From Berlin… Hitler orders General Paulus and 6th Army, encircled in front of Stalingrad to stand. Reichmarshal Goring has promised that his Luftwaffe can supply them by air until they can be relieved.

On the Eastern Front… Manstein arrives at Army Group A Headquarters. The forces allocated to him to create Army Group Don are either severely under strength or trapped near Stalingrad. The only significant force available to him is a division which is needed need to hold the position at Elista, which maintains the link with Army Group A in the Caucasus. Cooperation from the other Army Group commanders on the Eastern Front and the German Army High Command is reluctant when Manstein requests reserves. His build up is therefore slow. In the area west of Moscow… Soviet attacks advance around Rzhev and Velikiye Luki.