Admiralty Islands

Gen MacArthur orders a reconnaissance in force of the Admiralty groups of islands.

Air Operations, Bismarcks

More than 20 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack the town of Rabaul and the Keravat, Tobera, and Vunakanau airfields. 24 XIII Bomber Command B-24s thwarted by bad weather over the Vunakanau airfield attack Cape St. George.

Air Operations, CBI

• 12 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the Mingaladon airfield at Rangoon, port facilities at Moulmein, and rail sidings at Martaban. 10th Air Force fighters mount numrerous attacks in the Sumprabum area.

• 10 449th Fighter Group P-38s strafe sampans and other small craft along the Yangtze River. 1 P-38 is lost, but the pilot returns safely. A 23rd Fighter Group P-40 downs a Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter during an engagement over Chiuchiang at 1530 hours.

Air Operations, Europe

There is a night raid on London, the ninth since the launching of the 'Little Blitz'. 129 bombers have been lost since January 21.

• 734 aircraft are sent to Schweinfurt. In this total are 554 Lancasters, 169 Halifaxes and 11 Mosquitos.
• This is Bomber Command's first raid to this city, the home of Germany's main ball-bearing factories. A new tactic is introduced this night as the main bombing force is split into 2 parts separated by a 2-hour interval.
• The first wave of 392 aircraft lose 22 of their number, while it is believed that the second wave of 342 aircraft only lose 4 of their number to fighters.

• 179 training aircraft carry out a diversionary sweep over the North Sea, 60 Halifaxes and 50 Stirlings lay mines in Kiel Bay and the Kattegat, 15 Mosquitos bomb airfields in Holland, 8 Mosquitos are sent to Kiel and 7 to Aachen, and there are 12 Serrate patrols. 5 Wellingtons lay mines off Lorient without a loss.
• 2 Stirlings are lost in the mine-laying operations and 1 Serrate Mosquito of No 141 Squadron, the first Serrate aircraft to be lost under Bomber Command control.

• 8th Air Force dispatches 505 heavy bombers against aviation-industry targets at Gorha, Kreising, Posen (Poznan, Poland), Schweinfurt, and Tutow. 295 3rd Bomb Division B-17s attack Rostock and other targets of opportunity. 238 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack Schweinfurt, ast briefed. 169 2nd Bomb Division B-24s atttack Gotha, as briefed. 44 B-24s accidentally release their bombs over Eisenach.
• 16 B-17s and 33 B-24s are lost, 2 are written off, 1 interned in Sweden; 5 crewmen killed, 484 missing
• Escort and support for the 8th Air Force bombers sent against Gotha and Schweinfurt is provided by 70 P-38s, 609 P-47s, and 88 P-51s, including double missions by the 359th and 365th Fighter Groups. 36 Luftwaffe fighers and 1 Ju-88 are downed over Germany, and 1 FW-190 is downed over Linz, Austria.
• 4 P-38s, 4 P-47s and 2 P-51s and their pilots are lost

• 145 IX Bomber Command B-26s mount afternoon attacks against V-weapons sites between St.-Omer and Abbefille.

• During the morning, 226 IX Bomber Command B-26s attack the Deelen, Leeuwarden, and Gilze-Rijen Airdromes.

• XII Bomber Command B-26s attack the Fabrica di Roma Airdrome.
• XII Air Support Command A-36s, P-40s, and P-47s attack gun emplacements, tanks, troops, trucks, motor vehicles, and a bridge.

