Tuesday 10 March 1942

"View from a VT-5 TBD-1, showing KIYOKAWA MARU (Japanese seaplane tender, 1937-1945) under attack. Note bomb splash astern and what may be a "hit" aft. Planes were from USS YORKTOWN (CV-5)." 10 March 1942. Naval History and Heritage Command NH 95444.

Battle of the Pacific: On the Huon Peninsula in Papua, New Guinea, Japanese landings continue on 10 March 1942. Having secured Lae and Salamaua, the Japanese take Finschhafen. Japanese aircraft based at Rabaul in the Solomon Islands support the landings and also attack Port Moresby. US Navy Task Forces 11 (Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr.) and 17 (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher) attack the Japanese ships in the Huon Gulf. This is a technically impressive feat because the carriers are 201 km (120 miles) away and the Dauntlesses must fly over the 15,000 Owen Stanley Range to reach their target. The planes and later B-17 bombers flying from Garbutt Field at Townsville sink three Japanese transport vessels (Kongō Maru, Tenyō Maru, and Yokohama Maru) and damage several other ships. This US Navy raid has far-reaching consequences, as Japanese military strategists decide that they will need aircraft carrier support in order to take Port Moresby. This leads to the Battle of the Coral Sea.

"Enlargement of picture of KIYOKAWA MARU (Japanese seaplane tender, 1937-1945), showing what appears to be a bomb hole aft. Note planes on deck-three Mitsubishi F1M2 ("Pete") and one E8N2 ("Dave"). Taken by a VT-5 TBD-1, from the USS YORKTOWN (CV-5) air group." 10 March 1942. Naval History and Heritage Command NH 95446.

Pleased with the bombing attack on Hawaii (Operation K) carried out by two Kawanishi H8K "Emily" flying boats on 4 March, the Japanese try again on 10 March 1942. This time, only one flying boat takes off from Wotje Atol, once again piloted by Pilot Lieutenant Hisao Hashizume, who led the first mission. The Americans have been closely monitoring Japanese radio broadcasts about the raid and are ready and waiting for another attempt. Brewster F2A Buffalo fighters of Squadron 221 (VMF-221) intercept Hashizume's flying boat southwest of Midway Atoll, killing him and his crew. The US Navy guards the French Frigate Shoals, the refueling site being used by the Japanese, for the remainder of the war.

"View is taken from a VT-5 plane, a Douglas TBD-1 "Devastator" showing ships below maneuvering off Salamaua. Plane at upper right is TBD-1 (BuNo 0319) flown by Lieutenant Joe Taylor, USN Commanding Officer of VT-5. Radioman is ACRM (PA) H. S. Nobbs, USN. Note weathered markings and individual plane No. (1) on the fuselage." 10 March 1942. Naval History and Heritage Command NH 95442.

In the Philippines, General Douglas MacArthur informs Lieutenant General Jonathan M. Wainwright, Commanding General I Corps, that he will be leaving the Philippines shortly. Wainwright will take over command of all forces on Luzon. However, MacArthur makes clear that he intends to continue exercising control through orders to Colonel Lewis C. Beebe, who will be deputy chief of staff of USAFFE. MacArthur and his party, including Mrs. MacArthur, will depart from Corregidor Island to Mindanao aboard PT-41.

Japanese troops continue their occupation of the Solomon Islands, landing at Buka Island (north of Bougainville).

In Burma, the British 17th Indian Division and 7th Armoured Brigade complete a difficult withdrawal northwards to the Tharawaddy area.  Chinese troops begin arriving in the Sittang River region, covered by the 1st Burma Division.

The Japanese make Lieutenant-General Hitoshi Imamura the new governor of Java and Madura. His boss is Field Marshal Count Hisaichi Terauchi, Supreme Commander of the Southern Army.

Japanese submarine I-62 uses its deck gun to sink 235-ton British sailing ship Lakshmi Govinda in the Indian Ocean. Japanese collier Kosei Maru hits a mine and sinks in Lingayen Gulf, Philippines. There are 13 deaths on the Kosei Maru.

"View taken from a VS-5 SBD shows KONGO MARU (Japanese armed merchant cruiser, 1933-1942) sinking off Lae. Note paint finish: Dark gray with light mast tops, reminiscent of U.S. Measure 1." 10 March 1942. Naval History and Heritage Command NH 95434.

