February 20, 1943
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 1943

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) Reconnaissance over Kiska finds weather favorable and 5 B-24s, 7 B-25s and 8 P-38s take off to attack. The fighters hit the Main Camp area; the bombers bomb North Head, the Main Camp area and Kiska Airfield. The 11th Fighter Squadron, 343d Fighter Group with P-40s transfers from Fort Glenn to Adak Airfield.

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force) Three B-24s of the 307th Bombardment Group operating from Canton photograph Makin, Abaiang and Tarawa and attack shipping off Tarawa.

CBI (Tenth Air Force) In Burma, 17 P-40s bomb a factory, oil tanks, and railroad tracks at Sahmaw. Thirteen B-24s attack the Gokteik Viaduct but fail to damage the structure.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) B-17s and PBYs bomb Ballale and Kahili. B-24s pound Vila. During the night of 19/20 Feb and day strikes, P-39s and Navy aircraft attack the Munda area, hitting the airfield and nearby Lambeti and Munda Point.

U.S. Navy: Task Force 61 (TF 61) under Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner departs Guadalcanal for Russell Islands to land the initial assault echelon of the U.S. Army 43rd Division.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-17s bomb landing ground at Kahili and at Ballale, and Gasmata Airfield. Force landed returning from a mission are P-38G 42-12866 (survived). P-38 piloted by Douglas and P-38 piloted by Lidstrom. All three pilots were later returned to duty.

USN: SBD Dauntless dive bombers from Bombing Squadron 3 (VB-3) dive bomb Munda Airfield on New Georgia. Ditched is SBD-3 Dauntless pilot Kramer (rescued).

Motor minesweeper YMS-founders and sinks into Coos Bay off Oregon.

USS Albacore (SS-218) torpedoes and sinks Japanese destroyer Oshio about 140 miles north- northwest of Manus, Admiralty Islands, 00°50'S, 146°06'E. Albacore escapes damage in the resultant depth-charging by an accompanying enemy warship.

USS Halibut (SS-232) torpedoes and sinks Japanese transport Shinkoku Maru about 450 miles north of Ponape at 15°09'N, 159°30'E.

Japanese auxiliary patrol vessel Yoshida Maru is damaged by mine (probably laid by USS Sunfish (SS-281) between 14-17 December 1942), 34°28'N, 137°20'E.

Japanese army cargo ship Aragane Maru sinks as the result of damage inflicted by gunfire from heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35) and destroyers USS Coghlan (DD-606) and USS Gillespie (DD-609) off Attu at 53°05'N, 171°22'E.

Hospital ship Atlantis rescues the last 10 survivors of U.S. freighter Deer Lodge, torpedoed by German submarine U-607 about 60 miles east of Port Elizabeth, South Africa on February 16, 1943.