Air Operations, Bismarcks

38th Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack the radio station and airfield at Gasmata.

Air Operations, Europe

The Luftwaffe lands advance elements of a German expeditionary force at El Aouina Airport, Tunis. Luftwaffe losses in Malta raids this year (1942) are 172 bombers and 99 fighters. Over the next week German bombers and torpedo planes hit 5 transports, the carrier Argus and the monitor Roberts off North Africa.

• 70 aircraft lay mines from Brest to the Frisians.
• 2 Halifaxes and 2 Wellingtons are lost.
• 26 Stirlings of 3 Group drop leaflets over many towns in France.
• There are no losses.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• 3rd Light Bomb Group A-20s attack Japanese ground troops around Oivi.
• 5th Air Force transports airlifts several US Army infantry battalions from Port Moresby to Wanigela.

Eastern Front

The Soviet forces in the Caucasus have gone over to the attack on the Terek front and are threatening to cut off come units of III Pzr Corps.

Germany, Home Front

Hitler announces the fall of Stalingrad 'except for some very small parts'.

Guadalcanal

The 7th Marines and the 2nd Battalion of the 164th Infantry, which has been attached to the 7th Marines as a reserve unit, move east along the coast to surround the enemy who have dug in along Gavaga Creek at Tetere about a mile east of the Metapona. The 3 battalions leave their positions west of the wide, swampy mouth of Metapona and advance east and west of Gavaga Creek. The 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, occupies the west bank and takes positions running inland from the beach. The 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, posted on the east, hold a shorter line between east bank of the Gavaga Creek and the beach. Dengue puts Gen Rupertus out of action, Gen Sebree takes command on orders from Vandegrift.

Carlsons troops reach Gegende, but find no Japanese. A small Japanese force is encountered at a second point, Reko, but are driven away.

During the night 3 PT boats find 2 Japanese destroyers, fire 5 torpedoes and claim 1 hit. 1 PT boat gets hit by a 5-in shell but there are no casualties.

Another Japanese submarine torpedoes the transport Edgar Allen Poe, surfaces and shells ship, but it does not sink. The transport is towed to Nouméa.

The 'Tokyo Express' has been landing reinforcements along the coast from Kokumbona to Cape Esperance during the period from October 28 to date.

North Africa - Operation TORCH

The Allied invasion of French North Africa begins.[MORE]

Pacific

• The US submarine Seawolf (SS-197) sinks the Japanese gunboat Keiko Maru (2929t) off Cape San Augustin, Mindanao, Philippines.
• The US freighter Edgar Allen Poe is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-21 56 miles southeast of Amadee Light, Nouméa, New Caledonia losing 2 crewmen. The ship is towed to Nouméa by the New Zealand minesweeper and corvette Kiwi where she will be declared a total loss.

Secret War

Gen Giraud is picked up from southern France by the submarine Seraph, which transfers him to a Gibraltar-bound flying boat.

Vichy France

Pierre Laval, Prime Minister of the Vichy government, agrees to the German demand that French airports in Tunisia be opened to German aircraft.