February 1943

(Britain)

During the month of February 1943 the Royal Air Force (RAF) did not conduct any major bombing raids on Germany. However, the Battle of the Rhur would commence on the night of the 5^th/6^th March 1943.

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(America)

On the 7^th February 1943, the American government stated that by the 9^th February 1943 all non-military citizens would only be allowed to purchase three pairs of shoes per year. The military would take precedence for the manufacture of boots, webbing and leather flying jackets for American aircrews.

Dwight D. Eisenhower (nickname Ike) served as Deputy Chief of War Plans Division in Washington when America entered the war in December 1941. During the Great War Ike was promoted to brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in the National Army training tank crews in the newly formed Tank Corps. He was never involved in combat during the Great War but retained his position, based upon his leadership, until June 1942. Lacking combat experience, through circumstances beyond his control, he developed excellent organisational skills, and was duly promoted to Commanding General European Theatre of Operations in June 1942. He was promoted Lieutenant General in July 1942. Ike was appointed Supreme Commander Allied Forces of the North African Theatre Operations in November 1942. Following the success of Operation Torch, the battle for North Africa, Ike was one of a number to be selected for the position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe on the 11^th February 1943. It was in December 1943 American President Roosevelt decided Ike should be Supreme Allied Commander of Europe.

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(Germany) 

With the war beginning to turn against Nazi-Germany and her Allies, German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, delivered his Sportpalast Speech on the 18^th February 1943. The rally for the carefully selected audience was held at the Berlin Sportpalast. The Berlin Sportpalast was a multi-purpose indoor arena built in 1910 primarily as an indoor ice rink for winter sports. It had hosted non winter sporting events, beer festivals and also used as a meeting hall for a variety of events. Above the stage was displayed a large banner bearing the all-capital words “TOTALER KREIG – KÜRZESTER KREIG” (“total war – shortest war”). Also on display were numerous Nazi banners and Nazi swastikas. Considered to be Goebbels’ most famous speech, he called for “total war” against the Allies to secure Germany’s victory. The German people would be required to continue the war although it would be long and difficult. Partly the speech was in response to the Allies demand for Germany’s unconditional surrender at the Casablanca Conference of 24^th January 1943. Three themes were concentrated on during the speech.

1) The German nation would fall to Bolshevism (the Soviet Union and the Jewish problem) if the military did not counter the danger from the Eastern Front

2) The military, the German people and the Axis Powers were powerful enough to save Europe from this threat.

3) To counter this threat Germany had to act swiftly and decisively.

This speech was the first Nazi leadership’s public admission that Germany faced serious dangers therefore a total war was necessary. He hints at the Holocaust but changed the word exclusion from the word extermination of the Jewish people when referring to Bolshevism. The audience had been selected by the propagandists of the Nazi party to guarantee the appropriate fanaticism. This was contradicted by Goebbels who claimed the audience included people from “all classes and occupations”. The recorded speech does not fully support the written record.  Goebbels began to mention the extermination of the Jews before quickly changing to the “solution” of the Jews. Total war was also required to overcome the Bolshevist Soviet mobilisation. For the hardships the German people would suffer, they were informed that the total war was only to be a temporary measure.       

