Sunday, December 21, 2025

Sunday, 21 December 1941

US NAVY

PACIFIC—PBY (VP 23) departs Wake Island; Japanese concern over the potential presence of patrol planes at Wake, occasioned by the large amount of radio traffic that accompanies the sole PBY's arrival at the island, prompts advancing the date of the first carrier strikes. Consequently, planes from carriers Soryu and Hiryu bomb Wake Island for the first time. Later that day, land attack planes (Chitose Kokutai) bomb Wake.   

           Naval local defense forces in Philippine Islands (Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell) move headquarters to Corregidor.

           Destroyer Paul Jones (DD‑230) is damaged when her starboard propeller strikes a sunken object off Makassar, N.E.I.

           Coast Guard cutter Shawnee rescues 31 survivors of U.S. tanker Emidio, sunk the previous day by I 17 off Cape Mendocino, California, from Blunt's Reef Lightship.

ATLANTIC—Light cruiser Omaha (CL‑4) and destroyer Somers (DD‑381), operating out of Recife, Brazil, encounter darkened ship that acts suspicious and evasive when challenged. Omaha fires star shell and illuminates the stranger; Somers sends armed boarding party that learns that the merchantman nearly fired upon is Soviet freighter Nevastroi.

           Destroyer Edison (DD‑439), in TU 4.1.3 en route to MOMP to pick up convoy ON 47, depth‑charges sound contact without result.

 

US ARMY AIR FORCE

 

US ARMY

WAKE—Japanese carrier planes begin preinvasion bombardment of defenses, supplementing attacks by shore-based aircraft. The relief force (TF 14) is within 627 miles of the island.

PHILLIPINE ISLANDS—3 convoys from Formosa and the Pescadores, bearing main body of Japanese 14th Army assault force, arrive in Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, night 21–22. Filipino 11th Division makes contact with Japanese Vigan force at Bacnotan.

MALAYA—Indian 11th Division takes command of all troops W of Perak R, including those on Grik road, who are still heavily engaged, and begins withdrawal behind Perak River

 

US MARINE CORPS

PHILLIPINE ISLANDS—Naval defense forces in Philippine Islands move headquarters to Corregidor.

 

 

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