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• USS Iowa disembarked US President Franklin Roosevelt. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru departed Kwajalein, then arrived at Roi; she would depart later in the same day. ww2dbase [Main Article | Tabular Record of Movement | CPC]
• USS Gar began her tenth war patrol. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• USS Cod arrived at Fremantle, Australia for refit, ending her first war patrol. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• USS Flying Fish sank a Japanese cargo ship off Luzon, Philippine Islands, hitting her with 3 of 3 torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• The keel of submarine Carbonero was laid down. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• In retaliation for a partisan attack in which two German officials were killed, 150 Polish civilians were executed. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Nine Avro Lancater bombers of No. 617 Squadron RAF, using the stablized automatic bomb sight, attacked a V-weapon launching site at Abbeville, France and achieved an astounding ninety-four yard target error. ww2dbase [AC]

• The 9th Fighter Squadron (flying P-47 aircraft) of USAAF 49th Fighter Group was transferred out of Dobodura Airfield, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• US naval leadership in the Solomon Islands decided to embark on a fighter sweep campaign against Rabaul, New Britain with US Navy, US Marine Corps, and Royal New Zealand Air Force fighters. The first mission would be launched on the following day. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Joseph Stilwell met with Chiang Kaishek in Chongqing, China. Chiang told Stilwell that he would only allow a major Chinese offensive into Burma if the Allies could achieve a three-to-one numerical superiority against the Japanese. He also turned over full command of the two Chinese divisions training in Ramgarh, India to Stilwell, who immediately prepared them for operations in northern Burma. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• 498 RAF aircraft (483 Lancaster and 15 Mosquito) attacked Berlin, Germany; 25 Lancaster bombers were lost in combat and 29 more were lost while landing in bad weather. Berlin rail system was disrupted heavily, while the National Theater and the national archives buildings were destroyed. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• German troops counterattacked positions held by New Zealand troops outside of Orsogna, Italy before dawn; the Germans failed to gain ground, but the attack also exhausted New Zealand strength in the region. To the west, US troops captured San Pietro, Italy. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
• Benito Mussolini gave Commander Ferrucio Ferrini the authorization to form a new naval infantry corps. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• The chief surgeon at Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland reported that 106 castration operations had been performed on prisoners. ww2dbase [Main Article | Facility | CPC]

• Marcus Island was launched at Vancouver, Washington, United States, sponsored by Mrs. S. L. La Hache. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

16 Dec 1943 Interactive Map