Sunday 21 December 1941

The site of the Bogdanovka massacre, where executions of over 40,000 people were carried out from 21 December 1941 to 9 January 1942 (The National Archives for Photos and Films, Kiev, copy Yad Vashem Archive, Photo Collection 4147/18).

Battle of the Pacific: About 20 miles off Monterey Bay, California, Japanese Navy submarine I-23 surfaces on 21 December 1941 and fires eight or nine shells at 6771-ton Richfield Oil Company tanker Agwiworld. The captain of the Agwiworld manages to evade the shells using a zigzag pattern and makes it to port.

As shown in the 21 December 1941 headline of The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Kentucky, the Japanese submarine attacks off the California coast have become a new problem for the US Navy.

In the Philippines, the Japanese increase their military presence by sending three convoys from Formosa and the Pescadores bearing troops of the 14th Army assault group. The convoys carry 43,110 men of the 48th Division and one regiment of the 16th Division, supported by about 90 light tanks and artillery. They land at three points in Lingayen Gulf on the northeast coast of Luzon during the night of 21/22 December 1941.

The LA Times for 21 December 1941 headlines the Japanese submarines operating off the California coast.

The US attempt to counterattack with a few B-17s flying all the way from Australia and also some submarines in the vicinity, but they accomplish nothing. General Wainwright sends the 11th and 71st Divisions of the Philippine Army to launch counterattacks on 22 December. A bit further north at Bacnotan, the Japanese forces that landed earlier advance down the coast and make contact with the Filipino 11th Division. Another Japanese invasion force which left from Taiwan is at sea heading toward Lamon Bay on the eastern shore of Manila, south of Manila. It is obvious to all that the Japanese are heading for Manila, so local naval defense commander Rear Admiral F.W. Rockwell transfers his headquarters to the fortress island of Corregidor.

Texas soldier Juan Lugo Martinez at Camp Roberts, California, 21 December 1941. He enlisted after Pearl Harbor and entered active service on 10 December 1941. Mr. Martinez survived the war and passed away in 1999. (Voces).

At Wake Island, the last plane to leave, a PBY-5 Catalina, departs at 07:00. It carries Major Walter J. Bayler of Marine Aircraft Group 21, who comes to be known as the "last man off Wake." Shortly after, at 08:50, Japanese aircraft carriers Hiryu and Soryu launch 29 bombers escorted by 18 Zero fighters to attack the Marines holding out on the island. Around noontime, 33 "Nell" bombers from Roi Aerodrome on Kwajalein, Marshall Islands also attack. Meanwhile, US Navy Task Force 14 is approaching Wake Island from the southeast but is still 600 nautical miles away.

U-552 - U-567 and U-93 St. Nazaire in September 1941. U-567 is sunk on 21 December 1941 in the North Atlantic north-east of the Azores by Royal Navy sloop HMS Deptford and corvette Samphire. All 47 men aboard perished.

US Naval Task Force 14 has overwhelming firepower that includes aircraft carriers USS Lexington and Saratoga and heavy cruisers Astoria, Minneapolis, and San Francisco, but nobody knows where the Japanese fleet is and the task force comprises a large fraction of remaining US seapower in the Pacific. Thus, risking it at this stage of the war in an unknown situation concerns Vice Admiral William S. Pye, the temporary commander of the Pacific Fleet. However, at this time Pye allows TF 14 and nearby Task Force 11 (Admiral Frank Fletcher) to continue their attempt to relieve the Marines on Wake.

U-boat ace Engelbert Endrass, commander of U-567, KIA 21 December 1941.

On the Malay Peninsula, the Indian 11th Division (Major-General David Murray-Lyon) assumes command over all Commonwealth troops west of the Perak River, including those on the Grik road. The division orders a general withdrawal behind the Perak River. With units widely dispersed across the peninsula in dense jungles, many units do not receive the order or otherwise have great difficulty retreating.

