This Day In The War, In The Pacific

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1942
SWPA: Preparations for the Japanese Operation "MO" are well underway. This is an amphibious attack on Port Moresby, New Guinea.
As part of Operation "MO," the 3rd Kure Special Landing Force occupies the former RAAF seaplane base on Tulagi Island, Solomon Islands.

BURMA: The Japanese enter Lashio, Burma. China is now cut off from the Allies by land. All supply will be by air. The dangerous route of "Flying the Hump" is born.

(10th Air Force): Rangoon, Burma is again hit by a flight of B-17's which pound the dock area.

USA: The movie marquees in Times Square, New York City are ordered blacked out.

1943
SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) Lost on an escort mission over Buin is P-38G 43-2218.

1944
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 2 B-24s abort an armed photographic mission due to weather.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 21 P-38s hit airfields in the Heho area and claim 8 aircraft downed in combat; 25 P-51s and B-25s bomb several buildings at Meza; 19 B-24s over Prome blast supply dumps in the area. 19th Liaison Squadron, US Army Forces, CBI, moves from Kanchrapara to Ondal, India with L-1s and L-5s.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, B-25s bomb a warehouse and barracks at Shayang and attack 3 motor launches at Chiuchiang, leaving them burning. 22d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), based at Yankai, China with B-25s, sends a detachment to operate from Yunnani.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s, staging through Eniwetok Atoll from Kwajalein bomb Truk and Jaluit Atolls. B-25s from Makin also hit Jaluit Atoll and carry out 2 strikes against Ponape Island.
Task Force 58, which had supported these landings, is now freed and begins a two-day attack against Truk Atoll in the Caroline Islands. Today, 84 USN fighters fly a dawn sweep over Truk and during the day, USN aircraft shoot down 58 Japanese aircraft. During the night, Seventh Air Force B-24s, staging through Eniwetok Atoll from Kwajalein Atoll, bomb Truk and Jaluit Atolls.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 40+ P-39s bomb and strafe targets throughout Bougainville and Buka Islands, including Sipaai Mission, the Kieta area, Lontis, Numa Numa, Ibu, Toborei, Totavi, Aitara and Baitsi; 24 B-25s bomb airfields at Kara and Buka. Allied fighter sweeps continue over the N Solomons and New Ireland Island, where huts, barges, and other targets of opportunity are attacked. HQ 307th Bombardment Group moves from Munda to Los Negros.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, 90+ B-24s and B-25s bomb villages, AA positions and personnel areas in the Wakde Island, Maffin Bay area, and along the coast of New Guinea from Takar to Verkam Point; 40+ A-20s hit stores at Cape Wom, and targets of opportunity between But and Dagua; 130+ A-20s, P-47s, and P-39s hit hideouts and movements along the Sepik River and from the river's mouth to Cape Croisilles. MIA on a local flight is P-47D 42-22687.

NEW GUINEA: The captured airfields at Hollandia and Aitape are now in use by MacArthur's forces.

USN - Two PT Boats: PT-347 and PT-346 are caught three miles behind the enemy demarkation line off off Cape Lambert. Attacked by friendly aircraft including Corsairs from VMF 215, Hellcats from VF 34 and SBDs and TBFs, two were shot down: F4U 13307 and F6F 09012. PBYs from VP 91 rescues survivors from the two PT-boats.

1945
OKINAWA: Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage the destroyers USS Hazelwood and USS Haggard and the light minelayers USS Shannon and USS Harry F. Baurer.

PHILLIPINES: In support of ground forces on Luzon Island, fighter-bombers hit troop concentrations, supply areas, pillboxes, gun positions, vehicles, and other targets mainly in the Balete Pass, Baguio, and Echague areas and A-20s hit the New Bosoboso area, where fighters also support ground forces concentrating in the Ipo Dam area.

EAST INDIES: In Borneo, B-24s pound Kuching Airfield while B-25s bomb Tarakan. Other B-24s hit Langoan, Mandai Airfield, and Mapanget Airfields.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 12 B-25s attempting to bomb targets in the Kurile Islands abort due to a weather front. 6 B-24s radar-bomb Kataoka naval base on Shimushu.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 3 B-25s and 4 P-47s blast targets at the Taiyuan railroad yards; about 50 fighter-bombers, operating in forces of 1 to 4 aircraft, blast numerous targets of opportunity in S and E China, hitting especially the Fantung area.

BURMA: The XXXIII Corps takes Allanmyo in the Irrawaddy Valley, Burma. The series of British attacks has caused a great deal of disorganization among Japanese forces in this area. The British 17th Indian Division has captured Nyaunglebim and continuing toward Payagyi, in the Sittang Valley, Burma.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 5 P-47s attack Laihka Airfield; 6 others strafe troops and horses at Tadamo; transports fly 427 sorties to forward areas, landing or dropping 537 tons of supplies. Unit moves: 81st Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 12th BG (Medium), ceases operating from Meiktila, Burma with B-25s and returns to base at Fenny, India; 317th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, based at Kalaikunda, India with C-47s, sends a detachment to operate from Akyab, Burma.

AAFPOA VII Fighter Command: 20 Saipan Island-based P-47s sweep Truk Atoll, strafing airfields, defenses, and gun positions on Moen and Param and hit Param and Falas with rockets. Seventh Air Force: 24 Guam-based B-24s subsequently attack the same airfields as the fighters above. 20 B-24s, operating in 2 forces, pound air installations on Marcus Island in the N Pacific.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Missions 120 to 125: 111 B-29s strike airfields on Kyushu Island, Japan, i.e., Miyazaki, Miyakonojo, Kokubu, 2 at Kanoya, and Kushira Airfields; they claim nearly 30 Japanese aircraft shot down; 2 B-29s are lost.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: P-38s sweep French Indochina and strafe Thu Dau Mot Airfield. The 318th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 3d Air Commando Group, moves from Mangaldan to Laoag with C-47s.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 347, APRIL 29, 1945

A Navy Hospital Ship, USS Comfort, was attacked and heavily damaged by a Japanese aircraft about 50 miles south of Okinawa at 2058 local time on April 28 (East Longitude Date). The crashed Japanese plane which made the suicide attack is still on the Comfort. The vessel which was engaged in evacuating wounded from Okinawa suffered 29 killed, 33 seriously wounded, and 100 missing, including patients, passengers, and crew. At the time of the attack she was operating under full hospital procedure, was clearly marked and was fully lighted. She is now proceeding to port under her own power.
Elements of the Twenty Seventh Infantry Division captured the northern half of Machinato Airfield on Okinawa on April 28 as a general advance was made in the southern sector of the island. The Seventh Infantry Division secured the high ground near Kochi Village and was continuing to move southward. Corsair fighters of the Second Marine Aircraft Wing and planes from the carriers of the Pacific Fleet bombed and strafed ahead of the ad*vancing troops. The attack was supported by heavy artillery and by the guns of heavy units of the fleet.
A series of attacks involving a total of about 200 enemy aircraft were made on our forces in the Okinawa area during the afternoon of April 28 and the night of April 28‑29. Combat air patrols from escort and fast carriers of the U. S. Pacific Fleet and from the Second Marine Aircraft Wing prevented any enemy planes from penetrating to our main forces during daylight. At*tacks after nightfall and continuing until 0215 on April 29 caused some dam*age to light units of the fleet. A total of 104 enemy aircraft were destroyed by ships' guns and carrier and land‑based aircraft.
Carrier aircraft strafed targets on Kume Island west of Okinawa on April 28.
From the beginning of operations against Okinawa and surrounding islands through April 27, the Tenth Army lost 1,527 soldiers and 320 Marines killed in action. A total of 7,826 soldiers and 1,322 Marines were wounded and 413 soldiers and five Marines were missing.
Navy search aircraft of Fleet Air Wing One attacked a convoy west of Kyushu on April 27 scoring four hits with medium bombs on cargo ships. Aircraft of the same wing attacked shipping in Shimonoseki Strait with bombs and torpedoes during the night of April 28‑29. During daylight on April 29, Fleet Air Wing One planes destroyed a small cargo ship, damaged seven others, and set a picket ship afire in attacks made in the waters around Kyushu, Honshu, and the Ryukyus.
Army Mustangs of the Seventh Fighter Command strafed small craft, radio installations, and other targets in the area of the Bonins on April 29.
Corsair fighters and Avenger torpedo planes of the Fourth Marine Air*craft Wing bombed targets in the Palaus through moderate antiaircraft fire on targets April 28 and 29.
Army Liberators and Thunderbolt fighters of the Strategic Air Force bombed and strafed airfields and installations at Truk in the Carolines on April 28 and 29. On April 29 Navy search planes of Fleet Air Wing One hit the same target setting a drydock afire and sinking a ship in the harbor.

 

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1937
US General Douglas MacArthur marries Jean Marie Faircloth, in New York City. General MacArthur died in 1964. Jean MacArthur died early in 2000

1940
The new pro-German Iraqi government ordered approximately 9,000 troops to march on Habbaniya and to set up their 28 cannon in artillery positions on the surrounding plateau. There are 2,000 British troops and 9,000 civilians sheltering at the airbase.

1942
PACIFIC: Japanese carriers, Shokaku, Zuikaku and Shoho sail from Truk. They are part of Operation "MO" an amphibious assualt of Port Morseby, New Guinea.

BURMA: The bridge at Ava north of the Irrawaddy in Burma is destroyed as the British withdraw.

The Japanese capture Lashio, Burma and begin a move to drive the Chinese back along the Burma Road toward China and drive US and British forces back toward India.

PHILIPINES: Two Consolidated PBY-4 Catalinas of Patrol Squadron One Hundred One (VP-101) based at Perth, Western Australia, fly a circuitous route back to the Philippines and rescue 30 nurses from Corregidor Island.

NG: P-39's flying out of Port Moresby strafe airplanes and fuel dumps at Lae and Salamaua. Lost is P-39F 41-7128.
HQ 38th Bombardment Group (Medium) and ground echelon of 69th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) transfer from Ballarat to Amberley Field, Australia; air echelon of the 69th is still in the US with B-26's. 71st Bombardment Squadron, 38th BG(Medium), transfers from Ballarat to Batchelor Field, Australia with B-26's; first mission is 15 Sep.

1943
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) In the Aleutians, 4 B-25's, 17 P-38's, and 7 P-40's fly 4 missions to Kiska. Only the P-38's get through and blast Gertrude Cove, Main Camp, the submarine base and a ship.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force) In Burma, 16 B-25's pound the Gokteik Viaduct, damaging the N end. Four others bomb the Maymyo railroad yards. Five B-24's bomb the Sule Pagoda wharves at Rangoon. Four P-40's and a B-25 hit Mohnyin, while 6 P-4O's attack a camp S of Weshi.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) 5 B-17's bomb a bivouac area and revetments at Kahili Airfield.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) Single B-24's bomb Lae and airfields at Cape Gloucester and Gasmata.

1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 31 B-25s blast a tank concentration, bridges, supply dumps and general vicinity at Kalewa; 4 B-25s damage 2 bridges N of Yamethin. 5th Liaison Squadron, AAF, India-Burma Sector, moves from Ledo, India to Shaduzup, Burma with L-1s and L-5s; first mission is 1 May.
Japanese forces are gradually worn down in the area of Imphal, India. The food shortage is taking its toll.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): P-40s from Yungning, China knock out a bridge near Dong Mo, French Indochina and strafe railroad targets of opportunity in the area. The detachment of the 74th Fighter Squadron, 23d Fighter Group, operating from Liuchow returns to base at Kweilin, China with P-40s.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): 41 Kwajalein based B-24s bomb various targets at Wake. 11 Makin based B-25s bomb Jaluit Atoll while 8 from Engebi bomb Ponape Island.
USN Task Force 58 continues air strikes against Japanese installations in the Caroline Islands especially Truk Atoll. During this two-day attack that began yesterday, only three small ships are found in the harbor that once teemed with ships; all three are sunk. An IJN submarine is also sunk 20 miles (32 km) south of Truk by aircraft and destroyers. In the afternoon, nine heavy cruisers and eight destroyers begin a two-hour bombardment of an airfield on Satawan Island. During this two-day raid, 65 Japanese aircraft are destroyed on the ground.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 10 P-39s bomb Porton Plantations, Bougainville Island; 20+ other P-39s, in 11 sweeps, attack a variety of targets of opportunity on Buka and Bougainville Islands, including Ivituri Mission, the Kieta area and the Mamagata supply area. 30+ P-40s and P-38s bomb Vunakanau Airfield and 23 B-25s bomb Vunakambi Plantation.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, 80+ P-39s and P-47s make almost continuous attacks throughout the day against troops and supplies along Hansa Bay; 40+ A-20s and B-25s bomb Wewak and nearby plantation; B-24s hit Noemfoor with a light raid; B-24 reconnaissance flights over the Manokwari area and Geelvink Bay result in claims of 6 Japanese interceptors shot down. P-70s hit targets of opportunity on the W shore of Hansa Bay . 23 B-24s of the Thirteenth Air Task Force bomb Woleai Atoll. Lost is F-5 42-67383.

1945
OKINAWA: Japanese counterattacks and other movements on the Shuri Line are defeated on Okinawa. The Maeda and Kochi Ridge positions are the scenes of heavy fighting. The 1st Marine Division and the 77th Division US Army take over from the 27th and 96th Divisions.

Off Okinawa, the light minelayer USS J. William Ditter is damaged during an air raid while kamikazes damage minelayer USS Terror and the U.S. freighter SS S. Hall Young. A kamikaze plane hits the hospital ship USS Comfort, killing eleven medical staff and 30 of the wounded. This is the third attack on medical vessels.

PHILLIPINES: Numerous missions are flown over Luzon and Negros Islands by B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers in support of the ground forces. B-24s attack the Davao area on Mindanao.

EAST INDIES: In Borneo, P-38s hit Tarakan and B-24s bomb Manggar Airfield. Other B-24s bomb Malimpoeng Airfield on Celebes Island.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 6 B-25s and 9 P-47s hit railroad yards at Taiyuan; 50+ P-47s, P-51s, and P-40s attack troops, defensive positions, bridges, rail targets, and scattered targets of opportunity in S and E China, concentrating around Laohokow, Hsihhsiassuchi, and Loning.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, bad weather cancels scheduled combat strikes; air supply operations to forward areas continue on a steady basis.

AAFPOA VII Fighter Command: In a thorough strafing and rocket strike on several islands of Truk Atoll, 20 P-47s from Saipan Island attack the seaplane base, several small vessels, the airfield, barracks, radio station, and numerous other targets. Long range mission 7: 104 P-51s escort B-29s to hit the Tachikawa air depot claiming 0-1-0 Japanese aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost. HQ 318th FG and the 19th, 73d and 333d Fighter Squadrons move from Saipan to Ie Shima with P-38s.

Seventh Air Force: 24 B-24s from Guam pound the airfields on Moen and Param. 22 B-24s, operating in 2 waves about 3 hours apart, bomb air installations on Marcus in the N Pacific.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Seven missions are flown. Mission 126: 69 B-29s hit the Tachikawa air depot; 25 others hit targets of opportunity. The escort is 104 P-51s. Missions 127 to 132: 56 B-29s hit airfields at Kokubu, Oita, Tomitaka, Saeki, and 2 at Kanoya and the city of Hamamatsu; 2 other B-29s hit targets of opportunity; the B-29s claim 10 aircraft downed.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-24s hit the Toshien fuel storage and bomb Tainan, Takao, and Okayama Airfields while B-25s hit Taito; escorting P-38s attack numerous targets of opportunity; and P-51s bomb Okayama Airfield. The 157th and 160th Liaison Squadrons (Commando), 3d Air Commando Group, move from Calasio to Mabalacat, Luzon with UC-64s and L-5s (the 160th has a detachment operating from Mindoro Island).

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 348, APRIL 30, 1945

Machinato Airfield on Okinawa was captured by troops of the Twenty-*Seventh Infantry Division on April 29 (East Longitude Date). Behind aerial bombing, Naval gunfire and heavy artillery preparation, troops of the Ninety Sixth Infantry Division in the center were advancing southward over hill terrain. Seventh Division infantrymen were driving toward the ridges southeast of Kochi Village.
On April 29, several groups of enemy aircraft attacked our forces in the area of Okinawa. A total of 29 planes were shot down by our fighters and by ship and shore antiaircraft fire. In addition combat air patrols of the Fast Carrier Task Forces shot down 21 planes near our surface units on April 29 and four more on April 30.
Carrier aircraft from the Pacific Fleet attacked landing craft, a coastal ship, fuel dumps, barracks and airfield installations on Tokuno, Amami and

407

Kikai Islands, in the Ryukyus on April 29 and 30. Five enemy aircraft were burned on the ground.
Search aircraft of Fleet Air Wing One bombed two small cargo ships in the Ryukyus Area on April 29 leaving one in sinking condition and an*other burning badly. On the same date, planes of the same Wing set three small cargo ships afire in the East China Sea.
Search planes of Fleet Air Wing One on April 30 destroyed a small cargo ship and damaged dry dock installations, a coastal vessel, a patrol craft and a number of small craft in the area of Kyushu. Aircraft of the same Wing sank three small cargo ships near Kozu Island south of Tokyo and a number of fishing craft off the south coast of Honshu. On the same date search Air*craft of the same Wing sank a number of small craft in Truk Harbor in the Carolines and destroyed six barges at Woleai.
Buildings, gun emplacements and radar Installations on Minami Cape, Shimushu in the Northern Kuriles, were attacked with rockets and machine gun fire by Search Aircraft of Fleet Air Wing Four on April 29.
Helldiver bombers of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing made neutralizing raids on enemy bases in the Marshalls on April 29. Aircraft of the same Wing attacked targets in the Palaus on the following day.

 

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1940
CHINA: Japanese troops advance from Xinyang, China, thrusting towards the Yangtze River

1941
IRAQ: Iraqi forces attack British forces at Rutba west of Baghdad.

1942
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): X Air Service Command is activated under command of Brigadier General Elmer E Adler.

AUSTRALIA - P-39 Airacobras on a ferry flight from Townsville via Cooktown to Port Moresby. They ran into a heavy storm near Horn Island and force landed. Lost are P-39D 41-6951, P-39F 41-7215, P-39F 41-7216 and P-39 piloted by Love.

BURMA: Mandalay, Burma falls to the Japanese.

PACIFIC: The US submarine USS Grenadier sinks the Soviet freighter SS Angarstroi about 90 miles WSW of Nagasaki, Japan.

The following account is based on heavily censored memoirs published in Soviet magazine Technica-Molodyozhi some 20 years ago.
On 19 April shortly after 1000, the cargo ship ANGARSTROI carrying 7,555 ts sugar from San Francisco to Vladivostok encountered a major Japanese task force including "4 BBs, 4 large DDs and 6 regular DDs". To save coal, the Russian skipper (author of the aforementioned memoirs) had decided to take a shortcut through the Japanese war zone; his position at that moment was recorded as 30-00'N, 135-20'E.
After a search the first boarding party instructed ANGARSTROI was instructed to proceed. A second boarding party took command of the ship and proceeded to Kushimoto for further search. The Angarstroi departed Kushimoto on April 30.
On 1 May at 2225 she was torpedoed by an "unidentified submarine" in position 31-55'N, 127-42'E. After 2 hits to port side she went down without sending a distress signal. None of her crew or passengers was killed, although the third torpedo passed right between one of the lowered lifeboats and the ship hull. 4.5 hrs later they were picked up by Japanese merchant KOYA MARU bound for Shanghai where the Russians were released. Vanzetti made it home without any troubles. The issue of sinking the Angarstroi was brought up again during the Tokyo trial in 1946 where the Soviets presented it together with 2 other vessels sunk under similar circumstances.

1943
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eleventh Air Force) In the Aleutians, 16 attack missions on Kiska and Attu are flown by 16 B-24's, 15 B-25's, 35 P-38's, 38 P-40's, and 4 F-5A's. Kiska targets include the Main Camp, hangar, submarine base (where a fire is started), runway, radar, ship, North Head, AA guns and Gertrude Cove. Attu targets include E Attu, Holtz Bay and Chichagof Harbor installations.

CBI CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) In China, the forward echelon of the Fourteenth Air Force, under Colonel Clinton D Vincent and Lieutenant Colonel David L ("Tex") Hill, moves into E China along the Hengyang-Kweilin line. This brings US aircraft within range of all major Japanese-held bases from N China to Indochina and Thailand, and makes shipping in the China Sea more vulnerable to US air strikes.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-24's bomb the landing strip at Nabire and hit a vessel in Manokwari harbor.

1944
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): A single weather sortie is flown.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 18 P-38s and Royal Air Force (RAF) Vengeances hit troop positions and supply dumps; 7 P-40s over the Mogaung Valley hit Kamaing and attack positions N of Nanyaseik; 30+ B-24s bomb Maymyo, Mandalay marshalling yard, and oil facilities at Yenangyaung. Moves in India: 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Tenth Air Force attached to 5320th Air Defense Wing (Provisional), based at Kisselbari with P-40s, sends a detachment to Dinjan; 89th Fighter Squadron, 80th Fighter Group, based at Nagaghuli with P-40s, sends a detachment to Mokelbaria during May.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 92 P-40s hit targets over wide areas of S China, Burma and French Indochina; in Burma, the fighter-bombers knock out a bridge at Wan Lai-Kam and pound a motor pool at Wan Pa-Hsa; in China, they strafe the railroad station and airfield at Yuncheng; in French Indochina, they damage 3 bridges and hit numerous boxcars at Bac Le, Dinh Ca, and Dong Mo, bomb carbide mines at Loc Binh and strafe railroad yards at Dong Dang and Na Cham. In China, 7 B-25s and 8 P-40s bomb Tangyang Airfield and nearby cavalry post; 2 B-25s over Amoy claim a small freighter sunk; and 15 enemy aircraft bomb airstrips at Ankang and Hengyang. During May, 16th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, based at Chengkung, China with P-40s, sends a detachment to Yunnani; the 26th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, based at Kunming, China with P-40s, sends a detachment to Liangshan.

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Twentieth Air Force): By this date all 4 B-29 fields in the Chengtu, China area are open to B-29 traffic.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): Shore-based Air Force Forward Area (Task Force 59) is activated to control all USAAF, US Navy (USN), and US Marine Corps (USMC) shore based aircraft in the C Pacific forward area; the command is headed by Major General Willis H Hale, former Commanding General of the Seventh Air Force. B-25s from Makin bomb Jaluit Atoll, Marshall Islands.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 24 B-24s over the Borpop area attack coastal guns; 40+ fighter-bombers and 30 USN dive bombers pound Vunakambi Plantation. 38 P-39s, flying 18 different missions, hit a variety of targets on SW Bougainville Island, Solomon Islands, including missions at Tinputs, Koromira and Tsimba, Hongorai River crossing, Numa Numa bridge and huts at Aravia and Kunagaupau.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 180+ B-25s, A-20s, and fighters pound the Wewak and Hansa Bay areas throughout the day. Numerous coastline targets are hit, including airfields, vehicles, communications, villages, AA positions, bivouacs, supplies, barges and offshore islands. HQ 86th Fighter Wing arrives at Finschhafen from the US; and during May, HQ 310th Bombardment Wing (Medium) moves from Gusap to Hollandia. B-24s of the Thirteenth Air Task Force hit Woleai and Eauriprik Atolls, Caroline Islands.

1945

PHILLIPINES: FEAF continues to support ground forces on Luzon and Negros Islands.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 1 B-24 flies a weather reconnaissance mission over the Kurile Islands.

ZONE OF INTERIOR (Second Air Force): The detachment of the 4th Photographic Charting Squadron, 311th Photographic Wing (Mapping and Charting) [attached to 4th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance)] operating in Australia with F-7s, returns to base at Hollandia, New Guinea (the squadron is mapping areas of the SW Pacific).