Eastern Front: German Fifth Panzer Division captures part of Soviet I Guards Cavalry Corps in a pocket south of Vyazma. After this, a blizzard hits the area which stops all movement for almost a week. The unusually heavy snowfall (even for the area) hampers the Uckermann relief attempt toward the Kholm pocket and creates dangerous icing conditions on the Luftwaffe's planes that are keeping the pocket from collapsing.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command launches a large raid on Essen. The raid is notable for the first use of Lancasters in a raid on a German target. All told, 126 bombers (56Wellingtons, 43 Hampdens, 13 Manchesters, 12 Stirlings, and two Lancasters) set off. However, as has often been the case recently, the results of the raid are poor due to weather conditions. Only 85 bomber crews report bombing Essen, and the authorities in Essen see only limited damage (two bombs hit railway lines near the target, the Krupps factory). There are five deaths and 12 injured. A Polish service worker perishes when a spent anti-aircraft shell explodes near him. There are subsidiary raids on Bochum, Duisburg, and Gelsenkirchen. Two bombers attack Boulogne, while another bomber attacks the Rotterdam port area.

"U.S. Navy Douglas TBD-1 Devastator aircraft from torpedo squadron VT-5, assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5), prepare to attack Japanese shipping with bombs in the Huon Gulf supporting the Japanese invasion of Lae-Salamaua, New Guinea, on 10 March 1942. Two Japanese ships, possibly the auxiliary vessel Noshiro Maru and minesweeper Hagoromo Maru, can be seen making a smoke screen below in anticipation of the air attack. The first plane on the left was piloted by Joe Taylor, the second by Leonard E. Ewoldt, and the third by Francis R. Sanborn." Scanned from the book: Cressman, Robert (2004), That Gallant Ship USS Yorktown (CV-5), Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, p. 75.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-161 (Kptlt. Albrecht Achilles), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and damages two ships in the harbor of Port Castries, St. Lucia. Achilles fires two torpedoes at 04:49. The first hits 7970-ton Canadian passenger ship Lady Nelson, while the second torpedo strikes 8141-ton British freighter Umtata. While both ships sink to the harbor bottom, the silver lining for the Allies is that the harbor is shallow and both ships are later raised. There are 18 deaths on board the Lady Nelson, including fifteen passengers, but all 92 people on board the Umtata survive.

U-588 (Kptlt. Victor Vogel), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 6776-ton US tanker Gulftrade about three miles off of Barnegat Light (near Toms River, New Jersey). There are 18 dead and 16 survivors.

An unidentified U-boat or Italian submarine torpedoes and sinks 9957-ton Norwegian tanker Charles Racine in the mid-Atlantic northeast of the British Virgin Islands.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Supermarine Spitfires which only arrived on Malta on the 7th get their first kill, downing Bf 109 piloted by Heinz Rahlmeier of Luftwaffe unit 8/JG53. The victorious pilot is Flt Lt Heppell of RAF No. 249 Squadron. The Spitfires and Hurricanes disrupt attacks on Luqa airfield.

Failed propagandist Jane Anderson.

Propaganda War: On 6 March 1942, Jane Anderson, a Georgia socialite (nicknamed "The Georgia Peach"), broadcast English-language propaganda from Berlin. She praised Adolf Hitler and denounced the usual targets: Jewish people, the Western press, and Winston Churchill. She described the fine dining available in Berlin. After hearing this, the Allies decide to translate the speech into German for the benefit of citizens of the Reich. They rebroadcast it today to the Reich in order to anger ordinary Germans subsisting on reduced rations with no frills. This works exactly as intended. As a result of this broadcast and its unexpected results, the German broadcasting service (Rundfunk) takes Anderson off the air.

Manhattan Project: The Office of Scientific Research and Development contracts with Johns Hopkins University to open the Applied Physics Laboratory.

"Douglas SBD-3 "Dauntless" dive bombers en route to the target, at an altitude of 16,000 feet. Planes are from the USS YORKTOWN (CV-5) air group." 10 March 1942.Naval History and Heritage Command NH 95435.

US/Anglo Relations: President Roosevelt follows up his suggestions for reorganizing the war effort with another telegram to Winston Churchill. In this one, FDR broaches the delicate topic of India, which he admits "all of you good people know far more about than I." Roosevelt suggests setting up a "temporary government, headed by a small representative group covering different castes" that would lead to a "more permanent government." He justifies this suggestion by referring to "the world changes of the past half-century."

