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• » 31 Jan 1944

• Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Rabaul, New Britain and departed later on the same day. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | CPC]
• Americans landed on Kwajalein and Majuro atolls in the Marshall Islands. ww2dbase [Marshall Islands Campaign | AC]
• Fleet aircraft carrier USS Franklin was commissioned into service with Captain James M. Shoemaker in command. ww2dbase [Franklin | AC]
• The Royal Navy's Second Escort Group (Captain F. J. Walker) sank the German submarine U-592. ww2dbase [Conclusion of the Battle of the Atlantic | AC]
• USS Seahorse sank Japanese cargo ship Toei Maru south of Japan, which she had been chasing for many hours, hitting her with two of eight torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Seahorse | CPC]
• J. J. Clark was selected for promotion to Rear Admiral. ww2dbase [J. J. Clark | DS]

• USS Luce completed a period of anti-submarine patrol off Attu in the Aleutian Islands. ww2dbase [Luce | CPC]

• Barbers Point Naval Air Station: Part of ACORN-22 departed. Part of GROPAC-2 departed. ww2dbase [Barbers Point Naval Air Station | Ewa, Oahu | DS]

• US 34th Division crossed the Rapido River in Italy. Nearby, French Moroccan colonial troops were halted by troops of German 5th Mountain Division near Cassino and Monte Belvedere, Italy. ww2dbase [Battle of Monte Cassino | TH, CPC]

• USS Yorktown (Essex-class) aviators continued their strikes on Kwajalein, Marshall Islands in support of the troops landing on that atoll. The Yorktown air group conducted similar strikes the first three days in February. ww2dbase [Marshall Islands Campaign | J. J. Clark | Yorktown (Essex-class) | Kwajalein Atoll | DS]
• USS New Mexico shelled Japanese positions on Kwajalein Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. ww2dbase [Marshall Islands Campaign | New Mexico | Kwajalein | CPC]
• USS Portland bombarded Djarrit Island, Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands for 30 minutes before receiving word that there were no Japanese on the island. ww2dbase [Portland | Marshall Islands Campaign | Majuro | DS]

• USS Finback sank a fishing trawler with gunfire in the East China Sea. ww2dbase [Finback | East China Sea | CPC]

• The Soviet GKO issued two secret orders to deport ethnic Chechen and Ingush peoples to Kazakhstan and Kirghizia. ww2dbase [Deportation of Caucasian, Altaic, and Turkish Peoples | CPC]

• Casablanca-class escort carrier Sargent Bay was launched at the Kaiser Shipyard, Vancouver, Washington, United States. ww2dbase [Sargent Bay | Kaiser Vancouver Shipyard | Vancouver, Washington | DS]
• USS Wasp departed Hampton Roads off Virginia, United States for Trinidad. ww2dbase [Wasp (Essex-class) | Virginia | CPC]
• USS Proteus was commissioned into service with Captain Robert W. Berry in command. ww2dbase [Proteus | CPC]
• USS California departed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. ww2dbase [Puget Sound Navy Yard | California | Bremerton, Washington | DS]

31 Jan 1944 Interactive Map