March 26, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

MONDAY, 26 MARCH 1945

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): In the Kuriles, two missions, each by four B-25s, attempt to bomb canneries on the Masugawa River and Hayakegawa River; enemy fighters drive off the Masugawa mission and the other mission cannot find the target due to weather. Four B-24s bomb the Kataoka Naval Base on Shimushu.

ALFSEA: Gen Leese directs Adm Mountbatten to draw up plans for modified Dracula since overland drive to Rangoon is not making the desired progress.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 15 B-25s and 80+ fighter-bombers, operating individually or in small flights, continue to disrupt mobility and supply lines throughout S and E China, hitting numerous targets of opportunity chiefly trucks, tanks, supply areas, horses, troops, artillery pieces; several of the fighter-bombers also considerably damage Puchou Airfield.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 28 P-47s and 10 B-25s operating over and behind the C Burma battlelines attack artillery positions, troop concentrations, road communications, and supply areas; 522 air supply sorties are being completed throughout the. day.

Seventh Air Force: During the night of 26/27 March, three B-24s from Guam on individual snooper strikes hit Chichi Jima. Nine B-24s from Guam pound Marcus. The enemy makes a final attack on Iwo Jima in an early morning attempt to infiltrate a bivouac area. The capture and occupation phase of the island ends at 0800 hours when Major General James E Chaney becomes Commander. VII Fighter Command: 21 P-51s from Iwo Jima bomb and strafe Susaki Airfield while 16 bomb and strafe weather and radar stations and the town of Kitamura. HQ 21st Fighter Group arrives at Motoyama No. 1 (South Field) from Hawaii; the 72d Fighter Squadron and 531st Fighter Squadron, 21st Fighter Group move from Mokuleia Field to South Field with P-51s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers bomb Legaspi and targets in the area including a fuel dump at Camalig; fighter-bombers hit numerous targets in the N at Solvec Cove, Baguio, Mankayan, Sante Fe, and other areas; in the SW, A-20s and fighter-bombers support U.S. ground forces, hitting Ternate, and towns in Tayabas and Batangas Provinces. B-24s and A-20s hit Cebu City and E coast targets on Cebu. B-24s hit Takao and shipping in Takao Harbor and sink cargo vessels Enoura Maru and Kishu Maru, 22°37'N, 120°15'E. The 6th Combat Cargo Squadron, 2d Combat Cargo Group, moves from Biak to Dulag with C-46s. The 70th Bombardment Squadron moves from Morotai to Puerto Princesa Airfield.

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, 129th Inf of 37th Div is ordered to relieve 130th Inf of 33d Div upon arrival in Bauang area and to reconnoiter along Highway 9 from Naguilian toward Baguio. 1st Bn of 161st Inf, 25th Div, begins final assault on Norton's Knob, on Highway 5, after Japanese positions there have been heavily bombarded. In XI Corps area, 1st Bn of 20th Inf, 6th Div, is being relieved in line by 1st Inf. In XIV Corps area, 1st Cav Div elements push S on Highway 19 through Tanauan to Malvar. 188th Inf, 11th A/B Div, probes toward Lipa. 187th renews attack toward Mt Macolod but makes little headway against strong opposition.

In the southern Philippines, In U.S. Eighth Army area, Americal Div (-RCT 164) lands 3 bns (1st and 3d Bns of 182d Inf and 1st Bn of 132d) abreast land at 8:30am north of Talisay on Cebu Island after an hour of naval gunfire bombardment. Enemy opposition consists of scattered fire, but mine field disables 15 LVTs and the advance halted with 5 KIA and 15 WIA from land mines. Although the first wave included mine disposal teams, the mine field was too large and complex. Despite the chaos on the beach, the Japanese had withdrawn from the area and were unable to exploit the confusion or inflict further damage and began to advance northward towards Cebu City. After breaching the mine field, 182d Inf drives through Talisay toward Cebu City, dispersing delaying force about half way there, and by end of day holds Mananga River crossings and line through foothills along highway from Pardo to Mananga River. 132d Inf drives about 2½ miles NE to line running through Basak. Guerrillas have not secured the reservoir as directed and this task is assigned to 182d Inf.

U.S. Navy: TG 51.1 under Rear Admiral Ingolf N. Kiland lands Army force on Kerama Retto, Ryukyus, under cover of naval bombardment and carrier aircraft.

TG 78.2 (Captain Albert T. Sprague, Jr.) lands U.S. Army Americal Division (Reinforced) less one RCT, on Talisay Point, Cebu, P.I., covered by TG 74.3 under RearAdmiral Russell S. Berkey consisting of three light cruisers including Australian HMAS Hobart and six destroyers bombarded the beaches. The landing is made against only slight resistance. U.S. freighter Michael J. Owens Armed Guard gunfire, despite lack of sophisticated fire control equipment, silences Japanese artillery battery on Cebu.