US/Iran Relations: The United States extends Lend-Lease to Iran. Iran is becoming a major conduit for aid to the Soviet Union.

US Military: US Fifth Air Force transfers the 3rd Bombardment Group and 13th Bombardment Squadron from Brisbane to Charles Towers.

A P-40E Kittyhawk of the 20th Pursuit Squadron, 4th Air Depot Group, based at Laverton piloted by Captain Joseph Potter McLaughlin crashes into mountains near Aberfeldy in Victoria, Australia. The plane and pilot's remains are not found until 1948.

Chinese Military: Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek appoints US Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell as his Chief of Staff.

British freighter Umtata, Sunk in Port Castries, St. Lucia on 10 March 1942 by U-161.

US Government: The US House of Representatives approves an increase in the national debt limit from $65 billion to $125 billion.

British Government: Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden makes a speech in the British House of Commons about Japanese atrocities in Hong Kong.

The government reports that it already has spent over nine billion pounds on the war, more than during the entire First World War.

American Homefront: Universal Pictures releases "Unseen Enemy," a wartime drama about German spies in San Francisco. "Unseen Enemy" is notable for being one of the first Hollywood films, if not the first, to put the title and credits after the film rather than before it. Only the Universal Logo appears before the action.

David Eisenhower, Dwight D. Eisenhower's father, passes away in Abilene, Kansas. Dwight, who holds a critical U.S. Army staff position in Washington, D.C., notes in his diary: "war is not soft, it has no time to indulge even the deepest and most sacred emotions." He does, however, leave work early at 7:30 p.m., noting further, "I haven't the heart to go on tonight." He does not attend the funeral on 12 March but does close his office door for half an hour to think about this father and compose a eulogy.

Lady Nelson, sunk today by U-161 in Port Castries, St. Lucia.

March 1942

March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea
March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java
March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia
March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii
March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia
March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech
March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma
March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan
March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies
March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae
March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade
March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java
March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again 
March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe
March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins
March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride
March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia
March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma
March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov
March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur
March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk
March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte
March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds
March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded
March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma
March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur
March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari
March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid
March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias
March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island
March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island

2020

Saturday 20 December 1941

Tanker Emidio sinking at Blunt's Reef off Point Mendocino, California, 20 December 1941.

Battle of the Pacific: Japanese submarines are lurking off the U.S. west coast. On 20 December 1941, I-17 torpedoes, shells, and sinks 6912-ton U.S. tanker Emidio about twenty miles west of the California coast at Blunt's Reef (off Cape Mendocino). The attack is made on the surface and in daylight. There are five crew deaths. The survivors reach the Blunt's Reef lightship and are later rescued by Coast Guard cutter Shawnee. A Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat searches for the submarine to no avail. The Emidio is the first US tanker definitely known to be torpedoed and lost in World War II (the Astral was lost in November 1941, but exactly how is not known with absolute certainty). The ship is abandoned and there is some hope of salvaging her, but the Emidio drifts onto the rocks off Crescent City and is wrecked. The is the closest to date that the war has gotten to the continental United States.

Another view of the sinking Emidio.

At Hong Kong Island, the invading Japanese advance through the Wong Nai Chung Gap from the north to the south coast and split the island in two. British Commonwealth troops hold out on the Stanley Peninsula east of the gap and in the western part of the island. The Japanese troops capture the island's water reservoir, making a British surrender virtually inevitable.

American artist and cartoonist James Montgomery Flagg and his daughter Faith in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania, December 20, 1941.

In Burma, the recently relocated American Volunteer Group (AVG, aka "Flying Tigers") enter their first combat east of Rangoon in their distinctive P-40B Tomahawk fighters. The unit is not officially part of the US Army Air Force and the pilots (aside from leader Major General Claire Chennault) do not hold commissions. This provides an unusual free-wheeling aspect to the operation, including $500 bounties for every Japanese plane the pilots shoot down. This date, 20 December 1941, is considered the "birth" of the Flying Tigers.

AVG Flight Leader Bob Layher, 1941-42.

The Japanese make landings on Mindanao, the Philippines. For the first time, the Japanese take heavy casualties as well-placed Filipino machine gunners of the 101st Regiment pin down the invaders. The Japanese ultimately prevail by calling inshore bombardments by 5-inch naval guns. It is a striking mirror image of events later in the war. At Clark Field, the air echelon of the 30th Bombardment Squadron, 19th BG (Heavy), no longer has any bombers to service, as they all have been sent to Australia. Thus, they are sent to Batchelor Field, given rifles, and told to serve as infantry with the 5th Interceptor Command (Provisional).

