Air Operations, Aleutians

4 28th Composite Bomb Group B-26s and 4 XI Fighter Command P-38s attack shipping targets at Kiska. 1 freighter is damaged as are 1 B-26 and 2 P-38s.

Air Operations, Europe

• 30 aircraft lay mines off Lorient and St Nazaire, in the Frisians and the Kattegat without a loss.

Air Operations, Far East

US bombers attack an oil refinery in Bangkok.

Air Operations, Libya

IX Bomber Command B-24s conduct three separate attacks on Tripoli and claim direct hits on 3 Axis vessels.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-25s, 3d Light Bomb Group A-20s, and 49th Fighter Group P-40s attack airfields and antiaircraft positions in support range of Buna. 22d Medium Bomb Group B-26s attack various targets around Salamaua. 49th Fighter Group P-40s down 3 A6M Zeros near Buna at 1010 hours.

Air Operations, Solomons

During the night 7 AirSoPac B-17s attack the Kahili airfield on Bougainville.

Air Operations, Tunisia

14th Fighter Group P-38s down 7 Luftwaffe aircraft, including 5 Ju-52 transports, during two separate actions.

Eastern Front

The Soviets claim to have taken Krasnoye, Generalov and Selo on the Don. For the next few days there is something of a lull on the outer ring around Stalingrad. The Soviets are concentrating on the German pocket inside and the Germans are busy assembling strength for a counterattack.

Russian soldiers keeping an eye on the Germans

After heavy fighting the 3rd Shock Army succeeds in isolating elements of the LIX Corps in Velikiye Luki. Other units of the corps are thrown back upon Novosokolniki.

The 20th Army renews its attack from the Vazuza bridgehead, but is in turn attacked by elements of the 5th Panzer Division. The Soviets move up their armor and repel the German attack. During the afternoon the VI Tank Corps enters the battle, pushing forward into the German positions but suffering heavy losses. Pushing toward the Rzhev-Sychevka road the Soviets are struck by the Germans during the evening, elements of the 9th Panzer Division dealing with the penetration.

The 39th Army continues to push south from Molodi Tud but is meeting strong resistance as the Germans reinforce the line with elements of the Grossdeutschland and 14th Motorized Divisions. The 22nd Army renews its attack, slowly forcing the Germans back but at a high cost. Counterattacks by other elements of Grossdeutschland bring the advance to a halt.

The 41st Army exploits its previous gains by pushing deeper into the German positions. The Germans erect strong defenses against the shoulders of the breakthrough, preventing the broadening of the attack. Lead Soviet units push ten miles into the German positions but suffer heavy losses. Behind the line 1st Panzer Division marches west in an effort to contain the break in the line, while elements of the XXX Corps are ordered up to fill the hole.

Manstein arrives in the Don sector, assuming command of the newly formed Army Group Don. Included in his command are the 4th Panzer Army, 6th Army, 3rd and 4th Rumanian Armies. However, the 4th Panzer Army is an army in name only, consisting of the 16th Motorized Divisoin at Elitsa and the 18th Rumanian Division to its north. The 4th Rumanian Army, reduced to stragglers roaming the steppe around Kotelnikovo, can not be counted on. Despite this Manstein begins the formation fo screening forces before Kotelnikovo. The 4th Panzer assumes control of the scattered Rumanian units, taking under its command the headquarters of the VI and VII Rumanian Corps.

Paulus' 6th Army, albeit undr Army Group Don command, will effectively act only under Hitler's orders. Along the Chir Group Hollidt assume control of three infantry divisions, all understrength. Hollidt also receives two new Luftwaffe field divisions and takes control over Knobelsdorf's XLVIII Panzer Corps fighting in the Nizhne Chirskaya bridgehead. This unit has two panzer divisions, the depleted 22nd and Balck's recently arrived 11th.

New Guinea

At Gona the Australians and Japanese face each other without either side taking the initiative. The American 32nd Div tries again to capture Sanananda by frontal and flanking attacks, but without success, gaining only a few hundred yards. The Allies get to within 700 yards of the Killerton track and capture a supply depot, stubbornly defended by the Japanese. A powerful attack prefaced by a long air and artillery bombardment is launched on the west of the 'Triangle', where the Japanese defenses are least strong. The enemy shelters in bunkers during the bombardment and emerges to repel the attack with no great difficulty. The 127th Inf Regt of the 32nd Div reaches Port Moresby from Australia.

Despite losing a destroyer to air attack the Japanese manage to reinforce their troops at Buna.

North Africa

The British 1st Army continues to advance. Blade Force fights its first armored battle on the plain south of Mateur.

On November 26, 1942 the motion picture "Casablanca" has its world premiere at the Hollywood Theater in New York City. The premiere was timed to coincide with the Allied invasion of North Africa.

"Casablanca" Opens in New York