Off Okinawa, destroyer Halligan (DD-584) is sunk by mine, 26°10'N, 127°30'E; kamikazes damage battleship Nevada (BB-36), light cruiser Biloxi (CL-80), destroyer Porterfield (DD-682), destroyer escort Foreman (DE-633), high speed minesweeper Dorsey (DMS-1), 26°20'N, 127°18'E; destroyers O'Brien (DD-725), 26°16'N, 127°26'E, and Callaghan (DD-792), 26°20'N, 127°43'E, and minesweeper Skirmish (AM-303), 26°25'N, 127°05'E; destroyer Murray (DD-576) is damaged by dive bomber, 26°20'N, 129°46'E.

Invasion stage of Operation Iceberg starts with preliminary landings by 77th Div, reinf, on Kerama Is. to secure seaplane base and fleet anchorages in preparation for main invasion of Okinawa. After naval and aerial bombardment, 4 BLT's of 77th Div land on as many islands of the Kerama group almost simultaneously: BLT 3, RCT 305, lands first, at 0804, on Aka I. and with little difficulty secures town of Aka and clears two thirds of the island; BLT 1, RCT 306, seizes Geruma I., where howitzers are unloaded to support future operations; BLT 2, RCT 306, takes Hokaji I. without opposition; BLT 1, RCT 305, secures about a third of Zamami I. and holds firm against counterattacks. So successful are scheduled landings that a reserve force (BLT 2, RCT 307) lands on Yakabi I. in afternoon and clears it with ease. Patrols of Fleet Marine Force Amphib Rcn Bn, attached to 77th Div, land on Keise I., within arty range of most of southern Okinawa, and find it free of enemy. Warships and planes from fast and escort carriers of Fifth Fleet support ground operations. Enemy air reaction to the invasion is light, consisting largely of uncoordinated attacks on shipping by suicide planes. Air and long-range naval gunfire bombardment of Okinawa continues.

Tank landing craft LCT-1090 is damaged in amphibious operations off Luzon; submarine chaser PC-1133 is damaged by grounding, 10°13'N, 123°51'E.

Submarine Balao (SS-285) sinks Japanese army stores ship No.1 Shinto Maru, 35°18'N, 123°15'E.

TF 58 planes sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Nisui Maru east of Fuku Jima, and cargo ship Daia Maru (previously damaged on 1 March) in Kuji Bay, Ryukyus, 20°13'N, 127°16'E.

USAAF B-24s complete destruction of Japanese cargo ship I komasan Maru, previously damaged by submarine Spot (SS-413), then run aground, and bombed by USAAF B-25s on 17 March 1945 off Matsu Island 26°07'N, 119°57'E, and sink motor sailships Koun Maru and No.6 Ebisu Maru.

USMC: On Iwo Jima, the Japanese makes a final attack in early morning when 200 or more soldiers attempt to infiltrate bivouac area with at least 196 are killed. At 8:00am the capture and occupation phase of Iwo Jima operation ends when Gen Chaney assumes title of Island Commander.

Commander Forward Area takes responsibility for defense and development of Iwo Jima. 5th Mar Div turns over its zone to 3d Mar Div and continues to re-embark. RCT 9 of 3d Mar Div and RCT 147 (AUS) are now jointly responsible for defense of Iwo Jima. RCT 21, 3d Mar Div, re-embarks for return to Guam. Japanese suffer and exact heavy casualties during their losing battle; for the first and last time, inflict about as many casualties on U.S. forces as they suffer. The enemy force of almost 23,000 defending the island is practically annihilated. U.S. casualties exceed 20,000, about one third of the total assault force strength of some 60,000; more than 5,500 are killed in action. The Iwo victory gives the U.S. an air base for operations against the Japanese Empire, affords protection for previously captured Pacific bases, and tightens sea and air blockade of Japan.

The Fleet Marine Force Reconnaissance Battalion (less Company B) landed on the four reef islets of Keise Shima, discovered no enemy, and reembarked.

Royal Navy: Carrier planes from British carrier task force (TF 57) begins neutralization of Sakishima Islands.

British destroyers annihilate Japanese convoy east of Khota Andaman bound for Port Blair. HMS Saumarez, HMS Volage, HMS Vigilant, and HMS Virago sink submarine chasers Ch 34 and Ch 63; HMS Venus, HMS Verulam and HMS Virago sink transport Risui Maru and supply ship Teshio Maru, 10°38'N, 94°42'E. RAF Liberators contribute to sinking Risui Maru.

RAN: HMAS Terka (TR) sinks in Madang Harbor.