January 18th, 1943 (MONDAY)
GERMANY:
U-1003 laid down.
U-845 launched.
POLAND: German troops start new deportations from the Jewish ghetto.
U.S.S.R.: A supply corridor is pushed through to Leningrad.
Leningrad: The 16-month-long siege of Leningrad began to crack today when Captain Sabatkin of the Leningrad army exchanged the password with Captain Demidov of the relieving force on a corpse-littered field near Schlusselburg on the shore of Lake Ladoga. The formalities over, the two men embraced in a celebration of their victory.
It has taken five days of fierce fighting for the Russians to break the German ring around the city, for the Germans have spent the last year building their siege fortifications with minefields, and a network of concrete pillboxes. The victory is yet another triumph for the meticulous planning of Georgi Zhukov who was made a Marshal of the Soviet Union today, the first Russian field commander of this was to be so honoured.
It is, however, still too early to claim that the suffering of the stoic people of Leningrad is over. The gap that has been opened in the lines round the city remains narrow, and any traffic through it will have to run the gauntlet of the German guns. Nevertheless, Hitler will no longer be able to boast that he will destroy this proud city.
TUNISIA: Tiger tanks are used for the first time at Bou Arada.
BURMA: Indian troops attack Japanese positions at Donbaik.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: The long awaited US attack on the "Gifu" on Guadalcanal begins. It makes only small gains.
AUSTRALIA: MacDonald, Northern Territory: No. 18 Squadron RAAF (B-25 Mitchell) flies its first mission, a reconnaissance mission.
CANADA: Corvette HMCS Kamsack completed refit Halifax, Nova Scotia.
U.S.A.: US commercial bakers stopped selling sliced bread. Only whole loaves were sold until the end of the war. It comes about to reduce steel consumption for slicing machine repairs. More...
Destroyer escort USS Charles R Greer launched.
Secretary of state John McCloy and Geneal de Witt of the Western Defense Command discuss allowing American born Japanese to volunteer and form a combat team. Transcripts. (Stuart Kohn)