SATURDAY, 31 JANUARY 1942
U.S.: General Joseph Stilwell, in memo to General Marshall, estimates his needs for China assignment and requests that his staff and any forces that may join it be called a task force. War Department subsequently approves designation of Stilwell's forces as U.S. Task Force in China.
China: With the southern coastal portion of Burma occupied by the Japanese, they begin the main invasion by crossing the Salween River in the east. Three P-40s were despatched to strafe the invaders; however as Jim Howard and Thomas J. Cole were firing at infantry, the latter pilot was seen to fly into some high trees and crash into the ground, where his aircraft burst into flames.
Malaya: At 8:15am Malaya defense force completes their withdrawal to Singapore and blows causeway to the mainland. For defense purposes, Singapore is divided into 3 sectors. Ind 3 Corps, under command of Gen Heath, consisting of Ind 11th and Br 8th Divs and corps troops, is responsible for N area. S Area, which includes Singapore town, is the responsibility of Maj Gen F. Keith Simmons, commander of Singapore Fortress troops, who has under his command in addition to fixed defenses, 1st and 2d Malayan Brigs and Strait Settlements V olunteer Force. W Area, under command of Gen Bennett, Commander AIF, is manned by Australians and Ind 44th Brig, with attachments. Activity from this time until Japanese invasion is confined to arty exchanges, air attacks, and patrolling. Chief targets for enemy planes are docks and Kalang airdrome.
Burma: The Moulmein garrison withdraws across the Salween to Martaban. 48th Brig of Ind 19th Div arrives in Rangoon and is held in reserve. Another brief lull ensues in ground action as Japanese prepare for further attacks, infiltrating across the Salween and bombing and shelling Martaban.
FEAF: B-17s took off on a bombing mission against Balikpapan. Over the target, intercepted by four A6M2 Zeros. B-17E "El Toro" 41-2461 pilot Bleasdale was hit by gunfire wounding two crew: Shipley and Sgt John A. Potters who died later that day.
U.S. Army: On Luzon, after air and artillery bombardment, Japanese begin attack on II Corps in evening but are halted by corps fire. Enemy regt concealed in bridgehead across Pilar R begins withdrawing under cover of darkness. I Corps continues battle against enemy pockets in sectors of 1st and 11th Divs. The pockets are now cut off from supply. In South Sector, operations against enemy beachhead at Quinauan Pt continue with little change in positions. Japanese
reinforcements are ordered to the area. 192d Tank Bn (less one co) is sent to W coast to help reduce Quinauan Pt beachhead.
U.S. Navy: Office of Procurement and Material is established in the office of the Under Secretary of the Navy; Vice Admiral Samuel M. Robinson, Chief of the Bureau of Ships, is named its director. He must build, from the ground up, an organization that will assure the flow of vital materials essential to the production of ships, planes, and other munitions. He will instill in the production program the need for more production and greater speed, and will apply himself to breaking complex bottlenecks in production, settling conflicts in priorities, solving labor difficulties and curing the multitudinous ills besetting the Navy's production efforts.
TF 11 (Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr.), formed around carrier Lexington (CV-2), departs Pearl Harbor to cover the retirement of TF 8 (Vice Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr.) and TF 17 (Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher) from the Marshalls and Gilberts.
Destroyer Helm (DD-388) evacuates civilian radio operators and weather observers from Howland and Baker Islands; she is bombed by a Japanese reconnaissance flying boat from Yokohama Kokutai off Baker, but is not damaged.
USS Saratoga (CV-3) is under repair at Bremerton Navy Yard in Bremerton for permenant repairs for damage sustained on January 11, 1942 when hit by a torpedo fired by Japanese submarine I-6 off Hawaii. In addition to the repairs, her anti-aircraft armament was upgraded.
