12 Dec 1942
- Spanish General Muñoz Grandes passed the command of the German 250th Infantry Division of Spanish volunteers to General Esteban-Infantes; Muñoz Grandes was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves upon his departure. ww2dbase [Emilio Esteban Infantes | CPC]
- Axis rear guards engaged the attacking Allied forces near Marsa Brega and El Agheila in Libya as the main Axis force evacuated to the west. ww2dbase [Second Battle of El Alamein | CPC]
- Light carrier Ryuho was attacked by US submarine USS Drum 160 mlies east of Hachijojima, Japan at 0910 hours, suffering one torpedo hit on the starboard side, which forced her to return to Japan for repairs. ww2dbase [Ryuho | CPC]
- Raizo Tanaka personally led a night time fast destroyer supply run and suffered injuries when his destroyer was torpedoed by a US Navy PT boat. ww2dbase [Raizo Tanaka | CPC]
- S-36 suffered a problem with its electrical steering. ww2dbase [S-36 | CPC]
- USS Nicholas arrived at Nouméa, New Caledonia where she underwent two days of tender upkeep alongside USS Dixie. ww2dbase [Nicholas | DS]
- USAAF 33rd Fighter Group achieved its first aerial victory as 1st Lieutenant Charles Poillon of 58th Fighter Squadron, flying a P-40 fighter, shot down a German Ju 88 aircraft near Youks-les-Bains Airfield near TĂ©bessa, Algeria. ww2dbase [TĂ©bessa | CPC]
- Destroyers USS Lansdowne and Shaw departed Tulagi, Solomon Islands in escort of the badly damaged cruiser USS New Orleans bound for Sydney, Australia. ww2dbase [Lansdowne | Shaw | New Orleans | Tulagi, Solomon Islands | DS]
- Amagiri and Yugure departed Shortland Islands, Solomon Islands at 1230 hours on a transport run to Rekata Bay, Santa Isabel Island, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Solomon Islands Campaign | Amagiri | Yugure | Shortland Islands | CPC]
- The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the railroad yards at Rouen, France. ww2dbase [Bombing of Cities in France and Low Countries | RAF Thurleigh | Rouen | DS]
- Bluie West Eight airfield in Greenland was assigned to the Eastern Defense Command of the US Army. ww2dbase [Bluie West Eight | South Greenland | CPC]
- USS Tunny arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. ww2dbase [Tunny | Pearl Harbor Navy Base and Ford Island Naval Air Station | Honolulu, Oahu | CPC]
- Tatsuta Maru arrived at Sasebo, Japan. ww2dbase [Tatsuta Maru | Sasebo, Nagasaki | CPC]
- USS Sunfish fired two torpedoes at a Japanese warship in the Pacific Ocean; both torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [Sunfish (Gato-class) | CPC]
- Operation Winter Tempest was launched towards Stalingrad, Russia with German 3 Panzer Divisions and 10 other divisions. ww2dbase [Battle of Stalingrad | TH]
- M3 submachine gun entered US military service. ww2dbase [M3 'Grease Gun' | CPC]
12 Dec 1942 Interactive Map
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Share this article with your friends: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
Search WW2DB
News
- » WW2DB's 19th Anniversary (29 Dec 2023)
- » Looted Painting "Madonna with Child" Returned to Poland (2 Jun 2023)
- » Wreck of USS Mannert L. Abele Found (29 May 2023)
- » Wreck of Montevideo Maru Found (25 Apr 2023)
- » Accidental Detonation of a WW2-Era Bomb in Great Yarmouth (10 Feb 2023)
- » See all news
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,145 biographies
- » 336 events
- » 43,415 timeline entries
- » 1,237 ships
- » 349 aircraft models
- » 207 vehicle models
- » 372 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 259 facilities
- » 468 book reviews
- » 28,364 photos
- » 432 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue."Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, 16 Mar 1945
Support Us
Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!
Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!