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• German forces counterattacked toward Vyazma, encircling several Soviet divisions. ww2dbase [Battle of Moscow | TH]
• Japanese naval land attack planes bombed ABDA operating base at Surabaya. ww2dbase [Dutch East Indies Campaign, Java | CPC]
• Henry Stimson appeared before the Foreign Relations Committee of the House of Representatives of the US Congress and successfully convinced the congressmen to approve a US$500,000,000 loan for the Chinese. This was done as a favor for Chiang Kaishek, who was considering to accept an American request for him to launch an offensive into northern Burma. ww2dbase [Henry Stimson | CPC]
• US submarine Trout delivered 3,500 rounds of 3 inch anti-aircraft ammunition to Corregidor, Philippine Islands. Upon departure, the submarine evacuated 20 tons of Philippine gold and silver. ww2dbase [Invasion of the Philippine Islands | CPC]
• The last of the Australian Gull Force on Ambon, Dutch East Indies surrendered the town of Kudamati to the Japanese. ww2dbase [Dutch East Indies Campaign, Celebes and Moluccas | CPC]

• Lieutenant Tadaichi Noda led a group of Japanese troops to the Tol plantation on the southern coast of the Gazelle Peninsula of New Britain and captured 180 Australian troops hiding there; the Australians were given hot meals, the first they had for several days; the prisoners, however, did not realize that most of them would only have days to live. Hours later, after sundown, Australian Catalina aircraft flew over Rabaul, New Britain and were engaged by Japanese A5M4 fighters; all aircraft on both sides survived this first dogfight over Rabaul since Japanese conquest. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 1, Bismarck Islands | New Britain | CPC]
• Tenryu departed Kavieng, New Ireland and provided support for the landings at nearby Gasmata, New Britain. ww2dbase [Tenryu | Gasmata, New Britain | CPC]

• Six Japanese flying boats from Rabaul, New Britain bombed the Seven Mile airfield near Port Moresby, British Territory of Papua at 0300 hours, killing 1 Australian Army sergeant; the damage done to the airfield was minor. ww2dbase [Port Moresby | CPC]

• Burmese 2nd Infantry Brigade and a part of the Indian 17th Division withdrew from Martaban, Burma toward the Bilin River. ww2dbase [Invasion of Burma | CPC]

• German Type IXC U-Boat U-505 arrived in Lorient, France after her first patrol where she circumnavigated the British Isles while engaging no ships and was subjected to no attacks. ww2dbase [U-505 | Loirent, Bretagne | DS]
• Morosini departed Le Verdon-sur-Mer, France at 0910 hours, arriving at La Pallice, La Rochelle, France at 1720 hours. ww2dbase [Morosini | Le Verdon-sur-Mer, Aquitaine | CPC]

• Shokaku arrived at Yokosuka, Japan and remained there for the remainder of the month. ww2dbase [Shokaku | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]

• In Libya, British 1st Armoured Division evacuated Mechili while Indian 4th Division evacuated Derna. ww2dbase [Operation Crusader | CPC]

• He 111 bombers of German Luftwaffe I./KG 4 attacked Soviet rail stations in central Russia during the night. ww2dbase [CPC]

• German submarine U-103 sank Panamanian freighter San Gil 25 kilometers off Virginia, United States, killing 2 of 40 aboard. ww2dbase [Second Happy Time | Virginia | CPC]

3 Feb 1942 Interactive Map