Air Operations, Bismarcks

• 23 XIII Bomber Command B-24s attack Rabaul's Lakunai airfield. 20 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack the Tobera airfield at Rabaul. AirSols TBFs and SBDs attack the Vunakanau airfield at Rabaul.
• VMF-212 F4Us down 7 A6M Zero and Ki-61 'Tony' fighters, and a VMTB-143 TBF crew and a VMSB-244 SBD crew each down 1 Zero in the Rabaul area between 1052 and 1120 hours.
• 35 V Bomber Command B-24s, escorted by 32 V Fighter Command P-38s, attack the Kavieng airfield on New Ireland.

Air Operations, CBI

• 32 10th Air Force P-51s and A-36s attack a radio station and supply dumps near Kamaing, and bivouacs near Walawbum. 1 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25 and 6 P-51s attack warehouses and a road bridge near Wuntho. 18 P-51s attack road and rail junctions near Kamaing and a bivouac near Walawbum.
• During the night, 16 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the airfield at Heho.

• 6 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a convoy near Foochow. 4 B-25s attack 2 ships near Hainan Island as well as an oil dump, rail facilities, and the port area at Bakli.

• 23 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack rail facilities at Vinh. 6 14th Air Force P-40s attack the airfield at Phu Tho and rail cars.

Air Operations, Europe

• 266 3rd Bomb Division B-17s attack 12 V-weapons sites, and 138 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack 5 V-weapons sites, all in the Pas-de-Calais area.
• 4 B-24s are lost; 16 of 40 crewmen are rescued when 2 of them ditch off the English coast
• Escort is provided by 189 P-47s and 43 P-51s. 356th Fighter Group P-47 pilots down 5 FW-190s in running dogfights between Paris and the Channel coast between 1500 and 1520 hours.

• 182 IX Bomber Command B-26s arrack V-weapons sites along the Channel coast.
• 25 B-26s confounded by bad weather attack secondary targets in the same area.

• XII Bomber Command B-26s attack a viaduct.
• XII Bomber Command B-25s and XII Air Support Command A-20s, A-36s, and P-40s attack tactical targets around the Anzio beachhead.

Air Operations, Far East

Aircraft from US 14th Army Air Force, under Maj-Gen Chennault, raid a Japanese air base at Hong Kong.

Air Operations, Marshalls

• Task Group 58.4 carrier aircraft pound targets in the Eniwetok Atoll and then retire to the Majuro Atoll to replenish.
• Throughout the night, VII Bomber Command B-24s mount individual attacks against the airfields on Mille, Maloelap, and Wotje.

Air Operations, New Guinea

More than 70 38th and 345th Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack the Momote airfield on Los Negros in the Admiralty Islands. 24 V Bomber Command A-20s attack Aitape.

Allied Planning

The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) directs changes to targets fo the Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) Plan. The number of targets is reduced and revised to account for relocation of vital industries. Destruction of major lines of communication and reducing the capability of the German Luftwaffe become high priorities in preparation for OVERLORD. [ | ]

Eastern Front

In the north the Soviets offensive drives on. Luga, Polna, and Lyady are recaptured as they push on toward Pskov. To the north, the troops of the Leningrad Front under Leonid Govorov reach the Narva River and, after 5 days' fighting, the east bank of Lake Peipus. The Russians are now meeting stiffer resistance from the German Army Group North under Model which is preventing them from entering Estonia and Latvia. In the south the battles around Korsun-Sevchezkosky continue. The Germans in fact pull out of the town late in the day but do not make very much more progress in the break out attempt.

After a bitter battle Luga, Polna and Lyady fall to the advancing Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts.

The Stavka disband the Volkhov Front, incorporating its forces into the Leningrad Front. At the same time some minor redeployments are made. The 59th and 8th Armies move from the Lake Ilmen sector to the Narva line to support the 2nd Shock Army whiel the 42nd, 67th and 54th Armies face south to push toward Pskov and the Velikaya River. During the fighting the Volkhov Front has lost 12,000 killed and 38,000 wounded.

The German relief attack toward Korsun bogs down again as the III Panzer Corps comes under fierce attack at Lysyank. Inside the pocket the SS Wiking Division launches another attack upon Shenderovka as Stemmerman tries to deploy for the breakout. After a costly battle the village falls but the 72nd Infantry Division suffers heavy losses in continued fighting at Nova Buda. Other elements of the 72nd Division are able to take Komarovka. Korsun itself is evacuated.

Italy

While the Allies suspend their attacks on Cassino, the 4th Indian Regt takes over the positions of the US 168th Regt of the 34th Div.

Mediterranean

The US tank landing craft LCT-220 founders in heavy weather and sinks off Anzio.

Pacific

Gen MacArthur decides on the beginning of April for the invasion of Manus, the Admiralty Islands and the Japanese base at Kavieng in New Ireland, with the object of extending American control to the Bismarck Archipelago and cutting off and neutralizing the base at Rabaul.

United States, Planning

MacArthur's headquarters directs operations to control the Bismarck Archipelago, capturing Kavieng and the Admiralty Islands. Alamo Force is directd to seize the Seeadler harbor area on the Admiralties and establish naval and air facilities. D-day for Operation BREWER is set for April 1.

Images from February 13, 1944

Lancaster Bomber DV382

Panther Tank of Grossdeutschland Division

A 155-mm Long Tom Gun

Gen Frido von Senger und Etterling and the Abbot Diamare