17 January 1942
Atlantic Ocean : The Norwegian 8,087-ton motor tanker Nyholt was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-87 (Joachim Berger) 180 miles south of Cape Race, Newfoundland, after having lost contact with Convoy ON 52 in thick fog south of Greenland on a voyage in ballast from Reykjavik, Iceland to New York, New York, United States.
Norwegian cargo ship Octavian was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-203 off Nova Scotia
Vyazma Front , Russia : On the Eastern Front, the Red Army now embarked upon a new and decisive tactic; beginning on January 18, and continuing for six days, a total of 1,643 Soviet parachute troops were dropped behind the German lines south-east and south-west of Vyazma. Linking up with partisan units, they began to harass and disrupt the German lines of communication and supply, forcing substantial numbers of German troops to be diverted to anti-partisan activity.
Caroline Islands , Pacific Ocean : A Japanese fleet consisting of four carriers (Akagi, Kaga, Zuikaku, Shokaku), two battleships (Hiei, Kirishima), and several cruisers and destroyers departed Truk, Caroline Islands under the command of Chuichi Nagumo for Rabaul, New Britain
Halfaya Pass , Egypt : 5,500 Axis troops (2.000 German , 3.500 Italian) at the Halfaya Pass, Egypt surrendered to the South African 6th Infantry Brigade delivering the pass to 8th Army. (this was the last Axis garrison in Libya frontier)
Mediterranean Sea : While escorting Allied convoy MW 8 to Malta , Royal Navy destroyer HMS Gurkha was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-133 at 30 kilometers northeast of Sidi Barrani, Egypt. Free Dutch Navy destroyer picked up about 240 survivors of HMS Gurkha.
NOTE : Gurkha, formerly HMS Larne, was an L-class destroyer which had been paid for by every officer and man of the Gurkha Brigade of British Indian Army subscribing a days pay to provide a new ship after the loss of the Tribal-Class HMS Gurkha in Apr 1940.
Indian Ocean : Royal Navy destroyer HMS Jupiter located and forced Japanese submarine I-60 to surface 65 miles west of Krakatoa, Dutch East Indies with depth charges. I-60 returned fire with her deck gun, killing 3 and wounding 9 aboard HMS Jupiter. However I-60 was ultimately sunk by gunfire from HMS Jupiter; 85 were killed, 2 survived.
Malaya : Indian 45th Brigade withdrew from Bukit Bakri, British Malaya. 8th Australian Division at the other hand , made a stand and repulsed Japanese infantry advancing on bicyales with a well prepared ambush at Gemas , inflicting heavy casaulties on Japanese , but two days later Australians also had to abandon their position due to Japanese 25th Army outflanking its positions due to retreat of Indian 45th Indian Brigade.
Borneo : Japanese trops landed at Sandakan in British Borneo.
Kola Inlet , Arctic Ocean : German submarine U-454 attacked Allied convoy PQ-8 20 miles off the Kola Inlet in northern Russia at 2221 hours, torpedoed and sank Royal Navy Tribal-class destroyer HMS Matabele (under Commander A. C. Stafford; 236 were killed in freezing Arctic waters, 2 survived), then torpedoed and sinking Soviet trawler RT-68 Enisej, and damaging British merchant ship Harmatris (civilian convoy commodoreâs flagship). Later in the day, surviving ships of PQ-8 arrived in Murmansk, Russia.
Ukraine : General Walther von Reichenau passed away from either a cerebral hemorrhage or a heartattack near Poltava, Ukraine.
United Kingdom : The Boeing 314 Clipper Flying Boat âBerwickâ with Winston Churchill aboard suffered a navigational error and would have flown into France had not been a last minute course correction. When the aircraft approached Britain from the south, the aircraft was initially treated as hostile and six Hurricane fighters were scrambled to intercept; the fighters failed to locate Churchillâs transport.