Monday, 29 December 1941
Alaska: In response to repeated requests by the Alaska Command to the War Department
for additional aircraft, 77th Bombardment Squadron (Medium),
42nd Bombardment Group (Medium) arrives at Elmendorf Field with thirteen
B-26's.
FEAF: Major General
Lewis H Brereton, Commanding General Far East Air Force (FEAF), arrives at his new
headquarters at Darwin. Colonel Harold H George remains at Manila in command of the air elements
left in the Philippines. Further to the south, U.S. Army Air Force activity is concentrated at Del Monte Airfield in the center of Mindanao where air personnel are under the command
of Major Ray T. Ellsmore. (Brigadier General Harold H. George is killed on
April 29, 1942 in an aircraft
accident near Darwin. Afterwards, Victorville Airfield is renamed George AFB on June 2, 1950 in
his memory.) The ground echelon of the 16th Bombardment Squadron, 27th
Bombardment Group, transfers from Cabcaben to Bataan. The air
echelon is operating from Brisbane.
Philippines: On N Luzon, 91st Div (PA) holds Cabanatuan against strong enemy thrust, but Japanese succeed in crossing Pampanga R near there. Another enemy force, heading for Tarlac in 21st Div (PA) sector, reaches position just N of Tarlac. All elements of South Luzon Force withdraw quickly toward Bataan. Japanese planes attack Corregidor for the first time. Medium and dive bombers drop some 60 tons of bombs. Although wooden structures suffer heavily, little damage is done to military installations. AA fire from forts guarding Manila Bay destroys a number of bombers. 4th Marines takes responsibility for beach defense.
Malaya: On Ind 11th Div front, Ind 12th Brig holds firmly against strong enemy attack but, since its position is becoming untenable, falls back through Kampar to Bidor, where it is held in reserve.
Borneo: Ind detachment from Kuching, Sarawak, arrives at Sanggau, Dutch Borneo, and is placed under Dutch command.
China: Establishment of China Theater under supreme command of Chiang Kai-shek, who is to be assisted by an Allied staff, is announced. Theater is to include portions of Thailand and Indochina in friendly hands.
Burma: From Bokpyin, Japanese withdraw under pressure into Thailand.
USMC: On Corregidor, Commanding Officer, 4th Marines assigned beach defense sectors to his battalions, and Marines move to their new bivouac area.
JAAF: Forty bombers from 5th Japanese Air Group bomb Corregidor.
IJN: Corregidor is bombed for the first time by Japanese naval land attack planes (Takao Kokutai and 1st Kokutai), ending "normal" above-ground living there. During the bombings that day, submarine tender Canopus (AS-9) is damaged in Mariveles Harbor, 14°25'N, 120°30'E; river gunboat Mindanao (PR-8) is damaged by near-misses off Corregidor. Bombs also set fire to Philippine freighter Don Jose and the hulk of U.S. freighter Capillo off Corregidor. Minesweeper Finch (AM-9) puts out the blaze on board both ships; Don Jose is later moved to the south side of the island to ensure a clear shipping channel. Finch repeats the procedure on 1 January 1942, but since the crew never returns to the damaged merchantman, Don Jose is never salvaged. Philippine presidential yacht Casiana is bombed and sunk near the Fort Mills dock; Philippine steamship Bicol and motor vessel Aloha are scuttled in Manila Bay. Finch later assists Navy- commandeered tug Trabajador in dumping unused mines in Manila Bay, an operation those two ships will repeat the following day as well. Cable Censor, Manila (Lieutenant Frederick L. Worcester, USNR) clears Pasig River of interisland shipping and tugs and other ships that have drawn heavy bombing from Japanese planes, thus saving area from further destruction and the shipping for use in maintaining communications between Bataan and Corregidor and in patrol work. This action is later praised as "commendable assumption of authority and action by non-nautical" district officers.
IJN: RO-60 returning from the Wake Island operation, is irreparably damaged by in shallow water on a coral reef in the Northern Atoll of Kwajalein Atoll at roughly Lat 09°00'N, Long 167°30'E.
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