22 Dec 1941 | World War II Database

22 Dec 1941

US Army troops arrived at Brisbane, Australia; they were the first American soldiers to arrive in this country. ww2dbase [CPC]
Barely two weeks following the first conceptual meeting of scientists at Vannevar Bush's Office of Scientific Research and Development about the feasibility of an acoustically homing anti-submarine torpedo, plans for such a device were put on paper (codenamed FIDO). ww2dbase [Mark XXIV | Vannevar Bush | DS]
USS Permit began her second war patrol in Philippine waters. ww2dbase [Permit | CPC]
With the ice over Lake Ladoga thickening, Soviet forces began to move tanks across the lake to reinforce Leningrad, Russia. At the same time, trucks brought in 687 tons of food, also over the lake; it was the first time over 600 tons of food were brought in on a single day, which was the minimum daily requirement to feed the population. ww2dbase [Siege of Leningrad | CPC]
Japanese submarines I-71 and I-72 bombarded the US Naval Air Station on Palmyra Atoll. ww2dbase [CPC]
Allied troops reached Beda Fomm, Libya while pursuing retreating Axis troops, but was halted by a group of 30 German tanks. Further west, Axis forces began evacuating Benghazi by ships. Out at sea, German ship Spezia and Italian ship Umbra Cadamosto ran into an Italian minefield off Misrata and were destroyed. ww2dbase [Operation Crusader | CPC]
Japanese submarine I-68 bombarded Johnston Island. ww2dbase [CPC]
The Japanese 55th Division, commanded by Lieutenant General Takeuchi Yutaka, assembled at Bangkok, Thailand and was issued orders for it to cross the Thai-Burma frontier and capture Moulmein, which happened to be held by the Headquarters of 17th Indian Division. ww2dbase [Invasion of Burma | AC]
Japanese submarine I-19 shelled American tanker H. M. Storey southwest of Cape Mendocino, California, United States. ww2dbase [CPC]
American troops originally destined for Philippine Islands arrived at Brisbane; they were the first American troops to arrive in Australia. ww2dbase [CPC]
The First Washington Conference (Arcadia) between Roosevelt and Churchill began aboard HMS Duke of York in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, United States. The Americans and the British planned a Combined Chiefs of Staff represented by both countries. ww2dbase [First Washington Conference | CPC]

Marshall Islands

Kamoi departed Wotje, Marshall Islands. ww2dbase [Kamoi | Wotje | CPC]

Philippines

45,000 troops of Japanese 48th Division and 90 tanks landed at Lingayen, Luzon, Philippine Islands at 0200 hours. From the capital city of Manila, Douglas MacArthur sent a radio message to his superior George Marshall in Washington DC, United States, noting that he had decided to announce Manila to be an open city to reserve the strength of his forces and to spare the lives of the civilians. In southern Philippine Islands, 9 American B-17 bombers from Darwin, Australia attacked Japanese ships in Davao Gulf, Mindanao and then landed at Del Monte, Mindanao. ww2dbase [Invasion of the Philippine Islands | CPC]
Naka guarded transports as they disembarked 7th Tank Regiment and an infantry regiment of the Japanese 48th Infantry Division at Caba, Luzon, Philippine Islands; she departed for Mako, Pescadores islands later on the same day. ww2dbase [Naka | Caba, La Union | CPC]
Satoru Anabuki, flying a Ki-27 fighter, shot down a P-40 fighter over Lingayen, Philippine Islands, his first victory. ww2dbase [Satoru Anabuki | Lingayen | CPC]

Sarawak

In Sarawak, a Japanese invasion force departed Miri for Kuching. ww2dbase [Dutch East Indies Campaign, Borneo | Miri | CPC]

United States

HMS Duke of York arrived at Annapolis, Maryland, United States. ww2dbase [Duke of York | Annapolis, Maryland | CPC]

US Pacific Islands

33 dive bombers and 6 fighters from carriers Soryu and Hiryu attacked Wake Atoll; during the aerial battle, one of the last two operational F4F Wildcat fighters of Marine Fighter Squadron 211 was shot down, while the other one was badly damaged. ww2dbase [Battle of Wake Island | Wake | CPC]

Photo(s) dated 22 Dec 1941

Japanese Type 89 I-Go medium tanks and troops moving toward Manila, Philippine Islands, 22 Dec 1941

I-15 fighters under repair in a factory, Moscow, Russia, 22 Dec 1941

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis

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