12/01 Fri. United States Naval Operating Base, Kwajalein, 
           Marshall Islands, is established.
12/02 Sat. Four destroyers bombard enemy positions at Palompon 
           and northern Ormoc Bay, Leyte, P. I. Another group of 
           three destroyers, (Comdr. J. C. Zahm) enters Ormoc 
           Bay at night and is engaged by Japanese aircraft, 
           destroyers, and shore batteries; action continues 
           during the first 2 hours of 3 December.
           Submarine GUNNEL (SS-253) lands supplies and 
           evacuates Allied aviators from Palawan, P. I.
12/03  Sun  United States naval vessel sunk:
             Destroyer COOPER (DD-695), by torpedo from 
              undetermined source, Ormoc Bay, P. I., 
              10 d. 54'N., 124 d. 36'E.
            United States naval vessels damaged, Ormoc Bay, P. 
             I.:
             Destroyer ALLEN M. SUMNER (DD-691), by horizontal 
              bomber.
              10 d. 54'N., 124 d. 36'E.
             Destroyer MOALE (DD-693), by naval gunfire, 
              10 d. 54'N 124 d. 36'E.
            Japanese naval vessel sunk:
             Destroyer KUWA, by naval gunfire, Ormoc Bay, P. I.,
              10 d. 50'N., 124 d. 35'E.
             Coast defense vessel NO. 64, by submarine PIPEFISH 
              (SS-388), South China Sea, 
              18 d. 36'N., 111 d. 54'E.
12/04 Mon.  United States naval vessel damaged:
             Destroyer DRAYTON (DD-366), by horizontal bomber, 
              Leyte area, P. I., 
              10 d. 00'N., 125 d. 00'E.
            Japanese naval vessels sunk:
             Destroyers KISHINAMI and IWANAMI, by submarine 
              FLASHER (SS-249), South China Sea, 
              13 d. 12'N , 116 d. 37'E.
12/05 Tue. Submarine HAKE (SS-156) lands supplies on Panay, P. 
           I.
           United States Naval Base, Tinian, Marianas Islands, 
           is established.
            United States naval vessels damaged, Leyte area, P. 
             I.:
             Destroyer DRAYTON (DD-366), by suicide plane, 
              10 d. 10'N., 125 d. 20'E.
             Destroyer MUGFORD (DD-389), by suicide plane, 
              10 d. 15'N., 125 d. 20'E.
12/06 Wed.  United States naval vessel damaged:
             Tug ATR-1, by collision, Italian area, 
              41 d. 27'N., 12 d. 40'E.
12/07 Thu. Army troops are landed on the eastern shore of Ormoc 
           Bay,  Leyte, P. I., following bombardment by 
           destroyers and rocket-firing landing craft of naval 
           task group (Rear Adm. A. D. Struble).
            United States naval vessels sunk, Leyte area, P. I.:
             Destroyer MAHAN (DD-364), damaged by suicide plane,
              10 d. 50'N., 124 d.  30'E.; 
              sunk by United States forces.
             High-speed transport WARD (APD-16), damaged by 
              suicide plane, 
              10 d. 51'N. 124 d. 33'E.; 
              sunk by United States forces.
            United States naval vessels damaged, Leyte area, P. 
             I.:
             Destroyer LAMSON (DD-367), by suicide plane, 
              10 d. 28'N., 124 d. 41'E.
             High-speed transport LIDDLE (APD-60), by suicide 
              plane,
              10 d. 57'N., 124 35'E.
             LST 737, by suicide plane, 
              10 d. 09'N., 124 d. 40'E.
            Japanese naval vessels sunk:
             Transport NO. 11, by Army aircraft, Leyte area, P. 
              I.,
              11 d. 23'N., 124 d. 18'E.
12/08 Fri. Cruiser and destroyer task group (Rear Adm. A. E. 
           Smith) bombards air strips and shore batteries on Iwo 
           Jima, Volcano Islands.
12/09 Sat.  United States naval vessel damaged:
             Attack transport CAVALIER (APA-37), by submarine 
              torpedo, Luzon area, P. I., 
              14 d. 48'N., 119 d. 18'E.
12/10 Sun  United States naval vessel lost:
            PT-313, by suicide plane, Leyte area, P. I., 
             10 d. 33'N., 125 d. 14'E.; 
             beached and abandoned.
