December 14, 1941
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology
Sunday, 14 December 1941
Japanese Vigan and Aparri detachments are placed under the same command and ordered, after the Aparri force joins the Vigan at Vigan, to march S to Lingayen Gulf. Adm Thomas C. Hart withdraws the few remaining patrol bombers of Patrol Wing 10 and 3 tenders from the Philippines, leaving very little of the Asiatic Fleet to support operations. Maj Gen Lewis H. Brereton has already withdrawn the heavy bombers of FEAF from Luzon to Del Monte airfield, Mindanao.
Malaya: On the west coast of Malaya, the Indian 11th Div completes withdrawal to Gurun; Japanese, in close pursuit, penetrate the new positions, during the night of December 14-December 15. Krohcol force is dissolved and its components, which are put under command of Ind 12th Brig, move to Baling area, about 9 miles W of Kroh. Ind 3 Corps sends small detachments to guard Grik road, which is now uncovered. On the east coast, Kelantan force continues fighting withdrawal. As airfields on Singapore are becoming congested, preparations are being made to base planes in the in NEI.
USN: Patrol Wing 10 (PatWing 10) departs Cavite with its two patrol squadrons and
four seaplane tenders, operated from various bases along the way, including Balikpapan, Soerabaja and Ambon before reaching Australia.
FEAF: B-17's bomb the Japanese landing at Legaspi. B-17s bomb and damage Japanese cargo ship Ikushima Maru and oiler Hayatomo off Legaspi. Lost is B-17D 40-3073 pilot 1st Lt. Jack Adams (survived). B-17D pilot 1st Lieutenant Hewitt T. "Shorty" Wheless makes an emergency crash landing at Cagayan Airfield and is later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for his actions.
IJN: Type 97 flying boats from Yokohama Kōkūtai (Yokohama Air Group) from Wotje and Roi bomb Wake Island and damaged Camp One and Wake Island Airfield and destroy a F4F Wildcat. Later in the day, Type 96 Nells from Chitose Kōkūtai (Chitose Air Group) bomb Wake Island and Wake Island Airfied.
USN: Task Force 11 (TF 11) under Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr. comprising of carrier USS Lexington (CV-2), three heavy cruisers, nine destroyers, and oiler USS Neosho (AO-23) departs for the Marshall Islands, to create a diversion to cover the attempt by Task Force 14 (TF 14) to relieve Wake Island.
Destroyer USS Craven (DD-382) collides with heavy cruiser USS Northampton (CA-26) during underway refueling and is damaged. The ships are part of TF 8 operating north of Oahu.
Norwegian motorship Hoegh Merchant is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I 4 about 20 miles east-northeast of Oahu. All hands (35-man crew, 5 passengers) survive the loss of the ship.
Coast Guard lighthouse tender Kukui arrives at Niihau with squad of U.S. Army soldiers from Company M, 299th Infantry under the command of Lieutenant Jack Mizuha. They learn about the "Niihau Incident".
Japanese gunboat Zuiko Maru, wrecked and driven aground by storm, sinks off Matsuwa Jima, Kuriles, 48°05'N, 153°43'E.
Gunboat Erie (PG-50), off coast of Costa Rica, boards and takes charge of motor vessel Sea Boy, and removes a Japanese POW and the next day orders Sea Boy into Balboa.
With its operating area rendered untenable by Japanese control of the air, Patrol Wing 10 (PatWing 10) under Captain Frank D. Wagner departs the Philippines bound for the Netherlands East Indies (NEI). Seaplane tender (destroyer) USS Childs (AVD-1) with Captain Wagner embarked, departs Manila.
USS Seawolf (SS-197) torpedoes Japanese seaplane carrier Sanyo Maru off Aparri, one torpedo hits the ship but does not explode.
USS Swordfish (SS-193) fires torpedoes at Japanese ships off Hainan Island and torpedoes army transport Kashii Maru, 18°08'N, 109°22'E.
Navy boarding party led by Lieutenant Edward N. Little transported in commandeered yacht Gem, seizes French motor mail vessel Marechal Joffre, Manila Bay. Majority of the crewmen, pro-Vichy or unwilling to serve under the U.S. flag, are transported ashore.
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