UNITED KINGDOM:

London: Norman Brook, the wartime deputy Cabinet secretary makes a note (in shorthand) that Churchill said: "Contemplate [that] if Hitler falls into our hands, we shall certainly put him to death. Not a Sovereign who [could] be said to be in hands of Ministers, like Kaiser. This man is the mainspring of evil. Instrument -- electric chair, for gangsters no doubt available on lend-lease." (William Ritchart)

U-502 becomes the first U-boat to be sunk in a night attack by a Leigh Light equipped RAF Wellington. (22)

The RAF invites the US Eighth Air Force to share membership in important RAF operational committees dealing with targets, operational research, interception, and bomber operations. VIII Air Force Service Command sets up headquarters at Bushy Park with Major General Walter H Frank as Commanding General. 6 B-17s arrive in the UK via the North Atlantic ferry route.

GERMANY: U-367 is laid down.

U.S.S.R.: The Germans launch Operation Swamp Flower, a massive sweep of partisan fighters in Dorogobuzh.

Voronezh falls to the German Army Group South after it has been evacuated by Soviet Army forces.

At 1638, the John Witherspoon was torpedoed by U-255 about 20 miles from the shore of Novaya Zemlya. The ship had been in convoy PQ-17 which was dispersed on Admiralty orders in the Barents Sea on 4 Jul 1942. One torpedo struck on the starboard side between the #4 and #5 holds, followed by a second torpedo about one minute later underneath the bridge. At 1655, two coup de grâce were fired, which struck on the port side amidships and broke the ship in two, causing her to sink within minutes. At this time, the eight officers, 31 crewmen and 11 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, four .50cal and two .30cal guns) already abandoned ship in three lifeboats and one raft. One seaman fell overboard and drowned. The U-boat approached the boat of the master and asked for the master and about the cargo, offered food and water, promised to send a message for the survivors, gave directions to the nearest land and then left. On 9 July, most survivors were picked up by corvette HMS La Malouine but 16 crewmembers and three armed guards in another boat had been trapped in the ice for 53 hours and had been unable to get free. The El Capitan picked them up in a heavy fog, after the chief mate spotted the boat after hearing the tone of a bos'n pipe. On 9 July, this ship was bombed by a German aircraft and later sunk by U-251. The survivors from the John Witherspoon had to abandon ship again and were picked up by trawler HMS Lord Austin and taken to Archangel.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: At 0526, the Hero with three escort vessels, was hit by two torpedoes from U-375. The first torpedo struck in the bow and the second after 30 seconds in the stern. The ship was blown to pieces and sank within 50 seconds. Four Norwegians, two British and 24 Chinese crewmembers died. Only 14 men that had been on deck survived by jumping overboard. They were picked up by an escort vessel and taken to Jaffa two hours later. The master was among the rescued, but died on board the escort ship and was buried the next day at the military cemetery in Ramleh, near Jaffa. The completely destroyed wreck of the Hero removed in March 1944.

CHINA: U.S. Lieutenant General Joseph W. Stilwell, Commanding General American Army Force, China-Burma-India Theatre of Operations and Chief of Staff to Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, issues a letter of instructions setting up the command structure in the CBI, with "Headquarters, American Army Forces, China. Burma, and India" at Chungking and a branch office at New Delhi, India. A few days later another branch office is established at Kunming.

     The USAAF 10th Air Force in India activates the China Air Task Force (CATF).

AUSTRALIA: Minesweeper HMAS Ararat is laid down.

destroyer HMAS QUIBERON is commissioned.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: The Japanese have started construction of an airfield on Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands.