United Nations declaration signed
week from December 29, 1941 - January 4, 1942

MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1941

Malaya: Japanese capture Ipoh and advance towards Kuantan on east coast.

Picture: Japanese tankettes Type 94 advancing in Malaya.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1941

Russian Front: Russians recapture Kaluga, southwest of Moscow.

Home Front, India: Gandhi resigns leadership of Congress Party when it decides to support British war effort.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1941

Philippines: US-Filipino forces form new defence line north of Bataan Peninsula.

Russian Front - Siege of Leningrad (Day 115): 52,000 people die of starvation and lack of medical treatment in December.

Battle of the Atlantic, Shipping Losses in December 1941: 26 Allied merchant ships (124,000 BRT), 10 German U-boats (80 serviceable).

Sea War, total Shipping Losses 1941:
Allied and Neutral: 1,299 ships totalling 4,398,031 t.
Axis: Germans 35 U-boats, Italians 18 submarines, Japanese 3 submarines.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 1942

Russian Front: Russians recapture Staritsa (48 km northeast of Rzhev), which has been destroyed by the Germans.

East Indies: Japanese land on Labuan Island.

Picture: one of the first Japanese improvise landings on a shallow beach.

Home Front Britain: 58 miners killed in explosion in colliery in Burslem (Staffs.).

Home Front USA: Ban on sale of new private passenger cars and trucks, to conserve steel.

Diplomacy: (MAIN EVENT) UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION SIGNED in Washington: 26 nations pledge themselves not to make separate peace agreement and to commit all their resources in struggle against the Axis.

Occupied France: Petain broadcasts request for relaxation in severity of German occupation policies.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 1942

Russian Front: Russians recapture Maloyaroslavets 129 km southwest of Moscow, defeating 3 German divisions. On Kerch Peninsular Russians capture (December 28 - January 2) 48 guns and over 1,000 motorcycles.

Philippines: Japanese occupy Manila and Cavite naval base.

Picture: Japanese troops watch Manila burn from their landing craft.

North Africa: British and South Africans capture Bardia.

Air War over Europe: First of 11 RAF night raids on German battlecruisers in Brest during January.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 1942

East Indies: ABDA (American-British-Dutch-Australian) Command formed under Wavell.

Sea War: 'Port T' - secret British naval base hacked out of virgin jungle and swamp on Addu Atoll (Maldive Islands) in only 3 months despite appalling problems of climate and terrain - becomes operational. First convoy of troopships, escorted by cruiser Emerald, arrives.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 1942

Sea War Europe: Russian cruiser Krasny Kavkaz badly damaged by Stukas in Black Sea.

Sea War Pacific: 3 US submarines operate off east coast of Japan (January 4-18).

Air War over Europe: Wellingtons bomb Castel Vetrano airfield, Sicily (night January 4-5).