Japanese carriers strike Wake Island on Christmas Day! Japanese attack from Manchuria!

ACTION SUMMARY: Japanese carrier forces, which have been strangely absent from the Japanese spearheads of conquest since their Dec. 7 attack on PH, made there appearance today in unknown strength off Wake Island. Twelve Marine Corps Wildcat fighters scrambled from the airfield to attack a flight of 17 unescorted Kate bombers. Eight were shot down, and only one managed to hit the airfield with her bombload.



Shortly thereafter, Catalina seaplanes flying from Midway spotted an enemy fleet 150 miles west of Wake Island. Two CA's (heavy cruisers), one CL (light cruiser) and 2 DD's were spotted... though there must be a carrier out there somewhere. This group has been designated FORCE-E. Though there is initial reason to believe it was merely a raid similiar to the Enterprise's Congo raid three days ago, Catalinas flying from beleagured Manila spotted a strong force of 7 CA's and 1 DD just off NE Luzon heading east. Though these reports are highly inaccurate as to the composition of the group, it is no doubt a strong force. Designated FORCE-W, this fleet can be headed nowhere but towards the Central Pacific... straight into the Bolo Defensive Zone.

Luckily, Operation Bolo succeeded in transferring one brigade of the 25th Infantry to Wake Island along with supplies. Still, fuel and aviation support personnel are lacking on the island, which could be the centerpoint of a new Japanese offensive. If it is in fact the centerpoint of a new offensive, the Japanese General Staff is ordering his forces westward in piecemeal, because Force W is at least six days west of Wake Island.

Still, immediate precautions were taken. ASW groups around the Hawaiin Islands were disbanded in favor of strengthening the two carrier groups I have at Pearl (the Saratoga, and the just now returning Enterprise). The Lexington is being recalled northward to Canton Island from her anchorage in the Samoas. While the Congo convoys will proceed as scheduled, Lexington is being re-transferred to the Bolo Defensive Theatre. In six days, I will have concentrated three carriers of my own.

Could this be THE Japanese offensive designed to break the back of the U.S. Pacific Fleet?

Could a half-hearted demonstration against Wake be designed to draw my carrier force west from Pearl, only to be smashed by the KB? The Kido Butai is still out there... six Jap carriers. We shall see.

Meanwhile, nearly 80,000 troops have pulled back into Bataan Peninsula within one day. At least 15,000 more are yet to follow within three days if they are not cut off by Japanese landings at Lamon Bay, 60 miles east of Manila. Only one Phillipino division remains to hold Manila. As for the Sendai Force which had ravaged Manila Bay on Christmas Eve, the enemy fleet attempted to slip out of Manila Bay unscathed only to be shelled by the Corregidor Forts once again. The Japanese destroyer Uranami was destroyed.

The Christmas Eve raid into Manila Bay was a foolish move in CINCPAC's (me) opinion. Four enemy destroyers were sunk, and four more damaged for minimal, if not pointless, gain. Still, it did prompt the early withdrawal to the Bataan Redoubt. Meanwhile, B-17's at Mindanao struck the Jolo Airfields today in full strength.

Two other major events occurred on the ground where in China, the Japanese Kwantung Army widened the battle for the mainland to Manchuria. There, Japanese forces disembarked from their railheads near Yenen to advance on the city. Three Chinese Corps just outside the city are expected to make contact tomorrow.



And in Burma, Japanese forces were spotted probing towards Rangoon where two Indian brigades are prepared to meet an enemy of unknown strength. Fullback preparations in Burma are nearly complete. In Malaysia, no fighting on the ground was reported. Three seperate RAF airstrikes from Singapore managed to hit two Jap transports off Khota Bharu.



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