December Disaster - Pacific 1941

After Pearl Harbor, the Japanese Combined Fleet Order No. 1 continued:

front page map in Minneapolis Morning Tribune 1941/12/08

1. Invasion of Malaya
   • started at 7:30 am on Dec. 7, 25 minutes before 1st wave at PH at 7:55
2. attack on Hong Kong - 6 hrs. after PH
   • fell Dec. 25 after siege
3. air attack on Philippines - Iba (all 16 P40s destroyed) and Clark Field
   • 7.5 hrs. after PH
   • by 108 Japan bombers and 84 Zeros vs 107 P-40s and 35 B-17s
   • most U.S. planes on ground
   • MacArthur had denied request by Gen. L. Brereton to bomb Formosa
   • only 17 B17s and 22 P40s left
   • "a second Pearl Harbor"
4. air attack on British battleship "Prince of Wales" and heavy cruiser "Repulse"
   • sunk by 90 Japan planes Dec. 8
5. air attack on Wake Island Dec. 8
   • fell Dec. 23 after defense by 450 Marines
   • Major James Devereux & 4 Wildcat fighters
   • Kimmel ordered USS Saratoga to Wake, but stopped 8 hours away
   • carrier changed its objective to Midway after Japan began landings on Wake Dec. 23
   • Midway shelled by the Sara but no landings
6. Guam surrendered Dec. 11
   • 1st US possession to be occupied
   • opened way for fall of Rabaul
   • Tarawa on Dec. 9 and Makin Dec. 10 in Gilberts
7. Borneo landings begin Dec. 15 - fell Dec. 30

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