Wednesday, 17 December 1941

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Vice Admiral William S. Pye, Commander, Battle Force, becomes acting Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet, pending the arrival of Rear Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who is ordered on this date to relieve Admiral Husband E. Kimmel. 

           Small reconnaissance seaplane from Japanese submarine I 7 reconnoiters Pearl Harbor.

           Unarmed U.S. freighter Manini is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I 175 180 miles south of Hawaii,17°45'N, 157°03'E (see 27 and 28 December).

           USMC SB2Us (VMSB 231), led by a plane‑guarding PBY (VP 21) (no ships are available to plane‑guard the flight), arrive at Midway, completing the longest over‑water massed flight (1,137 miles) by single‑engine aircraft. The squadron had been embarked in Lexington (CV‑2) when the outbreak of war cancelled the projected ferry mission on 7 December 1941.

           Japanese submarine RO 66 is sunk in collision with sistership RO 62 off Wake Island.

           Philippine steamship Corregidor, crowded with about 1,200 passengers fleeing Manila for Mindanao, hits an Army mine off Corregidor and sinks with heavy loss of life. Motor torpedo boats PT‑32, PT‑34, and PT‑35 pick up 282survivors (196 by PT‑32 alone) distributing them between Corregidor and the requisitioned French steamship Si‑Kiang; seven of those rescued die of injuries suffered in the tragedy. Dr. Jurgen Rohwer, in his volume on Axis submarine successes, attributes the sinking to a mine laid by Japanese submarine I 124 on 8 December 1941 off Corregidor, P.I. Interestingly, Corregidor was formerly the British seaplane carrier HMS Engadine, which took part in the Battle of Jutland in 1916.

           Navy takes over French motor mail vessel Marechal Joffre, Manila Bay (see 18 December).

           Japanese land at Miri, Sarawak, Borneo.

 

US ARMY AIR FORCE

UK—General Chaney, Chief SPOBS, writes to Adjutant General, USA on ‘Construction Program of US Forces in UK, ‘which indicates shortage of accommodations for proposed US forces in Scotland, N Ireland, and England.

FEAF—B‑17’s, evacuating Luzon, begin arriving at Batchelor Field. Captain Floyd J Pell arrives in Australia to begin arrangements for use of Australian facilities by FEAF.

 

US ARMY

U.S.—In command shake up, Adm Husband E. Kimmel is replaced by Adm Chester W. Nimitz as CinC, Pacific Fleet; Lieutenant General Walter C. Short, Commanding General Hawaiian Department, is replaced by Lieutenant General Delos C. Emmons; Major General Frederick L. Martin, Commanding General Air Force, Hawaiian Department, is replaced by Brigadier General Clarence L. Tinker.

MIDWAY—Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 231 completes record flight from Hawaii to Midway, bolstering U.S. positions there.

PHILLIPINE ISLANDS—Japanese Legaspi force, advancing NW on Luzon along Route 1 toward Naga, makes its first contact with Filipino forces near Ragay. B–17's begin withdrawal from Mindanao to Australia.

MALAYA—Hard fighting continues on Grik road. Weak defense detachment is reinf but falls back under pressure of superior enemy forces. Indian 12th Brigade Group is ordered to Kuala KangsaRiver General Percival gives Indian 3 Corps permission to withdraw to Perak R line if necessary. Perak Flotilla is formed to prevent enemy from landing on W coast between Krian and Bernam Rivers.

AUSTRALIA—Plan is drawn up for using Australia as an Allied supply base under command of Major General George H. Brett.

BORNEO—Dutch planes begin 3-day series of strikes against Japanese shipping off British North Borneo.

USSR—German Army Group South opens offensive against Sevastopol defenses, in the Crimea, and is stubbornly opposed.

 

US MARINE CORPS