February 29th, 1944 (TUESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: RAF Fighter Command is reorganized and renamed Air Defence of Great Britain.
Corvette HMS Allington Castle launched.
Submarines HMS Stygian and Virtue commissioned.
GERMANY:
U-876 launched.
U-926 commissioned.
ITALY: Anzio: The Allies fend off a German attack on their right flank.
Uj.201 German Corvette. (Ex Italian EGARIA) Damaged at Montfalcone by air raid; not repaired before the end of the war. (James Paterson)
As the rain teems down on frustrated Allied troops before Cassino, a major question mark hangs over the whole of the Italian campaign. "Overlord", the invasion of Normandy, is due to take place in May. "Anvil", the diversionary landing in the south of France, is timed to coincide with the main thrust in the north.
General Alexander's chief of staff, Lt-Gen John Harding, has produced a plan - Operation Diadem - which will bring the Eighth Army from the Adriatic front to join the US 5th Army in a fullscale attack co-ordinated with a breakout from Anzio. The operation would be launched three weeks before the Normandy landings - and, it is hoped, draw off German divisions from France. "Anvil" would be abandoned under the British plan.
British chiefs of staff are enthusiastic. So, too, is Winston Churchill, desperate for what he sees as a "British" victory in Italy. The Americans are opposed. Apart from the worries about losses in Italy and the slow pace of the campaign, they favour "Anvil" as more acceptable.
The British generals, Maitland Wilson - who has been made Allied Supreme Commander Mediterranean - and Alexander, insist that no troops should be withdrawn from Italy until the breakthrough has succeeded. They want the campaign there to go through to its decisive conclusion.
The American chiefs of staff, their attention distracted by events in the Far East, have nominated General Eisenhower, a firm supporter of "Anvil", as their representative. He has reluctantly agreed to postpone the operation until July, As preparations begin for the spring offensive in Italy, lengthy cables are being exchanged between Churchill and Roosevelt.
FINLAND: Helsinki: The whole of Finland is waiting for the Diet, the Finnish parliament, to decide whether or not to agree to the Russian terms for the cessation of hostilities. These terms include territorial concessions similar to those laid down by the Russians after the "Winter War" of 1939-40, but they do not require unconditional surrender as preliminary to peace talks.
The main reasons that the Finns are not taking up the Soviet terms are the amount of reparations the Soviets are demanding ($600 million in 1938 US Dollars; economic experts consulted stated that it was impossible to pay in the schedule), and the very short time given to expel or intern the German forces from country coupled with the rapid demobilization of the Finnish Army (it was feared that the Soviets would use this as an excuse to occupy Finland)
In a secret session the Finnish parliament votes the cabinet the powers to continue the peace-feelers with the Soviet Union.
U.S.S.R.: Kiev: General Nikolai Vatutin, commander of the First Ukrainian Front and one of the Red Army's most brilliant generals, was ambushed today by partisans fighting for an independent Ukraine. It is feared that his wounds may be fatal.
Vatutin, who had played a vital role in last year's battle at Kursk and in clearing the Ukraine, was fired on as he drove with his staff to visit front-line troops. His attackers are Ukrainian nationalists who went over to the Germans in the hope that they would establish a Ukrainian state. Now they fight both Germans and Russians.
Vatutin will be sorely missed by the Red Army, It was he who, with Konev, engineered the destruction of the German pocket at Korsun. Georgi Zhukov, has taken over command of the First Ukrainian Front.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: At 1704, motor tanker Ensis was torpedoed and damaged by U-407, while in a convoy.
INDIAN OCEAN: The unescorted MS Palma was torpedoed and sunk by U-183 about 400 miles south of Ceylon. Four crewmembers and three gunners were lost. The master, 41 crewmembers and four gunners were picked up by armed trawler HMS Balta and whaler HMS Semla and landed at Colombo on 2 March.
ADMIRALTY ISLANDS: US landings on Los Negros. Los Negros, at 2.03S 147.24E, was separated from Manus Island by a narrow body of water. Los Negros as the site of Momote Airdrome one of the major Japanese air bases in the Bismarck Sea and it's capture allows the Allies to isolate Rabaul.Today's invasion of the Admiralty Islands by the South-West Pacific Command is the final act in breaking the barrier of the Bismarks. The isolation of the great enemy bastion of Rabaul has transformed it into a liability. With the sudden exodus of the combined fleet from Truk, Japan's outer defences are crumbling dramatically.
The Pacific War has gathered a new momentum, with MacArthur"> MacArthur poised to thrust rapidly northwards to the Philippines and the enormously powerful US Pacific Fleet, backed by a fleet "train" and many divisions of marines and infantry, set to roll through the central Pacific (as it did this month in the attacks on the Marshall Islands).
American strategists are divided on which route to take to Japan. MacArthur insists that the Allies are morally obliged to liberate the Philippines on the way to Tokyo. Admiral King wants to bypass the archipelago and invade Formosa. The US joint chiefs of staff have authorised a two-pronged drive and set the major objectives of invading Luzon, Formosa and the south China coast.
The joint chiefs believe that the central Pacific route is "strategically, logistically and tactically" better than the South-west Pacific route. However, they agree that by using both routes they will prevent the enemy from knowing where the next blow falls. In 1942 the intention had been to take Rabaul. But in 1943 MacArthur was told to bypass it. Instead of being captured at a predictably high cost in lives, it was to be isolated and neutralized.
During 1943 the Allies had advanced ever closer to Rabaul. Bouganville was invaded in November. and in December the 1st Marine Division landed at Cape Gloucester in New Britain. Rabaul had also suffered devastating air attacks.
Rabaul is now neutralized. Most of the large enemy garrison will wait in vain to die for the emperor because the Allies have no intention of making a costly frontal attack. Bypassing enemy strongpoints has become one of the war's most momentous strategic concepts.
The US submarine Trout (SS-202), commanded by Albert H. Clark, is lost N.W. of the Philippines. All hands are lost. (Joe Sauder)
CANADA: Minesweeper HMS Golden Fleece launched
Toronto, Ontario.
U.S.A.: During WW II, the Military
Intelligence Service (MIS) produced numerous documents, most commonly known are
the Intelligence Bulletins. The Military Intelligence Special Series continues
with "German Mountain Warfare." (William L. Howard)
Destroyers USS Borie and Robert K Huntington laid down.
Destroyer escorts USS Naifeh, Chester T O'Brien and Carter launched.
Submarine USS Cavalla commissioned.
Frigate USS Gallup commissioned.
Minesweeper USS Improve commissioned.
Destroyer escorts USS John J Powers, Lamons and Varian commissioned.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Since January, 34 U-boats have been sunk.
Minesweeper HMCS Mulgrave damaged by grounding Horta, Azores. She was towed to Greenock for repairs.