FEBRUARY 1942.
• Feb 1 . Enterprise (CV-6, TF 8, VAdm Halsey) and Yorktown (CV-5, TF 17. RAdm Fletcher) raid the Marshall and Gilbert Islands; Lexington (CV-2,TF 11, VAdm Brown) supports the operations from the vicinity of Christmas Island.
• Feb 1 . PT boats and P-40's repulse Japanese landing attempt on southwest Bataan.
• Feb 3 . Japanese naval land attack planes bomb ABDA operating base at Surabaya;
• Feb 4 . Japanese naval land attack planes bomb ABDA ships, damaging Houston (CA-30) and light cruiser Marblehead (CL-12).
• Feb 5 . Japanese planes bomb Allied shipping off Soembawa Island, N.E.I.
• Feb 5 . Enterprise returns Pearl.
• Feb 6 . Japanese artillery on Cavite coast shell Corregidor.
• Feb 6 . Yorktown returns Pearl.
• Feb 8 . Japanese submarine I-69 shells Midway.
• Feb 8 . Japanese troops land on New Britain.
• Feb 8 . Japanese infiltration force at Quinauan Point, Bataan, is destroyed.
• Feb 9 . Japanese troops land on Singapore Island.
• Feb 9 . Lexington heads to South Pacific.
• Feb 9 . Lafayette (AP-53) (ex-French liner Normandie) burns at New York and capsizes.
• Feb 10. General Instructions for Refueling, tech bulletin 2-42
• Feb 11. First large troop convoy to garrison S. Pacific Islands.
• Feb 13. Passenger ship President Taylor, transporting 900 troops to occupy Canton Island, runs aground.
• Feb 14. Japanese army paratroopers assault Sumatra.
• Feb 14. ABDAFloat orders task force (4 cruisers, 11 destroyers) to attack Japanese Palembang expeditionary force. Van Ghent lost ; troops land.
• Feb 14. Enterprise (Halsey) leaves Pearl Harbor for Wake Island.
• Feb 14. Alcan Highway authorized, Dawson to Fairbanks.
• Feb 15. Singapore surrenders to the Japanese.
• Feb 15. Japanese army paratroops secure vital oil refineries at Palembang, Sumatra, N.E.I.
• Feb 15. Japanese land and naval aircraft attack ABDA forces
• Feb 15. Yorktown (Fletcher) left Pearl Harbor to patrol South Pacific.
• Feb 16. Operation NEULAND begins; simultaneous U-boat attacks on Dutch and Venezuelan oil ports.
• Feb 16. Japanese planes bomb U.S. Timor-bound convoy ; convoy recalled.
• Feb 16. Lexington TF 11 (VAdm Brown) heads for an attack on Rabaul, New Britain
• Feb 17. Seabees (First Naval Construction Battalion) arrive at Bora Bora, Society Islands.
• Feb 19. Japanese forces land on Bali, N.E.I.
• Feb 19. Battle of Badoeng Strait begins ; ABDA force attacks retiring Japanese Bali occupation force with Dutch DD Piet Hien sunk, 2 CL and 1 DD damaged.
• Feb 19. Japanese carrier striking force, pursuing ex-Timor convoy, attacks Darwin, Australia.
• Feb 20. Lexington attacked while attempting to raid Rabaul. Lt O'Hare shoots down five bombers in six minutes.
• Feb 20. Japanese invade Timor Island, N.E.I.
• Feb 20. Philippine government evacuated by submarine Swordfish (SS-193)
• Feb 21. Adm King presents plan for SoPac campaign followed for next 18 months.
• Feb 21. US grants billion dollar loan to USSR.
• Feb 22. MacArthur ordered to leave Philippines, appointed CinC Allied forces in Australia.
• Feb 23. Japanese submarine I-17 shells oil refinery at Ellwood, California.
• Feb 24. Enterprise raids Wake Island.
• Feb 24. Seaplane from Japanese submarine I-9 reconnoiters Pearl Harbor.
• Feb 24. Yorktown heads to New Hebrides to meet Lexington for another Rabaul raid.
• Feb 25. Japanese force lands north of Surabaya, Java.
• Feb 25. Jap carriers depart Kendari for sweeps between Java and Australia.
• Feb 27. Battle of Java Sea - Dutch CLs de Ruyter, Java, 5DD sunk, Exeter damaged, later sunk.
• Feb 27. Seaplane tender Langley (AV-3), carrying 32 P-40's for the defense of Java, is sunk by Japanese naval land attack planes.
• Feb 28. Battle of Java Sea concludes.
• Feb 28. Battle of Sunda Strait < Jan   March >