Air Operations, Bismarcks

90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s mount single-plane attacks against a cargo ship near New Britain.

Air Operations, East Indies

90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s mount single-plane attacks against a ship at sea off Amboina Island.

Air Operations, Europe

2 Belgian fighter pilots of the RAF drop Belgian flags over the center of Brussels.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• 43rd Heavy Bomb Group B-17s attack Wewak.
• 90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s mount single-plane attacks against Salamaua.
• 3d Light Bomb Group A-20s attack various targets around Mubo.
• The 3d Light Bomb Group headquarters moves to Port Moresby from Australia to join its combat squadrons, which have been in action in New Guinea since March 1942.

Air Operations, Solomons

• 5 XIII Bomber Command B-26s and 12 347th Fighter Group P-39s attack the Vila airfield on Kolombangara.
• XIII Fighter Command P-38s and P-40s, with Cactus Air Force aircraft, attack shipping between Choiseul and Kolombangara islands.
• During the evening, XIII Bomber Command B-17s attack the Kahili airfield on Bougainville.
• A 347th Fighter Group P-40 downs an A6M Zero over Vella Lavella during an afternoon mission.

Air Operations, Tunisia

• XII Bomber Command B-17s, B-25s, and B-26s, respectively, attack the port, shipping, and marshalling yards at Sfax in three waves during the early afternoon. Bomber gunners claim 5 enemy fighters and a Bf-109 is downed by a 14th Fighter Group P-38 pilot.
• 1 B-26 and 1 P-38 are lost to Luftwaffe fighters.

CBI

Gen Stilwell reaches an agreement with the Chinese political and military leadership on the outlines of the program to train and equip 30 Chinese divisions.

Eastern Front

The Soviet 38th Army takes Kastornoye east of Voronezh near which a detachment of German 2nd Army is cut off.

Elements of 40th Army, moving north from Alexievka, link up with 13th Army, encircling the bulk of the German 2nd Army. Only the LV Corps on the northern wing of the German force is free to withdraw. The encircled units, comprising large parts of the VII and XIII Corps around Kastornoye, come under heavy attack by the 38th Army.

At Stalingrad, Soviet attack split the VIII and LI Corps in the city center apart from the XIV Panzer and IV Corps around the ruins of the Univermaag department store.

In the Caucasus, 37th Army captures Kropotkin after a brief struggle.

Germany, Home Front

After more than 3 years of war, a decree for the further mobilization of civilian men, aged 16 to 65, and women, aged 17 to 45, for war work is issued by Fritz Sauckel, the Director-General of Labor.

Guadalcanal

The American advance towards Cape Esperance continues against weak Japanese resistance. The CAM Div continues west from the Nueha River, eliminating sniper nests.

Mediterranean

• U-553 is lost during operations in the North Atlantic between 20 and 28 of January. The loss is probably the result of an accident arising from a mechanical or drill failure.

U-553

Class	Type VIIC
CO	Korvettenkaipiän Karl Thurmann
Location	North Atlantic
Cause	Unknown
Casualties	47
Survivors	None

• U-514 continues its attack on the US freigher Charles C. Pinckney (7177t), a straggler from Convoy UGS-4. The freighter is abandoned by the crew and Armed Guard in 4 lifeboats. The submarine then sinks the freighter with gunfire.
• U-442 torpedoes and sinks the US freighter Julia Ward Howe (7176t) about 175 miles south of the Azores with the loss of 1 Armed Guard sailor.

New Guinea

The Japanese, trying a last effort to reach Port Moresby across the inland mountains, carry out an unsuccessful attack on the detachment of the Australian 3rd Div at Wau. Brave defense gives the Allied commander to bring up reinforcements by air.

North Africa

The French XIX Corps continues to clear the Ousseltia Valley, gaining control of the west exit and half the length of Kairouan Pass. Combat Command B, US 1st Armored Div, is detached from the corps and during the night moves to Bou Chebka. The 26th Regimental Combat Team, less 1 battalion, US 1st Infantry Div, is ordered to Sbeïtla and breaks off action with the enemy in the afternoon. US units remaining with the French in the Ousseltia Valley are the 2nd Battalion, 26th Infantry; the 1st and 3rd Battalions, 16th Infantry; the 7th Field Artillery Battalion; a battery of the 33rd Field Artillery Battalion; and a tank destroyer company; and a battalion of engineers. The US 1st Division, less the detached units, begins the move from Guelma, Algeria into the French XIX Corps sector.