This day in the war in the Pacific 65 years ago. (1 Viewer)

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May 9th 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.

 

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May 10th 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.

 

[syscom3]

May 10th 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.

 

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May 11th 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.

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.

 

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May 12th 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 Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and 355th, 356th and 357th Bombardment Squadrons (Very Heavy) and HQ 502d Bombardment Group (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.

 

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May 13th 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.

 

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May 14th 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. Lost are B-29 44-70017, B-29 42-24492, B-29 44-69966, B-29 44-69926, B-29 "Country Gentelman" 42-24793. 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.

 

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May 15th 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.

 

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May 16th 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.

 

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May 17th 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.

 

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May 18th 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..

 

[syscom3]

May 19th 1945

PHILLIPINES: B-25s, A-20s, and fighter- bombers support ground forces throughout Luzon, concentrating in the Ipo Dam area. P-38s support ground action on Cebu.

NEI: In Borneo, B-24s bomb Oelin Airfield and, along with P-38s, attack targets on Tarakan.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 8 B-25s try to bomb Minami Cape radar installation and cannery on the Naka River on Shimushu; only one gets near the targets and bombs and strafes the area, while intense AA fire and enemy fighters drive off the rest and down 1 B-25; MIA is B-25J 43-36140 and a third reaches Petropavlovsk, USSR.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 4 B-25s blast the Kaifeng warehouse area, destroying at least 5 warehouses, while another hits nearby railroad tracks; another B-25 bombs the town of Shanhsien; about 90 fighter- bombers attack river, road, and rail shipping, troops, supplies and general targets of opportunity, continuing the disruption of troop movement and withdrawal in S and E China.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The detachments of the 127th and 155th Liaison Squadrons (Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, operating from Akyab Airfield with UC-64s and L-5s, return to base at Kalaikunda, India.

AAFPOA (VII Fighter Command): 100 P-51s are dispatched to escort B-29s to Tachikawa, Japan but abort due to weather. HQ 413th Fighter Group and 1st, 21st and 34th Fighter Squadrons arrive on Ie Shima from the US with P-47s.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 178: 272 B-29s make an abortive raid on the Tachikawa Aircraft Company and bomb the city of Hamamatsu; 14 others hit targets of opportunity; 4 B-29s are lost.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Formosa, B-24s pound Kiirun harbor, B-25s sweep the W coast, hitting several targets including Toyohara, Nisui, and along the Ts'eng-Wen River, hitting a railroad yard, storage facilities, and damaging an alcohol plant on the Ts'eng Wen and fighters sweep the Giran, Tainan, and Heito areas. The air echelon of the 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th Reconnaissance Group, based at Dulag with F-5s, begins operating from Clark Field.

 

[syscom3]

May 20th 1945

OKINAWA: Japanese kamikazes are active off Okinawa:
- The destroyer USS Thatcher is struck by a kamikaze which passed down her port side, climbed steeply, did a wingover and dived in the ship striking aft of the bridge. The ship had a 6x9 foot hole between the keel and the bilge. With 14 killed or missing and 53 wounded, the stricken ship limped into Kerama Retto.
- The destroyer escort USS John C. Butler is attacked by six kamikazes just before sunset; five are shot down and the sixth strikes the mast damaging the mast and the antennas.
- The high-speed transport USS Chase (APD-54, ex DE-158 ) shoots down a kamikaze but the aircraft splashes 10 yards from the ship and the explosion of the two bombs carried by the aircraft rip the ship's hull open, flooding the engine and fire rooms. With her steering gear jammed at hard left rudder, Chase drove off another suicide plane. Listing so badly as to be in danger of capsizing, Chase was kept afloat by her crew and towed into Kerama Retto for repairs.
- The high-speed transport USS Register (APD-92, ex DE-233) is attacked by four kamikazes at 1925 hours; two are shot down but one attacking from ahead, began a low, gliding run in an attempt to crash the bridge. Passing down the port side, the kamikaze was deflected overboard by the kingpost, which buckled and crashed over No. 3 40mm. gun mount, wounding 12 of the crew, including the gun captain, and causing considerable damage to the hull. The fourth plane though damaged, escaped.
- The tank landing ship USS LST-808 is also damaged by a kamikaze.