Dutch submarine K XVII runs into the same minefield that claimed fellow Dutch submarine O 16 on 15 December 1942. It hits a mine about 22 miles off the coast of Malaysia's Tioman Island. All 36 men on board perish. The wreck is discovered in 1978 and identified in 1982, being declared a war grave. However, like the wreck of O 16, it since has disappeared, likely due to illegal salvaging operations.

The Flyin' Jenny (Virginia Dare) comic strip from the Baltimore Sun, 21 December 1941. This strip was the creation of Russell Keaton.

Eastern Front: The disarray within the Wehrmacht continues on 21 December 1941. In the morning, General Adolf Strass, commander of Ninth Army northwest of Moscow between Kalinin and Staritsa, flies to the Army Group Center headquarters in Smolensk. He pleads with the commander of Army Group Center, Guenther von Kluge, to permit continued withdrawals past Staritsa. His plan is to form a defensive line he dubs the "K-Line" (Koenigsberg Line) on a line including Rzhev, Gzhatsk, Orel, and Kursk. This is the same line that recently deposed army group commander Field Marshal Fedor von Bock had proposed. Kluge denies the request, referring to Hitler's "definitive" order to stand fast at Staritsa. On the other side, Soviet General Leytenant I.I. Maslennikov, Commanding General, 39th Army, deploys two divisions east of Staritsa to join a planned offensive toward Rzhev. Maslennikov also has an additional six divisions in reserve to exploit any initial successes.

A picture that was taken of a pilot class at the airfield at Sky Harbour, Ontario (Goderich Airport) on 21 December 1941 (Huron County Museum via Flickr).

Holocaust: At the Bogdanovka, Domanovka, and Acmecetca concentration camps on the Southern Bug river, in the Golta district, Transnistria, the German advisor to the Romanian administration of the district and the Romanian District Commissioner order an Aktion. They are concerned about sickness at the camps, which are unheated and poorly provisioned. The camps are located about 200 km northeast of Odessa. The Bogdanovka Massacre is the organized execution of more than 40,000 primarily Jewish inmates evacuated from Odessa and Romania that extends to 9 January 1942. The Aktion is carried out by Romanian soldiers, gendarmes, Ukrainian police, civilians from the district, and local ethnic Germans (Selbstschutz) under the commander of the Ukrainian regular police, Kazachievici, and the Romanian Prefect of the area, Modest Isopescu. Some of the inmates are locked in two stables which are then set afire, while others are executed by the standard practice of forcing them to march to ravines outside of town and shot there. Some others are forced to dig pits in the nearby forest with their bare hands and bury corpses before they, too, are executed.

This Pass Out Check will get you into the 21 December 1941 NFL Championship Game.

American Homefront: In the NFL Championship Game held at Wrigley Field in Chicago, the Chicago Bears beat the New York Giants 37-9. The audience is only 13,341, the smallest ever to attend an NFL championship game.

Alaska Territorial Governor Ernest Gruening orders all Alaskan flags to fly at half-mast today in honor of Ketchikan native Navy Ensign Irvin Thompson, 24. Ensign Thompson perished aboard battleship USS Oklahoma during the 7 December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was the first Alaskan serviceman casualty of World War II.

The official game program for the 21 December 1941 NFL Championship Game held at Wrigley Field between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants. The Bears defeat the Giants, 37-9.

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 the 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

Monday 15 December 1941

A Dr.Seuss (Theodore Geisel) cartoon published on 15 December 1941. Geisel contributed cartoons throughout the war in support of buying war bonds for the war effort while in the U.S. Army.

Battle of the Pacific: There are several small Japanese naval gestures toward the United States on 15 December 1941 that don't amount to anything militarily, but reflect the contempt the Japanese feel for the lack of an effective response to their attacks. The US Navy is still reeling from the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and is not mounting much in the way of retaliation. Instead, it is taking stock of the situation and begins planning for the initial defensive posture in the Pacific outlined in strategic military plan RAINBOW 5.