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): During May the Japanese decide to give up their Greater E Asia Corridor and withdraw from S China; the Fourteenth AF further concentrates its attacks on rail and road movements and river shipping and thus plays a major role in critically reducing the enemy's mobility and supply lines. In China, 2 B-25s and 16 P-51s knock out bridges near Taiku and Kiehsiu and hit AA positions and locomotives near the bridges, blast gun emplacements in the Loning area, and hit several locomotives, near Shihkiachwang. Lieutenant General Albert C Wedemeyer, Commanding General US Forces China Theater, selects Lieutenant General George E Stratemeyer to command HQ AAF China Theater, with both HQ Tenth and Fourteenth AFs under his command. During May, the detachment of the 449th Fighter Squadron, 51st FG, operating from Posek, China with P-38s, returns to base at Chengkung.

BURMA: British forces in the Sittang Valley, Burma approach Pegu. There are also paratroop landings on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River with the intention of taking Rangoon, Burma.

BORNEO: General Whitehead and 18,000 troops of the 26th Australian Brigade land on
Borneo. On Borneo, B-24s support Australian landings on Tarakan Island and bomb Tawau and B-25s attack Jesselton, Tarakan, Sandakan, and Kudat, concentrating on airfields

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): Unit moves: 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, from Myitkyina, Burma to Piardoba, India with F-5s; the detachment of the 317th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, operating from Akyab Airfield with C-47s, to base at Kalaikunda, India.

AAFPOA Seventh Air Force): 16 Guam based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus in the N Pacific while 10 hit air installations on Param; during the night 9 more, flying individual snooper strikes, hit airfields on Param and Moen. VII Fighter Command: The 6th Night Fighter Squadron, VII Fighter Command, departs Kagman Field, Saipan Island, Mariana Islands for Kipapa, Hawaii with P-61s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-25s hit the Heito sugar refinery and the town of Kagi. HQ 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group moves from Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon. Unit moves during May: HQ 309th Bombardment Wing from San Marcelino to Lingayen Airfield; 7th Combat Cargo Squadron, 2d Combat Cargo Group from Biak to Dulag; the detachment of the 160th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 3d Air Commando Group, ceases operating from Mindoro with UC-64s and L-5s and returns to base at Mabalacat, Luzon.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 349, MAY 1, 1945

Troops of the Seventh Infantry Division continued to advance in the eastern sector of the lines on Okinawa on April 30 (East Longitude Date). By mid‑afternoon advance elements of the division had entered the village of Kuhazu. Local gains were made along the remainder of the front. The at*tack of the infantry was supported by heavy naval gunfire, heavy artillery and carrier and land‑based aircraft. A few enemy planes were In the area of Okinawa on April 30. One medium sized ship was damaged.
Aircraft from escort carriers attacked air installations in the Sakishima group on April 30. Reports of the strike on these islands by escort carrier planes on April 29 reveal that ammunition dumps were exploded, radio facili*ties and barracks were hit and several planes were destroyed on the ground.
Search planes of Fleet Air Wing One bombed and strafed radio installa*tions on Kuro and Kuchino Islands in the northern Ryukyus on April 30. An enemy plane was destroyed on the ground at Kuchino. On the following day aircraft of this wing sank a cargo ship and damaged another in the East China Sea; sank a small cargo ship off the southern coast of Shikoku; and destroyed a small cargo ship at Miyake Island, south of Tokyo.
On April 30, Army Mustangs of the Seventh Fighter Command, escorted heavy bombers of the Twenty‑First Bomber Command over Tokyo, probably shot down one enemy plane and strafed three picket boats off the coast leaving them afire and dead in the water. Iwo based Mustangs on May 1, bombed and strafed military installations on Chichi Jima in the Bonins.
Mitchells of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing damaged a large cargo ship with rockets north of the Bonins on April 30. Corsair and Hellcat fighters end Avenger torpedo planes of this wing bombed enemy islands in the Palaus on May 1.
Army Thunderbolt fighters of the Seventh Air Force shot down a four engine seaplane over Truk in the Carolines on April 30 and swept the sea*plane base and harbor with rocket fire sinking one small craft and damaging two others. Army Liberators of the same force followed the attack with heavy bombing of the airfields on Moen and Param Islands. Marcus Island was bombed by Seventh Air Force Liberators on the same date.
Eleventh Army Air Force Liberators bombed Kataoka naval base on Shimushu on April 30. On the same date, installations on Kokutan Cape on the same island, were attacked by search planes of Fleet Air Wing Four.

 

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1941
IRAQ: Opposition to continued British landings at Basrah, Iraq result in unrest, sniping and rioting.

USA: Admiral Ernest J. King assumes command of the USN's Atlantic Fleet.

1942
GAUDALCANAL: The Australian garrison at Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands is evacuated.
The Japanese 3rd Kure Special Landing Force lands on Florida Island in the Solomon Islands. This landing is part of Operation "MO."
[Florida Island is just east of Tulagi, which is 20 miles east of Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands. There were no Japanese troops on Florida by August 7, 1942]

PHILIPINES: The US river gunboat USS Mindanao is scuttled off South Harbor, Corregidor Island, Philippine Islands.

AUSTRALIA: 8th Photographic Squadron, 5th Air Force transfers from Brisbane to Townsville, Australia with F-4's; first mission is 16 Apr. After a bombing mission to Rabaul, lost is B-26 40-1426.

1943
ALASKA: In the Aleutians, 6 B-25's, 8 P-40's, and 8 P-38's fly bombing, photographic and attack missions to Kiska. Targets include North Head, South Head and buildings and AA gun batteries on Gertrude Cove. On Attu Island in the Aleutians, an attempt to capture Jarmin Pass is made by a combined attack of the Northern and Southern Landing Forces. The Southern Force will attempt to inch forward up Massacre Valley while the Northern Force will attempt to drive the Japanese off the reverse slope of Hill X, continue on to seize Moore Ridge and then take Jarmin Pass from the rear. Each attack quickly bogs down. In the north, the Provisional Scout Battalion which has been pinned down since landing in Austin Cove on D-Day, remains pinned down. The second arm of the Northern Force also is unable to move forward because the 3d Battalion, 32d Infantry Regiment does not reach its assault position in time. Major General Albert E. Brown, Commanding General 7th Infantry Division, calls off the attack and in a report to higher headquarters that evening, states that "progress through passes will, unless we are extremely lucky, be slow and costly, and will require troops in excess to those now available to my command."
USAAF support is hampered by poor weather. The air-ground liaison B-24 flies reconnaissance and photo reconnaissance over Attu throughout the day while another B-24, carrying supplies for the ground forces, hits a mountain side 10 miles (16 km) west of the drop zone. Ground support missions over Attu are flown by six B-24s and five B-25s while two P-40s bomb Kiska Island through the overcast. The USN continues gunfire support for the American troops.

CBI CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) In China, 17 P-40's intercept 30-40 fighters near Lingling and in a running battle to just N of Changsha claim at least 7 Zekes downed. One P-40 is shot down.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) In the Solomons, B-17's on harassing strikes hit the Rekata Bay area and Munda Airfield. P-38's and P-39's join Navy aircraft in pounding the runway area at Munda.

AUSTRALIA: Japanese aircraft bomb Darwin.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) In Timor, B-25's bomb Penfoei. In New Guinea, other B-25's unsuccessfully attack a vessel off Toeal. A single B-17 bombs dock area at Finschhafen.

1944
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 3 B-24s claim 2 freighters sunk in the S end of Formosa Straits.

EASTERN AIR COMMAND (EAC): Troop Carrier Command, until this date a major subordinate component of EAC, is placed under Third Tactical Air Force, another EAC component.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s, staging through Eniwetok and Kwajalein, bomb Truk Atoll, Caroline Islands, during the night. During the day B-25s based on Makin hit Jaluit and Wotje Atolls, Marshall Islands, using Majuro as a shuttle base to rearm between strikes. B-25s from Engebi pound Ponape.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On Bougainville Island, 22 P-39s bomb a village N of Kieta, airstrip and buildings of Koromira and Rigu Missions and 8 P-40s also hit the Kieta area. On New Britain Island, fighter sweeps over the Rabaul area continue; fighter-bombers hit the Vunakambi Plantation supply area with incendiaries and B-25s pound the Talili area.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, 140+ A-20s and fighter-bombers hit bridges, barges, gun positions, roads, personnel, supplies, huts and tent areas from Wewak to Hansa Bay throughout the day; 2 B-25s bomb airfields at Wewak and Boram; 8 others hit Wakde Island oil stores, huts, AA positions, trucks, and other targets of opportunity; and the airfield on Biak Island is bombed by 2 B-24s.

1945
PHILLIPINES: B-24s and P-51s pound troops near Ipo Dam while B-25s, A-20s, and fighters hit Cagayan Valley targets; FEAF strikes in support of ground forces continue on Luzon and on Cebu.

BORNEO: B-25s continue support for Australian troops on Tarakan and, in conjunction with US Navy aircraft bomb Kudat Airfield.

BURMA: Operation Dracula, the capture of Rangoon, Burma, which began with a paratroop drop yesterday continues. The British 26th Indian Division lands for a naval TF which includes 6 escort carriers and BB Queen Elizabeth and Richelieu.
The British IV Corps north of Rangoon at Pagu complete the liberation of Rangoon.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 5 B-24s mine areas of the Yangtze River; 20+ B-25s and about 130 fighter-bombers attack communications targets and supply lines and hit a large variety of targets of opportunity throughout S and E China as the air campaign accelerates with the aim of disrupting the imminent withdrawal of the Japanese and the abandonment of their Greater E Asia Corridor.

AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: 12 B-24s from Guam pound the airfield on Param while 21, flying in 2 forces, hit airfields and gun positions on Marcus in the N Pacific. During the night of 2/3 May, 9 more B-24s make individual harassment bombings on Param, Moe, and Tol Island. VII Fighter Command: 12 Iwo Jima based P-51s strike a radio station on Chichi Jima.

N. D. COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 594, MAY 2, 1945
Far Eastern Waters.

1. U. S. submarines have reported the sinking of 21 enemy vessels, includ*ing two combatant ships‑a destroyer and an escort vessel‑in operations against the enemy in these waters, as follows:

1 destroyer
1 escort vessel
1 destroyer transport
2 medium cargo transports
2 small cargo vessels
12 medium cargo vessels
1 large tanker
1 medium tanker

2. These actions have not been announced in any pervious Navy Depart*ment communiqué.


CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 350, MAY 2, 1945

The Seventh Infantry Division which captured Kuhazu Village during the late afternoon of April 30 continued to advance southward on Okinawa on May 1 (East Longitude Dates). No substantial change was made in other sectors of the lines where our troops were under enemy artillery, mortar and small arms fire. On May 2, ships' guns destroyed a number of enemy emplace*ments, strong points, and boat pens and carrier and land based aircraft bombed enemy defenses. The Infantry resumed the attack during the hours of dark*ness on the morning of May 2 and elements of the Seventh Division moved 1,400 yards forward to the vicinity of Gaja Hill, approximately one mile north of the town of Yonabaru. Tanks and flame throwers were being em*ployed to develop this salient. The Seventy‑Seventh Infantry Division and the First Marine Division launched an attack in the center and on the right flank and were moving forward during the morning of May 2.
Targets on Kume Island, west of Okinawa and in the Sakishima Group In the Southern Ryukyus, were attacked by aircraft of the U. S. Pacific Fleet on May 2.
Search Aircraft of Fleet Air Wing One sank a medium transport south of Korea on May 1. On the following day, planes of this Wing sank two small cargo ships off the coast of Central Honshu and one oft the coast of Kyushu. Two small cargo ships were damaged near Honshu and a number of fishing and small craft were struck off Kyushu on the same date.
Army Mustangs of the Seventh Fighter Command bombed and strafed radio installations and other targets in the Bonins on May 2.
Liberators of the Seventh Army Air Force bombed Param Airfield at Truk and the airstrip and air facilities at Marcus Island on May 1 and 2.
Corsair and Hellcat fighters and Avenger torpedo planes of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing bombed targets in the Palaus and on Yap in the West*ern Carolines on May 2.
Neutralizing attacks were made on enemy bases in the Marshalls by Search Planes of Fleet Air Wing Two on May 1.

 

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1942
GUADALACANAL: Japanese land at Tulagi in the Solomon Islands. They intend to set up a seaplane base in the harbor.

PHILIPINES: In the Philippines during the night of 3 May, the submarine USS Spearfish (SS-190) slips into Manila Bay and picks up 27 Army and Navy officers, including nurses, from Corregidor Island to be evacuated to Fremantle, Western Australia. She is the last American submarine to visit Corregidor before the island is surrendered.
Japanese troops land on the north coast of Mindanao Island in the Philippines.

PG: 5th AF - P-39s intercept Japanese aicraft over Port Moresby. Lost is P-39D 41-6956.

1943
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) In the Aleutians, 5 B-24's, 6 B-25's, 8 P-38's, 2 P-40's and 2 F-5A's take off on 2 Kiska and Attu missions. Missions to Kiska abort due to weather. At Attu targets include Chichagof Harbor, AA positions at Holtz Bay, and a floatplane. The 36th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 28th Composite Group with B-24's transfers from Fort Greeley on Kodiak Island to Amchitka Island.

CBI CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) In French Indochina, 18 B-24's bomb dock installations, coal yards, and oil storage area at Samah on Hainan Island; 9 B-25's pound docks at Haiphong; 19 P-40's escort B-17's and B-25's to Hanoi and then proceed with B-25's to Haiphong and strafe the target area following the bombing strike.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) B-17's fly snooper strikes during the night of 3/4 May against Vila Airfield and the Rekata Bay area. P-40's join Navy aircraft in a strike on Vangavanga.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) In New Guinea, B-24's bomb Babo and the town area, harbor, and shipping at Wewak. In the Bismarck Archipelago, single B-24's hit barges off the N coast of New Britain.

1944
CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 7 Chinese-American Composite Wing (CACW) B-25s bomb the Mihsien town area and also hit numerous vehicles and troops NE of Mihsien, between Yochou and Hsuchang, at Chihsien and N of Yenling; the B-25s also strafe the town of Hsiangcheng; 4 B-25s and 8 P-40s pound storage area at Tangyang airfield; 10 CACW P-40s score 11 direct hits on a bridge over the Yellow River NW of Chenghsien, and destroy 15 trucks and many troops between Loyang and Luchou. In French Indochina, 10 other P-40s on armed reconnaissance sink 9 sampans near Cat Ba Island, knock out a bridge at Bac Le, damage another at Kep, and pound Na Cham railroad yards.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s from Kwajalein Atoll bomb Wotje Atoll while others, based at Makin strike both Jaluit and Wotje Atolls, using Majuro as a rearming base between raids.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On Bougainville Island, 8 P-39s bomb buildings at Monoitu; 17 others, in the course of 6 missions, hit targets of opportunity, including Japanese-occupied huts and buildings at Toiemonapu, Tinputs and Sisiruai, and bivouacs at Tarlena, Ratsua and Mawareka. On New Britain Island, 24 B-25s bomb Kulon Plantation and a personnel concentration to the NE. Allied fighter sweeps over the N Solomons and the Bismarck Archipelago continue. P-40s returning from the New Britain Island area bomb Pororan, Bougainville Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 72 B-24s, B-25s and A-20s thoroughly blast Wewak and Boram Airfield in a single raid; about 120 A-20s, B-25s and fighter-bombers, operating throughout the day, hit the Wewak and Hansa Bay areas, including targets at Nubia, Uligan, Mushu Island, Wewak and Boram. Lost is A-20G 43-9436. Airfields at Maffin Bay are bombed by B-25s. 7th and 8th Fighter Squadrons, 49th Fighter Group, from Finschhafen and Gusap respectively to Hollandia with P-40s; 65th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier Group, based at Nadzab with C-47s, begins operating from Tadji.

JAPAN: Admiral Toyoda is named Commander in Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet. This appointment is to replace Admiral Koga who was killed in an air accident on March 31.

1945
PHILLIPINES: B-24s and P-51s pound the Ipo area while A-20s and fighters support ground forces. Davao City is taken by the US 27th Division.

OKINAWA: The IJA start a large scale counterattack on Okinawa; however, their artillery gives away their positions in support of this action and are taken out. Previously they had remained quiet.
Off Okinawa, kamikazes sink the destroyer USS Little and a medium landing ship (LSM); kamikazes also damage the destroyer USS Bache, the high-speed minesweeper USS Macomb, the light minelayer USS Aaron Ward and a large support landing craft (LCS). A Japanese assault demolition boat damages the cargo ship USS Carina.

BORNEO: In Borneo, B-25s continue support of ground forces on Tarakan and, with B-24s, carry out small raids against numerous targets on Borneo and Celebes, Manggar Airfield is heavily hit by B-24s and P-38s and USN airplanes hit warehouses in the Brunei Bay area.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 9 B-25s and 6 fighter- bombers attack truck convoys in the Hsiang River Valley and near Paoching, Changsha, and Hengyang, and pound railroad targets of opportunity and bridges in the Taiku, Singtai, and Linfen areas; 90+ fighter-bombers attack troops, town areas, ammunition dumps, river shipping and other targets of opportunity over wide areas of S and E China.

BURMA: Prome, Burma is liberated by the British XXXIII Corps. Rangoon, Burma is captured by Allied forces.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): With the fall of Rangoon, Burma on this date (Indian 26 Division elements occupy the city), the war against the Japanese in Burma is successfully concluded; pockets of resistance remain W of the Irrawaddy River and between that river and the Mandalay-Pegu, Thailand railway however, during May AAF operations are reduced drastically due to the lack of suitable air targets and because of the onset of bad weather preceding the monsoon. The Tenth AF is withdrawn from combat and moved back to India (see 15 May 45); 1 squadron of P-38s remains in Burma to patrol the roads leading into China. Unit moves: 88th Fighter Squadron, 80th Fighter Group, from Myitkyina, Burma to Moran, India with P-47s; the detachment of the 156th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, operating from Myitche with UC-64s and L-5s, to Magwe, Burma; the 317th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, based at Kalaikunda, India with C-47s, sends a detachment to operate from Comilla, India.

AAFPOA: The 163d Liaison Squadron, AAFPOA (attached to Tenth Army), arrives on Okinawa Island from Saipan Island with UC-64s and L-5s. Seventh Air Force: 10 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb airfields and targets of opportunity on several islands of Truk Atoll; during the night of 3/4 May, 8 more separately strike Param, Eten, and Moen and Truk airfields.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 7 missions are flown. Missions 127 to 132: 59 B-29s bomb airfields at Tachiarai, Miyazaki, Miyakonojo, Kokubu and 2 at Kanoya; 5 others hit targets of opportunity; they claim 10 Japanese fighters; 1 B-29 is lost.
Phase II of Operation STARVATION, the aerial mining of Shimonoseki Strait, Japan by B-29s, begins. Mission 133: On this night, 88 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and the Inland Sea during the night of 3/4 May; 3 others mine other waters in Shimonoseki Strait and the waters off Kobe, Osaka and Suo Nada.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Saigon, French Indochina is bombed by B-24s, which greatly damage a boatyard and oil storage areas. The 63d Troop Carrier Squadron, 403d Troop Carrier Group, moves from Biak to Dulag with C-47s.

PACIFIC: The Submarine USS Lagarto, CO Frank D. Latta, is sunk by a Japanese minelayer in the Gulf of Siam. All hands lost.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 351, MAY 3, 1945

The Tenth Army resumed the attack in Southern Okinawa on May 3, (East Longitude Date), meeting artillery, mortar and small arms fire from the enemy's fortified line. The First Marine Division made a limited advance in its zone of action while other sectors remained stable. The attack was supported by ships' guns and aircraft.
In the early evening hours of May 3, four small groups of enemy aircraft attacked our shipping off the coast of Okinawa inflicting some damage on our forces and sinking two light units. Seventeen enemy aircraft were destroyed.
Planes from escort carriers of the U. S. Pacific Fleet continued neutraliz*ing attacks on airfields and air installations in the Sakishima group on May 2.
As of May 2, according to the most recent reports available, 1,131 officers and men of the U. S. Pacific Fleet had been killed in action in the Okinawa operation and associated operations against Japan. A total of 2,816 were wounded and 1,604 were missing. All figures are preliminary and incomplete.
Search Privateers of Fleet Air Wing One destroyed three twin‑engine planes on the ground, damaged locomotive and set numerous fires in a low level attack on Kanoya Airfield, Kyushu, during the early evening of May 3. Planes of the same wing probably sank a small cargo ship off the coast of Central Honshu on the same date.
Planes of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing bombed targets in the Palaus and strafed installations on Sonsoral Island, southwest of the Palaus on May 3. On the same date dive-bombers of this wing struck the airstrip at Yap. Neutralizing attacks were carried out on enemy bases in the Marshalls by Marine aircraft on the previous day.
A search Privateer of Fleet Air Wing Two bombed barracks and shops on Wake Island on May 2.

CINCPOA PRESS RELEASE NO. 89, MAY 3, 1945

Among the ships of the British Pacific Fleet which engaged in operations against the islands of the Sakishima Group during the period March 26 to April 20 were the following fleet aircraft carriers

HMS Indomitable
HMS Indefatigable
HMS Victorious

 

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1941
The Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Robert Menzies, paid a glowing tribuute to British womanhood in a speech broadcast today. he praised "the courage, the action, the endurance of Britain's women. Wherever I go I see them and I marvel at them. Is it possible to believe that not long ago we called them 'the weaker sex'?"

1942
SOLOMONS: Aircraft from the USS Yorktown attack Japanese Naval forces off Tulagi in the Solomon Islands.
Amplifying the above:
This is the first day of the Battle of the Coral Sea. Beginning at 0845 hours local, aircraft of the Yorktown Air Group, in the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5), attack the Japanese Tulagi Invasion Force off Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands. The 28 Douglas SBD Dauntlesses of Bombing Squadron Five (VB-5) and Scouting Squadron Five (VS-5), 12 Douglas TBD Devastators of Torpedo Squadron Five (VT-5), escorted by Grumman F4F Wildcats of Fighting Squadron Forty Two (VF-42), sink a Japanese destroyer, a minesweeper and two auxiliary minesweepers and damage a destroyer, a minelayer, a transport and a cargo ship in and around
Tulagi.
In another phase of Operation "MO," a Japanese invasion force bound for Port Moresby, New Guinea departs Rabaul on New Britain Island in the Bismarck Archipelago. A IJN task force consisting of the aircraft carriers HIJMS Shokaku and HIJMS Zuikaku is also in the area and is sighted by the crew of a USAAF North American B-25 Mitchell. The crew reports the ship's position but is driven off by IJN carrier-based aircraft and is unable to regain the contact.
Amplifying the above:
And in a finale for the day two F4F pilots from VF-42 shot dow three F1M2 (later code named 'Pete') floatplanes near Tulagi. AFAIK this was the first encounter of the ubiquitous 'Pete' by USN carrier based aircraft. Joining up with the other two F4Fs of their division they then attacked the destroyer YUZUKI off the coast of Guadalcanal in a series of strafing runs, killing 10 men (including the captain) and wounding 20 more. Incendiary rounds started fires and AP rounds punched numerous holes through the hull. The YUZUKI limped back Rabaul trailing oil.

PHILIPINES: The Japanese bombardment of Corregidor becomes intense in preparation for the eventual landings.

BURMA: Akyab, Burma is evacuated by the British. The Chinese are defeated at Tating on the Burma River and at Bhano on the Irrawaddy River.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): HQ 35th Pursuit Group is transferred without personnel and equipment from New Delhi, India to Sydney, Australia.

NG 5th AF: B-26's bomb Vunakanau. P-39's and B-17's hit the airfield at Lae. HQ 27th BG and 16th, 17th and 91st Bombardment Squadrons transfer without personnel and equipment from Batchelor Field and Charters Towers, Australia to Hunter Field, Savannah, Georgia. The units will be remanned and equipped and fight in the Mediterranean.

