November 28, 1941
World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

Friday, 28 November 1941

USN: Task Force 8 (TF 8) under the command of Vice Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr. with USS Enterprise (CV-6) embarks twelve F4F Wildcats from VMF-211 then departs Pearl Harbor with reinforcements bound for Wake Atoll. The deployment is part of eleventh-hour augmentation of defenses at outlying Pacific bases. Vice Admiral Halsey approves "Battle Order No. 1" that declares that Enterprise is operating "under war conditions." "Steady nerves and stout hearts," the carrier's captain concludes, "are needed now."

Supporting PBY operations will be carried out from advanced bases at Wake and Midway.

Seaplane tender USS Wright (AV-1) with Marine Aircraft Group 21 (MAG-21) personnel arrives at Wake Island to establish an advance aviation base.

U.S. passenger liner President Harrison, chartered for the purpose, sails from Shanghai, China, with the 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Curtis T. Beecher, USMC) and regimental staff (Colonel Samuel L. Howard, USMC) embarked, bound for the Philippines. "Stirring scenes of farewell," U.S. Consul Edwin F. Stanton reports to Secretary of State Hull, accompany the departure of the Marines. During their storm-fraught passage to rendezvous with the river gunboats proceeding from Shanghai to Manila, submarine rescue vessel Pigeon (ASR-6) experiences steering casualty; minesweeper Finch (AM-9), which loses both anchors in the tempest, stands by to render assistance, and eventually, after three tries, manages to take the crippled ship in tow the following day.

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