Today in the History of the Pacific Theater

Nov 19, 1943
-Submarine chaser SC-1067 founders and sinks off Attu, Aleutians.
-Motor torpedo boat PT-147, damaged by grounding, eastern New Guinea, is scuttled by crew.
-Submarine Harder (SS-257) attacks Japanese convoy escorted by escort vessel Fukue and destroyer Yuzuki, sinking transports Hokko Maru and Udo Maru.
-Submarine Nautilus (SS-168) is damaged by friendly fire from light cruiser Santa Fe (CL-60) and destroyer Ringgold (DD-500) off Tarawa, Gilberts. Nautilus remains on patrol until she accomplishes her mission of supporting the landings.
-Submarine Sculpin (SS-191), heavily damaged by Japanese destroyer Yamagumo about 154 miles north of Truk, Carolines is scuttled. Captain John P. Cromwell, the embarked submarine squadron commander in Sculpin, familiar with secret details of upcoming operations, decides to go down with the ship rather than risk capture and inevitable interrogation. For his decision to accept certain death, Cromwell is awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.

Nov 19, 1944
-TF 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) aircraft attack Japanese shipping off Luzon, in addition to airfields on that island. Navy carrier-based planes attack convoy ten miles off San Fernando, sinking merchant cargo ship Esashi Maru and damaging escorting submarine chasers Ch 19 and Ch 26.
-Elements of TG 78.14 (Captain Lord Ashbourne, RN) land Army troops (31st Division) on Asia Island, 100 nautical miles west of Sansapor.
-Destroyer escorts Conklin (DE-439) and McCoy Reynolds (DE-440) sink Japanese submarine I-37, 100 miles west of Palaus. I-37 is on a kaiten mission at the time, bound for the Palaus, when she is reported missing on 20 November.
-Submarine Hake (SS-256) torpedoes Japanese light cruiser Isuzu west of Corregidor.
-British submarine HMS Stratagem sinks Japanese merchant tanker Nichinan Maru in Malacca Strait.
-U.S. freighter Alcoa Pioneer is crashed by kamikaze, San Pedro Bay, Leyte, killing 6 of the 28-man Armed Guard. Thirteen other men from among the 46-man merchant complement and two passengers are injured; patrol escort vessel PCE-851 provides medical assistance. Nearby, a second kamikaze crashes Norwegian motor vessel General Fleischer, while a third crashes U.S. freighter Cape Romano; there are, however, no casualties among Cape Romano's 47-man merchant complement, her two passengers, or the 26-man Armed Guard.
-Navy aircraft sink motor sailship No.8 Kyoun Maru off Mindoro.
-Aircraft sink Japanese submarine chaser Ch 36 and merchant tanker Seian Maru off Subic Bay.
-USAAF B-24s damage Japanese transport Natsukawa Maru off Brunei Bay, Borneo; Natsukawa Maru, however, does not return to service, a total loss.

 

Nov 20, 1941
-Ambassador Nomura presents Japan's "final proposal" to keep peace in the Pacific.

Nov 20, 1942
-Japanese submarine I-175 is damaged when she runs aground at Truk, Carolines.
-In the Indian Ocean, the U.S. freighter Pierce Butler is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-177 off the coast of South Africa. All hands (41-man merchant complement and 21-man Armed Guard) abandon ship in four lifeboats (see 21 November).
-British hospital ship Atlantis rescues the last 13 survivors from U.S. freighter Excello, sunk by German submarine U-181 on 13 November.

Nov 20, 1943
-U.S. Naval Base, Cairns, Australia, is established.
-Navy, Marine, and Army forces land on Tarawa and Makin, Gilberts, in Operation GALVANIC. The operation is under overall command of Commander Central Pacific Force (Vice Admiral Raymond A. Spruance). Marines (5th Amphibious Corps) landing on Tarawa encounter bitter resistance. During operations supporting GALVANIC, four ships are damaged: battleship Mississippi (BB-41) by turret explosion; small carrier Independence (CVL 22) by aircraft torpedo; destroyer Ringgold (DD-500) by Tarawa shore battery, and destroyer Dashiell (DD-659) by grounding.
-Submarine Harder (SS-257) continues stalking convoy attacked the previous day and sinks Japanese transport Nikko Maru northeast of the Marianas.
-PBYs sink Japanese cargo vessel Naples Maru; submarine chasers Ch 17 and Ch 18 rescue survivors.

Nov 20, 1944
-Oiler Mississinewa (AO-59) is sunk by kaiten (fired by Japanese submarine I-47 or I-36) Ulithi. Since both submarines expended five kaitens between them (four from I 47 and one from I 36) and none of the kaiten crews survived, no possibility exists of confirming which submarine should be credited with sinking Mississinewa.
-Japanese planes attack three U.S. tankers proceeding from Ulithi to Eniwetok, near-misses and strafing account for damage to tanker Fort Dearborn. There are, however, only four men wounded among the ship's 50-man merchant complement, 27-man Armed Guard and five passengers.
-Submarine Atule (SS-403) sinks Japanese minesweeper W.38 southwest of Formosa.
-Submarine Gar (SS-206) lands supplies on north coast of Mindoro.
-British submarine HMS Tally Ho sinks Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Ma 4 30 miles east of the southern tip of Great Nicobar Island.
-USAAF B-25 (14th Air Force) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Daichi Maru in Yangtze River northeast of Shanghai, China.
-USAAF B-25s sink Japanese ship No.79 Nany_ Maru off Timor.

 

Nov 21, 1941
-Destroyer Shaw (DD-373) and oiler Sabine (AO-25) are damaged in collision in Hawaiian Operating Area.

