In the Arctic... In the morning the Scharnhorst and her destroyers encounter the 3 cruisers of the covering force for convoy JW-55B. Bey chooses to break off the engagement. At midday the two forces encounter each other again and Bey breaks off the engagement. However, as Scharnhorst retreats the HMS Duke of York, under Admiral Fraser, appears and engages it in a gun dual. The Scharnhorst is reduced to a wreck and sinks. Only 36 of her almost 2000 crew survive. There are now no large German surface ships operational to threaten the Arctic convoys.

On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces in the area of Kiev capture Radomyshl.

In the Bismarck Archipelago... The US 1st Marine Division lands on New Britain, without incident, after a preliminary bombardment. Task Force 76 (Admiral Barbey) provides naval support along with two other groups of cruisers and destroyers. An American destroyer is sunk by a Japanese air attack. 

In Italy... The US 5th Army clears Monte Sammucro and the surrounding hills of German forces.