Air Operations, Europe

74 Pe-2s and 10 Shturmoviks, escorted by 28 Yak fighters, carry out a devastating attack on Hoth's Panzers at Karpovka, near Stalingrad.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• 43rd Heavy Bomb Group B-17s and 90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack a Japanese convoy off Madang.
• B-24s attack Alexisafen, the airfield at Lae, and a Japanese Navy transport off Manus Island
• 3rd Light Bomb Group A-20s attack Japanese Army infantry targets near Cape Endaiadere.

Air Operations, Solomons

2 VMF-112 F4Fs each down an A6M2-N 'Rufe' fighter-bomber over Guadalcanal.

Eastern Front

Hoth makes repeated attempts to force the Myshkova River, 40 km southwest of Stalingrad over the next 6 days, but without success.

The attack on the Don rolls on. The Germans counterattack in an effort to seal a gap in the line at Novaya Kalitva. Fierce battles rage around Boguchar as the Soviet attacks gain speed. Elements of the 6th Army swing toward Ivanovka while the XVII Tank Corps surges forward along the road to Kantemirovka. The XXIV and XXV Tank Corps push south.

The 11th Panzer Division continues to counterattack along the Chir but has to meet a new attack from Nizhne Kalinovski. Balck marches his men through the night to deal with this new threat.

The LVII Panzer Corps struggles to maintain its offensive. Elements of the 23rd Panzer Division attacks from the right flank of the Myshkova bridgehead while the 17th Panzer attacks on the left. Soviet resistance is increasing and later in the day the 23rd Panzer comes under heavy attack. The Soviets continue to feet fresh units into the battle, the 2nd Guards taking up blocking positions on the Myshkova River. Volskii's IV Mechanized Corps is renamed the III Guards Mechanized Corps.

Guadalcanal

The 3rd Battalion, 132nd Infantry, advances up the northwestern slopes of Mount Austen to Hill 35 where enemy fire is encountered.

Mediterranean

U-565 sinks the British destroyer Partridge west of Oran, Algeria with the loss of 38 of her crew. 173 survivors are picked up by the British destroyer Penn.

New Guinea

On the Sanananda front the Australians inflict heavy losses on the Japanese manning Napapo and, with support from American artillery, begin a concerted attack against Sanananda. The resistance of the Japanese surrounding the road-block on the Soputa track is partially broken. Elements of the US 127th Inf try to take the islet of Musita, but have to fall back in face of dogged Japanese resitance.

American reconnaissance patrol into the dense jungles of New Guinea, on December 18, 1942. Lt. Philip Winson had lost one of his boots while building a raft and he made a make-shift boot out of part of a ground sheet and straps from a pack. (AP Photo/Ed Widdis)

American Patrol in New Guinea

An Australian battalion with tank support attacks the Japanese positions at Cape Endiadere, east of Buna, which is taken by the Allies. Australian forces are now leading the attack here, and with newly arrived tank support they are able to come to grips with the Japanese defenses on more favorable terms than in the recent past. They are able to destroy the Japanese pillboxes with the tank guns, and drive the enemy out of their positions. They follow up westward as far as Strip Point, where they are halted by another line of bunkers. 3 tanks are lost by the Australians in this action. The battle continues.

North Africa

There is a brisk engagement at Nofilia between the Axis rearguards and the New Zealand 2nd Div. Nofilia is half way between El Agheila and Sirte. Montgomery, his supply lines seriously extended, orders pursuit of the enemy to be halted in case of possible surprise counterattack by Rommel.

Pacific

The Japanese light cruiser Tenryu is sunk by the American submarine Albacore (SS-218) in the Bismarck Sea.