COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES JUNE 1945 AIRCRAFT MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT: A-20, Douglas Havoc A-26, Douglas Invader B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress B-24, Consolidated Liberator B-25, North American Mitchell B-26, Martin Marauder B-29, Boeing Superfortress B-32, Consolidated Dominator Beaufighter, Bristol C-46, Curtiss Commando C-47, Douglas Skytrain UC-64, Noorduyn Norseman UC-78, Cessna Bobcat F-5, Lockheed Lightning F-6, North American Mustang F-7, Consolidated Liberator F-9, Boeing Flying Fortress L-5, Stinson Sentinel P-38, Lockheed Lightning P-40, Curtiss P-47, Republic Thunderbolt P-51, North American Mustang P-61, Northrop Black Widow P-70, Douglas NOTE: A number in parenthesis after a target name indicates the number of bombers attacking. FRIDAY, 1 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): A 4-plane shipping strike is called off due to weather. ZONE OF INTERIOR (ZI) HQ AAF: The AAF Center, with headquarters at Orlando, Florida, is established with jurisdiction over the AAF School of Applied Tactics (formerly AAF Tactical Center), AAF Proving Ground Command, and AAF Board. Second Air Force: During Jun, the detachment of the 4th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 311th Photographic Wing (Mapping and Charting) (attached to 6th Reconnaissance Group), operating from Zamboanga, Mindanao Island, Philippine Islands with F-7s, moves to Clark Field, Luzon Island (squadron is based at Hollandia, New Guinea and is mapping areas of the SW and W Pacific). CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 6 B-25s bomb the Sinsiang railroad yards while 4 B-25s and 4 P-47s damage a bridge N of Linmingkuan; 18 P-51s hit river shipping, warehouses and other targets in the Yoyang area; 20 other fighter-bombers knock out a bridge near Szeshui, pound river shipping near Yoyang, and attack various targets in the Huluehchen area; during Jun, the 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Fourteenth AF (attached to 23d Fighter Group), moves from Chengkung to Laohwangping with P-40s and P-51s. INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): Unit moves in India: HQ 1st Combat Cargo Group from Hathazari to Myitkyina, Burma; 1st and 2d Troop Carrier Squadrons, 443d Troop Carrier Group, from Warazup and Shingbwiyang, Burma respectively to Dinjan with C-47s; 2d and 3d Combat Cargo Squadrons, 1st Combat Cargo Group, from Hathazari to Bhamo and Myitkyina, Burma respectively with C-47s; 9th, 436th and 492d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), from Pandaveswar to Tezpur with B-24s; 317th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, from Kalaikunda to Ledo with C-47s. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): During Jun, the following C-47s units begin a movement from France to the US: 71st, 72d, 73d and 74th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 434th Troop Carrier Group from Mourmelon-le-Grand; 76th, 77th and 78th Troop Carrier Squadrons from Bretigny. STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): The Operational Analysis Section ceases to function as a unit after a successful career of statistical research which assisted materially in improving the effectiveness of US strategic bombing. Unit moves in England: HQ 96th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) from Horsham St Faith to Ketteringham; HQ 457th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 748th, 749th, 750th and 751st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) from Glatton to the US with B-17s. During Jun, the 812th, 813th and 814th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 482d Bombardment Group (Heavy), begin a movement from Alconbury, England to the US with B-17s and B-24s. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): The 575th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 391st Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Assche, Belgium to Vitry-en-Artois, France with B-26s. Unit moves during Jun, HQ 322d Bombardment Group (Medium) and 452d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) from Le Culot, Belgium to Fritzlar and Wickenrode, Germany respectively with B-26s; 72d Liaison Squadron, XII Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), from Augsburg to Darmstadt, Germany with L-5s. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): During early Jun, HQ 465th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 780th, 781st, 782d and 783d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) begin a movement from Pantanella Airfield, Italy to Waller Field, Trinidad, BWI with B-24s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 187: 458 B-29s attack Osaka, Japan and 16 others hit targets of opportunity; 148 P-51s of the VII Fighter Command, enroute to the escort rendezvous with the B-29s, encounter a severe weather front; flying behind in excessive turbulence, many of the fighters collide and 27 are lost; 27 others manage to find the B-29s and escort them over the target; the B-29s claim 16 Japanese fighters and the P-51s claim 1-0-0; 10 B-29s are lost. In the Ryukyu Islands 12 P-47s from Ie Shima Island fly strafing and rocket attacks against Kikaiga Island, Tokuno, and Amami Gunto, Japan. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Formosa, B-24s pound Takao while fighter aircraft sweep the coastline. On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers continue to hit targets in the Cagayan Valley, at Pingkian, Kayapa, Gattaran, Cumao, Bone, and in the Ipo area; many of the missions are ground support strikes. In Borneo, B-24s and P-38s hit Tarakan Island troop concentrations while B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s bit Kota Belud, Victoria, Jesselton, Langkon, and Labuan Island. The 67th and 69th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 433d Troop Carrier Group, move from Tanauan, Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon with C-47s. Unit moves during Jun 45: HQ 54th Troop Carrier Wing and 85th Fighter Wing from Leyte Island to Clark Field and Ft William McKinley, Luzon respectively. SATURDAY, 2 JUNE 1945 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 2 B-25s blast fuel and ammunition dumps NE of Nanyang, Burma. In China, 20 fighter-bombers attack the airfield at Tsinan, railroad yards and targets of opportunity at Anyang and the warehouse area at Paoching, knock out a bridge S of Singtai, and hit trucks, tanks, and armored vehicles in the Liuchow area. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 11 Guam-based B-24s attack the airfield area on Moen Island in Truk Atoll. HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): P-47s fly heckler strikes against Kyushu Island, Japan during the night of 2/3 Jun. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers continue to hit the Cagayan Valley in force, support ground forces in the Balete Pass and Ipo sectors, and attack areas E of Manila and N of Baguio. Fighter-bombers hit areas near Mount Mandalagan on Negros Island and dug-in positions NW of Bogo on Cebu Island. In Borneo, B-24s hit Pontianak Airfield and Tarakan and Labuan Islands while B-25s and fighters attack Kudat, Sandakan, and Miri. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Hozan and hit warehouses and dock facilities at Kiirun. SUNDAY, 3 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): On Shimushu Island in the Kurile Islands, 1 B-24 flying a radar ferret mission to Kataoka is followed by 8 others, radar- bombing and photographing scattered targets in the naval base area; 7 B-25s take off for an attack but 4 are turned back by weather and the others low- level bomb a Masugawa River Cannery. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 5 B-25s and 25 P-51s blast the warehouse area and river traffic at Liuchow; 2 B-25s bomb the Sinyang- Lohochai railroad; a single B-24, escorted by 2 P-51s, damages a bridge N of Shihkiachwang; 4 P-51s damage a bridge E of Kiehsiu and strafe a train and lumber carts N of Linfen; bad weather curtails other scheduled fighter-bomber missions. INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): HQ 3d Combat Cargo Group moves from Dinjan, India to Myitkyina, Burma while it's 9th and 10th Combat Cargo Squadron move from Warazup, Burma and Dinjan to Myitkyina with C-47s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): P-47s on a heckler patrol strafe targets of opportunity on Amami-O-Shima Island, Japan. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East In Borneo, B-24s and fighters hit resistance areas on Negros Island. B-24s attack Kota Waringin and Muara Island while B-24s bomb Batavia, Java. P-51s hit coastal cargo vessels over the SE China coast. MONDAY, 4 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND: Units arriving at Waller Field, Trinidad, BWI from Italy with C-47s: HQ 60th Troop Carrier Group and 10th, 11th, 12th and 28th Troop Carrier Squadrons; HQ 64th Troop Carrier Group and 16th, 17th, 18th and 35th Troop Carrier Squadrons. These units will transport personnel from Waller Field to the US. ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): In the Kurile Islands, 8 B-25s abort a shipping strike at Kurabu Cape on Paramushiru Island due to weather; 11 B-24s, however, get through and radar-bomb Kataoka naval base on Shimushu Island. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 12 B-25s heavily damage railroad yards and warehouses at Sinsiang; 10 B-25s and 4 P-51s in repeat attack on the yards cause numerous fires; 2 B-25s and 3 P-51s hit road and railroad targets of opportunity from Sinyang to Hsuchang; 17 fighters bomb or strafe bridges, railroad traffic, and other targets of opportunity around Chihsien, Linfen, Shihkiachwang, and Liuchow. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): The 153d Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), moves from Brunswick to Augsburg, Germany with L-5s. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): HQ 451st Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 724th, 725th, 726th and 727th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), begin a movement from Castelluccio, Italy to the US with B-24s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 13 Guam Island-based B-24s hit the airfield and boat basin on Marcus Island in the N Pacific. HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 8 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island bomb the radio station on Chichi Jima Island and strafe the town of Okimura on Haha Jima Island during the return flight. P-47s fly heckler strikes against Kyushu Island, Japan during the night of 4/5 Jun. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity in the Cagayan Valley and A-20s and fighter-bombers supporting ground forces strike defensive positions in Balete Pass, Aritao, Mount Imugan, Carulay, and Bambang. B-24s bomb Taihoku, Formosa. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Balikpapan and Manggar and support ground forces on Tarakan Island and B-25s hit Manggar, Djembajan, and Kudat. TUESDAY, 5 JUNE 1945 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 32 B-25s and 8 P-51s bomb the city of Nanyang, Burma, hit railroad yards at Anyang, and damage a bridge approach at Chuanhsien, China, and bomb ferries at Ninh Binh and Dap Cau, French Indochina. 40+ fighters bomb and strafe rail, river, and road traffic and general targets of opportunity throughout S and E China. INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The 12th Combat Cargo Squadron, 3d Combat Cargo Group, moves from Ledo, India to Myitkyina, Burma with C-47s. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Unit moves: HQ 406th Fighter Group and 512th, 513th and 514th Fighter Squadrons from Handorf to Nordholz, Germany with P-47s; 572d and 574th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 391st Bombardment Group (Medium), from Assche, Belgium to Vitry-en-Artois, France with A-26s and B-26s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 188: 473 B-29s pound the city of Kobe, Japan with incendiaries; 8 others hit targets of opportunity; they claim 86 Japanese fighters; 11 B-29s are lost; the attack burns off over 4 square miles (10.4 square km) and damages over half of the city. P-47s from Ie Shima Island patrol over Amami Gunto Island, Japan and strafe a lighthouse. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit Cagayan Valley targets while other fighter-bombers support ground actions in Cervantes, Balete Pass, and Ipo battle zones and hit forces E of Manila. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Melak, Asa, and Kuching Airfields and Tarakan and Labuan Islands, while B-25s and fighters concentrate on Tuaran, Mensalung, and Kudat. B-24s pound Taito, Formosa. WEDNESDAY, 6 JUNE 1945 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 11 B-25s and 9 P-51s bomb railroad yards N of Siaokan and damage bridges, strafe gun positions, and attack general targets of opportunity around Saiping and Hwayuan; 30+ fighters bomb or strafe bridges near Chihsien and Fengstun and hit troops, railroad targets, and targets of opportunity around Linfen, Laohokow, Changsha, Peking, and Kweilin, and Dap Cau and Thanh Hoa, French Indochina. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ Ninth AF moves from Chantilly, France to Bad Kissingen, Germany. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): B-24 unit moves from Italy to Waller Field, Trinidad, BWI: HQ 460th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 760th, 761st, 762d and 763d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) from Spinazzola; HQ 464th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 776th, 777th, 778th and 779th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) from Pantanella Airfield. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 12 Guam Island-based B-24s hit oil storage buildings on Eten Island, Truk Atoll. HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 36 Ie Shima Island-based P-47s, sweeping the S part of Kyushu Island, Japan, hit numerous targets of opportunity with rockets and machinegun fire, and claim 9 aircraft downed; in the Ryukyu Islands, Ie Shima-based P-47s patrol over Amami Gunto Island, Japan, strafing a lighthouse and buildings. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, A-20s and fighter-bombers blast bridges in Cagayan Valley and other fighter- bombers pound the Balete Pass area. On Borneo, B-24s, B-25s, and fighter- bombers hit Labuan Island supply areas, support troops on Tarakan Island, and bomb Kota Waringin and Pontianak Airfields, areas along the Belait River, around Brunei, and strike Miri, Jesselton, Kudat, and Beaufort. Bad weather cancels all missions against Formosan targets. THURSDAY, 7 JUNE 1945 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 7 B-25s and 4 P-47s damage a bridge near Anyang, bomb buildings N of Changsha and the airstrip at Paoching, and hit targets of opportunity during a road and river sweep from Siangtan to Yoyang; 45 fighters bomb or strafe numerous targets including troops, river traffic, town areas, and supplies in S and E China and knock out bridges at Singtai and Chihsien. INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): Unit moves in India: HQ 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy) from Pandaveswar to Tezpur; and 81st Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 12th Bombardment Group (Medium), from Fenny to Madhaiganj Airfield with B-25s. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): The 578th and 579th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 392d Bombardment Group (Heavy) begin a movement from Wendling, England to the US with B-24s. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): Major Gustav M Minton Jr, takes command of HQ XXII Tactical Air Command, which ceases to function; Major Minton continues in the command until transfer to Army Air Forces Service Command, Mediterranean Theater of Operations (AAFSCMTO) on 12 Aug. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): In the Palau Islands, 24 B-24s from Angaur Island, bomb the boat repair basin on Aurapushekaru Island. HQ 41st Bombardment Group (Medium) and the 396th and 820th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) move from Wheeler Field, Hawaii to Okinawa with B-25s. HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 189: 409 B-29s, escorted by 138 VII Fighter Command P-51s, drop incendiary and high explosive bombs on Osaka, Japan, hitting the east-central section of the city which contains industrial and transportation targets and the Osaka Army Arsenal (largest in Japan); despite being forced to bomb by radar because of heavy undercast, the B-29s burn out over 2 square miles (5.2 square km) of the city, destroying 55,000+ buildings; 9 other B-29s hit alternate targets; the P-51s claim 2-0-1 Japanese aircraft; 2 B-29s and 1 P-51 are lost. Mission 190: During the night of 7/8 Jun, 26 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and waters around Fukuoka and Karatsu, Japan. 20 P-47s from Ie Shima Island hit targets of opportunity (radio station, warehouses, freighter, and motor launches) on Kyushu Island, Japan, and claim 5 aircraft downed. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, A-20s and fighter-bombers hit personnel and defensive positions near Infanta, at Mount Mapatad, in the Marikina area, and in other areas in the Ipo sector; in the N fighter-bombers pound numerous Cagayan Valley targets and support ground forces N of Baguio and E of Manila. In Borneo, B-24s pound Brooketon and Muara Island; B-25s and fighter-bombers hit Kudat, Ft Brook, Belait, Jesselton, and Keningau. FRIDAY, 8 JUNE 1945 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 15 P-51s and P-40s attack bridges near Hankow, N of Sinsiang, and SE of Tayung, knocking out the latter; 17 other fighters bomb and strafe river-craft, warehouses, trucks, airfield, town areas, and general targets of opportunity around Hwangkang, Ichang, Hengyang, Laohokow, and Tehsien. INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): HQ 12th Bombardment Group (Medium) moves from Fenny to Pandaveswar and Madhaiganj Airfield, India respectively with B-25s. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ XXIX Tactical Air Command (having been activated as a provisional command on 14 Sep 44) is activated by HQ Ninth AF. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Very Long Range Mission 17: 104 Iwo Jima Island-based fighters dispatched against Kagamigahara Airfield and Meiji in the Nagoya, Japan area, abort due to bad weather. The 548th Night Fighter Squadron, VII Fighter Command (attached to AAFPOA), moves from Iwo Jima Island to Ie Shima Island with P-61s. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Bad weather cancels Formosa strikes and limits operations on Luzon Island to fighter-bomber strikes against Cagayan Valley targets. In Borneo, Labuan Island Airfield is bombed by B-24s, while other B-24s and B-25s and P-38s attack gun positions at Balikpapan. SATURDAY, 9 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): In coordination with US Navy surface and air forces attacking in the Kurile Islands, 6 B-24s and 8 B-25s fly extensive armed weather reconnaissance and anti-shipping sweeps over Kurabu and Otomari Capes, Ichinowatashi, and Asahigawa on Paramushiru Island; the B-24s score no results, half of them jettisoning their bombs; the B-25s then fly a diversionary bombing mission over Araido Island where they are attacked by 8 Japanese fighters; to evade them, the B-25s fly over Kamchatka where Soviet AA fire shoots down one, killing its crew; another damaged B-25 crash-lands in Petropavlovsk. This is the first time Soviet AA hits a US aircraft. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 3 B-25s and 60+ P-47s, P-51s, and P-40s damage 4 bridges, hit river shipping, pound town areas and villages, and attack various targets of opportunity around Nanyang, Burma and Hwayuan, Changte, Suchow, Sinyang, Hankow, Laohokow, Tatung, Tashihkiao, Pinyang, Luchai, Kiehsiu, Linfen, Tsinan, and Shihkiachwang, China. INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The 83d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 12th Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Fenny to Pandaveswar, India with B-25s. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) ICELAND (Iceland Base Command): The 33d Fighter Squadron, Iceland Base Command, begins a movement from Iceland to the US. STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Units moving from England to the US: HQ 351st Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 508th, 509th, 510th and 511th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) from Polebrook with B-17s; the 576th and 577th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 392d Bombardment Group (Heavy), from Wendling with B-24s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Five missions are flown. Mission 191: 44 B-29s attack the Kawanishi Aircraft Company's plant at Narao; 1 other hits a target of opportunity. Mission 192: 24 B-29s hit the Kawasaki plant at Akashi; there is 9/10 cloud cover and bombing is by radar; the village of Akashi rather than the factory is hit; 2 others bomb targets of opportunity. Mission 193: 42 B-29s hit Aichi's Atsuta factory; only 4 bombs hit the target area but 1 causes a devastating fire; 1 other hits a target of opportunity. Mission 194: During the night of 8/9 Jun, 26 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait; 1 other mines an alternate target. 20 P-47s from Ie Shirna strafe various targets of opportunity on Kyushu Island, Japan. 57 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island pound Kagamigahara Airfield and the surrounding area in the Nagoya area; 20+ parked airplanes are claimed destroyed or damaged; 3 P-51s are lost. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Borneo, Labuan Island is bombed by B-24s and other B-24s drop napalm on Brooketon. On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers hit Cagayan Valley targets and support ground forces in the Cervantes areas. Ground forces penetrate the last defensive position on Mindanao Island. Bad weather cancels operations N of the Philippine Islands. The 550th Night Fighter Squadron, XIII Fighter Command, based at Tacloban, Leyte Island with P-38s, P-61s and P-70s, sends a detachment to operate from Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island (other detachments are at Zamboanga, Mindanao and Sanga Sanga, Sulu Island). SUNDAY, 10 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 2 B-24s fly with the US Navy's Fleet Air Wing Four bombers on a shipping attack and sink NICHIEI MARU #5 off the SW coast of Paramushiru Island, Kurile Islands. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 14 P-51s damage a bridge near Singtai and attack barracks, river-craft, fuel dumps, trucks and other targets of opportunity around Taohsien, Lingling, Liuchow, and Kaifeng. INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): HQ 4th Combat Cargo Group and the 13th, 14th and 15th Combat Cargo Squadrons move from Chittagong, India to Namponmao, Burma with C-46s. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Unit moves in Germany: 125th Liaison Squadron, IX Fighter Command (attached to Sixth Army Group), from Brunswick to Heidelberg with L-5s; 167th Liaison Squadron, XII Tactical Air Command, from Pfaffengrund to Darmstadt with L-5s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 6 missions are flown. Mission 195: 23 B-29s attack the seaplane base at Kasumigaura; 2 others hit alternate targets. Mission 196: 32 B-29s bomb an the Japan Aircraft Company plant at Tomioka; 1 other hits an alternate target. Mission 197: 118 B-29s are dispatched to hit the Nakajima Aircraft plant at Musashi; clouds cover the target and they hit the Hitachi engineering works at Kaigan; 2 others hit alternate targets. Mission 198: 26 B-29s attack the Hitachi plant at Chiba. Mission 199: 52 B-29s hit the Nakajima plants at Ogikubu and Omiya; 4 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost. Mission 200: 29 B-29s attack the Tachikawa Army Air Arsenal and 3 others hit alternate targets. The VII Fighter Commands sends 107 P-51s to escort the B-29s; 27-7-10 Japanese aircraft are claimed without loss. 39 Ie Shima Island-based P-47s sweeping Kyushu Island, Japan, strafe numerous ground targets of opportunity, and claim 17 aircraft shot down. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers again pound the Cagayan Valley area and support ground forces E of Manila. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Labuan Island and Brooketon in coordination with landings of the Australian 9 Division on the shore of Brunei Bay and on Labuan and Muara Islands. MONDAY, 11 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 8 B-24s on a shipping sweep over the Kurile Islands do not find targets because of overcast and instead radar-bomb installations on Kurabu Cape, Paramushiru Island and in the Kataoka areas of Shimushu Island. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 4 B-25s, with fighter escort, bomb railroad yards at Kuanshuishih; 29 fighters attack bridges, rail and road traffic, river-craft, and targets of opportunity in general around Fenglochen, Liuchow, Samshui, Luchai, Lipu, Leiyang, and Kweilin. INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The 16th Combat Cargo Squadron, 4th Combat Cargo Group, moves from Chittagong, India to Namponmao, Burma with C-46s. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): The 857th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 492d Bombardment Group (Heavy) (attached to 1st Air Division), moves from Bassingbourne to Alconbury, England with B-24s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 201: During the night of 11/12 Jun, 26 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and Tsuruga Bay. Iwo Jima Island-based fighters hit Tokorozawa Airfield, Japan; pilots attacking the airfield claim 18 parked airplanes destroyed and 30+ damaged. Combat crews of the 509th Composite Group begin to arrive at North Field, Tinian Island, Mariana Islands, with their B-29s. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s and fighter-bombers hit Cagayan Valley targets and pound forces E of Manila in the Ipo-Infanta areas and various targets N of Baguio; ground support strikes are flown in the Marikina River sector. In Borneo, B-24s support ground forces on Tarakan Island and bomb Kota Baru, Laoet Island, and Tawau; P-38s hit Beaufort while B-25s support ground forces in the Brunei Bay sector. TUESDAY, 12 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 4 B-25s strafe shipping off Paramushiru Island, near Arahata Cape, damaging 4 freighters and 2 barges; one of the B-25s is shot down. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 2 B-25s knock out a bridge S of Yutze while 4 escorting P-47s hit nearby AA positions and afterwards pound railroad targets at Linfen; 9 P-51s and 2 P-61s damage a bridge N of Hengyang, hit a storage area at Yunganshih, and attack railroad targets, troops, horses, AA positions, and road traffic in Neikiuhsien and Hengyang. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Unit moves in England: HQ 2d and 98th Bombardment Wings (Heavy) from Hethel and Polebrook respectively to Alconbury; HQ 92d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 325th and 326th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) from Podington to Istres, France with B-17s where they begin transporting troops from Marseilles to Casablanca for return to the US; HQ 379th Bombardment Group (Heavy) begins a movement from Kimbolton to Casablanca, French Morocco; HQ 467th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 788th, 789th, 790th and 791st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) begin a movement from Rackheath to the US with B-24s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 12 Guam Island-based B-24s pound the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s inflict heavy destruction on the navy yard and dock area at Hong Kong and railroad yards at Saigon, French Indochina. 2 B-32s bomb the airstrip on Batan Island. Numerous fighter-bombers and B-25s hit Cagayan Valley targets while other fighter- bombers support ground forces N of Baguio and Balete Pass and E of Manila, all on Luzon Island and in Borneo, others concentrate on Tarakan Island, the Brunei Bay area, and coastal routes in N Borneo. WEDNESDAY, 13 JUNE 1945 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 11 B-25s and 7 P-51s considerably damage the Kaifeng railroad yards and strafe a communications center S of Puchou; 8 P-51s damage 2 bridges at Fenglochen and Shihkiachwang and hit railroad targets of opportunity around Fenglochen and Suchow. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Unit moves in England: HQ 14th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) from Shipdham to Bury St Edmunds and HQ 20th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) from Hardwick to Snetterton Heath. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 13 B-24s from Guam Island bomb the airfield on Moen Island, Truk Atoll. HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 202: During the night of 13/14 May, 29 B-29s drop mines in Shimonoseki Strait and in the waters at Niigata. 40+ P-47s from Ie Shima Island strafe and fire rockets at vessels, buildings, a radio station, barracks, and airfields at Amakusa Jima and Amami-O-Shima Islands, and Tokuno, Japan. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Formosa, bad weather hinders B-24s; a few hit Toshien, the primary target and others hit alternates including Toko, Koshun, Kontei, Garan-bi Point, Taito, the Mako naval base and other targets and 2 B-32s bomb Koshun Airfield. On Luzon Island, A-20s and fighter-bombers attack the Cervantes and Marikina areas, targets in the Cagayan Valley, and islands N of Luzon. In Borneo, B-24s bomb the Balikpapan-Sepinggang area; B-25s and fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Brunei Bay area and, sweeping N Borneo from Kudat to Miri, hit numerous targets of opportunity. THURSDAY, 14 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER ZONE OF INTERIOR (ZI): The Joint Chiefs of Staff direct Generals of the Army Henry H "Hap" Arnold and Douglas MacArthur and Fleet Admiral Chester W Nimitz to prepare for immediate occupation of Japan in the event the enemy suddenly collapses or surrenders. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 42 P-51s attack bridges, shipping, AA positions, railroad targets, trucks, and communications around Hengyang, Hankow, Yoyang, Lingling, Anyang, Szeshui, Hohsien, Shihkiachwang, Neikiuhsien and Puchou. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): HQ 458th Bombardment Group (Heavy) begins a movement from Horsham St Faith, England to the US. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ 63d Fighter Wing moves from Heidelberg to Schwabisch-Hall, Germany and HQ 17th Bombardment Group (Medium) and 95th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) move from Dijon, France to Horsching, Austria with B-26s. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers pound areas around the Cagayan Valley, Cervantes and N of Baguio and E of Manila. On Celebes Island, B-24s bomb warehouses at Parepare and a personnel area at Sidate. B-24s bomb AA positions at Balikpapan, Borneo. The air echelon of the 25th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th Reconnaissance Group, begins operating from Clark Field, Luzon with F-5s (squadron is based at San Jose, Mindoro Island). FRIDAY, 15 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND: B-24 units arriving at Waller Field, Trinidad, BWI from Italy to move troops to the US: HQ 464th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 776th, 777th, 778th and 779th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy); HQ 465th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 780th, 781st, 782d and 783d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy); and the 760th, 761st, 762d and 763d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 460th Bombardment Group (Heavy). CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 3 B-25s and 47 P-51s and P-47s knock out a bridge W of Shihkiachwang, damage and attack others, and hit trucks, barracks, river-craft, storage facilities, gun positions, railroad targets, and targets of opportunity; targets are the Pinghan railroad, Kukong, Lingling, Chenhsien, Kuotaichiao, Pakonghow, Kweilin, Anyang, Shihkiachwang, Loyang, Liuchow, and Paoching areas. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): B-24 units beginning a movement from England to the US: HQ 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 66th, 68th and 506th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) from Shipham; HQ 392d Bombardment Group (Heavy) from Wendling; 328th, 329th, 330th and 409th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 93d Bombardment Group (Heavy), from Hardwick. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): The 430th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, moves from Langensalza, Germany to Nice, France with P-38s. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): HQ 460th Bombardment Group (Heavy) begins a movement from Spinazzola, Italy to Waller Field, Trinidad, BWI. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): The 86th Bombardment Squadron (Light), 47th Bombardment Group (Light), moves from Grosseto to Pisa, Italy with A-20s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 203: 444 B-29s fly an incendiary mission against the Osaka- Amagasaki urban area, ending a month of concentrated fire raids against large Japanese cities; an additional 1.9 square miles (4.9 square km) of Osaka and 0.59 square miles (1.5 square km) of Amagasaki are burned out; 25 other B-29s hit alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost. 123 P-51s are dispatched as escort but 380 miles (612 km) from Iwo Jima the fighters are warned by a weather plane of a towering front over Japan and they abort the mission; 1 P-51 is lost. Mission 204: During the night of 15/16 May, 30 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and waters around Fukuoka, Karatsu, and Fushiki. The 680th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy), attached to HQ 504th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), arrives at North Field, Tinian Island from the US with B-29s. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Formosa, B-24s bomb Taichu Airfield and B-25s hit the town of Rokko and the airfield at Okaseki. On Luzon Island, numerous B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers pound various objectives, concentrating on the Cagayan Valley, the Cervantes area, and the Antipolo-Ipo sector. In Borneo, B-24s blast gun positions at Balikpapan and B-25s and P-38s hit areas between Brunei and Kudat. The 68th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier Group, moves from Tanauan, Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon with C-46s. SATURDAY, 16 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): In the Kurile Islands, 4 B-24s bomb and strafe shipping off Suribachi Bay, Paramushiru Island and a radar site on Minami Cape, Shimushu Island; one of the B-24s crashes into the water; 4 B-25s on a shipping strike score near misses on a freighter in Asahi Bay and bomb targets along the Torishima Chain; mechanical failures force 2 of the B-25s to fly to Petropavlovsk, USSR. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 2 B-25s hit supply movements on the Paoching-Hengyang road; 41 P-51s attack bridges, shipping, road transport, power facilities, and railroad traffic, knocking out bridges near Siangtan, Changsha, and Suchow; rail, road and river traffic is attacked near Yoyang, Hengyang, Kuanyang, Shou-yang, Peking, and Linfen. A power plant at Uong Bi, French Indochina is heavily damaged. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Unit moves: HQ 474th Fighter Group and 428th and 429th Fighter Squadrons from Langensalza to Schweinfurt, Germany with P-38s; the 37th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 17th Bombardment Group (Medium), from Dijon, France to Linz, Austria with B-26s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): P-61s arrive on Ie Shima Island and take over night heckler missions against Kyushu Island, Japan from the P-47s; other P-61s fly night intruder missions over Amami Gunto Island, Japan, bombing various targets of opportunity; 38 P-47s from Ie Shima Island dive-bomb boats, AA positions, runways, and buildings on Kikai Island, Japan. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit personnel and supply targets in the Cagayan Valley and E of Manila, and support ground forces in the Cervantes sector. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Balikpapan gun emplacements, Tawau, and Samarinda, while B-25s hit the Brunei Bay area and fighter-bombers attack Miri, Jesselton, and Keningau Airfields and N Borneo targets of opportunity. On Formosa, 90+ B-24s pound Kiirun harbor and the town of Takao and 3 B-32s bomb Taito. HQ 308th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) moves from Luzon to Okinawa Island. SUNDAY, 17 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 4 B-25s bomb shipping near Kataoka, Shimushu Island; one ship (KONGO MARU) is observed exploding, another burns after a strafing run; 4 other B-25s fly a shipping sweep from Shimushu to Kurabu Cape, Paramushiru Island; a number of vessels are sighted but cannot be attacked because of land-based AA. ZONE OF INTERIOR (ZI): General of the Army Henry H "Hap" Arnold, Commanding General US Army Air Forces, requests of Lieutenant General Albert C Wedemeyer, Commanding General US Forces in China, that Lieutenant General George E Stratemeyer replace Major General Clare L Chennault as head of AFs in China. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 2 B-25s bomb road and rail supply movements in the Paoching and Hengyang areas; 2 B-25s and 4 P-47s severely damage a bridge at Linmingkuan; 54 P-51s, P-47s, and P-61s hit road transport, railroad, river traffic, gun positions, bridges, and targets of opportunity around Kukong, Hankow, Lingkuantien, Changsha, Yoyang, Loyunghsien, Luchai, Hwangshapu, Kiyang, Kweilin, Kaifeng, and Shihkiachwang; and 4 P-47s blast a communications center at Puchou. HQ AAF (XX Bomber Command): HQ XX Bomber Command begins a movement from Kharagpur, India to Okinawa. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): HQ 379th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 524th, 525th, 526th and 527th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) arrive at Casablanca, French Morocco with B-17s to move troops from France to N Africa. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): HQ 47th Bombardment Group (Light) and 84th and 85th Bombardment Squadrons (Light) move from Grosseto to Pisa, Italy. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 1 mining and 4 incendiary missions are flown during the night of 17/18 Jun. Mission 205: 25 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and waters around Kobe; 2 others mine alternate targets. Mission 206: 117 B-29s attack the Kagoshima urban area and 1 hits an alternate target; 2.15 square miles (5.56 square km) are destroyed; 1 B-29 is lost. Mission 207: 116 B-29s hit the Omuta urban area and 3 hit alternate targets; the was the heaviest attack of the 5 but only 0.217 square miles (0.56 square km) were destroyed, only 4.1% of the city's area. Mission 208: 130 B-29s hit the Hamamatsu urban area; 2.44 square miles (6.32 square km) are destroyed. Mission 209: 89 B-29s attack the Yokkaichi urban area; 1.23 square miles (3.19 square km) are destroyed. 33 P-47s from Ie Shima Island bomb and strafe shipping, the airfield, villages, a bridge and radar and radio facilities on Amami Gunto Island and Tokuno, Japan. During the night of 17/18 Jun, 2 P-61s from Ie Shima Island fly an unsuccessful (due to weather) intruder strike over Amami Gunto and Kyushu, Japan; this begins a campaign of night and day intruder missions over Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands by the night fighters (12 more are flown during Jun). SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers pound Cagayan Valley targets and numerous other objectives throughout N Luzon; many of the strikes support US Sixth Army forces. In Borneo, B-24s pound Balikpapan area oil targets and gun positions; B-25s and P-38s hit Limbang town and sweep from Beaufort to Jesselton, hitting Beaufort buildings, several communications targets at various points, and personnel areas on Labuan Island. On Formosa, B-24s bomb industrial and railroad targets at Kiirun and P-38s pound a railroad bridge and trucks at Soton. The detachment of the 550th Night Fighter Squadron, XIII Fighter Command, operating from Zamboanga, Mindanao Island with P-38s, P-61s and P-70s, returns to base at Tacloban, Leyte Island (other detachment are at Sanga Sanga, Sulu Island and Puerto Princessa, Palawan Island). MONDAY, 18 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 6 B-24s join US Navy aircraft in attacking Kataoka, Shimushu Island and Tomari Cape, Paramushiru Island; cloud cover prevents observation of effects; 1 B-24 flies a radar-ferret mission over the Kurile Islands. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 70+ P-51s, P-61s, and P-47s continue to disrupt the Japanese withdrawal from S and E China, attacking bridges, villages and town areas, barracks, troop concentrations, motor transport, shipping and rail traffic, and targets of opportunity throughout wide areas. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): HQ 4th, 41st, 45th and 94th Combat Bombardment Wings (Heavy) are disbanded at Bury St Edmunds, Molesworth, Snetterton Heath, and Alconbury, England respectively. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ 320th Bombardment Group (Medium) moves from Tavaux Airfield, Dole, France to Herzogenaurach, Germany; the 34th and 432d Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 17th Bombardment Group (Medium), move from Dijon, France to Linz, Austria with B-26s. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Supporting US Sixth Army forces on Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers continue to attack targets in the Cagayan Valley, Balete Pass, and Cervantes areas, and other locations. In Borneo, B-24s blast troop concentrations in Balikpapan and S of Miri, Manggar Airfield and Sepinggang defenses and B-25s support ground forces on Labuan Island. In Formosa, B-24s destroy a block of buildings and several warehouses and small vessels in Kiirun harbor area, P-51s hit Taien and Toyohara Airfields and targets of opportunity while P-38s start numerous fires in the town of Kari. COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES TUESDAY, 19 JUNE 1945 FTP SITES 1. ftp.rutgers.edu in directory pub/wwii/usaf 2. byrd.mu.wvnet.edu (129.71.32.152) in pub/history/military/airforce/ wwii_chronology AIRCRAFT MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT: A-20, Douglas Havoc B-24, Consolidated Liberator B-25, North American Mitchell B-26, Martin Marauder B-29, Boeing Superfortress P-38, Lockheed Lightning P-47, Republic Thunderbolt P-51, North American Mustang P-61, Northrop Black Widow P-70, Douglas NOTE: A number in parenthesis after a target name indicates the number of bombers attacking. AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): In a coordinated shipping search, a B-24 flies the theater's longest mission, a 2,700-mile (4,345 km) roundtrip lasting 15.5 hours and flying as far as Uruppu Island, Japan; turning N the B-24 bombs a small convoy 25 miles (40 km) SW of Shimushu Bay, Shimushu Island, Kurile Islands, sinks a vessel, heavily damages another, and sets 2 more afire; another B-24 bombs and photographs Matsuwa Island; 4 B-25s break off a shipping sweep due to the presence of Japanese fighters. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 5 B-25s and 4 P-47s knock out a bridge on the Pinghan (Hankow-Peking) railroad while 4 P-51s knock out another NE of Kihsien on the Tungpu railroad; 70+ other P-51s damage several bridges, hit rail, road and river traffic, supplies, troops, and general targets of opportunity throughout S and E China. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): HQ 95th Bombardment Group (Heavy) begins a movement from Horham, England to the US. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): The 444th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 320th Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Tavaux Airfield, Dole, France to Berghof, Germany with B-26s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 22 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific. HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 4 missions, 1 mining and 3 incindiary missions against secondary cities, are flown during the night of 19/20 Jun. Mission 210: 136 B-29s hit the Toyohashi urban area destroying 1.7 square miles (4.4 square km). Mission 211: 221 B-29s attack the Fukuoka urban area destroying 1.37 square miles (3.55 square km); 2 other B-29s attack alternate targets. Mission 212: 123 B-29s attack the Shizuoka urban area destroying 2.25 square miles (5.83 square km); 1 other hits an alternate target; 1 B-29 is lost. Mission 213: 28 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and the waters at Niigata, Miyazu, and Maizuru. 47 Ie Shima Island-based P-47s bomb the airfield on Tokuno Island while 16 others patrol uneventfully over Amami-O-Shima Island. 117 fighters dispatched from Iwo Jima Island against Kagamigahara Airfield and Meiji, Japan abort because of bad weather. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: A-20s and fighter- bombers continue to pound Luzon Island, chiefly around Cagayan Valley, SE of Aparri, and around Cervantes while heavy strikes in the C Cagayan area are in support of guerilla offensive. In Borneo, B-24s bomb fortifications and AA guns at Balikpapan while B-25s hit N Borneo targets including Keningau Airfield and targets N and NW of Kudat. In Formosa, B-24s bomb docks, warehouses, and railroad yards at Kiirun and B-25s pound the Shoka railroad yards and P-51s attack AA positions between Rokko and Toyohara; 2 bridges in the Shoka area are destroyed or badly damaged. The detachment of the 550th Night Fighter Squadron, XIII Fighter Command, operating from Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island with P-38s, P-61s and P-70s, returns to base at Tacloban, Leyte Island (a detachment is operating from Sanga Sanga, Sulu Island). WEDNESDAY, 20 JUNE 1945 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, 8 B-25s and 6 P-51s knock out 2 bridges near Quang Tri and My Chanh and blast surrounding AA positions while 8 fighter-bombers sink at least 3 river steamers in a canal at Haiphong. In China, 37 P-51s hit rail, road, and river traffic, bridges, and general targets of opportunity around Liuchow, Kweilin, Juchai, Hankow, Siangtan, Changsha, Hengshan, Sintsiang, Kweiyi, Kueiyangshih, and Ft Bayard; a bridge at Hankow is destroyed and several others damaged. The 11th Combat Cargo Squadron, Fourteenth AF, move from Yunnani to Luliang, China with C-47s. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 52d Troop Carrier Wing begins a movement from Amiens, France to the US. STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): HQ 401st Bombardment Group (Heavy) and the 612th, 613th, 614th and 615th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) begin a movement from Deenethorpe, England to the US with B-17s. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): The 441st and 442d Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 320th Bombardment Group (Medium), move from Tavaux Airfield, Dole, France to Pfriemd and Furth, Germany respectively with B-26s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 14 P-47s from Ie Shima Island bomb and strafe vessels, buildings, a lighthouse, and a village on Amami Gunto Island and the airfield on Tokuno Island; 38 others bomb the airfield at Omura and hit Tokuno on the return trip. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: A-20s and fighter- bombers blast resistance on Luzon Island and directly support a guerilla offensive in the C Cayagan Valley. B-24s again pound AA positions in the Balikpapan, Borneo area. B-24s bomb Shinchiku Airfield on Formosa. The 419th Night Fighter Squadron, XIII Fighter Command, based at Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island with P-61s, sends a detachment to operate from Sanga Sanga, Sulu Island (another detachment is at Zamboanga, Mindanao Island). THURSDAY, 21 JUNE 1945 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, 16 B-25s bomb an enemy fort at Bac Ninh, hit railroad yards and trains at Thanh Hoa, Phu Dien, Yen Li Station, Ha Trung, and Ninh Binh, damage a tunnel at La Son, bomb a barge concentration at Ha Dong, and attack a train near the Duc Tho bridge. 40+ P-51s and P-38s hit road, rail, and river transport, coastal shipping, troops, supply lines, and targets of opportunity in French Indochina and S and E China. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Major General Westside T Larson relieves Major General William E Kepner as Commanding General, Eighth AF. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): The 112th Liaison Squadron, Ninth AF (attached to HQ Command, SHAPE), moves from Buc, France to Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany with L-5s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 24 B-24s from Guam Island bomb fuel oil storage and power plant buildings on Eten Island in Truk Atoll. The detachment of the 28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Seventh AF, operating from Ie Shima Island with F-5Es, returns to base on Okinawa. HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 214: 25 B-29s mine the sea approaches around Fushiki, Senzaki, Nanao, and Yuya Bay, Japan during the night of 21/22 Jun; 2 others mine alternate areas. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Fighter-bombers attack positions and supply areas in the the Cagayan Valley, other locations in N Luzon and in the Marikina and Infanta areas in C Luzon. In Borneo, B-24s pound the Balikpapan town area, Manggar Airfield, Sepinggang defenses, and Oelin Airfield and B-25s bomb the town of Keningau while P-38s blast the nearby airfield; the fighter-bombers attack Kudat and caves near Jesselton. On Formosa, P-38s hit targets at Mato and Kagi and targets of opportunity along the W coast. FRIDAY, 22 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Major General John B Brooks relieves Brigadier General Isaiah Davies as Commanding General, Eleventh AF. ZONE OF INTERIOR (Second Air Force): The 19th Reconnaissance Squadron (Long Range, Photographic), 311th Photographic Wing (Mapping and Charting) (attached to Ninth AF), arrives at Thurleigh, England from the US with F-9s to begin photo-mapping of Europe (air echelon is at Watton, England). CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 23 B-25s and 4 P-47s pound trucks, trains, and gun positions in the Hanoi, French Indochina area, and in China, bomb railroad yards and barracks area at Sinsiang, hit rail and road targets, buildings, and radar station in the Showyang area, knock out a bridge S of Saiping, and damage a bridge N of Hsuchang; 40+ fighters hit rail, road, and river traffic, artillery emplacements, line positions, and other targets in French Indochina and S and E China. INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The 5th and 6th Fighter Squadrons (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, moves from Kalaikunda to Asansol, India with P-47s. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Unit moves from England: HQ 2d Air Division begins a movement from Ketteringham Hall to the US; HQ 384th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 544th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) from Grafton Underwood to Istres, France with B-17s to move US soldiers to Casablanca, French Morocco for return to the US; 322d, 323d and 401st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy), from Bassingbourn with B-17s. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Unit moves: HQ 50th Fighter Group and 10th Fighter Squadron begin a movement from Mannheim, Germany to the US; 442d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 320th Bombardment Group (Medium), from Tavaux Airfield, Dole, France to Herzogenaurach, Germany with B-26s. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): Unit moves from Italy to the US: 84th Bombardment Squadron (Light), 47th Bombardment Group (Light), begins a movement from Pisa; 99th Fighter Squadron, 332d Fighter Group from Cattolica. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 446 B-29s are dispatched in 6 missions to targets on S Honshu Island, Japan during the day. Mission 215: 162 B-29s attack the Kure Naval Arsenal and 12 others hit alternate targets; 72% of the roof area of the arsenal is damaged; 2 B-29s are lost. Mission 216: 108 B-29s hit the Mitsubishi aircraft plant at Tamashima destroying 135 of 231 machine tools and almost half the roof area; 10 others hit alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost. Mission 217: 52 B-29s attack the Kawanishi aircraft plant at Himeji causing great destruction among the buildings and total destruction of machine tools; 4 others hit alternate targets. Missions 218 and 219: 34 B-29s hit the Mitsubishi and Kawasaki aircraft plants at Kagamigahara and 10 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost. Mission 220: 25 B-29s hit the Kawasaki aircraft factory at Akashi and 1 hits an alternate target. 40+ P-47s from Ie Shima Island fly combat patrols over Amami Gunto Island, Japan, claiming 11 Japanese aircraft downed. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Fighter-bombers supporting ground action continue to hit concentrations and positions in the Cagayan Valley on Luzon Island. In Borneo, B-24s pound Balikpapan area gun and defensive positions while B-25s hit nearby warehouses and numerous other buildings and P-38s dive-bomb and score direct hits on pillboxes. On Formosa, B-24s hit Toshien oil facilities and P-38s attack Mato while 2 B-32s blast gun positions and barracks at Heito. The 25th Liaison Squadron, Thirteenth AF, moves from Malabang to Del Monte, Mindanao Island with UC-78s and L-5s. SATURDAY, 23 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): In the Kurile Islands, 2 B-24s on a shipping sweep between Matsuwa and Paramushiru Islands sink 1 freighter, damage 2 more, and hit a whale boat; 1 Japanese fighter is claimed destroyed; 6 more B-24s bomb Kataoka on Shimushu Island. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, 4 B-25s knock out the E approach to the Phu Lang Thuong bridge and 4 P-38s bomb locomotives and a barracks area at Les Pins and Lang Son. 12 P-51s strafe airfields in the Canton, China area. 17 other fighters strafe railroad targets and river traffic around Wuchou, Siaokan, and Peking, China, and Hanoi, and Vinh, French Indochina. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): HQ 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 324th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), begin a movement from Bassingbourn, England to the US with B-17s. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Unit moves in Germany: HQ 358th Fighter Group and 365th, 366th and 367th Fighter Squadrons move from Sandhofen to Reims, France, with P-47s; HQ 404th Fighter Group and 506th, 507th and 508th Fighter Squadrons from Fritzlar to Stuttgart with P-47s; the 81st and 313th Fighter Squadrons, 50th Fighter Group, begin a movement from Mannheim to the US; and the 522d Fighter Squadron, 27th Fighter Group, from Biblis to Sandhofen with P-47s. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): The 85th and 86th Bombardment Squadrons (Light), 47th Bombardment Group (Light), begin a movement from Pisa, Italy to the US. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Major General Thomas D White becomes Commanding General, Seventh AF. HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 221: In Japan, during the night of 23/24 Jun, 26 B-29s mine the harbors of Fukuoka, Karatsu, Sakai, and Niigata; 1 B-29 is lost; 38 P-47s from Ie Shima Island bomb airfields at Hakata and Itazuke and, during the return flight, attack 2 boats off Amami Gunto Island; 40 other P-47s bomb Saitozaki Airfield; 100 P-51s are dispatched from Iwo Jima Island to airfields at Kagamigahara and Hyakuri; they claim 19-3-16 aircraft in the air and 13-40 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: 150+ B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers continue heavy strikes against the Balikpapan, Borneo area concentrating on gun emplacements and defensive positions. On Luzon Island, A-20s and fighter-bombers pound troop concentrations and occupied areas in the Cagayan Valley and fighter-bombers attack pockets of resistance in the Infanta and Antipolo areas. B-24s bomb a butanol plant at Kobi, Formosa. SUNDAY, 24 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 2 B-24s on a shipping sweep instead radar- bomb Kurabu Cape on Paramushiru Island, because of overcast and turbulence; another planned shipping strike by 6 B-25s is also cancelled due to weather. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 13 B-25s and 12 fighter- bombers knock out bridges at Lohochai and S of Chenghsien and hit surrounding AA positions, attack animal-drawn transport at Hsiangcheng, attack railroad targets of opportunity in the Shihkiachwang area, and hit railroad yards at Siaokan; 40+ fighter-bombers continue harassing enemy withdrawals in S and E China where numerous communications targets, gun positions, bridges, and rail, road, and river traffic are attacked. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): HQ 381st and 532d, 533d, 534th and 535th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) begin a movement from Ridgewell, England to the US with B-17s. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ 27th Fighter Group and 523d and 524th Fighter Squadrons move from Biblis to Sandhofen, Germany with P-47s. US STRATEGIC AIR FORCES IN EUROPE (USSTAF): Unit moves from Furth, Germany: 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, USSTAF, begins a movement to the US; 162d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, USSTAF, to Reims, France with F-6s. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): HQ 47th Bombardment Group (Light) begins a movement from Pisa, Italy to the US. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): At dawn 1 B-24 from Guam Island bombs buildings on Marcus Island in the N Pacific; during the afternoon 18 more bomb the airfield. HQ 494th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 864th, 865th, 866th and 867th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) move from Angaur Island, Palau Islands to Yontan, Okinawa with B-24s. HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 36 P-47s from Ie Shima Island attack boats and a village in the Sakishima Archipelago, a wharf on Kuro Island, Ishigaki Island, and buildings, villages, targets of opportunity, and several points in the Ryukyu Islands. HQ 507th Fighter Group and 463d, 464th and 465th Fighter Squadrons arrive on Ie Shima Island, Ryukyu Islands from the US with P-47s. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Luzon, Fifth AF A-20s and fighter-bombers support the US Sixth Army and Filipino troops in the Kiangan sector and N and NE of Tuguegarao, blast numerous targets throughout the Cagayan Valley, Cervantes area concentrations, and the Infanta-Antipolo resistance pockets. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Balikpapan town and coastal guns and fighter-bombers pound coastal guns while B-25s bomb warehouses and the nearby Manggar Airfield. The detachment of the 159th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 3d Air Commando Group [attached to 5th Air Liaison Group (Provisional)], ceases operating from Negros Island with UC-64s and L-5s, and returns to base at Mangaldan, Luzon. MONDAY, 25 JUNE 1945 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 18 B-25s and 14 P-51s and P-47s knock out bridges N of Shihkiachwang and N of Saiping, bomb a power plant, barracks, and warehouse at Sinsiang, bomb the Nanyo-Hengyang road, and hit the railroad yard at Siaokan; 80+ fighter-bombers attack bridges, gun positions, river, road, and rail traffic, and generally harass Japanese movements throughout S and E China, particularly around Hengyang, Yoyang, Liuchow, Changsha, Lipu, and Luchai; the 21st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Fourteenth AF, based at Shwangliu sends a flight to operate from Ankang with F-5s. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 435th Troop Carrier Group and 75th Troop Carrier Squadron begin a movement from Bretigny, France to the US with C-47s. STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Unit moves in England: HQ 381st Bombardment Group (Heavy) begins a movement from Ridgewell to the US; 546th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 384th Bombardment Group (Heavy), from Grafton Underwood to Istres, France with B-17s to transport personnel from France to N Africa. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Unit moves: HQ 366th Fighter Group and 391st Fighter Squadron from Handorf Airfield, Munster to Bindlach Airfield, Bayreuth, Germany with P-47s; HQ 409th Bombardment Group (Light) and 640th, 641st, 642d and 643d Bombardment Squadrons (Light) begin a movement from Couvron Airfield, Laon, France to the US; HQ 410th Bombardment Group (Light) and 644th, 645th, 646th and 647th Bombardment Squadrons (Light) begin a movement from Beaumont-sur-Oise, France to the US. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): The 97th Bombardment Squadron (Light), 47th Bombardment Group (Light), begins a movement from Pisa, Italy to the US. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): At dawn 3 B-24s from Guam Island attack heavy AA positions on the W coast of Marcus Island in the N Pacific. HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 222: During the night of 25/26 Jun, 26 B-29s plant mines in Shimonoseki Strait and at Maizuru and off Obama Island. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Borneo, oil facilities, shore defenses and the nearby Manggar Airfield in the Balikpapan, area are well covered by B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers. B-24s bomb Mandai Airfield on Celebes Island. On Luzon Island, B-25s and fighter-bombers hit targets (mostly troop concentrations and resistance pockets) in the Cagayan Valley, in the Cervantes area, and in the Infanta sector. Unit moves: HQ 403d Troop Carrier Group from Biak Island, New Guinea to Leyte Island; 157th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 3d Air Commando Group [attached to 5th Air Liaison Group (Provisional)], from Mabalacat, Luzon to Okinawa with UC-64s and L-5s; and the detachment of the 159th Liaison Squadron, 3d Air Commando Group [attached to 5th Air Liaison Group (Provisional)], ceases operating from Cebu Island with UC-64s and L-5s and returns to base at Mangaldan, Luzon. TUESDAY, 26 JUNE 1945 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 21 P-51s bomb or strafe road, river, and rail traffic, motor pools, gun positions, and buildings around Yoyang, Hengyang, Chenghsien, Linfen, and Tsinan, and knock out a bridge SW of Yutze. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Unit moves in England: HQ 1st Bombardment Wing (Heavy) from Bassingbourn to Alconbury; HQ 40th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) from Thurleigh to Istres, France where it oversees the units transporting troops from France to N Africa for return to the US. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Unit moves in Germany: HQ IX Tactical Air Command from Weimar to Fritzlar; the 417th Night Fighter Squadron, 64th Fighter Wing, from Biblis to Braunschardt with Beaufighters. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 1 Guam Island-based B-24 attacks heavy AA positions on the W side of Marcus Island at dawn. HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 510 B-29s and 148 P-51s fly 9 missions against aircraft factories, light-metals industries and arsenals in S Honshu and Shikoku; 6 B-29s and 1 P-51 are lost. Mission 223: 64 B-29s hit the light metal industry at Osaka and 4 others hit alternate targets. Mission 224: 109 B-29s attack the Osaka Arsenal; 3 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost. Mission 225: 31 B-29s hit the Kawasaki aircraft plant at Akashi and 5 others hit targets of opportunity; the 4,000-pound (1,814 kg) bombs are well- placed but the target has been almost destroyed in previous raids. Missions 226 and 227: 58 B-29s attack the Nagoya Arsenal; 6 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost. Missions 228 and 231: 85 B-29s hit the Kawasaki aircraft plant at Kagamigahara; 23 others hit alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost; every important building is knocked out. Mission 229: 50 B-29s attack the Aichi aircraft plant at Eitoku and 14 others attack alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost; the raid causes light damage. Mission 230: 29 B-29s hit the light metal industry at Nagoya and 2 others hit targets of opportunity. The B-29s claim 20 Japanese fighters destroyed. The Nagoya and Osaka missions are escorted by 148 P-51s; they claim 2-0-5 Japanese aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost. Mission 232: During the night of 26/27 Jun, 33 B-29s attack the Utsube Oil Refinery at Yokkaichi, the top-priority petroleum target; 1 other B-29 hits an alternate target. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers hit targets in the Infanta area and troop concentrations in the Cagayan Valley and Kiangan area; ground support strikes are flown in the Cervantes area and E of Manila. In Borneo, strikes against the Balikpapan area continue by B-24s and B-25s hitting oil targets and the nearby airfield at Manggar and B-24s bomb the Trombol airstrip. Other B-24s bomb the airfield at Limboeng, Celebes Island. On Formosa during the night of 26/26 Jun, P-61s set fires at the Ensuiko sugar refinery while B-24s hit the sugar refinery at Tanshi during the day. WEDNESDAY, 27 JUNE 1945 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): HQ 308th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 374th, 375th and 425th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) move from Hsinching and Kwanghan, China to Rupsi, India with B-24s. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ 370th Fighter Group and 401st, 402d and 485th Fighter Squadrons move from Gutersloh to Sandhofen, Germany with P-51s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): In an early morning raid from Guam Island, 3 B-24s bomb the underground storage area and fortifications on Marcus Island in the N Pacific Ocean. At midday 18 B-24s pound the airfield on Moen Island, Truk Atoll. HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 233: During the night of 27/28 Jun, 29 B-29s mine the harbors of Hagi, Kobe, and Niigata, Japan. Very long range fighter mission 25: 148 P-51s are dispatched from Iwo Jima Island, against Kasumigaura, Imba, and Tsukuba Airfields in the Tokyo area but abort because of weather. 20 P-47s from Ie Shima Island hit shipping and a village on Kikai Island, Japan; AA from vessels downs 2 P-47s; 1 vessel is left aflame; 12 other P-47s hit shipping off Kakeroma Island, while 20 more attack vessels and targets of opportunity throughout the Sakishima Archipelago. During the night of 27/28 Jun, 5 P-61s fly intruder attacks, hitting vessels off Amami Gunto Island and Wan Airfield. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: During the night of 26/27 Jun, B-24s over the Soerabaja Strait area bomb Tandjoeng-perak Airfield, Java. In Borneo, for the 15th consecutive day, B-24s pound Balikpapan destroying oil facilities and shore defenses, B-25s hit warehouses, other buildings, and the general waterfront area. Other B-24s bomb Mandai and Limboeng Airfields on Celebes Island. On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers hit the Kiangan area, a troop concentration NW of Bolog, the Pagong area, and the Bontoc-Sabangan area, provide ground support near Montalban, and hit targets in the Infanta sector. THURSDAY, 28 JUNE 1945 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 7 B-25s and 4 P-51s bomb the town of Changsha, a troop concentration and supply area, and blast truck convoys and ammunition trains in the Yoyang area; 28 P-51s hit a communications center S of Puchou, knock out bridges near Kiehsiu and Neikiuhsien, bomb gun emplacements and defensive positions SE of Hsihsiakou, and attack railroad traffic and damage a road bridge in the Suchow and Yoyang areas. INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The detachment of the 427th Night Fighter Squadron, Tenth AF, operating from Kunming, China with P-61s, returns to base at Dinjan, India. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): The 301st Troop Carrier Squadron, 442d Troop Carrier Group, moves from St-Andre-del L'Eure, France to Halle, Germany with C-47s. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): The 389th and 390th Fighter Squadrons, 366th Fighter Group, move from Handorf Airfield, Munster to Bindlach Airfield, Bayreuth, Germany with P-47s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 3 B-24s from Guam Island bomb fuel storage on Marcus Island. HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 487 B-29s fly 4 incendiary missions against secondary cities during the night of 28/29 Jun; 1 B-29 is lost. Mission 234: 138 B-29s attack Okayama destroying 2.13 square miles (5.52 square km), 63% of the city area; 1 B-29 is lost. Mission 235: 141 B-29s hit Sasebo destroying 0.97 square miles (2.51 square km), 48% of the city area; 2 other B-29s hit alternate targets. Mission 236: 91 B-29s attack Moji destroying 0.302 square miles (0.782 square km), 26.9% of the city area; 3 B-29s hit alternate targets. Mission 237: 117 B-29s hit Nobeoka destroying 0.52 square miles (1.35 square km), 36% of the city area. 39 P-47s from Ie Shima attack shipping at Koniya, Japan with rocket and bombing and hit Tokuno Island with rockets and machinegun fire; 26 more hit targets of opportunity in the Sakishima Archipelago including vessels, docks, an airfield, floatplane, and village. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Borneo, B-24s pound installations in the Manggar area while B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s hit defenses near Balikpapan; the P-38s also skipbomb oil storage and other B-24s hit runways at Tabanio and Oelin. On Celebes Island, B-24s bomb the airfields at Limboeng and Langoan. On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers hit troop concentrations in the Kiangan area while supporting ground forces and attack Japanese concentrations and positions between Ipo and Infanta. B-24s strike a butanol plant at Keishu, Formosa. Unit moves: HQ 35th Fighter Group from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa; 70th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier Group, from Tanauan, Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon with C-46s and C-47s. FRIDAY, 29 JUNE 1945 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 15 B-25s and 4 P-47s knock out a bridge at Chungmow and damage another; 18 P-51s attack troop concentrations, gun emplacements, villages, bridges, and targets of opportunity around Hsihsiakou, Yutze, Anyang, Puchou, and Szeshuiand and knock out a bridge at Szeshui. INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The 427th Night Fighter Squadron, Tenth AF, based at Dinjan, India with P-61s, sends a detachment to operate from Chengkung, China. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 2 missions are flown during the night of 29/30 Jun. Mission 238: 32 B-29s drop 209 tons of bombs on the Nippon Oil Company refinery at Kudamatsu, Japan without loss. Mission 239: 25 B-29s mine the W Shimonoseki Strait and waters around Maizuru and Sakata without loss. 34 P-47s from Ie Shima Island hit airfields at Kanoya and Kushira on Kyushu Island, Japan with rockets and machinegun fire, and attack shipping while returning, claiming 7 small vessels sunk. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Borneo, continuing the offensive against Balikpapan, B-24s, B-25s, and fighter- bombers bomb defensive positions and oil installations; other B-24s bomb Ft Brook and Oelin Airfields. On Luzon, fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Kiangan area and in the Cervantes sector. Other B-24s bomb the oil refinery at Shinchiku, Formosa. SATURDAY, 30 JUNE 1945 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND: HQ 460th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and the 760th, 761st, 762d and 763d Bombardment Squadrons move from Waller Field, Trinidad to Natal, Brazil with B-24s and continue to move redeployed personnel from Europe to the US. CHINA THEATER (AAF, China Theater): HQ AAF, China Theater is established by a General Order from HQ, US Forces, China Theater. Lieutenant General George E Stratemeyer is appointed Commanding General; subordinate elements are the Tenth and Fourteenth Air Forces, China Air Service Command, and the 8th Reconnaissance Group. Fourteenth Air Force: In China, 2 B-25s attack a bridge at Lohochai, causing little damage; 4 fighter-bombers pound hill positions and hit an artillery emplacement SW of Hsihsiakou; 3 others bomb and strafe an enemy- held temple and a troop area at Likuanchiao. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ 69th Reconnaissance Group begins a movement from Haguenau, France to the US. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): The organization charts show a further net loss during Jun 45; 16 units have been transferred to other HQ within the theater, 1 sent directly to the Pacific, another redeployed to the US, 3 disbanded, 9 provisional units discontinued, and 5 attached units relieved (plus a Brazilian unit attached for operations being released); only 2 units are added to the Twelfth. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 2 Guam Island-based B-24s attack the boat basin on Marcus Island. HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): The 509th Composite Group, scheduled to deliver the first atomic bomb attack on Japan, begins combat flight training from Tinian Island; for most crews, this involves 5 or 6 practice missions such as a navigation training flight to Iwo Jima Island, bombing Rota Island in the Mariana Islands during the return flight, 2 or more short bombing missions against Rota or Guguan Island, Mariana Islands, 1 long bombing mission against Truk Atoll, and 1 against Marcus Island, all run in flights of from 2 to 9 B-29s. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Cervantes sector, N of Baguio and pound gun positions and other targets in the Kiangan area as the Luzon campaign officially ends at 2400 hours local. In Borneo, B-24s again pound Balikpapan and B-25s pound targets in NE Borneo and cause considerable damage at Tawau and Tandjoengredeb. The 39th Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Group, moves from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa with P-51s. SOURCES: AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1961, ISBN 0-912799-02-1 COMBAT SQUADRONS OF THE AIR FORCE, WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF 1982 THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by the Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1973 THE MIGHTY EIGHTH WAR DIARY by Roger A. Freeman, ISBN 1-85409-071-2 WORLD WAR II IN THE NORTH PACIFIC by Kevin D. Hutchinson, 1994, ISBN-0-313-29130-6 Jack McKillop USAF (Airways and Air Communications Service) 1955-59 ------------------------------------------------------------------- | Jack McKillop | Those who have long enjoyed such | | Bellcore | privileges as we enjoy forget in | | Piscataway, NJ USA | time that men have died to win them. | | [email protected] | FDR | -------------------------------------------------------------------