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Two students of the University of Munich were arrested on the 18^th February 1943 by the Gestapo. Calling for active resistance to Nazi regime, students began the “White Rose (Wiebe Rose) Resistance Group” in June 1942. “White Rose” was a non-violent, intellectual resistance group who conducted an anonymous leaflet and graffiti campaign to oppose the Nazis. The group had written, printed and initially distributed the leaflets in the Munich region. Other cities, mostly in southern Germany were later to receive copies of the second leaflet where they openly denounced the persecution and mass murder of the Jews. Brother and sister Hans and Sophie Scholl brought leaflets into the university building in a suitcase and hurriedly distributed bundles of leaflets along the empty corridors. The two siblings, having left their lectures before they ended, allowed Sophie to fling the remaining leaflets from the top floor to the atrium below. University maintenance man, Jakob Schmid, observed this action and called the Gestapo who ordered the university doors to be locked. Hans and Sophie Scholl were taken into Gestapo custody. Sophie had managed to dispose of the incriminating evidence before being arrested. Hans had in his possession a draft copy of a seventh leaflet written by Christoph Probst. On the 20^th February 1943 Christoph Probst was captured and arrested by the Gestapo. On the 22^nd February 1943 the three were tried at the Volksgerichtshof (the Nazi People’s Court) charged with treason. This court was notorious for its unfair political trials, as the verdict was invariably guilty resulting in the death sentence. During the trial, Sophie interrupted the judge on numerous occasions, as the three defendants were not given any opportunity to speak. The head judge of the court, Roland Freisler, sentenced them to death after they were found guilty of treason. The execution was carried out by guillotine at Stadelhem Prison the same day, the 22^nd February 1943. Sophie was first, Hans was second and Christoph Probst was last.

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(Eastern Front)

The Battle of Stalingrad ended on the 2^nd February 1943 when the German 6^th Army finally capitulated. Previously Field Marshall Friedrich Paulus had surrendered to Soviet troops on the 31^st January 1943.

Following the victory at Stalingrad the Soviet Army liberated Rostok-on-Don on the 14^th February 1943. The town was first attacked by the German First Panzer Army on the 24^th July 1942.  The town was of strategic importance to the Germans because of the railways and river port allowing access to Caucasus. With the liberation of Rostok-on-Don the Germans were denied access to the oil and minerals of the Caucasus region.

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(North Africa)

By the 2^nd February 1943 German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel was being forced to retreat further into Tunisia, following the defeat of El Alamein. The pursuing British 8^th Army entered Tunisia on the 4^th February 1943 after having taken control of Libya.

Following the success of Operation Torch in November 1942, Rommel now faced for the first time, the American troops who were numerically superior, but inexperienced. Operation Torch was where the British, U.S. and French troops won the battles for French Morocco and Algeria. On the 30^th January 1942 the Germans encountered French defenders at Faid Pass, in the Atlas Mountains, and after heavy casualties to the Germans, the French were eventually forced to retire. The American 1^st Armoured Division had established a defensive line which covered all the exits to the Atlas Mountains. The Americans also entered the Battle of Faid Pass on the 2^nd February 1942. They destroyed some German tanks and the remaining German forces appeared to be in a headlong retreat.  The Americans gave chase straight into a German trap. They ran into a screen of anti-tank guns sustaining heavy casualties. On the same day the Americans were ordered to end the attacks and form up as a reserve. 0n the 14^th February 1943, Rommel began the Battle of Sidi Bou Zid which is located about 10 miles west of Faid Pass. Rommel’s tanks defeated the American tanks positioned there who proceeded, under orders, to retreat and concentrate on the defence at Kasserine Pass. On the 15^th February 1943 an American counter-attack was easily repulsed, whereby the Americans lost 2,546 men. 103 tanks, 280 vehicles, 18 field guns, three anti-tank guns and an anti-tank battery. Rommel decided to attack the Kasserine Pass in order to capture American supplies on the Algerian side of the Atlas Mountains. He submitted his plans to Albert Kesselring, Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean theatre including North Africa on the 18^th February 1943. Rommel was appalled at the reply the following day that he was to attack both Kasserine and Sbiba Passes. The Sbiba Pass was attacked by Rommel on the 20^th February 1943 but was checked and driven back by the combined firepower of the Allied defenders. When Rommel launched his attack through the Kasserine Pass on the 19^th February 1943 he was able to inflict huge damage to the Allied defenders. The inexperienced American commanders had not reconnoitred the landscape through to the interior plains of the Atlas Mountains and their forces were not properly positioned. Assisting the Americans were the British and French contingent from Operation Torch. Unfortunately there was almost no co-ordination, and the combined Allied army was forced to retreat westward for 50 miles (80 km). By the 22^nd February 1943 the Allies had regrouped, and having received rushed reinforcements, launched a massive artillery attack which halted Rommel’s offensive. Faced with his over-extended supply lines Rommel chose to retire from the offensive. He ordered all the Axis units back to their starting point to concentrate on defending the German held coast. Although the Battle of Kasserine Pass was an American victory of sorts, it came at a high cost. The Allies lost a total of 10,000 casualties killed or wounded, 3,000 POWs, 183 tanks, 616 vehicles, and 208 guns. Rommel’s losses were significantly less, 909 troops were killed or wounded, 608 captured, and the destruction of 20 tanks, 67 vehicles and 14 guns. In the aftermath, the campaign was successful only by way of Rommel having over-run his supply lines and not by American tactics. They assessed their failings and resolved their approach to battle tactics in their determination that the next time the Germans would experience very different results.

