December 28th, 1942 (MONDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Frigate HMS Itchen commissioned.
NETHERLANDS: During the night of 28/29 December, RAF Bomber Command sends five Wellingtons and a Stirling to lay mines in the Frisian Islands.
FRANCE: During a broadcast Petain describes the Free French leaders as betraying French Africa to the British and Americans.
GERMANY: U-1193, U-1225 laid down.
U-735 commissioned.
ALBANIA: Tiranė: 600 Italian soldiers are reported to have been killed by Albanian freedom fighters.
EASTERN FRONT: Rastenburg: Hitler orders Greece and Crete to be fortified and Balkan rebellions to be suppressed firmly. He also approves the withdrawal of Army Group A from the Caucasus.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Rescue tug HMS St Issey (W 25) is sunk by U-617 about 31 nautical miles north-northeast of Benghazi, Libya in position 32.37N, 20.22E.
LIBYA: British Eighth Army patrols reach positions overlooking Wadi el Chebir without German opposition.
TUNISIA: On the ground, British Army patrols reach a point east of Buerat, overlooking Wadi el Chebir, without opposition.
Twenty two USAAF Ninth Air Force B-24 Liberators, including RAF (B-24) Liberators under USAAF IX Bomber Command operational control, bomb the harbor at Sousse, hitting vessels and dock installations.
USAAF Twelfth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb the dock and harbor installations at Sousse. while P-38 Lightnings fly escort; P-38s and P-40s on patrol and reconnaissance missions claim four Axis aircraft downed in combat and several vehicles destroyed at various points. F-4 Lightnings fly reconnaissance over the Tunis, Sousse and Sfax areas. UNITED STATES: Concerned about sharing the secrets of atomic research, President Franklin D. Roosevelt confirms the policy of noncooperation with the British that his advisers have been recommending. He orders that no information should be given to the British unless it happens to be in an area in which British scientists are directly involved..
FRENCH SOMALILAND: General Dupont, the Vichy French Governor, surrenders the colony to the Free French.
CHINA: Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek radios U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt that although the Chinese army in Yunnan will be ready for an offensive by spring of 1943 as planned, the offensive cannot be undertaken unless there are additional naval forces for the Bay of Bengal.
The USAAF Tenth Air Force's China Air Task Force B-25 Mitchells, with fighter support, hit Magwe.
JAPAN: General Sugiyama and Admiral Nagano tell the Japanese Emperor of the intent by IGHQ to order a withdrawal from Guadalcanal.
NEW GUINEA: The Japanese at Buna are ordered to retreat to Giruwa.
In Papua New Guinea, the Japanese garrison of Buna is ordered to withdraw to Giruwa, assisted by a detachment at Giruwa, which is to attack through the U.S. left flank. The Urbana Force's U.S. 127th Infantry Regiment gains a broad corridor from the Entrance Creek to the line of coconut trees. Company K makes a futile attempt to establish a bridgehead on the Mission side of Entrance Creek; some elements attempting to land from boats are turned back by fire; others begin crossing the bridge between Musita Island. and the Mission, but the bridge becomes unusable before many are across. Volunteers from Company E enter the Triangle in the evening and find strong defenses there deserted. Warren Force overcomes all organized resistance at Old Strip and swings north toward the coast. The Australian 2/10th Battalion, 18th Brigade, 7th Division, continues to cleanup Japanese positions around Old Strip while the Australian 2/12th Battalion, 18th Brigade, arrives at Oro Bay
from Goodenough Island, D'Entrecasteaux Islands, during the night of 28/29 December.
USAAF Fifth Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb Lae, Northeast New Guinea.
BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: On New Britain Island, USAAF Fifth Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb Rabaul and Gasmata.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: On Guadalcanal, patrols of the 132d Infantry Regiment, Americal Division, probe the Gifu line but are unable to find gaps. Since effective strength of the assault battalions now totals only 1,541, the 132d Infantry Regiment commanding officer is promised a fresh 2d Battalion.
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: The USN high speed minesweeper USS Wasmuth (DMS-15) is escorting a convoy through a heavy Alaskan storm when two depth charges are wrenched from their tracks by the pounding sea, fall over the side, and explode beneath the ship's stern. The blasts carry away part of the stern and she begins to founder. In the gale, the pumps cannot make headway against the inexorably rising water below. Despite the heavy sea, the oiler USS Ramapo (AO-12) comes alongside the crippled and foundering Wasmuth and for 3.5 hours, the oiler remains with the sinking ship, transferring the latter's officers and men (134) and two passengers. After completing the rescue, Ramapo pulls away; Wasmuth sinks tomorrow about 35 nautical miles (65 kilometers) off Scotch Cap on the southwest coast of Unimak Island.
U.S.A.: President Roosevelt confirms a decision, with the support of his advisors, that no information on Atomic research will be given to the British, unless they are directly involved.
Destroyer USS Carmick commissioned.
Escort carrier USS Mission Bay laid down.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: A great battle against Convoy ONS-154 was fought. U-225 damaged SS Empire Lancaster, President Francqui, Ville de Rouen and sank SS Melmore Head; U-260 sank SS Empire Wagtail; U-406 damaged SS Zarian, Lynton Grange and Baron Cochrane; U-591 damaged SS Norse King.