Air Operations, Europe

• Bremen is raided by 54 aircraft with only 28 claiming to have bombed the primary target. 2 Hampdens and 1 Wellington are lost.
• 38 aircraft are sent to Emden. 3 Hampdens and 1 Whitley are lost.
• In minor operations, 7 Wellingtons are sent to Boulogne, 8 Wellingtons attack airfields in Holland, 1 Hampden lays mines in the Frisians, and 9 Hampdens and 3 Manchesters are involved with leaflet flights over France. There are no losses.

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-754 sinks the Norwegian steamer Belize (2153t) off Newfoundland with the loss of her entire crew of 24. In the same are the Norwegian steamer William Hansen (1344t) is also sunk by U-754 with the loss of 14 crewmen. 5 survivors are picked up by the Canadian corvette Algoma.
• U-130 sinks the Norwegian tanker Alexandra Høegh (8248t) south of Shelburne, Nova Scotia. All 28 members of the crew are picked up by the Boston fishing trawler Grand Marshall.

Bismarck Archipelago

In preparation for their invasion, the Japanese continue their air raids on Rabaul and Kavieng. 120 Japanese aircraft from 4 aircraft carriers attack Rabaul. 7 Australian Wirraway army co-op aircraft intercept the Zeros, shooting down 3 and badly damaging 2 others. The only coastal battery in Rabaul is silenced.

China

Gen Stilwell is nominated as Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-shek.

Dutch East Indies

• The US submarine S-36, damaged by grounding the day before, is sunk by US forces in Makassar Strait.
• The US light cruiser Boise (CL-47) is damaged by grounding in Sape Strait.

Eastern Front

In the southern sector, in the area of Izyum in the Donetz basin, the Russians succeed in breaking the front of the German 17th Army. Within a few days, however, three German armies, including von Kleist's Panzer Army, restore the situation with a powerful and effective counterattack.[MORE]

Indian Ocean

I-66 sinks the British steamer Chak Sang (2358t) on the approaches to Rangoon. 5 of her 66-man crew are lost. The Panamanian steamer Nord (3193t) is also sunk by I-66 in the same area. Some of the survivors land at Burma.

Malaya

The Allied forces are beginning to retreat south of the Muar after taking heavy losses. They are also falling back from the Segamat area. Some forces in the Muar sector are cut off and have to supplied by air. The 45th and 15th Bdes have been virtually destroyed in the fighting. Japanese air raids on Singapore increase in intensity. The few defending Hurricane fighters are outmatched by the escorting Japanese Zeros. These particular Hurricanes are operating at reduced speed because of the special air-inlet filters used in the Libyan desert where these aircraft have come from. 5 Hurricanes are shot down by Nakajima fighters. Earlier enemy action has knocked out the radar stations, so there is hardly any advance warning of attack. The other operational fighters the British have here are Buffalos. These need almost half an hour to climb to 25,000 feet, the height at which the enemy bombers operate. As a result the Japanese bombers are operating virtually unhindered.

New Guinea

Japanese aircraft now begin an offensive in this area, sending 50 aircraft to attack the Lae-Salamaua area.

North Africa

Rommel's second offensive begins. He launches three columns with powerful air cover advancing eastwards along the coast from the El Agheila-Marada line towards Agedabia. Cautious German advances quickly reveal faulty British dispositions. The German attacks are therefore pressed home with great success. This ability to respond quickly to fleeting opportunity is one of the secrets of the Afrika Korps' strength. The Germans employ about 100 tanks in their drive with the German tank units advancing to El Agheila on the inland flank while German and Italian infantry move along the coast. The British forces in the forward defensive positions are a Guards Brigade and part of 1st Armored Div. They are taken by surprise.[MORE]

Pacific

• The British armed patrol vessel Raub (1159t) is sunk by Japanese bombing at Belawan in the Malacca Strait. The entire crew are rescued.
• The Greek steamer Zannis L. Cambanis (5317t) sinks on a mine in a Dutch minefield southeast of Singapore with the loss of 2 crewmen.

Philippines

On Luzon the Japanese concentrate their forces in preparation for a big offensive against the Americans and Filipinos.