Air Operations, Europe

The RAF carry out a heavy bombing raid on Nuremberg.

Battle of the Atlantic

• A German motor torpedo boat floatilla attacks Convoy FN-531 north of Cromer. The British steamer Chevington (1537t) and the Norwegian steamer Roy (1768t) are sunk. 9 crewmen are lost from the British ship and 3 from the Norwegian ship.
• U-83 sinks the Portuguese steamer Corte Real (2044t) after it was determined the ship was carrying contraband. All 42 of the crew and passengers are rescued.

Eastern Front

Despite the poor weather and the increasing determination of the Soviet defenders, the German advance on Moscow continues with the capture of Kaluga, an important rail center on the Moscow-Kiev line about 100 miles southwest of Moscow. Women and children start being moved from Moscow. The Soviets evacuate the town of Bryansk but the fighting around the isolated pockets nearby continues. The Germans begin the liquidation of the troops cut off in the Vyazma and Bryansk pockets. The bulk of Timoshenko's forces are wiped out; 660,000 men are taken prisoner.

The Germans begin the bombardment of Hiiumaa Island.

Staritza, on the road to Kalinin, falls as the 1st Panzer Division forces the 30th Army back. With Moscow threatened from the northwest, the Stavka forms the Kalinin Group to the right of the West Front. Koniev is placed in command but his force consists of 3 weakened rifle divisions and 1 tank brigade.

On the approaches to the Mozhaisk line, the 2nd SS Motorized Division Das Reich captures Gzhatsk. Pogoreloye falls to the 36th Motorized Division and Zubtsov to the Lehr Motorized Brigade.

Inside the Bryansk pocket, the 50th Army begins to fight its way northeast toward Belev. The XIII Corps captures Kaluga, forcing back the 49th Army.

Closer to Moscow, the GKO orders the construction of extensive defenses before the city. With Moscow under direct threat, 440,000 of its citizens, mostly women, children and old men, are mobilized to build defenses in and around the city. In 4 days they will dig 60 miles of anti-tank ditches, 5000 miles of troop trenches and lay 177 miles of barbed wire.

Bogoduchov falls to the 6th Army after a brief fight.

Mediterranean

U-75 sinks British landing craft tanks A-2 and A-7 which had left Tobruk on the 11th. All 16 crewmen of A-2 are lost, 22 are lost from A-7 with 1 survivor.

North Africa

Beginning this day and continuing for about two weeks, there is a further series of relief operations to Tobruk. Just over 7,000 troops are taken in to the fortress and just under 8,000 are taken out. The minelayer Latona is lost to a Stuka attack and 1 destroyer is damaged.

North Sea

German MTBs sink 2 ships in a convoy off Cromer, England.