Wednesday, 10 December 1941

US NAVY

ATLANTIC—PBYs (VP 52) supported by seaplane tender (destroyer) Greene (AVD‑13) and small seaplane tender Thrush (AVP‑3), begin antisubmarine patrols over the south Atlantic from Natal, Brazil, and thus inaugurate operations from Brazilian waters.

           Battleship New Mexico (BB‑40), en route to Hampton Roads, Virginia, accidentally rams and sinks U.S. freighter Oregon, bound for Boston, Massachusetts, south of Nantucket Lightship, 35°55'N, 69°45'W. 

           TU 4.1.1 (Captain Marion Y. Cohen) assumes escort duty for convoy HX 164; the ships will not be attacked by enemy submarines. While escorting oiler Mattole (AO‑17) to join the main convoy, destroyer Gleaves (DD‑423) carries out depth charge attack on sound contact at 45°50'N, 53°35'W. The contact is later classified as "doubtful" submarine.

PACIFIC—Cavite Navy Yard, P.I., is practically obliterated by Japanese land attack planes (Takao Kokutai and 1st Kokutai). Destroyers Peary (DD‑226) and Pillsbury (DD‑227), submarines Seadragon (SS‑194) and Sealion (SS‑195), minesweeper Bittern (AM‑36), and submarine tender Otus (AS‑20), suffer varying degrees of damage from bombs or bomb fragments; ferry launch Santa Rita (YFB‑681) is destroyed by direct hit. Submarine rescue vessel Pigeon (ASR‑6) tows Seadragon out of the burning wharf area; minesweeper Whippoorwill (AM‑35) recovers Peary, enabling both warships to be repaired and returned to service. Bittern is gutted by fires. Antiaircraft fire from U.S. guns is ineffective. During bombing of Manila Bay area, unarmed U.S. freighter Sagoland is damaged.

           While flying to safety during the raid on Cavite, Lieutenant Harmon T. Utter's PBY (VP 101) is attacked by three Japanese Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 0 carrier fighters (ZERO) (3rd Kokutai); Chief Boatswain Earl D. Payne, Utter's bow gunner, shoots down one, thus scoring the U.S. Navy's first verifiable air‑to‑air "kill" of a Japanese plane in the Pacific War. Utter, as a commander, will later coordinate the carrier air strikes that lead to the destruction of Japanese battleship Yamato (see 7 April 1945).

           Japanese forces land on Camiguin Island and at Gonzaga and Aparri, Luzon. Off Vigan, minesweeper W.10 is bombed and sunk by USAAF P‑35 at 17°32'N, 120°22'E; destroyer Murasame and transport Oigawa Maru are strafed; the latter, set afire, is beached to facilitate salvage. USAAF B‑17s bomb and damage light cruiser Naka and transport Takao Maru; the latter is run aground at 17°29'N, 120°26'E (see 5 March 1942). Off Aparri, minesweeper W.19 is bombed by a B‑17 and grounded (total loss) at 18°22'N, 121°38'E; light cruiser Natori is also damaged by a B‑17. TheB‑17 is probably the one flown by Captain Colin P. Kelly, Jr., who is awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, posthumously, for heroism when Japanese fighters attack his bomber over Clark Field as he returns from his mission over Aparri.

           British battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battle cruiser HMS Repulse (Admiral Sir Tom S.V. Phillips, RN) are sunk by Japanese land attack planes off Kuantan, Malaya. Four U.S. destroyers that had been sent to help screen Phillips’s ships, having arrived at Singapore too late to sortie with the British force, search unsuccessfully for survivors before returning to Singapore.

           Governor of Guam, M.I. (Captain George J. McMillin) surrenders the island to Japanese invasion force (Rear Admiral Goto Aritomo). District patrol craft YP‑16 and YP‑17; open lighters YC‑664, YC‑665, YC‑666, YC‑667, YC‑6687, YC‑670, YC‑671, YC‑672, YC‑673, YC‑674, YC‑685, YC‑717, YC‑718; dredge YM‑13; water barges YW‑50, YW‑55, YW‑58; and miscellaneous auxiliary Robert L. Barnes (AG‑27) are all lost to the Japanese occupation of that American Pacific possession.

