15 Feb 1942
  • Dutch destroyer HNLMS Van Ghent ran aground en route to Palembang, and was scuttled. ww2dbase [TH]
  • German submarine U-432 sank Brazilian ship Buarque 40 kilometers east of Hampton Roads, Virginia, United States. ww2dbase [Second Happy Time | CPC]
  • Archibald Wavell recovered from his fall at Singapore and was released by the hospital. ww2dbase [Archibald Wavell | CPC]
  • Dispersed ships of Allied convoy QP-7 began to arrive in Allied waters. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | CPC]
  • Tsingtau was assigned to the 6th Fast Attack Craft Flotilla. ww2dbase [Tsingtau | CPC]
Australia
  • An Allied troop convoy consisted of four transports (with Australian and American troops aboard) departed from Darwin, Australia for Timor, escorted by cruiser USS Houston, destroyer USS Peary, sloop HMAS Swan, and sloop HMAS Warrego. ww2dbase [Dutch East Indies Campaign, Java | Darwin, Northern Territory | CPC]
Burma
  • Japanese troops penetrated Indian 17th Infantry Division positions on the Bilin River north of Rangoon, Burma. ww2dbase [Invasion of Burma | CPC]
Caroline Islands
  • Akagi departed Palau with Kaga, Carrier Division 2, and Cruiser Division 8, screened by Destroyer Squadron 1 for the attacks on Davao and Port Darwin, Australia. ww2dbase [Akagi | Palau | CPC]
  • Kaga departed Palau Islands, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Kaga | Palau | CPC]
  • Yugure departed Palau, Caroline Islands at 1400 hours. ww2dbase [Yugure | Palau | CPC]
Dutch East Indies
  • 100 additional Japanese paratroopers arrived at Palembang, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, helping with the securing oil refineries and other facilities. 200 kilometers to the south, British troop transport Ocrades arrives at Oosthaven with 3,400 Australian troops, but the ship would continue on to Java without disembarking the troops. North of Palembang, Japanese troops disembarked at the mouth of the Musi River; the British RAF interfered by attacking the landing with over 50 aircraft, sinking 20 landing craft and killing 100 Japanese. Finally, in the Bangka Strait, Japanese naval gunfire sank British tug HMS Yin Ping; 50 were killed, 25 survived. USS Stewart was attacked by aircraft several times, but did not sustain damage. ww2dbase [Stewart | Dutch East Indies Campaign, Sumatra | Sumatra | CPC]
  • The 537-ton Dutch merchant vessel Makasser was scuttled in Bangka Strait, which separated Sumatra from Bangka Island in the Dutch East Indies, when approached by the Japanese Nagara-class cruiser Yura and the Fubuki-class destroyer Asagiri. ww2dbase [Bangka Strait | HM]
Egypt
  • No. 94 Squadron RAF lost four Kittyhawk fighters in combat over Martuba, Egypt. Squadron Leader Ernest M. Mason's aircraft was among the four, shot down and killed by German ace Oberfeldwebel Otto Schulz. ww2dbase [Martuba | CPC]
Hawaii Indian Ocean
  • Japanese submarine I-165 sank 4,471-ton British steam merchant ship Johanne Justesen (owned by the British India Steam Navigation Company of London) in the Arabian Sea off the southern tip of India, killing 1. ww2dbase [Arabian Sea | CPC, HM]
Libya
  • While escorting German bombers over Gambut, Libya, Hans-Joachim Marseille spotted enemy fighters taking off from a nearby airfield to challenge them. He would shoot down two P-40 fighters, Flight Sergeant Frank Reid at 1300 hours as his 47th kill and Flight Officer P. J. Briggs at 1303 hours as his 48th kill. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | Gambut | CPC]
Philippines
  • Repair ship Akashi departed Davao, Mindanao, Philippine Islands. ww2dbase [Akashi | Davao | CPC]
Russia Singapore
  • With Winston Churchill's permission, Arthur Percival decided to surrender Singapore. A delegation bearing a white flag was dispatched at 1130 hours, but it was turned back by the Japanese, who requested Percival to surrender in person, which Percival complied at 1715 hours. At the Ford Motor Factory at Bukit Timah, Percival signed the surrender document at 2030 hours, making the biggest capitulation in British militay history official. ww2dbase [Invasion of Malaya and Singapore | Singapore | AC, CPC]
Photo(s) dated 15 Feb 1942
Houston at Darwin, Australia, 15 or 18 Feb 1942Bombs from a Japanese aircraft falling around the Dutch cruiser Java in the Gasper Strait east of Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, 15 Feb 1942Celebration of Japanese victory in Singapore, Keijo (Gyeongseong, now Seoul), occupied Korea, Feb 1942Cruiser Exeter under air attack by B5N aircraft in the Gaspar Strait, 15 Feb 1942; note bombs falling astern of the cruiser
See all photos dated 15 Feb 1942

15 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




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds

Search WW2DB


Famous WW2 Quote
"Since peace is now beyond hope, we can but fight to the end."

Chiang Kaishek, 31 Jul 1937


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!