"The Joy of a Father's Homecoming," December 20, 1941, The Toronto Star Weekly.

At Wake Island, US Navy Task Force 11 (Admiral Frank Fletcher) and Task Force 14 (Admiral Wilson Brown) are sailing toward Wake Island. At Pearl Harbor, Vice Admiral William S. Pye - the Acting Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet - is very leery of the operation and keeps a close eye on any indications of a strong Japanese fleet presence in the area. A US Navy Catalina arrives at Wake bringing official mail and news of the relief expedition. The plane makes a quick turnaround and evacuates Major Walter J. Bayles, who comments:

I looked at our flag, still snapping in the breeze at the to of the pole where it had been hoisted on December 8. I looked at the cheerful, grinning faces and the confident bearing of the youngsters on the dock. As I waved a last good-bye and took my seat in the plane, my smile was as cheerful as theirs. I knew all would go well with Wake Island.

Nobody else will escape the island.

"A Fairey Albacore about to land on the deck of HMS VICTORIOUS during flying operations at Scapa Flow." 20 December 1941 (© IWM (A 6745)).

Eastern Front: Adolf Hitler, having assumed direct command of the German Army, instructs OKH chief of operations General Franz Halder how the situation around Moscow is to be handled. The troops would require a "fanatical will to fight," and this would have to be enforced by "all, even the most severe, means." Soldiers would have to "tolerate breakthroughs" and fight where they stood, as nobody had any "contracts" limiting their efforts to logistics or anything else. Winter clothing could be taken from Soviet civilians or dead Red Army soldiers. He emphasizes, "Every man must defend himself where he is."

Mrs. Paul Titus of Bucks County, Pennsylvania poses on 20 December 1941. She had signed up as an air-raid spotter on 8 December 1941. Mrs. Titus is ready to defend Pennsylvania, declaring, "I can carry a gun any time they want me to."

In the morning, General Guderian boards a light plane to fly to Fuehrer headquarters in East Prussia. The new commander of Army Group Center, Field Marshal Guenther von Kluge, receives a string of messages from his armies that suggest utter hopelessness. For instance, Fourth Army reports:

Enemy attacking in the army's deep flank, aiming toward Kaluga. Army has no more forces at its disposal. Combat strength sinking. Holding present positions not possible in the long run.

General Hoepner's Fourth Panzer Group sends a desperate message:

The Commanding Generals of 46 and 5 Corps have reported they cannot hold. Heavy losses of trucks and weapons in recent days. They had to be destroyed for lack of gasoline. Weapons now 25-30 percent of requirements. Only course to give orders to hold to the last man. The troops will then be gone and there will be a hole in the front.

General Strauss at Ninth Army is equally pessimistic:

Present battle area wooded and has poor visibility. If it has to hold there the army is likely to be broken through and smashed.

It is a bleak picture, but the front is holding for the time being.

The Louisville, Kentucky Courier-Journal of 20 December 1941 is getting closer to a realistic portrayal of the war than it and other papers had in the week following the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, its announcement of the "first big Philippine landing" is over a week late.

The desperate situation gives von Kluge a chance to settle some old scores. After dark, he calls Halder and unloads his feeling about Guderian, who has clashed with Kluge throughout the campaign (as, to be fair, Guderian has done with several other generals). Kluge reports that he has learned that Guderian has been secretly moving troops to the Oka River, which is 40 miles east of where he is supposed to be. Halder immediately calls the Fuehrer Headquarters, where Guderian already is talking to Hitler. This leads to an immediate row, with Hitler screaming at Guderian that he has planned "an insane scheme." To Guderian's face, Hitler orders Guderian to hold his line right where it is and forget about further withdrawals. It is almost surprising that Guderian returns to the front still holding his command.

The 20 December 1941 (North) Carolina Times seems to be reporting on a completely different war than the one overseas.

US Military: The US Navy continues its reorganization following the disaster at Pearl Harbor. Admiral Ernest J. King, the Atlantic Fleet commander, is designated Commander in Chief United States Fleet with headquarters in the Navy Department, Washington, D. C. While King is elevated from the Atlantic command, he maintains a fierce effort throughout the war to give adequate resources to the Pacific Theater.

