Air Operations, Aleutians

28th Composite Bomb Group heavy bombers attack Attu and Kiska islands. A 54th Fighter Squadron P-38 downs an A6M Zero and a 57th Fighter Squadron P-39 downs 2 A6M2-N 'Rufe' fighers over Kiska. 1 P-39 is lost in the day's action.

Air Operations, Europe

• 6 Wellingtons are sent to Lingen on the Dortmund-Ems Canal.
• Only 1 aircraft bombs ships in the area.
• 1 aircraft is lost.

Air Operations, New Guinea

1 V Bomber Command B-17 attack the airfield at Lae and V Fighter Command P-40s and P-400s bomb and strafe several targets in the Owen Stanley Mountains in support of Australian ground forces.

Air Operations, Solomons

27 G4M 'Betty' bombers, based Kavieng, New Ireland, escorted by 42 A6M Zeros, attack Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. All 19 of the Marine Corps F4Fs and 15 serviceable VF-5 F4Fs are in the air to meet the attack. Marine Corps pilots claim 14 'Bettys' and 1 Zero while the VF-5 pilots claim 10 'Bettys'. Japanese records only record 4 'Bettys' lost in the action with 3 more having to ditch on the flight back to Kavieng. No F4Fs are lost.

Arctic

The Hipper and 4 destroyers return from a minelaying sortie to Novaya Zemlya in Operation ZARIN (CZARINA).

The German Heavy Cruiser Admiral Hipper

Eastern Front

In a small attack, Russian forces cross the Volga near Rzhev in the central sector and capture 25 villages. Heavy fighting continues around Leningrad. The Germans throw in fresh reinforcements at Stalingrad.

The Germans resume their attacks in Stalingrad with massed infantry and armor supported by artillery and air strikes. The Luftwaffe is active, trying to locate Chuikov's headquarters. Heavy raids are launched against the Volga ferries, incurring heavy losses upon the barges bringing reinforcements and supplies to the 62nd Army.

In the factory district, the Germans attack the Red October and Silikat factories, penetrating the southeastern edge of the Silikat. In the center, the 95th and 284th Rifle Divisions counterattack on the Mamayev Kurgan but are stopped short of the summit.

With the battle for Stalingrad at its height, the Stavka redesignates its forces in the Stalingrad sector. Eremenko's Southeast Front becomes the new Stalingrad Front, while the old Stalingrad Front is renamed the Don Front, commanded by Rokossovsky. The 2 fronts number 771,000 men, 8,100 artillery pieces, 525 tanks and 448 aircraft deployed between 78 rifle and 6 cavalry division, 5 tank corps and 18 tank brigades. The Stalingrad Front is allocated the 8th and 16th Air Armies to provide increased cover against the VIII Air Corps. The new Don Front comprises 39 rifle divisions, 3 cavalry divisions and 3 tank corps, 9 tank brigades and 2 rifle brigades. Its 63rd Army holds a 100-mile sector of the right wing, the 21st Army a 70-mile sector around Serafimovich and the 4th Tank Army, 24th Army and 66th Army are between the Volga and the Don. The 1st Guards Army is pulled out of the line and transferred to reserve.

Since August 7 the 'old' Southeast Front has lost 110,000 killed and missing and 62,000 wounded.

Germany, Strategy

The German Naval High Command including leaders of the U-boat arm, meet with Hitler in Berlin to discuss new trends in the Battle of the Atlantic and the deterioration of the U-boat impact on Allied convoys.

Guadalcanal

The Raiders are back where they began, having suffered 60 killed and more than 100 wounded. One thing learned from this action is that the Japanese have been strongly reinforced.

New Guinea

The main force of the US 32nd Inf Div reaches Port Moresby and is ordered to join the drive on Wairopi.

Soviet Union, Armed Forces

The Stavka reorganizes its Stalingrad formations. The Southeastern Front becomes the Stalingrad Front, and the old Stalingrad Front becomes the Don Front under Gen Konstantin Rokossovsky.