Japan
Tag
(371)1941
January
February
March
April
May
July
August
September
October
- 18
- The arrest of Richard SorgeOn 18 October 1941 Japanese police in Tokyo arrested Richard Sorge, the Soviet spy who for a month had been reporting that Japan would not attack the USSR.
- Key eventHideki Tōjō becomes Prime MinisterOn 18 October 1941 General Hideki Tōjō, the War Minister who had refused to withdraw troops from China, became Prime Minister of Japan after Konoe resigned.
November
- 26
- Key eventThe Kidō Butai sails for HawaiiOn 26 November 1941 Vice-Admiral Chūichi Nagumo’s six carriers left Hitokappu Bay in the Kurils, sailing under radio silence to strike Pearl Harbor.
- The Hull noteOn 26 November 1941 Cordell Hull handed the Japanese a note demanding withdrawal from China and Indochina. It set no deadline, but Tokyo saw it as an ultimatum.
December
- 08
- The “Day of Infamy” speechOn 8 December 1941 Roosevelt called Pearl Harbor a day of infamy and Congress declared war on Japan. Within days a dozen or more other states had done the same.
- The attack on Clark FieldOn 8 December 1941 Japanese bombers from Formosa destroyed half of the US air force in the Philippines at Clark Field and Iba, hours after news of Pearl Harbor.
- The Japanese invasion of ThailandOn 8 December 1941 the Japanese landed on the Thai coast and crossed from Indochina. After hours of fighting, Bangkok ceased fire and let them pass to Malaya.
- The Battle of Hong Kong beginsOn 8 December 1941 Japan attacked Hong Kong. In five days it took the New Territories and Kowloon, and the defenders withdrew to Hong Kong Island.
- The Malayan campaign beginsJust after midnight on 8 December 1941 the Japanese landed at Kota Bharu in Malaya and in Thailand. Five days later Yamashita's army beat the British at Jitra.
- 10
- The sinking of Prince of Wales and RepulseOn 10 December 1941 Japanese bombers from Indochina sank the battleship Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser Repulse off Malaya. 840 sailors were killed.
- The Japanese take GuamOn 10 December 1941 the Japanese landed on Guam, and after a brief fight in Agana Governor George McMillin surrendered the island. The same day they took Makin.
- 11
- The defence of Wake IslandOn 11 December 1941 the defenders of Wake atoll beat off a Japanese landing. Coastal guns sank the destroyer Hayate, and Marine fighters the destroyer Kisaragi.
- The Japanese invasion of Burma beginsIn mid-December 1941 the Japanese took Victoria Point in southern Burma; on 23 and 25 December their bombers struck Rangoon, setting off a flight from the city.