This day in the war in the Pacific 65 years ago.

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CANADA: In Vancouver, British Columbia, Federal Minister Ian
Mackenzie announces that the Royal Mounted Canadian Police will be registering all Japanese-Canadians in British Columbia; a national security
matter under the War Measures Act. They are later moved inland to detention camps.

EAST INDIES: Japanese troops advance into Jesselton, the capital of
British North Borneo, and haul down the Union Flag. The British had little choice but to quit the town. On 15 December, when the Japanese 124th
Infantry Regiment came ashore at the burning oilfields at Miri, all the British Empire had to oppose them was one Indian battalion, the local Sarawak Rangers and the police. From Miri two Japanese battalions sailed west to the airfield at Kuching, where they are still fighting; a third sailed east and took Jesselton. Japanese forces also occupy Beaufort, British North Borneo.

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS: The Japanese submarine HIJMS I-19 launches a "Glen" seaplane (Yokosuka E14Y, Navy Type 0 Small Reconnaissance Seaplane)
to fly a reconnaissance mission over Pearl Harbor.

MALAYA: General Archibald Lord Wavell, who has been named Commander
in Chief Amercian-British- Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Command, visits the
Malayan front, where preparations are being made for the withdrawal
of the Indian III Corps into Johore. The Australian 8th Division (less the
22nd Brigade Group) is ordered to move to northwestern Johore to meet the main Japanese drive on the Gegamat-Mount Ophir-Muar line. The Australians will be supplemented by the last four battalions of the Indian 9th Division.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: On Luzon, the front is quiet as the Japanese regroup for a drive on Bataan and U.S. and Philippine forces organize defense positions.

THAILAND: The Japanese 21st Infantry Regiment and supporting units land
on the Kra Peninsula at Singora and Patani.
Pilots of the 3d Fighter Squadron of the American Volunteer Group (the Flying Tigers) shoot down three "Ann" bombers (Mitsubishi Ki-30, Army Type 97 Light Bombers) over Mesoht.

UNITED STATES: The War Department orders that only USAAF, antiaircraft and service troops be sent to Australia where the emphasis will be placed on the rapid build up of the USAAF Far East Air Force.
Congress establishes the Office of Civilian Defense (OCD) which will be headed by New York City Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia.
The Federal Government orders the distillery industry to convert 60 percent of its whiskey-making capacity to ethyl alcohol production, a move that will sharply increase the availability of explosive smokeless powder.

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1942: BORNEO: RAF planes from Malaya terminate action over
Borneo with a reconnaissance flight over Kuching.

CHINA: As consideration of the U.S. role in China continues in
Washington, General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff U.S. Army,
decides to recommend against sending Lieutenant General Hugh A.
Drumto China because of the small effort that is currently to be made
there.

MALAYA: Lieutenant General Arthur Percival, General Officer
Commanding Malaya, issues instructions for withdrawal of the Indian
3 Corps into Johore, where a final stand before Singapore Naval Base
is to be made. The corps begins a withdrawal at once, executing a
demolition program as it goes. The Indian 11th Division and line of
communications troops are to delay the enemy along two lines: one
covering Seremban and Port Dickson, and the other covering Tampin
andMalacca; Indian 9th Division is to clear Kuala Pilah and Tampin,
respectively.

PACIFIC: The submarine USS Pollack (SS-180) torpedoes and sinks a
Japanese merchant cargo ship 40 miles (64 kilometers) south-
southwestof Inubozaki, Japan.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: On Bataan, the Japanese open an assault at 1500
hours. From the Dinalupihan- Hermosa area, three regimental combat
teams with artillery support move forward, two against the II Corps
on the east and one toward the I Corps sector on west. None of the
columns reaches the outpost line. The II Corps, defending the Abucay
line (from Mabatang on Manila Bay to Mt Natib) with 57th Infantry
Philippine Scouts on the east, 41st Division Philippine Army (PA)
in the center and the 51st Division (PA) on the west, opens fire on
the enemy combat team driving down the East Road and makes patrol
contact with it. To the west, another Japanese column advances unmolested
down the trail from Dinalupihan to the vicinity of Album. In the I
Corps area, the enemy column from Dinalupihan is slowed only by
demolitions while moving west along Route 7 toward Olongapo.
Disposed along I Corps' Mauban line (Mt.t Silanganan on the east to Mauban
on Subic Bay) are Company K of the 1st Infantry (PA); 3lst Field
Artillery Battalion of the 3lst Div (PA) organized as infantry; and
the 3d Infantry of the 1st Division (PA). Additional troops are
maintaining the outpost line to the front. (Jack McKillop)
Five of nine USAAF Far East Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses,
based at Singosari Airdrome on Java and staging through Kendari
Airdrome on Celebes Island, Netherlands East Indies, strike
shipping in Davao Bay, Mindanao. The other four aircraft turn back with
mechanical problems.