An unidentified Japanese submarine of the Second Marine Squadron surfaces just before dusk north of Maui and lobs shells in a fairly random manner. The mysterious submarine then departs without being spotted. The ten shells fall in the harbor area of Kahului on Maui, three of which hit a pineapple cannery and cause about $700 worth of damage (which is a fairly significant sum of money in 1941).

Dutch submarine 016, shown, hits a Japanese mine while exiting the Gulf of Siam on 15 December 1941. The submarine, based in Singapore, breaks in half and 41 men lose their lives. The wreck is discovered in October 1995 off Pulau Tioman in Malaysia.

At Wake Island, Japanese "Mavis" flying boats bomb the military installation early in the morning. The battle for Wake Island has captured the public imagination, so the US Navy decides to try and reinforce it and save the hundreds of US Marines and civilian contractors on the isolated atoll. While a large-scale relief is still just in the planning stages, Admiral Husband Kimmel, CINCUS and CINCPACFLT, gets the ball rolling by dispatching USN seaplane tender USS and oiler USS Neches, escorted by four destroyers, toward the island. It likely will take another week or longer to get the entire fleet in motion for the first naval confrontation of the conflict between large forces. However, at this point, trying to save the island is more a public relations matter than a military one.

As suggested by his unflattering portrait on the cover of the 15 December 1941 Time magazine, Admiral Husband Kimmel, naval commander in Hawaii (CINCUS and CINCPACFLT) and witness to the Japanese attack, is widely blamed for lack of effective security measures prior to the Pearl Harbor attack.

At Johnston Atoll, another Japanese submarine (HIJMS I-122) also surfaces and lobs a few shells at the military installations there. The shells appear to be sent at random and only slightly damage a few buildings, but two almost hit USN transport USS William Ward Burrows (AP-6). Like Wake Island, Johnston Atoll is far from Hawaii (712 nautical miles, 1319 km) and not of much use militarily to anyone, but the Japanese navy evidently is trying to make some kind of jingoistic point with these militarily pointless incidents.

Joe DiMaggio, named AL Player of the year, kissing his signature bat on December 15, 1941 (Sporting News (via Library of Congress)).

In the Philippines, the US Army Air Force's massive bomber force based at Clark Field has taken a beating so far in the war without accomplishing much. Major General Lewis H Brereton, Commanding General Far East Air Force, is ordered to withdraw his remaining bombers (not many) to Bachelor Field, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Australia is not threatened at this point but certainly could be in the near future. The USAAF does keep a few fighters on hand at Manila to help the large US and Philippine Army ground forces fend off the approaching Japanese forces from northern Luzon and also the southeast. General MacArthur, commander of all Allied forces in the Philippines, is furious with the lack of any naval support and accuses Admiral Hart of being ineffectual.

On the Malay Peninsula, the Commonwealth troops continue pulling back. The RAAF pulls both No. 21 Squadron and No. 453 Squadron back from advanced bases to Kuala Lumpur, where they are reinforced with planes from Singapore. The Japanese, now able to use bases in Thailand and those given up by the Allies, are quickly establishing air superiority. In Hong Kong, the Japanese in Kowloon begin systematic bombardment of the north shore of Hong Kong Island in order to soften it up for an invasion.

Newsweek magazine of 15 December 1941 highlights the new state of war. However, the magazine's cover "War! The U.S. Fleet's Guns Blaze" suggests naval actions are taking place when there have not been any in the Pacific.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The fighting on the Gazala line intensifies on 15 December 1941. The Polish Independent Brigade joins the 5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade and attacks into a small wedge the New Zealanders have driven into the line. The defending Italian Brescia and Pavia division, along with the Trento Division nearby, repel the attack. At the center of the line, the Italian Trieste Division also stands firm. The Italian divisions recover Point 204, taken by the New Zealand brigade on the 14th, and plan a further attack toward Alem Hamza. While the Axis has held the line, it also has taken huge losses. The German 15th Panzer Division, which is down to 8 tanks, moves to the rear after line stabilizes for the first time. After dark, the Afrika Korps commander General Crüwell reviews the attrition in his units and a dangerous advance by British 4th Armored Brigade to Bir Haleigh el Eleba about 30 miles (48 km) from Alem Hamza and realizes he cannot hold the line for long despite the day's successes. Crüwell reluctantly orders a retreat from the Gazala line over the bitter objections of the victorious Italian units. The move west by 15th Panzer Division is just in time to block the British tanks hoping to encircle the Gazala line and give the troops there time to escape.

