Tuesday, 23 December 1941
USA: U.S.-British War Council composed U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Churchill, and their chief naval, military, and civilian advisers meet for the first time in Washington D.C.
Caribbean Air Force: The 31st Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 37th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), transfers from Chorrera, Panama to Albrook Field with P-26's and P-40's.
China: Japanese begin drive on Changsha in Hunan Province.
IJN: At 2:00am, the second Japanese invasion force under the command of Rear Admiral Kajioka Sadamichi arrives off Wake Island and the Maizuru Special Naval Landing Force (Maizuru SNLF) makes an amphibious landing on the south shore of Wake Island and Wilkes Island. Japanese Patrol Boat No. 32 and Patrol Boat No. 33 (old destroyers converted to high speed transports) intentionally run ashore to facilitate landing of troops, are destroyed by shore batteries manned by the 1st Defense Battalion. The landing is supported by
carrier planes from Soryu and Hiryu that strike Wilkes Island, Peale Island, and Wake Island in support of the landing force. Seaplane carrier Kiyokawa Maru also provides close air support. After almost 12 hours fighting, the U.S. garrison under the command of Commander Winfield S. Cunningham surrenders. 1,603 Americans become Prisoners Of War (POWs). Among them were 1,150 civilian contractors employed by Morrison-Knudsen Company / Contractors Pacific Naval Air Bases (CPNB). Captured at Wake Atoll is open cargo lighter YCK 1 and civilian tugs Pioneer and Justine Foss, and dredge Columbia.
Uncertainty over the positions of and number of Japanese carriers and reports that indicate Japanese troops have landed on Wake Atoll compel Vice Admiral William S. Pye, Acting Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet, to recall Task Force 14 (TF 14) under the command of Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher only 425 miles from Wake Island was recalled shortly before the garrison surrenders and retires towards Midway.
FEAF: During the night of December 22, 1941 to December 23, 1941 after midnight four B-17's take off from Del Monte Airfield and bomb shipping in Lingayen Gulf damaging minesweeper W-17 and destroyer Kuroshio off Davao.
Twelve P-40's and six P-35's strafe forces landing at San Miguel Bay on Luzon damaging destroyer Nagatsuki. The Far East Air Force (FEAF) comes under control of the newly-created US Forces in Australia (USFIA). Major General Lewis H. Brereton, Commanding General Far East Air Force (FEAF) receives orders establishing his Headquarters (HQ) at Darwin.
MLD: Do-24K flying boats attack Japanese forces at Davao.
Philippines: General Douglas MacArthur decides to evacuate Manila and withdraw to Bataan. During night 23-24, enemy invasion force of 7,000 men enters Lamon Bay. Another Japanese invasion force departs Mindanao bound for Jolo.
Malaya: Ind 3 Corps completes withdrawal of all west coast forces behind Perak R, night 23-24. Japanese planes, which so far have concentrated on airfields, begin intensive action against forward areas.
Burma: Japanese open series of strong air attacks on Rangoon, beginning battle for air supremacy that is to last until late February 1942. Exodus of civilian laborers hampers port operations in Rangoon.
Borneo: Japanese convoy is detected heading toward Kuching, Sarawak.
USN: Uncertainty over the positions of and number of Japanese carriers and reports that indicate Japanese troops have landed on Wake Atoll compel Vice Admiral William S. Pye, Acting Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet, to recall TF 14 (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher) while it is 425 miles from its objective.
Palmyra Island is shelled by Japanese submarines I-71 and I-72.
Unarmed U.S. tanker Montebello is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I 21 about four miles south of Piedras Blancas light, California, 35°30'N, 121°51'W. I 21 machine-guns the lifeboats, but miraculously inflicts no casualties. I 21 later also shells unarmed U.S. tanker Idaho near the same location.
Japanese submarine I 17 shells unarmed U.S. tanker Larry Doheny southwest of Cape Mendocino, California, 40°00'N, 125°00'W, but the American ship escapes.
USS Seal (SS-183) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Soryu Maru off Vigan, Luzon, 17°35'N, 120°12'E.
Japanese troops land at Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo. Off the invasion beaches, Dutch submarine K XIV torpedoes and sinks transport Hokkai Maru, army transport Hiyoshi Maru, and damages army cargo ship Nichiran Maru and transport Katori Maru.
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