World War II Database

• Home
• » Events
• » WW2 Timeline
• » 22 Feb 1942

• Roosevelt personally ordered General MacArthur to leave the Philippine Islands. ww2dbase [Douglas MacArthur | TH]
• American submarine Swordfish evacuated Philippine President Quezon and his government. ww2dbase [Manuel Quezon | CPC]
• USS Gar fired eight torpedoes at a Japanese ship south of Japan; all torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [Gar | CPC]
• During the early hours, the Sittang Bridge in Burma became blocked when a lorry got stuck across the carriageway. With the Japanese closing in on Pagoda and Buddha Hills overlooking the important crossing, the British divisional commander "Jackie" Smyth had to accept that the bridge must be destroyed, even though a large part of his force was still on the east bank. Lieutenant-General Hutton was informed that he was to be replaced but was to remain in Burma as Alexander's Chief of Staff, a most awkward position which he endured until he was replaced at his own request by Major-General John Winter before returning to India in early April. ww2dbase [Invasion of Burma | AC]
• German submarine U-67 sank US tanker J. N. Pew 225 miles west of Aruba in the Caribbean Sea, killing 33; of the 12 survivors, 10 would die before being rescued. ww2dbase [Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico Campaigns | CPC]
• Arthur Harris was named the new chief of RAF Bomber Command; he would take office on the following day. ww2dbase [Arthur Harris | CPC]
• Hans-Joachim Marseille was officially awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his score of 50 kills, but the medal would not be presented to him until two days later. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | CPC]

• HMS Indomitable and escorting Australian destroyers Napier and Nestor arrived at Aden. ww2dbase [Indomitable | CPC]

• German submarine U-155 attacked Allied convoy ONS-67 in the North Atlantic and sank British tanker Adellen (36 killed, 12 survived) and Norwegian ship Sama (19 killed, 20 survived) at 0703 hours. U-96 sank Norwegian ship Torungen (all 19 killed) and British tanker Kars (50 killed, 2 survived) 20 miles south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. U-128 sank US tanker Cities Service Empire 10 kilometers off Melbourne, Florida, United States, killing 14 of 50 aboard. Finally, U-504 sank US tanker W. D. Anderson 10 kilometers off Port St. Lucie, Florida, killing 35 of 36 aboard. ww2dbase [Second Happy Time | CPC]

• USS Langley and freighter Sea Witch departed Fremantle, Australia with 59 P-40 fighters aboard for Java, Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [Langley (Langley-class) | Fremantle, Western Australia | CPC]
• The US 14th Reconnaissance Squadron (B-17 bombers) was ordered to move from Cloncurry to Townsville in Queensland, Australia. ww2dbase [Townsville, Queensland | CPC]

• US 5th Air Force bombers attacked de Pasar airfield, Bali, Dutch East Indies, destroying a number of Japanese aircraft. On the same day, Japanese bombers attacked Allied airfields on Java, destroying 4 US B-17 bombers on the ground at Pasirian airfield and 1 Liberator bomber at Jogjakarta airfield. ww2dbase [Dutch East Indies Campaign, Java | Java | CPC]
• Japanese submarine I-58 sank Dutch passenger ship Pijnacker Hordijk south of Java, Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [I-58/I-158 | CPC]
• USS Permit departed Surabaya, Java, Dutch East Indies, starting her fourth war patrol. ww2dbase [Permit | Surabaya, Java | CPC]
• USS S-38 departed Soerabaja (Surabaya), Java, Dutch East Indies, starting her third war patrol. ww2dbase [S-38 | Surabaya, Java | CPC]

• Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru departed Yokosuka, Japan for her second voyage for the Japanese Navy. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]

• Albert Kesselring arrived at Martuba airfield, Libya. ww2dbase [Albert Kesselring | Martuba | CPC]

• German cruiser Admiral Scheer, cruiser Prinz Eugen, and 5 destroyers arrived at Bergen, Norway. British RAF aircraft continued to attack this force, again unsuccessfully, losing 3 Albacore carrier aircraft in the process. The force would depart Bergen after sundown for Trondheim, Norway. ww2dbase [Admiral Scheer | Bergen | CPC]

• A Japanese submarine fired two torpedoes at USS Grayback in the Pacific Ocean in the morning, both of which missed. The Japanese submarine would pursue Grayback for the next four days. ww2dbase [Grayback | CPC]

• Allied convoy PQ-11 arrived at Murmansk, Russia. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | Murmansk | CPC]

• In Britain, Winston Churchill replaced Secretary of State for War, David Margesson, with Sir Percy Grigg (formerly the Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the War Office). ww2dbase [AC]

• Japanese Navy Cdr Kozo Nishino, commanding submarine I-17, received orders to shell a shore target of his choice on the following evening. Using the list of targets prepared for the aborted Christmas Day attack, he chose the Ellwood oil refinery at Goleta, California. ww2dbase [San Diego, California | DS]
• Japanese Navy Cdr Kozo Nishino, commanding submarine I-17, received orders to shell a shore target of his choice on the following evening. Using the list of targets prepared for the aborted Christmas Day attack, he chose the Ellwood oil refinery at Goleta, California. ww2dbase [Japanese Attacks on the Continental United States | San Diego, California | DS]

22 Feb 1942 Interactive Map