February 12, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 1943

Weather reconnaissance and attack missions against Kiska and a fighter patrol over Amchitka are broken off due to weather.

(Seventh Air Force) The 371st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 307th Bombardment Group with B-24s based at Wheeler Field ceases operating from Canton after six days.

CBI (Tenth Air Force) Seven B-24s of the India Air Task Force pound the Myitnge bridge area but fail to damage the bridge itself. This strike marks the first use of 2,000 pound blockbusters in the CBI Theater. Twelve other B-24s bomb the Mahlwagon marshaling yard and railway station at Rangoon. Twelve P-40s hit barracks near Lonkin.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) P-38s, along with Navy aircraft, attack the Munda area, hitting AA at Rapa and setting fires at Kokengolo. B-26s and P-39s follow with a strike on the Munda Airfield.

USMC: First combat mission of the F4U Corsair in the Solomon Islands. In the morning, twelve F4U Corsairs from Marine Fighting Squadron 124 (VMF-124) arrive on Guadalcanal. In the afternoon, they escort PBY Catalina "Dumbo" to Sandfly Bay off Vella Lavella to two downed pilots. The flight was uneventful.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-24s operating individually attack a sawmill at Ubili, a runway at Cape Gloucester, and the harbor and airfield at Rabaul, New Britain , and score a possible hit on a 6,000-ton vessel in the Solomon Sea between New Britain and Bougainville. Lost is B-24D 41-24017 (MIA).

U.S. Army: GHQ issues draft "Plans for the Seizure and Occupation of the New Britain-New Guinea- New Ireland Area," code named Elkton.

Australian Army: Private George C. Whittington, QX23902 dies of scrub typhus at Port Moresby.

USS Grampus (SS-207) sails from Brisbane, Australia, for her sixth war patrol. U.S. forces never hear from her again.

Oiler Salamonie (AO 26) is damaged in collision with merchant vessel Uruguay, 36°54'N, 49°29'W.

IJN: Hitati Maru arrives at Ballale Island and departs the same day.