1943
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force) In the Aleutians, 5 B-24's, 6 B-25's, 8 P-38's, 2 P-40's and 2 F-5A's take off on 2 Kiska and Attu missions. Missions to Kiska abort due to weather. At Attu targets include Chichagof Harbor, AA positions at Holtz Bay, and a floatplane. The 36th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 28th Composite Group with B-24's transfers from Fort Greeley on Kodiak Island to Amchitka Island.

CBI CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) In French Indochina, 18 B-24's bomb dock installations, coal yards, and oil storage area at Samah on Hainan Island; 9 B-25's pound docks at Haiphong; 19 P-40's escort B-17's and B-25's to Hanoi and then proceed with B-25's to Haiphong and strafe the target area following the bombing strike.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) B-17's fly snooper strikes during the night of 3/4 May against Vila Airfield and the Rekata Bay area. P-40's join Navy aircraft in a strike on Vangavanga.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) In New Guinea, B-24's bomb Babo and the town area, harbor, and shipping at Wewak. In the Bismarck Archipelago, single B-24's hit barges off the N coast of New Britain.

1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, a single B-24 bombs Akyab; 12 B-25s damage a bridge at Kalemyo and bomb Tiddim; 24 B-24s bomb Mandalay marshalling yard and barracks and the general area at Maymyo; 2 P-51s knock out a bypass bridge near Shweli.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 8 P-40s hit gun positions at Pailochi; 2 B-25s strafe 12 sampans between Hong Kong and the Luichow Peninsula, killing many soldiers on board.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): 12 B-25s, based at Makin pound Jaluit and Wotje, using Majuro as a shuttle base for rearming between the strikes. 39 B-24s from Kwajalein and Eniwetok hit Ponape. Lost is B-24J "Heaven Can Wait" 42-73496.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 24 B-25s bomb the Talili Bay area; 43 fighter-bombers hit Vunakanau Airfield; Allied fighter sweeps over the Bismarck Archipelago continue. 38 P-39s, flying 18 missions, hit several targets on Bougainville, including buildings at Sovele, Tinputs, the Reboine Bay area, Monoitu and in the area N of Taki; targets of opportunity in the Koromira area are also attacked.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 26 B-24s of the Thirteenth Air Task Force bomb Mokmer Airfield; 60+ B-24s, B-25s, A-20s and P-47s pound airfields, road, bridges, shipping, barges and other targets in the Wewak area; A-20s attack bridges over the Awar River and targets of opportunity in the Hansa Bay area while fighter-bombers hit targets of opportunity in the Ramu River Valley and on the Hansa Bay coast. Force landed is B-17E "War Horse" 41-24548

USA: Most cuts of meat are removed from rationing in the US. Steaks and other choice cuts for roasting remain rationed.

1945
PHILLIPINES: B-25s bomb the Tuguegarao area on Luzon Island while other B-25s, A-20s, and fighter- bombers, in spite of bad weather, support ground forces in N and S Luzon and on Negros Island. P-38s pound Itu Aba Island, China.

OKINAWA: The British carrier HMS FORMIDABLE is damaged by a kamikaze attack off the Sakishima Islands. The carrier HMS VICTORIOUS is struck later in the day. There is little damage as the 'Kikusai' hit the carriers' armoured decks.

Off Okinawa, kamikazes sink the destroyers USS Luce and USS Morrison and two medium landing craft (LSMs); the kamikazes also damage the aircraft carrier HMS Formidable; light cruiser USS Birmingham; escort aircraft carrier USS Sangamon; destroyers USS Ingraham, USS Cowell and USS Lowry; light minelayer USS Gwin; high-speed minesweeper USS Hopkins; and a motor minesweeper (YMS). The Japanese also launch Yokosuka MXY7 Navy Suicide Attacker Ohka (Cherry Blossom) Model 11 rocket-propelled glide bombs known as "Baka;" they damage the light minelayer USS Shea; and minesweeper USS Gayety which is also attacked by a kamikaze.

BORNEO: On Borneo, B-25s and P-38s support ground forces on Tarakan and B-24s hit Sandakan and Kota Baru and on Celebes Island, bomb Mandai Airfield and Masamba Airfield.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Brigadier General Isaiah Davies replaces Major General Davenport Johnson as Commanding General Eleventh AF on an interim basis.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 12 B-25s and 180+ fighter-bombers, mostly operating in flights of 2 to 4 aircraft, attack town areas, storage, troops, horses, trucks, river shipping, airfields, and many other targets of opportunity scattered over the vast expanse of S and E China.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): The 792d, 793d and 794th Bombardment Squadrons (Very Heavy), 468th BG (Very Heavy), begin a movement from Kharagpur to Tinian Island with B-29s.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): Unit moves in Burma: 83d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 12th BG (Medium), based at Fenny, India with B-25s, begins operating from Magwe, Burma; 164th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, from Sinthe to Magwe with UC-64s and L-5s.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 22 B-24s from Angaur Airfield bomb AA positions on Koror. 11 B-24s from Guam Island hit the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Missions 140 to 143: 47 B-29s attack airfields at Oita, Omura, Saeki, and Matsuyama on Kyushu and Shikoku Islands, Japan; 2 others attack targets of opportunity; 1 B-29 is lost.
USN - Sunk by minesweeper is USS Lagarto SS 371.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s heavily damage oil installations at Saigon, French Indochina. HQ 18th FG and 12th and 70th Fighter Squadrons move from San Jose to Zamboang with P-38s.

N. D. COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 595, MAY 4, 1945

1. The submarine USS Swordfish is overdue from patrol and presumed lost. Next of kin of officers and crew have been informed.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 352, MAY 4, 1945

During the night of May 3‑4 (East Longitude Dates) about 600 Japanese soldiers using landing craft attempted to attack behind our lines at three points along the West Coast and at one point on the East Coast of Okinawa. By daylight the landing effort on the East Coast had been repulsed and enemy groups on the West Coast were pocketed and being destroyed. During early morning darkness a number of enemy aircraft attacked Yontan Airstrip, caus*ing some damage. In the same period, ships offshore destroyed 15 suicide boats one of which caused minor damage to a light surface unit.
There was virtually no change in the position of the lines of the Tenth Army in Southern Okinawa on May 4.
Between the hours of 0745 and 0915, on May 4, a substantial number of enemy aircraft attacked our forces afloat in the area of Okinawa, sinking five surface units and damaging a number of others. Preliminary reports indicate that 54 enemy planes were shot down over our forces by ships' guns and combat air patrols. One of our destroyers shot down a Baka bomb during the attack.
Aircraft from fast carrier task forces of the U. S. Pacific Fleet sweeping the Islands of the Northern Ryukyus shot down one plane, destroyed one and damaged 19 others on the ground at Tokuno, Kikai and Tanega Islands on May 3. On the following day, aircraft from fast carriers shot 96 aircraft out of the air over Okinawa and the Amami Group.
Search Aircraft of Fleet Air Wing One shot down two enemy planes and damaged two others on May 4.
Escort carrier aircraft of the U. S. Pacific Fleet continued neutralizing raids on airfields in the Sakishima Group on May 3.
Liberators of the Seventh Army Air Force bombed air and harbor Installa*tions at Truk on May 3, leaving a small cargo ship burning and another listing after being hit by bombs. A single Navy search Plane exploded an ammuni*tion dump at Truk on the following day. On May 4, Seventh Army Air Force planes bombed runways and dispersal areas on Marcus Island.
Planes of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing bombed targets in the Palaus and Marshalls on May 4.
Mopping up operations on Two Island and the Islands of the Marianas continued during April 22 and 28 inclusive. A total of 108 of the enemy were killed and 156 were taken prisoner.

 

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1942
CORAL SEA: Imperial Japanese carriers commanded by Admiral Takagi enter the Coral Sea. Admiral Fletcher's US carriers are also there and are refueling.
Amplifying the above:
In the Coral Sea, Task Force 17, built around the aircraft
carrier USS Yorktown, and Task Force 11, built around the carrier USS Lexington, join south of the Louisiade Archipelago southeast of New Guinea. Aircraft of the Lexington and Yorktown Air Groups fly reconnaissance missions between Rabaul, New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago, and Port Morseby, New Guinea, searching for the Japanese invasion fleet bound for Port Moresby. This invasion fleet consisted of 11 troop- laden transports escorted by destroyers and covered by the light carrier HIJMS Shoho, four heavy cruisers, and a destroyer. Another Japanese task force formed around the carriers HIJMS Shokaku and HIJMS Zuikaku, and screened by two heavy cruisers and six destroyers provided additional air cover. A B-25 sights an IJN aircraft carrier off Bougainville Island, Solomon Islands but this report is not forwarded to the U.S. Navy.

INDIAN OCEAN: British forces land near Diego Garcia, Madagasgar; with open US support of an objective controlled by Vichy France.

PHILIPINES: Japanese land on Corrigedor Island in Manila Bay, PI just before midnight. They sustain heavy losses in consolidating their landing.
Amplifying the above:
The Japanese troops were members of the 61st Infantry Regiment and supporting units. They were initially opposed by the 1st Battalion, Fourth Marine Regiment.

BURMA: Japanese troops enter China via the Burma Road. This forces General Stilwell to retreat towards India.

PACIFIC: The Japanese Imperial General HQ issues the order for the Navy to prepare an attack on Midway Island.

PHILIPINES: Off Corregidor, the submarine rescue vessel USS Pigeon (AS-6) is bombed and sunk while the tug USS Genesee (AT-55) and harbor tug USS Vaga (YT-116) are scuttled.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) (10th Air Force): On a raid against Mingaladon Airfield, Burma during the night of 4/5 May, 4 B-17's bomb a hangar and parked aircraft; the crews claim 40 aircraft destroyed but searchlights make accurate observation impossible.

AUSTRALIA: 28th Bombardment Squadron, 19th BG (Heavy), transfers from Cloncurry to Longreach with B-17's; a detachment is operating from Perth.

1943
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eleventh Air Force) In the Aleutians, the weather reconnaissance airplane over Attu observes a floatplane burning on the water. Fourteen B-24's, 17 B-25's, 16 P-38's, 32 P-40's, and 5 F-5A's fly 4 attack missions to Attu and 6 [partly with Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilots] to Kiska. Bombs are dropped on Attu installations and fighters strafe and set afire 1 seaplane and silence AA guns. Targets include Main Camp, a radar site, North and South Head, runway, and Gertrude Cove installations.

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force) The 73d Fighter Squadron, 318th Fighter Group with P-40's transfers from NAS Kaneohe to Mokuleia both in the Territory of Hawaii. The squadron will begin transitioning to razorback P-47D's in late 1943.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) In the Solomons, P-38's and Navy F4U's administer thorough strafing to Nyanga.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) In New Guinea, B-25's pound Toeal. In the Bismarck Archipelago, a lone B-24 bombs airfields at Cape Gloucester and Gasmata. Ditched at A-20A "Cindy" 40-176

1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 15 P-38s hit targets along Tiddim road; 3 B-25s bomb the Thayaung Airfield area; 80+ P-40s, P-51s, A-36s and B-25s carry out support of ground forces, hit gun positions and supply dumps, attack troop concentrations and blast numerous targets of opportunity throughout the Mogaung Valley; 3 B-25s and 6 fighter-bombers hit an ammunition dump N of Mohnyin; and 12 P-38s bomb a large warehouse E of Monywa. 6 B-24s lay mines in the harbor off Koh Si Chang Island, Thailand.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 11 B-24s bomb docks and shipping at Haiphong, French Indochina. In Burma, P-40s damage bridges at Hsenwi and Wan Pa-Hsa and hit barracks and destroy several trucks at Kentung. In China, 8 B-25s and 23 fighter-bombers attack the warehouse area at Chiuchiang, causing large fires; 25 CACW B-25s and P-40s thoroughly pound Sinyang marshalling yard and storage area; and 10 P-40s sweep the road from Loyang to Juchou, claiming 40-50 vehicles and numerous troops destroyed.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): During the night of 4/5 May B-24s from Kwajalein stage through Eniwetok and bomb Truk Atoll. During the day B-25s from Eniwetok strike Ponape, and 10 from Makin hit Jaluit and Wotje Atolls, Marshall Islands, using Majuro Atoll as a rearming base between the attacks. Lost is B-24J 44-40332.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 24 B-25s bomb gun positions at Buka on Buka Island and 34 P-39s hit various targets on Bougainville and Buka Islands, including buildings at Porton, Chabai and Kohiso, a pillbox on Pau Island and a road near Tsundawan; supply area at Chabai is bombed by 12 other P-39s; P-40s bomb buildings at Kieta and at nearby Rigu Mission. Fighter patrols continue over the N Solomons Islands and the Bismarck Archipelago.

USMC - PBJs of VMB-413 took off from Green Island on a strike against Tobera Airfield. Lost is PBJ-1 35143. Off Efaté F4U 02270 force lands.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-24s bomb Mokmer Airfield while B-25s hit supply areas at Wakde Island and along the coast of Maffin Bay; A-20s and fighter-bombers again pound targets around Wewak and along the coast of Hansa Bay, hitting supply and personnel areas, warehouses and occupied villages.

1945
USA: The US War Department announces that 400,000 troops will remain in Europe as occupation forces. 2 million will be discharged leaving 6 million for the attack on Japan.

PHILLIPINES: . On Luzon Island, A-20s and fighter-bombers continue to hit Cagayan Valley targets and support ground forces at various locations.

BORNEO: In Borneo, B-25s and P-38s support Australian forces on Tarakan, P-38s hit the Miri waterfront on the W coast and Keningau airfield in the N and B-24s bomb the Kuching waterfront on the W coast.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 1 B-24 flies weather mission over the Kurile Islands.

HQ AAF (Second Air Force): The 2d Photographic Charting Squadron, 311th Photographic Wing (attached to FEAF), moves from Morotai, Moluccas Islands, to Palawan Island, Philippine Islands with F-7s (the squadron is performing mapping and photographic reconnaissance in the SW Pacific).

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 3 B-25s knock out a bridge at Singtai and hit railroad traffic in the Sinsiang area; 5 B-25s hit railroad cars and other targets of opportunity at Kaifeng, Hsihhsiassuchi, and in the Tungkuan and Luan areas; 76 fighter-bombers, operating in flights of 2 to 4 aircraft, attack a variety of targets of opportunity throughout S and E China. The 530th Fighter Squadron, 311th Fighter Group, moves from Kwanghan to Pungchacheng, China with P-51s.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): Unit moves from Burma to India: HQ 33d Fighter Group from Sahmaw to Piardoba; 90th Fighter Squadron, 80th Fighter Group, from Myitkyina to Moran with P-47s.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 12 Angaur Airfield based B-24s bomb Koror Island.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 7 missions are flown. Missions 144, 145 and 147 to 149: 55 B-29s bomb airfields at Oita, Tachiarai, Kanoya, and Chiran; 2 others attack targets of opportunity; 3 B-29s are lost. Mission 146: 148 B-29s [including the 58th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) flying their first attack of Japan from Tinian] hit a navy aircraft factory and arsenal at Kure, Japan; 4 others hit targets of opportunity; they claim 11 Japanese fighters; 2 B-29s are lost. Mission 150: During the night of 5/6 May, 86 B-29s drop mines in Tokyo Bay, Ise Bay, and at points in the Inland Sea; 4 others mine targets of opportunity.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In the first FEAF strike on the Amoy, China area, B-24s bomb an airfield and oil storage plant. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Shinchiku Airfield while B-25s and fighter-bombers hit the Taito sugar refinery, Shoka railroad yards, and Giran and Matsuyama Airfields.

JAPAN: After a bombing mission over southern Japan, the crew of a B-29 bomber had to bale out after being rammed by a Japanese suicide plane. The B-29 crashed near the town of Takete. After landing, the crew were taken into custody and transported to Kyushu University in Fukuoka about one hundred miles north of Nagasaki.
In the university's anatomy department they were subjected to the most horrible medical experiments imaginable. One prisoner was shot in the stomach so that Japanese surgeons could get practice at removing bullets. Amputations on legs and arms were practised while the victims were still alive. One was injected with sea water in an experiment to find out if sea water could be substituted for saline solution.
One badly wounded American, thinking he was going to be treated for his wound, was anaesthetized and woke up to find that one of his lungs had been removed. He died shortly after. Others had part of the liver removed to see if they could still live.
Only one airman, the pilot of the B-29, Captain Marvin Watkins, was taken to Tokyo for interrogation but survived the war. The other eight all died at Fukuoka.
After the war, twenty three doctors and hospital staff were arrested, tried and found guilty on various charges by the Allied War Crimes Trials held at Yokohama. Five were sentenced to death, the others to terms of imprisonment. When the Korean war started in June, 1950, General Douglas MacArthur reduced most of the sentences. The death sentences were never carried out. All were released by 1958. This was the only instance where Americans were used in bizarre medical experiments in WW11, except perhaps at Mukden.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 353, MAY 5, 1945

Following and in conjunction with the attempted landings of Japanese troops behind the Tenth Army lines on Okinawa on the night of May 3‑4 (East Longitude Dates) and in coordination with his heavy air attacks of May 3 and 4, the enemy on May 4, launched a general counterattack. Its greatest weight was against the positions of the Seventh and Seventy‑Seventh Infantry Divisions. This attack was supported by tanks and was preceded by intense artillery fire. Our troops supported by a heavy barrage from Army and Marine artillery and low level strafing by carrier and Marine air*craft broke up the enemy attacks. Taking advantage of the disorganized state of the enemy's lines after his failure in these operations, Army and Marine infantry men resumed the offensive on the morning of May 5 and were advancing at midmorning when elements of the First Marine Division began an assault on Hill 187, east of the Asa River Mouth. A total of 3,000 of the enemy were killed during the attacks on May 3‑4, including troops which made landings on our beaches. Five enemy tanks were destroyed.
During the air attacks of May 4, our forces shot down 168 planes over the Okinawa Area including 45 by the Second Marine Aircraft Wing and 67 by Fast Carrier Forces Patrols. Early in the morning of May 5, a small group of enemy planes approached our forces and bombed the Yontan Airstrip causing no damage.
From the beginning of the Okinawa operation to May 5, the enemy lost 33,462 killed and 700 prisoners of war including 297 labor troops.
The Tenth Army up to May 3, lost 2,337 soldiers and Marines killed. A total of 11,432 were wounded and 514 were missing.
Search Planes of Fleet Air Wing One sank two large tankers in Fusan Harbor, Korea, and damaged a cargo ship south of Fusan on May 4.
Aircraft from escort carriers of the U. S. Pacific Fleet continued to neutralize airfields in the Sakishima Group on May 4.
Corsairs and Avengers of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing and Libera*tors of the Seventh Army Air Force bombed installations in the Palaus on May 5.

 

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1942
Philippines - US forces on Corregidor surrenders. All US organized resistance to the Japanese in the Philippines ends. This brings the total area of lands occupied by the Japanese Empire to 20 million square miles of land and ocean.

CBI (10th Air Force): Mingaladon Airfield, Burma is hit for the second consecutive night; 3 B-17's score direct hits on fuel dumps at the field.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-17's unsuccessfully attack shipping in Bougainville / Solomon area. The air and ground echelons of the following AAF units are killed or captured; the units are carried as active units without personnel until 2 Apr 46: 24th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) 2d Observation Squadron (Medium) 3d, 17th, 20th, 21st and 34th Pursuit Squadrons (Interceptor) 14th Bombardment Squadron Most of the ground echelon of the following units were killed or captured: V Bomber Command 5th Interceptor Command (Provisional) 19th Bombardment Group 27th Bombardment Group 16th, 17th and 91st Bombardment Squadrons 28th, 30th and 93d Bombardment Squadrons. Lost is RAAF PBY A24-20.

1943
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eleventh Air Force) In the Aleutians, B-24's, B-25's and P-38's drop over 52 tons (47.2 tonnes) on Attu targets including Holtz Bay, Sarana Bay, and the Chichagof Harbor area and nearby gun positions. Kiska is also hit. Targets include radar gun positions and the Gertrude Cove and Main Camp areas. Returning P-38's also bomb and strafe a hut on Rat Island. P-40's blast Kiska and Little Kiska.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) P-40's and Navy dive bombers and fighters hit Munda Airfield. During the evening, B-24's carry out harassing strikes on Kahili Airfield and on Fauro and Ballale Island. HQ 4th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group transfers from Espiritu Santo to Guadalcanal.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) In New Guinea, A-20's hit forces in the Green's Hill area. Single B-24's hit Madang and Finschhafen while other B-24's hit Manokwari and Toeal. B-25's pound Dili.

1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 14 B-25s bomb Indainggyi, destroy the Sibong bridge and damage a road at Hpaungzeik; 90+ P-40s, P-51s and B-25s attack a wide variety of targets throughout the Mogaung Valley; 18 fighter-bombers and 6 B-25s support ground forces at Mawlu while 3 B-25s and 4 P-51s hit positions at Nalong.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 61 P-40s and 5 B-25s attack targets throughout S China and French Indochina. In China, numerous vehicles and troops are destroyed in the Hsiangcheng, Loyang and Luchou areas; main buildings at Nanchang mines are destroyed, Sienning bridge is damaged and several railroad cars and vehicles are destroyed near Puchi; and 14 B-25s and 25 fighter-bombers pound the airfield and surrounding area at Hankow. In French Indochina, 8 boxcars are destroyed and 70 more damaged between Thanh Moi and Bac Le and between Phu Lang Thuong and Lang Son; a barge is sunk at Campha Port and numerous sampans and small craft sunk or damaged at Cat Ba Island. Detachment of 22d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), operating from Yunnani, China with B-25s returns to base at Yangkai.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s from Makin and Kwajalein hit Wotje and Jaluit Atolls. B-24s, staging through Eniwetok, escort USN aircraft on a photo reconnaissance of Guam Island, Marianas Islands. The B-24s bomb Guam from 20,000 ft (6,096 m), scoring hits on 2 airfields and a town area and proceed to Los Negros to prepare for the return flight; the B-24s claim 4 enemy aircraft shot down.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 24 B-25s and 12 P-39s pound the Talili Bay area on New Britain Island. 37 P-39s and 19 P-40s attack targets in the Porton area, Bougainville Island. HQ 4th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance) moves from Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Islands to Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-24s bomb Penfoei, Timor Island, Lesser Sunda Islands and Biak. In New Guinea, 150+ B-25s, A-20s and fighter-bombers, operating almost continuously throughout the day, blast a variety of targets from Wewak to the shores of Hansa Bay. B-24s of the Thirteenth Air Task Force again bomb Woleai.

JAPAN: The Mitsubishi A7M1, Navy Experimental 17-Shi Ko (A) Type Carrier Fighter Reppu (Hurricane) makes its first flight. The aircraft had been under development since 1942 as a replacement for the Mitsubishi A6M, Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter, Allied Code Name "Zeke." The A7M1 was as maneuverable as the "Zeke" but was underpowered and lacked performance. Only ten of these aircraft, given the Allied Code Name "Sam," were built by Mitsubishi at Nagoya.

1945

OKINAWA: On Okinawa, the Japanese counteroffensive fizzles out with heavy losses. This confirms US gains at Maeda Ridge and Marchinto Air Field.

PHILLIPINES: A-20s and fighter-bombers fly numerous attack sorties in support of ground forces in N and S Luzon Island and fighter-bombers fly support missions over Panay.

BORNEO: B-24s bomb Kudat and Keningau Airfields, P-38s hit Ranau and Labuan Island airstrips while B-25s support Australian troops on Tarakan Island. B-24s bomb Limboeng Airfield on Celebes Island.

BURMA: The British 26th Indian Division mops up in the area north of Rangoon, Burma

INDIAN OCEAN: The battleships and cruisers of TF 63 shell Port Blair in the Andaman Islands.