Life magazine, 15 December 1941.

Eastern Front: After a brief period of moderate weather, a cold front moves in along the Moscow sector and the temperature during the night bottoms at -33 °F. At Army Group North, Field Marshal Ritter von Leeb calls Hitler in the morning - an unusual act even for commanders of army groups - and explains that it is impossible to attempt to hold a line anywhere near Tikhvin. Hitler is opposed but does not explicitly forbid a withdrawal, so after the phone call at about noon, von Leeb tells all remaining outposts east of the Volkhov River (most already have withdrawn) to pull back. Field Marshal Keitel calls at 19:00 and tells von Leeb to stop the withdrawals, at which point von Leeb tells him that he will personally visit the Wolfsschanze Fuehrer headquarters to discuss the issue - an even more unusual act.

German Gestapo troops assemble political prisoners in Lijepaja (Liepaja) prior to execution. This picture was taken on 15 December 1941 by Hauptscharführer Karl Strott, head of the local Gestapo field office (Federal Archive B 162 Picture-02624).

The German retreats continue everywhere in the Army Group Center area. Northwest of Moscow, German Ninth Army sets demolition charges in Kalinin, including the Volga River Bridge, and evacuates Klin. Nearby, Third and Fourth Panzer Groups also retreat despite Field Marshal Fedor von Bock's admonition to "consider every step back a hundred times." South of Moscow, General Guderian's Second Panzer Army's retreat opens a ten-mile-wide hole in the German line while adjoining Second Army also withdraws. Retreating is no fun in the bitter cold, but it is better than fighting and dying or being captured Around noon, Colonel Heusinger, OKH operations branch chief, informs the forward army commands that Hitler will authorize withdrawals of thirty to forty miles to Staritsa and the line of the Lama and Ruza Rivers. Heusinger also hints that a more general withdrawal will be permitted to the line preferred by von Bock, anchored at Rzhev-Ghatsk-Orel-Kursk, but Heusinger cautions that the order is not finalized yet.

Victims of the Liepaja massacre, covered by a submachine gun visible at the right, are forced to undress on the edge of a killing pit on 15 December 1941. The picture was taken by the local Gestapo chief, Karl Strott (Federal Archive Bild B 162 Image-03236).

Holocaust: The Liepāja massacres begin in Latvia. These executions last until 17 December 1941 and result in 2731 Jewish civilians and 23 alleged communists were killed.

On December 15, 1941, Ruth Lee, a hostess at a Chinese restaurant, flies a Chinese flag so she isn’t mistaken for Japanese when she sunbathes on her day off in Miami, Florida.

American Home Front: Widespread hysteria about Japanese Fifth Columnists continues throughout the United States, particularly along the west coast. The Rose Bowl is shifted from its usual home in Pasadena, California to Durham, North Carolina due to fears of attacks. US Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, returning from a hurried trip to Hawaii, tells the press:

I think the most effective Fifth Column work of the entire war was done in Hawaii with the possible exception of Norway.

Norway, of course, is where the term "Fifth Columnist" originated. There is no question that there were Japanese spies in Hawaii operating out of the consulate on Oahu, but there is no proof of purely civilian spies of Japanese extraction.

