12/01 Wed. Naval Air Ferry Command is established. 
           Teheran Conference attended by the President, British Prime 
           Minister, and Russian representatives ends; conference has 
           been in session since 28 November.
12/02 Thu. Submarine NARWHAL (SS-167), lands ammunition and stores, and 
           evacuates certain personnel from Mindanao, P. I. 
            United States naval vessel damaged: 
             Gasoline tanker AROOSTOOK (AOG-14), by horizontal bomber, 
              Italian area, 
              41 d. 06' N., 16 d. 52' E.
12/03 Fri. United States Naval Air Facility, Sao Luiz, Brazil, is 
           established.
12/04 Sat. Aircraft from task force which includes six carriers (Rear 
           Adm. C. A. Pownall) bomb Kwajalein and Wotje Atolls, Marshall 
           Islands. 
            United States naval vessels damaged, Marshall Islands: 
             Carrier LEXINGTON (CV-16), by aircraft torpedo, 
              13 d. 30' N., 171 d. 25' E. 
             Light cruiser MOBILE (CL-63), by accidental explosion, 
              12 d. 47' N., 170 d. 57' E. 
             Destroyer TAYLOR (DD-468), accidentally by United States 
              naval gunfire, 
              10 d. 00' N., 170 d. 00' E.
12/05 Sun. Destroyers bombard Choiseul Bay area, Choiseul Island, 
           Solomon Islands.
12/06 Mon. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, USA, is named commander of Allied 
           Expeditionary Force for invasion of Europe.
12/08 Wed. Task group including carriers, battleships, and destroyers 
           (Rear Adm. W. A. Lee) bombs Nauru Island. 
            United States naval vessel damaged: 
             Destroyer BOYD (DD-544), by coastal defense batteries, 
              Nauru Island.
12/10 Fri.  United States naval vessel damaged: 
             Destroyer  SIGOURNEY (DD-643), by grounding, 
              Solomon Islands area, 
              06 d. 21' S., 155 d. 10' E.
12/12 Sun. German submari ne sunk: 
             U-172, by aircraft (VC-19) from escort carrier BOGUE 
              (CVE-9), and destroyers BADGER (DD-126), DUPONT (DD-152), 
              CLEMSON (DD-186), and INGRAHAM (DD-694), 
              mid-Atlantic area, 
              26 d. 19' N., 29 d. 58' W.
12/13 Mon. Submarine POMPON (SS-267) lays mines southwest of Cochin 
           China. 
            German submarine sunk: 
             U-593, by United States destroyer WAINWRIGHT (DD-419) and 
              British surface craft, Mediterranean area, 
              37 d. 38' N., 05 d. 58' E.
12/14 Tue. United States Naval Air Facility, Maceio, Brazil, is 
           established. 
            United States naval vessel sunk: 
             PT-239, by accidental fire, Solomon Islands area, 
              07 d. 42' S., 156 D. 47 E.
12/15 Wed. Army troops are landed on Arawe Peninsula, New Britain. 
           United States Naval Operating Base, Treasury Islands, 
           Solomon Islands, is established.
12/16  Thu.  Japanese submarine sunk: 
              I-179, by  naval land-based aircraft (VP-52), 
               off New Britain, 
               04 d. 28' S., 147 d. 22' E. 
            German submarine sunk: 
             U-73, by destroyers TRIPPE (DD-403) and WOOLSEY (DD-437), 
              off Oran, 
              36 d. 07' N., 00 d. 50' W.
12/17 Fri.  United States naval vessel sunk: 
             Coastal transport APc-21, by dive bomber, off New Britain, 
              06 d. 15' S., 149 d. 01' E. 
            United States naval vessel damaged: 
             Motor minesweeper YMS-50, by horizontal bomber, 
              off New Britain, 
              06 d. 12' S., 149 d. 03' E.
12/18 Sat. Submarine CABRILLA (SS-288) lays mines off Cambodia, 
           Indochina.
12/19 Sun.  Japanese naval vessel sunk: 
             Destroyer NAMUKAZE, by submarine GRAYBACK (SS-208), 
              off the Ryukyu Islands, 
              26 d. 29' N., 128 d. 26' E.
12/20 Mon. Destroyers bombard Japanese positions on northeastern coast 
           of Bougainville, Solomon Islands. 
           Naval Air Training command is established at Naval Air 
           Station, Pensacola, Fla. 
            Japanese naval vessel sunk: 
             Destroyer FUYO, by submarine PUFFER (SS-268), 
              Philippine Islands area, 
              14 d. 44' N., 119 d. 55' E. 
            German submarine sunk: 
             U-850, by aircraft (VC-19), from escort carrier BOGUE 
              (CVE-9), mid-Atlantic area, 
              32 d. 54' N., 37 d. 01' W.
12/21 Tue. Naval aircraft from Attu, Aleutian Islands, bomb Paramushiro-
           Shimushu area, Kurile Islands. 
            United States Coast Guard vessel lost: 
             Coastal transport APc-2, by dive bomber, off New Britain, 
                        06 d. 12' S., 149 d. 03' E.
12/23 Thu.  United States naval vessel sunk: 
             Submarine CORVINA (SS-226), Pacific Ocean are, 
             reported as presumed lost. 
            Japanese naval vessels sunk: 
             Submarine I-39, by destroyer escort GRISWOLD (DE-7), 
              Solomon Islands area, 
              09 d. 23' S., 160 d. 09' E. 
             Gunboat NANYO, by aircraft (location unknown.)
12/24 Fri. Task force of 3 cruisers and four destroyers (Rear Adm. A. S. 
           Merrill) bombard Buka-Bunis area, Solomon Islands. 
            United States Advanced Amphibious Base, Dartmouth, England, 
           is established. 
            United States naval vessel sunk: 
             Destroyer LEARY (DD-158), by submarine torpedo, 
              North Atlantic area, 
              45 d. 00' N., 22 d. 00' W. 
            German submarine sunk: 
             U-645, by destroyer SCHENCK (DD-159), North Atlantic area, 
              45 d. 20' N., 21 d. 40' W.
12/25 Sat. Aircraft from carrier task group (Rear Adm. F. C. Sherman) 
           bomb Kavieng, New Ireland.
12/26 Sun. 1st Marine Division (Maj. Gen. W. H. Rupertus) is landed at 
           Cape Gloucester, New Britain, by Seventh Amphibious Force 
           (Rear Adm. D. E. Barbey) after heavy pre-invasion bombardment 
           and bombing by ship gunfire and aircraft. 
            United States naval vessel sunk: 
             Destroyer BROWNSON (DD-518), by dive bomber, 
              Cape Gloucester, New Britain, 
              05 d. 20' S., 148 d. 25' E. 
            United States naval vessels damaged, Cape Gloucester, 
             New Britain: 
             Destroyers LAMSON (DD-367), SHAW (DD-373), and MUGFORD 
              (DD-389), by dive bombers. 
             LST 66, by horizontal bomber.
12/27 Mon. Two cruisers and four destroyers (Rear Adm. w. L. Ainsworth) 
           bombard Kieta area, Bougainville, Solomon Islands. 
            United States naval vessel damaged: 
             Coastal transport APc-15, by dive bomber, off New Britain, 
              06 d. 12' S., 149 d. 03' E.
12/28 Tue. Amphibious Training Base, Kamaole, Maui, T. H., is 
           established.
12/31 Fri. Naval aircraft from Attu, Aleutian Islands, bomb Paramushiro-
           Shimushu area, Kurile Islands.