PHILLIPINES: B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers pound the Cagayan Valley targets on Luzon Island. On Mindanao Island, B-24s bomb Piso Point, and fighter- bombers support ground action in the Bukidnon area.

NEI: In Borneo, P-38s hit Sandakan, Keningau, and Tarakan while B-25s hit shipping at Balikpapan harbor and a nearby barracks area and sawmill.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 55 P-51s and P-40s pound truck concentrations, fuel dumps, gun positions, supply areas, troops, bridges, rail, road, and river traffic, and various targets of opportunity around Liping, Yangchi, Siangtan, Yoyang, Yungfengshih, Paoching, Taohwaping, Hengyang, Tungkow, and Changsha.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In India, the detachment of the 317th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, operating from Comilla with C-47s, returns to base at Kalaikunda.

AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: 10 Guam Island-based B-24s hit air operations buildings on Marcus Island in the N Pacific. The 396th and 820th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 41st Bombardment Group (Medium), begin a movement from Wheeler Field to Okinawa with B-25s. VII Fighter Command: 16 Saipan based P-47s strafe on Moen Airfield and Eten Airfield and seaplane base and barges off Dublon Island, all in Truk Atoll. In Japan, 9 P-47s from Ie Shima hit a hangar and 2 boats at Fukue-Shima and 32 others hit airfields, railroads, buildings, and radar facilities on Kyushu.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 179: During the night of 20/21 May, 30 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait, Maizuru harbor, and He-Saki anchorage; 1 B-29 is lost.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Despite bad weather B-25s over Formosa bomb various communications targets and an alcohol plant at Meiji. HQ 375th Troop Carrier Group moves from San Jose to Porac.

 

[syscom3]

May 21st 1945

OKINAWA: Japan: The US III Corps pushes hard on Okinawa. The Japanese begin to pull back from the Shuri Line.

PHILLIPINES: On Luzon Island, B-25s blast numerous targets in the Cagayan Valley while A-20s and P-51s support ground forces in NW sectors; P-38s napalm-bomb the Ipo Dam and Marikina River sectors and hit positions throughout Negro Island.

NEI: In Borneo, B-24s hit Brunei, Samarinda Airfields shipyards, and troop concentrations on Tarakan.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 8 B-25s bomb a bridge approach N of Hankow, 1 damages the railroad track between Changsha and Kweiyi, and 2 score near misses on a bridge at Kuanshuishih; 3 B-25s and 6 P-51s damage a bridge at Chihsien and hit railroad targets of opportunity in the Anyang area; 50+ fighter-bombers on armed reconnaissance continue attacks against river, road, and rail traffic, positions, troops, bridges, and numerous other targets in S and E China.

AAFPOA (VII Fighter Command): P-47s fly heckler strikes against Kyushu Island, Japan during the night of 21/22 May.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: P-38s strafe railroad rolling stock in the Saigon, French Indochina area.

 

[syscom3]

May 22nd 1945

USA: USA: President Truman reports to Congress on Lend Lease as of March,
British - 12,775,000,000 tons
USSR - 8,409,000,000 tons
Reverse Lend Lease, mostly British, is 5,000,000,000 tons.

PHILLIPINES: B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers attack the Santa Fe, Fula, and Casambalangan areas in the N part of Luzon Island and support ground forces in the Ipo Dam and Marikina areas in the S.

