01/01 Sat. Aircraft from carrier task group (Rear Adm. F. C.
Sherman) bomb Japanese convoy escorted by cruisers
and destroyers off Kavieng, New Ireland.
Naval Air Facility, Honolulu, Oahu, T. H., is
established.
United States naval vessels damaged:
Destroyers SMITH (DD-378) and HUTCHINGS (DD-476),
by collision, eastern New Guinea area,
05 d. 00' S., 146 d. 00' E.
LST 446, by accidental explosion, Solomon Islands
area,
06 d. 15' S., 155 d. 02' E.
01/02 Sun. Army troops land at Saidor, New Guinea, under cover
of cruisers and destroyers (Rear Adm. D. E. Barbey).
01/03 Mon. Submarine BLUEFISH (SS-222) lays mines off eastern
Malayan coast.
United States naval vessel sunk:
Destroyer TURNER (DD-648), by explosion, Ambrose
Channel, New York Harbor.
01/04 Tue. Aircraft from carrier task group (Rear Adm. F. C.
Sherman) bomb enemy shipping at Kavieng, New Ireland.
Submarine RASHER (SS-269) lays mines off Cochin
China.
United States naval vessel sunk:
PT-145, damaged by grounding, eastern New Guinea
area,
05 d. 34' S., 146 d. 10' E.;
sunk by United States forces.
01/06 Thu. United States naval vessels sunk:
Gunboat ST. AUGUSTINE (PG-54), by collision, off
North Carolina,
38 d. 01' N., 74 d. 05' W.
01/08 Sat. Cruiser and destroyer task force (Rear Adm. W. L.
Ainsworth) bombards enemy shore installations on
Faisi, Poporang, and Shortland Islands in the Solomon
Islands Group.
01/09 Sun. German submarine sunk:
U-81, by Army aircraft, Pola, Italy.
01/10 Mon. United States naval vessel sunk:
Motor minesweeper YMS-127, by grounding, Aleutian
Islands area.
01/11 Tue. Naval land-based aircraft (Rear Adm. J. H. Hoover)
from Gilbert and Ellice Islands bomb Japanese
shipping and installations at Kwajalein, Marshall
Islands.
01/12 Wed. United States Naval Air Station, Port Lyautey, French
Morocco, is established.
01/14 Fri. United States naval vessel sunk:
Fuel oil barge (self-propelled) YO-159, damaged by
submarine torpedo, South Pacific area,
15 d. 27' S., 171 d. 28' E.;
sunk by United States forces.
Japanese naval vessel sunk:
Destroyer SAZANAMI, by submarine ALBACORE (SS-218),
Central Pacific area,
05 d. 15' N., 141 d. 15' E.
01/15 Sat. Submarine CREVALLE (SS-291) lays mines east of
Saigon, French Indochina.
01/16 Sun. German submarine sunk:
U-544, by aircraft (VC-13) from escort carrier
GUADALCANAL (CVE-60), mid-Atlantic area,
40 d. 30' N., 37 d. 20' W.
01/19 Wed. Naval land-based aircraft from Attu, Aleutian
Islands, bomb Paramushiro-Shimushu area, Kurile
Islands; similar attacks are made on three succeeding
nights.
01/20 Thu. Submarine TINOSA (SS-283) lands personnel and
equipment in northeast Borneo.
United States naval vessel sunk:
LST 228, by grounding, Azores area,
38 d. 39' N., 27 d. 12' W.
01/22 Sat. Combined United States-British Army force under the
command of Maj. Gen. J. P. Lucas, USA, lands at
Anzio-Nettuno area, Italy; the naval commander is
Rear Adm. F. J. Lowry, USN. Naval gunfire continues
to support the troops ashore during the 3-months
struggle for the beachhead.
United States naval vessel sunk:
Minesweeper PORTENT (AM-106), by mine, Anzio,
Italy,
41 d. 24' N., 12 d. 44' E.
United States naval vessel damaged:
Oiler CACHE (AO-67), by submarine torpedo, South
Pacific area,
12 d. 08' S., 164 d. 33' E.
Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Submarine RO-37, by destroyer BUCHANAN (DD-484),
South Pacific area,
11 d. 47' S., 164 d. 17' E.
Auxiliary submarine chaser No. 40, by Army aircraft,
off Admiralty Islands,
01 d. 50' s., 147 d. 20' E.
