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• » 16 Jan 1943

• Commander Destroyer Squadron 5 (DesRon5) Capt Robert P. Briscoe shifted his flag to USS Nicholas. Destroyers USS Nicholas, USS O’Bannon, USS DeHaven, and USS Radford departed Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides bound for Tulagi, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Nicholas | DS]

• USS Wahoo conducted sonar tests in Moreton Bay near Brisbane, Australia. Later on the same day, she departed friendly waters for her third war patrol. ww2dbase [Wahoo | Brisbane, Queensland | CPC]

• Submarine USS Growler torpedoed and sank the 5,857-ton cargo ship Chifuki Maru 11 miles north of Waton Island between New Britain and New Ireland in the Bismarck Islands. Growler then endured an intense depth charge attack. ww2dbase [Growler | Bismarck Sea | DS]

• Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down a P-40 fighter over Yunnan Province, China, his 15th victory. ww2dbase [Satoru Anabuki | Yunnan | CPC]

• British bombers attacked Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | Berlin | CPC]

• Iraq declared war on the Axis powers. ww2dbase [AC]

• Shokaku's assignment was shifted from Main Unit, Mobile Force to the Maintenance Force, Mobile Force. ww2dbase [Shokaku | CPC]
• Zuikaku departed Kure, Japan. ww2dbase [Zuikaku | Kure, Hiroshima | CPC]

• Destroyer USS Shaw entered Auxiliary Repair Dock ARD-2 for underwater inspection. ww2dbase [Shaw | Nouméa | DS]

• USS Grayback fired six torpedoes at a Japanese transport in the Solomon Sea; all torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [Grayback | Solomon Sea | CPC]

• Soviet troops captured Pitomnik Airfield west of Stalingrad, Russia, denying the Germans the ability to fly in supplies and fly out wounded men. ww2dbase [Battle of Stalingrad | Gorodishchensky, Stalingrad | CPC]

• USS Marlin departed Casco Bay, Maine, United States. ww2dbase [Marlin | Portland, Maine | CPC]

16 Jan 1943 Interactive Map