• In another mission coordinated with the 8th Air Force, 15th Air Force B-17s attack aircraft-components targets at Steyr. Beginning 100 miles short of the target, at least 130 Luftwaffe dighter arriving in waves mount unrelenting attack that down several bombers before a single bomb is dropped. Despite intense flak coverage, a total of 87 B-17s drom 261 tons of bombs that completely level the primary target and also destroy a large supply of ball bearings stored in another facility. Once again beyond the flak belt, the bombers are again attacked by Luftwaffe fighters, some firing rockets. The escort force consists of 87 P-38s and 59 P-47s. 12 Luftwaffe fighters are downed by USAAF fighter plus 11 more claimed destroyed by bomber gunners.
• 16 B-17s and 3 P-38s are lost

• 27 15th Air Force B-17s that became separated from the force bound for Steyr, Austria, attack the oil refinery at Fiume.
• 1 B-17 is lost

Air Operations, Japan

During the night, 3 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s based at the Shemya airfield arrive over Matusuwa Island in the Kurile Islands, but they are prevented from photographing or bombing the target, as planned, because of bad weather.

Air Operations, Marshalls

41st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack the Wotje Atoll. 531st Fighter-Bomber Squadron A-24s and 15th Fighter Group P-40 fighter-bombers attack the Jaluit and Mille atolls.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-24s attack the Momote airfield on Los Negros and Alexishafen. Only 3 B-24s of 24 B-24s and 27 B-25s sent to attack in the Admiralty Islands are able to reach the target. More than 30 V Bomber Command A-20s attack airdfields, dumps, and motor vehicles in the Wewak area.

Arctic

U-713 is duing the passage of convoy JW-57 to the Kola Inlet. The U-boat is detected on the surface by a Swordfish flying from the British escort carrier HMS Chaser. The British destroyer HMS Keppel is called up and sinks the U-boat with depth charges.

U-713

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-257 is sunk by the Canadian frigate HMCS Wiekesieu while in support of convoy SC-153.

U-257 Class Type VIIC CO Kapitänleutnant Heinz Rahe Location Atlantic, N of the Azores Cause Depth charge Casualties 30 Survivors 19

U-761 Class Type VIIC CO Oberleutnant zur See Horst Geider Location Strait of Gibraltar Cause Depth charge Casualties 9 Survivors 48

• The German submarine U-761 is sunk in a combined operation of US naval land-based aircraft (VP-63 and VB-127) and British aircraft and ships off Gibraltar.

Burma

Fron Ningbyen, in the northeastern part of the country, the US 5307th 'provisional unit', which becomes known as Merrill's Marauders, sets off on its march to the Hukawng Valley. The final objective of this minor campaign is the capture, with Chinese collaboration, of Myitkyina airfield.

The siege of the Admin Box is finally broken after Allied troops dislodge Japanese forces from the Ngakyedauk Pass, the overland approach route from the Burmese coast at Wabyin to Sinzweya. Elements of the Japanese Army's 55th Div are now cut off in western Burma.

Eastern Front

In the north troops of the Leningrad Front and the 2nd Baltic Front take Dno junction, east of Pskov. In the central sector the 1st Belorussian Front reduces the German bridgehead on the left bank of the Dniepr south of Vitebsk and liberates Rogachev, north of Zhlobin.

The 2nd Shock Army establishes a bridgehead at Krivasso on the Baltic coast in an effort to break into the rear of the III SS Panzer Corps at Narva. The Germans rush to counterattack, making good progress before they are halted by the Soviets.

Rogachev falls to the 11th Army of the 1st Belorussian Front.

New Britain

Amphibious elements leapfrogging along the northern coast land the 5th Marines near Iboki to locate the Japanese.

New Guinea

The US advance reaches Biliau near Cape Iris.

Pacific

• The US submarine Grayback (SS-208) sinks the Japanese oiler Nanho Maru about 20 miles east of Formosa and damages the transport Asama Maru.
• Attacking a Japanese convoy west of Saipan, the US submarine Tang (SS-306) sinks the merchant cargo ship Echizen Maru (2424t).

United States, Planning

Gen MacArthur orders Alamo Force to plan for an immediate reconnaissance of Los Negros Island. The 2nd Squadron, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, is tasked with the mission. Brig-Gen William Chase is to command the operation, which consists of about a thousand men. MacArthur announces he will personally supervise the landings.

Images from February 24, 1944

Accident at Home Station

Visiting American Artillery Positions

On Mission to Wewak