Air Operations, Europe

• 9 Mosquitos are sent out, but none reach their designated targets.
  
• 7 planes bomb targets of opportunity in unidentified places.
• 1 aircraft is lost.

• 4 Wellingtons lay mines in the Frisians without a loss.

Air Operations, Solomons

• During a dawn attack against the Japanese Navy seaplane base at Rekata Bay, VMF-212 F4Fs down 3 A6M2-N 'Rufe' float fighters and 2 float biplanes at 0515 hours.
• 5 VMF-121 F4Fs down 4 of 6 D3A 'Val' bombers near Tulagi Island at 1400 hours.
• V Bomber Command B-17s attack the harbor at Buin.

Battle of El Alamein

The Australians and 90th Light continue their slugging match north and east of Tell el Eisa. The Australian 9th Div attacks again in the coastal sector, reaching the sea during the night and turning west so as to enclose huge enemy forces in a pocket. An armored thrust by the Axis forces frees them and they are able to withdraw towards Cyrenaica.

Battle of the Atlantic

The transport President Doumer (11,900t), part of convoy SL-125, is sunk by U-604 off northwest Africa northeast of Madeira in very bad weather. The master, 173 crew members, 23 gunners and 63 troops are lost. 78 crew members and 7 gunners are rescued by the Alaska and HMS Cowslip.

Eastern Front

A lull settles over Stalingrad, both the 62nd and 64th Armies having fought themselves to a standstill. Paulus intends to reinforce and regroup during the lull for what he expects will be the final attack that will break the 62nd Army.

The Red Army hastens to complete its preparations for Operation URANUS. The pland is revised slightly as the Southwest Front's attack from Serafimovich wi the 5th Tank and 21st Armies is altered so that these forces move on the Chir and Kalach while the 1st Guards supports the attacks on the Chir line. The Stalingrad Front is to attack with the 64th 57th and 51st Armies from the Sarpa lakes to Sovetski and Kalach. The 57th Army (2 rifle divisions, XIII Tank Corps and 2 tank brigades) is to attack an 8-mile front southwest of Kundutovo, enabling the XIII Tank Corps to penetrate into the Rumanian rear while the 51st Army (4 rifle divisions, IV Mechanized Corps and IV Cavalry Corps) attacks between Lakes Tsatsa and Barmantsak on a 6-mile front. The IV Mechanized Corps is to exploit these gains. The 64th Army (5 rifle divisions) is to attack from the Beketovka salient, while the 62nd pins the 6th Army inside Stalingrad.

Guadalcanal

The Marines complete the preparations for their offensive and build more improvised bridges over the Matanikau River.

It having been decided to build a 2nd airstrip for bombers, Aola Point is chosen as the proposed location. 2 companies of 2nd Raider Bn are selected for an assault of the area. The assault companies board the old 4-stackers McKean and Manley. They land without opposition. It starts raining, the marines huddle on the beach and wait for army troops to replace them while the Seabees begin construction.

Mediterranean

2 Royal Navy divers lose their lives rescuing an Enigma machine from sinking U-boat U-559 off the coast of Egypt.

New Guinea

The Australian advance has reached Alola, about 10 miles south of Kokoda. One brigade is sent directly toward Kokoda while a second takes a more easterly route to Oivi.

Solomons

American cruisers and destroyers shell Japanese positions on Santa Cruz.

Soviet Union, Strategy

The Stavka finalizes its URANUS plans. The Southwestern Front will attack the Chir and Kalach lines while the Stalingrad Front will strike for Sovetski and Kalach. The battered 62nd Army will pin the 6th Army in Stalingrad and the 64th Army will attack from the Beketovka salient.

United States, Home Front

US Army Chief of Staff Gen Marshall discloses that 800,000 Americans are in service overseas.