Air Operations, Pacific

26 G3M 'Nell' medium bombers from Kwajalein again attack Wake Island. 2 are brought down by a VMF-211 F4F.

Battle of the Atlantic

In attacks on Convoy SC-57 U-130 sinks the Egyptian steamer Star of Luxor (5298t) and the British steamers Kurdistan (5844t) and Kirnwood (3829t) west of Rockall. 4 are killed on the Egyptian ship, there are 52 survivors. 20 crewmen are lost on the Kurdistan, 56 survivors are picked up by the British corvette Kingcup. 12 are lost on the Kirnwood, 33 survivors are picked up by the British rescue ship Dewsbury, then transferred to the Kingcup and taken to Londonderry.

Burma

The pro-Japanese Burma Independence Army (BIA) of 2,300 men march from Thailand into Burma. In Thailand it had been secretly organized and trained by the Japanese. Aung San, a Burmese nationalist officer, leads the BIA in their fight to remove the British. The BIA is the creation of Col Keishi Suzuki of the Japanese army who has been posing as a news correspondent in Rangoon.

Eastern Front

Following the fall of Tikhvin, the Stavka creates the Volkhov Front under Gen Meretskov. The new front becomes operational on December 17 and incorporates the 26th Army and 59th Army in addition to its existing forces. The 26th Army will later become the 2nd Shock.

There is heavy fighting around Klin and Solnechnogorsk as the German panzer groups fight to escape the developing Soviet pincers. The 3rd Panzer Group is fighting in operational isolation around Klin, while on the southern flank, the XLVII Panzer Corps falls back upon Yepifan.

With his lines falling apart, Guderian manages to extricate the LIII Corps from its near disastrous battle around Livny, having brought this corps and the XXIV Panzer back to the line of the Don, Shat and Upa Rivers. During the heavy fighting, the 95th Infantry Division has suffered 50 percent casualties, while the 45th Infantry Division has been all but destroyed. Heavy fighting along the river lines brings the 10th Army's attack to a complete halt. The gap between the 2nd Panzer and 2nd Army, however, has widened to 85 miles, elements of the 2nd Army being cut off from the body of their force with the 2nd Panzer.

Gilbert Islands

Small Japanese forces occupy Makin.

Hong Kong

The Japanese forces have now advanced up to the main defense line and succeed in capturing an important position at its west end.

Marianas

A Japanese force of about 6,000 commanded by Adm Aritomo Goto lands and captures the island of Guam which is defended by about 500 US troops armed with nothing heavier than .30 caliber machine guns.

North Africa

The 242-day siege of Tobruk is raised completely on this day. Commonwealth troops break out and join up with British 8th Army units at nearby Acroma. 34,113 men have been taken in to replace the garrison during the siege and a similar number taken out as well as 7,000 wounded and 7,000 prisoners. 72 tanks, 92 heavy guns and 34,000 tons of supplies had also been brought in to aid the defenders. In the various supply operations 2 destroyers have been lost and many other ships sunk or damaged.

6 unescorted Bostons of 24 Squadron SAAF are all shot down except 1 by a dozen enemy fighters. The lone survivor crash lands on its return to base.

Maj-Gen Max Sümmermann, CO of the 90th Light, is killed by strafing fighters as the unit moves toward Agedabia.

Pacific

• US aircraft from the carrier Enterprise sink the Japanese submarine I-70 near the Hawaiian Islands.
• The Japanese minesweeper W-10 is sunk by American bombing off Vigan, Philippines.
• The British steamer Harledawins (1523t) is sunk by Japanese bombing 8 miles west of Barigayos Point, Luzon. The entire crew are rescued.

Philippines

There are Japanese landings and air attacks on Luzon. 50 Japanese bombers hit the naval base at Cavite. Most of the base is destroyed and the entire reserve stock of torpedoes for the US Far East fleet is lost.. On the north coast, at Aparri, 2,000 men of the Tanaka Detachment land from 1 cruiser, 6 destroyers and other ships while in the northeast of the island at Vigan a similar number, the Kanno Detachment, also goes ashore covered by a slightly larger naval force.

Japanese Bomb Cavite Navy Yard

On December 10, at noon, 54 Japanese Betty bombers began bombing Cavite navy yard. The bombing lasted for 45 minutes. At the end of the assault, 1,600 Navy personnel, along with civilian staff, were killed or wounded. By 3 o'clock the fires and explosions of ammunition turned the Yard into a "Dante's Inferno." Admiral Rockwell ordered all hands to immediately abandon the yard. The loss of Cavite navy yard placed the Asiatic fleet in "harms way," without the possibility of resupply.

Japanese air attacks heavily damage the Cavite Navy Yard. US naval vessels damaged in the attacks include the destroyer Peary (DD-226), submarine Seadragon (SS-194), submarine Sealion (SS-195) and the minesweeper Bittern (AM-36). In US Army aircraft action the Japanese minesweeper No. 10 is sunk and minesweeper No. 19 is damaged.

5 B-17s from the 14th Heavy Bomb Squadron, 19th Heavy Bomb Group, attack the invasion convoy at Vigan. The Japanese battleship Haruna is reported to be sunk. Capt Colin Kelly becomes the first American hero of the war when it is reported that his bomber hit the battleship in Philippine waters. Later investigation, however, reveals that no Japanese warships of that size were in the area. As for the Haruna itself, it survives almost until the end of the war when it founders in Kure harbor in July of 1945.

South China Sea

In the early hours of the morning the 2 British capital ships are sighted and attacked by a Japanese submarine. The attack is not noticed and the submarine later reports their position.

In the morning the landings at Kuantan are found not to exist and just before midday 99 Japanese aircraft based in Saigon find and attack Phillips' force. In 2 hours both British ships have been sunk. The Repulse is hit by 14 torpedoes and the Prince of Wales by 4. The Japanese lose only 4 planes. 730 sailors are killed including Adm Phillips.

HMS Prince of Wales (left) with HMS Repulse behind under attack off Malaysia. The destroyer is either HMS Express or HMS Electra. (Photo taken by one of the attacking aircraft.)

British Ships Under Attack

HMS Prince of Wales (top) and HMS Repulse under attack by Japanese aircraft off Malaysia.

British Ships Under Attack

HMS Express removing crewmen from HMS Prince of Wales.

Rescuing Crew from Prince of Wales

The British destroyers Express, Electra and Vampire pick up 1,285 of the 1,612 men that were on the Prince of Wales. From the Repulse the destroyers rescue 796 of the 1,309 on board. This disaster leaves the Allies without a battleship active in the whole Pacific theater.

Thailand

The British force which has advanced into Thailand from Kroh reaches The Ledge position where they are to prepare to meet the Japanese advance, only to find that the Japanese have arrived first and are stronger. The British attack is thrown back.