NEI: In Borneo, B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers attack Jesselton, Kudat, Bintula, and Tarakan.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 15 B-25s and 7 fighter- bombers knock out a rail bridge at Hei-Shih Kuan, damage a bridge approach at Hwayuan, and hit a variety of targets S of Kuo-lueh-chen; 10 P-51s drop napalm on trucks, barracks, storage, trains, and town areas at Sinyang, and Shanyangchen; 45 other fighter-bombers and photo reconnaissance aircraft attack railroad targets, bridges, troops, and other targets at several S and E China points and survey enemy movements.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The flight of the 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, operating from Akyab Airfield with F-6s, returns to base at Nagaghuli.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 180: During the night of 22/23 May, 30 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and approaches; 1 B-29 is lost.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: On Formosa, B-24s bomb Toshien and Okayama while B-25s hit an oil plant west of Kagi and several targets of opportunity.

 

[syscom3]

May 23rd 1945

OKINAWA: The 6th Marine Division south of Neha, Okinawa meets heavy resistance.

PHILLIPINES: On Luzon, A-20s and B-25s hit Cagayan Valley and Balete Pass targets, P-51s support ground forces in the Baguio area and P-38s hit the Ipo-Antipolo areas.

NEI: On Borneo, Tawau, Bintula, Samarinda, and Miri are hit by B-24s, Ft Brook and Weston by B-25s, and Tarakan is hit by fighter-bombers.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 7 B-24s radar-bomb the Kataoka naval base area on Shimushu while another flies a radar-ferret mission in the same area.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 14 B-25s and 6 P-51s attack a bridge and gun positions N and S of Hwayuan, knock out a bridge and hit boxcars at Chungmow, damage a bridge N of Lohochai, damage a bridge and nearby gun positions at Kuanshuishih, and pound truck convoys around Paoching, Hengyang, and Changsha; 30+ fighter-bombers hit various targets of opportunity around Liping, Yoyang, Changsha, Hengyang, Luntangpu, Chingmen, Shasi, and Ichang.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The 5th and 6th Fighter Squadrons (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, move from Asansol to Kalaikunda, India with P-47s.

AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: The 27th and 392d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 30th BG (Heavy), move from Kahuku and Kipapa respectively to Wheeler Field with B-24s. VII Fighter Command: 32 P-47s from Saipan Island strafe Moen Island airfields and boats off Tol Island, buildings on Tarik Island, and the seaplane base, buildings, and small boats at Dublon Island, all in Truk Atoll.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 181: During the night of 23/24 May, 520 out of 562 B-29s sent against Tokyo bomb an urban-industrial area S of the Imperial Palace along the W side of the harbor; 5 others hit targets of opportunity; 17 B-29s are lost; this is the largest number of B-29s participating in a single mission during WWII

 

[syscom3]

May 24th 1945

OKINAWA: Off Okinawa, kamikazes are active during the day:
- The destroyer escort USS William C. Cole comes under attack at 1830 hours when a Nakajima Ki-43, attempts a suicide run while Cole was northeast of Ie Shima and crashed within a few feet of the destroyer escort's starboard beam. The plane passed so close to the ship that one of its wingtips bent a "spoon" of a tube of a torpedo mount which had been trained to starboard.
- The high-speed transport USS Sims (APD-50, ex DE-154) is attacked by an aircraft that crashed close aboard to starboard spraying the ship with shrapnel which wounded eleven crewmen.
- A large support landing craft [LCS(L)] is also damaged.
On Okinawa during the night of 25/25 May, five Japanese transport aircraft carrying at least 69 Army commandoes, crash land on Yontan Airfield. The commandoes destroy nine aircraft (three F4Us, two PB4Y-2 Privateers and four transports) and damage another 29 (22 F4Us, three F6Fs, two B-24s and two transports), ignite 70,000 US gallons of aviation fuel, kill the Marine control tower duty officer, and wound another 18 Marines before the last Japanese is killed at 1255 hours on 25 May.

