February 17, 1942
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 17 FEBRUARY 1942

Burma: Japanese maintain pressure against Ind 17th Div along Bilin River and continue outflanking attempts.

British Army: Gen Auchinleck is ordered to release two more Divisions for action in Far East, the British 70th Division and Australian 9th Division. Subsequently, the Australian 9th Division is allowed to remain in Middle East.

ALASKA (11th Air Force): Colonel Lidnel R. Dunlap arrives from the ZI and becomes Commanding Officer (C. O.) of the 11th Air Force (11th AF).

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): The air echeon of the 88th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), departs Nandi Airport, Fiji from Australia with B-17's. The ground echelon is enroute from Australia to India.

U.S. Army: On Luzon, I Corps completely restores MLR without opposition as enemy continues to withdraw.

IJN: Six A6M2 Model 21 Zeros took off from Shōhō and land at Lakunai Airfield for assignment to 4th Kōkūtai (4th Air Group) as the first Zeros fighters based at Rabaul.

USN: The Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet authorized removal of athwartships hangar deck catapults from USS Yorktown (CV-5), USS Enterprise (CV-6) , USS Wasp (CV-7) and USS Hornet (CV-8).

A detachment from the USS Canopus (AS-9) crewmen, sailors from the Cavite Naval Ammunition Depot, and the majority of the general duty men are transferred to the 4th Marines on Corregidor.

Inshore Patrol Squadron VS-2-D14 and 1st Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) "Seabees" arrive on Bora Bora.

Submarine Triton (SS-201) torpedoes and sinks Japanese gunboat No. 5 Shin'yo Maru off Nagasaki, Japan, 32°14'N, 127°14'E.

IJN: Japanese destroyer Ayanami is damaged when she fouls an uncharted reef 2.4 nautical miles off Durai, Anambas Islands.