Air Operations, Bismarcks

43rd Heavy Bomb Group B-24s and V Bomber Command B-25s attack the Cape Gloucester airfield on New Britain. 90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s mount single-plane missions against several ships in the area.

Air Operations, Europe

•   18 Bostons bomb the St Malo docks and 6 Venturas bomb the naval installations at Den Helder. The attack on Den Helder is very accurate as a torpedo workshop is heavily damaged along with other buildings in the area. There are no losses.

Bombs Falling on the Port of Den Helder

• 5 Oboe Mosquitos attack industrial targets in Essen, Hamborn, Meiderrich and Rheinhousen. Because of haze results can not be determined. Later a map from Essen show bomb bursts in the middle of the Krupps factory from this raid. There are no losses.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• 3rd Light Bomb Group A-20s strafe Japanese Army ground troops at Woiba Island and near Gona.
• 90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack a ship off Manus Island.

Air Operations, Solomons

Marine Corps SBDs attack the airfield at Munda Point, New Georgia and VMF-121 F4F escorts down 5 A6M Zeros over the target at 1210 hours.

Eastern Front

While von Manstein has been fighting to have von Paulus ordered to break out, Hoth has been dutifully battling his way forward. Today, however, the Soviet defense line on the Myshkova River finally wears Hoth's attacks to a halt about 30 miles from the troops besieged in Stalingrad. The troops in Stalingrad can hear the fighting but it comes no closer. This is the moment for von Paulus to order a sortie from his desperate position, but he has not enough fuel even to cover the short distance. Although the Führer has finally agreed to the sortie, von Paulus is undecided what to do. Von Manstein, whose own forces are in a critical situation and who cannot guarantee the success of the operation, advises him not to attempt a sortie. In the evening von Paulus, tortured by indecision, declares that he will not leave Stalingrad without a direct order from Hitler. So the costly advance of Hoth's group to the Myshkova River has been in vain. Moreover the airborne supplies so optimistically promised by Göring are getting increasingly scarce. The defenders of Stalingrad have to start slaughtering their horses to survive.

Russian forces in the Don area continue advancing, having gained up to 103 miles in the past 8 days.

The 5th Guards Army reaches Millerovo, attacking the 3rd Mountain Division. Element of the 19th Panzer are also moving up to support the garrison, the Germans spreading their meager force thin. Forces of the Soviet 6th Army attempt to reach Novaya Kalitva but are slowed by strong German resistance. As the XXIV and XXV Tank Corps press south the Luftwaffe inflicts heavy losses. After heavy fighting the 306th Infantry Division pulls back upon Morozovsk, enabling the XXIV Tank to head for Tatsinskaya.

The LVII Panzer Corps again attacks from the Myshkova bridgehead but runs into strong Soviet tank forces. Four hours of fierce fighting follows, bringing the German attack to a halt.

North Africa

Torrential rains begin, and hold up operations for 3 days. Elements of the 18th Regimental Combat Team, US 1st Div, which has replaced the 2nd Coldstream Guards on the Djebel el Ahmera, has to withdraw when counterattacked by the Germans.