20 Feb 1943

- US carrier aircraft attacked the Japanese naval base at Rabaul, New Britain. ww2dbase [TH]
- American movie studio executives agreed to allow the Office of War Information to censor movies. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German and Italian troops defeated American troops at Kasserine Pass in Tunisia, but the force attacking Sbiba Pass was met with strong resistance. ww2dbase [Battle of Kasserine Pass | CPC]
- The US coastal minesweeper YMS-133 foundered and sank at Coos Bay, Oregon, United States. ww2dbase [AC]
- The Germans made the first use of their new 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41 rocket launcher against the western allies at Kasserine Pass in Tunisia. ww2dbase [15 cm NbW 41 | AC]
- Hubert Lanz stepped down as the commanding officer of Armeeabteilung Lanz. ww2dbase [Hubert Lanz | CPC]
- Hartwig von Ludwiger was made the commanding officer of 704th Infantry Division. ww2dbase [Hartwig von Ludwiger | CPC]
- Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | Truk | CPC]
- A special section was established at the Hinzert Concentration Camp for Polish civilian workers who fraternized with German women. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | Buchenwald Concentration Camp | Hinzert, Trier | CPC]
- Kurt Fricke stepped down as the Chief of the Department of Naval Operations at the Navy High Command. ww2dbase [Kurt Frike | CPC]
- USS Tunny arrived at Midway Atoll, ending her first war patrol. ww2dbase [Midway Bases | Tunny | Midway | CPC]
- Lieutenant Commander Albert Burrows was named the commanding officer of USS Whale, relieving Lieutenant Commander John Azer. ww2dbase [Whale | Midway | CPC]


20 Feb 1943 Interactive Map
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Share this article with your friends: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
Change View
Desktop ViewSearch WW2DB & Partner Sites
News
- » Passing of Margaret Kelly (25 Jan 2021)
- » WW2DB's 16th Anniversary (29 Dec 2020)
- » Hidekazu Tamura shared his feelings toward his war time internment (2 Sep 2020)
- » See all news
Random Photograph
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,094 biographies
- » 332 events
- » 38,350 timeline entries
- » 1,131 ships
- » 337 aircraft models
- » 191 vehicle models
- » 352 weapon models
- » 118 historical documents
- » 225 facilities
- » 464 book reviews
- » 27,226 photos
- » 352 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"Goddam it, you'll never get the Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole! Follow me!"Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe, Guadalcanal, 13 Jan 1943