http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1941/dec41/f27dec41.htm
Americans declare Manila open city
Saturday, December 27, 1941 www.onwar.com
In the Philippines... The Americans declare Manila an open city. The defenders are now at their third of five lines of defense in their delaying action against the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. This line runs east and west from Paniqui.
In Occupied Norway... The British commando raids extend to Vaagso and Maaloy, landing nearly 600 troops to destroy communications and oil factories. Merchant and patrol craft are sunk. 243 volunteers are taken back to Britain to join Norwegian forces there.
From London... General Pownall replaces Air Marshall Brooke-Popham as Commander in Chief Far East. This command will shortly be assumed by Wavell’s ABDA under the provisions of the Arcadia Conference. Pownall will become its Chief of Staff.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/27.htm
December 27th, 1941
NORWAY: OPERATION ARCHERY: The British land 600 commandos on Vaagso and Maaloy in the Lofoten Islands. These landings are on the heels of the landing yesterday, on Moskenesoy. Their targets today will be a fish-oil factory and a radio station. These are dummy targets to mask the real intention: an Enigma machine and weather codes at the weather station, on the “Vorstenboote”, 200 ton trawler. The boat was machine-gunned to cut down the crew but not to sink it. Mission successful. (Adrian Weale, Denis Peck and Torstein)
It was not all plain sailing for the British force, however, stiff resistance from the German garrison meant house-to-house fighting for five hours. Navy guns silenced shore batteries while RAF Blenheims bombed the wooden runways of the nearest Luftwaffe base 100 miles away, closing the airfield. 19 men were killed, including Captain John Giles, the former heavyweight boxing champion from Bristol. Eight ships and eight aircraft were lost.
Around 100 Germans were killed and about the same number taken prisoner. At the same time 243 Norwegians have also come away with the force - but voluntarily. They are patriots who will be a welcome addition for the Norwegian Free Forces.
U.S.S.R.: Leningrad: Early today sounds of heavy firing are heard coming from the Intermediate position of the Spanish Division Azul. It is under attack by a Soviet force attempting to infiltrate to the rear of the sub-sector. At 6.30am Udarnik erupts in shell-fire, in the wake of which a Russian battalion manages to penetrate the village. Comandante Roman’s 2/269th drove the Russians out again and pursues them southwards. At the same time Comandante Rebull and three companies of the 1/269th are advancing northwards from Lubkovo. At 10.00am the two units meet at the Intermediate. They are horrified to discover on the snow covered promontory, scattered around the trenches and weapons-pits, the bodies of Alferez Moscoso and his men, stripped of their uniforms, mutilated and literally nailed to the ground with their own bayonets and with picks driven through their chests. (125) (Russ Folsom)
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: MacArthur declares Manila an open city. US forces have fallen back to their 3rd defence line which runs east and west from Paniqui.
INDIA: British General Pownall takes over from Air Marshal Brooke-Popham and British Commander in Chief Far East. Pownall will later become Chief of Staff to Wavell;s ABDA command.