THAILAND: Pilots of the 2d Fighter Squadron, American Volunteer
Group (the Flying Tigers) attack Tak Airdrome at Rahaeng and destroy four
Japanese aircraft on the ground.

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TRUK:A specially fitted Hudson Bomber Mark IV, 6 Squadron RAAF, flown by Flight Lieutenant R. Yeowart and his crew reveals the concentration of Japanese shipping at Truk preparing for the invasion of New Britain and New Ireland which took place 12 days later. This reconnaissance flight of 1,405 miles was the longest undertaken to that time by the RAAF in a land-based aircraft. Australian War Memorial Collections Database

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AUSTRALIA: The landing ship HMAS Kanimbla sails from Melbourne, Victoria, escorting convoy MS.1 consisting of three ships bound for Singapore and four for the Netherlands East Indies. Meanwhile, the heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra sails from Sydney, New South Wales, escorting convoy MS.2 to Singapore.
HQ USAAF Far East Air Forces authorizes the activation of the 17th Pursuit Squadron (Provisional) . The unit is based at Brisbane, Queensland, equipped with P-40s and manned by (1) experienced pilots evacuated from the Philippines in a convoy that reached Australia on 22 December 1941 and (2) inexperienced pilots arriving from the U.S. The latter are being trained using ad hoc courses at RAAF bases.

BORNEO: While on a reconnaissance flight, a Dutch Dornier Do-24K
flying boat spots a Japanese invasion force consisting of transports escorted by two heavy cruisers and eight destroyers heading for Tarakan Island and gives the alarm. Tarakan is a 117 square mile (303 square kilometer) island in the East Celebes Sea off the northeast coast of Borneo.
The main objective of the invasion is the capture of the huge oilfields, oil refineries and airfield located on the island but the Dutch commander gives the order to set fire to all oilfields and damage or destroy the refineries.

BURMA: The commander of Indian 17th Division arrives in Burma to
take charge of Tenasserim operations.

MALAYA: The Indian 3 Corps abandons Port Swettenham and Kuala Lumpur
while falling back to cover the Port Dickson and Seremban area.
Japanese planes, which since late December have been making night
attacks on airdromes on Singapore, begin daylight raids on the
airdromes. ìWestforce,î consisting of the Australian 8th Division
(less 22nd Brigade), Indian 9th Division, Indian 45th Brigade
Group, the 2/Loyal Regiment (less one company), and supporting units is
established.
The Governor of Singapore sends out a message stating, "The
day of minute papers has gone. There must be no more passing of files
from one department to another, and from one officer in a
department to another" to which The Straits Times newspaper responds,
"This announcement is about two and a half years too late."

NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES: General Archibald Lord Wavell, Commander
in Chief Australian-British- Dutch-American (ABDA) Command, South West
Pacific area, flies to Java, where he confers with members of the
ABDA staff; he then establishes headquarters at the Grand Hotel in
Lembang, 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Bandoeng. Wavell assumes
supreme command of all forces in the area; U.S. Lieutenant General
George H. Brett, USAAF, is deputy commander; and U.S. Admiral
Thomas C. Hart is to command the naval forces.

PACIFIC: Three Allied submarines sink Japanese ships. (1) USS
Pickerel (SS-177) torpedoes and sinks a Japanese gunboat at the
mouth of Davao Gulf, off Cape San Augustin, Philippine Islands; (2) USS
Stingray (SS-186) torpedoes and sinks a Japanese cargo ship in the
South China Sea off the south coast of Hainan Island; and (3) Dutch
submarine HNMS O-19 torpedoes and sinks a Japanese army cargo ship
and torpedoes a merchant cargo ship at the mouth of the Gulf of
Siam.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: On Bataan, General Douglas MacArthur, Commander
in Chief US Army Forces Far East, makes his only visit to the
peninsula and his failure to return causes deep bitterness among
the defenders. The Japanese make their first surrender demand, dropping
it from the air. In the II Corps area, a Japanese force driving
south along the East Road splits, most of it moving west; both forces
reach the outpost line along the Calaguiman River below Samal and exerts
strong pressure against it. A Japanese column pushing south in
central Bataan is slowed by the jungle terrain. In the I Corps
area, the Japanese Western assault force reaches Olongapo without
opposition.
Far East Air Force fighter units complete a movement (begun
24 December 1941) from various bases on Luzon to the Bataan
Peninsula.

U.S.: The USN Bureau of Ships orders that the Cleveland Class light
cruiser Amsterdam (CL-59), which is under construction in Camden, New Jersey, be completed as an aircraft carrier (CV). She will be
commissioned as USS Independence (CV-22) on 14 January 1943 and be
reclassified as a small aircraft carrier (CVL-22) on 15 July 1943.
This is the first of nine light cruisers that are completed as
small aircraft carriers.
The Ford Motor Company signs a contract to manufacture Jeeps.
The Willys-Overland Company is the prime contractor for the vehicle
but because of the demand for it, the huge manufacturing capacity
of Ford is enlisted.
Congress imposes price controls on most food and goods.

