January 4th, 1942 (SUNDAY)
CHINA: The Chinese halt the Japanese drive in the Changsha area of Hunan Province.
BURMA: A pilot of the 2d Fighter Squadron, American Volunteer Group ("Flying Tigers"), shoots down a Japanese "Claude" (Mitsubishi A5M Navy Type 96 Carrier Fighter) over Rangoon at 1205 hours.
MALAYA: The Indian 11th Division forces on the River Slim are bombarded by Japanese aircraft as it prepares defensive positions. A Japanese force moves south along the west coast to the Selangor River, then east along the river, threatening the communications line at Rawang. To meet this threat, the Indian 6/15 Brigade Group starts toward Batang Berjuntai.
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Japanese Lieutenant General HOMMA Masaharu, Commanding General 14th Army, meets with Manila Mayor Jorge Vargas. After both smile for the camera, HOMMA imposes the Japanese Military Administration under Major General HAYASHI Yoshide.. He in turn imposes a curfew, blackout, martial law, firearms turn-in, a ban on radio transmissions and listening to non-Japanese statements. He also warns that any hostile act against the Japanese will result in ten Filipinos dying for every Japanese killed. All industries, factories, banks, schools, churches, and printing presses must come under Japanese control. The flying of the Filipino or U.S. flags or singing of the "Star-Spangled Banner" is forbidden.
Continuing strong attacks against the flank of the Porac-Guagua line, the Japanese overrun Guagua and continue along Route 7 to Lubao, cutting the planned line of retreat of the 11th Division [Philippine Army (PA)]. The 21st Division (PA) zone (the western part of the line) is relatively quiet. Withdrawal from the line Porac-Guagua begins under cover of darkness on 4/5 January with the 21st Division covering for the 11th Division. Some cut-off elements of the 11th Division make a circuitous withdrawal through San Jose, while others move down Route 7 and form an outpost line between Lubao and Santa Cruz.
USAAF Far East Air Force fighters from Bataan on Luzon, attempt the interception of a bombing raid on Corregidor Island in Manila Bay. The fighters, failing to intercept until the Japanese aircraft are over the target, have little effect on the raid. Several fighters depart for Mindanao following the mission.
During the night of 4/5 January, eight B-17 Flying Fortresses based at Singosari Airdrome, Java, Netherlands East Indies, stage through Samarinda Airdrome, Dutch Borneo, and attack Japanese warships and transports in Malalag Bay, Davao, Mindanao Island, from 25,000 feet (7 620 meters) and damage heavy cruisers HIJMS Myoko and Nachi.
AUSTRALIA: Major General George Brett assumes command of the U.S. Forces in Australia. One of his first orders is to divert two transports en route from Brisbane, Queensland, to the Philippine Islands to put in at Darwin, Northern Territory. This effectively ends the effort to reinforce the troops in the Philippines.
BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: The Japanese begin an air offensive against Rabaul on New Britain Island, the strategic base in the Bismarck Archipelago, garrisoned by 5,400 men (principally the Australian 2/22d Battalion, 8th Division; an RAAF detachment; 100 men of the New Guinea Volunteer Reserve; and a few Royal Australian Navy officers). Located at Rabaul are a fighter strip at Lakunai and a bomber strip at Vunakanu.
U.S.A.: President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares lend-lease aid to the Provisional Government of Czechoslovakia as vital to the defence of the U.S.
Lieutenant General John DeWitt, Commanding General Western Defence Command, meets with the Chief of the War Department's Aliens Division to come up with a definition of strategic areas where all enemy aliens would be excluded.
Destroyer escort USS ENGSTROM is laid down.