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12/07/41
International
Japan attacks Hawaii and other US and British possessions in the
Pacific without warning. Japan already is at war with China, and
Great Britain is at war with the Axis powers, Germany and Italy,
which control most of Western Europe. The RAF is conducting an aerial
offensive against Germany, and the Luftwaffe is engaged in a campaign
against Britain. Russians are fighting German forces that have
invaded the USSR. British troops are battling Italians and Germans in
Africa.
12/07/41
Hawaiian AF
First wave of Japanese carrier-based airplanes (almost 200) hits US
naval base at Pearl Harbor and Hickam Field at 0755. Attacks follow
quickly against Wheeler and Bellows Fields. A second wave of Japanese
airplanes strikes other naval and military facilities. Hawaiian AF
loses 163 men, with about 390 others wounded or missing; has 64 of
its 231 assigned aircraft destroyed. Only 79 of the remaining
aircraft are deemed usable, and much of the AF's ground facilities
are destroyed. These losses are light in comparison with the Navy's:
more than 2,000 killed or missing, and more than 900 wounded; 4
battleships sunk; 3 battleships, 3 cruisers, and 3 destroyers
damaged; and over half of the Navy's 169 airplanes in the area
destroyed. The Japanese lose 20 aircraft over Hawaii, including 4
claimed destroyed by 2d Lt George S Welch (47th Pur Sq) piloting a
P-40,one of the few US ftrs to successfully attack airplanes during
the day. About 20 other aircraft are lost by the Japanese during
carrier landings. Altogether the Japanese pay a small price for the
damage done to the Americans on Oahu. For the remainder of the day,
following the attacks, AAF carries out fruitless searches for the
carriers.
12/07/41
Alaska Def Cmd
Upon learning of the Pearl Harbor attack, the Cmd's 6 B-18's and 12
P-36's take to the air to avoid being caught on their fields.
12/08/41
International
US, Great Britain, the Netherlands,Canada, Union of South Africa, New
Zealand, Australia Free France, and 8 Latin American republics
declare war against Japan.
12/08/41
Far East AF
First word of Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is received on Luzon in
the Philippines by commercial radio between 03000330 local time.
Within 30 minutes radar at Iba Field plots formation of airplanes 75
mi offshore, heading for Corregidor. AAF P-40's are sent out to
intercept but make no contact. Shortly before 0930, after aircraft
are detected over Lingayen Gulf heading toward Manila, B-17's at
Clark Field are ordered airborne to prevent being caught on the
ground. Ftrs from Clark and Nichols Fields are sent to intercept the
enemy but do not make contact. The airplanes swing E and bomb
military installations at Baguio. Tarlac, Tuguegarao, and A/Fs at
Cabantuan are also attacked. By 1130 the B-17's and ftrs sent into
the air earlier have landed at Clark and Iba for refueling, and radar
has disclosed another flight of aircraft 70 mi W of Lingayen Gulf,
headed S. Ftrs from Iba make a fruitless search over S China Sea.
Ftrs from Nichols are dispatched to patrol over Bataan and Manila.
Around 1145 a formation is reported headed S over Lingayen Gulf. Ftrs
are ordered from Del Carmen to cover Clark Field but fail to arrive
before the Japanese hit Clark shortly after noon. HBs and many ftrs
at Clark Field are caught on the ground, but a few P-40's manage to
get airborne. 2d Lt Randall B Keator (20th Pur Sq) shoots down the
first Japanese aircraft over the Philippines. The P-40's earlier sent
on patrol of S China Sea return to Iba Field with fuel running low at
the beginning of an attack on that A/F. They fail to prevent bombing
but manage to prevent low-level strafing of the sort which proved so
destructive at Clark. At the end of the day's action it is apparent
that the Japanese have won a major victory. The effective striking
power of Far East AF has been destroyed, the ftr strength has been
seriously reduced, most B-17 maintenance facilities have been
demolished, and about 80 men have been killed.
12/08/41
Alaska Def Cmd
Starting today bmrs fly armed rcn each morning from Anchorage to
Kodiak.
12/08/41
ZI
First and Fourth AFs are made responsible for air def on the E and W
coasts, respectively. CG First AF orders I BC to begin overwater rcn
with all available aircraft to locate and attack any hostile surface
forces which might approach the E coast. Similar rcn is ordered off W
coast. Aircraft of 1st Pur Gp from Selfridge Field begin to arrive at
San Diego, being the first reinforcements of air strength on the W
coast.
