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• Chester Nimitz was born. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• The nation of Estonia was established. ww2dbase [TH]

• Adolf Hitler made the Twenty-Five Theses speech in Munich, Germany. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Roger Backhouse was promoted to the rank of rear admiral. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Henry Arnold's son David Lee Arnold was born at Fort Riley, Kansas, United States. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

24 Feb 1927 Interactive Map

• Glorious was recommissioned as an aircraft carrier. ww2dbase [Main Article | AC]

• Hermann Göring's auxiliary police raided Communist Party offices in Prussia, Germany and claimed to have found documents suggesting the Communists were planning a revolt against the German republic. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Lieutenant General Chen Qingyun was named the commandant of the Chinese Central Aviation Academy at Jianqio Airfield, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, relieving Lieutenant General Zhou Zhirou. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Prince Hiroyasu's fifth child, Princess Atsuko, passed away. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

24 Feb 1936 Interactive Map

• Weather data for 24 Feb 1937

• Vincennes was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• When the fighting on the Jarama Front near Madrid, Spain finally came to an end, the Spanish Nationalists had driven a salient into the Republican front-line, but had failed to cut off Madrid. ww2dbase [Main Article | AC]

• Weather data for 24 Feb 1938

• Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg made the "Red-white-red until we're dead" ("Rot-weiß-rot bis in den Tod") speech at the Austrian Bundestag in protest of German threat. In the country, protests both for and against Germany appeared; meanwhile, there was a run on the banks and tourists began to leave the country. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Wong Sun-sui, flying a Gladiator fighter, damaged three Japanese E7K seaplanes and damaged a fourth aircraft of uncertain type (E7K or E8N) over Nanxiong, Guangdong Province, China; he was given 2.25 victories. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Weather data for 24 Feb 1939

• Weather data for 24 Feb 1940

• USS Helena departed Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• Foreign ministers from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden reasserted the neutrality of their home countries, jointly declaring that they would not assist Finland and would not allow foreign troops to enter their territories. Ignoring this declaration, British envoy to Finland Sir George Gordon Vereker continued to promise 20,000 to 22,000 Allied fighters for Finland if Finland would make such a request by 5 Mar 1940. ww2dbase [CPC]
• German submarine U-63 sank Swedish merchant ship Santos 70 miles east of the Orkney Islands, Scotland at 2100 hours, killing 31. 12 survivors were rescued by HMS Gallant on the next day. ww2dbase [CPC]
• British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain condemned Hitler's aggression but said that he was prepared to negotiate with an alternative German government. ww2dbase [Main Article | AC]
• Hitler gave approval to detailed plans for the invasion of France and the Low Countries. ww2dbase [Main Article | AC]

• M1 rammed and sunk four Danish fishing trawlers Ejjam (E 92), Gerlis (E 456), Merkator (348), and Polaris (E 504) off the Dogger Bank in the North Sea. There were four crewmen aboard each ship, and even though some survived the sinking initially, commanding officer Oberleutnant zur See Hans Bartels of M1 did not pick up any survivors, thus all of them would eventually be lost. Bartel suspected that the trawlers were reporting German movements to the British while flying the flag of a neutral nation. ww2dbase [Main Article | Event | CPC]

• Commander Mario Giorgini took command of 1a Flottiglia MAS, a motor torpedo boat flotilla. ww2dbase [CPC]

• The 2,266-ton British cargo steamer Royal Archer (built in 1928) hit a mine laid by German submarine U-21 off Kirkaldy, Scotland, United Kingdom and sank. The 27 crew and a gunner were saved. The ship was on route from London for Leith carrying a cargo of 630 tons general cargo including gum, paste, etc. ww2dbase [Main Article | HM]
• The 5,941-ton cargo steamer Clan Morrison, requisitioned by the British Admiralty, was steaming from Southampton to Blyth struck a mine and sank 20 miles north of Cromer, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Main Article | HM]

24 Feb 1940 Interactive Map

• Weather data for 24 Feb 1941

• British Manchester bombers of No. 207 Squadron from Waddington, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom made the Manchester model's operational debut by bombing Brest, France overnight and into the next day. ww2dbase [Main Article | TH]
• Omar Bradley was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• Italian ship Sabbia, damaged by a unsuccessful attack by British submarine HMS Ursula three days prior, nearly made it to Tripoli, Libya when she was intercepted and sunk by British submarine HMS Regent. ww2dbase [CPC]
• 300 miles south of Iceland, German submarine U-107 sank British ship HMS Manistee, killing the entire crew of 141, after a chase since the previous day. German submarines U-95 and U-96 and Italian submarine Bianchi attacked the other ships of Allied convoy OB-288 which HMS Manistee was a part of, sinking 7 merchant ships before dawn. ww2dbase [CPC]
• German submarine U-97 sank 3 British ships and damaged Norwegian tanker G.C. Brøvig of Allied convoy OB-289 south of Iceland. ww2dbase [CPC]
• A German patrol with tanks, armored cars, and motorcycles ambushed a British and Australian patrol west of El Agheila, Libya, taking 3 prisoners. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• Three German He 111 bombers attacked British destroyers HMS Dainty and HMS Hasty in Tobruk harbor, Libya at 1900 hours. HMS Dainty was sunk by a 500kg bomb, killing 16. ww2dbase [CPC]