USA: A woman and 5 children are killed near Lakeview, Oregon. This is caused by a Japanese balloon bomb. This is the only effective bomb of this effort by the Japanese.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 3 B-25s and 4 P-51s knock out a bridge at Hsihhsiassuchi, China; 111 fighter-bombers, operating in flights of 2 to 4 aircraft, attack numerous targets of opportunity throughout S and E China.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 18 P-47s from Saipan Island sweep Truk Atoll, strafing the airfield on Moen Island, the seaplane base at Dublon Island, and shipping off Param, off Moen, and between Dublon and Fefan Islands.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Formosa, B-24s bomb Matsuyama Airfield and secondary nearby targets and later bomb Toshien, Toko, and Kiirun and B-25s pound the town of Mato. B-25s over French Indochina bomb warehouses at Dong Hoi.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 354, MAY 6, 1945

Heavy units of the U. S. Pacific Fleet in attacks coordinated with those of carrier and land‑based aircraft bombarded enemy positions on Okinawa on May 5 (East Longitude Date). During the early morning and early evening of that day a number of enemy aircraft approached our forces without causing damage. On the morning of May 6 a small number of enemy air attacks were made on ships off Okinawa. One light unit suffered minor damage and four enemy aircraft were shot down.
Search aircraft of Fleet Air Wing One based in the Okinawa area swept Tsushima and Korea Straits and the coastal waters of Western Korea on May 5 and inflicted the following damage on the enemy by low level bombing and strafing:

Sunk:
Two large oilers
One medium freighter
One small cargo ship

Damaged:
One large fleet oiler left dead in water and sinking
One cargo ship exploded and left sinking.
One small freighter left abandoned and sinking
One large cargo ship left burning
One freighter left listing and burning
One medium oiler left burning
Nine small cargo ships damaged
One lugger damaged

In addition, search planes shot down three enemy aircraft. On the foll*owing day aircraft of this wing probably sank a picket boat and destroyed numerous fishing craft.
On May 4 heavy units of the British Pacific Fleet including battleships and cruisers bombarded enemy airfields at Hirara and Nobara on Miyako Island in the Sakishima group causing considerable damage. Aircraft from carriers of the force attacked enemy airfields in the island group on May 4 and 5 destroying 15 aircraft in the air, three on the ground and damaging four others on the ground. A major unit of the task force suffered some damage during an air attack but has resumed operations.
Corsair and Hellcat fighters of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing bombed installations in the Palaus through intense antiaircraft fire on May 6.
Thunderbolt fighters of the Seventh Army Air Force strafed shipping and air installations at Truk on May 6 sinking one tug and damaging two other craft in the harbor.

 

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1940
USA: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders the U.S. Fleet to remain in the Territory of Hawaii indefinitely as a deterrent to the Japanese.

1941
CHINA: Japanese troops assault Shansi in an attempt to occupy the Chungtiao mountains.

1942
CORAL SEA:The Battle of Coral Sea begins.

NG:The Japanese occupy Hollandia, New Guinea.

PHILIIPINES: General Wainright in Japanese custody announces the surrender of Corrigedor Island. The planned 50 day campaign by General Homma has taken over 150 days. The Filipino loyalty to the US has been a surprising development to the Japanese.

MADAGASCAR:The destroyer HMS ANTHONY ran through the Vichy-French batteries, protecting Diego Suarez, Madagascar, at full speed and came to a halt at the quay. 50 Marines leapt ashore. Behind the port were flashes from guns supporting the Royal Welch Fusiliers, Royal Scots Fusiliers and East Lancashire Fusiliers.
The Marines pushed through the European town, where they met up with the Royal Welsh. Diego Suarez surrendered today. The Allies believed that if Japan had taken the port first, it could control the Indian Ocean. In fact, Japan seems surprised by the invasion which is still being resisted by Vichy Forces elsewhere on the island.

1943
SOLOMONS: The waters around New Georgia in the Solomons are mined.
Amplifying the above: Task Group 36.5 consisting of the destroyer USS Radford and the light minelayers USS Gamble, USS Preble and USS Breese, lay mines across Blackett Strait, the western entrance to Kula Gulf and directly in the favorite route of the "Tokyo Express."

USA: USN representatives witness landing tests of the Sikorksy XR-4-SI helicopter aboard the merchant tanker SS Bunker Hill in a demonstration sponsored by the U.S. Maritime Commission and conducted in Long Island Sound. The USAAF pilot makes about fifteen flights, and in some of these flights he lands on the water before returning to the platform built on the deck of the tanker.

BURMA: The British evacuate Buthidaung, Burma.

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eleventh Air Force) In the Aleutians, an attempted mission to Kiska by 6 P-40's is aborted due to weather.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-17's and B-24's bomb the airfield, supply dumps, and other targets at Madang. Japanese fighters from Wewak were on patrol and intercepted seven B-17s and six B-24s over Madang. The B-17s reported interception by seven Japanese fighters including two that dropped aerial bombs that missed by a considerable distance. Four B-17s were damaged, one seriously, in conventional attacks. A-20's hit forces in the Green's Hill area. In Timor, B-25's pound Penfoei. Lost is B-17F "Reckless Mountain Boys" 41-24518. Lost on a training flight is P-61B piloted by Hornaday.

1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 15 P-38s hit the Kangaung area; 4 P-40s hit targets of opportunity along the road from N of Nanyaseik to Kamaing. 4 B-24s lay mines in the Gulf of Siam off Sattahib, Thailand.

INDIA: The Allies call off their attack in the Imphal area, having achieved little.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 4 B-25s hit vehicle concentrations W and NW of Hsiangcheng and bomb the town of Chiahsien and 4 P-40s destroy at least 25 trucks between the 2 towns; 8 P-40s destroy or damage 40-60 trucks, tanks and other vehicles during road sweeps from Loyang to Yenshih and from Yehhsien to Paofeng; 8 P-40s strafe forces and equipment E of Luchou, while 4 hit railroad targets of opportunity at Lang Son, French Indochina.
Japanese forces link up at Suiping, China, on the Peking to Hankow railway.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s, staging through Eniwetok, bomb Truk Atoll during the night of 6/7 May. B-25s from Engebi hit Ponape Island during the following day. Makin based B-25s bomb Jaluit and Wotje Atolls.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 15 B-25s, hampered by bad weather, attack a coastal gun on Cape Friendship, Bougainville Island and bomb the west coast of Rantan Island, Solomon Islands; 70+ P-39s, P-38s and P-40s bomb numerous targets throughout Buka and Bougainville Islands including shipping and supply area at Chabai and Tsirogei, huts at Hiru Hiru, near Tonu, and at Monoitu and bridges W of Haigi and on the Miwo River.

NEW BRITAIN: The US 46th Division takes Cape Hopkins Airfield on New Britain.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-24s, B-25s and P-40s hit Urarom, Biak, Hollandia-Wakde coast, and Sawar-Maffin Bay area; A-20s, B-25s and fighter-bombers again attack targets of opportunity from Wewak to the area around Hansa Bay and strafe villages along the Sepik River; Lost are B-24D "Toughy" 42-40525 and P-38J "Jandina III" 42-103980. 90th Bombardment Squadron, 3d BG, moves from Nadzab to Hollandia with A-20s.

1945

USA: The Big Four (China, UK, USA, USSR) nations reached agreement in San Francisco, California, USA, today on all except the Polish and trusteeship questions.
Tomorrow the smaller nations will finish the drafting of a charter for the new "United Nations". Two points of friction between the western Allies and the USSR were resolved here today. The General Assembly will have the power to arbitrate in international disputes which threaten to erupt into war, and the UN will be given jurisdiction over future alliances.
Settlement of the Polish question is being held up by the unexplained arrest of 16 Polish delegates in Moscow.

PHILLIPINES: B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit targets in the Cagayan Valley and support ground action in the Cervantes area, Balete Pass and N of Laguna de Bay.

NEI: In Borneo, P-38s hit Bintula, Kudat, and Ranau while B-25s, and P-38s hit gun positions and HQ on Tarakan. B-24s bomb Bingkalapa Airfield, Celebes and the harbor at Soerabaja, Java.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 3 B-25s and 4 P-47s knock out a bridge N of Singtai; 3 B-24s attack Yellow River targets of opportunity, damaging at least 1 bridge; 131 fighter-bombers again hit various targets of opportunity throughout S and E China, concentrating on railroad targets; the 21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Fourteenth AF, based at Kunming with F-5s, sends a flight to operate from Laifeng (other flights are at Hanchung, Lulinag and Hsian).

AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: 11 Guam Island-based B-24s pound runways on Marcus Island in the N Pacific. VII Fighter Command: 16 Saipan Island-based P-47s strafe a radio station, airfield installations, and gun positions on Moen and Falas Islands in Truk Atoll.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Missions 151 to 154: 41 B-29s bomb airfields at Usa, Oita, Ibusuki, and Kanoya on Kyushu Island; 34 Japanese aircraft are claimed destroyed by B-29s during the Usa and Oita missions; 3 B-29s are lost. The 792d, 793d and 794th Bombardment Squadrons (Very Heavy), 468th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), arrive at West Field, Tinian Island, Mariana Islands from India with B-29s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In French Indochina, B-25s hit railroad targets between Cap Batangan and Cap Varella. The 17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 4th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), moves from Morotai Island to Puerto Princesa with F-5s (a detachment is operating from Dulag).

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 355, MAY 7, 1945

Enemy positions in the Southern Sector of Okinawa were brought under fire by heavy forces of the United States Pacific Fleet on May 6 (East Longi*tude Date) and numerous blockhouses, pillboxes and other structures were destroyed. Carrier aircraft of the Fleet and planes of the Tactical Air Force gave close support to the ground troops. On the same day, U. S. carrier air*craft made neutralizing attacks on airfields of the Sakishima Group.
On May 7, troops of the Tenth Army advanced in the Southern sector. The First Marine Division drove southward to the edge of Dakeshi Village while the Seventy‑Seventh Infantry Division, led by flame‑throwing tanks, made gains in the center, and the Seventh Infantry Division moved forward on the left flank.
From the beginning of the Okinawa operation through May 7, the enemy lost 36,535 killed in all areas of the land fighting.
A small number of enemy aircraft were over our forces in the Okinawa Area early on May 7. No damage was reported.
Search Aircraft of Fleet Air Wing One attacking at masthead height with bombs and machine guns inflicted the following damage on enemy ship*ping in the waters around Korea on May 6:

Sunk:
One large cargo ship.
One medium cargo ship.
One medium oiler.
One large fleet tanker.

Damaged:
Two small freighters damaged.
One large cargo ship exploded.

Planes of Fleet Air Wing Eighteen in searches of Japanese waters sank three coastal cargo ships south of Honshu and probably destroyed a seagoing tug on May 7.
Mustangs of the Seventh Fighter Command bombed and strafed barracks, and small craft at Chichi Jima in the Bonins on May 7.
Planes of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing made neutralizing attacks on the Marshalls on May 6. On the following day, Corsairs, Hellcats and Avengers of the same Wing and Liberators of the Seventh Army Air Force attacked targets in the Palau Islands.

 

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1940
CHINA: Japanese forces seize Tsaoyang, in Hupeh province.

1942
The Battle of the Coral Sea continues with the simultaneous sightings by both sides of each other. Attacks are quickly mounted. The USS Lexington sinks and the USS Yorktown is damaged. The JIN Shokaku is damaged. Japanese plans for an attack on Port Moresby, New Guinea. This is the first setback for the Japanese offensive. It is also the first carrier vs. carrier battle in history. Neither of the opposing naval forces will see the other side.
Amplifying the above:
At approximately 0830 hours local, a search plane from the aircraft carrier USS Lexington locates the Japanese carrier force consisting of the aircraft carriers HIJMS Shohaku and HIJMS Zuikaku south of San Cristobal Island, Solomon Islands. [San Cristobal Island is 38 miles southeast of Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands.] A carrier strike force is launched by the Americans between 0915 and 0925 hours; the Yorktown Air Group in USS Yorktown launches 30 Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers, nine Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bombers and 14 Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters while the Lexington Air Group in USS Lexington launches 24 SBDs, 12 TBDs and ten F4Fs.
At approximately the same time, the two Japanese aircraft carriers launch a strike force against the Americans. The Yorktown SBDs locate both Japanese carriers at 1032 hours local but orbit the ships awaiting the arrival of the slower TBDs giving the Japanese time to launch "Zero" fighters. By the time the TBDs arrive, the HIJMS Zuikaku is hidden by a rain squall and the Americans attack
HIJMS Shokaku. The TBDs attack with torpedoes but all miss while the SBD dive bombers score two hits with 1,000-pound (453.6 kg) bombs. TBDs of the Lexington Air Group attack with torpedoes but fail to hit the ship while four Lexington SBDs score one hit on the ship; only four of the 24 Lexington SBDs locate the target. HIJMS Shokaku is heavily damaged and retires; it takes two months to repair her. The cost to the USN is nine SBDs, two TBDs and three F4Fs.
At 1118 hours local, the Japanese attack force consisting of 18 "Kate's" 33 "Val's" and 18 Mitsubishi "Zero's" fighters arrive over the USN's carriers. The "Kates" attack USS Lexington with torpedoes and she is struck by two torpedos on her port side. At the same time, "Vals" put three bombs into her, producing a 7 degree list to port and several raging fires. By 1245 hours damage control parties have brought the fires under control and returned the ship to an even keel; making 25 knots, she begins to recover her air group. Then suddenly at 1247, the ship is shaken by a tremendous explosion, caused by the ignition of gasoline vapors below, and again fire rage out of control. At 1558 hours, the captain secured salvage operations, and ordered all hands to the flight deck. At 1707 hours, he ordered, "abandon ship!" Lexington blazed on, flames shooting hundreds of feet into the air until a destroyer sinks her with two torpedoes.
The USS Yorktown is also attacked by the Japanese formation and managed to avoid eight torpedoes until a bomb from a "Val" penetrated the flight deck and exploded below decks, killing or seriously injuring 66 men. The fires were brought under control and flight operations continued. In addition to the damage to HIJMS Shokaku, HIJMS Zuikaku's air group suffers heavy losses estimated at eight "Kates, "15 "Vals," and six "Zekes," preventing the Japanese from using these ships for several months. The Japanese have won a tactical victory sinking three USN ships (Lexington, the destroyer USS Sims and the oiler USS Neosho) but the Allies have won a strategic victory by forcing the Japanese to abandon the invasion of Port Moresby, New Guinea thereby keeping the sea lanes between the U.S. and Australia open. The USN also realizes that the number of fighter aircraft on the carriers must be increased to provide adequate protection.
Three U.S. sailors are awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle of the Coral Sea.
Lieutenant John J. Powers, USN, of Bombing Squadron Five in USS Yorktown is awarded the medal posthumously for his attack on HIJMS Shokaku;
Lieutenant (jg) William E. Hall, USNR, of Scouting Squadron Two in USS Lexington is awarded his medal for shooting down three Japanese aircraft while flying an SBD; and
Lieutenant Milton E. Ricketts, USN, a damage control officer in USS Yorktown, is awarded the medal posthumously for fighting the fires aboard the ship.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): Main action of Battle of the Coral Sea occurs as Allied and Japanese carrier forces clash. This is the first Japanese offensive of the war to be completely repulsed. Lost are B-25C 41-12486 and P-39F Airacobra 41-7188.
1943
NEW GEORGIA: Three Imperial Japanese Navy destroyers are sunk by mines laid yesteday near New Georgia in the Solomon Islands.
Amplifying the above: As a result of mining of Blackett Strait by the USN yesterday, the Japanese destroyer HIJMS Kuroshio strikes a mine and sinks in the Strait. Two destroyers are damaged by mines off Rendova Island and are subsequently sunk by aircraft, HIJMS Oyashio by USN Douglas SBD Dauntlesses and HIJMS Kagero by USMC aircraft. A fourth destroyer, HIJMS Michisio is damaged by USN SBDs in Blackett Strait.

CBI CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) In China, 16 B-24's and 11 B-25's bomb Tien Ho Airfield, the shop and factory area, and White Cloud Airfield at Canton. The 24 escorting P-40's strafe the target areas following the bombing strikes. Considerable damage is done, including the destruction of about 20 enemy aircraft.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) In the Solomons, P-40's join Navy aircraft in an attack on destroyers in Blackett Strait. Other P-40's and P-38's hit AA positions at Vila.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-17's bomb the airfield at Rabaul, and single B-17's attack barges and small boats off the N coast of New Britain. A 43rd BG B-17F on armed reconnaissance mission radioed its discovery of shipping between Wewak and Madang. Lost on reconassance missions is B-17F "Fighting Swede" 41-24520 B-17F "Fighting Swede" 41-24520, likely rammed by escorting Ki-43 fighters.

B-25 strafers along with 8 x Beaufighters of the RAAF, escorted by 16 x P-38s of the 39th FS claim the destruction of 2 cargo vessels at Madang. The two Japanese sea trucks (small transports, 550 and 950 tons each) were entering Madang Harbor carrying vital supplies and full of troops. Beaufighters swooped down and strafed the larger ship setting fires. A few minutes later the B-25s followed up against the ships with bombs and gunfire. Both ships were lost with all their supplies and heavy casualties. This included many of the personnel and much of the equipment of the 11th Airfield Construction Unit moving from Wewak to Madang.

Beaufighters strafed and destroyed a fighter at Madang Airfield but aborted further attacks when eight or more Type 1 (Ki-61 Tony) fighters appeared over Madang. Some of the Japanese fighters attacked the Beaufighters, damaging one, and chased them down the coast toward Saidor. Other Japanese fighters headed for the B-25s but the P-38s finally arrived on the scene and reported encountering three ZEKES and two HAMPS a few miles south of Madang. Three P-38s jumped these at 5,000 feet, dispersed the formation and claimed one damaged. On the return flight a single fighter identified as a HAMP was sighted at 1,000 feet. This was jumped by Capt. Thomas Lynch’s flight. In the low level combat that followed double ace Lynch claimed a HAMP destroyed but this cannot be verified. Lynch went into this action despite having difficulty dropping one of his external fuel tanks.

1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 9 B-24s and 9 B-25s bomb Moirang and a village to the N, causing considerable damage including the destruction of a road bridge; 12 P-38s hit Kangaung Airfield.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s from Engebi strike Ponape Island while Makin based B-25s pound Jaluit and Wotje Atolls, using Majuro Atoll as a shuttle base between strikes. B-24s that landed at Los Negros Island after the strike on Guam Island on 6 May return to the Marshall Islands, bombing Ponape Island en route.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): Fighter-bombers pound Tobera Airfield and strafe targets of opportunity in the area. 2 squadrons of B-24s bomb gun positions at Sohano, Solomon Islands and Hahilia, New Britain Island while on Bougainville Island, 30+ P-39s and P-40s hit areas around Porton, Tsimba, Tarara, Kieta, Numa Numa, Tsirogei and at several other points and B-25s blast the coast near Banin, hit Sohano, and bomb airfield areas at Bonis and Buka on Buka Island. 390th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 42d Bombardment Group (Medium), based in the Renard Field with B-25s, ceases operating from Stirling.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, B-24s and P-40s operating in the Geelvink Bay area attack Mokmer Airfield and nearby shipping; A-20s and fighter-bombers continue to pound targets of opportunity along the NE New Guinea coast from Wewak to Hansa Bay and along the Sepik River.

1945
PTO: Submarine USS Snook, CO John F. Walling, is listed as missing after today, east of Formosa All hands lost.

PHILLIPINES: B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers continue to pound Cagayan Valley on Luzon Island. On Mindanao Island, B-24s hit Davao while P-38s hit the Labugan Airfield area. Other B-24s bomb Mandai Airfield.

NEI: In Borneo, P-38s hit Jesselton, Sengkawang, and Kudat Airfield while B-25s bomb the Kuching and Labuan Island Airfield areas.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 13 B-25s knock out a bridge at Do Cam and damage others at Do Len, over the Song Chu River in French Indochina, and N of Kaifeng, China. In China, a single B-24 damages bridges at Huto; 20 P-51s pound rail and road traffic along the French Indochina coast while 12 P-51s and P-38s hit targets of opportunity in several cities; about 100 fighter- bombers over wide areas of S and E China continue to hit numerous targets of opportunity, concentrating on shipping and the dock area at Taku.

AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: 12 Guam based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus in the N Pacific. 12 others from Guam pound the runway on Param. The 28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Seventh AF, arrives on Okinawa from Kualoa Airfield with F-5Es. VII Fighter Command: 94 of 104 P-51s from Iwo Jima abort a strike to Nagoya due to weather and attack Kisarazu airfield. Ditched is B-24J 44-40617.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Missions 155 to 158: 40 B-29s hit airfields at Kanoya, Miyakonojo, Oita, and Matsuyama on Kyushu and Shikoku Islands, Japan; 1 other hits a target of opportunity.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-25s bomb railway installations between Phan Rang and Binh Dinh, French Indochina.


MAY 8, 1945

A PROCLAMATION

The Allied armies, through sacrifice and devotion and with God's help, have wrung from Germany a final and unconditional surrender. The western world has been freed of the evil forces which for five years and longer have imprisoned the bodies and broken the lives of millions upon millions of free*born men. They have violated their churches, destroyed their homes, corrupted their children, and murdered their loved ones. Our Armies of Liberation have restored freedom to these suffering peoples, whose spirit and will the oppressors could never enslave.
Much remains to be done. The victory won in the West must now be won in the East. The whole world must be cleansed of the evil from which half the world has been freed. United, the peace‑loving nations have demon*strated in the West that their arms are stronger by far than the might of dictators or the tyranny of military cliques that once called us soft and weak. The power of our peoples to defend themselves against all enemies will be proved in the Pacific war as it has been proved in Europe.
For the triumph of spirit and of arms which we have won, and for its promise to peoples everywhere who join us in the love of freedom, it is fitting that we, as a nation, give thanks to Almighty God, who has strengthened us and given us the victory.
Now, THEREFORE, I, HARRY S. TRUMAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby appoint Sunday, May 13, 1945, to be a day of prayer.
I call upon the people of the United States, whatever their faith, to unit in offering joyful thanks to God for the victory we have won and to pray that He will support us to the end of our present struggle and guide us into the way of peace.
I also call upon my countrymen to dedicate this day of prayer to the memory of those who have given their lives to make possible our victory.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States of America to be affixed.
DONE at the City of Washington this eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and forty‑five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and sixty‑ninth.
By the President

[SEAL]
HARRY S. TRUMAN.

JOSEPH C. GREW,
Acting Secretary of State.

STATEMENT TO THE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY AND ARMY BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
You and your Allies have won a great victory. The price was high; it has been won by determination, sacrifice and blood. With this victory you have won something more: the admiration and gratitude of America and the world.
The task has now been half accomplished. Another powerful enemy remains. It will require all our resolution and fortitude to destroy him. Only by so doing can we keep faith with those who have fallen. Let us now go forward to speedy and complete victory in the Pacific.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 356, MAY 8, 1945

Battleships and cruisers of the U. S. Pacific Fleet delivered heavy fire in support of the Marine Third Amphibious Corps and the Twenty‑Fourth Army Corps in southern Okinawa on May 7 (East Longitude Date) destroying gun emplacements, some artillery and a number of mortars. During the night of May 7‑8, surface craft fired several hundred rounds of illumination which effectively reduced the enemy's attempts at infiltration into our lines. Adverse weather limited our operations on the island during May 8 and there were no substantial changes in the lines.
No enemy aircraft activity was noted in the Ryukyus during the night and day of May 7‑8. As of that date, summaries of damage to the enemy show that fighters of the Second Marine Aircraft Wing have shot down 209 Japanese aircraft since they commenced operation from captured fields on Okinawa.
Escort carrier aircraft of the U. S. Pacific Fleet continued to neutralize airfields in the Sakishima group on May 7.
Concentrations of shipping in the coastal waters around Korea were at*tacked on May 7 by search planes of Fleet Air Wing One and an estimated 14,000 tons of shipping were sunk and 3,500 tons damaged as follows

Sunk:
One small freighter transport
One large fleet oiler

Damaged:
One trawler set afire
One small freight transport set afire and listing
One small freighter left listing and dead in water

Planes of Fleet Air Wing Eighteen in attacks on shipping south of the island of Honshu on May 8 inflicted the following damage on the enemy:

Sunk:
Two small cargo ships
One large fishing craft
One coastal cargo ship

Damaged:
Four small cargo ships
Four large fishing craft
One coastal cargo ship

Search planes of this wing shot down a four‑engine flying boat near the Honshu coast on the same date.
Night flying Mitchells of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing damaged a small ship with rockets south of Honshu on May 7.
Thunderbolts of the Seventh Army Air Force strafed and bombed gun positions and radio installations on Truk in the Carolines through intense antiaircraft fire on May 7. On the same date, Liberators of this force bombed the runways on Marcus Island.