PHILLIPINES: On Luzon Island, B-24s pound Cagayan Valley targets including Aparri; B-25s, A-20s, and P-51s hit numerous targets throughout the Valley and in NW and S Luzon, including the Vira, Callang, Santa Cruz, Baguio, Balete Pass, Ipo, and Antipolo areas. Fighter-bombers also support ground forces on Negros Island.

NEI: In Borneo, B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s attack Ft Brook, Bintula, Tawau, Beaufort, Jesselton, along the Lawas River, and Malinau.

JAPAN: Aircraft from Task Force 58 attack airfields in southern Kyushu, Japan.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 5 B-25s knock out a railroad bridge N of Anyang; 30+ fighter-bombers attack railroad targets, truck convoys, bridges, and other targets of opportunity around Nanyang, Burma and Anyang, Sichuan, Kuo-lueh-chen, Kuantaokou, Luntangpu, Houpo, Laohokow, Sinsiang, Kiehsiu, Linfen, Taiyuan, Puchou, and Yutze, China.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): HQ 80th Fighter Group moves from Myitkyina, Burma to Dudhkundi, India. The 434th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 12th Bombardment Group (Medium), ceases operating from Magwe, Burma with B-25s, and returns to base at Fenny, India.

AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: 26 Guam Island-based B-24s pound the airfield and surrounding area on Marcus Island. VII Fighter Command: 120 Iwo Jima based P-51s dispatched against Matsudo and Tokorozawa abort because of weather; P-47s fly heckler strikes against Kyushu Island, Japan during the night of 24/25 May.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 182: During the night of 24/25 May, 25 B-29s lay mines in Shimonoseki Strait and at Niigata, Nanao, and Fushiki.

 

[syscom3]

May 25th 1945

OKINAWA: Off Okinawa, kamikazes sink two U.S. Navy vessels and damage seven others.
- The high-speed transport USS Bates (APD-47, ex-DE-68 ) is sunk. The ship is attacked by three aircraft at 1115 hours; the first plane dropped a bomb, scoring a near miss which ruptured the starboard hull of the ship, and then crashed into the starboard side of the fantail.
The second plane, almost simultaneously, made a suicide hit on the pilothouse. Shortly thereafter the third plane made a bombing run scoring a near miss amidships, portside, rupturing the hull. Twenty-one of her crew were either dead or missing from the attacks. The crew abandoned ship and at 1923, the still burning Bates capsized and sank.
- The medium landing ship LSM-135 is also sunk.
- During the night, the destroyer USS Guest is attacked by a kamikaze which glanced off her mast and crashed alongside causing minor damage.
- At 0905 hours, the destroyer USS Stormes is struck by a kamikaze which crashes into the aft torpedo mount and its bomb explodes in the magazine under her number three 5-inch mount. By noon, repair parties had extinguished the fires and plugged the holes. Twenty-one members of the crew were killed and 15 injured.
- The destroyer escort USS O'Neill is hit by a kamikaze which kills two and wounds 17.
- The high-speed transport USS Barry (APD-29, ex-DD-248 ) is struck by a kamikaze below her bridge. Twenty-eight of the crew are wounded by shrapnel. The explosion of the plane's gasoline tanks and bomb ignited fuel oil escaping from ruptured tanks and the fire threatens the
forward magazine which could not be reached to flood. The abandon ship order is given at 1340 hours and all hands take to the boats. By 1500 hours the water had risen until the forward magazine was covered, minimizing the danger of explosion. A skeleton crew, together with parties from two other ships, reboard Barry and the last fires were extinguished at 0630
hours the next day and she is towed to the anchorage at Kerama Retto.
- The high-speed transport USS Roper (APD-20, ex-DD-147) is struck by a kamikaze and is damaged.
- The high-speed minesweeper USS Butler (DMS-29, ex-DD-636) is struck by bombs from a suicide plane which explode under Butler's keel, killing nine men and blowing out steam lines and flooding the forward fire room causing the loss of all steam and electric power. Power is regained and she proceeds to Kerama Retto tomorrow for temporary repairs.
- The minesweeper USS Spectacle is struck by a diving kamikaze at 0805 hours; the aircraft strikes the ship under her port 40mm gun tub, causing extensive damage and blowing many of her crew overboard. Her rudder is jammed so she drops anchor to avoid running over her men in the water. Spectacle's losses were: eleven killed outright, four who died of wounds, six wounded, and 14 missing in action. She is towed to Ie Shima for temporary repairs.
A Japanese plane torpedoes a U.S. freighter in Buckner Bay. Six merchant sailors and a stevedore are killed.