The four major radio networks - CBS, Mutual, NBC Red (which ultimately becomes the basis for the NBC TV network, and NBC Blue (which ultimately becomes ABC) - interrupt regular prime-time scheduling for an hour to air patriotic broadcast. It is Norman Corwin's production of "We Hold These Truths," commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and starring Orson Welles. It commemorates the United States Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments to the US Constitution) ratified on 15 December 1991. This breaks all the records for radio broadcasts with an audience estimated at 63 million. For comparison, the famous Beatles appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964 reaches about 73 million in a larger national population.

Victims of the Liepaja massacre posing after having taken off their outer garments prior to execution. This picture was taken on 15 December 1941 by local Gestapo chief Hauptscharführer Karl Strott (Federal Archive B 162 Picture-02615).

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

Thursday 11 December 1941

Adolf Hitler and cronies during his speech at the Kroll Opera House on 11 December 1941.

German/US Relations: On 11 December 1941, Adolf Hitler instructs Reich Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop to deliver a formal declaration of war to United States Chargé d'Affaires in Berlin Leland B. Morris. The primary reason for this, as stated in the text of the declaration, is the order given by President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt on 11 September 1941 for US warships to "fire upon" Kriegsmarine war vessels "on sight." The United States Congress then votes to declare war on Germany within hours, passing the:

Joint Resolution Declaring That a State of War Exists Between The Government of Germany and the Government and the People of the United States and Making Provisions To Prosecute The Same.

Adolf Hitler gives a long speech to the Reichstag at the Kroll Opera House explaining this decision. President Roosevelt, however, merely sends down a written request to Congress asking for a declaration of war.


The Reich's declaration of war against the United States is considered Hitler's worst blunder of the war, topped only, perhaps, by his invasion of the Soviet Union. The reasons for Hitler's decision are debated, but his previous speeches indicate a deep resentment about the United States for flouting the international rules of warfare in support of Great Britain. Another possible motivation is to draw attention away from the Eastern Front, where the Wehrmacht is reeling due to the Red Army counteroffensive at Moscow. Hitler also is a creature of the Great War, and many of his strategies mirror those taken by the German Empire in that conflict. In this instance, Hitler adopts the thinking of the German high command in 1917 that unrestricted submarine warfare could finally isolate England and cause its eventual starvation and surrender. This would prevent United States intervention on the Continent and free the Reich's military to finally subdue the USSR. The strategy did not work in World War I, but perhaps Hitler thinks that the United States Navy is inadequate to fight a two-ocean war. In any event, the Reich is not bound by a treaty to support the Empire of Japan. While the Japanese Ambassador has sought such written assurance, the Reich has not provided them. In any event, Hitler never shows much deference to treaties regardless of how applicable they may be. This is Hitler's decision alone, made after four days of consideration, and stands as his only formal declaration of war.

President Roosevelt signs the declaration of war against Germany, 11 December 1941.

Axis Relations: In Italy, Benito Mussolini issues a statement declaring war on the United States. Germany, Italy, and Japan, the original signatories of the Tripartite Pact, sign a new agreement that bars any of them from making a separate peace with either the United States or Great Britain. Various other countries declare war on one side or the other in the coming days, but the main battle lines now are drawn.

The New York Times continues lacing real news with not-so-real news in its headlines. The United States has not even seen any of Japan's battleships or aircraft carriers yet, much less damaged them. While two Japanese destroyers are sunk off Wake Island today, that is merely a happy coincidence of which the Times reporters are completely unaware. As for stopping the Japanese on land, that also sort of is true on Wake Island, but not anywhere else - particularly on Guam, where the US garrison already has surrendered.

Battle of the Pacific: Four days have gone by at Pearl Harbor, and still the military in the Hawaiian Islands has no idea where the attackers of 7 December 1941 came from or where they went. The priority since the attack has been recovery and self-preservation, but no countermeasures. Today, the US Army Air Force finally attempts to find out, sending six Douglas B-18 Bolos to investigate the waters offshore. They find nothing: the Imperial Japanese Navy's main striking force, Kido Butai, is long gone.

