Air Operations, Bismarcks

V Bomber Command bombers attack the Gasmata airfield on New Britain.

Air Operations, CBI

• A 23Rd Fighter Group P-40 downs a Vichy French Air Force biplane near Lao Kay during the afternoon.

• The 341st Medium Bomb Group’s 22nd Medium Bomb Squadron, in B-25s, is declared operational.

Air Operations, Europe

• 4 Mosquitos make railway attacks in Belgium and Holland, but only 1 bombs and that is in Ghent. There are no losses.

• 68 aircraft including 27 Halifaxes, 23 Lancaster and 18 Wellingtons lay mines at Texel, Heligoland and in the Frisians. The Group 5 Lancasters are recalled, but most of the other aircraft carry out their taskes.
• There are no losses.

Air Operations, Libya

57th Fighter Group P-40 pilots dwon 2 Bf-109s at the cost of 1 P-40 and its pilot.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• 5th Air Force and RAAF bombers and fighters repeatedly attack Japanese Army ground troops landed the day before by Japanese destroyer-transports at Buna, and the destroyer-transports are also attacked in the vicinity of Cape Ward Hunt. Also attacked are Japanese Army ground forces located along the Kumasi and Mambare Rivers, and in the Cape Endaiadere area. Also, the airfield at Lae is attacked.
• 374th Troop Carrier Group transports airlift a record 172 tons of supplies to the advance airstrips at Dobodura and Popondetta.

Air Operations, Solomons

AirSoPac B-17s attack Buin.

The damaged bow of HMS ARGONAUT as the ship lies docked. Despite heavy damage after she had been torpedoed in the Mediterranean the British cruiser lived on. She managed to get home where she was repaired before serving in the Far East.

Damaged Bow of HMS Argonaut

Torpedo damage aft, HMS Argonaut, December 1942.

More Damage to the HMS Argonaut

Air Operations, Tunisia

• XII Bomber Command B-24s attack shipping and port facilities at Bizerte.
• B-17s attack shipping and port facilities at Tunis.
• During the morning, 9 15th Light Bomb Squadron A-20s, escorted by 8 14th Fighter Group P-38s and 12 33rd Fighter Group P-40s, attack the Sfax railroad station.
• During the afternoon, 9 15th Light Bomb Squadron A-20s, escorted by P-38s, attack the same target.
• P-38s attack several Axis vessels at sea off the Tunisian coast, strafe traffic on the coast highway between Tunis and Bizerte, and strafe trains near Kerker and la Hencha.

Battle of the Atlantic

The US freighter Alcoa Rambler (5500t) is torpedoed and sunk by U-174 while en route from Port-of-Spain, Trinidad to Santos, Brazil losing 1 crewman as the ship is abandoned.

Eastern Front

The German relieving attack toward Stalingrad is still making good progress. The airlift to the city today supplies 180 tons. This is the largest effort which will be managed on any day during the siege.

The 3rd Shock makes significant penetrations into the German defenses around Velikiye Luki amid bitter resistance.

Along the Chir, the 5th Shock and 5th Tank Armies continue to attack pinning down the XLVIII Panzer Corps so it can take no part in the Stalingrad relief attack. The relief force pushes on, but the IV Mechanized and the XIII Tank Corps enter the battle against it. Furious fighting develops at Verkhne Kumski as the IV Mechanized tries to halt the 6th Panzer Division and gains time for the arrival of the 2nd Guards Army.

The Luftwaffe struggles to provide 6th Army with its quota of supplies. German aircraft deliver only 150 tons of supplies, far short of the Luftwaffe declared minimum of 350 tons. 6th Army has to drastically reduce its defensive operations and cut rations to the barest minimum.

With Hoth's relief attack the Soviet High Command postpones Operation KOLTSO, the reduction of the 6th Army.

The Luftwaffe has delivered only 150 tons of supplies thus far to the trapped 6th Army.

Guadalcanal

Additional elements of the Americal Div arrive.

Japan, Home Front

The newspapers Nichi Nichi of Tokyo and Mainichi of Osaka merge as Mainichi Shimbun.

Madagascar

Eden and de Gaulle agree that the administration of the island should be handed over to the Free French. Gen Paul le Gentahomme is appointed High Commissioner.

New Guinea

The Japanese convoy already signalled reaches the mouth of the Mambare River in the morning and carries out landing operations. They are not sighted by Allied reconnaissance until the afternoon. Then fighters and fighter-bombers attack the boats, which are still landing men, supplies and ammunition, causing some damage. The Japanese reinforcements that did land are about 30 miles west of Gona and begin to march along the coast toward the Australians' flank. There are renewed US attacks by 2 companies of the 127th Inf Regt on Buna village which is taken easily after a brief Japanese resitance. The far tougher obstacle of the Buna Government Station still remains in Japanese hands. In a single day 178 tons of material arrive by air from Australia.

North Africa

The El Agheila line is attacked by 7th Arm Div while the New Zealanders attempt an outflanking maneuver moving to the southwest in the desert to by-pass El Agheila.

German recon patrol deep in the Sahara (crossing the 23rd Latitude) to search for incoming enemy units from the South.

German Patrol in the Sahara