Air Operations, Pacific

Japanese G3M 'Nell' medium bombers based at Kwajalein/Roi airfield attack Wake Island at 1145. 1 'Nell' is downed by antiaircraft fire and a second by VMF-211’s 2dLt David D. Kliewer and TSgt William J. Hamilton, the first USMC aerial victory of the war.

Barents Sea

U-134 sinks the German steamer Steinbek (2185t) in error off Tanafjord.

Battle of the Atlantic

The German steamer Madrid (8777t) is sunk by British bombing near Den Helder, Netherlands.

Burma

It their effort to occupy Burma in order to protect their northerly flank for the offensive into Malaya, the Japanese 15th Army under Lt-Gen Shojiro Iida, moves into the Kra isthmus between Prachuab and Nakhon. Occupying Burma will also sever supply routes into China and secure Burmese oil production.

Diplomatic Relations

Nationalist China declares war on Japan, Germany and Italy. An unofficial 'state of war' with Japan has existed since 1937.

Eastern Front

In the Moscow sector the Soviet drive against Guderian's forces succeeds in reaching and re-taking Elets, south of Tula. In the Leningrad sector the Soviets retake Tikhvin and force the Germans into a brief but hurried retreat. Gen Kirill Meretskov commands the Soviet forces here. Although tremendous efforts are being made by the citizens and garrison of the city and Meretskov's forces outside, only the merest trickle of supplies is getting in. Rations are already well below starvation level and during this month perhaps 50,000 of the population will die.

A Soviet T-28E Model 1938 Tank

A Soviet T-28E model 1938 (more cylindrical turret, but the gun is an L-10), the Leningrad Front, 42th Army, presumably, 51th tank battalion. This medium three-turret tank T-28 – one of the few tanks of this type of post-disaster early months of the war, when almost all of these tanks were lost. Now it is involved in the defense of Leningrad.

During the night of December 8-9 the Soviets launch a furious attack into Tikhvin. 2 rifle divisions attack simultaneously from the north and south, supported by heavy artillery fire. After a bitter battle Tikhvin is cleared.

The Red Army has succeeded in wresting the initiative from Army Group North, forcing the 18th Army back to the Volkhov. The I Corps, however, retires intact, despite the loss of 7,000 men in the Tikhvin battle, On the southern flank, the XXXVIII Corps also retreats to the Volkhov as the 52nd Army presses forward from Malaya Vyshera.

South of Lake Ilmen, the 16th Army is relatively unaffected by the recent Soviet attacks, holding a line from Staraya Russa to Ostashkov with its X and II Corps and XXXIX Panzer Corps.

The 1st Shock Army captures Fedorovka, west of Klin. After the very heavy losses of the first few days of the counteroffensive, Zhukov orders his armies to avoid frontal attacks, and instead to seek out open flanks to penetrate into the German rear. The 20th Army continues to advance amid heavy fighting while the 16th Army supports the attack. Rokossovsky splits his 16th Army into 2 offensive groups. Group Remezov is to strike out from the right wing, while Group Beloborodov attacks on the left toward Istra. Hoeppner attempts to reinforce the crumbling Klin sector by moving up the 10th Panzer Division to help the 3rd Panzer Group. Das Reich abandons Snegiri to the Soviets after bitter fighting.

On the southern wing, Venev falls to Group Belov, which then pushes toward Stalinogorsk. Under heavy pressure from these attack, the XLVII Panzer Corps begins to withdraw from its exposed positions east of Tula as the XXIV Panzer Corps comes under renewed attack by the 50th Army. The 10th Army attack stalls due to fierce resistance by the 112th Infantry Division along the Shat and Don Rivers. Yelets falls to Group Maskalenko of the 13th Army as the 2nd Army retires. Group Kostenko of the 13th Army is supporting the attacks of the 3rd Army, hitting the LIII Corps near Livny and isolating part of the German force. A dangerous gap, 20 miles wide, has opened between the 2nd Army and the 2nd Panzer Army, through which the V Cavalry Corps and 121st Rifle Division surge ahead.

Gilbert Islands

Small Japanese forces occupy Tarawa.

Malaya

There are more Japanese landings at Kota Bharu and Singora. The British minesweeping coaster Banka sinks on a mine at Tioman. 44 of the crew are lost, 6 are rescued.

Mediterranean

• The British submarine Porpoise badly damages the Italian steamer Sebastiano Vernier (6311t), returning from Benghazi with 2,000 prisonsers of war, 5 miles south of Navarino. The hospital ship Arno rescues 1,800 of the prisoners. The Italian steamer is sunk by the British submarine Torbay off Cape Methene on the 15th.
• U-652 sinks the French steamer St Denis (1595t) south of the Balearic Islands.

North Africa

There is another successful raid by 80 Squadron on German transports.

Pacific

I-10 sinks the Panamanian steamer Donerail (4473t) south of Hawaii with the loss of 25 crewmen and all 7 passengers on board. There are 8 survivors among the crew who survived 38 days in the ocean finally being rescued by natives of Tarawa.

Singapore

Dutch aircraft from the East Indies arrive in Singapore to bolster the British defenses.

Thailand

There are more Japanese landings at Patani. Thai resistance to the Japanese ends and the Japanese occupy Bangkok.

South China Sea

During the afternoon the Prince of Wales and Repulse are sighted by a Japanese submarine while heading north toward the Japanese landing areas. They turn back later in the day when Japanese aircraft are sighted, since Adm Phillips knows that no British fighter protection will be available farther north. About midnight reports of a Japanese landing at Kuantan are sent to Adm Phillips and he alters course in that direction. He decides not to signal his intentions to avoid giving away his position, believing that the staff at Singapore will realize that he will make this move and send fighters to Kuantan at first light.

The Arizona (BB-39) After Her Fires Were Out

USS Arizona (BB-39) sunk at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, after her fires were out, December 9, 1941. USS Navajo (AT-64) and USS Tern (AM-31) are alongside, spraying water to cool here burned out forward superstructure and midships area. In the left center distance are the masts of USS West Virginia (BB-48) and USS Tennessee (BB-43). (12/09/41)