Nov 21, 1942
-Submarine Stingray (SS-186) torpedoes Japanese seaplane carrier San'yo Maru off Shortland Island.
-In the Indian Ocean, the survivors from U.S. freighter Pierce Butler, sunk by German submarine U-177 off the coast of South Africa the previous day, are rescued by British destroyer HMS Forward and transported to Durban, South Africa.
-Also in the Indian Ocean, the U.S. freighter Alcoa Pathfinder is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-181 approximately six miles off the coast of Portuguese East Africa; five merchant seamen are lost. Survivors row ashore.

Nov 21, 1943
-Betio, Tarawa Atoll, and Makin are declared secured.
-Cruiser and destroyer force (Rear Admiral Aaron S. Merrill) bombards Buka-Bonis area, Bougainville, Solomons.
-Motor torpedo boat PT-322, damaged by grounding, eastern New Guinea is scuttled by U.S. forces.
-Submarine Blackfish (SS-221) sinks Japanese transport Yamato Maru between New Guinea and Palau.
-Submarine Capelin (SS-289) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Kizan Maru.
-Submarine Gudgeon (SS-212) attacks Takao-bound Japanese convoy, sinking Japanese escort vessel Wakamiya and army transport Nekka Maru, East China Sea and damaging fleet tankers Ichiyo Maru and Goyo Maru.

Nov 21, 1944
-Aircraft from carrier group (Rear Admiral Ralph E. Davison) bomb Japanese air facilities on Yap, Carolines.
-Japanese planes raid U.S. air facility at Morotai, destroying 15 bombers and damaging 31.
-Submarine Besugo (SS-321) sinks Japanese landing ship T.151 off northern tip of Palawan.
-Submarine Guavina (SS-362) sinks Japanese army cargoship D_wa Maru near Tizard's Bank, northwest of Borneo.
-Submarine Scabbardfish (SS-397) damages Japanese escort vessel Oki.
-Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 82 is sunk by aircraft off Balabac Island, P.I.;
-USAAF planes damage cargo ship Enoshima Maru at Makassar.

 

Before tonights posting, I would like to thank everyone here for their input and kind words regarding these posts of the last year. Thank you all for your patience the past year. With that said, tonight marks the final post I have for this thread as we have now covered every day of the Pacific and Indian Ocean theaters during World War II (including a few dates that do not fall in the traditional timeframe of these theaters).

Nov 22, 1942
-USAAF planes (14th Air Force) on shipping strike sink Vichy French ship Khai Dinh east of Haiphong harbor, French Indochina.
-In the Indian Ocean, survivors from U.S. freighter Alcoa Pathfinder, sunk the previous day by German submarine U-181, row ashore, reaching land about 12 miles north of Oro Point, whence they walk to lighthouse and to airfield. Entire 15-man Armed Guard unit survives, as do 55 of the 61-man crew and the solitary passenger.

Nov 22, 1943
-President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Churchill, and Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek meet in Cairo, Egypt, for talks (SEXTANT Conference).
-Destroyer Frazier (DD-607) is damaged when she intentionally rams Japanese submarine I-35; the enemy submersible is sunk by Frazier and destroyer Meade (DD-602) off Tarawa.
-Submarine Drum (SS-228) is damaged by depth charges north of New Guinea and is forced to terminate her patrol.
-Submarine Seahorse (SS-304) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Taish Maru.
-Submarine Tinosa (SS-283) sinks Japanese army cargo ships Kiso Maru and Yamato Maru off Palau; although damaged by depth charges she remains on patrol.
-USAAF B-24 sinks Japanese cargo ship Kinyamasan Maru that had escaped damage the previous day; destroyer Asanagi continues on to Truk with survivors of Nichii Maru and Kinyamasan Maru.
-Japanese army repair ship Kashima Maru is sunk by mine, laid by USAAF B-24 on 16 November 1943 off Macao.

Nov 22, 1944
-Aircraft from carrier group (Rear Admiral Ralph E. Davison) bomb Japanese air facilities on Yap, Carolines.
-Japanese planes raid U.S. air facility at Morotai, destroying 15 bombers and damaging 31.
-Submarine Besugo (SS-321) sinks Japanese landing ship T.151 off northern tip of Palawan.
-Submarine Guavina (SS-362) sinks Japanese army cargoship D_wa Maru near Tizard's Bank, northwest of Borneo.
-Submarine Scabbardfish (SS-397) damages Japanese escort vessel Oki.
-Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 82 is sunk by aircraft off Balabac Island, P.I.
-USAAF planes damage cargo ship Enoshima Maru at Makassar.

 

Thanks Bill! It was a real pleasure to read all of your posts over the past several months! I used to wait until Friday night, after work to read them and it was a weekly treat that I always looked forward to! Thanks again!

 

Thank you for the information Bill, I have learned alot of new stuff!

 

Thanks Bill and congratulations on completing a monumental task that you set out upon. That is quite a body of work you have transposed from your sources to our forum. Thanks for all the hard work.

 

Thanks a lot, Bill!

It's a heck of a work! I will be sure to print what I had missed the last time, when I had my PTO lecture.

Hope we can still discuss what-ifs and things about the amazing conflict in the Pacific.

 

Again, thank you for you for the kind words and support. I will certainly be around and look forward to any discussions regarding the Pacific Theater. I am putting together a few sources for a similar thread regarding the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea that I hope to begin on January 1. This is an area that I know little about (I hope to use it as a stepping stone to learning more) and will once again prodominently deal with the naval and naval air aspect of the war.

 

If you come across the information, I would like to see stuff on sinkings along the Gulf coast and Atlantic seaboard included too.

 

TA, I intend to put in infomation regarding the Atlantic seaboard. Forgot about the Gulf of Mexico though and will add that to my list, thanks.