11 Jan 1942 | World War II Database

11 Jan 1942

Japanese troops began the campaign against the Dutch East Indies by landing on Tarakan island off Borneo. In the face of superior forces, Dutch commanders at Tarakan decided to destroy the 700 oil wells present on Tarakan to prevent enemy use. ww2dbase [Dutch East Indies Campaign, Borneo | CPC]
USS Enterprise departed from Pearl Harbor to escort transports of US Marines to American Samoa. ww2dbase [Enterprise | CPC]
A Japanese submarine shelled US Navy installations at Pago Pago, American Samoa. ww2dbase [CPC]
2,500 men of the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces landed on two sites on Celebes, Dutch East Indies at 0300 hours. At 0900 hours, 334 Japanese paratroopers captured the Kakas seaplane base and the Menado airfield. ww2dbase [CPC]
Soviet 39th Army moved from northwest of Rzhev, Russia toward the area southwest of the city, further threatening the surround the German 9th Army in the city. A large German supply depot was captured by Soviet troops at Sychevka 50 kilometers to the south. ww2dbase [Rzhev-Vyazma Offensive and the Demyansk Pocket | CPC]
German submarine U-577 was damaged by depth charges from a British Swordfish aircraft 30 miles north of Tobruk, Libya. ww2dbase [CPC]
After sundown, German coastal guns in France bombarded Dover, England, United Kingdom, causing minor damage to homes. ww2dbase [CPC]
Japanese troops on the Menado Peninsula in northern Celebes, Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [Dutch East Indies Campaign, Celebes and Moluccas | CPC]
Destroyer Yukikaze escorted the Japanese invasion force for Menado, Celebes, Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [Yukikaze | CPC]

Dutch East Indies

Naka disembarked troops at Tarakan, Dutch Borneo. ww2dbase [Naka | CPC]
Nachi provided support for the landings at Menado, Celebes, Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [Dutch East Indies Campaign, Celebes and Moluccas | Nachi | CPC]

Hawaii

USS Yorktown departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. ww2dbase [Pearl Harbor Navy Base and Ford Island Naval Air Station | Yorktown (Yorktown-class) | CPC]

Malaya

Japanese troops entered Kuala Lumpur, the capital of the Federated Malay States, unopposed, capturing large amounts of supplies and ammunition left behind by the evacuating British and colonial troops. ww2dbase [Invasion of Malaya and Singapore | CPC]

Russia

Allied convoy PQ-7b arrived at Murmansk, Russia. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | CPC]

United States

The United States Army Transport Service acquired civilian ship Ancon. ww2dbase [Ancon | CPC]

Photo(s) dated 11 Jan 1942

Japanese troops mopping up in Kuala Lumpur during their advance through Malaya, 11 Jan 1942

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis

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