US NAVY
UNITED STATES—U.S. freighter Dunboyne receives first
naval Armed Guard crew. By the end of World War II, the U.S. Navy will arm some
6,236 merchantmen; approximately 144,970 officers and enlisted men will defend
these merchant vessels in every theater of war.
ATLANTIC—German submarine U‑43 again attacks unarmed
U.S. tanker Astral and this time torpedoes and sinks her at
35°40'N,24°00'W. There are no survivors from the 37‑man merchant crew.
Weather
encountered by convoy ONS 39, being escorted by TU 4.1.4 (Captain Alan G. Kirk)
worsens to the extent that the watch on board destroyer Plunkett (DD‑431)
cannot be relieved because officers and men cannot safely traverse the weather
decks.
TU 4.1.5
(Commander William K. Phillips) clears Reykjavik, Iceland, to rendezvous with
convoy ON 41, which due to poor weather will be 48 hours late to the MOMP. Over
the ensuing period at sea, TU 4.1.5 battles "consistently severe"
weather conditions that will cause varying degrees of damage to all of the
ships in the task unit. Although ships of the unit carry out attacks (see 5, 9
and 11 December), there will be no U‑boat attacks on the merchantmen under
their protection.
TU 4.1.6
(Commander Gilbert C. Hoover), escorting convoy HX 161, encounters heavy
weather; destroyer Bernadou (DD‑153) suffers storm damage; destroyers Roe
(DD‑418) and Lea (DD‑118) each lose a man overboard. Neithersailor
is recovered (see 4 December).
PACIFIC—Submarine Trout (SS‑202) arrives off Midway
Island on simulated war patrol.
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