January 28th, 1943 (THURSDAY)
GERMANY: All men between 16 and 65, and women between 17 and 45, are to be mobilized for war work.
U.S.S.R.: The destruction of the Italian Alpini divisions "Julia" and "Cuneense" is completed by the Red Army at Novo-Georgievka and Valuiki. The retreat, a slow advance of more than 300km succeeded in saving the remnants of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia, the Tridentina division, and of the stray units of Germans, Romanians and Hungarians, trapped with them. (Francesco Dall'Aglio)
JAPAN: Japan reaffirmed her neutrality pact with Russia.
PACIFIC: The Japanese submarine I-165 left Surabaya on 21 January 1943 headed for the Western Australian coastline. It arrived at a position off the small township of Port Gregory, north of Geraldton, at around midnight (Tokyo time) on 28 January 1943. Commander Tatenosuke Tosu fired about 10 shells from the 3.9-inch (100-mm) deck guns of I-165 towards Port Gregory. The purpose of the attack was apparently to draw the Allies attention away from the fierce battle at Guadalcanal.
U.S.A.:
Minesweeper USS Control launched.
The motion picture "Star Spangled Rhythm" opens in Hollywood. This film is a star-studded extravaganza filled with songs and sketches and minimal plot. Directed by George Marshall, it stars Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Fred MacMurray, Franchot Tone, Ray Milland, Dorothy Lamour, Paulette Goddard, Mary Martin, Dick Powell, Betty Hutton, Eddie Bracken, Veronica Lake, Alan Ladd, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, William Bendix, Jerry Colonna, Macdonald Carey, Walter Abel, Susan Hayward, Robert Preston, Arthur Treacher, Cecil B. DeMille, Eva Gabor, Diana Lynn and Preston Sturges.