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JAPAN: Japan declares war on the Netherlands. They did recognize and treat the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) Government as a separate entity of the Dutch government in exile. The NEI Government operated on its own apparently for the most part independent of the government in London. The NEI Government declared war on Japan on 8 Dec 41. After the fall of the NEI, the government in London formed a consultive board on the NEI on 17 June 42By Royal Decree the NEI Government in exile was established on Ceylon on September 19, 1942.

MALAYA: A lull develops in the ground action as the Indian 3 Corps
continues their withdrawal into Lahore, but enemy planes remain
active and begin series of strikes against Muar. The Japanese 5th
Infantry Division rumbles into Malaya's capital Kuala Lumpur at
2000hours local. They find the fuel supplies have been set ablaze, but
the quantity of supplies and equipment captured is immense.
Japanese soldiers try out rare delicacies like corned beef and Johnny Walker
Red.

NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES: The Japanese invade at 2 points. The
central assault force spotted by the Dutch yesterday, consisting of the
56th Regimental Group and the 2nd Kure Special Naval Landing Force
(SNLF) with air support from Jolo Island in the Philippines, lands at rich
oil Tarakan Island at 0000 hours. The eastern assault force from
Davao, Mindanao, consisting of the Sasebo Combined SNLF and the 1st
Yokosuka SNLF, invades Celebes Island at Menado and Kema at
approximately 0300 hours. A Japanese Naval paratroop force of 334
men is dropped on the airfield just south of Menado and suffers heavy
casualties (30 dead and 90 injured). Allied planes are unable to
halt the Japanese, and the small Dutch garrisons are quickly
overwhelmed. The Japanese soon put Tarakan and Menado into use as air bases from which to support operations to south.
Seven USAAF Far East Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses based
at Singosari Airdrome, Java, are dispatched to attack the Japanese
landing forces on Tarakan Island. Four abort due to mechanical
problems and the other three abort due to poor weather over the
target.
USN Patrol Squadron Twenty Two (VP-22), with PBY-5 Catalinas,
joins Patrol Wing Ten (PatWing-10) at Ambon Island, the first
aviation reinforcements from the Central Pacific to reach southwest
Pacific Forces opposing the Japanese advance through the
Netherlands East Indies. (PatWing-10 had been based at Cavite, Philippine
Islands on 8 December 1941.) Unfortunately, the PBY-5 aircraft they
received in Hawaii were the early models without self-sealing fuel tanks and
armor. PatWing-10 later received five newer model PBY-5 Catalinas from the Dutch in Java. All of the rest of the PatWingís original aircraft were the older PBY-4 models. Almost immediately after arrival several of the VP-22 Catalinas were caught at anchor at Ambon and destroyed.

PACIFIC: While sailing for a rendezvous with the aircraft carrier
USS Enterprise (CV-6), 500 miles (805 kilometers) southwest of Hawaii,
the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3) is torpedoed by Japanese
submarine HIJMS I-6. Although six men are killed and three firerooms
are flooded, the carrier returns to Oahu under her own power.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: In the II Corps area on Bataan, the Japanese
advancing down the east coast of Bataan drive back the outpost line
of the 57th Infantry, Philippine Scouts, cross the Calaguiman River, and after nightfall begin an assault on the main line of resistance, forcing the 57th Infantry to fall back a little. Fighting continues throughout night of 11/12 January. Reserves are committed and the 57th Infantry counterattacks, regaining most of lost ground by dawn of 12th. To the west, another enemy column shifts west in the sector of 41st Division, Philippine Army (PA), and is contained by that division. Advance elements of still another column, pushing slowly south in central Bataan toward the 51st Division (PA), reach the
Orani River by morning.

SAMOA: Naval Station Pago Pago, Samoa, is shelled by a Japanese
submarine.

