1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 12–13 DECEMBER 1941 ]
Japanese aircraft that try to attack Wake later in the
morning. Wake is subsequently subjected to almost
daily air strikes as enemy continues softening the
defense in preparation for landing.
P.I.—Japanese Aparri force on Luzon continues
rapidly S along Route 5 toward Tuguegarao.
Laoag and its airfield fall to Vigan force. Japanese
begin mining San Bernardino and Surigao Straits.
Commercial vessels withdraw from Manila Bay.
MALAYA—Ind 9th Div, Ind 3 Corps, abandons
the 2 remaining airfields in Kelantan (Gong Kedah
and Machang) in order to protect communications.
Japanese exert strong pressure against one Ind 11th
Div column on Kroh-Patani road and force the
other, on road to Singora, back toward partially
prepared positions at Jitra. RAF, now greatly depleted
in strength, adopts policy of conducting
bomber operations only at night until adequate
fighter support is available and of using fighters
primarily for defense of Singapore Naval Base and
for protection of convoys bringing reinforcements.
Ind 3 Corps troops are thus denied much close air
support.
BURMA—Japanese begin offensive against lower
Burma with air attack on Tavoy airdrome.
12 December
PACIFIC—U.S. troops aboard Allied convoy proceeding
from Hawaii toward Far East under escort
of CA Pensacola are organized as TF South Pacific
and placed under command of Brig Gen Julian F.
Barnes.
P.I.—Japanese make another preliminary landing,
at Legaspi, S Luzon. TF of 2,500 men from
Palau goes ashore unopposed and secures Legaspi
and the airfield. Maj Gen George M. Parker, Jr.,
whose South Luzon Force consists of 41st and 51st
Divs (PA), sends elements of 51st forward to delay
enemy, but contact is not made for several days.
Tuguegarao airfield falls to Aparri force early in
morning. Japanese planes attack Luzon in force.
Iba and Clark Fields are targets, with main force
against Iba. Batangas is an alternate target.
MALAYA—Gen Percival decides to withdraw
Ind 3 Corps from Kelantan since airfields there are
already in possession of Japanese; movement of surplus
supplies to rear is begun. Troops fight delaying
actions while awaiting rolling stock in which to
withdraw. Japanese penetrate Jitra position and force
Ind 11th Div TF back to Kedah R. Ind 11th Div
force, called Krohcol force, on Kroh–Patani road,
also falls back under pressure and at midnight 12–13
passes to direct command of corps. Ind 12th Brig
Gp is released from reserve for action on W coast.
BURMA—Japanese begin small-scale operations,
using infiltration tactics. From Thailand, small force
[ 5 ]
crosses into lower Tenasserim unopposed. Gen Sir
Archibald P. Wavell, CinC India, is given responsibility
for Burma, previously within Air Chief Marshal
Sir Robert Brooke-Popham's Far Eastern Command,
and is promised reinforcements to strengthen
the small garrison, fighting strength of which does
not exceed 30 bns during the campaign. Lt Gen
D. K. MacLeod's Burma Army, charged with protecting
Burma Road and Tenasserim airfields, is a
heterogeneous group of Burmese, Ind, and Br forces,
some poorly trained, formed into Burma 1st Div
(Burma 1st and 2d Brigs and Ind 13th Brig) and
Ind 16th Brig. The 16 obsolete RAF fighters on
hand are augmented by sq of American Volunteer
Group (AVG) fighters, which is flown in to Mingaladon
from AVG base in China. Air strength is
eventually increased but not enough to alter ground
operations materially.
MIDDLE EAST—Gen Auchinleck receives the first
of a number of notices that forces intended for
Middle East must be diverted to Far East to help
stem Japanese advance. First call is for Br 18th and
Ind 17th Divs, 4 light bomber sqs, and AA and AT
guns.
LIBYA—Eighth Army's 30 Corps moves to
Libyan-Egyptian frontier to destroy isolated enemy
garrisons and open communication lines. 13 Corps
begins probing enemy's new line, which extends
from Gazala southward.
13 December
P.I.—Enemy aircraft again attack Luzon,
virtually completing destruction of U.S. Army and
Navy planes in the Philippines. Del Carmen, Clark,
and Nichols Fields are hit, as well as Baguio, Tarlac,
Cabanatuan, and Batangas.
MALAYA—Krohcol force concentrates in positions
2–3 miles W of Kroh. Ind 11th Div begins
withdrawing from Kedah R toward Gurun, a more
favorable defense position in S Kedah some 30 miles
S of Jitra. Fighter support is increased as sq from
Singapore joins the few fighters based at Ipoh. Reports
of Japanese convoy moving SSW from Saigon
result in period of sharply increased Br air rcn from
Malaya.
BORNEO—Small Miri detachment (Ind co and
engineers), having destroyed oil fields and installations
in E Sarawak and W Brunei to deny them to
enemy, sails for Kuching, capital of Sarawak, where
rest of the Ind bn, with local and administrative
attachments, is disposed to defend airdrome. Dutch
planes based on Singkawang assist RAF units on
Malaya in searching for Japanese shipping heading
southward from Indochina.
CHINA—British withdraw from Kowloon under
pressure as Japanese continue drive on Hong Kong.