 

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1941
JAPAN: In Tokyo, the French Indochinese- Thai peace treaty signed at Tokyo, with Japanese guaranty of new borders.

1942
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): In Burma during the night of 8/9 May, 6 B-17's bomb Mingaladon and attack the docks at Rangoon.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): 8 B-26's and a single B-17 attack shipping and seaplanes at Deboyne. 8th Bombardment Squadron, 3d BG, transfers from Port Moresby, New Guinea to Charters Towers, Australia with A-20's; combat operations continue.

1943
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-24's and B-17's bomb Manokwari, Nabire, Kaimana, and Madang Airfield, and the Wewak-But area. B-25's hit the airfield at Gasmata. The 89th Bombardment Squadron (Dive), 3d Bombardment Group (Dive) with A-20's transfers from Port Moresby to Dobodura. Both the squadron and group will be redesignated Bombardment Group/Squadron on 25 May 43 to reflect it's true equipment and mission.

1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 100+ RAF Vengeances, P-51s and B-25s hit positions and occupied areas at Moirang, Kanglatongbi, Myothit and SE of Palel, and severely damage a bridge over the Uyu River near Nawngpu-awng; Mogaung Valley targets, including targets in support of ground forces near Kamaing, are pounded by 60+ B-25s, A-36s, P-51s and P-40s; 9 P-51s hit troops and gun positions at Mawlu and Namkwin and hit the Nalong area; 3 B-24s blast the barracks area at Nagorn Sawarn while 3 P-51s hit Anisakan Airfield, destroying or damaging 20+ trucks, 2 aircraft and a locomotive; 8 B-24s lay mines in the Moulmein area, 2 others make a diversionary strike on Martaban, and 5 mine the Mergui waterfront.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): HQ 33d Fighter Group moves from Shwangliu to Pungchacheng, China.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): During the night of 8/9 May B-24s stage through Kwajalein to bomb Truk Atoll. Makin based B-25s hit Wotje and Jaluit Atolls, using Majuro Atoll as a rearming point between attacks.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 33 fighter-bombers pound the airfield at Lakunai Airfield; fighter sweeps over New Ireland and New Britain Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, continue. On Bougainville Island, 30+ P-39s and P-38s hit barges in the Porton-Chabai area, huts at Kieta and an ammunition dump S of Aitara Mission; 10 other P-38s and 12 B-25s bomb Bonis Airfield and nearby targets of opportunity in Buka Passage.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, 50+ B-24s and B-25s bomb Langgoer and Faan airstrips, Bosnik supply area and Mokmer Airfield; 220+ A-20s and fighter-bombers continue to blast numerous targets of opportunity along the NE coastline from Wewak to the Hansa Bay area. 12 B-24s of the Thirteenth Air Task Force bomb Woleai.

1945

OKINAWA: Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage the aircraft carriers HMS Formidable and HMS Victorious, and the destroyer escorts USS Oberrender and USS England. The Royal Navy carriers are part of Task Force 57.2 and their aircraft are attacking airfields in the Sakishima Islands which are twenty small islands in the southern Ryukyu Islands. HMS Formidable has two squadrons of Goodyear Corsair Mk. IVs (FG-1s) and a Grumman Avenger Mk I (TBF-1) squadron; HMS Victorious has two squadrons with Brewster Corsair Mk IIs (F3A-1s) and Goodyear Corsair Mk IVs and a squadron of Eastern Aircraft Avenger Mk IIs (TBM-1s). The kamikazes attack the task force between 1654 and 1705 hours and because of poorly deployed antiaircraft defenses, the Japanese aircraft crash into the flight decks of the two ships but cause only slight damage because the flight decks are armored. Both ships are forced to retire to refuel and because of aircraft loses, HMS Formidable must also replenish. On 14 May,
the Royal Navy will adopt the USN-style AA defense which has aircraft controllers in escorts deployed ahead of the carriers.
US Admiral Ernest J. King's statement on hearing of the damage to the USS England: "There'll always be an England in the US Navy." This DE had sunk 6 IJN submarines between May 19 and May 31, 1944 on one patrol.

PHILLIPINES: On Luzon Island, A-20s and fighters fly offensive sweeps over the Cagayan Valley and support ground forces in the Cervantes, Baguio, and Balete Pass area and the Ipo-New Bosoboso-Infanta area. On Mindanao Island, B-24s bomb the area around Dalirig and Maluko preparatory to allied landings in the Macajalar Bay area on 10 May.

NEI: P-38s over Borneo hit Brooketon, Sarawak and Tarakan.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Radar discloses considerable shipping between Paramushiru and Shimushu; thus, 12 B-24s take off and radar-bomb through overcast; another B-24 flies a radar- ferreting sortie over Paramushiru and Shimushu.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 14 B-24s, 14 B-25s, and 26 P-51s blast Paoching and various nearby targets of opportunity; some of the fighter-bombers also attack targets of opportunity W of Hengyang. 4 P-51s pound boxcars, locomotives, and other railroad targets from Tourane to Hue, French Indochina.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): Unit moves in India: 6th Fighter Squadron (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, from Hay to Asansol with P-47s; 115th Liaison Squadron, Tenth AF, from Dinjan to Nagaghuli with L-1s and L-5s.

AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: 29 B-24s from Guam, operating in 3 forces over a 6-hour period, bomb airfields, barracks, and targets of opportunity on Param and Moen. VII Fighter Command: 14 P-47s from Saipan sweep Truk Atoll.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 357, MAY 9, 1945

Carrier‑based aircraft, Marine aircraft based ashore and ships' guns con*tinued to support the troops of the Tenth Army with heavy bombing and gunfire on enemy positions in southern Okinawa on May 8 (East Longitude Date). Adverse weather continued in the Okinawa area through May 8 and no enemy aircraft were active over the Ryukyus on that date. The troops continued to move southward on May 9.
At noon on May 9 every gun ashore and every gun afloat which bore on the enemy on Okinawa fired one round simultaneously in recognition of the victory of the United Nations in Europe.
From the beginning of operations against Okinawa through May 7, the Tenth Army lost 2,107 soldiers and 577 Marines killed in action. A total of 10,402 soldiers and 2,800 Marines were wounded and 501 soldiers and 38 Marines were missing.
Aircraft from carriers of the British Pacific Fleet bombed airfields and defenses on Miyako and‑Ishigaki in the Sakishima group on May 9 destroying two planes on the ground and shooting one out of the air. Two units of the force suffered minor damage during an air attack but remained operational.
A substantial force of Mustang fighters of the Seventh Fighter Command destroyed two aircraft on the ground and probably destroyed five others in low level strafing attacks on Kisarazu airfield and Tateyama Naval Air Station southeast of Tokyo on May 8. In other attacks a small cargo ship and a locomotive were destroyed and a train and a number of small craft damaged.
On the same date, Liberators of the Seventh Army Air Force bombed airfields on Marcus Island and at Truk. In low level attacks on Marcus on May 9, Liberators and search Privateers of Fleet Air Wing Eighteen destroyed five aircraft on the ground and damaged three others. Antiaircraft fire was intense and two of our planes were shot down in the action. Survivors of one were rescued. On the same date, Liberators of the Seventh Air Force again bombed air installations on Truk.
Corsairs and Hellcats of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing attacked in*stallations on enemy‑held islands in the Palaus on May 8 and 9.

 

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1940
USA: U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull states that the U.S. will not stand for any country establishing a protectorate over the Netherlands East Indies

1942
PHILIPINES: General Sharp orders the surrender of the resistance forces and US forces in the Philippines.

NG: The Japanese plan to seize Port Moresby, New Guinea is officially cancelled.

USA: The possibility of increasing the range of small aircraft, by operating them as towed gliders, is demonstrated at the U.S. Naval Aircraft Factory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when two pilots hook their Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters to tow lines streaming behind a twin-engined Douglas BD (USAAF A-20), cut their engines and are towed for an hour at 180 knots at 7,000 feet.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-17's attack Kessa in the N Solomon while 22nd BG B-26's hit the seaplane base at Deboyne. Lost is B-26 40-1402.

PACIFIC: USN Inshore Patrol Squadron VS-4-D14 arrived in the Tonga with the base construction and garrison convoy and set up facilities to conduct antisubmarine patrols from Nukualofa Harbor on Tongatabu.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-17's attack Kessa in the N Solomon while 22nd BG B-26's hit the seaplane base at
Deboyne. Lost is B-26 40-1402 and B-25C "El Diablo" 41-12511.

(USN) USS Ranger on a transatlantic ferry trip, reached a position off the African Gold Coast and launched 60 P-40 Warhawks of the Army Air Force to Accra, from which point they were flown in a series of hops to Karachi, India, for operations with the 10th AAF. This was the first of four ferry trips made by the Ranger to deliver AAF fighters across the Atlantic, the subsequent launches being accomplished on 19 July 1942, 19 January 1943, and 24 February 1943.

1943
CBI BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force) In Burma, 6 P-40's bomb and strafe Kwitu, leaving several areas burning fiercely. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) In French Indochina, 8 P-40's fly an offensive sweep against communications in the Nam Dinh and Hanoi areas. Four locomotives and 3 riverboats are destroyed, a train carrying troops and supplies is heavily damaged, and several trucks of troops are destroyed.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) P-38's join Navy and Marine aircraft in a strike against gun emplacements, runway, and revetments at Munda Airfield.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) In New Guinea, A-20's bomb and strafe the Labu area. In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-25's pound Cape Gloucester Airfield. B-17's and B-24's, operating individually attack coastline targets in NE New Guinea; New Britain in the Bismarck Archipelago; and on Jamdena Island in the Sunda Islands. The 35th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group with P-39's transfers from Mareeba to Port Moresby.

1944
USA: James V. Forrestal becomes US Secretary of the Navy to succeed Frank Knox.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): The Eleventh directs its components to place more emphasis on photographing and bombing of specific targets instead of general reconnaissance.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS: In a drive to free the Burma Road, Chinese troops cross the Salween River on a 100-mi (160 km) front and attack Japanese positions in N Burma.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 70+ B-25s, A-36s, P-51s, P-40s and 10 B-24s blast numerous targets, concentrating on barracks and storage in the Myitkyina-Mogaung vicinity and also hitting gun positions and bridges at Kamaing and railroad siding and buildings at Mohnyin; 16 P-38s destroy several aircraft in strikes on Aungban and Kangaung Airfields.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): P-40s sink 6 large junks and damage several others in Fan Tou Bay, China and destroy several trucks between Wan Pa-Hsa and Mong Ho Pung, Burma. 28 P-40s bomb Tengchung, China town area, strafe a nearby truck convoy, damage bridges at Tingka, China; Bac Le, French Indochina; and Hsenwi, Burma; hit a power dam at Tasa, French Indochina; bomb a tank and truck dispersal area at Hsiangcheng, China; and hit 30+ railroad cars at Lang Giai, Dong Dang and Na Cham, French Indochina.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Kwajalein bomb Wake during the night of 9/10 May. During the day, B-25s from Engebi bomb Ponape while Makin based B-25s raid Jaluit and Wotje Atolls.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 41 fighter-bombers attack Tobera Airfield; 11 B-25s hit Matupi Island, Bismarck Archipelago; fighters on a sweep, hit trucks W of Keravat. On Bougainville Island, 4 B-25s bomb Majuai Mission; 61 P-39s (some back from the Tobera strike) and 12 P-40s attack targets throughout the Buka-Bougainville Islands area, including a bridge over the Crepers River, a supply area at Mawareka, a barge at Chabai, a village on Schwarze Point, a pillbox at Gohi and the general area of Porton Plantations. Lost is SBD Dauntless NZ5051.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 120+ B-24s, A-20s and fighter-bombers, along with RAAF aircraft, maintain attacks on targets of opportunity along the NE coast from the Hansa Bay area to Wewak; 2 B-24s hit Mokmer Airfield. 45 B-24s of the Thirteenth Air Task Force bomb the airfield on Eten Island and warehouse area at Dublon, both in Truk Atoll.

1945

OKINAWA: Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage the destroyer USS Brown and light minelayer USS Harry F. Bauer.

PHILLIPINES: The U.S. 108th Regimental Combat Team, 40th Infantry Division, lands unopposed at Macjalar Bay, Mindanao Island, Philippine Islands. Filipino guerillas assist in establishing the beachhead.
A-20s and fighter-bombers hit Cagayan Valley targets and support ground action in the battle zones throughout Luzon Island. On Mindanao, B-24s hit Impasugong, Kalasungay, and Malaybalay and B-25s in support of ground forces attack Kibawe and Tagolaan.

NEI: B-24s bomb Makassar ship basins and Limboeng Airfield on Celebes Island and shore targets at Balikpapan on Borneo.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): The Eleventh AF and the USN's Fleet Air Wing Four execute the heaviest and most successful joint mission to date in the Kurile Islands; 12 B-24s bomb shipping targets in the Kataoka naval base on Shimushu Island, and fly photo reconnaissance over E and W Paramushiru Island on the return trip; next, 16 Attu based B-25s take off; 1 aborts while the others hit shipping between Kashiwabara on Paramushiru Island and Kataoka; heavy AA fire claims 1 B-25; a B-24 and a B-25 forceland in the USSR. Lost is B-25J 43-36149.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 19 B-25s and 4 P-47s attack bridges at Fengstun and Pinyang, on the Song Chu River, and N of Singtai (a Pinyang, China target is destroyed), hit Yungfengshih and Chingshuping, and bomb the airfield at Paoching; 100-120 fighter-bombers pounding targets of opportunity over S and E China, disrupt enemy movement and supply lines.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): Unit moves in India: 1st Fighter Squadron (Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, from Cox's Bazar to Kalaikunda with P-51s; 164th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, from Sinthe, Burma to Asansol with UC-64s and L-5s; the 315th Troop Carrier Squadron, 443d Troop Carrier Group, from Ledo to Dinjan with C-47s.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 11 Guam based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus in the morning. During the afternoon, 19 B-24s flying in 2 forces, hit airfields on Param and Moen.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 8 missions are flown; the B-29s claim 10 Japanese aircraft; 1 B-29 is lost.
Missions 159 to 162: 42 B-29s hit airfields at Matsuyama, Usa, Miyazaki, and Kanoya on Kyushu and Shikoku Islands; 14 others hit targets of opportunity. Mission 163: 54 B-29s bomb the Tokuyama naval fuel station; 2 others hit targets of opportunity. Mission 164: 56 B-29s hit the Tokuyama coal yards; 1 other hits a target of opportunity. Mission 165: 112 B-29s hit the Otake oil refinery; 14 others hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-29 is lost. Mission 166: 80 B-29s bomb the Amami-O-Shima naval oil storage facilities; 4 others hit targets of opportunity.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb an airfield in the Canton, China area. B-25s, with fighter escort, hit Kari and communications targets of opportunity on Formosa. The 500th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 345th BG (Medium), moves from San Marcelino to Clark Field with B-25s.

N. D. COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 596, MAY 10, 1945
Philippine Area.

1. The LCS(L)‑26 and the YMS‑71 have been lost in the Philippine area as the result of enemy action.
2. The next of kin of casualties have been notified.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 358, MAY 10, 1945

Enemy installations in Southern Okinawa were bombarded by ships of the U. S. Pacific Fleet and carrier and Marine aircraft on May 9 (East Longitude Date). Ships' gunfire broke up a number of troop concentrations in the enemy's rear areas and destroyed pillboxes, emplacements and a motor transport. During the evening of May 9, several groups of enemy aircraft attacked our shipping off the Okinawa coast damaging two auxilia*ries and bombing Yontan Airfield without success. Early the following morning another attack was made on our ships and ground installations but we suffered no damage. Six enemy aircraft were shot down during these actions. A Second Marine Aircraft Wing fighter with guns inoperative destroyed a Japanese bomber by cutting off its tail assembly with his propeller in three attacks.
Elements of the Sixth Marine Division bridged and crossed the estuary of the Asa River in Southern Okinawa on May 10. Construction of the bridge was delayed temporarily by the enemy's use of two human bombs which caused some damage during the early morning hours. Limited gains were made on the remainder of the Southern front where hand to hand fighting was in progress in some sectors. The enemy on Okinawa lost 38,857 killed through May 9.
The area of Okinawa from the Central sector of the Island near the Hagushi beaches, northward to the extremity of the Island was passed to the control of the Island Commander, Major General F. G. Wallace, U. S. Army on May 4. About 135,000 civilians were under the jurisdiction of the U. S. Military Government on May 8.
Search Aircraft of Fleet Air Wing One damaged two medium freighters and two small cargo ships south of Korea on May 9 by bombing and strafing attacks.
Liberators of the Seventh Army Air Force bombed airfields on Truk and Marcus Islands heavily on May 10. On the same date, Mustangs of the Seventh Fighter Command struck at radio installations on Chichi Jima in the Bonins.
Helldiver bombers and Corsair fighters of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing continued neutralizing raids on the Marshalls on May 9 and struck targets in the Palaus and on Yap on the following day.
During the week of April 29 to May 5, inclusive, 69 Japanese were killed and 57 captured on Iwo Island. Total Japanese casualties on Iwo to May 5 were 23,244 killed and 1,03,8 prisoners of war. In the Marianas during the week of April 29 through May 5, 23 of the enemy were killed and 98 were captured.
On May 6, surface forces under Commander, Marshalls‑Gilberts Area, evacuated 494 Marshallese from Islands of Jaluit Atoll. Japanese garrison troops resisted the operation with light weapons on all islands. Our forces lost one killed and one wounded. The evacuated natives have been placed on Islands in the Marshalls Group under U. S. control.

 

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1941
USA: President Franklin D. Roosevelt plans to warn a special joint session of Congress next week that German advances in western Europe mean that even the Atlantic Ocean is no longer a protection for the United States. He believes that aviation, parachute troops and the "Fifth Column" now make the United States vulnerable to attack.
The President wants a mobile expeditionary force to be created as well as a program to expand and modernise the US armed forces. At present the American Army is not one of the 12 largest in the world. Mr. Roosevelt would like the rate of production of military aircraft in US factories to be increased to 50,000 a year - and he will tell Congress not to interfere, as it did recently by the terms of the Neutrality Acts, with arms deliveries to the Allies.

1942
USA: The President ordered that an Air Medal be established for award to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard after 8 September 1939, distinguishes or has distinguished himself by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.

USN - Scuttled is USS Neosho (AO-23) after the Battle of the Coral Sea.

1943
ALASKA: The US 7th Division lands on Attu in the Aleutian Islands.
Amplifying the above:
Operation LANDCRAB, the invasion of Attu Island in the Aleutian Islands begins. At 0309 hours local, the submarines USS Narwhal and USS Nautilus rendezvous off the north coast of Attu and land scouts of the 7th Infantry Scout Company. The actual unopposed invasion by the 17th and 32d Infantry Regiments, 7th Infantry Division, begins in the afternoon.
At 1530 hours local, the Northern Force lands on the north side of Holtz Bay and pushes southeast; the Southern Force lands at Massacre Bay at 1620 hours and pushes north. By 2200 hours, the Northern Force is 0.5 miles (805m) from a hill dominating Holtz Valley while the Southern Force has secured a beachhead in Massacre Bay.
The operation is supported by the U.S. Navy's Task Force 51 consisting of the battleships USS Idaho, USS Nevada and USS Pennsylvania; the auxiliary aircraft carrier USS Nassau with Composite Squadron Two One and Marine Observation Squadron One Hundred Fifty Five embarked; eight destroyers; plus the transports and escorts which included two Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvettes, HMCS Dawson and HMCS Vancouver. The Northern Force is supported by the heavy cruisers USS San Francisco and USS Wichita; the light cruiser USS Louisville and four destroyers. The Southern Force is supported by the light cruisers USS Detroit, USS Raleigh, USS Richmond and USS Santa Fe plus five destroyers.

BURMA: The British pull the 26th Division back from Maungdow in the Burma
Theater. General Irwin and Lloyd are relieved.

ALASKA: In the Aleutian Islands, the following missions are flown to support US forces landing on Attu: 1 air-ground liaison sortie by 1 B-24; a B-24 supply sortie dropping supplies to ground forces; and 5 attack missions, flown by 11 B-24's and 12 B-25's. The first attack mission cannot find the target and instrument-bombs targets which include the runway, radar, submarine base, and camp area. Because of poor visibility the next 2 missions hit Kiska, where the runway and Main Camp are attacked. Two B-24's then bomb the Chichagof Harbor area through fog while another drops leaflets on Attu.

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force) The 26th BS, 11th BG (Heavy), with B-17's, transfers from Bellows Field to Wheeler Field, Territory of Hawaii and begins transitioning to B-24D's.

CBI BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force) In Burma, 6 B-24's pound Syriam, causing large fires in the town area.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) B-17's fly harassing strikes during the night of 10/11 against Kahili Airfield and Shortland. The 390th BS, 42d BG (Medium) with B-25's, transfers from the Fiji to Guadalcanal.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-17's and B-24's hit the airfield and general area at Rabaul. B-25's bomb Penfoei and Dili. The 403d BS, 43d BG (Heavy), with B-24's transfers from Mareeba to Port Moresby.

1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 70+ B-25s, A-36s, P-51s and P-40s, attack the Myitkyina and Pinbaw areas, Sahmaw, targets NW of Kamaing, gun positions at Nsopzup and targets of opportunity along the road from Inkangahtawng to Kamaing; 24 P-51s attack the airfield at Meiktila, Anisakan and Heho, shooting down 13 aircraft in the area; 14 B-24s pound Maymyo railroad station; 12 B-25s attack the railroad in the Shwebo-Sagaing area; and 12 other B-25s knock out bridges at Pyu, Thawatti, Ela and 7 mi (11.2 km) S of Ela.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 24 P-40s knock out the main bridge N of Mangshih, bomb the town area of Lungchwanchiang, and in French Indochina, damage a radio station on Cat Ba Island and destroy several large junks off shore, and attack a power dam W of Cao Bang, buildings at Dong Dang, and boxcars and oil drums at Lang Giai. In China, 6 B-25s and 24 P-40s (some firing rockets) pound railroad yards and depot at Sinyang, blast a warehouse area 30 mi (48 km) to the N and sink a small freighter, 3 motor launches and several sampans between Siaokan and Chienli; 2 B-25s and 4 P-40s hit troops, tanks and trucks in the Yenshih-Tengfeng-Mihsien area and in the Luchou-Hsiangcheng vicinity; 6 P-40s pound supply dumps at Mienchih and 13 P-40s sink at least 5 supply boats on the Yangtze River in the Hosueh area.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s, staging through Eniwetok, bomb Truk Atoll during the night of 10/11 May. During the day B-25s from Engebi hit Ponape while others, based on Makin pound Jaluit Atoll.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 8 P-38s bomb a supply-personnel area W of Tobera; 12 B-25s, 12 P-40s and 3 B-24s hit Vunakanau Airfield; fighters on sweeps and bombing missions hit various targets at Kabanga Plantation, the Gazelle Peninsula area, N of the Sae River and at Labout. On Bougainville Island, 70+ P-39s, P-40s, and P-38s (flying a total of 18 missions) attack a variety of targets, including piers at Chabai, Ratsua and Porton, wooded area near Pipipaia, town of Siruluna, bridge at Tokinotu, and Buka Airfield on Buka Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, 190+ B-24s and B-25s bomb gun emplacements and supply areas on Wakde and Mokmer Airfield and targets of opportunity on Biak Island; 220+ fighter-bombers, A-20s, B-24s and B-25s continue to pound coastal bridges and villages, fuel dumps, vehicles, gun positions, supply areas, bivouacs and various targets along the shoreline from Hansa Bay to Wewak.

