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• Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Kwajalein, Marshall Islands. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | CPC]
• 50,000 people gathered in the square in Kharkov, Ukraine to witness the hanging of four Germans found guilty of killing 30,000 civilians in Ukraine. ww2dbase [Nuremberg Trials and Other Trials Against Germany | TH]
• French Résistants engaged in heavy fighting with Germans in Bernex, France. ww2dbase [The French Resistance | TH]
• RAF bombers delivered propaganda leaflets over France. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Submarine Croaker was launched, sponsored by the wife of Admiral William H. P. Blandy. ww2dbase [Croaker | CPC]
• Light carrier Ryuho departed Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Ryuho | CPC]
• In an order published by Lord Louis Mountbatten the air forces of the RAF and USAAF in the South East Asia Command were combined into a single force under the command of Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Peirse. ww2dbase [Louis Mountbatten | AC]

• After a week of liberty and recreation for her crew, destroyer USS Saufley departed Sydney, Australia bound for Nouméa, New Caledonia. ww2dbase [Saufley | Sydney | DS]

• 16 B-24 bombers with an escort of 50 P-38, F4U, and Kittyhawk fighters attacked Rabaul, New Britain. 49 Japanese fighters rose to defend. The Americans lost 2 aircraft in combat and a further 8 aircraft were written off after the mission; the Japanese lost 5 A6M fighters in combat. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 3 | Rabaul, New Britain | CPC]
• 18 A6M3 fighters arrived at Rabaul, New Britain. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 3 | Rabaul, New Britain | CPC]

• 2nd Bomb Squadron (flying B-25 and B-26 aircraft) of USAAF 22nd Bomb Group and the headquarters of USAAF 375th Troop Carrier Group were transferred out of Dobodura Airfield, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Dobodura Airfield | Dobodura | CPC]

• Patrol Boat No. 102 departed Balikpapan, Dutch East Indies at 0600 hours to escort a convoy consisted of Omine Maru, Okuyo Maru, Hokushin Maru, and Fukuyo Maru. She then made rendezvous with Kiyowa Maru near Aru Bank Lighthouse on the coast of Borneo and escorted her to Balikpapan, arriving at 1700 hours. ww2dbase [Stewart | Balikpapan, Borneo | CPC]

• Submarine USS Spearfish arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i and concluded her ninth war patrol. ww2dbase [Spearfish | Pearl Harbor, Oahu | DS]

• USS S-35 set sail toward Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. ww2dbase [S-35 | Hokkaido | CPC]

• USS Grayback sank a Japanese patrol vessel in the Philippine Sea, hitting her with 3 of 4 torpedoes. ww2dbase [Grayback | Philippine Sea | CPC]

• USS Golet departed Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States. ww2dbase [Golet | Manitowoc, Wisconsin | CPC]

19 Dec 1943 Interactive Map