Air Operations, Asia

68 British aircraft attack the Japanese troop convoy off the east coast of Malaya. 13 aircraft are lost.

Air Operations, CBI

1st and 2nd AVG Figher Squadron P-40s shoot down 3 Japanese Army fighters over Rangoon around 1100 hours.

Air Operations, Europe

• 71 aircraft are sent on a raid to Hanover. Only 32 claim to have hit the target, but many fire are believe to have been started. There are no losses.
• In a raid on Emden by 31 aircraft, 2 Whitleys are lost.
• 22 Wellingtons and 3 Stirlings raid Brest with no losses.
• In minor operations, 6 Hampdens lay mines in the Frisians, 2 Whitleys are sent to Germany and 2 Hampdens to France on leaflet flights. The Whitley leaflet flights are the first leaflet-only flights to Germany since April 1940. 1 Whitley is lost.

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-106 sinks the British steamer Traveller (3963t) east of New York with the loss of the entire crew of 52.
• U-125 sinks the American steamer West Ivis (5666t) off Cape Hatteras with the loss of her entire crew of 45.
• U-754 sinks the Greek steamer Icarion (4013t) 48 miles southwest of Cape Race with the loss of 9 crewmen. 20 survivors reach Newfoundland in lifeboats 2 days later.
• U-582 sinks the British tanker Refast (5189t) south of St John's with the loss of 10 of her crew. 32 survivors are picked up by the British steamer Mariposa.
• U-123 sinks the Norwegian tanker Pan Norway (9231t) in the middle of the North Atlantic. Her entire crew of 41 is picked up by the Greek steamer Mount Aetna.

Britain, Home Front

The first contingents of American troops land in Northern Ireland. The premier of the Irish Republic, Eamon De Valera, protests strongly.

The first troops of the United States expeditionery force to Europe arrive in Belfast. The troops disembarked at the Spencer Basin and the photograph shows a detachment marching along Duncrue Street.

First US Troops Arrive in Europe

Eastern Front

The 4th Shock Army increases its threat on Army Group Center. In the south von Bock regroups his forces to hold the line of Donets.[MORE]

Malaya

Japanese amphibious units land south of Endau, about 90 miles north of Singapore, on the east side of the peninsula and move rapidly inland. British forces in the Batu Pahat area, already outflanked by the Japanese, try to regain their line by filtering through the jungle.

In an engagement off the coast, the Allies attack a Japanese convoy both from the air and with naval vessels. The Australian destroyer Vampire and the British destroyer Thanet are both sunk. 37 crewmen are lost from the Thanet, 57 survivors are picked up by the British patrol vessel Giang Bee. 31 others are rescued by the Japanese destroyer Shirayuki and made prisoners of wary.

Malta

There are more Axis air raids mainly against the airfields.

Mediterranean

British submarine P-34 sinks the Italian steamer Dalmatia (3252t) off the Straits of Messina.

New Britain

Rabaul falls to the Japanese giving them a major strategically located air and naval base.

North Africa

Clouds thicken again and the only move spotted from the air this day is one Rommel wants seen - a feint by the re-united Afrika Korps in the direction of Mechili. This feint distracts the attention of the 1st Armored Div and Rommel moves toward Benghazi. The 90th Light Div heads north along the Via Balbio. The Italian XX Corps to the east moves north from Antelat, and Group Marcks pushes northwest from Msus. The 7th Indian Brigade, preparing to attack Rommel's communications, is not at all well-positioned to meet this threat, the more so since it had been seperated into mobile columns as Auchinleck had urged.

Pacific

During the night the British destroyer Thanet and the Australian destroyer Vampire attack the Japanese troop convoy off Malaya. Thanet is sunk by Japanese warships.

Philippines

The Americans and the Filipinos complete their withdrawal to the southern tip of the Bataan peninsula, behind the line of the Pilar-Bagac road. Gaps are opened between several of the major units, hastily plugged with reserve troops. At the extreme south of the peninsula the Japanese maintain their bridgeheads at Points Quinauan and Longoskawayan. The Americans, fearing more landings, strengthen their coastal defenses.

Unitd States, Politics

The Board of Inquiry established to investigate the Pearl Harbor disaster publishes its findings. Adm Kimmel (then Commander in Chief US Fleet) and Gen Short (the Commander in Chief Hawaiian Dept) are judged guilty of deriliction of duty. Both have already been dismissed.

Western Europe

The first American troops arrive in the British Isles.