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• USS Cero fired four torpedoes at a Japanese transport north of Dutch New Guinea; all torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• USS Tang sank Japanese transport Gyoten Maru, hitting her with three of four torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• USS Pintado departed Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, United States. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• 35,000 of ther 56,000 Germans encircled by the Soviets at Korsun, Ukraine managed to slip through the net but in doing so left behind all their armor and equipment. ww2dbase [AC]

• Destroyer Yuzuki arrived at Rabaul, New Britain, Bismarck Islands with Convoy No. 1,123, which was to be the last convoy to successful reach Rabaul. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• After dark and into the next date, ships of US Navy Destroyer Squadron 12 bombarded Rabaul, New Britain, expending 3,800 5-inch shells. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Naka departed Truk, Caroline Islands. She was discovered, attacked, and sunk by the third attack wave of SB2C Helldiver and TBF Avenger carrier aircraft 65 kilometers west of Truk; about 240 were killed, 210 survived including commanding officer Captain Yoshimasa Sutezawa. ww2dbase [Main Article | Tabular Record of Movement | CPC]
• USS Yorktown (Essex-class) launched highly successful raids occurred on Truk (Chuuk), Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Main Article | Event | DS]
• US carrier aircraft began a two-day attack on Truk in the Caroline Islands; by the end of 18 Feb 1944, 270 Japanese aircraft would be destroyed. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Ferdinand Schörner was awarded oak leaves to his Knight's Cross the Iron Cross medal. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Indian 4th Division attacked Monte Cassino, Italy, failing to make advances and suffering heavy casualties. In parallel, Maori troops of the New Zealand Division established a small bridgehead across the nearby Rapido River. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• Italian Admiral Giuseppe Sparzani was summoned to meet German Admiral Karl Dönitz. ww2dbase [CPC]

• US Marines landed on Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshall Islands. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• G4M aircraft of Japanese Navy Air Group 744 damaged USS Intrepid with a torpedo hit. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC, DS]
• USS Alabama escorted carriers while carrier aircraft attacked Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

17 Feb 1944 Interactive Map