February 19, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 19 FEBRUARY 1943

(Eleventh Air Force) In the Aleutians, weather cancels all missions except limited weather reconnaissance.

CBI (Tenth Air Force) In Burma, P-40s dive-bomb a Japanese HQ at Hpunkizup and afterwards strafe a rail defile south of Meza, burying about 100 feet of track. Five B-25s bomb the rail terminal at Sagaing.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-17s bomb shipping and a seaplane base between Buin and Faisi and at Ballale and hit the Kahili Airfield. A-20s bomb and strafe forces in the Butibum and Angari areas. B-24s carry out single-plane attacks agains shipping at Salamaua, off Cape Gloucester, and at Gasmata. Lost is B-24D "Lady Luck" 41-11901 (MIA).

USAAF B-17s bomb Japanese shipping off Buin, Bougainville, damaging transport Tokai Maru, 06°45'S, 155°50'E.

USN: The Naval elements assigned to the SWPA are redesignated as the U.S. Seventh Fleet (7th Fleet).

During the night, Heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35) and destroyers Coghlan (DD-606) and Gillespie (DD-609) (TU 8.6.2), intercept Japanese army cargo ship Aragane Maru bound for the Aleutians and engage her northwest of Attu.

USS Gato (SS-212) torpedoes Japanese ammunition ship Hibari Maru off eastern Bougainville, 06°27'S, 156°05'E. Hibari Maru is beached off Buin and will be destroyed by U.S. planes on February 28, 1943.

USS Grampus (SS-207) torpedoes Japanese transport/aircraft ferry Keiyo Maru, 04°55'S, 152°26'E.

USS Runner (SS-275) is damaged by aerial bomb off the Palaus, 07°35'N, 134°25'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol.