MONDAY 1 FEBRUARY 1943
ALASKA All missions are cancelled due to weather in the Aleutians. Enemy aircraft
bomb and strafe shipping in Constantine Harbor on Amchitka without inflicting damage.
CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force) The 424th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 307th Bombardment Group with B-24s ceases operating from Funafuti and returns to Mokuleia.
CBI (Tenth Air Force) Seven B-24s of the India Air Task Force from Pandaveswar bomb the Arakan tea sheds on the Rangoon River near Rangoon Harbor. Damaged is Japanese torpedo boat Kari. The 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Tenth Air Force, with F-4s, is based at Pandaveswar with a detachment at Kunming. A detachment of the detachment begins operating from Kweilin sometime in February 1943. On 6 Feb 43, this squadron is redesignated the 9th Photographic Squadron.
CBI: General Arnold and General Somervell and Field Marshal Sir John Dill open conferences in New Delhi with Field Marshal Wavell and Gen Stilwell to prepare detailed plans for ANAKIM for submission to Chiang Kai-shek. During the conferences agreement is reached upon a series of operations, ultimate objective of which is to recapture Burma in order to attack Japan from China. Main effort would begin in November 1943.
Burma: Ind 55th Brig, which has relieved Ind 47th Brig, attacks enemy's Donbaik positions but is no more successful than 47th had been: Of 6 supporting tanks, 2 are knocked out by AT fire and 2 others are abandoned.
SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) P-38s, P-39s and P-40s, along with Navy and Marine aircraft, attack four destroyers
from the so-called "Tokyo Express" north of Verahue. Unlike previous missions, the destroyers
are dispatched to evacuate the Japanese from western Guadalcanal. Hits on two
of the ships cause fires. At night, 19 more destroyers come in, evacuate troops. Makigumo hits a mine and is scuttled. By dawn, the others are away. B-17s attack
shipping off Shortland-Bougainville, claiming 3 direct hits on cargo vessels. Lost are B-17E 41-9151 (MIA), B-17E "Eager Beavers" 41-9122 (MIA) and B-17E "Yokohama Express" 41-2442 (MIA). A fourth plane, piloted by a Capt. Thomas (72nd BS/5th BG) was badly damaged but managed to crash land at Guadalcanal. Two crew members (radio and bombadier) were wounded.
IJN: Eighteen D3A Vals from the 582 Kokutai led by Lt. Tensai Kitamura took off from Kahilli Airfield (Buin) with three aborting after take off. Escorting were twenty-one A6M Zeros from 582 Kokutai led by Lt. Saburo Shindo plus nineteen Zeros from Zuikaku led by Lt. Kenjiro Notomi. D3A Vals score three bomb hits and a near miss on USS De Haven (DD-469) that rapidly sink. Returning from the mission, the formation is intercepted by USMC F4F Wildcats. Losses included five Zeros plus three damaged. Japanese losses include A6M2 6544 pilot Tanaka and A6M2 pilot Chiba from Zuikaku plus PO2c Saburo Horida and PO2c Tatsuo Morioka from 582 Kokutai. Also lost was Leading Airmen Yoshio Ozawa who ditched and was rescued.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) In the Bismarck Archipelago,
B-17s bomb the runway and aircraft dispersal areas at Rabaul.
A lone B-24 bombs the runway at Finchhafen Airfield (Prewar Airfield) then flies east where it bombs the runway at Cape Gloucester Airfield and unsuccessfully attacks a ship in Open Bay.
U.S. Army: On Gaudalcanal, command of western pursuit passes from Gen De Carre to Gen Sebree. 1st Bn of 147th Inf, assisted by arty and naval gunfire, again attempts unsuccessfully to cross Bonegi R mouth but forces enemy rear guards from E bank. 2d Bn of 132d Inf, Americal Div, makes unopposed landing at Verahue, to rear of enemy in Cape Esperance area. During night 1-2, Japanese begin evacuation of forces by sea from Cape Esperance.
U.S. Army: In New Guinea, Co G of 163d Inf, U.S. 41st Div, starts NW along coast toward the mouth of the Kumusi River.
IJN: During the night, twenty Japanese destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral Hashimoto Shintaro steam down the slot as part of Operation KE for the evacuation of the remaining Japanese forces from Cape Esperance on Guadalcanal.
USN: Overnight, Destroyer minelayer USS Tracy (DM-19), USS Montgomery (DM-17) and USS Preble (DM-20) lay 255 mines in the channel between Savo Island and Cape Esperance with Japanese warships only 12,000 yards away. All available PT boats patrol the area from Savo Island to Cape Esperance. Sunk are PT-37 and PT-111 by gunfire from Kawakaze while a Japanese floatplane sinks PT-123.
In the morning, USS Stringham (APD-6) and five tank landing craft (LCT) land Army 2d Battalion, 132d Infantry at Verahue on Guadalcanal, covered by four destroyers. After unloading, three LCTs, escorted by destroyers USS Nicholas (DD-449) and USS De Haven (DD-469) come under attack from Japanese planes about three miles south of Savo Island.
In the afternoon, USS De Haven (DD-469) and USS Nicholas (DD-449) escort three LCTs including LCT(5)-181 back to base and were targeted by Japanese dive bombers. USS De Haven (DD-469) is sunk by three bombs and a near miss roughly two miles east of Savo Island at 09°09'S, 159°52'E. USS Nicholas (DD-449) is damaged by near-misses. Tank landing craft LCT-63 and LCT(5)-181 aided by SOC Seagulls (VCS Detachment Ringbolt), rescue 146 DeHaven sailors, including 38 wounded.
USS Tarpon (SS-175) sinks Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship Fushimi Maru about 20 miles south of Omai Zaki, 34°08'N, 138°11'E.
Patrol Squadron 51 (VP-51) is redesignated Bombing Squadron 101 (VB-101).