• On route from Calcutta, India and Table Bay, South Africa for Britain (Oban, Scotland and London, England), the 4,289-ton British steam merchant ship Nailsea Lass was carrying 1,300 tons of charcoal, 1,031 tons of pig iron and 300 tons of iron ore was torpedoed by German submarine U-48 when 60 miles southwest of Fastnet, Ireland. The master Thomas Llewellyn Bradford and the chief officer Alfred Hodder were taken prisoner by the submarine. The second officer E. J. Knight and 18 crew members landed at Ballyoughtraugh, County Kerry, Ireland, and the third officer and nine crew members landed near Berehaven, County Cork, Ireland. ww2dbase [HM]

24 Feb 1941 Interactive Map

• Weather data for 24 Feb 1942

• USS Yorktown for the New Hebrides for a rendezvous with USS Lexington for a raid on Rabaul in the Bismarck Islands. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• USS Enterprise launched aircraft to attack Wake Island. ww2dbase [Main Article | TH]
• Tatsuta Maru arrived at Mereyon, Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Main Article | Tabular Record of Movement | CPC]
• German submarine U-94 sank British ship Empire Hail in the Atlantic Ocean at 0145 hours, killing all 49 aboard. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• George Brett arrived in Melbourne, Australia and assumed command of US Army Forces in Australia. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Three Australian Catalina aircraft bombed Rabaul, New Britain; 1 aircraft was lost on this mission. ww2dbase [CPC]

• 9 Japanese Type 1 aircraft of 4th Air Group, escorted by 9 Zero fighters, attacked Seven Mile Airfield near Port Moresby, Australian Papua, destroying 1 Hudson aircraft and 1 civilian aircraft, destroying many buildings, destroying a few vehicles, and killing 1 person; Australian fighters did not scramble to intercept. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Passenger ship Struma, powerless with broken-down engines, drifted in the Black Sea after being abandoned by Turkish authorities on the previous day. In the morning, Soviet submarine SC-213 sank Struma with one torpedo, killing 768 of 769 Romanian Jewish refugees aboard. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Nachi departed Staring Bay, Celebes, Dutch East Indies with Cruiser Division 5. ww2dbase [Main Article | Tabular Record of Movement | CPC]
• At Java, Dutch East Indies, the headquarters of the Allied ABDA Command was relocated with intention of dissolution. On the same day, Japanese aircraft attacked Allied airfields on Java, destroying 3 US B-17 bombers on the ground; the remaining US 5th Air Force aircraft were evacuated to Australia. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• A Japanese E9W1 seaplane from submarine I-9 conducted a reconnaissance mission over Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. When the aircraft returned to the submarine, both wings were damaged during the recovery. ww2dbase [Main Article | Facility | CPC]

• Hans-Joachim Marseille was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross medal by Albert Kesselring at Martuba airfield, Libya. The citation of the award was dated 22 Feb 1942, two days prior. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

24 Feb 1942 Interactive Map

• Weather data for 24 Feb 1943

• USS Iowa began her shakedown cruise in Chesapeake Bay on the east coast of the United States. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• The US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), also known as "Merrill's Marauders", began their campaign in northern Burma. ww2dbase [TH]
• On Ambon Island in Eastern Indonesia, the Japanese beheaded 132 Australian and Dutch prisoners. ww2dbase [AC]
• Omar Bradley arrived in French Algeria. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• The Madoera, a 9,283-ton Dutch steam merchant ship, was torpedoed and damaged by German submarine U-653. The crew immediately abandoned ship in several lifeboats but the master J. Lassche, decided at daylight to re-board the ship with fifteen of his crew and the chief to inspect the damaged bow of the ship. The bow was now deeper in the water, while one boiler had remained operational and they managed to reduce the list to the bow and the water in No. 2 hold and in the engine room levelled. The ship got underway at 4 knots for St. John's, Newfoundland, but after several days, she ran into an ice field about 200 miles off of the Newfoundland coast. Meanwhile, one lifeboat with three Lascar seamen came across a lifeboat with 23 survivors from the SS Jonathan Sturges, which had been sunk by German submarine U-707 shortly before Madoera was hit. The Dutch lifeboat had already picked up 12 survivors from the same ship from rafts and took over six others to equalize the number of survivors in each boat. Another lifeboat containing the second engineer G. van der Vuurst, two Dutch greasers and several natives was found by German submarine U-591; Vuurst was taken aboard and later transferred to U-758. ww2dbase [HM]

• Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru departed Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Main Article | Tabular Record of Movement | CPC]

• USS Tunny arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. ww2dbase [Main Article | Facility | CPC]
• Barbers Point Naval Air Station: Paving of the original land plane runways completed. ww2dbase [Main Article | DS]

