15 Feb 1944
  • Captain Juji Kakumu became the new commanding officer of hospital ship Hikawa Maru. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | CPC]
  • 1,500 prisoners arrived at Mauthausen Concentration Camp in Austria from Auschwitz Concentration Camp. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | CPC]
  • Hitler not only authorized Model to withdraw to the Panther Line, but authorized a breakout from the Korsun pocket in Ukraine. ww2dbase [TH]
  • Despite being seriously wounded by cannon fire from a German night fighter (his foot had been almost shot off), Australian Flight Sergeant Geoffrey C. C. Smith of 156 Pathfinder Squadron RAF, the rear-gunner of Lancaster bomber GT-0 (ND444), refused to leave his position until the aircraft had safely recrossed the coast. For his stubborn heroism, Smith would be awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal for staying at his post to protect the bomber and its crew from further attack. ww2dbase [AC]
  • Katori was assigned to the General Escort Command. ww2dbase [Katori | CPC]
Australian New Guinea Burma Caroline Islands
  • Repair ship Akashi completed the repair work for tanker Hoyo Maru at Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Akashi | Truk | CPC]
Germany
  • 891 RAF aircraft (561 Lancaster, 314 Halifax, and 16 Mosquito) attacked Berlin, Germany, dropping over 2,500 tons of bombs in what was the heaviest raid to date. The industrial Siemensstadt area was damaged. 26 Lancaster and 17 Halifax bombers were lost. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | Berlin | CPC]
Hawaii Italy
  • 142 B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, 47 B-25 Mitchell bombers, and 40 B-26 Marauder bombers dropped 1,150 tons of high explosive and incendiary bombs on the historic Benedictine monastery atop Monte Cassino, Italy. The aerial bombing was augmented by artillery shelling as well. In the evening, a company of 1st Battalion of British Royal Sussex Regiment of Indian 4th Division attacked neraby Point 593, but failed to capture the position. ww2dbase [Battle of Monte Cassino | Cassino, Lazio | TH, CPC]
Japan
  • The keel of landing ship No. 153 was laid down by Hitachi Zosen. ww2dbase [No. 101/103-class | CPC]
Malaya Pacific Ocean
  • USS Snook sank Japanese cargo ship Hoshi Maru Number 2 in the East China Sea, hitting with 1 of 2 torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Snook | East China Sea | CPC]
  • Submarine USS Tinosa attacked a convoy of four ships east of Leyte Gulf in the Philippine Sea and sank Odatsuki Maru and Chojo Maru. ww2dbase [Tinosa | Philippine Sea | DS]
Photo(s) dated 15 Feb 1944
HSL 2641 rescuing downed US Navy airmen whose PB4Y-1 bomber had been shot down by Germans over the Bay of Biscay, 15 Feb 1944US reconnaissance photo of the Japanese seaplane base at Kavieng Harbor, New Ireland, 15 Feb 1944; note Mitsubishi F1M2 Float Planes, US code named B-17F Fortress flying over Monte Cassino as smoke rises from the abbey, Feb 15, 1944.

15 Feb 1944 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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