December 21, 1941
World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

Sunday, 21 December 1941

USA: Arcadia Conference in Washington DC were leaders of the United States and United Kingdom meet to chart the course of Allied operations against the Axis powers. The ABC-1 decision to concentrate on Europe was reaffirmed although sufficient men and material were to be committed against Japan to allow a gradual assumption of the offensive. The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS), a supreme military council membered by the chiefs of services of both nations is organized.

IJN: Yamato departs Kure for Hiroshima Bay and anchors off Hashirajima with Nagato.

At 4:40am Japanese carrier planes including D3A Vals escorted by A6M2 Zeros from Soryu and Hiryū begin strikes Wake Atoll without opposition.

USN: Task Force 14 (TF 14) the relief force bound for Wake Atoll is 627 miles away.

The PBY Catalina from VP-23 departs the lagoon at Wake Atoll with the last personnel to be evacuated.

IJN: At 4:40am roughly 350 miles off Wake Atoll the Japanese launch a carrier strike with Soryu launching 14 D3A1 Vals escorted by nine A6M2 Zeros plus 15 Vals ecorted by 9 Zeros from Hiryū on a strike against Wake Atoll without opposition. This is the first air raid by carrier planes against Wake Atoll. Later in the day, Type 96 / G3M2 Nells from Chitose Kōkūtai (Chitose Air Group) bomb Wake Atoll. These Japanese air raids seriously damaged Battery D on Peale Island.

Philippines: Exiled Filipino Revolutionary General Artemio Ricarte is flown to Aparri Airfield to assist with the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Naval local defense forces in Philippine Islands under the command of Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell moves their headquarters to Corregidor.

USS Paul Jones (DD-230) is damaged when her starboard propeller strikes a sunken object off Makassar.

USCG: USCGC Shawnee (WAT-54) rescues 31 crew of SS Emidio from Blunt's Reef off Cape Mendocino in California.

Malaya: Ind 11th Div takes command of all troops W of Perak River, including those on Grik road, who are still heavily engaged, and begins withdrawal behind Perak River.

USMC: Marine Aircraft Wing 1 (MAW-1) arrives at San Diego from Quantico.

USN: Intelligence information arriving at Pearl Harbor indicated that a large force of shore-based Japanese planes is building up in the Marshall Islands and an enemy surface forces might be east of Wake Atoll where they could detect the approach of Task Force 14 (TF 14) carrying reinforcements bound for Wake. Other reports indicated the presence of Japanese carriers, including Soryu northwest of Wake.

IJN: Japanese submarine I-71 surfaces after dark and fires fires star shells over Sand Island off Johnston Island but receives return fire and dives.

IJA: During the night, three convoys from Formosa and the Pescadores, bearing main body of Japanese 14th Army assault force of the 48th Division (reinforced) approach Lingayen Gulf. Filipino 11th Div makes contact with the Japanese Vigan force at Bacnotan.

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