Destruction at Wheeler Field in Hawaii, as photographed on 11 December 1941.

The war in the Pacific proceeds much as it has since the first Japanese attacks, with steady Japanese gains and only occasional flashes of success by the Allies. Hong Kong's defenses are under artillery fire and aerial attack, and the British defenses on Kowloon and the New Territories already are crumbling. The British begin to evacuate all forces to Hong Kong Island, with no assurance that it can be held, either. In the Philippines, the Japanese already are on Luzon and heading south on Route 5 toward Tuguegarao and Laoag. They also embark 2500 men of the 16th Division for landings in southern Luzon to take place early on the 12th. On the Malay Peninsula, the Indian 9th Division of Indian III Corps begins pulling out of Kelantan, retreating from the airfields at Gong Kedah and Machang which the Japanese are now happy to use. The Japanese harass the retreating Indian troops as they head south.

While driving to the Kroll Opera House to give his speech to the Reichstag, Adolf Hitler's Mercedes passes by the Foreign Ministry. Note that everyone except the soldiers on duty offer Hitler the "Hitler greeting" (Hitlergruß) (AP Photo).

At Wake Island, however, things are a bit brighter for the Americans, as the 1st Defense Battalion defeats attempted landings by the South Seas Force and even manages to sink destroyer Hayate (one survivor) using six 5-inch coastal defense guns. US Navy F4F-3 Wildcats, flown in less than a week ago, also bomb and sink destroyer Kisaragi (no survivors). The Japanese are forced to withdraw. US reporters, hungry for any positive news, make up a legend that the US commander on the island, naval aviator Commander Winfield S. Cunningham, USN, sends his superiors the cheeky message "Send us more [Japanese]" when asked what he needs. This charming invention makes headlines around the world, but it does sum up the feelings of many following the first United States success against the Empire of Japan. The Japanese, however, are not happy to lose two destroyers and hand the enemy a propaganda victory, so they immediately divert aircraft carriers Sōryū and Hiryū from Kido Butai (which is in the vicinity following its successful strike against Pearl Harbor) to help take Wake Island. The US Navy, meanwhile, is still unable to send any aid to the embattled US Marines and hundreds of civilian construction workers on the island.

Judy Garland and Lana Turner on the set of "Ziegfeld Girl," 11 December 1941 (Clarence Sinclair Bull, via The Judy Garland Experience).

The Reich's Declaration of War upon the United States:

MR. CHARGE D'AFFAIRES:

The Government of the United States having violated in the most flagrant manner and in ever increasing measure all rules of neutrality in favor of the adversaries of Germany and having continually been guilty of the most severe provocations toward Germany ever since the outbreak of the European war, provoked by the British declaration of war against Germany on September 3, 1939, has finally resorted to open military acts of aggression.

On September 11, 1941, the President of the United States publicly declared that he had ordered the American Navy and Air Force to shoot on sight at any German war vessel. In his speech of October 27, 1941, he once more expressly affirmed that this order was in force. Acting under this order, vessels of the American Navy, since early September 1941, have systematically attacked German naval forces. Thus, American destroyers, as for instance the Greer, the Kearney and the Reuben James, have opened fire on German submarines according to plan. The Secretary of the American Navy, Mr. Knox, himself confirmed that-American destroyers attacked German submarines.

Furthermore, the naval forces of the United States, under order of their Government and contrary to international law have treated and seized German merchant vessels on the high seas as enemy ships.

The German Government therefore establishes the following facts:

Although Germany on her part has strictly adhered to the rules of international law in her relations with the United States during every period of the present war, the Government of the United States from initial violations of neutrality has finally proceeded to open acts of war against Germany. The Government of the United States has thereby virtually created a state of war.

The German Government, consequently, discontinues diplomatic relations with the United States of America and declares that under these circumstances brought about by President Roosevelt Germany too, as from today, considers herself as being in a state of war with the United States of America.

