On This Day in Naval History - December 8th

From the Navy News Service.

• 1933 - The Secretary of the Navy establishes the Fleet Marine Force, integrating a ready-to-deploy Marine force with their own aircraft into fleet organization.
• 1941 - The United States declares war on Japan.
• 1941 - USS Wake (PR 3), a river gunboat moored at Shanghai, is only U.S. vessel to surrender during World War II.
• 1942 - Eight PT boats (PT 36, PT 37, PT 40, PT 43, PT 44, PT 48, PT 59 and PT 109) turn back eight Japanese destroyers attempting to reinforce Japanese forces on Guadalcanal.

For more information about Naval history, visit the Naval Historical Center Web site at www.history.navy.mil.