01/24 Mon. United States naval vessels damaged, Anzio, Italy,
area:
Destroyer PLUNKETT (DD-431), by dive bomber,
41 d. 15' N., 12 d. 37' E.
Destroyer MAYO (DD-422), by external explosion,
41 d. 24' N., 12 d. 43' E.
Minesweeper PREVAIL (AM-107), by horizontal bomber,
41 d. 00; N., 12 d. 00' E.
01/25 Tue. United States naval vessel sunk:
Motor minesweeper YMS-30, by mine, Anzio, Italy,
41 d. 23' N., 12 d. 45' E.
01/26 Wed. Cruiser and destroyer task group (Rear Adm. R. S.
Berkey) bombards enemy installations in Madang-
Alexischafen area of New Guinea.
United States naval vessel sunk:
PT-110, by collision, off New Britain,
06 d. 17' S., 150 d. 09' E.
United States naval vessel damaged:
PT-114, by collision, off New Britain,
06 d. 17' S., 150 d. 09' E.
Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Destroyer SUZUKAZE, by submarine SKIPJACK (SS-184),
Caroline Islands area,
08 d. 51' N., 157 d. 10' E.
Submarine chaser No. 14, by naval land-based
aircraft, Central Pacific area,
11 d. 10' N., 163 d. 25' E.
01/28 Fri. German submarine sunk:
U-271, by naval land-based aircraft (VB-103), North
Atlantic area,
53 d. 15' N., 15 d. 52' W.
01/29 Sat. Aircraft from fast carrier force (Read Adm. M. A.
Mitscher) begin series of strikes to destroy Japanese
air power and shipping in the Marshall Islands.
Attacks continue daily until 6 February 1944.
Submarine BOWFIN (SS-287) lays mines off southeastern
coast of Borneo.
United States naval vessel damaged:
Ocean tug ATR-1, by horizontal bomber, Anzio,
Italy,
41 d. 27' N., 12 d. 40' E.
01/30 Sun. Naval land-based aircraft from Midway Island bomb
Wake Island.
United States naval vessel damaged:
Destroyer ANDERSON (DD-411), by coastal defense
gun, Marshall Islands area,
09 d. 33' N., 170 d. 18' E.
Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Submarine chasers Nos. 18, 19, 21, and 28,
auxiliary submarine chaser No. 25, by carrier-based
aircraft and surface vessel, Marshall Islands area.
01/31 Mon. Marines and Army troops (Maj. Gen. H. M. Smith, USMC)
land on Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls in the Marshall
Islands. The operation is under the overall command
of Commander Central Pacific Force (Vice Adm. R. A.
Spruance) and is composed of Southern Attack Force
(Rear Adm. R. K. Turner), Northern Attack Force (Rear
Adm. R. L. Conolly), and Reserve Force and Majuro
Attack Group (Rear Adm. H. W. Hill). Landings are
supported by carrier-based aircraft (Rear Adm. M. A.
Mitscher) and land-based aircraft (Rear Adm. J. H.
Hoover).
Aircraft from fast carrier group (Read Adm. F. C.
Sherman) bomb aircraft and airfield facilities at
Engebi Island, Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshall
Islands. Attacks by this carrier group continue on
the first three days of February and afterward by
Rear Adm. S. P. Ginder's carrier group through 7
February.
Carrier FRANKLIN (CV-13) is commissioned at Newport
News, Va.
United States naval vessels damaged:
Heavy cruiser LOUISVILLE (CA-28), by naval gunfire,
Marshall Islands invasion,
09 d. 00' N., 167 d. 00' E.
Destroyer COLAHAN (DD-658), by grounding, Marshall
Islands invasion,
08 d. 52' N., 167 d. 38' E.
Cargo ship ENCELADUS (AK-80), by storm, Solomon
Islands area,
08 d. 09' S., 157, 38' E.
Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Submarine I-171, by destroyers GUEST (DD-472), and
HUDSON (DD-475), Bismarck Archipelago area,
05 d. 37' S., 154 d. 14' E.
Minelayer NASAMI, by submarine TRIGGER (SS-237),
Central Pacific area,
09 d. 50' N., 147 d. 06' E.
Auxiliary submarine chaser No. 33, by aircraft,
Central Pacific area.