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Alaska: Amchitka Island is occupied by a small American force.
The AMULET FORCE consisted of 2,000 men under command of
Brigadier General Lloyd E. Jones. The invasion was covered by the
USN's Task Group 8.6 (TG 8.6) consisting of the heavy cruiser USS
Indianapolis (CA-35), light cruisers USS Detroit (CL- and USS
Raleigh (CL-7) and four destroyers, which patrolled off Amchitka
and Kiska Islands.
The transport group consisted of the transports USS Arthur Middleton (AP-55), US Army Transport Delarof, and SS Lakona; the cargo ship USS Vega (AK-17); and the destroyers USS Dewey (DD-349), USS Gillespie (DD-609), USS Kalk (DD-611) and USS Worden (DD-352).
There is no enemy opposition but a fierce storm hits and continues for two weeks. The transport USS Arthur Middleton, manned by a US Coast Guard crew, runs aground as it rescues 175 sailors from the destroyer USS Worden.
USS Worden was guarding the transport USS Arthur Middleton as
that transport put the preliminary Army security unit on the shores
of Constantine Harbor Amchitka Island. The destroyer maneuvered
into the rock-edged harbor and stayed there until the last men had
landed and then turned to the ticklish business of clearing the harbor.
A strong current, however, swept USS Worden onto a pinnacle
that tore into her hull beneath her engine room and caused a
complete loss of power. USS Dewey passed a towline to her stricken sister
and attempted to tow her free, but the cable parted, and the heavy seas
began moving USS Worden totally without power inexorably toward the
rocky shore. The destroyer then broached and began breaking up in
the surf; Commander William G. Pogue, the stricken destroyer's
commanding officer, ordered abandon ship, and, as he was directing that
effort, was swept overboard into the wintry seas by a heavy wave that broke
over the ship. Commander Pogue was among the fortunate ones, however,
because he was hauled, unconscious, out of the sea. Fourteen of his crew
drowned. USS Worden, herself, was a total loss.

US: The US Office of Price Administration said standard frankfurters
would be replaced by "victory sausages", consisting of a mixture of
meat and soy meal.

AUSTRALIA: Three USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses arrive in Australia
after flying a new southern ferry route from Hawaii.
The Japanese submarine HIJMS I-121 mines Clarence Strait, the
body of water connecting Van Diemen Gulf and the Timor Sea, off
Australia's Northern Territory, at the approaches to Darwin, the
Asiatic Fleet's main logistics base.

MALAYA: Eight RAAF Brewster Buffalo fighters intercept 27 Japanese
bombers after they had bombed Singapore. Seeing the fighters, the
bombers went into a shallow dive and outran the fighters. One RAAF
pilot put it, "Bombers outpacing fighters. You've got to bloody-
well laugh."

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: On Bataan, the Japanese exert strong pressure
against the II Corps, particularly on the west, while taking up
positions for a concerted assault. The 51st Division, Philippine
Army (PA), is hard hit and gives ground, some of which is regained after
reserves are committed. In the center, the Japanese push back the
outpost line of the 41st Division (PA). On the east coast, the
Japanese regain positions on the south bank of the Calaguiman
River; to meet threat there, the 21st Infantry (PA) is released from
reserve to assist the 57th Infantry, Philippine Scouts. In the I Corps
area, a Japanese detachment moves by boat and seizes undefended Grande
Island in Manila Bay.

U.S.: The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) approve U.S. plans to
garrison the islands along the proposed ferry route from Hawaii to
Australia. Local defense forces are to be based at American Samoa,
Bora Bora, Canton Island, Christmas Island, the Fiji Islands and
Palmyra Island. The CCS also approves the deployment of a USAAF
fighter squadron to New Caledonia Island in the New Hebrides
Islands.

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NEI: SOUTHWEST PACIFIC (Far East Air Force): The air echelons of the 9th and 11th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrive at Singosari, Java from the US with B-17's; the air echelon of the 22d Bombardment Squadron arrives at Singosari from the Territory of Hawaii. The ground echelons are at Brisbane.

BORNEO: The Dutch commander on Tarakan Island surrenders to the Japanese and they complete mopping up the island. The Japanese assault force boards ships tomorrow for the assault on Balikpapan.

BURMA: The Joint Military Council recommends the construction of the Ledo and Imphal roads.

MALAYA: General Archibald Lord Wavell, Commander in Chief Australian-British-Dutch- American (ABDA) Command, South West Pacific, again visits the front and confers with commanding officers. The withdrawal of the Indian 3 Corps into Johore State reaches its final stage;
all vehicles are being moved through Segamat.
A convoy with badly needed reinforcements reaches Singapore and unloads the first echelon of the British 18th Division (the 53d Brigade Group), antiaircraft units, and 51 crated Hawker Hurricane fighters with crews.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: On the east flank of the II Corps on Bataan, the 21st Infantry, Philippine Army (PA), counterattacks at 0600 hours after an artillery preparation and reduces part of the Japanese salient on the left flank of the 57th Infantry, Philippine Scouts.
The Japanese are thus prevented from launching a planned offensive in that area, but make progress to the west against the 51st Division, PA, forcing it back to the main line of resistance along the Balantay River. The Japanese column driving south in central Bataan, with the task of turning the corps' left flank, is not yet in position for an
attack.

