In the North Atlantic… A British Liberator bomber sinks German U-boat U-597. It is the first success scored by the single RAF squadron of long range bombers. Despite their usefulness, the Liberator is reserved for strategic bombing missions over Europe and will not be used in quantity in the Atlantic for some time.

In the Solomon Islands.. The Battle of Cape Esperance. The remaining two destroyers from the Japanese supply convoy are sunk by American planes from Henderson Field airstrip on Guadalcanal.