            United States naval vessel damaged:
             Destroyer HUGHES (DD-410), by suicide plane, Leyte 
              area, P. I., 
              10 d. 15'N., 125 d. 10'E.
12/11 Mon. Submarine GAR (SS-206) lands supplies on west coast 
           of Luzon, P. I.
            United States naval vessels sunk:
             Destroyer REID (DD-369), by suicide plane, Leyte 
              area, P. I., 
              09 d. 50'N., 124 d. 55'E.
             Submarine chaser SG-1059, by grounding, near Bahama
              Islands.
12/12 Tue.  United States naval vessel damaged:
             Destroyer CALDWELL (DD-605), by suicide plane, 
              Leyte area, P. I., 
               10 d. 30'N., 124 d. 42'E.
            Japanese naval vessels sunk:
             Destroyer UZUKI, by surface craft, Leyte area, P. 
              I., 
              11 d. 03'N., 124 d. 23'E.
             Transport No. 159, by Marine and Army aircraft, 
              Leyte area, P. I., 
              11 d. 20'N., 124 d. 10'E.
12/13 Wed.  United States naval vessels damaged, Mindanao-Negros 
             area, P.I.
             Light cruiser NASHVILLE (CL-43), by suicide plane, 
              08 d. 57'N., 123 d. 28'E.
             Destroyer HARADEN (DD-585), by suicide plane, 
              08 d. 40'N, 122 d. 33'E.
            Japanese naval vessels sunk:
             Transports NOs. 11 and 104, by submarine PINTADO 
              (SS-387), South China Sea, 
              20 d. 34'N., 118 d. 45'E.
12/14 Thu. Rank of Fleet Admiral, United States Navy, is 
           established.
            Japanese naval vessels sunk, Philippine Islands 
             area:
             Transport NO. 109, by carrier-based aircraft, 
              17 d. 35'N., 120 20'E.
             Coast defense vessel NO. 28, by submarine BLENNY 
              (SS-324),
              15 d. 46'N., 119 d. 45'E.
12/15 Fri. Army forces are landed on southwest coast of Mindoro, 
           P. I., by naval task group (Rear Adm. A. D. Struble) 
           under cover carrier-based aircraft (Vice Adm. J. S. 
           McCain).
           Command designated Naval Forces Germany (Adm. R.
           Ghormley) is established with headquarters at 
           Rosneath, Scotland.
            United States naval vessels sunk, Mindoro area, P. 
             I.:
             LST 472 and LST 738, damaged by suicide plane, 
              12 d. 19'N., 121 d. 05'E.; 
              sunk by United States forces.
            United States naval vessels damaged, Mindoro area, 
             P. I.:
             Escort carrier MARCUS ISLAND (CVE-77), by suicide 
              planes.
             Destroyers PAUL HAMILTON (DD-590) and HOWORTH (DD-
              592), by suicide planes, 
              12 d. 19'N., 121 d. 02'E.
             PT-123, by suicide plane, 
              12 d. 19'N., 121 d. 05'E.
            Japanese naval vessels sunk, Philippine Islands 
             area:
             Destroyer MOMO, by submarine HAWKBILL (SS-366), 
              16 d. 00'N., 117 d. 39'E.
             Coast defense vessel NO. 54, by carrier-based 
              aircraft,
              19 d. 25'N., 121 d. 25'E.
             Transport  NO. 106, by carrier-based aircraft, 
              15 d. 30'N., 119 d. 50'E.
12/16 Sat. Submarine DACE (SS-247) lays mines off French 
           Indochina.
12/17 Sun.  United States naval vessel damaged:
             PT-84, by suicide plane, Mindoro area, P. I., 
              12 d. 19'N., 121 d. 04'E.
12/18 Mon. Typhoon east of the Philippine Islands heavily 
           damages ships of the Third Fleet.
            United States naval vessels sunk:
             Destroyers HULL (DD-350), MONAGHAN (DD-354), and
             SPENCE (DD-512), by typhoon, east of Philippine 
             Islands.
             PT-300, by suicide plane, Mindoro area, P. I., 
              12 d. 19'N., 121 d. 05'E.
            United States naval vessels damaged by typhoon, east 
             of Philippine Islands:
             Light carriers COWPENS (CVL-25), MONTEREY (CVL-26), 
              CABOT (CVL-28), and SAN JACINTO (CVL-30); escort 
              carrier ALTAMAHA (CVE-18), NEHENTA BAY (CVE-74), 
              CAPE ESPERANCE (CVE-88), and KWAJAlEIN (CVE-98); 
              light cruiser MIAMI (CL-89); destroyers DEWEY (DD-
              349), AYLWIN (DD-355), BUCHANAN (DD-484), DYSON 
              (DD-572), HICKOX (DD-673, MADDOX (DD-731), and 
              BENHAM (DD-796); destroyer escorts MELVIN R. 
