Daylight Raid on Brest

Battle of the Atlantic

U-434 is sunk by the British destroyers Blankney and Stanley southwest of Cape St Vincent with the loss of 2 of her crew. 44 survivors are rescued.

Borneo

The Japanese destroyer Shnomone hits a mine and sinks off Miri.

Britain, Home Front

Parliament passes the National Service Act conscripting unmarried women.

Diplomatic Relations

The US State Department announces that Rear-Adm Frederick J. Horne and French High Commissioner at Martinique, French West Indies, Adm Georges Robert, have reached an agreement neutralizing French Caribbean possessions.

Eastern Front

Following von Rundstedt's dismissal at the beginning of the month, a second of the German army group commanders is replaced. Field Marshal Bock has been ill like von Brauchitsch and is replaced by von Kluge.

The West Front launches a series of frontal attacks aimed at pinning the 4th Army and preventing the transfer of reinforcements from the center to the flanks. The 5th, 33rd, 43rd and 49th Armies attack, but the 33rd and 43rd Armies are soon bogged down along the Nara River and at Naro-Fominsk.

Russian Soldiers Advancing

Buildings in Kalinin Set on Fire by the Nazis

Zhukov orders the 50th Army to thrust toward Kaluga. The army forms Group Popov (1 rifle, 1 tank and 1 cavalry division) to punch through the gap between the XLIII Corps and the 2nd Panzer Army.

The Stavka reactivates the Bryansk Front commanded by Cherevichenko. The front incorporates the 61st, 3rd and 13th Armies and Group Kostenko, with a strength of 18 rifle and 7 cavalry divisions, 2 tank, 1 rifle and 1 motorized rifle brigade. The Stavka plans to use the Bryansk Front to penetrate the southern wing of the Moscow axis while also maintaining the line between the West and Southwest Fronts. Gen Malinovsky takes over command of the South Front following Cherevichenko's move to the center.

Hong Kong

During the night under cover of a heavy barrage there are Japanese landings on Hong Kong Island along a front between North Point and the Lei U Mun Channel. The attacking force gets well established and occupy over half the island in the next 24 hours. British counterattacks over the following days are unsuccessful.

Malaya

The Indian 11th Division completes its withdrawal behind the Krian River and is held in reserve in the Taiping area. Forces defending the Grik road are further reinforced. After visiting forward areas, Gen Percival draws up plans for withdrawal behind the Perak River. He decides to amalgamate certain units, among them the Indian 6th and 15th Brigades (to be designated Indian 6/15 Brigade) and to incorporate the Indian 12th Brigade Group into the Indian 11th Division.

Mediterranean

The British convoy reaches Malta, and Force B turns back to Egypt while Force K searches for the Italian ships. During the night, however, Force K runs into a minefield and loses 1 cruiser, the Neptune, and 1 destroyer, the Kandahar, and has both the other cruisers present damaged. On the same night 3 Italian midget submarines, led by Prince Borghese, penetrate into the Mediterranean Fleet anchorage at Alexandria, taking advantage of the net defenses being opened to allow Force B to return. Their delayed-action charges are placed under the battleships Valiant and Queen Elizabeth. Both ships sink to the bottom of the harbor, but because it is comparatively shallow and they come to rest on an even keel the Italians do not realize the brilliant extent of their success. Thus, in the actions of one night, the Mediterranean Fleet is deprived of its Malta striking force and of both its battleships. As well as being a serious blow to British strength in the Mediterranean it compounds the Allied lack of capital ships for all theaters. The two battleships here, however, will be subsequently raised and repaired.

Indian Troops Inspect Captured Gun

South China Sea

The Soviet steamer Perekop (2493t) is sunk by Japanese bombing near Senoa, Natuna Island.