Air Operations, Crete

In an extension of the USAAF and RAF air offensive against Axis landing grounds and airdromes in Egypt and Libya, USAMEAF heavy bombers attack Maleme Airdrome.

Air Operations, Egypt

• USAMEAF B-25s attack Axis aircraft dispersed on the ground behing the El Alamein front.
• 57th Fighter Group P-40s escorting the B-25s attack tent camps and vehicles along the coastal highway near El Hamma, reconnoiter the area west of El Daba, and attack German artillery positions.

Air Operations, Europe

The RAF launches a series of devastating raids on the Turin-Milan-Genoa 'Triangle', the Italian equivalent of the Ruhr, with a night attack by 100 Lancasters on Genoa. There will be 6 heavy night raids on Genoa and 7 on Turin by year's end. Both industrial production and civilian morale are affected.

• 22 Wellingtons are sent on cloud-cover raids to Essen, the Ruhr and the Dortmund-Ems Canal at Lingen.
• 13 aircraft bomb estimated postions through the clouds and 1 strafes a train near Lingen.
• There are no losses.

• 112 Lancasters of 5 Group and Pathfinders are sent to Genoa to recommence the campaign against Italy in conjunction with the British offensive at El Alamein.
• It is a perfectly clear moonlit night and the Pathfinder marking is accurate. 180 tons of bombs are dropped in ideal conditions. There is heavy damage in the city center and the eastern districts. Estimates of casualtiess are 39 dead and 200 injured. It is reported that the attack has had a severe effect on the morale of the people of Genoa.
• There are no losses.

• 12 Stirlings lay mines off the southern Biscay coast without a loss.

Crews of No 106 Squadron photographed in front of a Lancaster at Syerston, Nottinghamshire, on the morning after the raids on Genoa, 22-23 October 1942. Fourth from the right is Pilot Officer David Shannon, a future 'Dambuster' and leading light of No 617 Squadron.

Lancaster Crews at Syerston, Nottinghamshire

Air Operations, Solomons

Marine Corps F4Fs down 5 D3A 'Val' dive bombers over Guadalcanal at 1300 hours.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-412 is spotted by Wellington 'B' of No 179 Squadron on a routine A/S patrol. Four depth charges are dropped which explode in pairs on each side of the submarine. U-412 had left Kiel just five days earlier on her first patrol.

U-412

Britain, Home Front

• The first convoy for Operation TORCH sails from Britain.
• Britain lowers its draft age to 18.

Chile

President Juan Antonio Rios announces a policy aligining the country in the pro-Allied hemispheric alliance.

Eastern Front

The first winter snow falls on the hills outside Stalingrad. As the Seige of Leningrad continues, the Germans make an unsuccessful assault on Suho Island in Lake Ladoga.

As the first winter snows fall at Stalingrad, Shumilov's 64th Army attacks from the Beketovka salient to link up with the 62nd Army in the southern wing of Chuikov's force. The attack, however, is disrupted by massed German counter artillery fire, the 64th suffering heavy casualties under the protracted bombardment.

The Stavka activates the Southwest Front, Gen Nikolay Vatutin taking command. The front deploys the 63rd and 21st Armies, Romanenko's 5th Tank Army, the latter formation having the I and XXVI Tank Corps, 6 rifle divisions, 1 tank brigade and 1 cavalry corps and Krasovsky's 17th Air Army. The 63rd Army, with 6 rifle divisions, is in the process of re-forming, shortly being redesignated the 1st Guards Army under Lelyushenko. Chistyakov's 21st Army deploys 6 rifle divisions, the IV Tank and the III Guards Cavalry Corps.

As the date for the planned counteroffensive (codenamed URANUS) grows close, the Southwest Front is also allocated the 2nd Air Army to overwhelm the thinly stretched German air forces and gain air superiority over the battlefield. The 4th Tank Army, recently disbanded, is taken over by Gen Batov and renamed the 65th Army (9 rifle divisions and the 91st and 121st Tank Brigades). It is allocated to Rokossovsky's Don Front. Galanin's 24th (9 rifle divisions and the XVI Tank Corps) and Zhadov's 66th (6 rifle divisons) Armies are already with the Don Front, involved in fighting between the Volga and the Don.

To the rear, the Stavka raises the 2nd Guards Army, this unit later being used in the offensive against the Rumanian 4th Army, shortly to deploy south of the 6th Army.

Guadalcanal

The Japanese postpone their 'decisive attack' one more day, since the main assault force is still short of their line of departure, but continue artillery fire against the Marine positions along the Matanikau. The Japanese, however, again attack over the Matanikau with a strong force of tanks and infantry, but are beaten back with heavy losses inflicted largely by the well-organized American artillery.

Adm Kakuta transfers his flag as the Hiyo limps back to Truk to see what could be done to make her fleetworthy.

New Guinea

To ensure control of the southern part of Milne Bay, the Australians send a battalion of the 18th Bde in 2 destroyers to occupy Goodenough Island which has been largely abandoned by the Japanese, except for about 300, since their defeat at Milne Bay.

North Africa

In complete secrecy, moving at night, troops of the British 8th Army take up their positions for the imminent offensive.

US Gen Mark W. Clark, Eisenhower's deputy, with some of his staff, arrives in Algeria by night on board the British submarine Seraph for discussion with Gen Charles Mast, leader of the French officers who support the Allies. The objective of the meeting is to work out details of how Mast and other insurgents could help once the invasion was launched. Mast assures Clark and the American Consul-General, Robert Murphy, that the French units commanded by Gen Henri Giraud are ready to support the Allies action. Clark reports to Eisenhower that all their questions were settled satidfactorily. He said he had gained valuable intelligence data and that the planned operation appears to be sound from the discussions and information receive. He also said that he anticipates that the bulk of the French Army and Air Forces will offer little resistance.

Pacific

The US destroyers Mahan (DD-364) and Lamson (DD-367) are detached from TF-16 to destroy the Japanese picket boat line west of the Gilberts. They sink the gunboat Hakkaisan Maru (3311t) southwest of Tamana.

Soviet Union, Strategy

Plans for the Soviet counteroffensive around Stalingrad, codenamed URANUS, are gathering pace. The Southwestern Front under Gen Nikolay Vatutin is activated, comprising the 5th Tank, 21st and 63rd Armies and the 2nd and 17th Air Armies. The Don Front comprises the 24th, 65th and 66th Armies. The Stavka also has the 2nd Guards Army that it intends to use against the Romanian 4th Army.