              NAWMAN (DE-416), TABBERER (DE-418), and WATERMAN 
              (DE-740); oiler NANTAHALA (AO-60); fleet tug 
              JICARILLA (ATF-104).
12/19 Tue.  Japanese naval vessel sunk:
             Carrier UNRYU, by submarine REDFISH (SS-395), East 
              China Sea, 
              28 d. 59'N., 124 d. 03'E.
12/20 Wed. Organized enemy resistance ends on Leyte, P. I.
             United States naval vessel sunk:
              LST 359, by submarine torpedo, eastern Atlantic 
               area, 
               42 d. 04'N., 19 d. 08'W.
            United States naval vessel damaged:
             Destroyer escort FOGG (DE-57), by submarine 
              torpedo, eastern Atlantic area, 
              43 d. 02'N., 19 d. 19'W.
12/21 Thu.  United States naval vessels sunk:
             Submarines ALBACORE (SS-218) and SCAMP (SS-277), 
              Pacific Ocean area, reported as presumed lost.
             LST 460 and LST 749, by suicide planes, Mindoro 
              area, P. I.
              11 d. 13'N., 121 d. 04'E.
            United States naval vessel damaged:
             Destroyer FOOTE (DD-511), by suicide plane, Mindoro 
              area, P. I., 
              11 d. 05'N., 121 d. 20'E,
12/22 Fri.  United States naval vessel sunk:
             LST 563, by grounding, Clipperton Island.
            United States naval vessel damaged:
             Destroyer BRYANT (DD-665), by suicide plane, 
              Mindoro area, P. I., 
              12 d. 00'N., 121 d. 00'E.
            Japanese naval vessel sunk:
             Torpedo boat CHIDORI, by submarine TILEFISH (SS-
              307), off Honshu, Japan, 
              34 d. 33  N., 138 d. 02'E.
12/24 Sun. Cruiser and destroyer task group (Rear Adm. A. E. 
           Smith) bombards air strips and other enemy 
           installations on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands.
            Japanese naval vessels sunk, Iwo Jima, Volcano 
             Islands:
             Transport NO. 8, by naval gunfire, 
              25 d. 10'N., 141 d. 00'E.
             Transport No. 157, by naval gunfire, 
              24 d. 47'N., 141 d. 20'E.
12/25 Mon. Naval Air Station, Samar, P. I., is established.
12/26 Tue. Japanese naval vessels bombard United States 
           positions on the coast of Mindoro, P. I.
            Japanese naval vessels sunk:
             Destroyer KIYOSHIMO, by naval vessels and Army 
              aircraft, Philippine Islands area, 
              12 d. 20'N., 121 d. 00'E.
12/27 Wed. Cruiser and destroyer task group (Rear Adm. A. E. 
           Smith) bombards enemy installations on Iwo Jima, 
           Volcano Islands.
           Japanese aircraft bomb shore positions and auxiliary 
           shipping at Mindoro, P. I.; attacks are repeated on 
           28, 29, and 31 December.
            Japanese naval vessels sunk:
             Transports NOs. 7 and 132, by naval gunfire, Iwo 
              Jima
              24 d. 47'N., 141 d. 20'E.
12/28 Thu.  United States naval vessel sunk:
             LST 750, damaged by aircraft torpedo, off Negros, 
              P. I.
              09 d. 01'N., 111 d. 30'E.; 
              sunk by United States forces.
12/29 Sat.  United Stato naval vessel sunk:
             Auxiliary PORCUPINE (IX-126), damaged by suicide 
             plane, Mindoro area, P. I., 
             12 d. 2I'N., 121 d. O2'E.; 
             sunk by United States forces.
            United States naval vessels damaged by suicide 
             planes, Mindoro area, P. I.:
             Destroyer PRINGLE (DD-477), 
              12 d. 18'N., 121 d. 01'E.
             Destroyer GANSEVOORT (DD-608), 
              12 d. 21'N., 121 d. O2'E.
             PT-boat tender ORESTES (AGP-10), 
              12 d. 19'N., 121 d. 04'E.