1945
OKINAWA: US forces attacks increase on the Shuri Line on Okinawa.
Off Okinawa, two kamikazes crash into the Task Force 58 flagship, the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill with Carrier Air Group Eighty Four aboard. Kamikazes also damage the destroyer USS Evans and a large support landing craft (LCS) and a "Baka" rocket-powered glide bomb damages the destroyer USS Hugh W. Hadley.
On the USS Bunker Hill, the first kamikaze releases its 500 pound bomb which smashes through the flight deck and out the side, exploding just above the water, and the aircraft crashes into the flight deck and skids over the side, destroying nearly all the ready-deck aircraft. The second kamikaze dives at the carrier at nearly a vertical dive, dropping its 500 pound bomb just before it hits the deck.
The bomb smashes through the flight deck, but does not make it through the hangar deck where it explodes. The thickened armor protecting the machinery spaces below has proved effective. After several hours of fighting fires, the ship is able to sail under her own power and returns to Bremerton, Washington via Pearl Harbor for repairs. A total of 346 men lose their lives, 43 are counted missing and 264 have been wounded, many with severe burns. Many of the ship's pilots died either in their planes or inside the skin of the ship when the second bomb exploded.

On the USS Bunker Hill, the first kamikaze releases its 500 pound bomb which smashes through the flight deck and out the side, exploding just above the water, and the aircraft crashes into the flight deck and skids over the side, destroying nearly all the ready-deck aircraft. The second kamikaze dives at the carrier at nearly a vertical dive, dropping its 500 pound bomb just before it hits the deck.
The bomb smashes through the flight deck, but does not make it through the hangar deck where it explodes. The thickened armor protecting the machinery spaces below has proved effective. After several hours of fighting fires, the ship is able to sail under her own power and returns to Bremerton, Washington via Pearl Harbor for repairs. A total of 346 men lose their lives, 43 are counted missing and 264 have been wounded, many with severe burns. Many of the ship's pilots died either in their planes or inside the skin of the ship when the second bomb exploded.

USS BUNKER HILL (CV-17), The Flag Ship of Vice Admiral Marc "Pete" Mitscher.
On May 11, the Bunker Hill had been at sea for 59 consecutive days. At 0200 that morning, as usual, enemy planes were reported and everyone went to general quarters. GQ lasted for an hour."Condition One Easy" was set, which left the anti-aircraft gunners on partial elert. There were further GQs at dawn and at 0900.
At 1002 when a group of fighters were returning to the BUNKER HILL, Central Information center reported that enemy planes had returned with the ship's own planes. CIC said, however, that it could not positively identify the planes as enemy. They were. At 1004, Major James Sweet, Marine flier, frantically signalled from his fighter: "Alert! Alert! Two planes diving on the BUNKER HILL!"
Almost immediately, a Jananese Zeke sneaked in fast and low on thestarboard quarter and dropped a 500-pound delayed action bomb and then dived into the 34 planes parked forward on the flight deck. The crashing plane started fires among the fueled and armed planes on the flight deck, and as its gas tank exploded, it left a searing trail, skidded along the deck and over the side. The bomb went through thr flight deck and out through the side of the ship and exploded above water.
After the first strike, seconds later, a Judy single engine divebomber whipped in at full throttle, made a steep climbing turn and then dove directly for the BUNKER HILL. Gunners caught the Judy with five-inch shell and 40 MM anti-aircraft fire but the suicide-pilot kept coming and dropped another 500-pound bomb which penetrated the after-flight deck and exploded in the galley deck immediately below.
Scores of crew members were blown into the water and flames leaped up all over the deck. As the confusion mounted, still a third kamikaze came tearing in for an attact. But the BUNKER HILL's Anti-aircraft gunners stayed at their posts and shot the attacker down into the sea.
To shorten the story, 373 of the BUNKER HILL's crew were killed or died of wounds, another 43 were missing and 264 wounded. Most of the ship's fighting squadron, qwqiting in their ready room were killed. Hundreds were blown over the side or forced to jump to escape the flames.

PHILLIPINES: B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers continue to support the ground action near Paranum and in the Ipo Dam sector.

NEI: On Borneo, B-24s bomb Keningau Airfield and B-25s bomb the Brunei Bay area. On Celebes Island, B-24s hit Mandai Airfield and Boeloedowang Airfields.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 6 B-25s and 4 P-47s knock out the Chungmow bridge and damage a bridge at Sincheng; 2 B-25s bomb truck convoys in the Paoching, Hengyang, and Changsha areas; 60+ fighter-bombers hit troops, artillery positions, communications targets, and general targets of opportunity in S and E China, concentrating on the Yangchi and Fantung areas.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): Unit moves in India: HQ 443d Troop Carrier Group from Ledo to Dinjan and 459th Fighter Squadron, 80th FG from Rumkha to Dudhkundi with P-38s.

AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: 10 Guam based B-24s hit the airfield on Param, while 13 pound the runways on Marcus in the N Pacific. VII Fighter Command: 14 P-51s from Iwo Jima strafe and bomb the radio station at Chichi Jima.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 6 missions are flown. Missions 167 to 171: 50 B-29s attack airfields at Oita, Saeki, Nittagahara, Miyazaki, and Miyakonojo on Kyushu Island; 8 others hit targets of opportunity. Missions against Japanese airfields terminate the air campaign, begun on 17 Apr, during which the Twentieth AF has devoted a major effort toward hitting sources of Kamikaze raids against USN and US Marine Corps (USMC) forces in the Battle of Okinawa. Mission 172: 92 B-29s bomb the Kawanishi aircraft plant at Kobe; 1 other hits a target of opportunity; they claim 9 Japanese fighters; 1 B-29 is lost.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-24s bomb Toshien Airfield and the towns of Koshun, Kato, Takao, Toko, and Shajo and B-25s pound Kagi. Unit moves: 12th Fighter Squadron, 18th FG, ceases operating from Palawan with P-38s and returns to base at Zamboanga, Mindanao Island; 498th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 345th BG (Medium), from San Marcelino to Clark Field, Luzon with B-25s.


CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 359, MAY 11, 1945

During the evening of May 10 and the morning of May 11 (East Longi*tude Dates) several groups of enemy aircraft attacked our ships and shore installations in the Okinawa area damaging three light Naval units. More than 40 enemy planes were shot down by our combat air patrols and anti*aircraft fire.
During the night of May 10‑11, the Japanese on Okinawa made numer*ous night attacks and attempts at night infiltration into the lines of the Tenth Army. Practically all the attacking Japanese were killed. At 0700 local time on May 11 after large scale preparation by heavy artillery Naval gunfire and aerial bombing the Tenth Army launched a strong attack. The initial assault carried elements of the Marine Third Amphibious Corps on the west and of the Twenty‑Fourth Army Corps on the east to the high ground overlooking the enemy stronghold of Shuri. Enemy resistance was heavy along the front. On the west the Sixth Marine Division made a general advance southward to a line about 800 yards south of the Asa estuary and the First Marine Division, employing tanks, advanced and occupied the village of Dakeshi. In the center of the island, the Seventy-Seventh Infantry Division engaged in hand to hand fighting as it moved forward in rugged terrain. On the east the Ninety‑Sixth Infantry Division was gaining ground slowly against strong resistance.
At the end of May 10, the enemy on Okinawa had lost 39,469 killed in action.
As of May 9, according to most recent reports available, 1,283 officers and men of the U. S. Pacific Fleet had been killed and 2,072 were reported missing in action from the beginning of the Okinawa operation and associated operations against Japan. A total of 3,498 were wounded.
Search planes of Fleet Air Wing One shot down a four‑engine flying boat west of Kyushu and set a small cargo ship afire west of Korea on May 10.
Fleet Air Wing Eighteen planes damaged several fishing craft and set two small cargo ships afire south of Honshu on May 10. In the same area on the following day planes of this wing shot down an enemy plane, exploded a coastal cargo ship, damaged another coastal vessel and caused it to beach, set a small cargo ship afire and damaged a number of landing craft. Search planes of Fleet Air Wing Eighteen destroyed two small cargo ships in Truk Harbor on May 11.
Further information about the action of British carrier aircraft against airfields in the Sakishima group on May 9 shows that two enemy planes were destroyed on the ground and six more were destroyed in the air. One British plane was lost in combat.
Liberators of the Eleventh Army Air Force bombed shipping and instal*lations at Kataoka Naval Base on Shimushu and Kashiwabara on Para*mushiru in the Kuriles on May 10. Meager antiaircraft fire was encountered.
Aircraft of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing and Fleet Air Wing Two continued neutralizing raids on the Marshalls on May 10. Marine Corsair and Hellcat fighters destroyed installations in the Palaus on May 11.

 

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1941
USA: In Washington, the Japanese ambassador, Nomura Kichasaburo, presents Secretary of State Cordell Hull with a proposal for the establishment of "just peace in the Pacific."

1942
PHILIPINES: Last U.S. troops in Philippines surrender on Mindanao.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): B-17's fly their first mission in direct defense of the air cargo line to China when 4 B-17's from Dum Dum Airfield, India heavily damage the runways and set fire to several parked aircraft at Myitkyina, Burma. Myitkyina, which fell to the Japanese on 8 May, poses a serious fighter threat to the Allied base at Dinjan.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-17's and B-26's hit shipping in Simpson Harbor and the Lakunai Airfield. 30th Bombardment Squadron, 19th BG, transfers from Cloncurry to Longreach with B-17's.

1943
AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eleventh Air Force) In the Aleutians, a P-39 reconnaissance sortie over Kiska and Rat Island encounters poor weather and turns back. At Attu, an air-ground liaison B-24 watches US forces land on beach "Red" while another B-24 drops supplies. Seven attack missions flown by 10 B-24's, 12 B-25's, and 24 P-38's bomb and strafe assigned Attu targets. Four barges are set afire in the W arm of Holtz Bay.

On Attu Island in the Aleutian Islands, the Americans advance from three directions. The Northern Landing Force advanced on two fronts; the Provisional Scout Battalion, which landed on Beach Scarlet in Austin Cove, moves southward and approaches the Japanese rear but they are fired on and pinned down for three days. By1830 hours, the second advance, by the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment advancing southward from Holtz Bay, overruns the Japanese front line on Hill X and then faces counterattacks resulting in hand-to-hand combat.
At 0900 hours, the Southern Landing Force begins a two pronged attack from Massacre Bay towards Jarmin Pass but fail to gain ground due to fog in the hills concealing Japanese positions. During the day, the battleships USS Pennsylvania and USS Nevada bombard Holtz Bay and Chichagof Harbor. As the USS Pennsylvania turns away, the Japanese submarine HIJMS I-31 fires torpedoes that miss. Two U.S. destroyers attack the submarine for ten hours before finally sinking her. A second submarine, HIJMS I-35, attacks the light cruiser USS Santa Fe but the torpedoes miss and the submarine is sunk by two U.S. destroyers.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) During the night of 11/12 May, B-17's fly snooper strikes against Kahili Airfield. During the early morning hours, P-40's and Navy aircraft hit AA positions, runway and revetments there.

NEW GEORGIA: Admiral Ainsworth with a US naval force of 4 cruisers and 7 destroyers shells Vila and Munda in the Solomons.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-25's bomb the airfield and surrounding area at Finschhafen. In the Moluccas B-24's hit Saumlakki. Single heavy bombers hit Salamaua and Gasmata.

1944
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 1 B-24 reconnoiters and bombs installations on Matsuwa Island, Kurile Islands, concentrating on the airfield on Tagan Cape.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 4 B-25s strike the Tiddim road NNW of Tonzang; 50+ B-25s and fighter-bombers knock out a railroad bridge at Pinbaw, pound gun positions and supply area at Myitkyina and hit defensive positions near Kazu-Tiangsup; 4 B-25s damage Myothit bridge while 8 P-38s bomb Kyaukye; 21 P-51s hit airfields at Meiktila and Heho, claiming 8 Japanese aircraft downed; 4 B-25s knock out a bridge at Daga while 2 others bomb a camp at Taungbaw.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 16 P-40s and 11 B-25s hit several targets in S China and in French Indochina. In China, military installations, artillery positions and tank concentrations are pounded in the Yoyang area, a bridge and several trucks are damaged at Sienning, a naval vessel is attacked at Hong Kong and in French Indochina, a radio station on Cat Ba Island is bombed and railroad yards, supply dump, and river junks are blasted in the Phu Langi Thuong area; and HQ 81st Fighter Group moves from Karachi, India to Kwanghan.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): 12 Makin based B-25s bomb Nauru Island. A single B-24 from Kwajalein bombs Jaluit Atoll.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 12 B-25s and 20+ P-40s and P-38s pound Tobera Airstrip and nearby personnel areas; some of the B-25s returning from Tobera bomb Sohano; 12 P-39s and about 70 USN SBDs and TBFs sink numerous barges throughout the Rabaul area, especially at Simpson Harbor and Keravia Bay; gun positions in the Matupi area are also attacked.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-24s bomb Mokmer Airfield, New Guinea, and attack targets on Ceram Island, Moluccas Islands; Amboina, Ambon Island, Moluccas Islands; and Timor Island. In New Guinea, A-20s, B-25s and fighter-bombers blast villages, coastal bridges and roads, vehicles, the airstrip at Boram and other targets throughout the Wewak-Hansa Bay region; HQ 3d Bombardment Group moves from Nadzab to Hollandia; 66th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier Group, based at Nadzab begins operating from Tadji with C-47s; 418th Night Fighter Squadron, 310th Bombardment Wing (Medium), moves from Finschhafen to Hollandia with B-25Hs, P-38s and P-70s.

1945
OKINAWA: Off Okinawa, the battleship USS New Mexico is damaged by a kamikaze.

A reinforced company from the U.S. Army's 27th Infantry Division occupies Tori Shima located west of Okinawa. The two Japanese on the island jump in to the sea as the Americans approach.

PHILLIPINES: A-20s and fighter- bombers support ground forces on Luzon and Negros Islands.

NEI: In Borneo, B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s hit targets in the Brunei Bay area including Labuan Island, Brooketon, and Jesselton Airfields and troops on Tarakan. On Celebes Island, B-24s bomb Makassar shipyards and Limboeng Airfield.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 17 B-25s and 8 P-51s bomb the barracks and storage area at Loyang and hit railroad targets around Sinsiang and Sinyang, from Hankow to Sinyang, from Chenghsien to Szeshui, from Kioshan to Lohochai, and between Hengshan and Yoyang and knock out a bridge N of Hengyang; 150+ fighter-bombers again hit scattered targets in S and E China, concentrating on road, rail, and river traffic and supply lines.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): Unit moves in India: 12th Combat Cargo Squadron, 3d Combat Cargo Group, from Tulihal to Ledo with C-47s; 71st Liaison Squadron, Tenth AF, from Dinjan to Piardoba with UC-64s, L-1s, L-4s and L-5s.

AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: 9 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus while 12 more hit the airfield on Param. VII Fighter Command: The 6th Night Fighter Squadron, 7th Fighter Wing, arrives at Kipapa, Hawaii from Saipan Island with P-61s.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): HQ 331st BG (Very Heavy) and 355th, 356th and 357th Bombardment Squadrons (Very Heavy) and HQ 502d BG (Very Heavy) and 402d, 411th and 430th Bombardment Squadrons (Very Heavy) arrive at Northwest Field, Guam Island from the US with B-29s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In French Indochina, B-24s pound several railroad and road bridges at Binh Dinh, Phu My, Bong Son, Lai Ha, Tuy Hoa, and Phu Hiep and attack the railroad yard at An Trach and other railroad targets. HQ 345th BG (Medium) and 499th and 501st Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) move from San Marcelinto to Clark Field, Luzon with B-25s.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 360, MAY 12, 1945

Cruisers and destroyers of the U. S. Pacific Fleet covered by aircraft from fast carriers, bombarded shore installations on Minami Daito Island, east of the Ryukyus on May 10 (East Longitude Date). On the following day, air groups and ships' guns of the fast carrier task forces destroyed 72 enemy aircraft over the Ryukyus including 40 over Okinawa. Carrier planes made low level attacks on May 11 on airfields and shipping in the Amami group destroying four planes on the ground and damaging warehouse Installations and a number of luggers. One of our major Fleet Units suffered damage during an air attack on that date.
A total of 93 enemy planes were destroyed over our forces around Okinawa on May 11 including 19 planes shot down by one of our destroyers. Several surface ships were damaged during these attacks.
On May 12, the Tenth Army continued the general attack of the preced*ing day supported by heavy gunfire from ships and sustained bombing by carrier planes and by aircraft of the Second Marine Aircraft Wing. Apprecia*ble gains were made on each flank of the Army line.

Elements of the Sixth Marine Division entered the suburbs of Naha on the west coast of Okinawa. Progress of the center of the line against the positions of the enemy in the hilly central portions of the Island was slow. The Seventy‑Seventh and Ninety‑Sixth Infantry Divisions captured important enemy strong points and made local advances against stiff resistance in their respective zones of action.
Tori Island, approximately 55 miles west of Okinawa, was occupied by Tenth Army Troops without opposition on May 12.
In waters south of Korea on May 11, search aircraft of Fleet Air Wing One including Privateers, Coronados and Mariners, inflicted the following damage on the enemy:

One coastal cargo ship sunk
Two coastal cargo ships set afire.
One large coastal cargo ship set afire and listing

Mitchells and Liberators of the Eleventh Army Air Force sank a small largo ship and damaged two others in Kataoka Harbor on Shimushu in the Northern Kuriles on May 11. A Mitchell was shot down during the attack. On the same date, Eleventh Air Force Mitchells attacked targets at Kashiwabara on Paramushiru and planes of Fleet Air Wing Four made rocket attacks on radar installations on Minami Cape on Shimushu.
Liberators of the Seventh Army Air Force bombed Truk in the Carolines and Marcus Island oh May 12.
Planes of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing struck targets in the Palaus and at Yap on the same date.
Search Privateers of Fleet Air Wing Two bombed workshops and air installations on Wake Island on May 11.

 

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1942
CBI: The Chinese 6th Division retreats across the Salwen River on the way to Kengtung in the Burma Theater.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (, 5th Air Force): B-17's and B-26's hit shipping Simpson Harbor and the Lakunai Airfield.

AUSTRALIA: 30th Bombardment Squadron, 19th BG (Heavy), transfers from Cloncurry to Longreach with B-17's.

1943
ALASKA: In the Aleutians, bad weather keeps the air-ground liaison B-24 from observing or hearing friendly ground forces on Attu and it returns to base. An air-ground support mission of 6 B-24's divert from Attu to Kiska; 2 of the bombers don't get the message, proceed to Attu, and bomb Chichagof Harbor and Holtz Bay. The other 4 bomb the Main Camp area. Eight P-40's dispatched to Kiska in 2 waves cannot see the target and instead bomb Little Kiska installations.
US forces on Attu in the Aleutian Islands outnumber the Japanese 4:1 but are holding. Bad weather and the terrain work in favor of the Japanese. As U.S. losses continue to mount, the American front-line positions remain essentially the same as they were on D-Day. At 1100 hours, the 3d Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, part of the Southern Landing Force, attempts to take Jarmin Pass; Japanese fire from fog-shrouded heights stop the attack and kill two company commanders and wound two others. The Japanese attack the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, part of the Northern Landing Force, which has occupied the crest of Hill X but their attacks are driven off.
The battleship USS Idaho and a destroyer silence enemy shore batteries on Attu permitting American artillery to move forward.
The Japanese dispatch 19 land-based torpedo aircraft from Kiska to attack the U.S. naval forces at Attu but they must turn back because of poor weather.

CBI CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) The 76th Fighter Squadron, 23d Fighter Group, with P-40's, transfers from Kunming, China to Lingling, China.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) During the night of 12/13 May, 2 B-24's on snooper missions bomb Kahili and Ballale Airfields. They are followed shortly by 6 B-17's which pound the same targets. During the day, 34 P-38's, P-39's, and P-40's, along with 62 Navy and Marine fighters and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P-40's, intercept 20+ airplanes over the Russells-Tulagi area. Allied pilots claim 16 aircraft shot down (1 by USAAF fighters). During the early evening, 5 B-17's again hit Kahili and Ballale Airfields.
In the Solomon Islands, Task Force 18 bombards Munda and Vila on New Georgia Island while minelayers sow a minefield across the northwestern approaches of Kula Gulf.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-17's bomb airfields at Rabaul on New Britain Island and Wewak and Boram in New Guinea. 38th BG B-25's blast the airfield, town area, and targets of opportunity at Gasmata while A-20's hit Cape Gloucester Airfield and area. Single B-24's and B-17's attack various shoreline and offshore targets, including landing strips, buildings, gun positions, barges, and vessels, on the NE New Guinea coast, New Britain, and in the Admiralty Islands.

1944
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 1 B-25 flies a shipping strike and strafes 2 fishing vessels.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, nearly 100 P-40s and P-51s over the Mogaung Valley hit gun positions, bridges, support ground forces (near Nanyaseik) and hit numerous targets of opportunity throughout the whole valley; 12 A-36s hit positions near Maungdaw; 19 B-25s pound several points along the road and bomb troop concentrations at Bishenpur; 30+ B-24s, B-25s, A-36s, and P-51s hit Indaw, Taungbaw and Mohnyin; and 11 B-25s bomb Monywa.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 19 B-25s hit storage and warehouse areas at Mangshik and Lungling, a bridge at Hsenwi, truck and tank concentrations SW of Loyang, and town area of Lungling; 39 P-40s hit military installations at Mengta and Tating, a village N of Kaitou bridge at Tingka and a truck concentration at Yingyangchen.

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Twentieth Air Force): 771st Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy), 462d Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy), arrives at Piardoba, India from the US with B-29s; first mission is 5 Jun.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s. staging through Eniwetok from Kwajalein bomb Truk Atoll during the early morning hours. Other B-24s from Kwajalein bomb Maloelap and Jaluit Atolls, Marshall Islands. B-25s from Engebi hit Ponape.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On Bougainville Island, 50+ P-39s and P-40s attack piers at Ratsua, Porton, Chabai, and Tarlena; 30+ fighter-bombers hit various targets, including a supply area SE of Bonis, the town of Chabai, a village near Ibu, and huts and villages along the Numa Numa trail; 3 B-25s hit coastal guns at Hahela Mission. On New Britain Island, 21 B-25s and 40+ P-39s, P-40s, and P-38s pound supply areas at Talili Bay. Fighter sweeps over N New Britain and New Ireland Islands continue; many targets of opportunity are strafed. 370th, 371st, 372d and 424th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 307th Bombardment Group (Heavy), move from Munda, and Guadalcanal Island (424th Bomb Squadron) to Los Negros with B-24s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, B-24s hit dispersal areas on Jaspen Island, supply areas and AA guns at Bosnik and airfields at Sorido, Namber and near the Moemi River; B-24s and B-25s hit airfields in the Wakde-Maffin-Sawar-Arare area; 200+ fighter-bombers, A-20s, and B-25s thoroughly pound airfields, bridges, fuel dumps, vehicles, villages, AA guns, and supply areas in the Wewak-Hansa Bay area; and 89th Bombardment Squadron, 3d Bombardment Group, moves from Nadzab to Hollandia with A-20s.

