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 and Task Force 8 departed from Pearl Harbor to escort transports of US Marines to American Samoa. ww2dbase [Enterprise | Salt Lake City | Northampton | 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 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 | Kuala Lumpur, Selangor | CPC]
Russia 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




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds

Search WW2DB
News

Random Photograph

Japanese prisoners of war, Guam, Aug-Sep 1945


Current Site Statistics

Famous WW2 Quote
"With Germany arming at breakneck speed, England lost in a pacifist dream, France corrupt and torn by dissension, America remote and indifferent... do you not tremble for your children?"

Winston Churchill, 1935


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!