http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1944/feb44/f05feb44.htm
Chindits in Burma
Saturday, February 5, 1944 www.onwar.com
Members of a “Chindit” brigade in Burma [photo at link]
In Burma... The 16th Long Range Penetration Brigade (a Chindit brigade) leaves Ledo and marches south toward the “Aberdeen” area.
On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces of the 1st Ukrainian Front capture Rovno and Lutsk in advances against the German 4th Panzer Army. Inside the Korsun pocket, German General Stemmermann, commanding forces within the pocket, withdraws to smaller perimeter. German efforts to supply the trapped forces by air, from airfields around Uman, are successful. Soviet forces mount attacks on the pocket perimeter, as well as attempting to cut the aerial supply line.
http://www.etherit.co.uk/month/thismonth/05.htm
February 5th, 1944 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Frigate HMS Labuan commissioned.
GERMANY: U-322 commissioned.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: One man washed overboard from U-450 in the Mediterranean. [Matrosengefreiter Thomas Heneka]. Later that day the boat suffered a fire in the engine room and was forced to return to base.
MARSHALL ISLANDS: Glen Borens’ diary reads:
At about noon, Captain Thomas P Jeter came aboard. At 1335 hrs, R ADM John J. Ballentine was relieved as Captain of the Bunker Hill and Capt Jeter took over. RADM Ballentine left the ship.
In the middle of the afternoon, the port skuppers were shut down and after awhile, the deckedge elevator was lowered to the hanger deck and swimming became the game of the day. Three Marines were lined at different intervals along the catwalk, armed with rifles and kept a lookout for sharks.
We stayed there til Feb. 12th when we left for Truk.
U.S.A.: Destroyer escort USS Lake commissioned.
Submarine USS Piranha commissioned.
Submarine USS Segundo launched.
Escort carrier HMS Puncher commissioned Tacoma, Washington.
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
U-763 shot down an RAF 502 Sqn Halifax.
U-963 shot down an RAF 53 Sqn Liberator.
The Chindits did some amazing things regarding training, living off the land, and long-range/long-term jungle movement, but ultimately didn’t contribute much (if anything) to the war effort. Perhaps what was learned in the process was an investment in future wars.