Air Operations, Bismarcks

• In the hope of drawing Japanese Navy aircraft away from their base at Kavieng, US surface ships bombard the Japanese base at Buka Island in the Solomons. Then, at 0745 hours, 27 SBDs and SB2Cs, 28 TBFs, and 31 F6Fs from Task Group 37.2 mount an anti-shipping strike against the harbor at Kavieng, but few ships are there to be attacked, and air opposition is negligible, because most of the air contingent has been dispatched to Rabaul in the wake of a US surface bombardment of the Japanese airfields on Bougainville the previous day. 1 TBF is lost.
• More than 180 V Bomber Command B-24s, B-25s, B-26s, and A-20s attack Cape Gloucester and 3rd Light Bomb Group A-20s help drive back Japanese Army counterattacks against the Arawe beachhead.
• Despite bad weather, 5 of 13 XIII Bomber Command B-24s sent and 63 AirSols fighters are able to attack the Lakunai airfield at Rabaul. 2 P-38s are lost.
• A VF-18 F6F downs an H6K 'Mavis' flying boat at sea at 0745 hours. VF-33 F6Fs down 2 A6M Zeros over Rabaul at noon. 18th Fighter Group P-38s down four Zeros over the Rabaul area between noon and 1210 hours. Marine Corps F4Us down 8 A6M Zeros in the Rabaul area between noon and 1222 hours. An 8th Fighter Group P-40 downs a Ki-46 'Dinah' reconnaissance aircraft near Arawe at 1320 hours. 8 VF-18 and VF-30 F6Fs down a G4M 'Betty' bomber at sea at 1740. A VF-18 F6F downs another 'Betty' bomber at sea at 1830 hours. 2 XIII Fighter Command P-38s are lost over Rabaul.
• During the night, a total of 4 G4M 'Betty' bombers and 7 B5N 'Kate' torpedo bombers attempt to attack Task Group 37.2, but no hits are scored.

Air Operations, CBI

• 2 11th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s attack a passenger liner at Hong Kong.

• Approximately 50 Japanese aircraft attack Chittagong in support of the upcoming Japanese Army offensive against India.

Air Operations, Central Pacific

VII Bomber Command B-24s pass through Hawkins Field on Betio to attack the airfield on Nauru.

Air Operations, Marshalls

10 531st Fighter-Bomber Squadron A-24s, escorted by 318th Fighter Group P-39s, attack the airfield on Mille.

Air Operations, Solomons

• VMTB-232 and VC-40 TBFs attack Japanese Army ground troops in close proximity to friendly ground troops, and the attack dislodges the Japanese force.
• US Navy Seabees complete the construction of a new fighter strip on Stirling Island in the Treasurys.

Arctic

The German battlecruiser Scharnhorst under Adm Erich Bey sails from north Norway to attack the convoy JW-55B which has been found by German air and submarine searches. Bey is unaware that the British battleship Duke of York is in distant support.

Allied Planning

Allied military leaders, meeting in Tunis, agree to revive the plan for an amphibious landing south of Rome to break the Italian impasse.

Battle of the Atlantic

The British anti-submarine trawler Kingston Beryl sinks on a mine north of Ireland with the loss of 28 crewmen.

China

Chinese troops recapture the city of Kung-an in northern Hunan Province after weeks of costly and bitter fighting.

Eastern Front

The Soviet offensive south of Nevel continues and the Vitebsk-Polotsk rail line is cut.

The Soviets pound the German forces with additional arty fire, grinding down any strong points that continue to resist. To add to the mayhem behind the German lines, the onset of rain prevents the front line units from disengaging to pull back. As the pace of the attack increases, the 40th Army follows in the wake of the 38th Army and 1st Tank Army, pushing along the road to Vinnitsa.

India

Japanese bombers raid Chittagong.

Italy

The Americans advance into the mountains northwest of San Pietro.

New Britain

The Japanese attack the enemy beachhead on the Arawe peninsula, forcing the Americans to withdraw slightly on to the periphery of the defensive perimeter.

New Ireland

Adm Sherman's Task Group 50.2 raids the port installations on Kavieng with 86 aircraft. 2 carriers and 6 destroyers are in the attack force and they succeed in sinking only 1 transport ship.

Images from December 25, 1943

Men of the 2/6th Queen’s Regiment Celebrate Christmas, Italy, 25 December 1943

The Prime Minister Winston Churchill, dressed in his siren suit and dressing gown, stands beside General Dwight D Eisenhower, with General Harold Alexander behind them, at his headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia, on Christmas Day, 25 December 1943.

Churchill, Eisenhower and Alexander in Tunis

Christmas at Kavieng

Christmas at Kavieng—-Death and destruction were the gifts bestowed by the US Navy in this scene of resounding havoc at Kavieng, New Ireland on Christmas Day, 1943. Striking heavily at the New Ireland base, Navy planes strafed and bombed Jap [Japanese] cargo and warships with awesome force and accuracy. In the foreground two Japanese escort vessels, roughly the equivalent of our destroyer escorts in size and weight, are smoking from the attack. The foremost of the two was believed sunk. In the background a Grumman Hellcat (F6F) swoops in low near a big cargo ship to continue the deadly strafing. 25 December 1943

Lt Harvey Floyd Bell, Chaplain of 1st Bn, 180th Inf Regt, Says Grace before Christmas Dinner Is Served, Demanio area, Italy, 25 December 1943

US troops Eating Christmas Dinner on a Haystack, Italy, 25 December 1943

25 December 1943: Christmas Tree of Battery C, 136th Field Artillery, 37th Division on Bougainville Island

Chaplain Lt-Col William King Leads Troops of the 45th Infantry Division in Christmas Day Services in Italy, 25 December 1943

Loaded Mule with Cans of Hot Turkey, Demanio, Italy, 25 December 1943