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• » 16 Feb 1943

• Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Kavieng, New Ireland, and departed later on the same day. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | CPC]
• Soviet forces recaptured Kharkov, Ukraine. ww2dbase [Third Battle of Kharkov | TH]
• Dr. Mildred Harnack-Fish, a member of German resistance, was beheaded at Plotzensee Prison near Charlottenburg, Germany. ww2dbase [TH]
• Norwegian commandos parachuted into Norway, meeting up with the reconnaissance party near Telemark. ww2dbase [TH]
• Aleksandr Vasilevsky was promoted to the rank of the Marshal of the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [Aleksandr Vasilevsky | CPC]

• USS Grayback departed Brisbane, Australia for her sixth war patrol. ww2dbase [Grayback | Brisbane, Queensland | CPC]

• 17 US B-17 bombers attacked Rabaul, New Britain before dawn. ww2dbase [Rabaul, New Britain | CPC]

• Repair ship Akashi completed the repair work for destroyers Nowaki and Shiratsuyu at Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Akashi | Truk | CPC]

• The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Saint Nazaire, France. ww2dbase [Bombing of Cities in France and Low Countries | RAF Thurleigh | Saint Nazaire | DS]

• Heinrich Himmler ordered the Warsaw ghetto in Poland to be liquidated. ww2dbase [Heinrich Himmler | CPC]
• Robert von Greim was promoted to the rank of Generaloberst. ww2dbase [Robert von Greim | CPC]

• Submarine USS Thresher arrived off Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean and began a close reconnaissance of the entire island. ww2dbase [Thresher | Christmas Island | DS]

• Captain Masafumi was relieved as the commanding officer of Shokaku; the successor was unknown. ww2dbase [Shokaku | CPC]
• Masafumi Arima stepped down as the commanding officer of carrier Shokaku and was named the chief aviation training officer at the Navy Ministry. ww2dbase [Masafumi Arima | CPC]

• USS Flying Fish sank a Japanese freighter in the Mariana Islands, hitting her with 2 of 4 torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Flying Fish | CPC]

• The US submarine Amberjack was sunk by the Japanese torpedo boat Hiyodori off Rabaul, New Britain, Bismarck Islands. ww2dbase [Amberjack | AC]

• German forces captured Sidi Bouzid and Sbeitla, Tunisia. The British 8th Army entered Tunisia, spearheaded by the 7th Armoured Division. ww2dbase [Battle of Faïd Pass and Sidi Bouzid | CPC, AC]

• USS Ancon entered Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, United States to be converted to a combined headquarters and commications command ship. ww2dbase [Norfolk Navy Yard | Ancon | Portsmouth, Virginia | CPC]

• USS Whale completed her refitting at Midway Atoll. ww2dbase [Midway Bases | Whale | Midway | CPC]

16 Feb 1943 Interactive Map