U.S.: The Combined Chiefs of Staff attending the ARCADIA conference in Washington, D.C., agree to move USAAF units and contingents to bases in the U.K. as soon as possible.
The Ford Motor Company patents a plastic-bodied automobile which was 30 percent lighter than ordinary cars. Plastic, a relatively new material in 1942, was revolutionizing industry after industry in the United States.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt establishes the U.S. War
Production Board, with business executive Donald M. Nelson as its chairman. The War Production Board, created to establish order out of the chaos of meeting extraordinary wartime demands and needs, replaced the Supply Priorities and Allocations Board. As chairman, Nelson oversaw the largest war production in history, often clashing with civilian factories over the most efficient means of converting to wartime use and butting heads with the armed forces over priorities. Despite early success, Nelson made a major judgement error in June 1944, on the eve of the Normandy invasion, when he allowed certain plants that had reached the end of their government/military production contracts to reconvert to civilian use. The
military knew the war was far from over and feared a sudden shortage of vital supplies. A political battle ensued, and Nelson was eased out of his office and reassigned by the President to be his personal representative to Chiang Kai-shek in China.
Nineteen West Coast shipyards adopt around-the-clock, seven-day-a-week work schedules.

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U.S.A.:
The Anglo-American ARCADIA Conference, held in Washington, DC starting on 20 December 1941, developed plans for the proposed Anglo- American offensive against Germany. Participants include President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill and their
military staffs. Among the major decisions reached are:
(1) an agreement to establish Combined Chiefs of Staff to direct the British-American war effort;
(2) the main effort must be made first
against Germany;
(3) occupation of French North Africa (Operation GYMNAST) is of strategic importance in Atlantic area.
As discussions are begun in Washington to consider who shall go to China instead of Lieutenant General Hugh A. Drum, General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff U.S. Army, proposes Major General Joseph W. Stilwell, who is being considered for command of Operation GYMNAST.
President Roosevelt orders all aliens in the United States to register with the government. The brunt of these orders later will fall on Japanese-Americans on the West Coast.

AUSTRALIA: British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill implies to Australian Prime Minister John Curtin that Singapore could be held for some time.

BURMA: Japanese aircraft bomb Rangoon.

MALAYA: The Indian 3 Corps completes its withdrawal into Johore State and assumes responsibility for the southern part of Johore; assault elements, Australian 22nd Brigade of the Australian 8th Division, are designated East Force and disposed astride the Malacca- Segamat road. The Australian Imperial Force Malaya (less the Australian 22d Brigade), made responsible for northwestern Johore
State, is reinforced by the Indian 9th Division and the Indian 45th Brigade and is designated West Force. The Australian 27th Brigade and Indian 8th Brig Groups are astride the main road and railroad north of Segamat. The Japanese are to be kept north of the line Muar- Segamat-Mersmg, if possible. The Japanese overtake West and East Forces. Many cyclists are killed in an ambush prepared near Gemas by "B" Company of the Australian 2/30th Battalion of West Force; this is the first battle between the Japanese and the Australians. East Force patrols encounter the Japanese from Kuantan in the Endau area. On this date and on the 15th, a Dutch detachment of about 80 native troops with European officers flies from the Netherlands East Indies to Singapore and concentrates in the Labus area of North Johore, for guerilla action against enemy communications.
Japanese aircraft bomb Singapore, where a blackout is in force at last, but lamplighters have to snuff out gas lampposts in low-income districts one at a time when the Air Raid warning screams.

MARIANA ISLANDS: The Japanese force slated to invade Rabaul on New Britain Island in the Bismarck Archipelago, departs Guam.


PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: In the II Corps area on Bataan, strong Japanese pressure against the western flank of the 41st Division, Philippine Army (PA), forces outposts to retire across the Balantay River. The 51st Division, PA, withdraws to the south bank of the river to tie in with the 41st. A Japanese enveloping column continues slowly down the center of Bataan but is still north of the main line of resistance. In the I Corps area, the Japanese start south on the west coast toward Moron in 2 columns, one by sea and the other along a trail from Olongapo. Waterborne elements land about midway between Olongapo and Moron and continue south on foot. Lieutenant General Jonathan M. Wainwright, Commanding General I Corps, sends a containing force to Moron.

[Wildcat]

Originally Posted by syscom3

Many cyclists are killed in an ambush prepared near Gemas by "B" Company of the Australian 2/30th Battalion of West Force; this is the first battle between the Japanese and the Australians.

Many cyclists killed is a bit of an understatement! The Japanese lost about 700 soldiers in that ambush!

[syscom3]

ALASKA: The USAAF's Alaskan Air Force is activated at Elmendorf
Field, Anchorage, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Everett S Davis.

BURMA: Troops of the Japanese 55th Division advance into Burma north
of Mergui. Though not one of Japan's original war aims, Burma is
invaded to eliminate a possible threat to the Japanese army in Malaya. The
Japanese also want to cut the Burma Road which is feeding supplies
and equipment to China and seize Burma's oil fields. Two Japanese army
divisions pour into southern and eastern Burma. To oppose them, the British
have two divisions: one Burmese, one Indian. Many of the Burmese hate the
British and desert. Later 5,000 join the Burmese National Army and fight
alongside the Japanese.

