October 25, 1944
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 25 OCTOBER 1944

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 6 B-25s and 4 P-38s damage railroad tracks at Dara bridge in Thailand. In China, 7 P-38s and P-51s hit the Mongyu bridges and destroy the Kawnghka bridge; 4 others strafe Nawnghkio Airfield; 20+ P-51s and P-40s on armed reconnaissance attack targets of opportunity at Tengyun, Kweiping, and Ssuanghsu, and about 50 strike targets throughout the Menghsu area.

Burma: NCAC offensive continues against light resistance. 29th Brig of Br 36th Div, which has progressed 23 miles from Namma against negligible opposition, skirmishes with enemy in Mawpin area.

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Twentieth Air Force): 59 B-29s flying out of Chengtu, bomb an aircraft plant at Omura on Kyushu; several other B-29s hit alternate targets and targets of opportunity.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 29 B-24s from Saipan bomb Iwo Jima during the morning. Later during the day 4 B-24s from Saipan and Guam on armed reconnaissance missions, bomb Yap. 8 P-47s from Saipan bomb Pagan. HQ 11th Bombardment Group moves from Kwajalein Airfield to Guam.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: 50+ B-24s, supported by P-38s and P-47s, attack naval forces in the Mindanao Sea firing small vessels and claiming a light cruiser damaged. Crashed on take off is B-24J 44-40726 (six killed, five rescued). B-24s bomb Ambesia Airfield and attack shipping in the Makassar-Kendari area. In the Moluccas, fighter-bombers hit barges and villages in areas of Dodinga and Wasile Bays. B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit Piroe and Saparoea in the Moluccas, Boela, Halong and Amboina, Haroekoe and north Ceram coastal targets. A-20s pound supply and fuel dumps in the Sarmi area. The 8th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group moves from Biak to Tacloban with P-38s; and the 421st Night Fighter Squadron, V Fighter Command, moves from Owi to Tacloban with P-38s and P-61s.

RAAF: Lost is P-40N A29-821 (MIA) on a bombing mission over Manokwari and Walrus X9559 (crew KIA / POW) off Karasau Island.

USN: During the Battle Off Samar, the centermost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf sunk is USS Samuel B. Roberts DE-413.

IJN: During the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Yamato is damaged on her bow area and takes on 3,000 tons of sea water, but survived the battle. During the Battle of the Surigao Strait, sunk by bomb and torpedos is Fuso.

U.S. Army: U.S. Sixth Army: Patrol contact is established between X and XXIV Corps at 1430. In X Corps area, on N Leyte, Japanese aircraft attack Babatngon harbor. 1st Sq of 7th Cav, 1st Cav Div, during the next few days explores coast of Carigara Bay and finds few Japanese there. 8th Cav is consolidating and improving positions in Juanico Strait area. 2d Sq of 8th Cav, because of supply difficulties, is ordered to remain in position along Diit R and patrol rather than continue drive toward Santa Cruz. In Palo area, 3d Bn of 34th Inf takes Hill C. 2d Bn, 19th Inf, gains crest of Hill B after enemy defenders have followed their customary practice of retiring from it for the night. 1st Bn, 19th, takes Hill 85. Reduction of these heights clears entrance into N Leyte Valley. 3d Bn, 19th Inf, starts toward Pastrana, reaching Castilla. In XXIV Corps area, patrol of 383d Inf, 96th Div, moves N through Tanauan and makes contact with Co K of 19th Inf, 24th Div. Co. K, reinf, attacks Tabontabon but withdraws when it finds the town too strongly held to take. 382d Inf seizes Aslom and Kanmonhag. After preparatory bombardment, 2d and 3d Bns of 32d Inf, 7th Div, preceded by tanks, continue attack toward Buri airstrip. 3d Bn reaches edge of the field but 2d is halted by elaborate defenses at edge of woods to N. 17th Inf, opposed from ridge N of Burauen and E of the road to Dagami, makes limited advance while concentrating for another drive toward Dagami, clearing E spur of the ridge and probing road to barrio of Buri. On Peleliu, 323d Inf, which has arrived from Ulithi begins relieving 321st Inf.