PHILLIPINES: On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers fly numerous strikes and ground support missions. Fighter-bombers support ground force on Cebu.

NEI: In Borneo, B-24s bomb Oelin, Ft Brook, and Tarakan while B-25s and P-38s hit Kudat and P-38s also support ground action on Tarakan.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): In the Kurile Islands, 2 B-24s fly a radar ferret mission over Matsuwa Island and bomb the Tagan Cape area; another B-24 flies armed weather reconnaissance.

ZONE OF INTERIOR: The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) approve the directive for Operation OLYMPIC, the invasion of the Japanese Home Islands, scheduled for 1 Nov 45.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 5 B-25s and 2 P-51s knock out a bridge N of Kioshan, damage another N of Changtuikuan, and pound railroad targets around Sinyang, Saiping, Sinantien, Hsuchang, and Chenghsien; 16 fighter-bombers on armed reconnaissance hit various targets of opportunity in the Nanyang, Burma and Anyang, Hantan, Chenghsien, Kaifeng, Linfen, Shihkiachwang, Sinsiang, Miyanghsien, Tenghsien, Loning, Sichuan, and Hsuchang, China areas. The 322d Troop Carrier Squadron, Fourteenth AF, moves form Kunming to Loping, China with C-47s.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): Unit moves: 83d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 12th Bombardment Group (Medium), ceases operating from Magwe, Burma with B-25s, and returns to base at Fenny, India; 427th Night Fighter Squadron, Tenth AF, moves from Myitkyina, Burma to Dinjan, India with P-61s (a detachment is operating from Kunming, China).

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): By concurrence of Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPOA), the VII Fighter Command, with its subordinate units, is assigned to operational and administrative control of HQ Twentieth AF. 100 Iwo Jima based P-51s fly 73 effective strike sorties against Matsudo and Tokorozawa Airfields, Japan claiming 8-0-1 Japanese aircraft in the air and 10-0-40 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost. Mission 183: During the night of 25/26 May, 464 B-29's pound the urban area of Tokyo immediately S of the Imperial Palace just N of that bombed on 23/24 May, including financial, commercial, and governmental districts as well as factories and homes; 6 others bomb targets of opportunity; they claim 19 Japanese fighters; 26 B-29s are lost on this mission, the highest single-day loss of B-29s in World War II.

 

[syscom3]

May 26th 1945

OKINAWA: Kamikazes are again active off Okinawa damaging two ships:
- High-speed minesweeper USS Forrest is attacked by three aircraft. AA fire downs two but the third crashes her starboard side at the waterline, killing five and wounding 13 of her crew. The ship remains afloat and heads for Kerama Retto for repairs.
- The submarine chaser PC-1603 is damaged.

PHILLIPINES: A-20s and fighter-bombers pound numerous Luzon Island targets, particularly in the Balete Pass area and B-24s bomb Tuguegarao and Echague. Fighter-bombers support ground forces on Cebu.

