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December 24, 1941
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

Wednesday, 24 December 1941

U.S. Army: General Douglas MacArthur and President Manuel Quezon are evacuated from Manila to Bataan. MacArthur orders all U.S. and Filipino military forces to begin withdrawing from Manila to defensive positions on the Bataan Peninsula.

FEAF: During the night of 24/25 December, three B-17's take off from Del Monte Airfield to bomb Davao Airfield and shipping in Davao Harbor off Davao then proceed to Batchelor Field. Two airplanes leave Manila for Darwin with personnel of HQ Far East Air Force. Army Air Force units on Luzon, as well as ground forces, begin moving to Bataan Peninsula. HQ 19th Bombardment Group and the air echelon of the 28th Bombardment Squadron transfer from Clark Field to Batchelor Field with B-17's. The ground echelon of the 28th will fight as infantry on Luzon and Mindanao. The air echelon of the 14th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group begins operating from Batchelor Field with B-17's. The ground echelon is still at Clark Field. The air echelons of the 16th Bombardment Squadron, 17th Bombardment Squadron and 91st Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group begin operating from Brisbane with A-24s. The ground echelons will fight as infantry on Luzon. The 17th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 24th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) ceases operating from Clark Field with P-40's.

Unarmed U.S. steamship SS Dorothy Philips is reportedly attacked off Monterey Bay in California. This attack was credited to Japanese submarine I-23 in error, it had left the area.

IJN: Japanese Submarine I-19 at 6:25am submerged fires a single torpedo at schooner Barbara Olson that passes below too deep and explodes roughly 100' away causing no damage. At 10:40am Japanese Submarine I-19 fires two torpedoes at SS Absaroka with one hitting roughly 26 miles off Point Fermin at rougly Lat 33°40'N Long 118°25'W. Although abandoned, she is later reboarded and towed to San Pedro.

Seaplane tender USS Wright (AV-1) disembarks Marine reinforcements (Batteries "A" and "C," 4th Defense Battalion) at Midway.

Motor torpedo boat PT-33 is damaged by grounding on reef five miles northwest of Cape Santiago, Luzon, 13°46'N, 120°40'E.

IJN: Japanese Naval land attack planes from Takao Kōkūtai (Takao Air Group) and 1st Kōkūtai (1st Air Group) bombing of shipping in Manila Bay and set on fire seized French steamship Si-Kiang off Mariveles; of the 8-man USMC guard detachment on board (from 1st Separate Marine Battalion), two marines are killed and three wounded. Tug Napa (AT-32) assists in fire-fighting efforts.

IJA: Lt. General Masaharu Homma lands at Lingayen Gulf. Japanese Army 16th Division (less 9th Infantry and 33d Infantry) plus supporting units land at Lamon Bay on the east coast of Luzon.

USMC: The 2d Marine Brigade under the command of Colonel Henry L. Larsen, USMC is formed at Camp Elliott in California with the 3d Marines, the 2d Battalion, 10th Marines, and the 2d Defense Battalion were assigned to defend American Samoa.

Dutch submarine K XVI torpedoes and sinks Japanese destroyer Sagiri off Kuching, Sarawak, 01°34'N, 110°21'E.

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