1945
OKINAWA: Of Okinawa, the destroyer USS Bache and destroyer escort USS Bright are damaged by kamikazes. On USS Bache, the wing of the kamikaze struck near number two stack, catapulting the plane down on the main deck amidships, with its bomb exploding about seven feet above the main deck; 41 of the crew were killed and 32 injured. All steam and electrical power were lost. Fires were brought under control within 20 minutes and she was towed to Kerama Retto, Okinawa, for temporary repairs.
On USS Bright, a low-flying Japanese fighter was sighted at 1919 hours and gunners opened fire scoring hits on his engine and port wing. The port wing fell off but the plane continued approaching at full speed and crashed immediately astern of the fantail. A 500-pound bomb exploded at the moment of crashing, causing immediate loss of steering with the rudder jammed hard left. The after-steering room was completely demolished, both port and starboard depth charge racks were damaged and inoperative, smoke screen generators blown off, the main deck aft buckled and pierced, and three compartments opened to the sea. Two men were wounded and for the following hour it was impossible to keep the ship from circling. Bright was towed to Kerama Retto, Ryukyu Islands, for emergency repairs.

JAPAN: Aircraft of Task Groups 58.1 and 58.2 attack airfields on Kyushu and Shikoku, Japan, in an attempt to stop the kamikaze attacks.

PHILLIPINES: Heavy fighting on Mindanao, PI. Del Monte Airfield falls to the US 40th Division. Bombers and fighters pound Cagayan Valley targets and continue support of ground forces on Luzon Island. B-24s hit troop concentrations and caves in the Bugnay area.

NEI: In Borneo, other B-24s bomb Oelin and Tabanio Airfields while B-25s and P-38s bomb Sandakan and support ground forces on Tarakan.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 5 B-24s lay mines in the Yangtze River; 10 B-25s and 5 fighters knock out bridges at Hankow and Hengyang but fail to hit a bridge N of Siaokan; 130+ fighter-bombers over areas of S and E China attack troops, bridges, rail traffic, town areas, and other targets of opportunity and generally disrupt Japanese movement and communications; the flight of the 21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Fourteenth AF, operating from Luliang with F-5s, returns to base at Kunming.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The 5th Fighter Squadron (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, moves from Hay to Asansol, India with P-47s.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 10 B-24s from Guam Island bomb a underground hangar on Moen Island in Truk Atoll. 9 other B-24s strike the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 173: During the night of 13/14 May, 12 B-29s drop mines in Shimonoseki Strait, Japan.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s again pound bridges along the French Indochina coast.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 361, MAY 13, 1945

Heavy fighting continued on Okinawa on May 13 (East Longitude Date) as troops of the Tenth Army continued to attack the approaches to the enemy stronghold of Shuri. Few changes were noted in the western sector A the lines where the Sixth Marine Division was meeting stiff resistance. An attempted enemy landing behind our lines in the area of Machinato air*field was broken up and a number of enemy boats were destroyed by ship and shore gunfire. The First Marine Division was moving at noon south of Dakeshi into the high ground protecting Shuri after beating off an enemy counterattack and killing approximately 100 Japanese. Throughout the morning, these troops were under heavy enemy artillery and mortar fire and progress teas difficult. The attack of the Twenty‑Fourth Army Corps carried its lines 300 yards forward on the Corps' right flank and about 800 yards forward on the Corps' left flank. The Seventy‑Seventh Infantry Division, meeting very strong resistance, advanced into high ground northeast of Shuri and the 383rd Infantry Regiment of the Ninety‑Sixth Division was approaching the summit of Conical Hill, a key position which forms a pro*tective barrier for both Shuri and Yonabaru. The ground troops were sup*ported throughout the day by heavy air strikes from carriers and from the Second Marine Aircraft Wing. The guns of heavy units of the U. S. Pacific Fleet continued to bombard enemy areas.
A few enemy planes approached our forces in the Okinawa Area early on the morning of May 13 but caused no damage.
Search seaplanes of Fleet Air Wing One sank a lugger, set a small cargo ship afire and heavily damaged a small oiler in waters around Korea on May 12.
Runways at Marcus Island and Truk were heavily bombed by Liberators of the Seventh Army Air Force on May 13.
Corsair and Hellcat fighters of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing bombed enemy installations in the Palaus on May 13.

 

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1942
HAWAII: The first Japanese coded radio messages are broken that indicate the upcoming Japanese operation at Midway.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): B-17's pound Myitkyina, Burma for the second time, scoring direct hits on runways and several buildings.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-17's, B-26's and B-25's attack Rabaul and Lae.

1943
ALASKA: In the Aleutians, poor weather curtails bombings. The air-ground liaison B-24 flies reconnaissance and photo reconnaissance over Attu throughout the day. One B-24 carrying supplies for the ground forces hits a mountain side 10 miles (16 km) W of the drop zone. Six B-24 s and 5 B-25's fly ground support bombing missions over Attu. Two P-40's bomb Kiska through the overcast.
On Attu Island in the Aleutians, an attempt to capture Jarmin Pass is made by a combined attack of the Northern and Southern Landing Forces. The Southern Force will attempt to inch forward up Massacre Valley while the Northern Force will attempt to drive the Japanese off the reverse slope of Hill X, continue on to seize Moore Ridge and then take Jarmin Pass from the rear.
Each attack quickly bogs down. In the north, the Provisional Scout Battalion which has been pinned down since landing in Austin Cove on D-Day, remains pinned down. The second arm of the Northern
Force also is unable to move forward because the 3d Battalion, 32d Infantry Regiment does not reach its assault position in time.
Major General Albert E. Brown, Commanding General 7th Infantry Division, calls off the attack and in a report to higher headquarters that evening, states that "progress through passes will, unless we are
extremely lucky, be slow and costly, and will require troops in excess to those now available to my command."
The USN continues gunfire support for the American troops.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) Single B-24's fly early evening snooper strikes against airfields at Kahili, Ballale, and Munda. During the night of 14/15 May, B-17's on a snooper mission bomb Kahili

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-25's administer a thorough pounding to the airfield and surrounding area at Gasmata while B-24's and B-17's pound Rabaul Airfield. B-25's bomb Penfoei Airfield and the Dili area. Single heavy bombers hit various targets in NE New Guinea, New Britain and the Netherlands East Indies. The 475th Fighter Group and it's 431st, 432d and 433d Fighter Squadrons are activated at Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia. The unit will be equipped with P-38F and H aircraft and will enter combat in Aug 43.

PACIFIC: The MS Centaur, 2/3rd Australian Hospital Ship, was a motor passenger ship converted in early 1943 for use as a hospital ship. In November 1941 it had rescued survivors of the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran after it had sunk and been sunk by HMAS Sydney.
On 12 May 1943 the Centaur sailed unescorted from Sydney at 0945 hours carrying her crew and normal staff, as well as stores and equipment of the 2/12th Field Ambulance but no patients. It was sunk without warning by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine on 14 May 1943 at approximately 0400 hours, its position being approximately 27 17' S, 153¡58' E about 50 miles east north-east of Brisbane. The wreck was discovered in 1995.
Of the 332 persons on board, only 64 survived. These survivors spent 35 hours on rafts before being rescued. Sister Ellen Savage, the only one of twelve nursing sisters on board to survive, though injured herself, gave great help to the other survivors and was awarded the George Medal for this work.
The ship had been appropriately lit and marked to indicate that it was a hospital ship and its sinking was regarded as an atrocity.
The Australian Government delivered an official protest to Japan over the incident. The Japanese did not acknowledge responsibility for the incident for many years and the War Crimes Tribunal could not identify the responsible submarine. However, the Japanese official war makes clear that it was submarine 1-177, under the command of Lt Commander Nakagawa who had sunk the Centaur. Lt Commander Nakagawa was convicted as a war criminal for firing on survivors of the British Chivalry which his ship had sunk in the Indian Ocean.

1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 12 P-38s hit Tiddim road at Tonzang, causing a roadblock; 11 P-40s hit a bridge and road at Kazu and railroad shed at Myitkyina; 25 B-25s and P-51s hit troop positions at Hopin; Meiktila and Heho Airfields are hit by 20+ P-51s and P-38s; the fighters claim 4 aircraft downed in combat; and 528th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 311th Fighter-Bomber Group, moves from Dinjan, India to Tingkawk Sakan with P-51s.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 60 P-40s and P-51s hit trucks at Yoyang, river shipping, boxcars, and trucks at Pailochi and Sienning and a storage area at Shayang; 20 other P-40s bomb and strafe towns near Mamien Pass, Pingkai and areas around Mengta and Tating; 6 Japanese bombers hit Kienow, rendering the airfield temporarily unusable.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): 53 B-24s from Kwajalein and 43 B-25s from Makin join USN aircraft in pounding Jaluit Atoll.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 23 B-25s bomb Tobera Airstrip; 44 fighter-bombers pound supply and personnel areas at Vunakanau; P-39s and P-40s strafe targets in N and E Gazelle Peninsula, and fighter patrols over Rabaul area attack several targets of opportunity. In the Buka-Bougainville Island area, 40+ P-39s and P-40s bomb Hangan, Tsirogei, Tokiparo, a pier at Kessa Plantation, and near Ibu.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-24s bomb Bosnik supply areas and Sorido runway; in the Wakde-Sawar-Maffin Bay area, villages and AA positions are pounded by B-24s and B-25s; fighter-bombers, A-20s, B-24s and B-25s maintain strikes against airfields, bridges, trucks, villages, and other targets in the Wewak-Hansa Bay area.

1945
JAPAN: The Japanese Supreme Council for the Direction of the War, agrees to enlist the USSR to assist with obtaining peace. The SCDW is known as the Big 6 of the Japanese Cabinet. PM, FM, War Minister, Navy Minister, Army CofS, Navy CofS.

OKINAWA: Off Okinawa, a kamikaze damages the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. The suicide plane destroys the ship's forward elevator, killing 14 and wounding 34 men, forcing Enterprise to retire to the U.S. for repairs.

USA: In the U.S., Admiral H. Kent Hewitt begins a "further investigation of facts pertinent to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor." Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal asks the admiral to review the proceedings of the Hart Inquiry and the Navy Court of Inquiry to determine if "errors of judgment" were made by "certain officers in the Naval Service, both at Pearl Harbor and at Washington."

PHILLIPINES: A-20s and fighter- bombers support ground forces on Luzon and Negros Islands.

NEI: In Borneo, B-24s attack Jesselton and Sepinggang Airfields and B-25s hit Jesselton, Kudat, and Bintula Airfields and support ground forces on Tarakan. On Celebes Island, B-24s lightly raid Makassar harbor, Sidate Airfield, and Parepare warehouses and bomb Bima Airfield on Soembawa Island, Lesser Sunda Islands.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, B-24s mine the Yangtze River; 15 B-25s and 6 fighter-bombers hit river shipping near Hengshan and pound bridges and other railroad targets around Chushihtien, Sinyang, Kioshan, Kuanshuishih, Hengyang, Chuchou, Changsha, Yoyang, Sintien, Hsuchang, Saiping, and Hengshan; 120+ fighter-bombers over S and E China hit numerous targets of opportunity at several locations concentrating on the Liping and Tungkow areas; Fourteenth AF unit moves in China: 11th Combat Cargo Squadron from Dinjan, India to Yunnani with C-47s; 21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron from Kunming to Shwangliu with F-5s (flights operating from Hanchung, Hsian and Laifeng); 35th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron based at Chanyi with F-5s sends a detachment to operate from Kunming.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): Unit moves in India: 2d Fighter Squadron (Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, from Cox's Bazar to Kalaikunda with P-51s; 166th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, from Toungoo Airfield to Asansol with UC-64s and L-5s.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): A detachment of the 28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Seventh AF, based on Okinawa with F-5Es, begins operating from Ie Shima.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 174: 472 B-29s blast the urban area of northern Nagoya; 8 others hit targets of opportunity; they claim about 20 Japanese fighters; 11 B-29s are lost. This is the XXI Bomber Command's first 4-wing raid as B-29s of the 58th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) join bombers from the 73d, 313th, and 314th Bombardment Wings (Very Heavy) in a single mission.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb Hozan, the largest military and air supply center on Formosa.

N. D. COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 597, MAY 14, 1945

1. The YMS‑103 has been lost in the Okinawa area as the result of enemy action. The next of kin of casualties have been informed.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 362, MAY 14, 1945

About 35 enemy aircraft in three groups attacked our ships off the coast of Okinawa on the evening of May 13 (East Longitude Date) causing some damage to two light units. Twenty‑five of the planes were shot down, one of our destroyers accounting for eight aircraft. Early in the morning of May 14, a few planes dropped bombs ashore on Okinawa but failed to damage any installations.
On the afternoon of May 13, two rifle companies of the Ninety‑Sixth Infantry Division reached the summit of Conical Hill, 2,500 yards east of Shuri, holding the position despite a Japanese counterattack. The 383rd Infantry Regiment of the Ninety‑Sixth Division completed capture of the hill on May 14. Domination of this high ground permitted our left flank to advance 2,400 yards southward along the East Coast bringing Yonabaru airstrip into our possession. In other sectors of the line, advances were limited generally to 100 to 200 yards as troops of the Tenth Army met stiff opposition. The ground forces were supported by heavy gunfire from ships of the Pacific Fleet and by bombing and strafing attacks on enemy positions by carrier aircraft and planes of the Second Marine Aircraft Wing.
Since April 1, our forces on Okinawa have captured or destroyed 388 enemy guns of 70 millimeter caliber or larger.
Several groups of enemy aircraft made a series of attacks on the Fast Carrier Task Forces of the U. S. Pacific Fleet during the morning of May 14, causing some damage to one major unit. Preliminary reports show that 21 enemy planes were shot down by combat air patrols and ships' gunfire.
Carrier aircraft of the British Pacific Fleet bombed the airfields on Miyako in the Sakishima Group on May 12 and 13, and struck buildings, dumps and barges at Hirara Town where a large oil fire and a number of smaller fires were started. Two aircraft were destroyed on the ground dur*ing these attacks.
Search Privateers of Fleet Air Wing One sank a small oiler, a medium freighter, and a small freighter transport in the waters around Korea on May 13. A medium freighter transport was damaged and left burning. From the beginning of operations in the Okinawa Area to May 13, inclusive, search planes of this Wing have sunk 71,900 tons of enemy shipping, damage 70,160 tons and destroyed six aircraft. The unit has suffered combat losses of three aircraft from which all personnel were rescued.
Fleet Air Wing Eighteen aircraft damaged five small cargo ships, a lugger and a fishing craft south of Honshu on May 13. In low level attacks along the coast of Southwestern Honshu our search planes halted two trains with strafing and rocket attacks and damaged a number of buildings.
Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing planes bombed targets in the Marshalls on May 13 and attacked military installations in the Palaus and on Yap on the following day. Search planes of Fleet Air Wing Two continued neutralizing attacks in the Marshalls and bombed Ponape in the Carolines on May 13.

 

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1942
INDIA: The first British units reach India as the retreat from Burma continues.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (5th Air Force): B-25's, B-26's and and B-17's hit the airfield and storehouses at Lae and seaplane base at Deboyne. 64th Bombardment Squadron, 43d BG (Heavy), transfers from Sidney to Daly Waters, Australia with B-17's. Lost on a passenger flight is B-26 "Lil Deicer " 40-1390.

USA: The U.S. star insignia applied to aircraft is modified on all military aircraft by eliminating the red disc in the center of the star. The USN also orders that the red and white rudder stripes be eliminated.
Gas rationing begins with the amount set for non essential vehicles at 3 gallons per week. There are 17 states in the US, with rationing in effect, at this point.
President Roosevelt signs the bill authorizing the formation of the Women's Army Auxillary Corps. (WAAC). By the end of the war, this Corps will become part of the Army as the WAC, utilitzing the skills of 150,000 women to do non-combat jobs, both in the states and overseas.

1943
ALASKA: In the Aleutians, weather again curtails operations. The air-ground liaison B-24 observes and directs air operations at Attu throughout the day as visibility permits and directs a supply drop for ground forces by another B-24 in 2 air-ground support missions. Six B-24's bomb Holtz Bay and Chichagof Harbor and 6 P-38's strafe AA installations in the Holtz Bay area.
On Attu in the Aleutians, the fog lifts at 1100 hours and elements of the Northern Landing Force move forward. They find that the Japanese has withdrawn from the reverse slope of Hill X to Moore Ridge in the center of Holtz Valley leaving food and ammunition behind. This pullback permits the Provisional Battalion, which has been pinned down since D-Day, to link up with the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry and the 3d Battalion, 32d Infantry. As the American troops enter the valley to the north of Moore Ridge, the clear skies permit Japanese troops to place accurate fire on them.
The Southern Landing Force again attacks Jarmin Pass but is repulsed. On Adak, the reported situation on Attu appeared grim. Of special interest was the exposed position of the USN ships supporting the Army on the island; a Japanese submarine has already fire torpedoes at a battleship and there are reports that a Japanese task force is enroute to challenge the landings. The Navy advises the Army that the support ships will be withdrawn no later than 17 May.

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force) 7 B-24's from Midway bomb Wake; 4 others abort and 7 others fail to find the target. 22 fighters intercept the formation; the B-24's claim 4 shot down; 1 B-24 is lost.

CBI CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force) In China, 25-35 Japanese bombers and 30-40 fighters attack Kunming. Nearly all of the bombs fall in W and SW of the airfield, causing little damage. 28 P-40's intercept, claiming 13 fighters and 2 bombers shot down.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) In New Guinea, B-25's pound the airfield at Lae; A-20's strafe the aircraft and building at Lae; and B-24's hit Nabire. In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-25's pound the airfield at Gasmata; B-24's bomb the airfield at Rabaul; and single heavy bombers hit Gasmata, Cape Gloucester, and barges SW of Ubili.

1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 19 B-25s pound targets of opportunity along the Tiddim road; 20+ B-25s and fighter-bombers hit gun positions at Hopin and the airfield at Myitkyina; 17 P-38s attack Heho and Kangaung Airfield, claiming 15 aircraft destroyed, most of them in the air; 7 B-24s bomb Myitkyina, Kalewa and Mandalay.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): B-25s strike Kengluang bridge, Siam and hit installations near Wan Pa-Hsa, Burma. P-40s strafe troops near Pingkai, Burma, and along Mamien Pass and in the Mengta area of China. 92d Fighter Squadron, 81st Fighter Group, moves from Karachi, India to Kwanghan, China with P-47s; first mission is 1 Jun.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): Operations are limited to photo reconnaissance of Jaluit from Kwajalein.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On Bougainville Island, 24 B-25s and 40+ P-40s, P-38s, and P-39s, along with TBFs and SBDs, pound the area N of Muguai and hit the Maika area between Muguai and Ebery's Lease; 40+ fighters on sweeps over Bougainville and Shortland attack AA positions, trucks and huts at several locations including the Kieta, Cape Friendship and Chabai areas. On New Britain Island, Allied fighter sweeps continue over the Rabaul area; several targets of opportunity, including a concentration of barges in Keravia Bay, are hit.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): The Wewak-Hansa Bay area is again hit by A-20s, B-24s and fighter-bombers. Lost is A-20G "Sweet Milk / Baby Doll II" 43-9113. B-24s and B-25s attack numerous targets in the Wakde-Sawar-Sarmi-Maffin Bay areas and on Biak Island; and HQ 475th Fighter Group and 431st, 432d and 433d Fighter Squadrons move from Nadzab to Hollandia with P-38s. Thirteenth Air Task Force B-24s from Los Negros bomb supply and bivouac areas on Mariaon and Tagaulap Islands and AA guns on Woleai and Paliau at Woleai.

1945
OKINAWA: Sugar Loaf and Conical Hills are the scenes of fierce fighting on Okinawa.

PHILLIPINES: P-38s pound troop concentrations and gun positions on Mount Mandalagan on Negros.

NEI: In Borneo, B-24s and B-25s hit Miri and Kudat Airfield and support ground forces on Tarakan.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 13 B-24s bomb the Kashiwabara, Paramushiru Island-Kataoka, Shimushu Island area, claiming one ship destroyed, and a direct hit on another, and investigate radar activities. Low fog limits observation of other results; AA fire damages 2 B-24s, 1 of which forcelands in the USSR.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, a single B-24, supported by 2 P-51s, seriously damages 3 bridges near Singtai and Linmingkuan; 20 B-25s, some with fighter escort, bomb bridges, barracks, troops, horses, road and railroad targets, and general targets of opportunity around Sinyang, Yoyang, Changsha, Hsuchang, Chenghsien, Sichuan, Pinyang, Tsinkong, Luchou, Kweiping, Tanchuk, Laohokow, Siangyang, Nanying, Paoching, and Hengyang; 150 fighter- bombers over S and E China attack a variety of targets chiefly road, rail, and river traffic, troops, and bridges, at many scattered locations; the Liping and Tungkow areas are again well covered.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): Unit moves in India: HQ Tenth AF from Myitkyina, Burma to Piardoba; HQ 1st Combat Cargo Group and 4th Combat Cargo Squadron from Dohazari to Hathazari with C-47s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb Shinchiku. Unit moves: HQ 2d Combat Cargo Group and 5th Combat Cargo Squadron from Biak to Dulag with C-46s; HQ 348th FG and 340th, 342d, 343d and 460th Fighter Squadrons from San Marcelino to Floridablanca with P-47s.

N. D. COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 598, MAY 15, 1945
Pacific.

1. United States submarines have reported sinking nine enemy vessels as a result of operations in Far Eastern waters. Five combatant vessels were included those sunk. The vessels sunk were:

1 destroyer
2 small escort vessels
1 large tanker
2 patrol vessels
1 medium cargo vessel
2 small cargo vessels

2. These actions have not been announced in any previous Navy Depart*ment communiqué.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 363, MAY 15, 1945

Airfield installations at Kokubu, Kanoya, Chiran and Kagoshima on Kyushu were bombed by Avenger torpedo planes of the Fast Carrier Task Forces of the U. S. Pacific Fleet on the night of May 12‑13 (East Longitude Dates.)
Twelve enemy planes were shot down during this period. On May 13 and 14, heavy strikes of torpedo aircraft, Helldiver bombers and Corsair and Hell*cat fighters were launched against airfields throughout Kyushu and in parts of Shikoku in the Japanese Empire. During these two days our aircraft de*stroyed 71 enemy planes and a barrage balloon in the air and 93 planes on the ground and destroyed or damaged 108 more on the ground. An additional 73 aircraft were brought under machine gun and rocket attack with unob*served results. Railroad installations in Kyushu were heavily hit with an oil train, four locomotives, a railroad station, a chemical plant and a number of large buildings destroyed or seriously damaged. Our planes also struck buildings, barracks and aviation installations at airdromes in Saeki, Oita, Miyakonojo, Kikuchi, Ashiya, Gannosu, Kofuji, Usa, Izumi, Tachiarai, Chiran, Omura and Hitoyoshi on Kyushu and at airfields in Kochi and Matsuyama on Shikoku.
Two motor boats and two luggers were sunk and a repair ship, seven torpedo boats, four luggers, a small cargo ship, four small craft and a tug were dam*aged on May 13 and 14. Preliminary reports indicate that our forces lost about 10 aircraft in these attacks.
Search aircraft of Fleet Air Wing One heavily damaged a small freighter transport and two small cargo ships on May 14 in the waters around Korea.
On May 14, escort carrier aircraft attacked airfield installations in the Sakishima group and struck enemy positions on Kume Island west of Okinawa. On the same date night fighters of the Second Marine Aircraft Wing struck targets in the Amami group. No material changes were made in the Tenth Army lines on Okinawa on May 15. The day was marked by heavy fighting along the western and central sectors of the front where the enemy mounted a counterattack in the Sixth Marine Division sector. The Twenty‑Second Regiment of Marines standing at the suburbs of Naha met the assault of the enemy during the morning and beat it off in hand to hand fighting, finally driving the attackers into the interior of Takamotoji Town with heavy losses. An attempt to land small craft behind the Marine's lines in the Machinato airfield sector was broken up by Naval gunfire. The First Marine Division continued to attack the high ground in the vicinity of Wana Town and the Seventy‑Seventh Infantry Division after a difficult five day battle, captured "Chocolate Drop Hill", east of Ishimmi, inflicting major losses on the enemy. In the eastern sector, the Ninety‑Sixth Infantry Division strengthened its positions and beat off an enemy counterattack in the vicinity of Conical Hill. Throughout the day, Army and Marine troops were supported by field artil*lery, heavy Naval gunfire and carrier and land‑based aircraft.
Fighters of the Second Marine Aircraft Wing struck installations on Kikai Island in the Amami Group on May 16.
Fighters of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing bombed and strafed enemy facilities in the Palaus an May 14.
Search aircraft of Fleet Air Wing Two sank a small cargo ship at Truk on May 15.

