7th December 1941 PEARL HARBOUR
At 0755 hours local time, 6 Japanese aircraft carriers and 423 planes attacked the main base of the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbour. The toll was 5 American battleships sunk, 3 others damaged, 3 cruisers and 3 destroyers sunk, and 188 American planes were lost from the airfields of Pearl Harbour. The Japanese lost just 29 planes.
8th December 1941 WORLD AFFAIRS - DECLARATION OF WAR ON JAPAN
The United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, The Free French, Yugoslavia, several South American countries and China all declare war on Japan.
In Hong Kong, the Japanese 38th Division begins an attack at 0800 hours. General Maltby commanding the garrison, has only six battalions and 28 guns with which to make a defence. The retreat begins
10th December 1941
H.M.S. Repulse and H.M.S. Prince Of Wales sunk during the defence of Singapore. Click Here to visit the Memorial Site
13th December 1941
The British have to evacuate their airfield at Victoria Point in the extreme south of Burma on the Kra Isthmus. The Japanese follow and move in.
23rd December 1941
The Japanese stage their first air attacks on Rangoon. The Allied air forces in Burma have only two fighter squadrons at this stage; one from the RAF and one from Chennault's American Volunteer Group.
25th December 1941
General Hutton is appointed to command the British Forces in Burma. The British Forces in Hong Kong capitulate in the evening.