DECEMBER 1942
  • Dec 1 . LtGen Eichelberger ordered to Papau, New Guinea, to take Buna.
    Dec 1 . Gasoline rationing goes into effect intended to conserve rubber in tires.
  • Dec 2 . Air Transport Command begins flying "the Hump" (Himalayas) to China.
    Dec 2 . Manhattan Project: Below the bleachers of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago, a team led by Enrico Fermi initiates the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction (a coded message, "The Italian navigator has landed in the new world" is then sent to Pres. Roosevelt).
    Dec 3 . First attack by American bombers on Mainland Italy at Naples.
  • Dec 4 . Carlson’s patrol during the Guadalcanal Campaign ends with 400 Japanese killed and 17 "Raiders".
    Dec 4 . WPA dissolved.
  • Dec 5 . U.S. Navy publicly revealed the extent of losses suffered in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
  • Dec 6 . Capture of Gona, New Guinea, by Australians.
  • Dec 7 . One year since Pearl Harbor.
  • Dec 8 . Allied invasion of north Burma called off for lack of supplies ; British and Chinese withdraw.
  • Dec 9 . Marines (Vandergrift) hand over command of Guadalcanal to Army (Patch).
  • Dec 10. The battle for Guadalcanal has two months to go.
    Dec 11. San Francisco (CA-38) arrives Mare Island for repairs from Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.
  • Dec 12. Army "Flying Fortresses" bombed the Japanese airfields at Munda on New Georgia and Faisi Harbor in Shortland Islands.
  • Dec 13. Buna, New Guinea, falls to Americans.
  • Dec 14. It takes another month to end resistance in Papua campaign and it is August 1944 before all of New Guinea is secured.
  • Dec 15. The Battle of Mount Austen on Guadalcanal begins.
  • Dec 16. Japanese destroyer Tenryu sunk off New Guinea by American submarine Albacore( (SS-218).
  • Dec 17. Marine conquest of Mt. Austen, Guadalcanal.
  • Dec 18. Army "Flying Fortresses" bomb the Japanese shipping at Faisi Harbor in Shortland Islands.
  • Dec 19. San Juan (CLaa-54) based at Noumea operates in the Coral Sea.
  • Dec 20. First bombing of Calcutta by the Japanese.
  • Dec 21. British troops cross from India back into Burma
  • Dec 22. 26 B-24's flown 4,300 miles to attack Wake Island.
  • Dec 23. German submarines U-308, U-535 and U-954 commissioned.
    Dec 23. United States and Mexico sign a three-year reciprocal trade agreement.
  • Dec 24. French Admiral of the Fleet Darlan assassinated.
    Dec 25. Surviving remnants of the Japanese garrison of Buna received orders to evacuate the base.
  • Dec 26. Japanese transports at Wickham Anchorage, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, are attacked by naval aircraft.
  • Dec 27. Mt. Asten on Guadalcanal retaken by Japanese. It takes another two months to end resistance on Guadalcanal.
  • Dec 28. Submarine Searaven (SS-196) land agents on south coast of Ceram Island, Netherlands East Indies.
  • Dec 29. Minesweeper Wasnyth (DMS-15) sunk by her own depth charges in gale in Aleutians.
  • Dec 30. First concert of teen idle Frank Sinatra before 5,000 screaming bobby soxers.
  • Dec 31. Japanese high command decides to withdraw from Guadalcanal.
    After the war, most Japanese leaders said they knew the war was lost with the failure to retake Guadalcanal.
    American leaders agree.

    Warship losses in the First Year of the Pacific War.
      U.S.  Allies Japanese
      Battleships 2 1 RN   2
      Battle Cruisers - 1 RN   -
      Fleet Carriers 4 1 RN   4
      Light Carriers - -   2
      Heavy Cruisers  53 RN , 1 Aus   4
      Light Cruisers 2 2 Dutch, 1 Aus   2
      Destroyers 23 5 RN, 2 Dutch, 2 RAN  23
      Submarines 7 8 Dutch 21
      Troopships
      BattleshipBB
      U.S. Arizona , Oklahoma .  Nevada, California, West Virginia still undergoing repairs from Pearl Harbor attack.
      Allies Prince of Wales , Repulse .
      Japan Hiei , Kirishima .
      CarriersFleet, CV
      U.S. Lexington , Yorktown , Wasp , Hornet .
      Allies RN : Hermes .
      Japan Kaga , Akagi , Hiryu , Soryu .
      CarriersLight, CVL
      U.S. n/a
      Japan Shoho , Ryujo .
      CruisersHeavy, CA
      U.S. Houston , Astoria , Quincy , Vincennes , Northampton .
      Allies RN : Exeter , Dorsetshire , Cornwall ;   RAN : Canberra
      Japan Mikuma , Kako , Furutaka , Kinugasa .
      CruisersLight, CL
      U.S. Atlanta , Juneau .
      Allies Dutch : De Ruyter , Java ;   RAN : Perth .
      Japan Yura , Tenryu .
      DestroyersDD
      U.S.
             		 Cassin, Downs ; Barton , Benham , Blue , Cushing , Duncan , Edsall , Hammann , Jarvis , Laffey , Meredith , Monssen , O'Brian , Peary , Pillsbury , Pope , Porter , Preston , Sims , Stewart , Tucker , Walke .
      Allies

      		Dutch : Van Ghent , Eversten , Kortenaer , Piet Hein , Van Nes , Banckert , De Ruyter , Witte De With .
      RN :  Electra , Jupiter , Encounter , Stronghold , Nestor ;   RAN : Vampire , Voyager .
      Japan
             		Hayate , Kisaragi , Shinonome , Sagiri , Sukukaze , Natsushio , Kikuzuki , Yamakaze , Nenohi , Arare , Mutsuki , Asagiri , Yayoi , Fabuki , Natsugumo , Murakumo , Oboro , Akatsuki , Yadachi , Ayanami , Hayashio , Takanami , Terutsuki .
      SubmarinesSS
      U.S. S-27 , S-36 , S-39 , Sealion , Perch , Shark , Grunion.
      AlliesDutch : K-VII , K-X , K-XII , K-VI , K-XVII , O-16 , K-XVII , O-20 .
      JapanI-70 , RO-66 , RO-60 , I-60 , I-124 , I-73 , I-23 , RO-30 , I-28 , I-164 , I-123 , RO-33 , RO-35 , RO-61 , RO-65 , I-30 , I-172 , I-22 , I-3 , I-15 , I-4 .

    From a naval perspective, both sides retire to rebuild after disastrous loses - there are no major fleet engagements for 18 months. The US builds more and overwhelms the Japanese Navy in fleet actions in June and October of 1944.

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