NEI: In Borneo, B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers hit Tarakan, Beaufort, Weston, Tenom, Trusan Haji, Sandakan, and Jesselton.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 12 B-25s and 6 P-51s damage 2 bridges N of Hankow; 4 B-25s hit railroad targets around Lohochai and between Kinkiang and Kioshan; 3 B-25s attack truck convoys in the Siangtan and Paoching areas and along the Paoching-Hengyang-Changsha highway; 80+ fighter-bombers over several areas in S and E China continue to harass Japanese movements, attacking troops and positions and hitting rail and road traffic; the Japanese complete their withdrawal from Yungning, severing the land connection with French Indochina; the Chinese retake Nanning.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 10 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific. 16 P-47s from Saipan Island strafe airfields on Moen Island, the seaplane base on Dublon Island, and several targets of opportunity, all in Truk Atoll.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 184: During the night of 26/27 May, 29 B-29s mine waters in Shimonoseki Strait and at Fushiki, Fukuoka, and Karatsu.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: B-25s and P-38s sweep the W part of Formosa causing extensive damage to a variety of communications and industrial targets.

 

[syscom3]

May 27th 1945

OKINAWA: The slow meticulous US advance on Okinawa is met by fierce resistance from the Japanese.
Off Okinawa, Japanese suicide craft damage nine U.S. Navy vessels:
- The destroyer USS Braine is hit in quick succession by two suicide planes. The first hits forward seriously damaging the bridge and the second hits amidships blowing number two funnel overboard and demolishing the amidships superstructure. Braine retires to Kerama Retto for emergency repairs.
- The destroyer USS Anthony is slightly damaged by a kamikaze.
- The destroyer escort USS Gilligan is hit by a dud torpedo from a kaiten carried by submarine HIJMS I-357.
- High-speed minesweeper USS Southard is slightly damaged by a kamikaze which crashed 15-yards ahead of the ship.
- Minesweeper USS Gayety is damaged by a near-miss from a 500- pound bomb which explodes just astern. Five men were killed and two wounded by flying debris, and the fantail bursts into flames. The fire is extinguished and the ship heads to Kerama Retto for repair.
- High-speed transport USS Loy shoots down three
suicide planes during two attacks. The third aircraft exploded close aboard the starboard beam and sprayed the ship with fragments and 18 of her crew are wounded and there is some internal damage.
- High-speed transport USS Rednour is struck by a
kamikaze on the stern, starting fires and blowing a 10-foot hole in her main deck killing three and wounding 13 of her crew. After driving off yet another suicide plane, Rednour entered Kerama roadstead for temporary battle damage repairs.
- Surveying ship USS Dutton is struck by a Japanese plane which crashes the ship, carrying away part of the bridge, blowing one of her crew overboard, and holing her, fortunately above the water line. She heads for Kerama Retto for repairs.
- Large support landing craft LCS-52 is damaged by kamikaze that misses.

PHILLIPINES: Santa Fe on Luzon, Philippines Islands, is liberated by US forces. Heavy fighting continues on Mindanao, Philippine Islands.
B-24s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit Cagayan Valley targets while other fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Balete Pass, Baguio, and Ipo Dam sectors.

NEI: In Borneo, B-24s, B-25s and fighter-bombers attack Tawau, Kudat, Langkon, and Sandakan, and hit targets on Tarakan.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 15 B-25s bomb a textile mill at Chenghsien, attack trains, railroad track and a bridge in the Lohochai area, and bomb railroad yards at Sinyang; 80+ fighter-bombers attack town areas, trucks, railroad targets, bridges, and general targets of opportunity at scattered S and E China locations.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The 319th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, moves from Asansol, India to Warazup, Burma with C-47s.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 16 Saipan Island-based P-47s sweep Truk Atoll, strafing the airfield, aircraft, and radio tower and facilities on Moen Island, buildings at the Dublon Seaplane Base and on Udot Island, and small craft off Dublon and Fanamu Islands.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 185: During the night of 27/28 May, 9 B-29s drop mines in Shimonoseki Strait and in the Moji area; 1 B-29 is lost.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s pound the railroad yards and rolling stock at Muong Man and Phan Rang, French Indochina. On Formosa, B-25s and fighter-bombers attack targets at Koshun, Shinei, Tairin, Ensui, Kohyo, and Kobi and attack numerous targets of opportunity at many other locations