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.