Africa
Western Desert: British 8th Army and Free French forces, advancing from South Libya, join forces.
Air War
Germany – First RAF raids on Berlin since November 1941 (nights January 16-17 and 17-18): first raid takes defences by surprise (only 1 out of 145 planes lost; 367t bombs dropped), but 22 out of 111 lost in second (356t bombs). ‘Marker Bombs’ (Target Indicators) tested; Daimler-Benz engine works badly hit, but many bombs wasted on suburbs.
Pacific: B-17 Fortress bombers carry out night raid on shipping at Rabaul.
Politics
Iraq: British puppet government declares war on Germany, Italy and Japan.
