February 1944

(Britain)

Operation Argument or “Big Week” was a series of bombing raids on the German aircraft industry from the 20^th to the 25^th February 1944. Allied intelligence were aware the German aircraft industry was capable of producing over 2,000 aircraft per month. The Allied plan for “Big Week” was to achieve air superiority over the Luftwaffe. This was crucial for the forthcoming invasion of Northern France in June 1944. The Allied air commanders agreed “Big Week” would be to attack Germany with USAAF bomber daylight raids and RAF bomber raids by night. Escorting the USAAF bombers would be the recently introduced U.S. long-range P-41 Mustang fighters, whose aim was to draw German fighters into combat. American Major General Jimmy Doolittle, commander of the Eighth Air Force, ordered bombing missions of key aircraft factories. When the Luftwaffe fighters attacked the bombers, the P-51 Mustangs were ordered to attack the enemy fighters. On the 20^th February 1944  “Big Week” began with the USAAF and RAF bombers attacking airfields and aviation industrial areas in Germany. On the 21^st February 1944 the USAAF and RAF bombers raid airfields and flying-bomb sites in Germany and Belgium. Both air force bombers attacked Germany, the Netherlands and Yugoslavia on the 22^nd February 1944.  On the 23^rd February 1944 all the bombers attacked Germany, Austria and dropped leaflets in central France. On the 24^th February 1944 the bombers targeted V-weapon sites, ball-bearing factories, airfields and leaflet dropping in German and the Netherlands. On the final day of the “Big Week” missions, on the 25^th February 1944, the bombers were dispatched against aviation industries in Germany and leaflets dropped in northern France. The total losses for “Big Week” were, for the Allies were 357 heavy bombers and 28 fighters lost. They also lost over 2,000 aircrew killed or missing. For the Germans, they lost 262 fighters and 250 aircrew killed or missing. This figure included nearly 100 fighter pilots. Nearly 1,000 civilians were killed in raids on Nazi occupied Netherlands. The end result was mixed with neither side actually winning, but the Allies eventually achieved air supremacy in support of the northern France invasion later in the year. For further details see the separate essay on the “Big Week”.

(Eastern Front)

As part of the Red Army Winter/Spring Campaign 1944, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin ordered a “broad front” strategy. In the Narva Isthmus, the border between the Soviet Union and Estonia was located between the Bay of Finland and Lake Peipus. The Narva River was on the border and the town of Narva and Lake Peipus was on the S.U. side of the river to the east. The Battle of Narva began on the 2^nd February 1944. The participants were the S.U. Army and the German S.S. Army. Stalin demanded the German-held town of Narva be captured by the 17^th February 1944, but that order was not attainable as the battle, and the additional “broad front” battles continued into March 1944.

(Italy)

The Battle of Anzio began on the 28^th January 1944 when the U.S. launched a surprise attack to bypass the German held Monte Cassino. By the 10^th February 1944 the advance had stalled, despite Allied troops and stores still arriving. Instead of advancing onto Rome from Anzio, the element of surprise was lost, when U.S. Major General John Lucas preferred to entrench against expected counter-attacks. These local German counter-attacks caused the Allies serious losses. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill requested that British General Harold Alexander, should order more aggression from his field commanders. Alexander was the overall commander of the U.S. and British armies during the Italian Campaign. Field Marshall Albert Kesselring, the German commander in the Italian theatre, was aware of the landings and began to provide defensive reinforcements. The Germans launched an offensive on the 16^th February 1944 with reinforcements supported by Tiger Tanks. The recently arrived British 167^th Brigade was overrun with many losses. By the 18^th February 1944 the Allies had prepared defences at the original line of the beachhead. They sustained huge losses. Following Churchill’s request to Alexander regarding a breakout as soon possible, Alexander hosted a high level conference to discuss the circumstances. In attendance were American Lt. General Mark Clark and Harry Wilson commander of Allied Forces Headquarters. Two deputies were appointed to assist Lucas, American General Lucien Truscott and British Major General Vyvyan Evelegh. However, on the 22^nd February 1944 Clark replaced Lucas with Truscott and appointed Lucas deputy commander of the Fifth Army until being sent back to America. The Battle of Anzio would continue into March 1944.