CAROLINE ISLANDS: Six Australian (PBY) Catalinas are dispatched to
bomb the Japanese base in Truk Atoll. Only one aircraft finds the target
and drops 16 bombs. Clouds obscure the results.

EAST INDIES: The American-British- Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Supreme
Command is established at the Grand Hotel, Lembang, Java, Netherlands East Indies. British General Sir Archibald Wavell assumes supreme command of
all forces in the area effective 1200 hours GMT; Lieutenant General
George H. Brett, USAAF, is deputy commander; Admiral Thomas C. Hart,
USN, is to command naval forces.
Six new USAAF Far East Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses and four LB-30 Liberators arrive at Singosari Airfield, Java.

INDIA: Jawaharlal Nehru succeeds Mohandas K. Gandhi as head of
India's National Congress Party.

MALAYA: The Australian 2/30th Battalion, 27th Brigade, 8th Division,
stops a Japanese tank-infantry attack in the Gemas area however, the
troops withdraw to prevent being encircled by the Japanese. On the
west coast, the Japanese reach the northern bank of the Muar River and
land a small party between Muar and Batu Pahat, threatening the
communications of the West Force in the Yong Peng area. The boundary between the West Force and the Indian III Corps is altered to give this region, which the Indian 45th Brigade is defending, to the III Corps.

Martial law is declared in Singapore resulting in more chaos.

Seven USAAF Far East Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses based at
Singosari Airdrome, Java, and flying out of Palembang Airdrome on
Sumatra, Netherlands East Indies, attack Sungei Patani Airfield, Malaysia.
Two B-17s abort due to weather but the other five bomb the target
through light antiaircraft fire. One B-17 is damaged beyond repair in a bad
landing at Singosari Airdrome tomorrow.


PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: In the II Corps area on Bataan, the Japanese,
attacking vigorously at the junction of the 41st and 51st Divisions,
Philippine Army (PA), gain a foothold on the bank of the Balantay
River. The 51st Division commits its reserves and service troops to no avail.
Further reinforcements, the Philippine Division (less the 57th Infantry
Regiment) from the U.S. Army Forces, Far East (USAFFE) reserve and
the 31st Division (-) (PA) from the I Corps, are sent forward. The Japanese
enveloping column in central Bataan arrives in position to turn the corps' west flank but pauses to reorganize. Regrouping is conducted to the east as the Japanese threat there diminishes. In the I Corps area, the two Japanese columns driving on Moron converge and push closer to their objective.

UNITED STATES: In Washington, Secretary of War Henry Stimson says
nearly 2 million men will be inducted into the military this year. By years end it will have 3.6 million men under arms.
The State Department issues a memorandum outlining its position with respect to French sovereignty over bases the United States intends to build in French Oceania.
In baseball, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gives baseball the
go-ahead to play despite the war. In his famous "green light"
letter, the President says, "I honestly think it would be best for the country
to keep baseball going." He encourages more night baseball so that war
workers may attend. Ironically, the Chicago Cubs, who had signed contracts
to install lights at Wrigley Field, drop their plans because of the military need for the material. There will be no lights at Wrigley for 35 more years.
The first "blackout" Cadillacs are completed by General Motors. Due to restrictions on materials necessary for the war effort, these cars have painted trim rather than chrome. They also lack spare tires and other
luxuries.

[syscom3]

ATLANTIC: U-248 (Type VIIC) Sunk in the North Atlantic
in position 47.43N, 26.37W, by depth charges from the US destroyer
escorts USS Hayter, Otter, Varian and Hubbard. 47 dead (all crew lost).

AUSTRALIA: Japanese submarines continue mining the approaches to
Darwin, Northern Territory: HIJMS I-122 mines Clarence Strait, HIJMS
I-123 Bundas Strait, and HIJMS I-124 the waters off Darwin itself.
Seventeen P-40s of the USAAFâs Far East Air Force (FEAF) 17th
Pursuit Squadron (Provisional) , depart Brisbane, Queensland, for
Java via Darwin, Northern Territory.

BORNEO: Three USAAF FEAF LB-30 Liberators based at Singosari
Airdrome on Java, stage through Kendari Airdrome on Celebes Island to attack
Tarakan Airdrome on Tarakan Island; two of the bombers are damaged
by Japanese aircraft and both are further damaged when they crash land
in remote places.

BURMA: The 46th Brigade, Indian 17th Division, arrives in Burma. The
Japanese attack and eventually outflank Imperial forces at Myitta,
threatening Tavoy.

LINE ISLANDS: Six USAAF Hawaiian Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses
fly from Oahu, Territory of Hawaii, to Palmyra Island, located 960 miles
(1545 kilometers) south of Oahu. This is the first deployment of
Hawaiian Air Force aircraft from Hawaii since the Pearl Harbor attack. As
part of the USN's Task Force 8.9, this flight was a test to determine the
efficacy of conducting land-based air operations across wide bodies
of water.

