February 2012

You are currently browsing the monthly archive for February 2012.

The fate of Soviet prisoners of war

February 28, 2012 in 1942, February 1942 by Editor

There was a chance of survival for some of the Soviet prisoners of war who found themselves in concentration camps, although the death rate from starvation and overwork was high. Hundreds died during experiments to establish the gas chambers that would be used in the Holocaust.

Read the rest of this entry »

Day 912 February 28, 1942

February 28, 2012 in Uncategorized by WWII at 70

At 10.57 AM 60 miles off Atlantic City, New Jersey, U-578 sinks US destroyer USS Jacob Jones with 2 torpedoes (138 killed, including many floating on rafts killed by primed depth charges exploding, 11 survivors picked up by patrol craft USS PE-56).

Read the rest of this entry »

The Parachute Regiment’s first Battle Honour

February 27, 2012 in 1942, February 1942 by Editor

A Royal Navy MTB brings men of 'C' Company, 2nd Parachute Battalion, into Portsmouth harbour on the morning after the Bruneval raid, 28 February 1942. The CO of the assault force, Major J D Frost, is on the bridge, second from left.

Read the rest of this entry »

Day 911 February 27, 1942

February 27, 2012 in Uncategorized by WWII at 70

At 6.25 AM 20 miles off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, U-432 sinks American SS Marore carrying 23,000 tons of iron ore from Chile (all 39 crew rescued by Coast Guard vessels and tanker John D. Gill). At 6.36 AM 20 miles off Atlantic City, New Jersey, US tanker R.P. Resor is hit by one torpedo from U-578, despite steaming blacked out on a zigzag course. R.P. Resor carrying 78,729 barrels of crude oil from Houston, Texas to Fall River, Massachusetts, sinks (47 killed, 2 rescued by the Coast Guard). At 10.35 AM 20 miles North of the Dominican Republic, U-156 sinks British collier SS Macgregor with the deck gun (the barrel has been cut down since the explosion on February 16). 1 man is killed and 30 are rescued by a San Domingo Coast Guard cutter.

Read the rest of this entry »

Lake Ladoga – the ice road that saved Leningrad

February 26, 2012 in 1942, February 1942 by Editor

A view of the ice road during April 1942 when the journey became was even more hazardous as the ice began to melt.

Read the rest of this entry »

Day 910 February 26, 1942

February 26, 2012 in Uncategorized by WWII at 70

Invasion of Java. Following air reconnaissance reports of ABDA ships in the Java Sea, Japanese Eastern Force (41 troop transports) turns around while cruisers and destroyers cover the East end of the Java Sea. ABDA Combined Striking Force, under Dutch Admiral Karel Doorman, sets out again from Soerabaja to seek the invasion force but again they find nothing.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Battle of Los Angeles

February 25, 2012 in 1942, February 1942 by Editor

Images of the 'attack' have proved to be fertile material for UFO theorists

Read the rest of this entry »

Day 909 February 25, 1942

February 25, 2012 in Uncategorized by WWII at 70

“Great Los Angeles Air Raid”. Overnight, air raid sirens sound in Los Angeles and anti-aircraft guns fire 1400 shells from 3.16 to 4. 14 AM, following a false sighting of Japanese aircraft. Several buildings are damaged, 3 civilians are killed by falling shells and 3 die of heart attacks. This is attributed to “war nerves” caused by the shelling of Elwood the previous night.

Read the rest of this entry »

South African dawn patrol snatches prisoners

February 24, 2012 in 1942, tanks by Editor

A Grant tank in the Western Desert, 17 February 1942.

Read the rest of this entry »

Day 908 February 24, 1942

February 24, 2012 in Uncategorized by WWII at 70

Overnight, E9W1 floatplane from Japanese submarine I-9 reconnoiters Pearl Harbor, Oahu, but cannot identify the ships in harbor due to poor visibility. Both wings of the plane are damaged during recovery onto the submarine.

Read the rest of this entry »

HMS Trident torpedoes Prinz Eugen

February 23, 2012 in 1942, February 1942 by Editor

The submarine HMS Trident entering dock, date unknown.

Read the rest of this entry »

Day 907 February 23, 1942

February 23, 2012 in Uncategorized by WWII at 70

Trondheim, Norway. British submarine HMS Trident torpedoes German cruiser Prinz Eugen, destroying her stern. Prinz Eugen is towed to Lofjord, where her stern is cut away and plated over. She will be steered back to Kiel with 2 manually-operated rudders (out of service for nearly a year until January 1943).

Read the rest of this entry »

The Battle of the Sittang River, Burma

February 22, 2012 in 1942, February 1942 by Editor

The Retreat into India: Aerial reconnaissance photograph of the bridge over the Sittang River, known as the Sittang Bridge, which was destroyed in the face of the advancing Japanese on 23 February 1942.