German Homefront: Belatedly, Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels announces a winter relief drive for the troops on the Eastern Front, "Winterhilfswerk für Wehrmacht." The public is encouraged to donate warm clothing in a gesture of "solidarity with the troops." It is never made clear how desperate the situation is, but disturbing reports reach the homefront despite the government's rather casual handling of a very real crisis.

USS Tillman (DD-641) and USS Beatty (DD-640) on the ways in Charleston, South Carolina Navy Yard on 20 December 1941. They are about to be launched. USS Tillman (DD-641) is commissioned 9 June 1942, and USS Beatty (DD-640) is commissioned 7 May 1942.

American Homefront: Glenn Miller and His Orchestra hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart with "Elmer's Tune." It is the song's only week at the top spot.  It has Ray Eberle (who later joins the military) on lead vocals and the Modernaires on backing vocals. The song is named after the music composer, Elmer Albrecht.

Charles Lindbergh writes to Chief of Army Air Forces Henry H. "Hap" Arnold requesting a commission in the military. President Roosevelt is extremely angry at Lindbergh's efforts on behalf of the America First Committee and tells Arnold to deny the request.

The Emidio sinks off the California coast.

December 1941

December 1, 1941: Hitler Fires von Rundstedt
December 2, 1941: Climb Mount Niitaka
December 3, 1941: Hints of Trouble in the Pacific
December 4, 1941: Soviets Plan Counteroffensive
December 5, 1941: Soviets Counterattack at Kalinin
December 6, 1941: Soviet Counterattack at Moscow Broadens
December 7, 1941: Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
December 8, 1941: US Enters World War II
December 9, 1941: German Retreat At Moscow
December 10, 1941: HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse Sunk
December 11, 1941: Hitler Declares War on US
December 12, 1941: Japanese in Burma
December 13, 1941: Battle of Cape Bon
December 14, 1941: Hitler Forbids Withdrawals
December 15, 1941: The Liepaja Massacre
December 16, 1941: Japan Invades Borneo
December 17, 1941: US Military Shakeup
December 18, 1941: Hitler Lays Down the Law
December 19, 1941: Brauchitsch Goes Home
December 20, 1941: Flying Tigers in Action
December 21, 1941: The Bogdanovka Massacre
December 22, 1941: Major Japanese Landings North of Manila
December 23, 1941: Wake Island Falls to Japan
December 24, 1941: Atrocities in Hong Kong
December 25, 1941: Japan Takes Hong Kong
December 26, 1941: Soviets Land in the Crimea
December 27, 1941: Commandos Raid Norway
December 28, 1941: Operation Anthropoid Begins
December 29, 1941: Soviet Landings at Feodosia
December 30, 1941: Race for Bataan
December 31, 1941: Nimitz in Charge

2020

Sunday 14 December 1941

"HMS EURYALUS (right) and HMS GALATEA on patrol with guns raised." This photo was taken on 14 December 1941 from the Naiad while on patrol in the Mediterranean. © IWM (A 7593).

Eastern Front: Army Commander Field Marshal Walther von Brauchitsch continues his review of the Army Group Center forces around Moscow and receives very disquieting reports. He arrives at Roslavl to confer with Field Marshal von Kluge and General Guderian, who both urge further withdrawals. Unexpectedly, Hitler's chief adjutant, Generalmajor Rudolf Schmundt, arrives at the Army Group headquarters in Smolensk as a sort of personal representative for Hitler. Schmundt is a well-known glad-hander who has Hitler's complete confidence and communicates with him better than the generals. When von Brauchitsch returns to Smolensk in the afternoon, he tells Schmundt that he supports the army commanders' requests to retreat further. When Schmundt calls Hitler via General Jodl at OKW, however, Hitler refuses to grant any further withdrawals except for some minor adjustments in the line by Ninth Army and Third Panzer Army west of Kalinin and Klin and by Guderian's Second Panzer Army west of Tula.

"The cruisers HMS EURYALUS and GALATEA firing on enemy aircraft during an engagement" This photo is taken on 14 December 1941 from cruiser Naiad while on patrol in the Mediterranean. © IWM (A 7099).

