PACIFIC ISLANDS-1941

Pacific Islands!

11/03/1941 Japanese Foreign Minister to visit Rome and Berlin. 13/04/1941 Japan and Russia sign a non-aggression pact, which all but removes any military threat to its northern borders. 24/05/1941 The Australian Prime Minister, R.G. Menzies arrives back in Australia after his trip to Britain. 13/06/1941 Russo-Japanese trade agreement announced in Tokyo. 29/06/1941 Germany demands that Japan launches an attack against Russia. The Japanese consider this, but in the end only agree to strengthen their forces in this area. 10/07/1941 Germany urges Japan to enter war. 18/07/1941 The Japanese foreign minister, Yosuke Matsuoka is replaced by a moderate. New Japanese Cabinet has four generals and three admirals. 25/07/1941 United States, UK and Dominions freeze all Japanese assets. 28/07/1941 Japan freezes all US and UK assets in retaliation. 24/08/1941 Churchill broadcast's and warns Japan that its aggression must stop. 28/08/1941 Menzies resigns as Prime Minister of Australia and is replaced McFadden, who under pressure from his political opposition demands from the British, the relief of the 9th Australian Division from Tobruk in Libya. 06/09/1941 The Japanese decide to be fully prepared for war by the end of October. 10/09/1941 Japanese begin war games at the naval college in Tokyo in order to develop their strategy for the Pacific. 13/09/1941 Japanese war games conclude. 03/10/1941 Australian Independents vote with the Labour to defeat McFadden government. 07/10/1941 Curtin becomes the Prime Minister of Australia. 16/10/1941 The Japanese government falls. Prince Konoye is replaced by Hideki Tojo, Japan's minister of war. 03/11/1941 Admiral Yamamoto’s plan to attack Pearl Harbour is approved. 05/11/1941 Japanese war plans agreed at an imperial conference, with a deadline of December 1941. The US ambassador to Tokyo, Joseph C Grew, warns that war might come very suddenly. 06/11/1941 The Japanese Southern Army is ordered to prepare detailed operational plans for the up and coming offensive. 10/11/1941 Churchill’s Mansion House Speech: Tells Japan that war on US means war on Britain. The Japanese Foreign Minister says their aim is to make the US and UK retreat from East Asia. 20/11/1941 Japanese issue attack orders, although no action is to be taken until the results of the latest diplomatic negotiations are known. 24/11/1941 US Army commanders across the Pacific are warned of the possible imminence of war. 27/11/1941 US Pacific forces put on war alert. 30/11/1941 Japan finally resolves itself to attack the USA, although portions of the governments are still unsure. 01/12/1941 Japan fixes the date of its attack against Pearl Harbour as the 7th December 1941. 06/12/1941 Roosevelt makes a personal appeal to the Japanese Emperor Hirohito for peace. 07/12/1941 At 6:15 Honolulu time, the first wave of Japanese aircraft take of from their carriers which are located about 200 miles north of Hawaii. At 7:50, 43 fighters, 51 dive-bombers, 70 torpedo-bombers and 50 ordinary bombers arrive over Hawaii. They launch attacks against the airfields at Wheeler, Kaneohe, Ewa and Hickham and against the American warships anchored at ‘Battleship Row’. Surprise was complete and within a few minutes 5 battleships and 2 light cruisers had been sunk and a large number of aircraft (180) destroyed on the ground. Within an hour, the second wave of Japanese strike aircraft (36 fighters, 80 dive-bombers, 54 bombers) had arrived over the target, sinking a further 3 destroyers and damaging another battleship. By 10:00 the attack was over and the casualties could be accounted for. The Americans lost 2,729 killed and 1,178 wounded, while the Japanese losses amounted to just 29 aircraft (59 airmen) and five mini-submarines. The Japanese launch air attacks against Manila. Japan declares war on Britain and the USA. 08/12/1941 Japanese aircraft attack Guam and Wake Islands in the central pacific. The Japanese bomb the US controlled Philippine islands of Luzon and Mindanao from their bases in Formosa. Britain, Australia and the USA declare war on Japan. 09/12/1941 Japanese troops land on Tarawa and Makin in the Gilbert islands. 10/12/1941 Japanese troops land on and capture Guam. Japanese troops make landings on the northern tip of Luzon and the island of Camiguin in the Philippines. 11/12/1941 Japanese troops attempt to land on Wake Island, but US Marine gunners and airmen repulse the first landing attempt and sink two Japanese destroyers in the process. Further Japanese landings take place in the Philippines. 14/12/1941 Japanese troops continue to land throughout the Philippines. 16/12/1941 Japanese forces land in Sarawak and Brunei in Borneo. 17/12/1941 Japanese forces make landings in northern Borneo. 22/12/1941 The Japanese begin their invasion of the Philippines by landing 43,000 troops of General Homma's 14th Army in Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, 150 miles north of Manila. Filipino troops here failed to prevent the beachhead from being established and their scouts, which had been sent forward in order to secure the defiles barring the way south were also unsuccessful. 23/12/1941 The Japanese launch another attack against Wake Island, overwhelming the small US garrison. Immediately after its capture, the Japanese rename the Island as Bird Island. Rear-Admiral Frank J. Fletcher's task force is still more that 400 miles away and so is diverted to Midway. American and Filipino troops of the North Luzon Force, begin to fall back towards the River Agno under heavy pressure from the Japanese. 24/12/1941 Japanese troops make further landings on Luzon to the southeast of Manila in Lamon Bay. The Japanese 16th Division starts its drive north towards Manila in an attempt to link up with the North Luzon Force. General MacArthur announces his decision to withdraw his forces to Bataan. A supply base is to be setup on Corregidor with sufficient stock to carry on the fight for 6 months. 26/12/1941 The Philippine capital of Manila is declared an open city by the Americans. 27/12/1941 The Australian Prime Minister, Curtin, announces, "Australia looks to America". 31/12/1941 Lieutenant General George H. Brett takes command of US forces in Australia.