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(Pacific)

Whilst the Americans were fighting their own war against Japan in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands Britain began the campaign to retake Burma.

In May 1942, the Japanese drove the British Empire and Chinese forces out of Burma. The result being the British retreated to India and supplies to China were cut. When General Archibald Wavell was appointed Commander-in-Chief, India Command, he requested the services of Brigadier Orde Charles Wingate for Burma. Wingate arrived in Burma whilst the retreat was unfolding and for two months toured the country developing his theory on long-range guerrilla attacks. When Wavell was presented with Wingate’s findings, he agreed, which enabled Wingate to form the “Chindits”. The name “Chindits” is a corrupted form of Chinthe which is a Burmese word for “Lion”.

During the summer of 1942 Wingate undertook to train the troops destined to be “Chindits” in the jungle of central India during the rainy season. The “Chindits” were formed by using the 77^th Indian Infantry Brigade and the British 13^th Battalion King’s Liverpool Regiment, who were to become the 142 Commando Company. A second portion of the force consisted of the 2^nd Battalion, the Ghurkha Rifles and the 3^rd Battalion, 2^nd Burma Rifles. Transport aircraft would parachute or drop supplies and equipment to the “Chindits” as they penetrated the jungle on foot. This tactic enabled them to surprise the Japanese by mobility through the jungle.

The 3,000 strong force were divided into eight columns of approximately 375 men instead of the standard brigade and battalion structures. Small detachments from the Royal Air Force, Royal Corps of Signals and the Royal Army Medical Corp were attached to each headquarters. They were all equipped with radios in order to call in air support. On the ground, mules carried all essential heavy equipment. As well as his rifle or Sten gun each man carried his equipment including seven days rations.     

Operation Longcloth commenced on the 8^th February 1943 with Wingate leading 3,000 “Chindits” on their march into Burma. After crossing the Chindwin River, on the 13^th February 1943, two days later they faced their first Japanese troops. In an effort to give the impression to the Japanese that two columns were the main attack force, the RAF dropped air supplies in broad daylight. This first confrontation would proceed into March 1943.

