13 Feb 1942
  • Prinz Eugen arrived at the Brunsbüttel North Locks of the Kiel Canal, successfully completing Operation Cerberus. One man was killed by British air attack during the operation. ww2dbase [Prinz Eugen | CPC]
  • Axis submarines arrived in waters near Aruba. ww2dbase [Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico Campaigns | CPC]
  • In Burma, the British Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant-General Hutton requested Archibald Wavell to appoint a corps commander to take charge of operations and a liaison team to work with the Chinese. He received no reply as Wavell was incapacitated after suffering a fall. ww2dbase [Invasion of Burma | AC]
  • Japanese submarine I-55 sank British ammunition ship Derrymore 80 miles northwest of Batavia, Java, Dutch East Indies at 2100 hours; 9 were killed, 236 survived. Among those rescued was Australian pilot and future prime minister John Gorton. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • Kamoi supplied auxiliary gunboat Nikkai Maru with provisions. ww2dbase [Kamoi | CPC]
Australian New Guinea Dutch East Indies France
  • German Navy Admiral Ciliax sent a signal to Admiral Saalwächter in Paris, France in mid-morning: "It is my duty to inform you that Operation Cerberus has been successfully completed." ww2dbase [Operation Cerberus | Paris | CPC]
Germany Italy
  • Italian torpedo boat Circe attacked British submarine HMS Tempest on the surface in the Gulf of Taranto in southern Italy at 0300 hours. Tempest surfaced at 0900 hours after sustaining damage to the battery (which released poisonous chlorine gas) and was abandoned. 39 were killed in the attack; 24 survived and were taken prisoner. Circe attempted to tow Tempest back to port, but the submarine sank en route. ww2dbase [Gulf of Taranto | CPC]
Libya
  • Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down a Hurricane fighter at 0920 hours and another at 0925 hours east of Tobruk, Libya, which were his 45th and 46th kills. He later met his 46th victim, South African pilot Lieutenant Le Roux, after the engagement. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | Tobruk | CPC]
Philippines Singapore
  • Japanese troops pushed the 55th Brigade of the British 18th Division out of its position which controlled the last fresh water reservoir in Singapore for the British. Arthur Percival's senior staff members persuaded him to request permission to surrender. At 1830 hours, a large convoy of 44 ships departed Singapore with evacuees; a few of these ships would be attacked and sunk by Japanese aircraft. ww2dbase [Invasion of Malaya and Singapore | Singapore | CPC]
  • HMS Kuala arrived at Singapore and began embarking civilians. By 1830 hours, with 500 civilians on board, she weighed anchor and headed toward Batavia in Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [Kuala | Singapore | HM]
Photo(s) dated 13 Feb 1942
Japanese paratroopers descending on Pangkalan Benteng airfield or Pladju refineries in southern Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, 13 Feb 1942, photo 1 of 2Japanese paratroopers descending on Pangkalan Benteng airfield or Pladju refineries in southern Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, 13 Feb 1942, photo 2 of 2

13 Feb 1942 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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