The Battle of Cisterna, part of the Battle of Anzio Campaign, ended on the 2^nd February 1944. Located NE of Anzio the town of Cisterna was defended by the Germans behind the Gustav Line. 0n the 30^th January 1944 at 01:30 a small force of 810 U.S. 1^st and 3^rd Ranger Battalions attempted to infiltrate the town as a surprise attack. Bypassing numerous German positions, by first light they were short of the objective. The infiltration had been discovered, by German intelligence, and an ambush had been prepared. With open ground still to go the Rangers were attacked by German forces of the 715^th Infantry Division and at least 17 tanks of the Hermann Göring Panzer Division. One tank was destroyed by the 1^st Battalion commander Major Dobson. Two additional tanks were captured but were mistakenly destroyed by Rangers who were unaware of the capture. With the Rangers in open ground and despite fierce fighting there was little chance of success. 700 Rangers were captured and taken prisoner. Despite the German victory, an attempt by the U.S. troops to rescue them, and break through the Gustav Line failed. However they did push the Allied lines forward on a front 3 miles (4.8 km) deep and 7 miles (11 km) wide which the Germans failed to recover.           

British Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Penelope was sunk on the 18^th February 1944. Penelope was leaving Naples to return to the Anzio area when she was struck by a torpedo fired from German submarine U-410.  A second torpedo hit the after boiler room after the first had hit the after engine room. She sank immediately and 417 of the crew, including the captain, went down with the ship. 206 members of the crew survived.

When the Battle of Monte Cassino began in January 1944, Germany declared the hilltop abbey/monastery was a holy place. It was not to be included in the Gustav Line German defences, and the Pope in Rome together with Allies were informed. Heavy fighting between the German defenders and U.S. Marines continued, and on the 7^th February 1944 the marines reached a round-topped hill immediately below the monastery. This hill was approximately 400 yards (370 m) from the monastery, but heavy machine gun fire from the German defenders prevented any further advance.  What was left of the Marines were withdrawn from Monastery Hill and Cassino town after a final unsuccessful three-day assault on the 11^th February1944. After over two weeks of battle the marines were worn out and sustained losses.

(Pacific)

In the Marshall Islands, U.S. Armed Forces secured the Kwajalein Atoll, which is a curved coral reef in the sea. Code-named Operation Flintlock the amphibious landings on Kwajalein began on the 31^st January 1944 and ended five days later on the 4^th February 1944.  Following the securing of the atoll, American Navy construction workers (Seabees) began building Kwajalein into a major base on the 4^th February 1944. When completed an airfield, a seaport and craft repair depots were built. The major functions on Kwajalein atoll were for radar and tracking stations.

Between the 17^th to the 23^rd February 1944 various U.S. naval operations occurred on the remote Japanese held island chains in the Pacific Ocean. These attacks on Eniwetok, the Truk Islands, the Mariana Islands of Saipan, Guam and Tinian were all successful.

(Other Fronts)

Belgium had been occupied by Germany following the invasion on the 10^th May 1940. Prior to the Belgian government evacuating the country on the 15^th May 1940 Alexandre Galopin was appointed chairman of an informal group of businessmen to act as a kind of Belgian shadow government. The businessmen included ex-politicians, bankers and industrialists who were known as ”Galopin’s Committee”. Their aim was to keep Belgian industry and economy strong, so that at the war’s end, the economy would not be destroyed as it had been after the Great War. Despite the committee’s policy for the production of non-military equipment, the policy was difficult to maintain. Individual business committee members were forced by the Germans to co-operate with the threat of the confiscation of their business. They were also threatened by personal punishment. German occupation officials nicknamed Galopin the “Uncrowned King of Belgium” for his power and influence within the Belgian wartime economy. On the 28^th February 1944 Galopin was assassinated by a pro-Nazi radical paramilitary group.

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