December 17, 1941
World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

Wednesday, 17 December 1941

USAAF: B-17s evacuating the Philippines begin arriving at Batchelor Field near Darwin. Plans are drawn up for using Australia as an Allied supply base under command of Lt. Gen George H. Brett. Captain Floyd J. Pell arrives in Australia to begin arrangements for the use of Australian facilities by the Far East Air Force (FEAF).

IJN: Japanese submarine RO-66 is sunk in collision with sistership RO-62 off Wake Atoll.

Japanese air raids on Wake Island and Wilkes Island burns a diesel oil tank and damaged an evaporator unit that Wake Atoll depends for its water supply.

USMC: Seventeen SB2U-3 Vindicators from Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 231 (VMSB-231) led by a PBY Catalina from Patrol Wing 1 (PatWing 1) took off from Ewa Field with an extra fuel tank on a ferry flight to Midway Airfield completing the longest mass flight by single-engine aircraft then on record logging a duration of 9 hours, 45 minutes flying 1,137 miles.

USN: In command shake up, Adm Husband E. Kimmel is replaced by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz as CinC, Pacific Fleet and will take command on December 31, 1941. Meanwhile, Vice Admiral William S. Pye, Commander, Battle Force, becomes acting Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet until his arrival. On Hawaii, Maj Gen Frederick L. Martin, CG Air Force, Hawaiian Department, is replaced by Brig Gen Clarence L. Tinker. U.S. Army: Lt Gen Walter C. Short, CG Hawaiian Department, is replaced by Lt Gen Delos C. Emmons.

Unarmed U.S. freighter Manini is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-175 180 miles south of Hawaii at Lat 17°45'N, Long 157°03'E.

SS Corregidor, crowded with roughly 1,200 passengers departs Manila bound for Mindanao accidentally hits a U.S. Army mine off Corregidor and sinks with heavy loss of life. Nearby at Sisiman Cove, the explosion was heard and PT-32, PT-34, and PT-35 pick up 282 survivors (including 196 by PT-32 alone) distributing them between Corregidor and the requisitioned French steamship Si-Kiang at Mariveles. Seven of those rescued die of injuries.

The Navy takes over French motor mail vessel Marechal Joffre in Manila Bay.

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) reports that flight tests in a PBY Catalina of radar utilizing a duplexing antenna switch had been conducted with satisfactory results. The duplexing switch made it possible to use a single antenna for both transmission of the radar pulse and reception of its echo; thereby, the necessity for cumbersome "yagi" antenna no longer existed, a factor which contributed substantially to the reliability and effectiveness of World War II airborne radar.

IJA: The Japanese Army Legaspi force, advancing northwest on from Legaspi along Route 1 toward Naga, makes its first contact with Filipino forces near Ragay.

Malaya: Hard fighting continues on Grik road. Weak defense detachment is reinf but falls back under pressure of superior enemy forces. Ind 12th Brig Gp is ordered to Kuala Kangsar. Gen Percival gives Ind 3 Corps permission to withdraw to Perak River line if necessary. Perak Flotilla is formed to prevent enemy from landing on W coast between Krian and Bernam Rivers.

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

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