December 25, 1941
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

Thursday, 25 December 1941

USN: Two plane detachments from squadrons based at Pearl Harbor and Kaneohe begin patrols from Palmyra, a principal staging base on the ferry route for aircraft and ships bound for the South Pacific.

FEAF: Lieutenant Colonel Charles H. Caldwell sets up HQ Far East Air Force (HQ FEAF) at Darwin. HQ 5th Bomber Command (V BC) is also established at Darwin. The 3d, 17th, 20th, 21st and 34th Pursuit Squadrons (Interceptor), 24th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), transfer from Ternate, Nichols Field, Clark Field, Nichols Field and Del Carmen respectively to Bataan with P-35's and P-40's. The 17th and 20th begin operating from Lubao with P-40's HQ 27th Bombardment Group and the ground echelon of it's 16th, 17th and 91st Bombardment Squadrons transfer from Lipa, San Fernando and San Marceleno respectively to Cabcaben. The air echelons are operating from Brisbane, the ground echelons will fight as infantry on Luzon.

British Army: After an eighteen day battle, Hong Kong falls to the Japanese.

USN: USS Sealion SS-195 is scuttled at Cavite after sustaining two bomb hits and damage on December 10, 1941 and became the first USN submarine lost in World War II.

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