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In the American theatre of the Pacific, Operation Ke was the largely successful Japanese withdrawal from Guadalcanal. The decision to evacuate was taken on the 31^st December 1942. One of the major reasons for this decision was that the Americans had captured the Japanese built air base on the island. It was renamed Henderson Field. U.S. aircraft were able to seriously prevent supplies reaching the Japanese troops. This retreat began on the 14^th January 1943 when an express mission of nine destroyers delivered 750 infantry to act as a rear-guard. U.S. fighters based at Henderson Field damaged two of the nine destroyers on their return journey. Eight Japanese fighters escorting the convoy were destroyed whilst the U.S. suffered the loss of five fighters. The Japanese were skilled jungle trained troops who were in their heavily defended positions and virtually in their own environment. Without any hope of replacements and supplies they were on their own. When the Japanese commanders ordered the evacuation the land forces began their retreat through the dense jungle. Following behind were U.S. Marines whose task was to flush out the Japanese defenders including suicide snipers. The Marines were mostly young and inexperienced troops who suffered heat, discomfort, decomposing vegetation and the risk of poisonous plants and insects. The Japanese also suffered these unhealthy conditions. They were often suffering from dysentery, malaria and a host of tropical ailments, but methodically fought their way across the island. In early February 1943 with little chance of any further success on Guadalcanal the commanders sent in the Imperial Navy to evacuate the remaining troops. The retreat was almost a complete success with the navy evacuating over 12,000 Japanese troops. By the 7^th February 1943 Guadalcanal was fully occupied by the Americans. During the Battle of Guadalcanal, Japanese losses were horrendous with over 24,000 dead not counting the wounded or those taken prisoner. The Japanese Navy also lost one aircraft carrier, two battleships, four cruisers, eleven destroyers, six submarines and sixteen transport vessels. The Americans lost 1,600 dead and over 4,700 wounded. The U.S. Navy lost two carriers, eight cruisers, seventeen destroyers, six MTBs and four transport vessels. The campaign paid dividends as Guadalcanal was the first time the Japanese had been defeated on land. Following the evacuation a signal was sent to the American commanders: “Tokyo Express no longer has terminus on Guadalcanal”. After Guadalcanal the Japanese went from the offensive to the defensive in the Pacific. “The Tokyo Express” was the slow-moving convoy occasionally supplying the Japanese defenders when they managed to avoid the U.S. naval blockade.

(New Zealand)          

The Featherston Incident occurred on the 25^th February 1943 when approximately 240 Japanese prisoners of war refused to work. The result was the death of 48 Japanese and one New Zealand guard. Featherston Military Camp, located in Wairapa in New Zealand was originally used as a training camp during the Great War of 1914-1918. At the request of the United States government Featherston Military Camp was re-established as a prisoner of war camp in September 1942. Four compounds were built in the camp for captured Japanese soldiers who fought in the Pacific campaign. No. 1 compound was for Koreans and labourers, No.2 compound for the Japanese Armed Forces. No. 3 and 4 compounds were for officers of the Japanese Imperial Army and Navy and airmen from both branches. New Zealand’s Lt. Col. D. H. Donaldson replaced Major R.H. Perritt as commander of the POW camp in mid- December 1942. At the same time medical facilities were provided by a 40-bed hospital.  However, without any training or instruction the men selected to watch over the Japanese POW’s were given only a vague idea of what their role would be. These men were either too old or too young to fight overseas or for medical reasons were unable to go. The Featherston Incident’s most infamous event occurred on the 25^th February 1943 when approximately 240 prisoners from No. 2 Compound refused to work. There were negotiations of approximately 2 hours to get the prisoners to work and one Japanese officer was forcibly removed. A second Japanese officer was threatened with a revolver by an Allied adjutant who fired a shot near him. Another warning shot was fired which wounded Sub-Lieutenant Adachi. In retaliation the prisoners began throwing stones and rushed at the guards. A burst of fire by rifle, sub-machine gun and pistols lasting 15-30 seconds followed killing 31 prisoners. A total of 91 prisoners were wounded of whom 17 died in hospital, resulting in a total of 48 prisoners who died. On the New Zealand side, Private Walter Pelvin was also killed by a ricochet from the burst of gunfire and rocks thrown by the Japanese injured several others. The injured Japanese were transferred to Greytown hospital where they were looked after in a separate and special blacked out window ward. To prevent the incident leaking out to the public all the Allied medical staff were replaced. A later military court of enquiry found the majority of the blame for the incident was down to the prisoners. One of the issues was that the Japanese were unaware that compulsory work was allowed. Japan had signed the 1929 Geneva Convention of Prisoners of War, but it was never ratified. In the meantime, the Red Cross had been allowed access to the camp and found the conditions normal. Camp life settled down after the incident and the prisoners were allowed to organise their compounds to suit their individual cultures. 

