01/01 Thu. Adm. R. E. Ingersoll succeeds Adm. E. J. King as Commander in
Chief Atlantic Fleet.
01/02 Fri. Manila and Cavite, P. I., fall to the Japanese.
01/06 Tue. Japanese amphibious force occupies Brunei Bay, Borneo.
01/07 Wed. Navy's authorized aircraft strength is increased from 15,000
to 27,500.
01/11 Sun. Naval Station, Pago Pago, Samoa, is shelled by Japanese
submarine.
Japanese begin invasion of Netherlands East Indies by
landings at Tarakan and Jesselton, Borneo; Menado and Kema,
Celebes.
Japan declares war on the Netherlands.
United States naval vessels damaged:
Carrier SARATOGA (CV-3), by submarine torpedo, 500 miles
southwest of Oahu, T. H.
01/12 Mon. Authorized enlisted strength of the Navy is increased to
500,000.
01/15 Thu. American-British-Dutch-Australian Supreme Command is
established. Field Marshall Sir Archibald Wavell, British
Army, assumes supreme command of all forces in area; Adm. T.
C. Hart, USN, has command of naval forces under Field
Marshall Wavell.
01/16 Fri. War Production Board (WPB) is established to supplant Office
of Production Management (OPM).
01/18 Sun. Germany, Italy, and Japan sign new military pact in Berlin.
01/20 Tue. United States naval vessels sunk:
PT-31, damaged by grounding and sunk by United States
forces, Philippine Islands area,
14 d. 45' N., 120 d. 13' E.
Japanese submarine sunk:
I-124, by destroyer EDSALL (DD-219) and three Australian
corvettes, off Port Darwin, Australia.
01/21 Wed. United States naval vessels sunk:
Submarine S-36, damaged by grounding 20 January 1942 and
sunk by United States forces, Makassar Strait, Netherlands
East Indies.
United States naval vessels damaged:
Light cruiser BOISE (CL-47), by grounding, Sape Strait,
Netherlands East Indies.
01/22 Thu. Japanese reinforcements land in Subic Bay area, P. I.
01/23 Fri. Japanese land at Balikpapan, Borneo.
Japanese occupy Rabaul, New Britain, and land at Kieta,
Bougainville, Solomon Islands.
United States naval vessels sunk:
Oiler NECHES (AO-5), by Japanese submarine torpedo, off
Hawaiian Islands,
21 d. 01' N., 160 d. 06' W.
01/24 Sat. Battle of Balikpapan (Battle of Makassar Strait): Japanese
Borneo invasion convoy undergoes night torpedo attack off
Balikpapan, Borneo, by destroyer division (Cdr. P. H. Talbot)
composed of PARROTT (DD-218), POPE (DD-225), JOHN. D. FORD
(DD-228), and PAUL JONES (DD-230); four enemy transports and
a patrol craft are sunk.
Japanese land at Kendari, Celebes; Kavieng, New Ireland;
Subic Bay, P. I.
United States naval vessel sunk:
Submarine S-26, by collision with submarine chaser PC-460,
Gulf of Panama.
United States naval vessel damaged:
Destroyer JOHN D. FORD (DD-228) by naval gunfire,
Netherlands East Indies area,
12 d. 00' S., 117 d. 01' E.
Japanese naval vessel sunk:
Patrol boat No. 37, by surface craft, Makassar Strait,
Netherlands East Indies,
00 d. 10' N., 118 d. 00' e.
01/25 Sun. Japanese submarine shells Midway Island.
01/26 Mon. First United States Expeditionary Force to Europe in World
War II arrives in Northern Ireland.
01/27 Tue. Submarine SEAWOLF (SS-197) delivers ammunition to Corregidor,
P. I., and evacuates Naval and Army pilots.
Naval Air Station, Puunene, Maui, T. H., is established.
Japanese submarine sunk:
I-173, by submarine GUDGEON (SS-211), Central Pacific area,
28 d. 24' N., 178 d. 35' E.
01/28 Wed. Third Conference of Foreign Ministers of the American
Republics, in session in Rio de Janeiro since 15 January, is
concluded.
Japanese land on Rossel Island off New Guinea.
01/29 Thu. Japanese land at Badoeng Island and Mampawan, Celebes.
United States Coast Guard vessel sunk:
Cutter ALEXANDER HAMILTON (PG-34), sunk by German submarine
torpedo, off Iceland.
01/31 Sat. Office of Procurement and Material (OP&M) is established in
the Office of the Under Secretary of the Navy; Vice Adm. S.
M. Robinson becomes director.
Japanese land at Amboina Island, Netherlands East Indies.