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• » 7 Feb 1943

• The Japanese Army completed Operation Ke, the evacuation of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, as the final 1,796 soldiers were evacuated by 18 ships. ww2dbase [Guadalcanal Campaign | TH]
• The US Navy transferred two US submarine squadrons from Brisbane, Australia to Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. ww2dbase [CPC]
• USS Tunny patrolled off Shantou, China. ww2dbase [Tunny | CPC]
• Admiral William Halsey named Rear Admiral Richmond Turner the overall commander of the Russell Islands operation. ww2dbase [Richmond Turner | CPC]
• Chiang Kaishek messaged Franklin Roosevelt, agreeing with Chinese support for an offensive into Burma. ww2dbase [Chiang Kaishek | CPC]
• Destroyer Yukikaze evacuated troops from Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Yukikaze | CPC]

• The 409-ton minesweeper trawler HMS Tervani (pennant number 4.110; Frederick George Blockwell, RNR) was sunk by the Italian submarine Platino off Cape Bougaroni, Algeria. Blockwell was killed in the attack. ww2dbase [HM]

• Submarine USS Growler initiated a surface attack on the 900-ton armed stores ship Hayasaki 70 miles northwest of Rabaul. Hayasaki turned toward Growler with intent to ram the sub. The two vessels rammed one another head-on, badly damaging the bows of both. Hayasaki opened fire on Growler’s bridge and conning tower with machine guns, mortally wounding Growler’s captain, Commander Howard W. Gilmore. From the bridge, Gilmore shouted down through Growler’s open hatch, “Take her down!” and the submarine submerged beneath him. The sub was saved but Commander Gilmore was lost. For his actions in saving the boat, Commander Gilmore was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. ww2dbase [Growler | Bismarck Sea | DS]

• He Yingqin departed Chongqing, China for India. ww2dbase [He Yingqin | Chongqing | CPC]

• USS Wahoo arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, ending her third war patrol. ww2dbase [Wahoo | Honolulu, Oahu | CPC]

• Archibald Wavell visited Orde Wingate's Chindit headquarters 7 miles north of Imphal, India. Wingate was able to convince Wavell to continue the Chindit operations despite the fact that the offensive into Arakan, Burma was soon to be canceled. ww2dbase [Operation Longcloth | Imphal, Manipur | CPC]

• The British motor gun boat MGB 109 (BPB 72 feet-type class) fell victim of the mines laid around North Foreland, England, United Kingdom. The vessel did not sink and was helped back to port but was declared a total loss. ww2dbase [England | HM]

7 Feb 1943 Interactive Map