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• Air Group 80 from USS Hancock flew one strike in support of operations on Iwo Jima; 1 aircraft was lost. ww2dbase [Hancock | Battle of Iwo Jima | DS]
• The first semi-navalised Hawker Sea Fury (SR661) prototype aircraft made its maiden flight. It was fitted with a Centaurus XII engine and four-bladed Rotol airscrew. ww2dbase [AC]
• Filipp Golikov was awarded the Order of Lenin for the second time. ww2dbase [Filipp Golikov | CPC]
• Aleksandr Vasilevsky was awarded the Order of Lenin for the third time. ww2dbase [Aleksandr Vasilevsky | CPC]
• Vasily Chuikov was awarded the Order of Lenin for the third time. ww2dbase [Vasily Chuikov | CPC]

• A Japanese Fu-Go balloon was discovered floating across southern British Columbia, Canada and was pursued by P-40 Kittyhawk fighters of RCAF No. 133 Squadron flying from Patricia Bay. The balloon was shot down from 25,000 feet by Pilot Officer E.E. Maxwell near Sumas Mountain, British Columbia, Canada. ww2dbase [Chilliwack, British Columbia | DS]
• A Japanese Fu-Go balloon was discovered floating across southern British Columbia, Canada and was pursued by P-40 Kittyhawk fighters of RCAF No. 133 Squadron flying from Patricia Bay. The balloon was shot down from 25,000 feet by Pilot Officer E.E. Maxwell near Sumas Mountain, British Columbia, Canada. ww2dbase [Fu-Go | Chilliwack, British Columbia | DS]

• The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Nürnberg, Germany. ww2dbase [RAF Thurleigh | Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | Nürnberg | DS]

• The Japanese Army and Navy launched a combined tokko attack, dispatching 4 and 21 suicide aircraft, respectively. The fleet carrier USS Saratoga and escort carrier USS Lunga Point were hit and damaged, while escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea was sunk. ww2dbase [Saratoga | Battle of Iwo Jima | Iwo Jima | AC]
• Submarine I-369 arrived at Yokosuka, Japan. ww2dbase [I-369 | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]
• USS Astoria provided naval gunfire support at Iwo Jima, Japan. ww2dbase [Astoria (Cleveland-class) | Iwo Jima | CPC]

• While destroyer USS Shaw was escorting a convoy from Leyte Gulf to Mindoro, another of the convoy escorts, USS Renshaw, was hit with a torpedo from a Japanese submarine. Renshaw was damaged but not sunk. ww2dbase [Shaw | Philippines Campaign, Phase 2 | Visayan Islands | DS]

• Boris Shaposhnikov was awarded his third Order of Lenin. ww2dbase [Boris Shaposhnikov | CPC]
• Georgy Zhukov was awarded the Order of Lenin for the third time. ww2dbase [Georgy Zhukov | CPC]
• Kliment Voroshilov was awarded the Order of Lenin for the fourth time. ww2dbase [Kliment Voroshilov | CPC]

• A Japanese Fu-Go balloon bomb was seen to hit the ground, drop pieces of its ballast dropping apparatus, and rise again before disappearing from sight. ww2dbase [Ephrata, Washington | DS]
• Two bomb explosions were detected near Spokane, Washington, United States. The bombs were believed to be one 15kg high-explosive bomb and one 5kg incendiary bomb from a Japanese Fu-Go balloon bomb. ww2dbase [Spokane, Washington | DS]
• A Japanese Fu-Go balloon bomb was seen to hit the ground near Ephrata, Washington, drop pieces of its ballast dropping apparatus, and rise again before disappearing from sight. ww2dbase [Fu-Go | Ephrata, Washington | DS]
• Two bomb explosions were detected near Spokane, Washington, United States. The bombs were believed to be one 15kg high-explosive bomb and one 5kg incendiary bomb from a Japanese Fu-Go balloon bomb. ww2dbase [Fu-Go | Spokane, Washington | DS]

21 Feb 1945 Interactive Map