12/09/41
FEAF
Shortly after 0300 aircraft attack Nichols Field. This attack, added
to the previous day's raids on Clark and Iba Fields, leaves FEAF
strength reduced by half. Only 17 of 35 B-17's remain incommission;
about 55 P-40's,3 P-35's, and close to 30 other aircraft (B-10's,
B-18's,and observation airplanes) have been lost in aerial combat or
destroyed on the ground. During morning and afternoon, B-17's from
Mindanao fly rcn missions and land on Clark and San Marcelino Fields.
Several more B-17's are flown from Mindanao to these Luzon bases for
resistance against possible invasion attempt.
12/09/41
ZI
Ftrs at Mitchel Field are dispatched to intercept hostile airplane
reported (falsely) to be approaching the E coast.
12/10/41
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 Capt
Colin P Kelly Jr (14thBomb Sq) on a warship off Aparri. Capt Kelly,
who is killed when his B-17 is shot down by ftrs 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.
12/11/41
International
Germany and Italy declare war on US Congress declares war on Germany
and Italy.
12/11/41
Hawaiian AF
6 B-18's fly seasearch mission from Hawaiian Islands. Similar
missions by B-17's, B-18's, and A-20's are flown each day for the
remainder of the year; several submarines are sighted and some are
attacked but without positive evidence of hits.
12/11/41
ZI
Second and Fourth AFs are assigned to Western Def Cmd.
12/12/41
FEAF
More than 100 aircraft hit tgts at Clark Field, Batangas, and
Olongapo. No hits are scored by the single B-17 that is sent against
transports at Vigan.
12/13/41
FEAF
1st Lt Boyd D Wagner (17 PurSq) shoots down 4 airplanes near Aparri
while on rcn mission over N Luzon.
12/14/41
FEAF
B-17's are sent against beachhead at Legaspi. 1st Lt Hewitt T Wheless
is later awarded DSC for bringing his bullet-riddled aircraft back
from the mission to an emergency crashlanding at Cagayan.
12/16/41
FEAF
1st Lt Boyd D Wagner (17th PurSq) leadsdive-bombing raid on A/F at
Vigan and shoots down his fifth aircraft, thereby becoming the first
AAF 'Ace' in World War II.
12/17/41
UK
Gen Chaney, Chief SPOBS, writes to AG, USA on 'Construction Program
of US Forces in UK,'which indicatesshortage of accommodations for
proposed US force sin Scotland, N Ireland, and England.
12/17/41
FEAF
B-17's, evacuating Luzon, begin arriving at Batchelor Field. Capt
Floyd J Pell arrives in Australia to begin arrangements for use of
Australian facilities by FEAF.
12/18/41
Hawaiian AF
Gen Tinker succeeds Gen Martinas CG.
12/19/41
ZI
First AF is assigned to Eastern Theater of Operations (later Eastern
Def Cmd).
12/22/41
International
Anglo-American conference(ARCADIA)opens at Washington to deal with
war strategy. Churchill, Roosevelt, Harry Hopkins, Lord Beaverbrook,
and American and British CoSs participate.
12/22/41
FEAF
9 B-17's from Batchelor Field attack shipping in Davao Bay and land
at Del Monte.
12/23/41
FEAF
4 B-17's take off from Del Monte shortly after midnight during 22/23
Dec and bomb shipping in Lingayen Gulf. 12P-40's and 6 P-35's strafe
forces landing in San Miguel Bay. FEAF comes under controlof
newly-created USFIA. Gen Brereton, CG, receives orders establishing
Hq FEAF at Darwin.
12/24/41
FEAF
3 B-17's fly from Del Monte during 24/25 Dec,bomb A/F and shipping at
Davao, and land at Batchelor Field. 2 airplanes leave Manila for
Darwin with personnel of Hq FEAF. AAF units on Luzon,as well as
ground forces, begin moving to Bataan Peninsula.
12/24/41
ZI
95th Bomb Sq, at Pendleton Field, claims subsunk off mouth of
Columbia R, but this claim is not confirmed by committees of USN and
British Admiralty which later assesses damage to enemy subs during
World War II.
12/25/41
FEAF
Lt Col Charles H Caldwell sets up HQ FEAF on RAAF A/F at Darwin.
12/29/41
FEAF
Gen Brereton, CG, arrives at new HQ at Darwin. Col Harold H George
remains at Manila in Cmd of air elements left in the Philippines, the
chief center of AAF activity in S Philippines being Del Monte, where
air personnel are under cmd of Maj Ray T Ellsmore.
12/29/41
Alaska Def Cmd
In response to repeated requests by this Cmd to the WD for additional
aircraft to defend Alaska, the 77th Bomb Sq arrives at Elmendorf
Field. The 11th Pur Sq arrives the next day.
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