December 25, 1941
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 Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 17th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 20th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 21st Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) and 34th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), 24th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), transfers 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 Bombardment Squadron, 17th Bombardment Squadron and 91st Bombardment Squadron 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.

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

USN: Admiral Thomas C. Hart turns over all remaining naval forces in the Philippines to Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell, Commandant Sixteenth Naval District. After Japanese bombers destroy PBYs from VP-101 and VP-102 that planned to transport him and his senior staff south, Hart embarks aboard USS Shark (SS-174) held in readiness for that eventuality to establish new Asiatic Fleet headquarters in Java.

During Japanese bombing of shipping in Manila Bay, bombs straddle USS Sturgeon (SS-187) but is not damaged.

British Army: After an eighteen day battle, the British Army surrenders Hong Kong. U.S. freighter Admiral Y.S. Williams, under repairs in that port for damage incurred in a grounding that had occurred on September 24, 1941, is intentionally damaged to prevent use by the Japanese but is salvaged and renamed Tatsutama Maru. U.S. steamship (ex-yacht) Hirondelle under repair in the Crown Colony when caught there by the outbreak of hostilities and renamed Gyonan Maru and will survive the Pacific War. Also captured is Philippine steamship Argus that is refitted and commissioned in the Japanese Navy as gunboat Hong Kong Maru.

Philippine steamship Churruca is scuttled.

USS Saratoga (CV-3) diverted from the attempt to relieve Wake Island, launches F2As Buffalos from Marine Fighting Squadron 221 (VMF-221) land at Midway Airfield and become the first fighter planes based at Midway Atoll.

IJA: Japanese land at Jolo without resistance.

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