Air Operations, CBI
10th Air Force transport aircraft begin airlifting personnel from 2 Chinese Army divisions from China to India where they will undergo training and re-equipping by US forces.
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]Air Operations, Europe
BOMBER COMMANDDaylight Ops:
- 6 Mosquitos are sent to attack individual German targest.
- 2 planes bomb Bremen and 1 bombs Minden.
- 1 Mosquito is lost.
| ]Air Operations, Mediterranean
There are fighter-bomber raids on Malta. Italian 4-engined night raiders are intercepted by RAF fighters over Gibraltar and forced to jettison their bombs over Spanish territory, causing damage and casualties.
[ | ]Air Operations, North Africa
Allied aircraft begin a 4-day operation to establish air superiority over El Alamein, a requirement for the planned ground offensive.
[ | ]Air Operations, Solomons
30 A6M Zeros sweep Guadalcanal ahead of an attack force composed of 16 G4M 'Betty' bombers and 6 Zeros. VMF-121 and VMF-212 F4Fs down 3 'Bettys' and 9 Zeros over Guadalcanal at about 1145 hours.
[ | ]Chile
The cabinet of Chile resigns after widespread agitation against what most Chileans consider to be a pro-Axis government policy.
[]Eastern Front
German forces are repulsed in a massive attack on Stalingrad.
SOUTHERN SECTORThe fighting in Stalingrad has settled down into stable positions, the 62nd Army having broken up the German attack despite consierable losses. The fresh divisions of the VIII Corps have been bloodied in the bitter street fighting as Paulus pressed home his attack without skill, using sheer firepower and weight of numbers to blast a way through to the Volga.
German Tank Approaches Defeated Enemy Tank |
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The condition of the Luftwaffe in the south begins to cause concern. The 4th Air Fleet has been operating along an extensive sector from the Don and the Caucasus. Combined, the IV and VIII Air Corps number only 970 aircraft at the end of October, of which barely 590 are operational.
The newly created IV Mechanized Corps under Gen Volskii, with the XXXVI, LIX and LX Tank Corps, begins to deploy in the Beketovka salient.
[ | ]Guadalcanal
Halsey meets with his commanders. Present are Gen Vandegrift, Gen Alexander Patch and Gen 'Miff' Harmon from the army, and Adm Kelly Turner from Espiritu Santo. The question put to these commanders, evacuate or hold? All say 'hold', if help comes. Turner says help will come. At Gen Vandegrift's request Vice-Adm Halsey sends another infantry regiment, the 147th, to the island.
30 fighters from Buin attack Henderson Field. The fighter strip is still usable so the F4Fs get in the air and fight the Zeros. The noon raid comes with 16 Bettys and another 18 Zeros, US fighters attack them also. The US pilots have gained much experience in the last 2 and 1/2 months while the Japanese have lost many experienced pilots. The new crop of Zeros are being manned by young men without experience. The Japanese lose 3 bombers and 4 fighters. The Americans lose 3 planes and temporarily 2 pilots.
Adm Fitch is sending supplies up as fast as he can by any means available. Using the minelayers Southard (DMS-10) and Hovey (DMS-11) 175 drums of fuel are loaded into each and sent to the island. The barge towed by the Vireo (AT-144) on the day the Meredith (DD-434) is sunk is found floating in the channel and brought to shore. It held 2,000 drums of aviation gas, about a 10-day supply for the Cactus Air Force.
The Japanese attack is postponed to the 22nd, since the main enveloping force has not yet reached the line of departure, but a patrol of the supporting coastal force is tanke uder fire at the mouth of the Matanikau River and retires after 1 of its 2 tanks is hit.
[ | ]North Africa
The RAF steps up its attacks against the positions, lines of communications and, most of all, the airfields of the Axis forces, in order to guarantee air supremacy during the coming offensive, which Montgomery plans to launch on the 24th.
[ | ]United States, Home Front
Congress passes the largest tax bill in the country's history. The measures are designed to raise $6,881,000,000.
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