24 Feb 1943 Interactive Map

• Weather data for 24 Feb 1944

• USS Tang sank a Japanese freighter, hitting her with three of four torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• Repair ship Akashi arrived at Palau Islands and performed repairs on herself. ww2dbase [Main Article | Tabular Record of Movement | CPC]
• Hartwig von Ludwiger stepped down as the deputy commanding officer of 22nd Mountain Corps. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Japanese Colonel Tanahashi ordered a retreat from Sinzweya, Burma without authorization. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• USAAF (day) and RAF (night) bombings were conducted on the ball bearing plants at Schweinfurt, Germany. ww2dbase [Main Article | Facility | TH]

• Two Italian motor torpedo boats attacked the Allied beachhead at Anzio, Italy before dawn, causing no damage and losing one boat. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• A PBY-5As aircraft of US Navy squadron VP-63, employing Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) gear, and a PV-1 aircraft of US Navy squadron VB-127, together with a Catalina aircraft of No. 202 Squadron RAF found and bombed the German submarine U-761 as she attempted to transit the Strait of Gibraltar. British destroyers HMS Anthony (H 40) and HMS Wishart (D 67) rescued the 51 survivors who abandon their badly damaged submarine after scuttling her to avoid capture. Nine of the submarine's crew were lost in the attack. U-761 was the first German submarine destroyed through the employment of MAD equipment. ww2dbase [HM]

• USS Grayback sank cargo ship Taikei Maru, sank cargo ship Toshin Maru, and damaged two others of Japanese convoy Hi-40 in the East China Sea. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• USAAF 453rd Bomber Group based at Old Buckenham Airfield (US Station 144) in Norfolk, England, United Kingdom attacked aircraft factories at Gotha in central Germany without losses. ww2dbase [Main Article | Facility | AC]
• The 2,085-ton merchant steamer Philipp M was torpedoed and sunk by a German E-boat off Great Yarmouth, England, United Kingdom. Seven of the crew were killed in the explosion, the other 18 were rescued. ww2dbase [HM]

24 Feb 1944 Interactive Map

• Weather data for 24 Feb 1945

• USS Trepang sank freighter Usuki Maru and damaged another ship, and then survived a seven-hour depth charge barrage by multiple Japanese anti-submarine vessels. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• USS Spot departed for her second war patrol. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• USS Wake Island launched 55 spotting sorties 56 kilometers south of Iwo Jima, Japan; 205 rockets were fired on targets of opportunity. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• Soviet 1st Baltic Front was disbanded; its units were merged into Soviet 3rd Byelorussian Front. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Ivan Konev declared the Lower Silesian Offensive a success. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Indian 2nd Division crossed the Irrawady River at Ngazumi, Burma and met heavy Japanese resistance. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• The Soviet bridgehead over the Danube River at Hron, Slovakia was destroyed by a German attack. ww2dbase [TH]

• Egyptian Premier Ahmed Maher Pasha was assassinated at parliament by 28-year-old Mustafa Essawy in the parliament building after reading a declaration of war against the Axis Powers. ww2dbase [CPC]

• The keel of U-3061 was laid down on Building Ways IV at the Deschimag shipyard in Bremen, Germany. ww2dbase [Main Article | Facility | CPC]
• Adolf Hitler made what was to be his last speech to Reischsleiters and Gauleiters in the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Main Article | Facility | TH]
• Soviet troops attacked toward the eastern Pommern region of Germany (occupied Poland). ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• The 1,918-ton German freighter Ellen Larsen was beached after striking a mine at Warnemünde, on the Baltic coast near Rostock, Germany. ww2dbase [HM]

• USS Wasp's aircraft launched to attack targets in the Nagoya, Japan area, but the mission was canceled due to poor weather. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• During the night of 24-25 Feb, 174 American B-29 bombers dropped incendiary bombs on Tokyo, Japan and destroyed about 3 square kilometers of the city, or about 28,000 buildings. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Kamoi departed Singapore. ww2dbase [Main Article | Tabular Record of Movement | CPC]
• US bombers attacked Penang, Malaya. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Major Geoffrey Hutchinson, Member of Parliament representing Ilford in London, England, United Kingdom, wrote to the Secretary for Air for assistance with recent German rocket attacks on Ilford. This letter yielded no significant results. ww2dbase [CPC]

• USS Pollack arrived at New London, Connecticut, United States. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

24 Feb 1945 Interactive Map

• Submarine R-1 was raised from her sunken state. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• USS Brill departed San Francisco, California, United States. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Israel signed an armistice with Egypt to de-escalate the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Israeli Independence War. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Lewis Puller assumed temporary command of US 1st Marine Division in Korea. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Gerd von Rundstedt passed away. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• USS Iowa was decommissioned from service and was placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• USS Charr departed San Diego, California, United States for a tour in Asian waters. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• USS Proteus arrived at Rota, Spain to assist in the establishment of Fleet Ballistic Missile Refit Site Two. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

24 Feb 1964 Interactive Map

• USS Wasp set sail for the United States. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Arthur Chin was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Ding Delong passed away in Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]