Air Operations, Bismarcks

5th Air Force B-25s, on their way to attack the Japanese base at Gasmata, New Britain, are turned back by Japanese Navy fighters.

Air Operations, CBI

A 75th Fighter Squadron P-40 shoots down a Ki-27 'Nate' fighter near the airfield at Nanchang, China.

Air Operations, Europe

• There is a large-scale raid on Hamburg involving 403 aircraft including 181 Wellingtons, 77 Lancasters, 73 Halifaxes, 39 Stirlings and 33 Hampdens. Crews run into a mixture of clouds and icing along the way but clear weather over the target area. Good bombing results are reported as 175,000 incendiaries are dropped. Reports from Hamburg say there is severe and widespread damage, mostly in residential and semi-commercial areas instead of in the docks and industrial areas. Over 800 fires are reported with 523 being classified as large. 823 houses are destroyed and more than 5,000 others being damaged. 337 people are killed, 1,027 injured and more than 14,000 bombed out. 28 aircraft are lost including 15 Wellingtons, 8 Halifaxes, 2 Hampdens and 2 Lancasters.
• In minor operations, 12 Bostons and 10 Blenheims carry out Intruder flights against airfields. 1 Boston of 226 Squadron is lost while attacking Jever, the first Boston Intruder casualty.
• The Russian 8th Air Army and 4-engined Pe-8s of the ADD, the 'Long-range Bombing Force', carry out round-the-clock operations in support of the hard-pressed 62nd Army, southwest of Stalingrad.

Air Operations, New Guinea

22nd Medium Bomb Group B-26s attack a Japanese destroyer off Gona, but fail to score any hits. Australian Army ground troops, flown to Kokoda by the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron fail to stop Japanese Army ground troops advancing toward Port Moresby. Kokoda is evacuated.

Britain, Home Front

Chocolates and confectionary are added to the ration list.

Eastern Front

Chuikov's 64th Army continues to fight on around the confluence of the Don and the Chir. Desperate fighting rages as the men at the front try to halt the German attacks, while the men in the rear make every effort to escape. With the front crumbling, the 64th is ordered to fall back over the Don. As they withdraw, the bridge at Nizhne Chirskaya is prematurely destroyed, trapping substantial elements of the army on the west bank.

Fighting to the south intensifies as the 1st Panzer smashes the 12th and 37th Armies aside and thrust south. Inside Rostov the Soviets withdraw under heavy attack and by nightfall have given up the city.

India, Home Front

Sir Stafford Cripps attack Gandhi's position on immediate Indian independence: 'We cannot allow the actions of a visionary, however distinguished in his fight for freedom in the past, to thwart the United Nations' drive for victory in the East.' Gandhi has previously rejected any compromise, saying, 'Anarchy is the only way. Someone asked me if there would be anarchy after British rule. Yes, it will be there. But I tell the British to give us chaos.'

North Africa

Under cover of Darkness the British conduct a major attack on the northern sector of Rommel's position, hoping to force a withdrawal of the Axis forces. The XXX Corps of the British 8th Army delivers the attack. The effort fails because of poor coordination between infantry and armor units.[MORE]

Pacific

The Allies' Solomon Islands expeditionary force reaches its rendezvous point southeast of the Fiji Islands.