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• » 26 Feb 1943

• The German government issued the order that Eastern European workers who were originally sent to concentration camps for a temporary basis were now to be held at the camps indefinitely. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | CPC]
• USS Argonaut was struck from the US Naval Vessel Register. ww2dbase [Argonaut (Argonaut-class) | CPC]
• In Burma, Orde Wingate lectured his officers about the British practice of worshipping gallant losers, citing the celebration of those who succeeded in the Dunkirk evacuation without placing blame on the same leaders whose failures made such an evacuation necessary. ww2dbase [Orde Wingate | CPC]
• Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Saipan, departing later on the same day. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | CPC]

• Whilst attacking USAAF bombers returning to their bases in England, United Kingdom, German nightfighter pilot Ludwig Becker was shot down over the North Sea off Schiermonnikoog, the Netherlands and killed. Earlier that day he had been given command of 12. Staffel of NJG 1 and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. He had 44 confirmed kills. ww2dbase [North Sea | HM]

• Juzan Maru, Shinkyo Maru, and Aratama Maru arrived at Wewak, Australian New Guinea at 1130 hours with Yugure, Satsuki, and Fumizuki in escort. ww2dbase [Yugure | New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 2 | Wewak | CPC]

• George Kenney arrived at Port Moresby, Australian Papua to personally take charge of organizing an attack on Japanese convoy Operation 81; this intelligence was provided by cryptanalysis. ww2dbase [George Kenney | Port Moresby | CPC]

• Kamoi departed Surabaya, Java, Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [Kamoi | Surabaya, Java | CPC]

• USAAF heavy bombers made a daylight attack on Wilhelmshaven, Germany. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | Wilhelmshaven, Weser-Ems | AC]

• Barbers Point Naval Air Station: Officers and men of the 243rd and 244th Marine Scouting/Bombing Squadrons (VMSB-243 & VMSB-244) departed for Ewa. ww2dbase [Barbers Point Naval Air Station | Ewa, Oahu | DS]

• British submarine HMS Torbay (Lieutenant R. J. Clutterbuck, RN) sank the 1,327-ton German merchant Mariaeck (former French vessel Oasis, built 1938). The submarine opened fire with her gun about 30 nautical miles south of Cape Mele, Italy. Torbay also torpedoed and sank the 3,561-ton Spanish merchant vessel Juan de Astigarraga. Both ships were under German control. ww2dbase [HM]

• The first transport of Roma and Sinti arrived at Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland; they were assigned to the BIIe sector at Auschwitz II-Birkenau and housed in what was called the "Gypsy camp" (Zigeunerlager); this sector would eventually grow to house 23,000 Sinti and Roma people; 20,000 of them would not survive the Holocaust. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | Auschwitz Concentration Camp | Oswiecim | CPC]

• The notorious SS Obergruppenfuhrer Theodor Eicke, formerly Inspector of Concentration Camps and now commanding the infamous Toenkopf Division, was killed when his aircraft was shot down about one kilometer southwest of Artelnoje in Ukraine. ww2dbase [Artelnoje, Kharkov | AC]

• The British government authorized the use of the new water-skipping "Upkeep" bomb against German dams. ww2dbase [Dambuster Raid | CPC]

• USS Ancon's designation was officially changed from AP-66 to AGC-4 while undergoing conversion work at Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, United States. ww2dbase [Ancon | Norfolk Navy Yard | Portsmouth, Virginia | CPC]
• USS Hoe departed New London, Connecticut, United States and arrived at Newport, Rhode Island, United States for special torpedo firing tests. ww2dbase [Hoe | New London, Connecticut | CPC]

26 Feb 1943 Interactive Map