           SBD (CEAG) from carrier Enterprise (CV‑6) sinks Japanese submarine I 70 in Hawaiian Islands area, 23°45'N,155°35'W. Plane is flown by a VS 6 pilot.

           Japanese naval land attack planes (Chitose Kokutai) bomb Marine installations on Wilkes and Wake islets, Wake Island. During the interception of the bombers, Captain Henry T. Elrod, USMC, executive officer of VMF 211, shoots down a Mitsubishi G3M2 Type 96 land attack plane (NELL); this is the first USMC air‑to‑air "kill" of the Pacific War. Japanese submarines RO 65, RO 66, and RO 67 arrive off Wake. Shortly before midnight, submarine Triton (SS‑201), patrolling south of the atoll, encounters a Japanese warship, probably a picket for the oncoming assault force (see 11December).

           Unarmed U.S. freighter Mauna Ala, re‑routed back to Portland, Oregon, because of Japanese submarines lurking off the U.S. west coast, runs aground off the entrance to the Columbia River; she subsequently breaks up on the beach, a total loss.

 

US ARMY AIR FORCE

FEAF—B‑17’s, P‑40’s, and P‑35’s attack a convoy landing troops and equipment at Vigan and at Aparri in N Luzon. 1 transport at Vigan is destroyed. The strikes include the much publicized attack of Captain Colin P Kelly Jr (14th Bomb Squadron) on a warship off Aparri. Captain Kelly, who is killed when his B‑17 is shot down by fighters as he is returning to Clark Field, is later posthumously awarded the DSC for destroying a battleship. However, later information reveals that he attacked the heavy cruiser Ashigara, probably scoring near misses.

 

US ARMY

CENTRAL PACIFIC—Japanese invade Guam and overwhelm small U.S. garrison; continue preinvasion bombing of Wake.

PHILLIPINE ISLANDS—Two Japanese TF's, each consisting of some 2,000 men, arrive off N Luzon from Formosa. Landings begin simultaneously at Aparri and near Vigan, but rough sea forces alteration in plans. The Aparri force gets 2 companies ashore at Aparri and the rest at Gonzaga, over 20 miles to E; upon closing on Aparri, pushes 6 miles S and seizes Camalaniugan airstrip. The Vigan force lands small group at Pandan, near Vigan, and the rest at point 4 miles S; quickly secures Vigan and sends elements N along Route 3 toward Laoag. No opposition is offered by 11th Division (PA), which is responsible for defense of N coast. U.S. planes attack shipping of the invasion force. Captain Colin Kelly becomes the first U.S. hero of World War II in this action by hitting what was supposed to be a Japanese BB; subsequent investigation has revealed that there were no BB's present. Fighter aircraft from Batan Island provide cover for enemy. Japanese planes bomb and strafe Nichols and Nielson Fields, near Manila, and Del Carmen Field, near Clark, achieving particularly damaging results at Nichols. Cavite naval base also suffers heavily from enemy air attack. FEAF, by this time half strength, decides to confine its future activities to reconnaissance flights.

MALAYA—Japanese gain control of waters E of Malaya and air over N Malaya. The small British Eastern Fleet is severely crippled by loss of Repulse and Prince of Wales off Kuantan to enemy planes. Adm Sir Tom Phillips, CinC Eastern Fleet, is killed in this action and is replaced by Vice Adm Sir Geoffrey Layton. As enemy continues destructive attacks on airfields in NW Malaya, RAF abandons airfield at Sungei Patani and withdraws all serviceable aircraft from Butterworth. From Butterworth, RAF bomber squadron, reduced to 2 aircraft, withdraws to Taiping and RAAF fighter squadron (6 repairable aircraft) to Ipoh. Japanese begin series of heavy air attacks against Penang Island Indian 9th Division withstands attacks while organizing delaying positions S of Kota Bharu. Indian 11th Division columns operating along Thailand frontier attempt to delay enemy. Far East Council is formed at Singapore.

LIBYA—Siege of Tobruk is lifted after 8 months as Polish garrison breaks out of town early in morning and joins other British Eighth Army forces in Acroma area. Forward supply base is soon organized at Tobruk.

 

US MARINE CORPS

CENTRAL PACIFIC—Guam surrenders to Japanese landing force.