Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-25s the Wairopi bridge, a village and docking facilities at Pilelo Island. Meanwhile, B-17s attack shipping and buildings at Lorengau on Manus Island in the Admiralty Islands.

Air Operations, Solomons

• 16 F4Fs from VMF-121 and VMF-212 intercept 15 G4M 'Betty' bombers and 9 A6M Zeros over Guadalcanal at 1300 hours. The F4Fs claim 6 'Bettys' and 15 Zeros, but Japanese records report probably 3 'Bettys' and 4 Zeros are lost. 1 F4F is lost in an operational accident and 2 are shot down, but no pilots are lost.
• V Bomber Command B-17s attack the Japanese Navy anchorage at Faisi in the Shortland Islands, the Kahili airfield on Bougainville, and shipping off Buin and Kahili.
• A D3A 'Val' bomber and an A6M Zero are downed during the early evening by a Marine Corps F4F and 2 VF-71 F4Fs.

Eastern Front

After two days in which the Soviets have largely succeeded in holding the German advance, renewed attacks in the Krasnye Oktyabr area make some gains. Desperate Russian resistance continues.

Soviet attacks regain the northern outskirts of Rynok and force the Germans out of Spartakovka. During the afternoon, the Germans break through the 84th Tank Brigade on Tramvaynaya Street, attack the Barrikady factory wiping out the 37th Guards Div as they advance. Bloody battles rage across the railway lines as the Soviets fight to hold every yard. Again the Luftwaffe operates in force but is unable to influence the battle, the Soviet units hugging the German front line closely in order to negate the German air superiority.

Red Army riflemen are seen in action in a Stalingrad street.

Street Fighting in Stalingrad

The map of Stalingrad shows the farthest German advance into the city.

Farthest German Advance

Germany, Home Front

Hitler secretly orders all captured British Commandos to be summarily executed.

Guadalcanal

Adm Kusaka sends 15 Bettys and 9 Zeros to Guadalcanal for the noon raid. With enough gasoline for a change, the Cactus Air Force shoots down 3 bombers an 4 fighters for a loss of 1 F4F. The Japanese army is again shelling the Henderson Field area with 150-mm howitzers. Geiger orders engineers to begin the construction of a new airfield east of the present one, and hopefully out of Japanese gun range. Meanwhile Gen Tadashi Sumiyoshi's attack force is cutting its way through the jungle, the hardest terrain his men have encountered.

New Guinea

The American force moving over the Kapa Kapa Trail begins to arrive at Pongani. By October 21 the whole of one regiment has made this journey but after the rigors of the trip they are in no condition to fight. Its efforts have been wasted since it has proved possible to fly troops from Port Moresby to the north coast. Savage fighting continues in the area of Eora Creek, along the Kokoda pass.

Norwegian Sea

The Norwegian submarine Uredd sinks the German steamer Libau (3713t) near Valnesfjord.

United States, Command

Adm William F. Halsey replaces Adm R. L. Ghormley in charge of the South Pacific Command Area.

War Crimes

Following some incidents in the raid on Dieppe and the more recent, smaller landings in the Channel Islands, in which German prisoners have been shot while tied up, Hitler issues orders that all prisoners taken from Commando or other similar units are to be shot immediately.