12/01 Tue. Fleet Air Wing 15 is commissioned at Norfolk, Va., for
service at Port Lyautey, French Morocco.
United States naval vessel sunk:
Heavy cruiser NORTHAMPTON (CA-26), as result of torpedo
damaged received at Battle of Tassafaronga (30 November
1942),
09 d. 12' S., 159 d. 50' E.
12/02 Wed. United States Naval Operating Base, and United States Naval
Air Facility, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are established.
12/03 Thu. Japanese destroyers, en route to Guadalcanal, Solomon
Islands, are attacked from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal; one
destroyer is damaged.
12/05 Sat. United States naval vessel sunk:
Ocean tug GREBE (ATO-134), by grounding,
south of Fiji Island,
19 d. 49' s., 178 d. 13' W.
12/07 Mon. Japanese destroyers, carrying reinforcements to Guadalcanal,
Solomon Islands, are attacked by aircraft from Henderson
Field, Guadalcanal; two destroyers are damaged.
12/08 Tue. Motor torpedo boats attack and turn back Japanese destroyers
attempting to reinforce Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
12/09 Wed. Aircraft from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, begin what become
virtually daily attacks on Japanese installations at Munda
Point, New Georgia, Solomon Islands.
Maj. Gen. A. A. Vandegrift, USMC, is relieved by Maj. Gen. A.
M. Patch, USA, as commander of Marines and Army troops,
Guadalcanal area, Solomon Islands.
Japanese submarine sunk:
I-3, by PY-59, off Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal, Solomon
Islands.
12/10 Thu. German submarine sunk:
U-611, by naval land-based aircraft (VP-84),
North Atlantic area,
58 d. 09' N., 22 d. 44' W.
12/11 Fri. Japanese destroyers are attacked north of New Georgia,
Solomon Islands, by naval aircraft from Henderson Field,
Guadalcanal.
12/12 Sat. Motor torpedo boats attack Japanese destroyers off Cape
Esperance, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands; one Japanese
destroyer is sunk.
United States naval vessel sunk:
PT-44, by naval gunfire, Guadalcanal area, Solomon Islands,
09 d. 10' S., 159 d. 45' E.
Japanese naval vessel sunk:
Destroyer TERUTSUKI, by motor torpedo boats, off Cape
Esperance, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
12/14 Mon. Fleet Air Command, Noumea, New Caledonia (Rear Adm. M. A.
Mitscher), is established.
Submarine SUNFISH (SS-281) lays mines in entrance to Iseno
Umi, Japan.
12/15 Tue. German submarine sunk:
U-626, by Coast Guard cutter INGHAM (PC-35),
North Atlantic area,
56 d. 46' N., 27 d. 12' W.
12/16 Wed. Japanese submarine sunk:
I-15, by naval land-based aircraft (VS-55),
Solomon Islands area,
09 d. 10' S., 159 d. 30' E.
12/17 Thu. Submarines DRUM (SS-228) and SUNFISH (SS-281) lay mines in
Japanese home waters.
United States Coast Guard vessel sunk:
Converted trawler NATSEK (PG-170), foundered, Belle Isle
Strait, Newfoundland, Canada.
12/18 Fri. Japanese naval vessel sunk:
Light cruiser TENRYU, by submarine ALBACORE (SS-218),
Bismarck Sea,
05 d. 11' S., 145 d. 57' E.
12/20 Sun. Submarine TRIGGER (SS-237) lays mines in Japanese home
waters.
United States naval vessel damaged:
Gunboat TULSA (PG-22), by grounding,
eastern New Guinea area,
10 d. 15 S., 149 d. 27' E.
Japanese submarine sunk:
I-4, by submarine SEADRAGON (ss-194), New Britain area,
05 d. 02' S., 152 d. 33' E.
12/22 Tue. Japanese naval vessel sunk:
Patrol boat No. 35, by submarine GREENLING (SS-213),
Solomon Islands area,
05 d. 05' S., 156 d. 04' E.
12/24 Thu. Japanese troop-laden barges are attacked heavily by aircraft
from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
United States naval vessels sunk:
Transports FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE (AP-70) and THURSTON (AP-
77), by collision, North African area,
34 d. 41' N., 07 d. 25' W.
12/26 Sat. Japanese transports at Wickham Anchorage, New Georgia,
Solomon Islands, are attacked by naval aircraft; strike is
repeated on 29 December.
12/29 Tue. United States naval vessel sunk:
High speed minesweeper WASMUTH (DMS-15), by explosion of
two of her own depth charges, during gale in Aleutian
Islands area.
12/30 Wed. Submarine SEARAVEN (SS-196) land agents on south coast of
Ceram Island, Netherlands East Indies.
12/31 Thu. Carrier ESSEX (CV-9) is commissioned at Portsmouth, Va.