The entire affair illustrates a gradually growing assumption of direct control by Hitler over military operations. While Hitler has interfered in the past, these intrusions on the army's control have been relatively minor and "handled" by OKH Chief of Operations General Franz Halder and local commanders. The most notorious example to date of the local commanders ignoring Hitler's obvious wishes was the Army Group South withdrawal from Rostov-on-Don at the end of November. The general tactic heretofore has been to simply do what is considered necessary and present the moves to Hitler as a fait accompli. However, by firing Field Marshal von Rundstedt on 1 December, Hitler indicated very strongly that he expects to be asked before such moves are made from now on.

The Denver Post Home Edition, Sunday, December 14, 1941. "Hundreds Of [Japanese] 'Chutists Wiped Out In Hand-To-Hand Battle With Filipinos." Of course, there were no "' Chutists" and they certainly were not "wiped out." All of the war news is very reassuring. The Denver Post Library Archive.

However, while Hitler realizes the need (in his view) for more direct control over the military, he is new to issuing direct operational orders. Hitler has not yet realized that he cannot leave any "wriggle room" for his subordinates to still issue orders contrary to his implied wishes. Today, his orders to Army Group Center explicitly state that while he does not now authorize "giving up any place or taking any evasive action," this could be acceptable once the army does "something" to prepare new lines to the rear. Von Bock and von Brauchitsch interpret this nebulous language to authorize a further retreat once they tell Hitler that they have a new defensive position in mind running along a line von Bock has visualized at Rzhev-Gzhatsk-Orel-Kursk. So, von Bock tells his army commanders to get ready for a further retreat once he placates Hitler. This, however, is not what Hitler really means, and thus a direct confrontation between Hitler and his army commanders is brewing.

The important things continue in the United States. This ticket would get you into the Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers game in Wrigley Field on 14 December 1941. This is a Western Division playoff game.

The Far North sector flares to life again when the Red Army attacks Finnish forces along the Svir River. They take the village of Gora, but the Finns stop further gains. While the Finns now refuse to take further offensive action, they are willing to fight hard to protect their current lines. Thus, Soviet attacks in this area in a sense serve the Germans' purposes, as they divert forces that could be used further south into pointless battles against Axis troops that otherwise would be idle. In fact, it is easy to speculate that this diversionary benefit of the Finnish forces is why Hitler does not put more effort into attaining a junction with the Finnish forces east of Leningrad.

The US media continues to mix facts with wildly optimistic but inaccurate reports on the fighting in the Pacific. For instance, the news from the Eastern Front flows along long-established channels and is reasonably accurate. However, the information chain from the new battles in the Pacific is sketchy at best. The headlines in the 14 December 1941 edition of the Syracuse Herald American illustrate this dichotomy nicely, reporting actual events in the Soviet Union but printing wild fantasies about supposed successes in the Philippines.

Battle of the Pacific: The United States Navy begins its first offensive action of the war on 14 December 1941 when Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr.'s Task Force 11 sails toward Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The mission is intended as a distraction for the Japanese as the embattled US Marines on Wake Island await relief. Meanwhile, the Japanese Navy sends two attacks early today against Wake Island by aircraft based in the Marshall Islands, including the first by "Mavis" flying boats and a later raid at 11:00 by Nell bombers based on Roi Island at Kwajalein. The second raid kills two US Marines and destroys one of the Marines' two remaining F4F-3 Wildcats. The Wake Island battle has become a media favorite, and from a public relations perspective is the most important campaign in the Pacific for the United States regardless of the fact that the island itself has little value to either side. Thus, the US Navy is planning a relief, but it is taking time to prepare.

Close-up of torpedo damage to U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Helena (CL-50) as seen in a dry dock of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard on 14 December 1941. The cruiser was hit by a torpedo during the Pearl Harbor Attack on 7 December 1941. The original caption reads: "U.S.S. Helena - Torpedo damage between Frames 69 1/2 and 80 1/2 starboard side. Note propeller shaft, H.P. turbine to left. At right center floor plates were driven into teeth of a reduction gear by force of the explosion. Navy Yard, Pearl Harbor, T.H. (US Navy).

On the Malay Peninsula, the British continue withdrawing more due to their own apprehensions than defeats inflicted by the Japanese. Area commander General Arthur Percival authorizes the 11th Indian Division on the west coast to withdraw south toward Singapore 30 miles (48 km) to a new line centered on the village of Gurun. The division's commander, Major-General Murray-Lyon, botches the retreat by failing to fully inform all of his units. This leaves many isolated men and units stranded, with no alert that everyone else around them is departing. Many of these men wind up being captured or overwhelmed by massive Japanese forces. In addition, there are few organized provisions made for crossing the Bata River, leading to many Allied troop drownings, lost equipment, and other calamities. Losses are much higher than necessary and the force is unnecessarily weakened as it tries to create a new line that has not been prepared. On the new line, the 11th Indian Division briefly attempts to block the Japanese just north of the village of Gurun, which has some natural features that favor the defense. After dark on the 14th, the Japanese - right on the heels of the retreating Commonwealth troops - make some penetrations into the new position.

