Friday, 28 November 1941

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Carrier Enterprise (CV‑6) sails for Wake Island in TF 8 (Vice Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr.) to ferry USMC F4Fs (VMF 211) to the atoll. Occasioned by the "war warning" of the previous day, the deployment is part of eleventh‑hour augmentation of defenses at outlying Pacific bases. Halsey approves "Battle Order No. 1" (28 November) that declares that Enterprise is operating "under war conditions." "Steady nerves and stout hearts," the carrier's captain concludes, "are needed now." Supporting PBY operations will be carried out from advanced bases at Wake and Midway. 

            Seaplane tender Wright (AV‑1), arrives at Wake Island, with Marine Aircraft Group 21 people to establish an advance aviation base. 

            U.S. passenger liner President Harrison, chartered for the purpose, sails from Shanghai, China, with the 1st Battalion,4th Marine Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Curtis T. Beecher, USMC) and regimental staff (Colonel Samuel L. Howard, USMC) embarked, bound for the Philippines. "Stirring scenes of farewell," U.S. Consul Edwin F. Stanton reports to Secretary of State Hull, accompany the marines' departure.

            During their storm‑fraught passage to rendezvous with the river gunboats proceeding from Shanghai to Manila, submarine rescue vessel Pigeon (ASR‑6) experiences steering casualty; minesweeper Finch (AM‑9), which loses both anchors in the tempest, stands by to render assistance, and eventually, after three tries, manages to take the crippled ship in tow the following day.

Thursday, 27 November 1941

US NAVY

UNITED STATES—Admiral Harold R. Stark, Chief of Naval Operations, sends "war warning" message to commanders of the Pacific and Asiatic Fleets. General George C. Marshall, Army Chief of Staff, sends a similar message to his Hawaiian and Philippine Department commanders.

PACIFIC—U.S. passenger liner President Madison, chartered for the purpose, sails from Shanghai, China, with the 2d Battalion,4th Marine Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Donald Curtis, USMC) embarked, bound for the Philippines (see 28 November).

ATLANTIC—Destroyer Babbitt (DD‑128), with TU 4.1.5, escorting convoy HX 160, depth charges a sound contact.

            U.S. freighter Nishmaha rescues 72 survivors (five of whom succumb to their wounds) from British light cruiser HMS Dunedin, sunk by German submarine U‑124 on 24 November. Nishmaha transports the survivors to Trinidad.  

US MARINE CORPS

UNITED STATES— Adm Stark, CNO, sends war warning to commanders of the Pacific and Asiatic Fleets

Wednesday, 26 November 1941

US NAVY

UNITED STATES—Secretary of State Hull submits final proposal to Japanese envoys for readjustment of U.S.‑Japanese relations.

PACIFIC—Japanese carrier task force (Vice Admiral Nagumo, Chuichi), formed around six aircraft carriers, sails from remote Hittokappu Bay in the Kuriles, its departure shrouded in secrecy. Its mission, should talks between United States and Japan fail to resolve the diplomatic impasse over Far Eastern and Pacific questions, is to attack the U.S. Pacific Fleet wherever it is found in Hawaiian waters.

            Tug Sonoma (AT‑12) sails from Wake Island with Pan American Airways barges PAB No. 2 and PAB No. 4 in tow, bound for Honolulu.

US MARINE CORPS

UNITED STATES—Secretary of State submits final proposals for adjustment of U. S.-Japanese relations.  

Tuesday, 25 November 1941

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Japanese troop transports en route to Malaya are sighted off Formosa.

            Submarines Triton (SS‑201) and Tambor (SS‑198) arrive off Wake Island on simulated war patrols.  

Monday, 24 November 1941

US NAVY

ATLANTIC—Destroyer DuPont (DD‑152) in North Atlantic with TU 4.1.6, escorting convoy HX 161, is damaged in collision with merchant ship Thorshovdi.

            British light cruiser Dunedin is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U‑124 north of Pernambuco, Brazil, at approximately 03°00'S, 26°00'W (see 27 November).  

