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February 10th, 1943 (WEDNESDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: ASW trawler HMS Grenadier commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

FRANCE: The Lorient district is evacuated after becoming the target of heavy Allied bombings.

U-519 (Type IXC) Missing in the Bay of Biscay since 31 Jan, 1943. There is no explanation for its loss. 50 dead (all hands lost). 4 Feb, 1943 believed attacked by (British Wellington aircraft, Squadron 172/L) This is the most probable fate for this aircraft. The U-boat was possibly lost in this attack. (Note the German list of sinkings put this at 10 February.) (Alex Gordon)

GERMANY: U-422, U-538, U-714 commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.S.R.:
The Battle of Krasni Bor:

In the morning 3 Soviet divisions (72nd Rifle, 43rd Rifle and 63rd Guard) supported by 60 tanks and 400 guns advanced on 262nd Spanish Regiment of the “Spanish Blue Division”. By 10.00 the battle had turned into chaos with disorganized attackers assaulting isolated pockets. Despite heroic defensive fighting by this regiment of Spanish volunteers, by 10.30 II-262 HQ was overrun and Krasni Bor fell in Soviet hands.

The battle ended the next day. The Soviets had lost no less than 7000 men (some sources quote up to 11000 soviet casualties), the Blue Division some 2500 (60% of men involved). Losses such as these, in a one day battle, in such a reduced area (some 7 x 5 Kms.) were not usually heard in WWII.

The sacrifice of the 262nd Regiment was a main event in stopping a general offensive aimed at the elimination of the threat against Leningrad and, if possible, to encircle a whole German Corps. (Ernesto Sassot)

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: At 2325, U-81 fired a spread of four torpedoes at the Saroena, which was escorted by an armed trawler and observed a hit in the stern that set the tanker on fire. Two Chinese crewmen and three gunners panicked and jumped overboard, two of them drowned. She was beached after four hours near Beirut and the crew reached the shore. After the fire was extinguished, the ship was refloated on 12 February and after temporary repairs towed to Port Said, where further repairs were made before the ship went to Calcutta for permanent repairs and then returned to service. (Dave Shirlaw)

INDIAN OCEAN: At 0219, the Queen Anne in convoy CA-11 was torpedoed and sunk by U-509 eight miles SSW of Cape Agulhas, South Africa. Three crewmembers and two gunners were lost. The master and 17 survivors were picked up by HMS St. Zeno and landed at Capetown. 22 survivors made landfall at Bredasdorp near Cape Agulhas. (Dave Shirlaw)

INDIA: The Indian leader Mahatma Ghandi began a 21-day hunger strike today. He is protesting against his imprisonment in the palace of the Aga Khan at Poona and against the British government’s policy of interning all members of the All-India Congress Party. He plans to eat nothing and drink only fruit juice mixed with water, but not to fast “unto death”. The viceroy, the Marquess of Linlithgow, described Ghandi’s action as “political blackmail” for which there is no justification.

NEW GUINEA: US troops reach the Kumusi river mouth, poised for a fresh offensive against Japan.

NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES: Submarine USS Gudgeon picked up 28 men from Timor, Netherlands East Indies and took them to Fremantle. (Dave Shirlaw)

TERRITORY OF HAWAII: Submarine USS Searaven ends her 6th war patrol at Pearl Harbor. She is ordered to the Mare Islands Navy Yard for an overhaul.

Submarine USS Pollack ends her 5th war patrol at Pearl Harbor. (Dave Shirlaw)

PACIFIC OCEAN: Submarine USS Pickerel torpedoes and sinks Amari Maru off Sanriku in position 40.10N, 142.04E. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: USS YMS-298 and YMS-343 laid down.

Destroyer USS Thatcher commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: SS Duero struck a mine laid 01 Feb by U-118 and damaged.

While on the outward journey to the Caribbean, U-108 was damaged by an RAF 202 Sqn Catalina and was forced to return, reaching Lorient on 24 Feb. She only managed to set out again on 1 April.

The LI of U-183 transferred to U-105 during a meeting of those two boats. (Dave Shirlaw)