Battle of the Atlantic

• The US Navy increases its commitment to escort Atlantic convoys. It takes over responsibility for some of the Halifax-UK convoys and for most of the Iceland traffic, the HX and the ON convoys. Canadian forces are escorting the others as far as 22° West when the British take over on all routes.
• The German steamer Johann Wessels (4601t) is lost on a mine off the Norwegian coast.

China

The Second Battle of Changsha is launched by the 125,000 strong Japanese XI Corps under Gen Tadaki Anan. Tokyo plans to eliminate the main obstacle to an advance in Hunan Province, the formidable forces of Gen Hseuh Yuan, commander of the Chinese Ninth War Area. The Chinese are concentrated around Changsha, about 350 miles east of Chungking. Gen Anan's force, supported by about 100 aircraft, are to drive on Changsha from the north.

Units of the Red Army on the Streets of Tabriz, Iran

Eastern Front

The Germans occupy the basin of the lower Dniepr and pierce the outskirts of Kiev.

The Russian Army High Command orders the withdrawal of its forces from Kiev. The order comes too late, however, as the badly mauled defenders are already encircled and have no escape route.

The German 18th Army attempts to bludgeon its way into Leningrad but is stopped by the 42nd and 55th Armies. Meanwhile, the XLI, LVI and LVII Panzer Corps begin to redeploy south for the attack on Moscow.

RAF Hurricane Mark IIb on Vaenga airfield near Murmansk in Northern Russia

RAF Hurricane Mark IIb near Murmansk

The Southwestern Front begins to fragment under repeated German assaults. Stalin at last authorizes an evacuation east. The German 11th Army crosses the Dnieper at Berislav. The aim of its leader, Manstein, is to cut off the Crimea by seizing the Perkop Isthmus. His LIV Corps is directed to Perekop. The Romanian 3rd ARmy is advancing behind Manstein's army.[MORE]

Soviet Union, Home Front

Stalin issues the decree on 'General compulsory military science education of USSR citizens.[MORE]