11 January 1942, Sunday

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Carrier Saratoga (CV-3) is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-6, 500 miles southwest of Oahu, T.H., 19°00'N,165°00'W. 

            Naval Station Pago Pago, Samoa, is shelled by Japanese submarine.

            Japan declares war on the Netherlands; invasion of Netherlands East Indies begins as Japanese Central Force (Vice Admiral Hirose Sueto) lands Army 56th Regimental Combat Group and 2d Kure Special [Naval] Landing Force at Tarakan; naval paratroops (1st Yokosuka Special Landing Force) occupy Menado. Eastern Force (Rear Admiral Kubo Kuji) then follows up the airborne assault on Menado with 1st Special Landing Force going ashore at Menado and Kema, Celebes. These operations will secure control of the northern approaches to the Java Sea.

            U.S. Army transport Liberty Glo is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-166 about 10 miles southwest of Lombok Strait, 08°54'S, 115°28'E. Although destroyer Paul Jones (DD-230) and Dutch destroyer Van Ghent take the damaged ship in tow and beach her on the shores of Bali, Liberty Glo will be written off as a total loss.

            U.S. tankship Manatawny sinks in Manila Bay as the result of damage received on 13 December 1941.

ATLANTIC—Operation Paukenschlag ("roll of the kettledrums") descends upon the eastern seaboard of the U.S. like a "bolt from the blue." The first group of five German submarines takes up station off the east coast of the United States on this date. Over the next month, these boats (U-66, U-109, U-123, U-125 and U-130) will sink 26 Allied ships; the presence of the enemy off the eastern seaboard takes U.S. Navy antisubmarine forces by surprise (see 14 January and following).

 

US ARMY AIR FORCE

FAR EAST AF—B‑17’s, out of Malang, attack landing forces on island of Tarakan.

 

US ARMY

UNITED STATES—Plan to dispatch U.S. V Corps, reinforced, and air and supply forces to N Ireland (MAGNET) is approved.

LUZON—In II Corps area, Japanese advancing down E coast of Bataan drive back OPL of 57th Infantry (PS), cross Calaguiman River, and after nightfall begin assault on MAIN LINE OF RESISTANCE, forcing 57th Infantry to fall back a little. Fighting continues throughout night 11–12. Reserves are committed and 57th Infantry counterattacks, regaining most of lost ground by dawn of 12th. To W, another enemy column shifts W in sector of 41st Division (PA) and is contained by that division. Advance elements of still another column, pushing slowly S in central Bataan toward 51st Division (PA), reach, Orani River by morning.

MALAYA—Lull develops in ground action as Indian 3 Corps continues withdrawal into Johore, but enemy planes remain active and begin series of strikes against Muar.

NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES—Japanese invade Netherlands East Indies at 2 points. Central assault force, with air support from Jolo Island., lands at rich oil center of Tarakan, off E coast of Dutch Borneo, while E assault force from Davao, Mindanao, invades Celebes at Menado and Kema. Naval paratroop force is dropped on airfield just S of Menado. Allied planes are unable to halt enemy, and the small Dutch garrisons are quickly overwhelmed. Japanese soon put Tarakan and Menado into use as air bases from which to support operations to S.

LIBYA-EGYPT—South African 2d Division of 30 Corps, British Eighth Army, attacks Sollum, just across Egyptian border, and captures it early on 12th. 13 Corps pursues Rommel’s forces toward El Agheila, a strong natural position.

USSR—Soviet forces continue to push westward on central front and cut N–S Rzhev–Brvansk Railroad line.

 

US MARINE CORPS

            Japanese begin invasion of Netherlands East Indies.