Air Operations, Bismarcks

• A 43rd Heavy Bomb Group B-17 attacks an Japanese submarine at sea
• 1 90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24 attacks the Cape Gloucester airfield on New Britain.
• 6 of 11 AirSoPac B-17s dispatched from Guadalcanal attack shipping and port facilities at Rabaul.

Air Operations, New Guinea

1 90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24 attacks Lae.

Air Operations, Tunisia

• XII Fighter Command P-40s bomb German Army troops near Sfax.
• A pair of Italian Air Force Mc-202 fighters are downed by 52nd Fighter Group Spitfire pilots.

Battle of the Atlantic

The Philippine motorship Dona Aurora is torpedoed and sunk by the Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli about 200 miles off the coast of Brazil taking 3 on board as prisoners. The other survivors take to a boat and 3 rafts.

Britain, Home Front

King George VI makes his Christmas broadcast: 'Let us welcome the future in a spirit of brotherhood, and thus make a world in which, please God, all may dwell together in justice and in peace.'

Christmas dinner and celebrations in the wardroom of HMS Malaya. The ship is based at Scapa Flow.

Christmas Dinner Aboard HMS Malaya

Burma

Patrols from the 123rd Bde reach Rathedaung and report that the Japanese have moved out. In fact this is not the case and Japanese reinforcements are on their way.

Eastern Front

The Russians recapture 2 towns near Nalchik and reopen the 'Ossetian Military Highway'.

As the Soviet 6th Army digs in on strong positions from Novaya Kalitva to Kantemirovka the Germans move the XXIV Panzer Corps up to cover the area west of Kantemirovka. Detachment Fretter-Pico holds the line from Novaya Kalitva to south of Millerovo. Remnants of the Italian II Corps are at Voroshilovgrad while the German XVII Corps attempts to erect strong defenses around Morozovsk and Tatsinskaya.

The Soviets launch a vicious attack against the LVII Panzer Corps as it retreats, forcing the Germans back to the Aksai. Army Group Don informs Paulus that Hoth's attack has failed.

Inside Stalingrad the Soviets pound the 16th Panzer and 60th Motorized Divisions. Beginning at 0500 hours, the Soviets keep up their attacks until mid afternoon. Despite heavy fighting the German line remains steady. Since the encirclement on November 23, 6th Army has suffered 28,000 casualties. More serious is the deteriorating health of the survivors, struggling to subsist on meager rations in the middle of the Soviet winter, with nor warm shelter or proper winter equipment.

Guadalcanal

3 rifles companies of the 3rd Battalion are to advance southward in line from Hill 31 toward Hill 27, with M Company in reserve. The advance begins at 0930. Movement is impeded by the rocky terrain in the jungle. The Japanese maintain rifle and machine-gun positions beyond the pillbox line to prevent attackers from getting too close. The Americans fight for each yard gained. By 1335 the Americans are halted by machine-gun and rifle fire from both their front and flanks. Patrols attempt to locate the enemy's flanks but Japanese fire halts their movements. By this time casualties are 3 officers and 9 enlisted men killed and 16 enlisted men wounded. The regimental commander orders the troops to retire to their original positions while howitzers shell the enemy positions. Concluding that the Japanese have built a perimeter defense in the area, he decides to resume the attack the next morning. The 3rd Battalion will deliver a frontal attack while the 1st Battalion covers the 3rd's left flank and moves 1,000 yards to the south to establish a position from which patrols can locate enemy flanks.

New Britain

The Japanese base at Rabaul is attacked by bombers from Guadalcanal, causing damage to harbor installations.

New Guinea

Japanese submarines supply the Buna bridgehead. Australians and Americans persist in their attack agsinst the 'Triangle' and at one point drive the Japanese back on to the beaches.

George Silk’s classic picture taken at Buna, New Guinea, on Christmas Day, 1942. An Australian soldier, Private George “Dick” Whittington is aided by a Papuan orderly, Raphael Oimbari. Whittington died in February 1943 from typhus.

Australian Soldier Aided by Papuan Orderly

North Africa

The Axis garrison of Sirte, already outflanked by British armor, withdraws because of pressure to the front. The 8th Army moves in to Sirte. The Axis forces are preparing another defensive line, between Homs and Tarhuna, to the west of their Buerat line.

For the second time the German forces retake 'Longstop Hill' at Djebel el Ahmera, a strategic center dominating the roads leaving Medjez el Bab. The 1st Guards Brigade withdraws to the Medjez el Bab area during the night. The 18th Regimental Combat Team, US 1st Div, upon relief by the 1st Guards Brigade, moves to Teboursouk. There is continued sporadic activity for the next few days, but this soon dies down with bad weather and supply problems hindering both sides.

Pacific

The US submarine Tautog (SS-199) sinks the Japanese army cargo ship No. 2 Banshu Maru (1000t) about 15 miles north of Dili, Timor.