Japanese land near Ambon and New Britain! Rangoon nearing capitulation!

ACTION SUMMARY: The Japanese landed light garrison forces at Biak off New Guinea and Bulla at the southern part of Ambon Island. They have also landed at Emirau Island just north of New Britain. Only a battalion of infantry is holding Ambon, just forty miles from where the Japanese have landed. A light carrier group continues to hover off Ambon where Hudson bombers have failed to hit the light carrier Zuiho.



Off Rabaul, the Kido Butai launched a massive airstrike again today against the colonial capital of New Britain destroying several aircraft on the ground. This was in support of their landings at Emirau Island just north of Rabaul. With the Rabaul airfields in smoking ruins, the Kido Butai slipped off into open sea where contact was lost. It was last seen headed east for the Marshalls. The United States South Pacific Command has been placed on high alert. It is possible the KB could now be headed towards the Congo Theatre to neutralize U.S. installations there where it is known that U.S. surface forces have been operating.



On the heels of these alarming reports, the U.S. Pacific Command has ordered up to steam the U.S.S. Lexington to sail for a position east of Canton Island. The several cruisers and destroyers (plus the BB Colorado) are ordered to sail south for Pago Pago. B-17's and Catalina forces at Canton are ordered on dense recon flights, and transports bound for Canton have been ordered to give wide berth to the islands. The Kido Butai is like a hurricane sweeping across the Pacific.

The Pacific Fleet also underwent a major command change as Admiral Nimitz was placed in command of the Central Pacific Fleet Command, relieving Admiral Kimmel for staff duties. Rear Admiral Sherman relieved Admiral Brown as commander of Lexington's TF 1005, and Admiral Spruance was hand-picked to command TF 1147 as it sailed from Pearl Harbor with two cruisers and multiple cruisers and destroyers as it departed for Palmyra Atoll in anticipation of the Congo Theatre further heating up with the arrival of major Japanese surface units. Admiral Freeman also replaced Admiral Ghormley as South Pacific Fleet commander.



Meanwhile, off the West Coast, a Congo convoy was attacked by a Japanese sub, which managed to torpedo the SS Luckenbach, laden with 20 Wildcat fighters. The sub was lying just beyond my ASW flight patrols and destroyer net. The Luckenbach is limping back to Los Angeles where destroyers are speeding west to intercept any further sub contacts. My poverty of destroyers along the West Coast is being acutely felt as a Japanese sub may have destroyed a whole fighter squadron!



Operation Ivy moves forward with a regimental combat team and engineer's batallion headed for the remote Aleutian Island of Kiska where they will set up a sub anchorage and small airfield. Expansion of the airfield could allow it to support aircraft with the range to strike Japan's northern Kurile bases.

In Burma today, the Japanese Imperial Guards Division broke through the thin defenses thrown up by the 2nd Burma Rifles Brigade. The city is expected to fall tomorrow. There were also airstrikes against the trapped Phillipino forces in the central highlands of Luzon.

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