U.S. Navy: Battle for Leyte Gulf continues as TG 77.2 (Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf), augmented by TG 77.3 (Rear Admiral Russell S. Berkey) and TG 70.1 (39 motor torpedo boats) execute the classic maneuver of "crossing the tee" of the Japanese "Southern Force" (Vice Admiral Nishimura Shoji and Vice Admiral Shima Kiyohide) in the Battle of Surigao Strait. TG 70.1 begins the action against the Japanese ships. PT-137 torpedoes light cruiser Abukuma, but PT-493 is sunk by enemy secondary battery gunfire, 10°15'N, 125°23'E. DESRON 54 (Captain Jesse G.Coward) then attacks; McDermut (DD-677) sinks destroyer Yamagumo, 10°25'N, 125°20'E, and damages destroyers Asagumo and Michisio. Subsequently, light cruiser Denver (CL-58) sinks Asagumo at entrance of Surigao Strait, 10°04'N, 125°21'E. DESRON 24 (Captain Kenmore M. McManes) enters the fray and Hutchins (DD-476) (McManes's flagship) sinks Michisio, 10°25'N, 123°25'E; DESRON 56 (Captain Roland M. Smoot) attacks; Albert W. Grant (DD-649) is damaged by both friendly and Japanese gunfire at this phase of the battle, 10°27'N, 125°25'E. Two Australian warships take part in this fleet action--heavy cruiser HMAS Shropshire (in TG 77.3) and destroyer HMAS Arunta (in DESRON 24) that see the destruction of battleships Fuso and Yamashiro, 10°25'N, 125°20'E. Damaged heavy cruiser Mogami is scuttled and destroyer Shigure is damaged.

Meanwhile, during the night, the "Center Force" under the command of Vice Admiral Kurita Takeo which includes four battleships and five heavy cruisers, having passed into the Philippine Sea and surprises Task Group 77.4 (TG 77.4) under the command of Rear Admiral Thomas L.Sprague off Samar. Kurita's force wreaks havoc on the six escort carriers, three destroyers, and four destroyer escorts of TU 77.4.3 (northernmost carrier force) (Rear Admiral Clifton A. F. Sprague). In this battle, which becomes a precipitate flight in the face of an overwhelming enemy force, Kurita's ships inflict severe damage but emerge bloodied by the Homeric efforts of the "small boys" (destroyers and destroyer escorts) and planes from the escort carriers that compel Kurita to retire, inexplicably, without destroying the CVEs and their consorts in detail. In the Battle off Samar, Japanese surface gunfire sinks destroyers Hoel, 11°46'N, 126°33'E; Johnston, 11°46'N, 126°09'E; and destroyer escort Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413), 11°40'N, 126°20'E; and damages destroyer Heermann (DD-523), 11°40'N, 126°15'E; and destroyer escort Dennis (DE-405), 11°40'N, 126°20'E. Johnston damages heavy cruiser Kumano.

Japanese surface gunfire (either battleship Haruna or Kongo) straddles escort carrier White Plains (CVE- 66), 11°40'N, 126°20'E, USS St. Lo (CVE-63), and Kitkun Bay (CVE- 71) but scores no direct hits. Heavy cruisers Chikuma, Haguro, and Chokai; light cruiser Noshiro; and a destroyer sink escort carrier Gambier Bay (CVE-73), 11°31'N, 126°12'E. Japanse surface gunfire also damages Fanshaw Bay (CVE-70) and Kalinin Bay (CVE-68), 11°40'N, 126°20'E; the latter claims one hit on a Japanese heavy cruiser with her single 5-inch gun. Navy carrier-based aircraft damage battleships Kongo (from near-misses) and Yamato and heavy cruisers Chikuma, Chokai, and Suzuya.

Subsequently, Japanese planes attack escort carriers of TU 77.4.1 (Rear Admiral Thomas L. Sprague). Suwannee (CVE-27) is damaged by kamikazes, 09°45'N, 126°42'E, and Santee (CVE-29) by suicide plane and Japanese submarine I-56, 09°45'N, 126°20'E. Kamikazes near-miss Sangamon, 09°45'N, 126°42'E, and Petrof Bay (CVE-80). Destroyer escort Richard M. Rowell is damaged by strafing, 10°05'N, 127°10'E.

