Daylight Raid on Brest

Ever since March, when the German battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau entered the harbor at Brest to refuel after a raiding expedition in the Atlantic, these ships had been repeatedly attacked by the R.A.F., and several direct hits scored. In May they were rejoined by the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen which had managed to reach port after the action in which the Bismarck was sunk. Attacks on these three valuable ships continued throughout the year, and the fact that they were unable to put to sea showed that they had suffered considerable damage. On December 18 a particularly heavy daylight attack was made on these ships by Sterling, Halifax and Manchester bombers, strongly escorted by Spitfire and Hurricane squadrons. A great weight of bombs was dropped and direct hits were scored on the dry docks in which the ships were berthed. Five British bombers and one fighter were lost against an enemy loss of eight fighters. Above, bombers are seen over the target during the raid.

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.

Well-clad Russian soldiers advancing through a village on the Moscow front which has recently been cleared of the enemy.

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.

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 a Captured German 37mm Anti-Tank Gun, 18 December 1941.

South China Sea

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