Battle of the Atlantic

• The British steamer Araby (4936t) sinks on a mine near the Nore Light Vessel with the loss of 6 crewmen.
• U-38 damages the British steamer Ardanbhan (4980t) in Convoy OB-263. 13 hours later the Italian submarine Tazzoli finishes her off with the loss of her entire crew.
• U-65 sinks the Norwegian steamer Risanger (5455t) off Freetown. All 29 of her crew are picked up by the Norwegian tanker Belinda.

The Blitz

There are night raids on London by 100 aircraft. 111 tons of high explosives and 11,000 incendiaries are dropped. There are over 600 casualties with 50 coming from a hit on an air raid shelter in Southwark. There is damage to bus, tram and railway services.

German Raiders

The German raider Komet shells the phosphate production installation the island of Nauru, an Australian Proctectorate, in the Central Pacific while flying a Japanese flag. Both the Komet and Orion have been active in this area for some days and have sunk several of the ships engaged in the specialized phosphate trade.

An RAF airman places a cross, made from the wreckage of an aircraft, on 27 December 1940 over a grave containing the bodies of 5 Italian airmen shot down in the desert Battle of Mersa Matruh on 31 October 1940.

A Cross on a Grave