The Michigan Daily of 14 December 1941 is full of news about the construction of new defense plants. This is where some would say World War II is actually won.

On the east coast of the Malay Peninsula, the British Kelantan force continues a fighting withdrawal. The Indian 12th Brigade moves to the Baling region about nine miles west of Kroh. Due to the continuing British withdrawal, the defense of Penang Island becomes impossible. The British evacuate it, and Japanese forces occupy the island. Penang has a port that is well-stocked with ammunition and other stores.

Tarlac, Luzon railroad station after the Japanese bombing on December 14, 1941.

In the Philippines, the Japanese advance in north Luzon. The Aparri force meets the Vigan force at Vigan. The two forces are placed under a combined command and prepare an advance to the Lingayen Gulf. The US Army Air Force sends its remaining B-17s of the Far East Air Force to bomb the new Japanese beachhead at Legaspi, and the bombers damage a freighter and tanker. Lieutenant Hewitt T. Wheless earns the DSC for this action when he nurses his damaged bomber back to a crash-landing at Cagayan, Mindanao Island. The US Navy sees how things are going overall despite this minor success and withdraws its remaining PBY Catalinas t of Patrol Wing Ten and accompanying tenders from the Philippines entirely.

"An Oerlikon gun crew in action on HMS NAIAD." This photo, taken on 14 December 1941, shows the Naiad while on patrol in the Mediterranean. © IWM (A 7594).

Battle of the Mediterranean: In Libya, the battle of the Gazala line continues, but activity is light as both sides adjust their forces. The 5th New Zealand Brigade holds some hard-won penetrations into the line, and the British send the Polish Independent Brigade forward to reinforce them and plan further attacks for the 15th. A little to the south, the 7th Indian Infantry Brigade maintains the British line, while at Alem Hamza the 5th Indian Brigade mounts a failed attack. The Italian Ariete Division also mounts a minor attack with about a dozen tanks, but a motley collection of British units that includes an armored car squadron of the Central Indian Horse and the Royal East Kent Regiment beats them off. For the moment, a stalemate has developed all along the line, but Tobruk has been relieved and the main mission of Operation Crusader achieved.

Firemen battle a three-alarm fire at the Sanitary Public Market building, Pike Place Market, Seattle, December 14, 1941. While the fire's origins are unknown (and are never ascertained), speculation immediately leaps to Japanese saboteurs. (Courtesy MOHAI (PI22904))

December 1941

December 1, 1941: Hitler Fires von Rundstedt
December 2, 1941: Climb Mount Niitaka
December 3, 1941: Hints of Trouble in the Pacific
December 4, 1941: Soviets Plan Counteroffensive
December 5, 1941: Soviets Counterattack at Kalinin
December 6, 1941: Soviet Counterattack at Moscow Broadens
December 7, 1941: Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
December 8, 1941: US Enters World War II
December 9, 1941: German Retreat At Moscow
December 10, 1941: HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse Sunk
December 11, 1941: Hitler Declares War on US
December 12, 1941: Japanese in Burma
December 13, 1941: Battle of Cape Bon
December 14, 1941: Hitler Forbids Withdrawals
December 15, 1941: The Liepaja Massacre
December 16, 1941: Japan Invades Borneo
December 17, 1941: US Military Shakeup
December 18, 1941: Hitler Lays Down the Law
December 19, 1941: Brauchitsch Goes Home
December 20, 1941: Flying Tigers in Action
December 21, 1941: The Bogdanovka Massacre
December 22, 1941: Major Japanese Landings North of Manila
December 23, 1941: Wake Island Falls to Japan
December 24, 1941: Atrocities in Hong Kong
December 25, 1941: Japan Takes Hong Kong
December 26, 1941: Soviets Land in the Crimea
December 27, 1941: Commandos Raid Norway
December 28, 1941: Operation Anthropoid Begins
December 29, 1941: Soviet Landings at Feodosia
December 30, 1941: Race for Bataan
December 31, 1941: Nimitz in Charge

2020