At 00.40 AM 130 miles East of Tobago, U-66 sinks British MV Weirbank (1 killed, 56 crew and 10 gunners reach Tobago next day). 200 miles further East, U-155 sinks Brazilian SS Barbacena at 7.15 AM (6 killed, 56 survivors in 4 lifeboats) and Brazilian tanker SS Piave at 10.30 PM (Captain killed, 34 survivors).
At 8 AM 60 miles South of Halifax, Nova Scotia, U-754 surfaces and sinks US fishing boat MV Ebb with 50 rounds from the 88mm deck gun (5 killed, 12 survivors including 7 wounded picked up after 14 hours by British destroyer HMS Witherington and taken to Boston).
Case Blue. With the tanks of German Army Group A spreading rapidly South into the Caucasus and Paulus’ 6th Army making progress (slowly) towards Stalingrad, Stalin issues Order No. 227 ("Not a step back!" Russian: Ni Shagu Nazad!) instructing unit commanders to create penal battalions and "blocking detachments" to detain or shoot deserters.
Kokoda track. At noon, Australian Colonel Owen takes 77 troops to hold the Kokoda airfield, leaving 40 at Deniki. 2 Douglas transport aircraft circle the airfield carrying 39th Battalion reinforcements but return to Port Moresby without landing, fearing Japanese infiltration of the airfield.
In the Coral Sea, Japanese submarine I-175 torpedoes French SS Cagou which left Sydney, Australia, for Nouméa, New Caledonia, 5 days ago.
Overnight, 256 RAF bombers (161 Wellingtons, 71 Stirlings and 24 Whitleys) take off to raid Hamburg, Germany. 91 bombers are recalled due to bad weather and many others get separated and turn back. Only 68 bomb Hamburg (13 civilians killed, 48 injured). RAF losses are heavy (20 Wellingtons, 1 Whitley and 9 Stirlings, including at least 5 which are return without reaching the target).
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