Air Operations, Aleutians

Unable to reach Kiska because of bad weather, 3 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s attack a Japanese Navy transport at sea possibly causing some rudder damage. 1 of the B-24s is damaged in the attack.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Fighter Command P-40s strafe Japanese ground troops at Myola Lake in the Owen Stanley Mountains.

Battle of the Atlantic

The US tanker Robert H. Colley, in Convoy HX-209, is torpedoed by U-254 and breaks in two with the loss of 20 of her 44-man crew and well as 8 of the 17 Armed Guard sailors that were on board.

Caribbean

The US freighter Caribstar (2592t) is torpedoed and sunk by U-175 off the mouth of the Orinoco River with the loss of 6 dead and 11 wounded. 23 crewmen and the 6-man Armed Guard are picked up by the submarine chaser PC-469.

Eastern Front

Von Paulus begins a new series of attacks within Stalingrad - his 4th major effort. This will be the fiercest and longest lasting of the German offensives. They have been reinforced by combat-engineer and police units to increase their street fighting expertise. The Soviets are developing their skills also and will attempt to direct the German advances into specially prepared killing zones. The German attacks are sent against the Soviet posts in the Barrikady, Krasnye Oktyabr and Tractor Factories.

Paulus continues his attack to smash through the Soviet defenses to the river. Gains are made in the factory district as the LI Corps presses into the Tractor, Barrikady and Red October complexes. Chuikov throws in yet more reserves, 84th Tank Brigade entering the battle.

English Channel

There is a British Commando raid on Sark, one of the Channel Islands, capturing 1 German soldier.

Germany, Policy

Göring declares that the people of the occupied territories, not the Germans, will suffer from the Allied naval blockade. He says, 'The German people come before all other peoples for food.'

Guadalcanal

Adm Yamamoto issues orders for the invasion and the naval and air attack that will defeat the Americans on Guadalcanal. Gen Hyukatake is to go to Guadalcanal and take over personally from Gen Kawaguchi, who has failed to do the job. An additional 22,500 troops of the 2nd Army Div, Asian action veterans, will accompany him. It is planned to be over by October 15.

Attacks by the 11th Air Fleet at Rabual will increase. The battleships Kongo and Haruna are to come in and bombard the beachhead. Adm Kondo's 2nd Fleet will operate north of Guadalcanal with 3 carriers while Adm Nagumo's 3rd Fleet will be east of the islands with the carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku. Lt-Gen Maruyama and Gen Hyukatake along with troops are to be landed by the Tokyo Express.

New Guinea

The Australian forces following up the Japanese retreat along the Kokoda Trail take Effogi and continue the advance to Kagi and Myola. American patrols carry out a reconnaissance on another island track near Jaure.

Pacific

• The US submarine Greenling (SS-213) sinks the Japanese merchant cargo ship Setsuyo Maru (4147t) off Sanriku, Japan.
• The US tanker Camden is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-25 off the coast of Oregon and is abandoned. 1 crewman drowns as the men leave the ship. The Swedish motorship Kookaburra rescues the 38 merchant seamen and 9 Armed Guard sailors that survive.