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• Adolf Hitler relinquished personal command of Armeegruppe A to General Ewald von Kleist. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | TH]
• British troops entered the city of Benghazi, Libya, and found ports and facilities destroyed by Germans before their withdrawal. ww2dbase [Second Battle of El Alamein | CPC]
• The Alaska-Canadian Highway was dedicated. ww2dbase [CPC]
• HMAS Warramunga (I44) was commissioned into service with Commander E. F. V. Dechaineux in command. ww2dbase [AC]
• Minoru Ota was made the commanding officer of 8th Combined Special Naval Landing Force. ww2dbase [Minoru Ota | CPC]

• While escorting Allied convoy QP-15, a severe storm severed the stem of Soviet destroyer Sokrushitelny, killing six men. Most of the officers abandoned ship before the crewmen; the captain was shot for cowardice and the executive officer was sent to a penal battalion. The same storm also seriously damaged Soviet destroyer Baku. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | Norwegian Sea | CPC]
• Wing Commander H. D. Fraser led 25 aircraft, nine of which carried torpedoes, from No. 236 Squadron RAF to attack a convoy off the Dutch coast. It was a shambles. The promised fighter escort failed to show up, three Beaufighters were shot down, seven more damaged and two crashed at Donna Nook and North Coates, both of which in Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom. Their only success was to sink a German tug. ww2dbase [North Sea | AC]

• Repair ship Akashi began repairing light cruiser Isuzu at Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Akashi | Truk | CPC]
• Ariake and Yugure departed Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Yugure | Truk | CPC]

• USS Finback arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, ending her second war patrol. ww2dbase [Pearl Harbor Navy Base and Ford Island Naval Air Station | Finback | Honolulu, Oahu | CPC]

• Nachi departed Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan at 0840 hours. ww2dbase [Nachi | Otaru, Hokkaido | CPC]

• One day after the first Soviet offensive was launched at Stalingrad, Russia, a second one was launched south of the city against positions held by Romanian 4th Army Corps. ww2dbase [Battle of Stalingrad | Stalingrad | CPC]
• Six He 111 bombers of German Luftwaffe group KG 55 flew an armed reconnaissance mission from their base at Morozovskaya, Russia over Stalingrad, Russia; two aircraft failed to return. ww2dbase [Battle of Stalingrad | Stalingrad | CPC]

• Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi was named the commanding officer of the Mako Guard District at Pescadores islands, Taiwan, which was elevated from its previous position as a third tier naval port. ww2dbase [Takeo Takagi | Mako Guard District | Mako, Hoko | CPC]

• The 3rd Battalion of the "San Marco" naval infantry regiment of Italian Navy began arriving in Tunisia from Corsica, France. ww2dbase [CPC]
• German paratroop Engineer Battalion "Witzig" and Itlaian 1st Paratroop Battalion were deployed together at Djebel Abjod, Tunisia. ww2dbase [Djebel Abjod | CPC]

• British government scientist Dr. Reginald V. Jones warned Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Intelligence) of possible new German weapons, ie. rockets, that could threaten Britain. ww2dbase [Reginald Jones | CPC]

20 Nov 1942 Interactive Map