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]
Caroline Islands
  • Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | Truk | CPC]
France Germany US Pacific Islands
  • 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]
Photo(s) dated 20 Feb 1943
General Homma and Jorge Vargas, 20 Feb 1943General Pavel Rybalko in Kharkiv, Ukraine, late Feb 1943

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




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