MALAYA: The Japanese cross the Muar River and force the Indian 45th
Brigade from Muar, on the south bank; the Japanese continue landings
on west coast in the Muar-Batu Pahat area, increasing the threat to
communications. The 53d Brigade of the British 18th Division is released to the Indian 3 Corps, which places it under the Indian 11th Division
command; two battalions are dispatched to positions west of Yong Peng and the third is held in reserve at Ayer Hitam. The RAF, concentrated on
Singapore Island., prepares to withdraw to Sumatra, Netherlands East
Indies because Singapore airdromes are still targets of daily enemy air
attacks. )
Twelve RAAF Brewster Buffalos attack a heavy concentration of
Japanese vehicles on the Gamas-Teampin road and severely damage the
convoy. Later in the day, four Buffalos attack enemy barges, a 200-ton
steamer, and several launches at Malacca, sinking four of the barges.
Finally, six RAAF Hudson attack barges on the Muar River.

NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES: Two USAAF FEAF B-17 Flying Fortresses,
based at Singosari Airdrome on Java, stage through Kendari Airdrome on
Celebes Island to attack Japanese shipping in Menado Bay on Celebes Island.
One B-17 returns to Singosari Airdrome and the second lands at Kendari
Airdrome where it is destroyed by a Japanese fighter. This is the last
effective use of Kendari Airdrome as a staging base.

PACIFIC: During a routine search from the aircraft carrier USS
Enterprise (CV-6), a Torpedo Squadron Six (VT-6) TBD Devastator
flown by Aviation Chief Machinist's Mate Harold F. Dixon (Naval Aviation
Pilot) fails to return to the ship and force-lands at sea about 740 miles (1191
kilometers) northeast of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, due to fuel
starvation. Dixon and his two-man crew have no food and no water but
they survive 34-days at sea in a raft.
Six PBY-5 Catalinas of USN Patrol Squadron Twenty Three (VP-23)
temporarily based at Canton Island began daily searches of the waters between Canton Island and the Fiji Islands to protect the advance of
Task Force 8 as it prepared for its strike against the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. These were the first combat patrols by U.S. aircraft in the
South Pacific.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: In the II Corps area on Bataan, the 51st
Division, Philippine Army (PA), counterattacks to restore their positions on
the corps western flank; after making limited progress on the right, the Filipinos are subjected to severe pressure and fall back in confusion, the western flank elements making a futile attempt to gain contact with I Corps on the rugged terrain of Mt. Natib. The entire line on Bataan is jeopardized by a Japanese breakthrough in this sector. The Japanese encircling force, although in position to turn the western flank of the corps, prepares instead to advance down the Abo-Abo River valley.
To the east, the 41st Division (PA) refuses its left flank in an effort
to tie in with the 51st Division and, with assistance of elements of
the 23d and 32d Regiments and a quickly formed provisional battalion,
succeeds in halting the Japanese. The U.S. 31st Infantry moves to
the vicinity of Abucay Hacienda, on the left flank of the 41st Division, and
prepares to counterattack; a reserve force, the 45th Infantry,
Philippine Scouts, also moves toward attack positions. The I Corps
engages the Japanese for the first time. The Japanese cross the Batalan River and attack Moron but are forced back to the river line by the 1st
Infantry and elements of 26th Cavalry. The cavalrymen are withdrawn after
engagement because of heavy losses.

U.K.: The Admiralty defines its Eastern Fleet as comprising ãall
British battleships, aircraft carriers, cruisers, minelayers,
destroyers and submarines within the limits of the British East Indies and China Stations. This includes the ship in the Australian-British- Dutch-
American (ABDA) area, regarded as a detachment of the Eastern Fleet known as the "Far Eastern Squadron."

U.S.: President Franklin D. Roosevelt asks the Secretaries of War,
Navy and Interior to study the need for a highway from the Zone of the
Interior (ZI), i.e., the continental U.S., to the Territory of Alaska.

American motion picture actress Carole Lombard dies in an airplane crash at Table Rock Mountain, Nevada, near Las Vegas, at age 33. She was returning from a tour to promote war bonds in Indianapolis, Indiana. Lombard, married to Clark Gable since 1939, was one of Hollywood's most glamorous stars of the 1930s. Best loved for her comedies, Lombard starred in screwball comedies, including "My Man Godfrey" and "To Be or Not to Be."

[syscom3]

CHINA: Pilots of the 3d Fighter Squadron, American Volunteer Group
(AVG, aka, "The Flying Tigers") shoot down three Japanese Mitsubishi
Ki-30, Army Type 97 Light Bombers (to be given the Allied Code Name "Ann")near Mengtzu at 1017 hours local.

