January 4th, 1943 (MONDAY)
GERMANY:
During the night of 4/5 January, RAF Bomber Command dispatches four Pathfinder Mosquitos and 29 Lancasters to bomb Essen. Two Lancasters are lost.
'Skymarker' flares are dropped on Oboe and city records report concentrated bombing in the Borbeck suburb, north of the city center.
U.S.S.R.: Caucasus: Nalchik Chernyakovsky, the rail centre on the River Chir fall to the Soviet Army.
However, the under strength Soviet frontal offensive at Nalchik was defeated in the course of the month, primarily by the efforts of the Romanian 2nd Mountain Division defending the area. (Mike Yaklich)
Soviet Navy lists submarine M-36 Black Sea Fleet Kobuleti area (lost off Sevastopol).
LIBYA: A severe two-day storm begins, sharply decreasing the capacity of Benghazi port and forcing the British Eighth Army to make greater use of the more distant port of Tobruk. Because of this, General Bernard Montgomery, General Officer Commanding Eighth Army, alters the plan of attack, scheduled for 15 January, on the Buerat position, from which the Italians are already withdrawing. X Corps, which was to have advanced, is to remain in place while all its vehicles are used to move supplies forward from Tobruk. The size of the the assault force, drawn from XXX Corps, is reduced by one infantry division.
TUNISIA: USAAF"> USAAF Twelfth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses sent, in two forces, to bomb Bizerte are forced to abort by heavy clouds over the target; one B-17 manages to bomb shipping at La Goulette. B-25 Mitchells hit the railroad yards at Kairouan while A-20 Havocs attack Cherichera. Fighters provide escort for the bombers and for C-47 Skytrain transport runs, and fly reconnaissance and patrol missions. The Luftwaffe sends six Ju 88s with Bf 109 cover to attack Thelepte Airfield; they are intercepted by five P-40s which shoot down one Ju 88 and one Bf 109.
BURMA: USAAF Tenth Air Force heavy bombers from Gaya and Pandaveswar, India bomb the marshaling yard at Mandalay, halting the northbound flow of supplies. Tracks and cars in the southern half of the marshaling yard are heavily bombed, causing fires visible for 70 miles (113 kilometers). Heavy bombers also damage a 15,000-ton transport at the mouth of the Rangoon River. Meanwhile, one B-25 Mitchell and nine P-40s hit rail targets at Naba.
NEW GUINEA: In Papua New Guinea, the Japanese overrun an outpost near Tarakena, forcing a patrol there to swim for Siwori Village. With Tarakena spit in their possession, the Japanese are able to rescue some of the survivors of the Buna garrison. Australian Major General Edmund Herring, General Officer Commanding of the New Guinea Force and Australian I Corps, confers with commanding officers on plan for reduction of the Japanese west of the Girua River.
In Northeast New Guinea, USAAF Fifth Air Force B-26 Marauders attack the Sanananda Point area as preparations for an allied offensive in that sector get underway. A-20 Havocs and B-25 Mitchells hit the airfield and antiaircraft positions and buildings at Lae. B-24 Liberators, on single-plane flights, bomb the Lae Airfield.
BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: USAAF Fifth Air Force B-24 Liberators attack schooners off Gasmata and Cape Kwoi, New Britain Island.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: Ainsworth splits Task Force 67. Light cruisers USS Nashville, St. Louis and Helena, and destroyers Fletcher and O'Bannon form 67.2. The rest of the force operate as a distant support group under Rear Admiral Tisdale; it includes the heavy cruiser Louisville, light cruisers Honolulu, Columbia and HMNZS Achilles. USN Task Group 67.2, under Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth, bombards a Japanese Airfield on Munda, New Georgia. This action marks the first time that proximity fuses for AAA are used by a bombardment vessel.
TG 67.2 is comprised of four light cruisers, HMNZS Achilles (70) and USS Helena (CL-50), Nashville (CL-43) and St. Louis (CL-49) and three USN destroyers.
After the rest of TF 67 joins TG 67.2 south Guadalcanal, Japanese planes attack the force, near-missing light cruiser Honolulu (CL 48) and damaging New Zealand light cruiser HMNZS Achilles, 18 miles south of Cape Hunter, Guadalcanal. In the action, light cruiser Helena (CL 50) becomes the first U.S. Navy ship to use Mk. 32 proximity-fuzed projectiles in combat, downing a Japanese Aichi Type 99 carrier bomber (VAL) with her second salvo. (Massimiliano Stola & Keith Allen)
Guadalcanal: US troops fighting to take Mount Austen, the strategically-located main ridge overlooking the US air base at Hendeson Field, have been forced to suspend operations after suffering heavy casualties. The two-week-long attack came to a halt as surprised American troops ran into fire from Japanese pillboxes and foxholes cunningly disguised and cleverly sited to survive the constant US air and artillery bombardment of the last week.
The US suspension provides a breathing space for the 12,000 Japanese under Lt-Gen Hyakutake. With supplies running out he was today ordered to withdraw from the island to New Georgia Island; but it will be a gradual, fighting retreat, as the US forces discovered on Mount Austen.
All 3 Btns of the 132nd Infantry are now in place around the Gifu. Starting on December 18, this unit has attempted to capture Mount Austen from the Japanese. Since Christmas they have surrounded and isolated the position.
The final echelon of the 25th Infantry Division (Regimental Combat Team 161) arrives. The 2d Marine Division headquarters and the 6th Marine Regiment, reinforced, also land, bringing the 2d Marine Division nearly up to full strength. The 132d Infantry Regiment, Americal Division, completes a semicircle about the part of the Gifu between Hills 31 and 27 with patrol contact between the 1st and 3d Battalions; halts and prepares defenses while awaiting relief.
The exhausted, worn 132nd will hold their positions until later in the month when 2nd Btn, 35th Infantry will inherit the mission to reduce it.
In 22 days of fighting on Mt Austen, the 132d has killed 400-500 Japanese and suffered 383 casualties.
TERRITORY OF ALASKA:
ALASKA: Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander Pacific Ocean Areas and Commander Pacific Fleet, replaces Rear Admiral Robert A. Theobald, Commander North Pacific Area and Task Force 8, with Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid. Rear Adm Charles H. McMorris relieves Rear Admmiral William W. Smith as commander of the strike group.
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: Six USAAF Eleventh Air Force B-24 Liberators, three B-25 Mitchells, three B-26 Marauders and ten P-40s en route to Kiska Island, are forced back near Segula Island by snow squalls and low ceiling. The weather aircraft flies unsuccessful reconnaissance over Kiska and photographic reconnaissance is flown over Amchitka Island. A USN PBY Catalina investigates flares reported near Kagalaska Strait east if Adak Island.
CANADA:
Corvette HMCS Edmunston commenced refit Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Corvette HMCS Galt arrived Liverpool, Nova Scotia for refit.
U.S.A.: Destroyer escorts USS Fessenden and Fiske laid down.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: In the Bay of Biscay, USN submarine USS Shad (SS-235) sinks German minesweeper M 4242 (ex-French trawler Odet II) about 45 nautical miles (76 kilometers) north-northeast of Bilbao, Spain. in position 43.55N, 02.42W.