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.

Tragic scene at an unknown Bomber Command station as a Halifax meets its end in flames. Many crews died in take-off and landing accidents.

Accident at Home Station

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.

Battle of the Atlantic

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 Guinea

The US advance reaches Biliau near Cape Iris.

Images from February 24, 1944

Polish Officers Visit American Artillery Positions on 5th Army Front in Italy, 24 February 1944

B-24D-170-CO Liberator 42-72956 of the 321st Bomb Squadron, 90th Bomb Group, on Mission to Wewak, New Guinea, 24 February 1944