Air Operations, CBI

• 7the Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based in India attack the marshaling yard at Mandalay and damage a large ship at the mouth of the Rangoon River.
• 1 11th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25 and 9 23rd Fighter Group P-40s attack rail targets at Naba.

Air Operations, Europe

• 4 Pathfinder Mosquitos and 29 Lancasters of 5 Group are sent to Essen.
• 'Skymarker' flares are dropped on Oboe. Reports from the ground say the bombing is concentrated in Borbeck, a suburb north of the city center.
• 2 Lancasters are lost.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• 90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the airfield at Lae while V Bomber Command B-26s attack Sanananda. In other attacks, B-25s and A-20s attack the airfield, gun emplacements and buildings at Lae.
• An 8th Fighter Group P-39 downs a Japanese Navy bomber near Goodenough Island about 1030 hours.

Eastern Front

The destruction of the German forces at Stalingrad continues. The Don Army Group continues its rearguard action, threatened always by a possible enemy breakthrough in the direction of Rostov. The Soviet advance goes on. They capture Nalchik in the Caucasus and Chernyshkovskiy on the Chir River.

The LIX Corps launches a relief attack with Group Wohler aimed at relieving the survivors of Velikiye Lui, Soviet resistance is intense. The bitter fighting at Velikiye Luki continues as the 3rd Shock attempts to snuff out the last pockets of German resistance.

Guadalcanal

The final echelon of the 25th Div, the 161st Regimental Combat Team, arrives. The 2nd Marine Div headquarters and the 6th Marines, reinforced, also land, bringing the 2nd Marine Div up to full strength.

Although the headquarters of the Japanese 17th Army has received orders to evacuate Guadalcanal gradually, transferring the remaining forces to the island of New Georgia, the Japanese soldiers continue to fight valiantly, despite the increasing shortage of rations and ammunition. The Gifu strongpoint continues to hold up the American advance on Mount Austen. By 1000, patrols from the companies of the 1st and 3rd Battalions meet at a point about 500 yards south of the ravine between Hills 31 and 30. The 132nd Infantry is ordered to dig in and hold its gains and begin to build a strong half-moon-shaped line around eastern bulge of the Gifu between Hills 31 and 27. D Company, relieved from the Lunga perimeter defense, joins its regiment, and enables Lt-Col Alexander M. George to place one machine gun platoon to support each rifle company. Every heavy weapons company sends one mortar platoon to form a provisional 81-mm mortar battery on the reverse slope of Hill 29.

Weakened by casualties, fatigue and illness, the 132nd Infantry is incapable of further offensive action. They hold the line until relieved by the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry, 25th Division. During 22 days of action on Mount Austin, the 132nd lost 112 killed, 268 wounded, and 3 missing. Estimates for Japanese losses during this period are between 400 and 500 killed.

New Georgia

During the night the Japanese base at Munda is bombarded by the US TF-67, 3 cruisers and 2 destroyers, under Rear-Adm Walden L. Ainsworth. A second group of cruisers and destroyers is in support. Proximity fuses for AA ammunition are used for the first time by one of the bombarding vessels.

New Guinea

In a surprise attack the Japanese seize an Allied advanced post near Tarakena, which enables them to rescue a part of the remainder of the Buna garrison. Allied commanders discuss a plan to eliminate the enemy west of the Girua River.

North Africa

A severe storm begins that sharply decreases the capacity of the Benghazi port and forces the British 8th Army to make greater use of the more distant port of Tobruk. As a result, Gen Montgomery alters his plan of attack, scheduled for the 15th, on the Buerat position, from which the Italians are already withdrawing. The X Corps, which was scheduled to advance, is to remain in place while its vehicles are used to bring up supplies from Tobruk. The size of the assault force which is to come from the XXX Corps is reduced by 1 division.

The crew of a Humber Mk II armured car open fire against enemy aircraft. Bombs can be seen exploding in the distance, 4 January 1943.

Humber Mk II Armored Car Crew Opens Fire