Following its ordeal off Samar, TU 77.4.3 (Rear Admiral Clifton A.F. Sprague) comes under Japanese air attack. Kamikazes sink USS St. Lo, 11°13'N, 126°05'E, and damage USS Kalinin Bay and USS Kitkun Bay, 11°10'N, 126°20'E. At the same time, in the Battle off Cape Engano, carrier aircraft from the Third Fleet under Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr. strike the Japanese "Northern Force" under Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo. Planes from USS Essex and USS Lexington sink carrier Zuikaku 220 nautical miles east-northeast of Cape Engano, 19°20'N, 125°51'E, and carrier Chitose 235 nautical miles east of Cape Engano, 19°20'N, 125°20'E; carrier Chiyoda, damaged by planes from carriers USS Lexington and USS Franklin and small carrier USS Langley, is sunk by heavy cruisers New Orleans and Wichita and light cruisers Santa Fe and Mobile (CL-63) 260 nautical miles southeast of Cape Engano, 18°37'N, 126°45'E. Carrier Zuiho is sunk by planes from Essex, Franklin, Lexington, Enterprise, and small carrier San Jacinto east-northeast of Cape Engano, 19°20'N, 125°51'E.

U.S. aircraft, during the Battle for Leyte Gulf, damage Japanese battleships Yamato and Nagato and heavy cruiser Myoko in San Jose Strait; battleship Haruna, east of Samar; light cruiser Yahagi off Leyte; destroyer Kiyoshimo off Leyte. Heavy cruiser Chikuma, damaged by carrier-based aircraft (TU 77.4.2) off Samar, is scuttled by destroyer Nowaki, 11°22'N, 126°16'E; heavy cruiser Suzuya, damaged by carrier- based aircraft off Samar, is scuttled by destroyer Okinami, 11°50'N, 126°25'E; heavy cruiser Chokai, damaged by carrier-based aircraft (TU 77.4.2) off Samar, is scuttled by destroyer Fujinami, 11°26'N, 126°15'E; heavy cruiser Mogami, damaged by heavy cruisers Minneapolis, Portland (CA-33), Louisville (CA-28), light cruisers Columbia (CL-56) and Denver, and collision with heavy cruiser Nachi, south of Bohol Island, P.I., is scuttled by destroyer Akebono, 09°40'N, 124°50'E; light cruiser Tama is sunk by aircraft from Essex and Lexington and submarine Jallao (SS-368), east of Luzon Strait, 21°23'N, 127°19'E; destroyer Hatsuzuki is sunk by the gunfire of four heavy cruisers and twelve destroyers east north-east of Cape Engano, 20°24'N, 126°20'E.

Japanese air attacks continue against shipping off Leyte: U.S. freighter Adoniram Judson is attacked by Japanese planes off Tacloban; Armed Guard gunners claim splashing six. One bomb explodes close aboard, causing fragmentation damage and wounding two of the embarked stevedores. There are no casualties to the ship's company: 43 merchant seamen and 28 Armed Guards. Freighter John W. Foster, anchored in San Pedro Bay, is strafed; 7 of the 27-man Armed Guard, 3 of 170 embarked troops, and 1 officer, are wounded.

Submarine Halibut (SS-232) sinks Japanese destroyer Akizuki east-northeast of Cape Engaño, 20°29'N, 126°36'E.

USS Nautilus (SS-168) lands men and supplies on east coast of Luzon.

Submarine Seal (SS-183) sinks Japanese transport Hakuyo Maru, north of Urup, Kurils, 50°18'N,
150°50'E.

Submarine Sterlet (SS-392) sinks Japanese merchant tanker Jinei Maru south of Yaku Jima, 30°15'N,
129°45'E.

Fleet tanker Matsumoto Maru sinks as the result of damage inflicted by submarine Tang (SS-306) in Formosa Strait the day before, 25°07'N, 119°45'E.

Navy F4Us sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 62 north of Palaus.

Other Japanese casualties include auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 52 sunk at Palau, 07°30'N, 134°40'E and merchant tanker Shoho Maru sunk by USAAF aircraft in South China Sea, 11°18'N, 114°50'E.

Royal Navy: HMS Tantivy sinks Japanese motor sail ship No.47 Tachibana Maru in Flores Sea.