26 Jan 1944
  • U-869 was commissioned into service with Kapitänleutnant Hellmut Neuerburg in command. She was assigned to the German Navy 4th Submarine Flotilla for training. ww2dbase [U-869 | CPC]
  • USS Guitarro was commissioned into service with Lieutenant Commander Enrique D. Haskins in command. ww2dbase [Guitarro | CPC]
  • Orde Wingate and William Slim met at Comilla, India; Slim told Wingate that he would provide only one battalion for Wingate's second Chindit operation. ww2dbase [Operation Thursday | CPC]
  • USS Skipjack prepared to attack a Japanese transport when she discovered a escorting destroyer, Suzukaze, nearby; Skipjack successfully shifted target and sank the destroyer. She suffered flooding from a valve door that failed to close, but she quickly remedied the situation and returned to attack the same convoy, sinking converted seaplane tender Okitsu Maru. 12 torpedoes were expended on this date. ww2dbase [Skipjack | CPC]
  • German submarine U-716 sank US freighter Andrew G. Curtin of Allied convoy JW-56A; 3 were killed, 68 survived. U-360 damaged British freighter Fort Bellingham (convoy civilian commodore's ship), which was later sunk by U-957; 36 were killed, 35 survived. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | CPC]
  • US 45th Fighter Squadron, flying P-40 fighters, shot down 10 Japanese aircraft in combat, with 2 further as probables. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • Destroyers USS Nicholas and USS O’Bannon arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. ww2dbase [Nicholas | Mare Island Navy Yard | DS]
France Hawaii Pacific Ocean
  • USS Whale set sail for Midway Atoll. ww2dbase [Whale | CPC]
United States
  • USS Wake Island arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, United States. ww2dbase [Wake Island | Norfolk, Virginia | CPC]
  • USS Marcus Island was commissioned into service at Astoria, Oregon, United States with Captain Charles F. Greber in command. ww2dbase [Marcus Island | Astoria, Oregon | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 26 Jan 1944
USS Coral Sea receiving fuel from a tanker, 26 Jan 1944USS Intrepid under way 26 Jan 1944 on her way to launch strikes against Truk Atoll (now Chuuk). Note the forward flight deck filled SBD Dauntless and TBF Avenger aircraft and one F4U Corsair on the outrigger sponson.USS S-43 at the Bethlehem shipyard in San Francisco, California, United States, 26 Jan 1944; note scaffolding for USS Sailfish (left) and USS Shad (forward of S-43)USS S-43 at the Bethlehem shipyard in San Francisco, California, United States, 26 Jan 1944; note floating dry dock at the opposite pier

26 Jan 1944 Interactive Map

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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