Central Pacific
SprueStack Zero Hour: WW2 day by day
10 December 1941
What happened on this day in the Second World War, from 1939 to 1945, with a source for every entry.
About this page
Each day we list events from the Second World War that happened on that date, from 1939 to 1945. Every entry names its source and links to it, so you can read further. Entries are sourced and machine-screened before they go up, a subset is human-reviewed, and we add more over time.
8 of 9 sourced entries for this date, chosen by the editor.
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Entries
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Libya
Siege of Tobruk is lifted after 8 months as Pol garrison breaks out of town early in morning and joins other Br Eighth Army forces in Acroma area. Forward supply base is soon organized at Tobruk.
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Malaya
Japanese gain control of waters E of Malaya and air over N Malaya. The small British Eastern Fleet is severely crippled by loss of Repulse and Prince of Wales off Kuantan to enemy planes.
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10 December: British battlecruiser and battleship are sunk in a Japanese air attack in the South China Sea.
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Battle of the Philippines: Imperial Japanese forces under the command of General Masaharu Homma land on Luzon.
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The Royal Navy capital ships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse are sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy torpedo bombers near British Malaya.
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Mediterranean Theater
THOR mission records show at least 26 Allied sorties (1 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1941-12-10, flown by RAF. Targets included CRETE.
Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)
THOR is a secondary compilation with known gaps, not a complete record.
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Pacific Theater
THOR mission records show at least 12 Allied sorties (7 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1941-12-10, flown by USAAF 5th Air Force. Targets included PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)
THOR is a secondary compilation with known gaps, not a complete record.
The full list for this date is being cleaned and will return soon.
Sources listed with each entry. Spotted an error? Tell us.
10 December in other years 19391940194219431944
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