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(Other Theatres)

In the Telemark region of German occupied Norway, a team of Norwegian commandos successfully destroyed the Deuterium (heavy water) production facility on the 28^th February 1943. Heavy water was an essential component of nuclear fusion and could be separated from ordinary water by electrolysis. The heavy water was produced at the Vemork hydroelectric power station located at the Rjukan waterfall, and built into the side of the ravine leading down to the river below. Nuclear fusion was a new source of great power, and the Allies were aware of the German development of nuclear weapons. Operation Gunnerside was the third raid by British Special Operations Executive (SOE) in an effort to destroy the plant. In October 1942 SOE successfully launched Operation Grouse which placed an advanced team of Norwegians on the plateau above the plant. The following month Operation Freshmanwas mounted by British paratroopers to rendezvous with the Grouse Norwegian force. Freshman failed when the two military gliders and a Hanley Page Halifax towing aircraft crashed short of their destination. The survivors of the crash were captured by the Gestapo, tortured and finally executed. Operation Freshman alerted the Germans of the Allied interest in their heavy water production. On the 16^th February 1943 a team of six SOE trained Norwegian commandos were parachuted into Norway, which was codenamed Operation Gunnerside. Supplies required to carry out the mission were loaded into containers and dropped by parachute with the Gunnerside commandos. Within a few days they had located and joined forces with the Norwegian advanced Grouse commandos.

Whilst the combined commando team made their final preparations for the attack, the Germans increased security surrounding the plant by adding additional mines, floodlights and guards. Despite the additional guards only the 75 m (246 ft.) bridge spanning the Mana River was fully guarded. Security at the plant had been weakened over the winter. To take advantage of the low security the commando force descended into the ravine. They forded the river and climbed the steep hill to the ravines on the opposite side. A single railway track was followed by the commandos which led straight into the plant and they did not encounter any guards. Prior to the operation SOE had a Norwegian agent in the plant. The information supplied and the assistance of a Norwegian caretaker allowed the commandos to locate the demolition site. Explosive charges were placed in the electrolysis chambers and fuses lit which gave the commandos sufficient time to escape. The raid was considered successful after the explosive charges detonated which destroyed the electrolysis chambers.

All the commandos escaped, five skiing 200 miles (322 km) to Sweden, two proceeded to Oslo and the remaining four stayed local and carried out further resistance work in the region. 3,000 German soldiers were dispatched to search the area for the commandos but they were long gone. To indicate the sabotage was carried out by the British and not the local resistance, a Thompson submachine gun was left behind.

The Vemork plant was not permanently damaged and by April 1943 the plant had been repaired and heavy water production was resumed. Eventually the plant was abandoned and all stocks and critical components transferred to Germany in 1944.

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0n the 16^th February 1943 the Vichy French government passed the “Service du travai obligatour” (STO) into law. STO was created whereby hundreds of thousands of French workers were enlisted and deported to Nazi Germany as forced labour. In June 1942, Pierre Laval, the Vichy Prime Minister, encouraged French workers to volunteer to work in Germany to join the 100,000 already working there. For every three French workers the German government promised to release one French prisoner of war. However, Nazi Germany used STO to compensate for the loss of manpower as more and more soldiers were enlisted for the Eastern Front. German dictator Adolf Hitler ordered a further 250,000 men to be despatched to Germany in addition to the 240,000 already there. With the passing of the STO law, Laval deemed it necessary that all males over the age of 20 be eligible for service du travai obilgatour. A total of 600,000 to 650,000 French workers were sent to Germany between June 1942 and July 1944.  France was the only country whose laws required French workers to serve Germany and was the third largest labour provider. The Soviet Union and Poland provided greater numbers than France, but their workers were prisoners of war ordered to work by the Germans.

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