02/01 Mon. Japanese force of 20 destroyers en route to evacuate troops from Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, is attacked by aircraft from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, and motor torpedo boats. United States naval vessels sunk: Destroyer DE HAVEN (DD-469), by dive bombers, Solomon Islands area, 09 d. 09' S., 159 d. 52' E. Japanese naval vessel sunk: Destroyer MAKIGUMO, by mine, off Doma Reef, Solomon Islands area. 02/03 Wed. Command designated United States Naval Forces Northwest African Waters is established with headquarters at Algiers. (See 16 March 1943.) 02/04 Thu. Japanese cruiser and 22 destroyers en route to evacuate troops from Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, are attacked by aircraft from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal; 4 enemy destroyers are damaged. 02/06 Sat. North African Theater of Operations (Lt. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower) is established. 02/07 Sun. Japanese force of 18 destroyers en route to Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, to evacuate troops is attacked by aircraft from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal; 2 enemy destroyers are damaged. 02/08 Mon. Evacuation of over 11,000 Japanese troops from Guadalcanal , Solomon Islands, is completed. 02/09 Tue. Organized resistance on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, ends. [The bitter struggle to capture Guadalcanal and other islands in the southern Solomon Islands spanned 6 months and was the initial United States offensive move in the Pacific War. It was extremely costly in men, ships, and material, for both sides.] 02/10 Wed. German submarine sunk: U-519, by Army aircraft, northwest of Spain, 47 d. 05' N., 18 d. 34' w. 02/11 Thu. Japanese submarine sunk: RO-102, by naval aircraft from light cruiser HELENA (CL-50) and destroyer FLETCHER (DD-445), Coral Sea, 14 d. 15' S., 161 d. 59' E. 02/15 Mon. Joint air command designated Aircraft, Solomon Islands (Rear Adm. C. P. Mason) is established with headquarters at Guadalcanal. 02/16 Tue. Fleet Air Wing 16 is commissioned at Norfolk, Va. 02/17 Wed. Carrier LEXINGTON (CV-16) is commissioned at Quincy, Mass.; this vessel is named for carrier LEXINGTON (CV-2), sunk 8 May 1942 in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Moroccan Sea Frontier (Rear Adm. J. L. Hall) is established. 02/18 Thu. Two cruisers and four destroyers (Rear Adm. C. H. McMorris) bombard Japanese installations at Holtz Bay, and Chichagof Harbor, Attu, Aleutian Islands. 02/20 Sat. United States naval vessel sunk: Motor minesweeper YMS-133, foundered, Coos Bay, Oreg. Japanese naval vessels sunk: Destroyer OSHIO, and patrol vessel, by submarine ALBACORE (SS-218), north of Manus, Admiralty Islands, 00 d. 50' S., 146 d. 06 ' E. 02/21 Sun. Marines and Army troops occupy Russell Islands, Solomon Islands. German submarine sunk: U-225, by Coast Guard cutter SPENCER (PG-36), North Atlantic area, 51 d. 25' N., 27 d. 28' W. 02/22 Mon. Battleship IOWA (BB-61) is commissioned at New York, N. Y. German submarine sunk: U-606, by Coast Guard cutter CAMPBELL (PG-32), and Polish destroyer BURZA, North Atlantic area, 47 d. 44' N., 33 d. 43' W. 02/24 Wed. Naval Air Facility, Amchitka, Alaska, is established.