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Combat Chronology (Dec. 1941- Sep. 1942)

I thought I would attempt to organize the wealth of information from the 743 page official document, “U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, Combat Chronology 1941 – 1945”. I hope the results of this experiment are useful to someone besides me.

Year	Month	Day	Organization	Description
1941	December	7	International	Japan attacks Hawaii and other US and British possessions in the Pacific without warning. Japan already is at war with China, and Great Britain is at war with the Axis powers, Germany and Italy, which control most of Western Europe. The RAF is conducting an aerial offensive against Germany, and the Luftwaffe is engaged in a campaign against Britain. Russians are fighting German forces that have invaded the USSR. British troops are battling Italians and Germans in Africa.
1941	December	7	Hawaiian Air Force	First wave of Japanese carrier-based airplanes (almost 200) hits US naval base at Pearl Harbor and Hickam Field at 0755. Attacks follow quickly against Wheeler and Bellows Fields. A second wave of Japanese airplanes strikes other naval and military facilities. Hawaiian AF loses 163 men, with about 390 others wounded or missing has 64 of its 231 assigned aircraft destroyed. Only 79 of the remaining aircraft are deemed usable, and much of the AF’s ground facilities are destroyed. These losses are light in comparison with the Navy’s: more than 2,000 killed or missing, and more than 900 wounded 4 battleships sunk 3 battleships, 3 cruisers, and 3 destroyers damaged and over half of the Navy’s 169 airplanes in the area destroyed. The Japanese lose 20 aircraft over Hawaii, including 4 claimed destroyed by 2d Lt George S Welch (47th Pur Sq) piloting a P-40, one of the few US ftrs to success fully attack airplanes during the day. About 20 other aircraft are lost by the Japanese during carrier landings. Altogether the Japanese pay a small price for the damage done to the Americans on Oahu. For the remainder of the day, following the attacks, AAF carries out fruitless searches for the carriers.
1941	December	7	Alaska Defense Command	Upon learning of the Pearl Harbor attack, the Cmd’s 6 B-18’s and 12 P-36’s take to the air to avoid being caught on their fields.
1941	December	8	International	US, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Canada, Union of South Africa, New Zealand, Australia Free France, and 8 Latin American republics declare war against Japan.
1941	December	8	Far East Air Force (FEAF)	First word of Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is received on Luzon in the Philippines by commercial radio between 0300-0330 local time. Within 30 minutes radar at Iba Field plots formation of airplanes 75 mi offshore, heading for Corregidor. AAF P-40’s are sent out to intercept but make no contact. Shortly before 0930, after aircraft are detected over Lingayen Gulf heading toward Manila, B-17’s at Clark Field are ordered airborne to prevent being caught on the ground. Ftrs from Clark and Nichols Fields are sent to intercept the enemy but do not make contact. The airplanes swing E and bomb military installations at Baguio. Tarlac, Tuguegarao, and A/Fs at Cabantuan are also attacked. By 1130 the B-17’s and ftrs sent into the air earlier have landed at Clark and Iba for refueling, and radar has disclosed another flight of aircraft 70 mi W of Lingayen Gulf, headed S. Ftrs from Iba make a fruitless search over S China Sea. Ftrs from Nichols are dispatched to patrol over Bataan and Manila. Around 1145 a formation is reported headed S over Lingayen Gulf. Ftrs are ordered from Del Carmen to cover Clark Field but fail to arrive before the Japanese hit Clark shortly after noon. HBs and many ftrs at Clark Field are caught on the ground, but a few P-40’s manage to get airborne. 2d Lt Randall B Keator (20th Pur Sq) shoots down the first Japanese aircraft over the Philippines. The P-40’s earlier sent on patrol of S China Sea return to Iba Field with fuel running low at the beginning of an attack on that A/F. They fail to prevent bombing but manage to prevent low-level strafing of the sort which proved so destructive at Clark. At the end of the day’s action it is apparent that the Japanese have won a major victory. The effective striking power of Far East AF has been destroyed, the ftr strength has been seriously reduced, most B-17 maintenance facilities have been demolished, and about 80 men have been killed.
1941	December	8	Alaska Defense Command	Starting today bmrs fly armed rcn each morning from Anchorage to Kodiak.
1941	December	8	Zone of Interior (ZI)	First and Fourth AFs are made responsible for air def on the E and W coasts, respectively. CG First AF orders I BC to begin overwater rcn with all available aircraft to locate and attack any hostile surface forces which might approach the E coast. Similar rcn is ordered off W coast. Aircraft of 1st Pur Gp from Selfridge Field begin to arrive at San Diego, being the first reinforcements of air strength on the W coast.
1941	December	9	Far East Air Force (FEAF)	Shortly after 0300 aircraft attack Nichols Field. This attack, added to the previous day’s raids on Clark and Iba Fields, leaves FEAF strength reduced by half. Only 17 of 35 B-17’s remain in commission about 55 P-40’s,3 P-35’s, and close to 30 other aircraft (B-10’s, B-18’s, and observation airplanes) have been lost in aerial combat or destroyed on the ground. During morning and afternoon, B-17’s from Mindanao fly rcn missions and land on Clark and San Marcelino Fields. Several more B-17’s are flown from Mindanao to these Luzon bases for resistance against possible invasion attempt.
1941	December	9	Zone of Interior (ZI)	Ftrs at Mitchel Field are dispatched to intercept hostile airplane reported (falsely) to be approaching the E coast.
1941	December	10	Far East Air Force (FEAF)	B-17’s, P-40’s, and P-35’s attack a convoy landing troops and equipment at Vigan and at Aparri in N Luzon. 1 transport at Vigan is destroyed. The strikes include the much publicized attack of Capt Colin P Kelly Jr (14th Bomb Sq) on a warship off Aparri. Capt Kelly, who is killed when his B-17 is shot down by ftrs as he is returning to Clark Field, is later posthumously awarded the DSC for destroying a battleship. However, later information reveals that he attacked the heavy cruiser Ashigara, probably scoring near misses.