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• At Maug Island in the Mariana Islands, Orion received one Japanese-built E8N float plane, purchased from Japan earlier that year, from German ship Munsterland. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
• German submarine U-48 sank Greek ship Nicolas Angelos with a torpedo and shots from the deck gun south of Iceland at 2215 hours. The crew was took to the lifeboat, which was never found. ww2dbase [CPC]
• The US Marine Corps brigades stationed on the east and west coasts of the United States were reorganized as the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisoins, respectively; it was the first time the USMC organized units on the divisional level. To the south on the island of Cuba, the US Marine Corps 4th Defense Battalion arrived at Guantanamo Bay from Parris Island, South Carolina, United States. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Oberstleutnant Benno Kosch was named the commanding officer of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Captain William Derek Stephens was named the commanding officer of HMS Mauritius. ww2dbase [Mauritius | CPC]

• Subhas Chandra Bose arrived in Kabul, Afghanistan. ww2dbase [Subhash Chandra Bose | Kabul | CPC]

• Morosini sighted an unidentified submarine in the Atlantic Ocean. She lost contact with the submarine after the target submerged. ww2dbase [Morosini | CPC]

• Comandante Cappellini departed Pauillac, Aquitaine, France at 0900 hours and arrived at Bordeaux at 1030 hours, ending her fourth war patrol. ww2dbase [Comandante Cappellini | Pauillac, Aquitaine | CPC]

• The order for scout cruiser SP1 (later renamed Z40) was issued by the German Navy. ww2dbase [SP1 | CPC]

• Indian 4th Division captured Agordat, Eritrea, Italian East Africa while Indian 5th Division captured Metemma, Ethiopia. 2nd Lieutenant Premindra Singh Bhagat of the Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners won the first Victoria Cross for the British Indian Army in WW2 for a "...continuous feat of sheer cold courage" clearing 15 minefields and 55 miles of roads in 48 hours. ww2dbase [Invasion of Italian East Africa | Agordat | CPC]

• In Britain, the Air Training Corps was established to provide pre-entry training for cadets over the age of 16 intending to enter the Royal Air Force or Fleet Air Arm. ww2dbase [AC]

1 Feb 1941 Interactive Map