December 19
Eastern Front, Ukraine
Field Marshal Erich von Manstein's attempt to relieve the German Sixth Army with an attack by Army Group Don (13 divisions formed from Army Group A in the north) advances to within 35 miles (56 km) of Stalingrad in the face of heavy resistance. Despite Manstein's pleas for General Friedrich von Paulus' Sixth Army to launch a break-out, Adolf Hitler orders him not to retreat, but fuel shortages limit any possible action anyway. The year ends with Soviet offensives pushing the German relief force westward. In Stalingrad, German troops are suffering severe hardships, chiefly due to the weather and supply shortages.

Soviet troops battle their way forward in the ruins of Stalingrad as the Red Army tightens its grip on the city

December 24
Politics, Vichy France
Admiral Jean François Darlan, high commissioner in North Africa, is shot dead by a young Frenchman who accuses him of betraying the Vichy regime.

December 30-31
Sea War, Arctic
At the Battle of the Barents Sea, the German pocket battleship Lützow, heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, and six destroyers attempt to destroy the Allied Arctic convoy JW-51B. Although outnumbered, the British use superior tactics and exploit the German caution arising from orders not to sustain serious damage. Germany has one destroyer sunk, while the British also lose a destroyer and have one badly damaged. The battle outrages Adolf Hitler, who believes that the German fleet is tying down a huge amount of manpower and resources for very little result. Indeed, the Battle of the Barents Sea will lead to the end of significant sorties by major German surface vessels for the rest of the war.

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