 

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1942
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (10th Air Force): HQ 10th Air Force completes its move from the US to New Delhi, India. B-17's again strike the airfield at Myitkyina, Burma, pounding runways and buildings. Subsequent reconnaissance indicates that the runways are unusable.

SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (SOPAC, 7th Air Force): 68th Fighter Squadron, 58th Fighter Group, transfers from Amberly Field, Australia to Tongatabu, Tonga with P-40's.

NG: (5th Air Force): B-26's and and B-17's hit the airfield and storehouses at Lae. 3rd BG B-25s fly two sorties against Lae. The morning strike took off at 6:00am armed with twleve 100 lbs bombs. Led by led by Cpt. H. F. Lowery. Over Salamaua bad weather was encountered and the first flight split off in search of enemy shipping. Lt. Feltham assumed the lead and by following the coastline from Salamaua to Lae succeeded in wading the worst of bad tropical thunderstorms. Breaking out of a storm the flight spotted Lae * five miles ahead, just as Zeros took off to intercept them head on. The bombing run was made at 800' against anti-aircraft positions and supply dumps. After the attack the formation was scattered and returned individually. In an afternoon sortie, the B-25s return to bomb Lae Airfield again from 2,400', lost on the return flight is B-25C 41-12478 force landing at Aiyary Airstrip. Also bombers hit the seaplane base at Deboyne.

Australia: 64th Bombardment Squadron, 43d BG (Heavy), transfers from Sidney to Daly Waters, Australia with B-17's.

1943
ALASKA: In the Aleutians, the air-ground liaison B-24 bombs Chichagof Harbor with unobserved results. Another B-24 drops supplies to ground forces on Attu. 8 B-24's, 12 B-25's, and 12 P-38's fly ground support missions to Attu; because of weather, only the P-38's get through and strafe AA guns, installations and barges, scoring several hits. The bombers are directed to bomb Kiska. 2 P-40's fly reconnaissance mission over Kiska.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) In the Celebes, B-24's bomb the Kendari Airfield area. Single heavy bombers attack coastal or offshore targets in NE New Guinea, New Britain, and New Ireland. HQ 8th Fighter Group transfers from Mareeba to Port Moresby.

1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, about 70 B-25s and fighter-bombers hit the Myitkyina and Hogin areas; 11 B-24s hit Ywataung and Sagaing marshalling yards and the town of Akyab.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 8 B-24s blast the motor pool and warehouse areas at Mangshih.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): Kwajalein based B-24s pound Wake. B-25s from Makin hit Nauru and Ponape Islands.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 40+ fighter-bombers hit the Vunakanau area; fighters on sweeps hit barges at Jacquinot Bay and Mioko Harbour, vehicles at Kurakakaul, Mandres Bay and Vunarima, and N of Vunakanau, a small vessel in Mandres Bay and a sawmill at Keravat. On Bougainville Island, fighter-bombers hit occupied areas at Tunuru, near Kieta and Manetai Mission, and at Tinputs.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): Aircraft continue to pound a variety of targets including airfields and supply areas on Noemfoor and Biak Islands, AA guns, supplies and occupied villages in the Wakde Island-Maffin-Sawar coastal area, and bridges, villages, troop concentrations and AA positions; 8th Bombardment Squadron, 3d Bombardment Group, moves from Nadzab to Hollandia with A-20s; and 9th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group, moves from Gusap to Hollandia with P-47s. Lost is B-24D "Ready, Willing and Able" 42-41078.

1945
INDIAN OCEAN: The Japanese cruiser Haguro while conducting evacuations in the
Nicobar Islands, with destroyer Kamakaze, is caught in the Malacca Straits. The British force, commanded by Captain M.L. Power, DesFlot.26, HMS VERULAM, HMS VIRAGO, HMS VIGILANT, HMS VENUS and HMS SAUMAREZ sink Haguro in what will become the last surface action involving major warships.
The IJN ships left Singapore on May 10. The British Destroyer Flotilla is part of the British Force 61 of the British East Indies Fleet under Vice-Admiral Walker. This larger force is composed of 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, 4 escort carriers, 8 destroyers and a submarine. The destroyer flotilla was detached due to the slow speed of the BBs and CVEs.

PHILLIPINES: Nearly 100 P-38s pound targets in the Ipo Dam area with napalm.

NEI: B-24s hit Balikpapan and Manggar, and Tondano on Celebes Island while B-25s and P-38s hit Miri, Brookton, Bintula, Ft Brook, and a flak ship near Labuan Island Borneo; and P-38s also support ground forces on Tarakan.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, B-24s continue to lay mines in the Yangtze River; 33 B-25s and 16 P-47s and P-51s attack railroad targets, barracks, HQ, bridges, town areas, river shipping, and targets of opportunity at or near Kaifeng, Sinyang, Chungsiang, Chienyangi, Ichang, Chingmen, Yanglowtung, Kiyang, Loyang, Szeshui, Hsihhsiassuchi, Shanhsien, Neihsiang, Liuchow, Kweiping, Nanyo, Shihlipu, Hojung, Mingkiang, and Kioshan; 100+ fighter-bombers attack river, road, and rail traffic, troops, gun positions, and generally harass Japanese movement and supply lines in S and E China hitting especially targets of opportunity in Yangchi.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The 2d Combat Cargo Squadron, 1st Combat Cargo Group, moves from Dohazari to Hathazari, India with C-47s.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 13 Guam based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus in the N Pacific; 11 others sent against Marcus abort because of bad weather.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 175: During the night of 16/17 May, 25 B-29s mine Shimonsoeki Strait and 2 others hit targets of opportunity. Lost is B-29 "Country Gentleman" 42-24801

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-24s bomb Taichu and B-25s hit alcohol plants and railroad yards.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 364, MAY 16, 1945

During the early evening of May 15 (East Longitude Date) about 12 enemy aircraft approached our ships off Okinawa but were intercepted by escort carrier and Second Marine Aircraft Wing planes which shot down nine and forced the others to retire without causing damage. A single enemy plane was shot down early in the morning on May 16 when a few enemy aircraft attacked Yontan and Kadena airfields causing minor damage.
Marine and Army Infantrymen supported by tanks, aircraft, field artillery and Naval gunfire continued to carry the attack to the enemy on Okinawa on May 16 but the lines remained substantially unchanged. Shuri Town was sub*jected to heavy bombardment by artillery and Naval guns. Local gains were made on the West Coast by The Sixth Marine Division. The Seventy‑Seventh Infantry Division was engaged in an uphill drive against stubbornly defended tombs and caves. On the east the Ninety‑Sixth Infantry Division attacked westward through the rugged country around Conical Hill.
At the end of May 15, the enemy had lost 46,505 killed in action at Okinawa. Our forces on that date had captured 1,038 prisoners.
Reports through May 14 show that 2,771 soldiers and 1,010 Marines have been killed in action in the Okinawa operations. In the same period 11,675 soldiers and 5,329 Marines have been wounded and 129 soldiers and 36 Marines are missing.
In operations against Ishigaki and Miyako in the Sakishima group on May 14‑15, escort carrier aircraft of the U. S. Pacific Fleet shot down three enemy planes and destroyed two on the ground.
Search Privateers of Fleet Air Wing One sank two medium freighters and heavily damaged a medium freighter transport south of the Korean Coast on May 15. On the following day planes of the same wing damaged a small cargo ship in the same area.
Search Venturas and Liberators of Fleet Air Wing Eighteen attacked shipping and installations along the southern coast of Honshu on May 16 sinking a small oiler, a small cargo ship and five fishing craft and damaging a fuel barge. Search planes of this wing damaged the entrances to three rail*road tunnels along the coast with rocket and bomb hits.
Helldiver bombers of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing struck storage areas on Yap in the Carolines and fighter aircraft attacked targets in the Palaus on May 15.
Fleet Air Wing Two search planes made neutralizing attacks on Wake Island and on enemy installations in the Marshalls on May 15.
Search aircraft of Fleet Air Wing Four made rocket and machine gun attacks on trawlers and fishing craft off Kokutan Cape on Shimushu in the northern Kuriles on May 15.

 

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1940
USA: The USN announces that they will recommission 35 more "four-stacker" destroyers for use on the Neutrality Patrol and to meet fleet requirements.

1942
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, 7th Air Force): The 7th Air Force is placed on alert in anticipation of a possible attack on Midway. For the next 10 days the old B-18's on hand are used on sea searches to supplement the B-17's. VII Bomber Command receives an influx of B-17's during this period, and the 72d Bombardment Squadron, 5th BG (Heavy), is converted from B-18's to B-17's.

AUSTRALIA:HQ 19th Bombardment Group and 93d Bombardment Squadron transfers from Garbutt Field to Longreach with B-17's. Detachment of 28th Bombardment Squadron, 19th BG (Heavy), ceases operating from Perth and returns to Longreach with B-17's.
B-17's bomb shipping in Koepang Bay, Timor .

1943
ALASKA: In the Aleutians, 2 attempted ground support missions to Attu by a B-24, 5 B-25's, and 6 P-38's are recalled due to weather. The detachment of the 11th Fighter Squadron (P-40's), 343d Fighter Group that has been operating from Amchitka returns to it's base at Adak.
On Attu Island in the Aleutians, the Northern Landing Force moves forward on Moore Ridge and discovers that the Japanese had abandoned the ridge during the night and patrols report that the east arm of Holtz Bay is free of Japanese. The Southern Landing Force attacks Jarmin Pass and finds that the enemy has also abandoned this previously defended area.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force) P-39's and Navy airplanes bomb and strafe a bivouac and AA positions in the Rekata Bay area.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) B-25's bomb Dili, Penfoei, and Barique. B-25's bomb Gasmata; single heavy bombers hit Gasmata and Cape Gloucester. Single heavy bombers hit Lae and Finschhafen.

1944
BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 18 B-25s bomb Chauk oil installations while 20 P-38s hit Kangaung Airfield; B-25s and fighter-bombers fly 90 sorties against Mogaung Valley targets, hitting targets of opportunity at Kazu and Namti and a bridge at Kamaing and supporting ground forces in the Myitkyina area.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, P-40s support ground forces at Mamien Pass, hit Japanese positions at Tatangtzu, damage a bridge and several trucks at Shweli, Burma, strafe troops at Luchiangpa and bomb and strafe a horse pack train near Tengchung; 7 B-25s and 13 P-40s pound the Shayang barracks area and hit troops and vehicles NE of Shasi.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Kwajalein bomb Wake while Engebi based B-25s hit Ponape.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 25 B-25s bomb the airfield at Tobera while 43 P-39s, P-40s and P-38s, in conjunction with 40+ USN dive bombers, blast the Vunakanau area; fighters on sweeps hit a Nubai River bridge and strafe targets on Gazelle Peninsula. 39 fighter-bombers hit numerous targets in Bougainville Island area, including the Muguai area, a bridge N of Numa Numa, barges at Banin Harbor and the area around Ratsua.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, Allied forces land without opposition near Arare after a naval bombardment; B-24s and B-25s hit targets in the general vicinity at Sawar, Sarmi and the mouth of the Orai River; 100+ B-24s, with P-38 escort, pound AA positions at Bosnik, Sorido and Mokmer, and supply areas and airfield on Noemfoor; 120+ fighter- bombers, A-20s, B-25s and B-24s continue to hit the Wewak-Hansa Bay area; and HQ 49th FG moves from Finschhafen to Hollandia.

1945
PHILLIPINES: Fighters fly 130+ sorties against the Ipo Dam area.

NEI: B-24s bomb Sepinggang and Manggar and Sidate airfield.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 16 B-25s and about 100 fighters continue to disrupt communications and supply lines and hinder enemy withdrawal from numerous locations of S and E China, pounding town areas, troop concentrations, storage areas, river, road, and rail traffic and general targets of opportunity.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The 319th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, ceases operating from various forward bases in Burma and returns to base at Asansol, India with C-47s.

PACIFIC: USS Ticonderoga sends a strike against Taroa and Maledop in the Marshall Islands.

AAFPOA (VII Fighter Command): Fighters from Iwo Jima fly 41 effective strike sorties against Atsugi; pilots claim 10 parked aircraft destroyed. During the night of 17/18 May, 2 P-47s of the 318th Fighter Group, presently arriving on Ie Shima (between 13 and 19 May), fly heckling mission over Kyushu Island, Japan-the first such VII Fighter Command mission against Japan.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 176: Between 0300 and 0600 hours local, 457 of 522 B-29s attack the Nagoya urban area in the last great attack on this city; the S part of Nagoya, the site of the Mitsubishi Aircraft Works, Aichi Aircraft Company's Atsuta palnt and the Atsuta branch of the Nagoya Arsenal, the Nippon Vehicle Company and other targets are attacked; the attack is made from low levels; 11 other B-29s hit targets of opportunity; 3 B-29s are lost.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: During sweeps over Formosa, B-25s and P-51s cause widespread damage hitting railroad yards, bridges, and alcohol plants and B-24s bomb airfields at Nanseiho and Matsuyama. The 20th Combat Mapping Squadron, 6th Reconnaissance Group, moves from Dulag to Clark Field, Luzon with F-7s.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 365, MAY 17, 1945

On the evening of May 16 (East Longitude Date) a small group of enemy aircraft attempted to attack our forces on and around Okinawa but failed to cause any damage. One enemy plane was destroyed.
Elements of the Sixth Marine Division crossed the Asato River and gained a small bridgehead in Naha, capital of Okinawa on May 17. During the late afternoon the Marines, after heavy fighting, also captured "Sugar Loaf Hill" several hundred yards northeast of Takimotoji. On the Third Amphibious Corps left flank, troops of the First Marine Division reached Wana Town during the day. Without advance artillery preparation, infantrymen of the Seventy‑Seventh Army Division made a surprise night attack against enemy positions on the high ground in the vicinity of Ishimmi Town and reached the outskirts of the town by noon of May 17. In the Ninety‑Sixth Infantry Division zone of action, enemy resistance was heavy in the hill masses east of Ishimmi and in the ridges running south of Conical Hill. Some progress was being made in destruction of enemy strong points.
The attacking infantry was supported by artillery, Naval gunfire and heavy strikes of planes of the escort carriers and the Second Marine Aircraft Wing. Through May 15, guns of the U. S. Pacific Fleet had delivered 25,000 tons ammunition of five inch caliber or larger in support of the troops on Okinawa.
Carrier aircraft of the British Pacific Fleet heavily bombed towns and airfields in the Sakishima group on May 16 and 17, damaging three planes on the ground and strafing four others with unobserved results. In these attacks two small craft were destroyed, a small coastal cargo ship and a lugger were left in sinking condition and two small cargo ships, two luggers and six barges were damaged. A large explosion was observed during an attack on Ohama Town and an oil dump set afire. Motor vehicles loaded with troops were severely strafed.
Army Mustangs of the Seventh Fighter Command swept Atsugi airfield in the vicinity of Tokyo with low level attacks on May 17 destroying seven enemy aircraft on the ground, probably destroying two more and damaging 33 others. One of our aircraft was shot down by intense antiaircraft fire over the target.
On May 16, Liberators of the Eleventh Army Air Force sank a small cargo ship or escort vessel in the waters between Paramushiru and Shimushu in the northern Kuriles and damaged two enemy fighters which attacked.
Aircraft of the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing struck targets in the Marshalls on May 16 and in the Palaus on the following day.

 

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1939
HAWAII: Honolulu's first blackout drill lasts 20 minutes

1942
CARIBBEAN: The US and Panama sign an agreement concerning the use of Panama defense areas by US forces.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (, 5th Air Force): HQ 19th BG and 93d Bombardment Squadron transfers from Garbutt Field to Longreach with B-17's. Detachment of 28th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 19th BG (Heavy), ceases operating from Perth and returns to Longreach with B-17's.

B-17's bomb shipping in Koepang Bay, Timor.

Sixteen 4th Kokutai G4M1 Betty bombers led by Lt. Commander Hatsuhiko Watanabe took off from Vunakanau Airfield on a bombing mission against 7 Mile Drome. Escorting are A6M2 Zeros of the Tainan Kokutai. Over the target, the bombers are intercepted by P-39 Airacobras of the 8th FG, 35th FS and 36th FS, before the escorting Zeros reach them. They damage eight Betty bombers, one force lands at Lae Airfield on the return flight. One G4M1 Betty explodes and is shot down over Port Moresby. Lost is P-39F 41-7191. Eighteen Genzan Kokutai G4M2 Nell bombers bomb 12-Mile Drome and severely damage it.

1943
ALASKA: 6 B-24's, weathered out of Attu, bomb the Gertrude Cove area on Kiska leaving large fires. 4 P-40's reconnoiter Kiska and strafe barges. 1 B-25 flies photo reconnaissance over Kiska.
On Attu Island in the Aleutian Islands, the Japanese withdrawal yesterday permits the linkup of the Northern and Southern Landing Forces on the western slope of the Holtz Bay-Massacre Bay Pass in the morning.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force) Heavy bombers, operating individually, hit Gasmata and Rabaul Airfields twice and Cape Gloucester, and Arawe; in addition to Lorengau in the Admiralty Islands once. Lost on a ferry flight is B-25D-5 "Dittum-Dattum" 41-30073.

PACIFIC: The U.S. Marine Corps program to air assault Pacific islands with gliders is cancelled.

1944
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Over the Kurile Islands, a B-24 on weather reconnaissance attacks a Japanese aircraft and 2 B-25s sink an auxiliary vessel; another is sunk shortly before 2400 hours by 2 other B-25s.

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 140+ fighter-bombers and 6 B-25s pound numerous targets throughout the Mogaung Valley, concentrating on bridges (at least 4 are knocked out) and support of ground forces in areas around Myitkyina, Nanyaseik, Kamaing, Namkwin, Kazu, Lonkin and Katkyo; 8 B-25s knock out a Mu River bridge and damage Chaungu bridge approaches; 12 P-38s destroy several aircraft at Shwebo.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 6 B-25s and 12 P-40s pound barracks and warehouse areas at Chienyangi, causing many fires; 30 P-40s support ground forces in the Salween area, hitting troops and positions at Tengchung, Tatangtzu, Mamien Pass and Luchiangpa; 12 B-24s bomb the towns of Lungling and Tengchung; 25 CACW and Chinese Air Force (CAF) P-40s attack trucks, armor and troops at Chueh-shan and Loning, causing widespread destruction.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s based on Makin bomb Taroa, rearm at Majuro and attack the same target during the return flight to base.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On Bougainville Island, 10 P-39s hit barges off Porton; 40+ P-38s and P-39s pound a supply area N of Mupuai.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 100+ fighter- bombers, A-20s, B-25s and B-24s pound targets of opportunity in the Wewak-Hansa Bay area throughout the day; and 68th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier Group, based at Nadzab sends a detachment to operate from Tadji with C 47s. B-24s hit targets of opportunity on Halmahera Island, Moluccas Islands and bomb Bosnik. B-25s hit Larot, Celebes Islands and Saumlakki, Tanimbar Island, Moluccas Islands.

1945
OKINAWA: The 6th Marine Division is involved in heavy fighting at Sugar Loaf Hill in Okinawa.
Off Okinawa:
- The destroyer USS Longshaw, en route to her patrol area, runs aground on a coral reef just south of Naha airfield. While a tug was taking Longshaw in tow, Japanese shore batteries opened up and her bow was completely blown off by a hit in the forward magazine. The "Abandon Ship" order was given but 86 of her crew, including the captain, died. The wreck was destroyed by gunfire and torpedoes from U.S. ships.
- Two kamikazes make a coordinated attack on the high-speed transport USS Sims (APD-50, ex DE-154). Both aircraft are hit by AA fire and crash into the water on her port side with a violent explosions that lifts and shakes the entire ship resulting in serious oil leaks and considerable damage to machinery and equipment. The crew repairs the damage and continues patrolling.
- Tank landing ship USS LST-808 is damaged by an aerial torpedo.
- The U.S. freighter SS Cornelius Vanderbilt is bombed and set afire.
The ship is carrying gasoline and explosives but the crew and 108 stevedores on board put out the fire.

PHILLIPINES: B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers support ground forces on N Luzon Island and pound concentrations in S Luzon. Fighter-bombers also support ground forces on Negros Island.

NEI: In Borneo, B-24s and B-25s hit Ft Brook and Sarawak while B-24s and P-38s attack defenses on Tarakan

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 8 B-24s bomb naval, harbor, and airfield targets at Kataoka on Shimushu Island; another B-24 searches for enemy radar along the Kurile Islands.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 9 B-25s blast the Siangtan supply areas; 8 B-25s, supported by 7 P-51s, hit railroad targets and other targets of opportunity around Sinyang, Kiaotow, Sintsiang, and Chenghsien; about 75 fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft continue the harassment of enemy movement and supply lines throughout S and E China, escort of C-47 transports, and surveillance of enemy forces.

AAFPOA (VII Fighter Command): In the Ryukus Islands, 8 P-47s from Ie Shima make bombing, strafing, and rocket attacks on radar and ground installations on Kume Jima; other P-47s fly heckler strikes against Kyushu, Japan during the night of 18/19 May.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 177: During the night of 18/19 May, 30 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and Tsuruga Harbor in Japan. The advance air echelon of the 509th Composite Group arrives at North Field; the 509th is scheduled to deliver atomic bomb attacks on Japan; its Commanding Officer is Colonel Paul W Tibbets Jr, a pilot with a distinguished record in the 97th Bombardment Group in Europe and N Africa.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-24s bomb Taichu Airfield and Tainan Airfield; B-25s and fighter-bombers fly sweeps hitting numerous targets.

CINCPOA COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 366, MAY 18, 1945

During the period May 16‑17 (East Longitude Dates) troops of the Tenth Army penetrated sectors of the enemy's line on Okinawa which are being defended with the greatest tenacity of the entire operation. On the evening of May 16, "G" Company of the 383rd Regiment, Ninety‑Sixth Infantry Division, at the crest of Conical Hill engaged in a one‑hour grenade battle with a force of counter‑attacking Japanese before driving the enemy oft the peak. On the same day in the Seventy‑Seventh Infantry Division zone of action, the 307th Regiment captured a small hill twice, were forced to retire on both occasions, recaptured the Hill on the morning of May 17 and again were forced to retire due to heavy artillery and mortar fire later in the day.
The First Marine Division captured a Japanese command post on top of a small hill between Dakeshi and Wana on the afternoon of May 17 after over*coming intense opposition from caves. The Sixth Marine Division which cap*tured "Sugar Loaf Hill" on the same day retained possession of it only after losing it twice to heavy counterattack. During this Division's advance from the Asa to the Asato River, it is estimated that two battalions of Japanese troops were destroyed.
Ground troops were supported on May 17 and 18 by heavy gunfire from ships of the U. S. Pacific Fleet and by aircraft from escort carriers of the fleet and from the Second Marine Aircraft Wing and 318th Army Fighter Group. A few enemy planes were over the Okinawa Area late in the day on May 17 and during the early morning hours of May 18.
Search Aircraft of Fleet Air Wing One sank a small freighter south of Korea and damaged two freighter transports and an oiler in the same area on May 18.