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.