date, US Navy carrier aircraft have undertaken nearly 4,000 effective combat sorties. Losses are approximately 15 F6Fs, 5 TBMs, and 24 crewmen in combat, and approximately 10 F6Fs, 14 TBMs, 3 dive-bombers, and 24 crewmen in operational accidents. In all, US carrier bombers have dropped more than 1,100 tons of bombs on numerous targets throughout the Marshall Islands.

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Air Operations, New Guinea

More than 170 V Bomber Command B-24s, B-25s, and A-20s attack the airfields at But and Dagua, Alexishafen, Madang, and Marienberg. V Fighter Command P-39 fighter-bombers attack Atemble and targets of opportunity around Alexishafen.
A 348th Fighter Group P-47 downs a Ki-49 'Helen' bomber near the Boram airfield at 1535 hours.

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Burma

The Japanese secretly withdraw from the Taihpa Ga area. At the same time they go over to the offensive on the Arakan front, in the coastal area of northern Burma. The Japanese 55th Div, under Lt-Gen Hanaya Tadashi, attacks the 7th Indian Div, of the British XV Corps under Lt-Gen Christison, frontally and seeking to get behind it past its left flank. This operation is called HA-GO.

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Eastern Front

The Soviets reach the mouth of the Narva in the north and on the east side of Lake Peipus the Russian 2nd Assault Army occupies Gdov. The Leningrad-Novgorod railway has been completely cleared. In the southern sector Hitler alters von Manstein's dispositions, sending 24th Pzr Div back toward Nikopol rather than letting it join the counter-attack toward Korsun which has now started. It returns to Nikopol too late to affect that battle.

NORTHERN SECTOR

The 2nd Shock Army reaches the mouth of the Narva and the shores of Lake Peipus. Elements cross and establish a small bridgehead while the 42nd Army, having crossed the Luga south of Kingisepp, captures Gdov.

SOUTHERN SECTOR

The III Panzer Corps counterattacks but is almost brought to a rapid halt in the clinging mud. Strenuous efforts are made to push closer to Stemmerman but the Germans simply lack the strength and reserves of fuel to break through. The III Panzer Corps attack is led by a strike force of 34 Tiger and 47 Panther tanks. Inside the pocket the Soviets send emissaries forward to call upon the Germans to surrender. The offer is rejected.

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Italy

Just north of Cassino the 135th Regt of the US 34th Div takes Height 593 and ground near Point 445 while the 168th Regt attacks Coile Sant'Angelo, but a strong German counterattack drives the Americans out of their positions. Height 593 is the highest point on what the Americans call the 'snake's head ridge'. The abbey of Monte Cassino is only 1,000 yards away. In the Anzio sector the German attacks continue and the British 1st Div is forced to give ground.

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Marshalls

By late afternoon all organized Japanese resistance in the Kwajalein Atoll is over. Almost all of Adm Monzo Akiyama's 8,700-strong garrison are dead, only 265 have been captured, many of them Korean laborers or wounded. Altogether the Americans have landed 41,000 men, of whom 370 have been killed and 1,500 wounded. Operations are still proceeding on Burton Island and the smaller islands in the southern part of the atoll. The occupation of the northern part of the islands is already complete.

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