Accept, Mr. Charge d'Affaires, the expression of my high consideration.

December 11, 1941.

RIBBENTROP

Hermann Goering, upper left, presides over the Reichstag as Adolf Hitler declares war upon the United States.

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 the 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

Monday 8 December 1941

President Roosevelt as he delivers his "Day of Infamy" speech, 8 December 1941.

US/Japanese Relations:  Following the surprise Japanese attack on the United States fleet base in the territory of Hawaii, on 8 December 1941 the United States and Japan both formally declare war on each other. The Japanese government has its statement printed on the front pages of all Japanese newspapers, while the United States Congress votes for war by  82-0 in the Senate and 388-1 in the House of Representatives (pacificist Jeannette Rankin, who also voted against entry into World War I, is the only no vote). The United Kingdom declares war on Japan nine hours after the US declaration, while Japan's declaration includes the British Empire.

President Roosevelt delivers his "Day of Infamy" speech, 8 December 1941.

The United States declaration of war follows a speech delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) to a joint session of the US Congress by about one hour. FDR's speech, commonly called the Infamy Speech or the Pearl Harbor Speech (see text below), runs for about seven minutes and becomes one of the most quoted and referenced speeches in world history primarily for its opening line, "a date which will live in infamy." Several other nations, including New Zealand, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, the Dutch government-in-exile and Nicaragua also declared war on Japan, primarily as a show of solidarity with the United States and Great Britain.

The NY Times on 8 December 1941 highlights "heavy fighting at sea" that is non-existent. In fact, there is virtually no fighting at sea anywhere in the Pacific.

Battle of the Pacific: Following Japanese landings at Khota Baru and elsewhere on the Malay Peninsula, Japanese forces of the 15th Army land at various points along the Kra Peninsula in the early morning hours of 8 December 1941. The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) 33rd Division under the command of Lieutenant-General Shōzō Sakurai and the IJA 55th Division under Lieutenant-General Hiroshi Takeuchi of the 15th Army move across the border from French Indochina into Thailand at Tambon Savay Donkeo,,  Athuek Thewadej District (Russei) of Battambang. This follows a two-hour ultimatum posed by the Japanese government on Thailand to which they receive no response. In addition, the IJA 143rd Infantry Regiment lands troops at Chumphon, but the Thai Army opposes this landing vigorously (unlike elsewhere) untold ordered to stand down in the afternoon. There also are landing at Nakhon Si Thammarat, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Samut Prakan, Singora, Pattani, and Surat Thani, along with the Japanese Air Force bombings of selected targets in Bangkok and Don Muang. There is a total ceasefire by the afternoon which stops all fighting. The two governments then work on an official Armistice, with Premier Plaek Phibun (Phibunsongkhram) claiming that the entire invasion had been pre-arranged in secret prior to the Japanese invasion between the two governments.

President Roosevelt signs the declaration of war on the Empire of Japan, 8 December 1941.

The Japanese objective on the Malay Peninsula obviously is the British fortified port of Singapore. Japanese bombers of the Mihoro Air Group based at Thu Dau Mot in southern French Indochina attack the city and nearby airfield before dawn, killing 61 people. Royal Navy battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser Repulse are in the harbor, but they are undamaged. The Japanese do not lose any planes in this attack, and the British (especially British area commander Lieutenant General Arthur Percival) are surprised that the Japanese bombers have sufficient range to even make it to Singapore.

Life magazine has the extraordinary good fortune of having planned to feature Douglas MacArthur on the cover of its 8 December 1941 edition.

