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.
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]Air Operations, CBI
CHINA- 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, Europe
15th AIR FORCEITALY:
- 15th Air Force B-24s and B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Udine and Bolzano and the Vicenza Airdrome.
- 15th Air Force B-26s attack several marshalling yards in the Pisa-Porta Nuova area.
- An 82nd Fighter Group P-38 downs 1 Bf-109 over Udine at 1100 hours.
| ]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.[MORE]
[ | ]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.
SOUTHERN SECTORThe 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
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