Consolidated Combat Chronology of the US Armed Forces in the Second World War

In 1941, the US was still at peace, though preparing for war.  This post aligns with those events 84 years ago to the day, month and day of week, something that I only realized as I transitioned from the monthly summaries to a daily format.  Two weeks to the anniversary of Pearl Harbor and the active involvement in WWII as a belligerent. Follow along with the daily consolidated combat chronology of the US Armed Forces in the Second World War.

Sunday, 23 November 1941

US NAVY

CARRIBEAN—U.S. occupies Surinam, Dutch Guiana, pursuant to agreement with the Netherlands government to protect bauxite mines.

ATLANTIC—TU M.# (Commander Gilbert C. Hoover) assumes escort duty for convoy HX 161; the convoy will not be attacked by U‑boats during its passage (see 24 November).

On The Week of 16 – 22 November 1941

US NAVY

16 November 1941, Sunday

ATLANTIC—TU 4.1.5 (Commander William K. Phillips) clears Argentia, Newfoundland, to assumes escort duty for convoy HX160; between 17 and 28 November, heavy seas will cause varying degrees of damage to destroyers Mayo (DD‑422), Nicholson (DD‑424), Babbitt (DD‑128), Leary (DD‑158) and Schenck (DD‑159). The convoy will not be attacked by U‑boats (see 19, 20 and 27 November).  

17 November 1941, Monday

UNITED STATES—Congress amends the Neutrality Act of 1939 by Joint Resolution; U.S. merchant ships can now be armed and can enter war zones.  

            Bureau of Navigation directs that naval district personnel who received Armed Guard training be assigned to Little Creek, Virginia, or San Diego, California, for further instruction. They will be transferred to Armed Guard centers at New York, New York, and Treasure Island, California, for assignment to merchant ships.

            Special Japanese envoy Kurusu Saburo arrives in Washington and confers with Secretary of State Cordell Hull.

ATLANTIC—Destroyers Benson (DD‑421) and Edison (DD‑439), screening convoy ON 34, depth charge submarine contacts.

            TU 4.1.5 (Commander William K. Phillips) intercepts and joins convoy HX 160; although none of the destroyers in the task unit will be damaged by enemy action, all‑‑Mayo (DD‑422), Babbitt (DD‑128), Leary (DD‑158), Schenck (DD‑159), and Nicholson (DD‑442) ‑‑will suffer storm damage of varying degrees between this date and 28November.

            German blockade runner Odenwald, captured by light cruiser Omaha (CL‑4) and destroyer Somers (DD‑381) on 6November, is escorted into San Juan, Puerto Rico, by Somers and turned over to U.S. authorities.

19 November 1941, Wednesday

ATLANTIC—Destroyer Leary (DD‑158), with TU 4.1.5, escorting convoy HX 160, depth charges a sound contact.

20 November 1941, Thursday

US NAVY

UNITED STATES—Ambassador Nomura presents Japan's "final proposal" to keep peace in the Pacific.

ATLANTIC—Destroyer Nicholson (DD‑424), with TU 4.1.5, escorting convoy HX 160, depth charges a sound contact at 50°30'N,50°40'W.

US MARINE CORPS

UNITED STATES—Ambassador Nomura presents Japan’s “final proposal” to keep peace in the Pacific.

21 November 1941, Friday

US NAVY

UNITED STATES—Office of the Chief of Naval Operations mistakenly informs Naval Air Station, New York, of the imminent delivery of infantile paralysis serum from Navy Medical Supply Depot, Brooklyn, for further transport to Norfolk by 1000 on the following day and thence to Bermuda. It is soon discovered, however, that no such serum exists in Brooklyn or anywhere east of Milwaukee. Urgent ensuing search locates the needed serum in Milwaukee, whence it is flown to Chicago, where American Air Lines holds a plane to make the necessary connection for the flight to New York (see 22 November).

ATLANTIC—Lend‑Lease is extended to Iceland.

PACIFIC—Destroyer Shaw (DD‑373) and oiler Sabine (AO‑25) are damaged in collision in Hawaiian Operating Area.

22 November 1941, Saturday

US NAVY

UNITED STATES— Naval Air Station, New York SNJ‑2 delivers needed infantile paralysis serum to Norfolk. It ultimately arrives in Bermuda on time.