There are Japanese landings and attacks elsewhere in the Pacific Theater as well:

• The 14th Army of the IJA lands at tiny Batan Island off of Luzon.
• Japanese aircraft based on Saipan bomb the United States base on Guam.
• 36 Japanese Mitsubishi G3M3 medium bombers flown from bases on the Marshall Islands attacked Wake Island, destroying 8 of 16 F4F-3 Wildcats that had just arrived at the island.
• The Japanese  21st, 23rd and the 38th Regiments under the command of Lieutenant General Takashi Sakai attack British, Canadian, Indian, as well as the local Hong Kong Chinese Regiment, and the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps in Hong Kong.
• Two Japanese destroyers shell Midway Island.

The Japanese also have designed on the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), which has oil fields that are one of their top objectives. However, the Dutch Navy under Admiral Karl Doorman must be neutralized before landings can be achieved, and it lies beyond the range of Japanese bombers.

German soldiers at Korjakowa, about 66 km southeast of Moscow, huddle against the chill, 8 December 1941 (Mährlen, Federal Archive Picture 146-1992-055-33).

Eastern Front: The Red Army offensive around Moscow that began on 5/6 December 1941 shows no signs of abating. Always concerned about prestige and world opinion, Adolf Hitler uses the global distraction created by the Japanese attacks in the Pacific Theater to end Operation Typhoon. He issues Fuehrer Directive No. 39, which blames this on "The severe winter weather which has come surprisingly early." The Wehrmacht forces all around Moscow begin an orderly retreat, with those in the northwest along the Klin-Kalinin railway line under the most pressure. The weather makes the retreat incredibly difficult because the extreme winter temperatures disable many vehicles, forcing the Germans to abandon huge quantities of equipment. One German corps in General Guderian's Second Panzer Army reports 1500 frostbite cases, with 350 requiring amputations. As one unit retreats, it uncovers the flanks of other units, which also must retreat, so the process causes a general retreat all along the line even if some positions have good defensive qualities.

Some German soldiers on the Eastern Front near Molwoitzi lay a field radio cable using a Panji sled, 8 December 1941 (Fenske, Federal Archive Picture 101I-002-3362-13).

Holocaust: The Rumbula Massacre near Riga, Latvia concludes. About 25,000 victims, predominantly Latvians from the Riga Ghetto and the rest Germans brought to the vicinity by train, are exterminated by Einsatzgruppe A with the support of Arajs Kommando and other Latvian auxiliaries. There are a few feeble attempts to delay or hinder the massacre by Wehrmacht functionaries which are disregarded. With the Ghetto now largely cleared, the German authorities in Germany step up their efforts of transporting future victims east by rail to fill it up again.

The headline of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin on 8 December 1941 is full of war rhetoric but very short on details. Part of the US Pacific Fleet (the part that has not been sunk, that is) certainly is at sea, but there is no "counter-offensive" anywhere.

American Home Front: The America First Committee begins winding up its activities. It releases a statement from leading spokesman Charles Lindbergh:

We have been stepping closer to war for many months. Now it has come and we must meet it as united Americans regardless of our attitude toward the policy our government has followed. Whether or not that policy has been wise, our country has been attacked by force of arms and we must retaliate.

There are long lines at U.S. military recruitment centers across the country. Lindbergh himself will seek to be recommissioned in the USAAF. However, the Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson, will decline the request on instructions from the White House. Lindbergh instead will work as a consultant to military equipment manufacturers and see unofficial action in the Pacific.

Glenn Miller and his Orchestra return to work as usual on Monday morning despite the war news. They record "Moonlight Cocktail" with vocals by Ray Eberle and The Modernaires, "Moonlight Cocktail" goes on to hit No. 1 on  February 28, 1942, and stays there for ten weeks - longer than any other Glenn Miller single. The song had been around since 1912 when Charles Luckeyeth Roberts composed it. James Kimball "Kim" Gannon added the lyrics.

A United States Marine Corps recruiting station on 8 December 1941.

DAY OF INFAMY SPEECH

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And, while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya.

• Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
• Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.
• Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
• Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has therefore undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.
As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense, that always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph, so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

Fire engine ladders are used to create a "V for Victory" symbol in front of the United States Capitol building, 8 December 1941.

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

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