Air Operations, Egypt

During the evening, B-25s of the 12th Medium Bomb Group's 81st Medium Bomb Squadron make their unit's combat debut and USAMEAF's first bombing mission in direct support of the British 8th Army, attacking an Axis depot and tank-repair facility at Matruh.

Air Operations, Europe

• 1 Mosquito bombs Vegesack and returns safely.

• 56 aircraft lay mines in the Frisians.
• 2 Lancasters are lost.

Air Operations, North Africa

The USAAF makes its first attack on German positions in Egypt.

Arctic

In Operation WUNDERLAND, which will last about 2 weeks, the Admiral Scheer penetrates into Kara Sea to attack Russian shipping.

Eastern Front

The Russians evacuate Maykop.

After 2 weeks of bitter fighting in the Rzhev region, the 20th, 31st, 29th and 30th Armies have made only minor gains in the salient, but have inflicted over 20,000 casualties upon the 9th Army. Army Group Center requests permission to evacuate the salient to shorten the line and create an operational reserve but Hitler categorically refuses.

The Germans conquer the Kuban, inflicting heavy losses upon the North Caucasus Front. The divergent axes of the German advance in the Caucasus has stretched Army Group A to the breaking point, Groups Rouff and Kleist operating as two widely separated forces. With the fall of the Kuban, Army Group A begins to regroup to undertake the second phase of its offensive. The 1st Panzer Army is to push east from Voroshilovsk toward Grozny, Makhatchkala and Baku, securing the Caucasus and cutting off the Soviet forces against the Turkish border. Group Ruoff is to attack from Krasnodar, take Novorossiysk and roll up the Soviet defenses on the Black Sea coast and reach the Turkish border near Batumi. The high mountain ranges separating the 2 German axes are to be conquered by the XLIX Mountain Corps, attacking from Cherkessk. In an effort to strengthen his defenses in the mountains, Tyulenev raises Sergatskov's 46th Army and moves it north to block the German advance.

Gilbert Islands

In a raid on Makin Island, Carlson's Raiders of the US Marines land from submarines in an unsuccessful attempt to divert Japanese attention from operations on Guadalcanal. In addition, 9 Marines are captured and beheaded and the Japanese begin conversion of nearby Tarawa Island into a well-nigh impregnable fortress. (see November 20, 1943.)

New Guinea

Over the next two days more Japanese reinforcements for the Kokoda Trail land near Buna.

North Africa

For the first time, American medium bombers attack the Axis positions at El Alamein.

Pacific

The US submarine Grunion (SS-216) is reported as presumed lost in the Pacific Ocean area.