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• Light carrier Ryuho arrived at Tarakan, Dutch Borneo. Later on the same day, she departed for the Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Ryuho | CPC]
• U-23 began her thirteenth war patrol. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
• George Giffard was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta of Poland. ww2dbase [George Giffard | CPC]

• A raid by bombers of the 5th USAAF dropped 433 tons of bombs on Arawe island, New Britain was followed by a landing of VII Amphibious Force (TF 76) under Rear Admiral Daniel E. Barbey. The force had set out from the Goodenough Islands the previous day with the Australian transport Westralia, the dock landing ship Carter Hall and the fast transports Sands and Humphreys. 1,600 men of the US 112th Cavalry Regimental Combat Team under Brigadier General Julian Cunningham. Operation Director was supported by the US destroyers Smith, Reid, Lamson, Mahan and Flusser with the escort destroyers Conyngham, Shaw, Mugford, Bagley and Drayton. The Australian cruisers Australia and Shorshire with destroyers Arunta and Warramunga provide the Covering Force (TF 74). This battle involved the first use of an Australian infantry landing ship, HMAS Westralia, in combat and the first time a dock landing ship (USS Carter Hall) was used to carry amtracs to cross the coral reefs. The fire support was provided with tank landing craft with rockets, this proved so successful that Barbey had more of the made. This battle also saw Barbey use his landing control officers; they provided a fully trained beach party for the first time. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 3 | Arawe, New Britain | HM]

• Colonel John Coughlin arrived in China as the new head of OSS in the region, replacing Milton Miles. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Zhou Zhikai, flying a P-40E Warhawk fighter, was killed when he failed a crash landing attempt. He had been pursued and damaged by two Ki-44 aircraft of Japanese 85th Sentai over Xiaogan Airfield near Wuhan, Hubei, China. ww2dbase [Zhou Zhikai | Wuhan, Hubei | CPC]

• Troops of German 117th Jäger Division, under the orders of Karl von Le Suire, burned down the Greek War of Independence landmark Agia Lavra monastery in Kalavryta, Greece. ww2dbase [Karl von Le Suire | Kalavryta, Western Greece | CPC]

• USS Sunfish arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, ending her fifth war patrol. ww2dbase [Sunfish (Gato-class) | Honolulu, Oahu | CPC]
• Barbers Point Naval Air Station: More of ARGUS-18 arrived. ww2dbase [Barbers Point Naval Air Station | Ewa, Oahu | DS]
• USS Haddock departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her eighth war patrol. ww2dbase [Pearl Harbor Navy Base and Ford Island Naval Air Station | Haddock | Honolulu, Oahu | CPC]

• Canadian troops captured Casa Berardi, Italy in an attempt to outflank German defenses at "The Gully". Nearby, Indian troops captured roads between Ortona and Orsogna. ww2dbase [Advance to the Gustav Line | CPC]

• Irako arrived at Yokosuka, Japan. ww2dbase [Irako | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]
• Destroyer Yukikaze arrived at Yokosuka, Japan. ww2dbase [Yukikaze | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]

• USS Wake Island arrived at San Diego, California, United States. ww2dbase [Wake Island | San Diego, California | CPC]

14 Dec 1943 Interactive Map