Japanese force Manila Bay on Christmas Eve! MacArthur orders full withdrawal to Bataan redoubt!

ACTION SUMMARY: The Japanese Navy forced Manila during the night as American and Phillipino soldiers were celebrating Christmas Eve. A strong force of thirteen destroyers led by the light cruiser Sendai blasted through the Corregidor forts strung across Manila Bay. Six of their destroyers struck mines or were shelled by coastal batteries. One of them was sunk by the 8 inch batteries of Fort Drum, the famous "Concrete Battleship," before the forts were bypassed and the Japanese fleet rampaged the bay, sinking the oiler Trinity and transport Ethel Edwards.



Five American PT boats rushed to attack the invaders, slamming torpedoes into the Shirayuki and sinking her with heavy losses. After losing two boats, the American boats broke off.



As dawn broke, the Sendai force pounced two more AK's and the destroyer Pillsbury, which did not stand a chance against the overwhelming firepower. While conflicting reports flew from around Luzon of new enemy landings, MacArthur and Admiral Hart could plainly see from the Government House in Manila the Japanese fleet shelling the wharfs and anchored ships in every direction.



A lull in the afternoon saw the Japanese fleet split off her damaged units, four destroyers forced their way out of the bay only to have the Fubuki sunk by the Corregidor forts. The submarines Sculpin and Snapper took the opportunity to attempt torpedo runs on the Sendai Force, only to be depth charged and destroyed. The remaining PT boats of the Asiatic Fleet made one final and desperate attack on the enemy squadron at dusk. The IJN destroyer Shinome was torpedoed and sunk before two more PT boats were destroyed.



By evening, Manila Bay was ablaze with burning hulks, and the Sendai Force began to shell the Bataan Peninsula. MacArthur, realizing that no more supplies could hope to reach the depots at Bataan ordered a full withdrawal of all Phillipino and American forces to the Bataan Redoubt. Nearly 40,000 men from four divisions and numerous regiments began to pull back by evening just as Japanese forces moved in capture undefended Tuguegarao and Lamon Bay from the sea. The only highpoint of the day in the Phillipines was a successful B-17 raid on the Jolo airfield, destroying several Zeroes on the ground. Daily raids against the insurgent airfield in the southern islands appears to have neutralized the installation for the time being. Aside from that, the final battle of the Phillipines is at hand.



Elsewhere, General Chiang Kai-Shek cancelled his northern offensive in China as intelligence reported that Japanese forces were on the move there. Instead, Chinese forces in Wuchow were ordered to prepare for a counter-offensive the next day where the Japanese appeared half-hearted in their effort to advance on the Cantonese city. In addition, the Chinese 23rd and 27th Group Armys in Hunan Province were ordered on the march towards Hanoi in an invasion of Japanese-held Indochina. It is hoped that these southern offensives will draw off pressure from the hard-pressed Chinese army just west of Changsha.



Other action today included the daily bomber sorties from Singapore. Three seperate raids managed to hit two transports off Khota Bharu.

No war room today.