Air Operations, Europe

• 11 Bostons are sent to Cherbourg but are recalled. 6 Mosquitos attack railway targets in the Amiens and Tergnier areas.
• There are no losses.

• 3 Pathfinder Mosquitos and 19 Lancasters of 5 Group continue Oboe-marking experimental raids to Essen.
• 3 Lancasters are lost.
• 45 Wellingtons and Lancasters lay mines off the French and Dutch coasts. Taking part in their first operation are Wellingtons of 427 Squadron of the new 6 (Canadian) Group.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-26s and 1 90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24 attack the airfield at Lae. Another B-24 attacks Madang. A-20s attack Salamaua. V Fighter Command P-40s strafe Japanese Army troops fleeing Allied ground troops at Buna.

Air Operations, Pacific

B-17s bomb Rabaul, New Guinea.

Air Operations, Tunisia

All XII Fighter Command fighters and A-20s are assigned to attack German army tanks involved in overrunning the Free French Army positions at Fondouk el-Aouareb.

Eastern Front

The Soviet Caucasus offensive is now well under way with 4 Russian army groups involved, the Bryansk, the Voronezh, the Southwestern and the Southern Fronts. In the Caucasus von Kleist contains the Russian thrust by withdrawing to a series of defensive lines. Mozdok, held by the Germans since August 27, 1942, and Malgobek are both retaken by troops from 58th and 44th Armies. Von Kleist stands between the Terek and the Kuma Rivers. Farther north the Don Army Group under von Manstein is fighting hard to keep the Soviets from cutting von Kleist off in the Caucasus and at Stalingrad 6th Army continues to suffer. The inadequate attempts to ferry supplies in by air are proving very costly indeed and the route to Stalingrad is littered with wrecked German transport aircraft.

Fighting on the Chir Front sees the Soviets recapture Chernyakovsky after a bloody battle.

Malgobek and Mozdok are given up by the 1st Panzer Army as it falls back to the Kuma River. The 58th and 9th Armies occupy the abandoned towns. Nalchik falls to the 37th Army.

The Soviet Command schedules Operation KOLTSO, the reduction of the 6th Army, to begin on January 10.

Guadalcanal

The 2nd Battalion moves back to the military crest of Hill 27 to dig in securely as H Company moves its heavy weapons up to the hilltop. The 1st Battalion pushes to the west to straighten the bulge in the line and establishes contact on its left with the 2nd Battalion.

Mediterranean

• In Operation PRINCIPAL British 'human torpedoes' ('Chariots') penetrate Palermo harbor. The British submarines Trooper, with Chariots 16, 19 and 23, and Thunderbolt, with Chariots 15 and 22, release the chariots near Palermo and withdraw. The British submarine P-46 is to pick up the crews after the operation. The cruiser Ulpio Traiano and the liner Viminale (8500t) are severely damaged.
• Over the next week U-boats torpedo 7 out of 9 tankers in Convoy TM-1 (Trinidad-Mediterranean).

New Georgia

US fighter and bomber aircraft attack Japanese targets around the New Georgia group concentrating on the Japanese airfield at Munda and several Japanese destroyers anchored off Rendova Island.

New Guinea

Mopping-up operations in the Buna area and east of Giropa Point continue.

North Africa

An enemy tank-infantry force, with artillery and air support, overruns French XIX Corps troops at Fondouk. The British 1st Army's V Corps, employing the 36th Brigade, 78th Div, begins limited attacks to improve its positions on Djebel Azag and Djebel Ajred, west of Mateur. The British 6th Armored Div conducts a reconnaissance in force on the Goubellat plain.