JAPAN: The Japanese Carrier Striking Force sails to participate in
operations in the Bismarck Archipelago.

MALAYA: Additional reinforcements are moved into the Muar-Yong Peng
area as the Japanese continue attacks and build up. West Force
withdraws a battalion from Segamat, and East Force releases one from Jemaluang for operations in this area.
Twenty seven Japanese bombers attack Sembawang Airfield and
destroy most of the buildings and the water supply.

PACIFIC: The Japanese submarine HIJMS I-60 is sunk by British
destroyer HMS Jupiter 25 miles (40 kilometers) north-northwest of Krakatoa,
Java, Netherlands East Indies, in position 06.00S, 105.00E.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: On Bataan, the II Corps counterattacks to
restore the western portion of the line, formerly held by the 51st Division,
Philippine Army (PA), and makes limited progress. The U.S. 31st
Infantry, moving north from the Abucay Hacienda area, reaches the Balantay
River on the left but is unable to make much headway on the right.
Reserves move forward to plug a gap between the assault battalions. The
Japanese encircling column begins an unopposed march down the Abo-Abo River toward Orion. In the I Corps area, Moron defenders fall back under
enemy pressure to a ridge south and southeast of Moron.

PHOENIX ISLANDS: The six USAAF Hawaiian Air Force B-17s that landed
on Palmyra Island in the Line Islands yesterday continue on to Canton
Island.

U.S.: The War Department appoints Major General Lewis H. Brereton,
Commanding General of the USAAF's Far East Air Force (FEAF), as
commander of tactical forces in the Australian-British- Dutch-American (ABDA) area of the Southwest Pacific.

CENTRAL PACIFIC (Hawaiian Air Force): Aircraft unsuccessfully attack submarines in the Hawaiian area. B-17's of Task Group 8.9 proceed from Palmyra Atoll in the Line to Canton in the Phoenix .

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC (Far East Air Force): On Celebes, B-17's from Malang, Java, staging through Kendari, hit Langoan Airfield and ships in Menado Bay.

[syscom3]

Palestine: Haifa: Burma's prime minister, U Saw, was arrested here today when his plane touched down while he was returning to Burma from talks with British representatives. He had been trying unsuccessfully to
secure a British promise of Burmese independence in return for supporting the war effort. The nationalist U Maung Saw is unpopular with the British authorities, who see him as a demagogue of suspect loyalty.
This suspicion now seems justified, because he contacted Japan's legation in Lisbon on his return flight. He was unaware that Britain had broken Japanese codes and knew of these overtures.

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: The first U.S. Army engineer troops arrive on Umnak Island to build Otter Point Airfield (renamed Cape Field in 1942). The airfield, which was part of Fort Glenn, is built in secret to protect Dutch Harbor, 70 miles (113 kilometers) to the east.

AUSTRALIA: Sixteen of the 17 P-40s of the USAAF's Far East Air Force's 17th Pursuit Squadron (Provisional) arrive in Darwin, Northern Territory, en route to Java.

BORNEO: Due to heavy monsoonal rains and wind that continued throughout the day, the Japanese ships carrying the troops invading Sandakan, British North Borneo, must anchor in Sandakan Harbour.

JAPAN: The USN submarine USS Plunger (SS-179) torpedoes and sinks a Japanese merchant cargo ship off the mouth of Kii Suido, Honshu, in position 33.30N, 135.00E.

MALAYA: The Indian 45th Brigade, reinforced, repels further Japanese attacks in the Muar-Yong Peng area and destroys a number of tanks, but the landing of a strong Japanese force a few miles north of Batu Pahat increases the danger in this sector. In the evening, the Commander of West Force orders a withdrawal. The Entire Muar front is placed temporarily under Indian 3 Corps command.
During the night of 18/19 January, the Indian 9th Division falls back behind the Muar River, as does the Australian 27th Brigade Group behind the Segamat River. The RAF bomber group withdraws from Singapore Island. to Sumatra, Netherlands East Indies.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: On Bataan, the II Corps renews its efforts to restore its western flank positions. The U.S. 31st Infantry is still unable to gain the Balantay River line on the right and is under strong pressure along the river on the left. A battalion of the 45th Infantry, Philippine Scouts, reaches the Balantay River to the west of the 31st Infantry and is attached to 31st Infantry. Two other battalions of 45th Infantry advance toward the Balantay between the 31st Infantry and the 41st Division, Philippine Army, but are halted short of the objective. In the I Corps area, the Japanese increase pressure and force outposts to withdraw. A small Japanese force is moving eastward unopposed to outflank the eastern portion of line.

PHOENIX ISLANDS: The USAAF's Hawaiian Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses that are part of Task Group 8.9 begin flying antisubmarine patrols from Canton Island.

U.S.: In baseball, New York Yankees center fielder Joe DiMaggio is named 1941's Player of the Year.