Air Operations, Bismarcks

• 30 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Rabaul's Vunakanau airfield. 28 XIII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Rapopo airfield at Rabaul. AirSols TBFs and SBDs attack the Tobera airfield at Rabaul.
• A VMF-222 F4U downs an A6M Zero over the Tobera airfield at Rabaul at 1150 hours.
• 43 V Bomber Command B-24s attack the Kavieng and Panapai airfields on New Ireland.
• Of 16 VMTB-233 TBFs undertaking a night aerial minelaying mission to Simpson Harbor, Rabaul, two are known to be shot down by shore-based antiaircraft fire and four others disappear without a trace. All 18 crewmen are lost.
• XIII Bomber Command B-24s mount a diversionary attack against the Rabaul area while the minelaying operation is underway.

Air Operations, CBI

• 10th Air Force P-51s and A-36s mount more than 70 effective sorties against dumps, motor transport, rail facilities, and troop concentrations throughout Burma. 2 P-51s are downed by Japanese fighters.

Air Operations, Carolines

42 11th and 30th Heavy Bomb group B-24s attack the airfield, seaplane base, and port facilities at Ponape Island with 58 tons of bombs. This retalitory mission is the first time USAAF bombers have struck a target in the Caroline Islands.

Air Operations, Europe

• 48 353rd Fighter Group P-47s, of which 23 are equipped with 1 500-pound bomb apiece, are deterred by cloud cover from attacking the Eindhoven Airdrome, so they dive-bombed the Gilze/Rijen Airdrome instead.

• XII Bomber Command B-25s attack a marshalling yard.
• XII Air Support Command A-20s attack Grottaferrata.
• XII Air Support Command A-36s attack gun emplacements, motor vehicles, and rail yards in and around the battle areas.
• XII Air Support Command P-40s attack German Army troops and equipment around the Anzip beachhead.
• XII Air Support Command P-47s attack a defended town and a dump.

• 12th Air Force P-40s attack a ship and a fuel dump.

• 15th Air Force B-24s attack marshalling yards at eight locations and several targets of opportunity.
• 15th Air Force B-17s attack the marshalling yards at three locations and targets of opportunity that include the aircraft factory and airdrome at Pontedera.
• In various fighter action, 15th Air Force P-38 and P-47 pilots down 10 Luftwaffe fighters during the afternoon.

Air Operations, Marshalls

• Within 12 hours of a devastating night bombing attack against the base, 10 F4Us from Marine Air Group 31�s VMF-224 and 6 VMF(N)-532 F4U night fighters arrive at the Roi airfield on Kwajalein from Tarawa to provide defensive cover. (Additional VMF(N)-532 night fighters will follow on February 23, as will additional air-search radars.)
• 3 VF-24 F6Fs down a G4M 'Betty' bomber 40 miles from Task Force 58 at about 1510 hours.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• More than 80 38th and 345th Medium Bomb group B-25s attack the Momote airfield on Los Negros. V Bomber Command A-20s strafe the airfield at Dagua, where an estimated 20 Japanese aircraft are destroyed on the ground.
• 49th Fighter Group P-40s down 7 Japanese fighters over the Wewak area between 1120 and 1125 hours.

Air Operations, Solomons

During the night, a total of 32 Rabaul-based bombers attack the Allied invasion flotilla bound for the Green Islands from Vella Lavella. 10 D3A 'Val' dive bombers that attack the surface covering force score a hit and 3 near misses on a US cruiser, killing 23 and wounding 28 crewmen. 12 of the attacking aircraft are downed by ships� fire.

Baltic Sea

U-738 is sunk after a collison with the merchant ship SS Erna.

U-738

Eastern Front

The Soviets enter Korsun but can do no more to break down the resistance of the German pocket. A Belgian SS Bde is especially prominent in the defense. III Pzr Corps is unable to break through the Soviet lines in relief.

The 2nd Tank Army attacks the III Panzer Corps. Heavy German losses follow but the 2nd Tank is held at bay. As this battle rages the III moves additional units up to support those forces already fighting at Lysyanka. Inside the cauldron the 72nd Infantry Division is pressed hard at Novo Buda and Komarovka as the Soviets try to force Stemmerman away from the relief force. As the rear of the pocket draws in, the SS Wallonien Brigade is heavily attacked.

Indian Ocean

UIT-23 is on her way back to Germany with a cargo of Malay tin when sighted by HM Submarine Tally-Ho on the surface dead ahead. The Tally-Ho fired 3 MkVIII torpedoes before diving. An explostion is heard about two minutes later after the firing of the third torpedo. The target's HE subsequently faded.

UIT-23

Pacific

American and New Zealand forces land on Green Island which lies between Bougainville and Rabaul.

Images from February 14, 1944

A Lancaster III of No 619 Squadron

Off Duty Army Nurses

General Alexander Talking to Officers

A Lancaster III of No 619 Squadron

Knocked-out German PzKpfw IV Tank

307th Bomb Group