Read the rest of this entry »

Day 906 February 22, 1942

February 22, 2012 in Uncategorized by WWII at 70

Overnight 675 miles East of Newfoundland, U-155 locates convoy ONS-67, sinking British tanker MV Adellen (36 killed, 12 survivors) and Norwegian MV Sama (19 dead, 20 survivors) at 7.03 AM.

Read the rest of this entry »

A Soviet Army ‘destroyer detachment’ in action

February 21, 2012 in 1942, February 1942 by Editor

Soviet Army Scouts enter Yuknov during the winter months of 1942

Read the rest of this entry »

Day 905 February 21, 1942

February 21, 2012 in Uncategorized by WWII at 70

U-boats take a toll on Allied traffic through the Caribbean. At 1.23 AM 125 miles Southeast of Ocean City, Maryland, U-432 sinks US freighter Azalea City carrying 7806 tons of linseed from Trinidad to Philadelphia (all 38 hands lost). At 3.32 PM 7 miles off Dutch island of Curaçao, U-67 sinks Norwegian tanker Kongsgaard (38 killed by burning oil, 8 survivors). At 10.44 AM 300 miles Southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, U-107 torpedoes empty Norwegian tanker Egda, which counterfloods to correct a list to port and proceeds to Halifax under her own power. At 11.13 PM 20 miles West of Trinidad, U-161sinks British tanker Circe Shell (1 killed, 57 survivors).

Read the rest of this entry »

USS Lexington fighters hit Japanese bombers

February 20, 2012 in 1942, February 1942 by Editor

Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat fighters, of Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3) in flight near Naval Air Station, Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii, 10 April 1942. The planes are Bureau # 3976 (F-1, foreground), flown by VF-3 Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander John S. Thach, and Bureau # 3986 (F-13), flown by Lieutenant Edward H. O'Hare. Photographed by Photographer Second Class H.S. Fawcett. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-10613). On February 20, 1942, F-1, flown by Thach and LT Noel Gayler, shot down a bomber and assisted in downing two more bombers and a patrol plane. F-13, flown by Thach and ENS Leon Haynes, shot down a bomber and assisted in downing another bomber and a patrol plane. Both of these aircraft were lost a little less than a month later with USS Lexington (CV-2), during the Battle of Coral Sea.

Read the rest of this entry »

Day 904 February 20, 1942

February 20, 2012 in Uncategorized by WWII at 70

Battle of Badung Strait continues. At 1.30 AM, Dutch cruiser HNLMS Tromp and 4 US destroyers USS John D. Edwards, Parrott, Pillsbury, and Stewart arrive in Badung Strait. In another an exchange of torpedoes and gunfire, USS Stewart is temporarily immobilised and HNLMS Tromp is badly damaged by 11 5-inch shells (10 killed, 30 wounded), while Japanese destroyers Asashio (4 killed) and Oshio (7 killed) are both hit. At 2.20 AM, 2 Japanese destroyers Arashio and Michisio join the fray. Michisio is pummeled by shells from all 4 US destroyers (13 dead, 83 wounded), which then retire to get away from the danger and confusion, allowing Michisio to be towed to safety.

Read the rest of this entry »

‘Australia’s Pearl Harbour’ – the bombing of Darwin

February 19, 2012 in 1942, bombing, February 1942 by Editor

At about 1045, Peary was attacked by Japanese dive bombers, and was struck by five bombs. The first bomb exploded on the fantail, the second, an incendiary, on the galley deck house; the third did not explode; the fourth hit forward and set off the forward ammunition magazines; the fifth, another incendiary, exploded in the after engine room. A .30 caliber machine gun on the after deck house and a .50 caliber machine gun on the galley deck house fired until the last enemy plane flew away. Peary suffered 88 men killed and 13 wounded; she sank stern first at about 1300 on 19 February 1942.

Read the rest of this entry »

Day 903 February 19, 1942

February 19, 2012 in Uncategorized by WWII at 70

Overnight, Japanese troops land unopposed at Denpasar, Bali. At 7 AM, 13 US heavy bombers and 7 dive bombers attack the 4 Japanese destroyers and 2 transports in raids lasting all day (transport ship Sagami Maru is badly damaged by a bomb in the engine room). At 10 PM, Japanese destroyers Asashio and Oshio escort the crippled Sagami Maru through the Badung Strait when Dutch cruisers HNLMS De Ruyter and HNLMS Java and 3 destroyers arrive. In an exchange of torpedoes and gunfire, Dutch destroyer HNLMS Piet Hein is hit with torpedoes and sinks (64 killed). Cruisers De Ruyter & Java and US destroyers USS John D. Ford & USS Pope retire.

Read the rest of this entry »

« Older entries