MONDAY, 1 JANUARY 1945
ALASKA: Five B-24s fly coverage for a naval force upon aborting
a bomb mission to Kuriles. Lost on is P-38G 42-13400 (rescued).
Burma: Fourteenth Army moves its hq from Imphal to Kalemyo, where joint army-air hq is established to insure close co-operation.
China: Gen Wedemeyer radios the War Department his plans to have U.S. officers advise Chinese ALPHA Force from gp army hq down to regimental level.
CHINA THEATER: In China, 3 B-24s bomb Ft Bayard; 40 P-51s
and P-40s pound railroad targets, warehouses, industrial works, and gun positions
from Yoyang to Puchi; 8 P-51s hit Suchow Airfield, claiming 25 aircraft destroyed;
47 other P-40s and P-51s on armed reconnaissance hit troops, horses, town areas,
and rail and road traffic at several locations especially at Liuchenghsien
and
between Siaokan and Hsuchang; a detachment of the 16th Fighter Squadron, 51st
Fighter Group, begins operating from Laohokow with P-51s (squadron is based
at Chengkung; another detachment is at Kwanghan); during Jan 45, the detachment
of the 25th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group operating from Poashan with
P-51s moves to Leangshan; the 26th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group sends
detachments to operate from Poseh, Liangshan and Laohokow with P-51s; and the
detachments of the 528th Fighter Squadron, 311th Fighter Group, operating from
Hanchung and Liangshan with P-51s, return to base at Shwangliu.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 71 P-47s and P-38s attack
villages, general supply areas, fuel dumps, tanks and other vehicles, and troop concentrations at several locations including Man Hio, Bahe, Mongmit,
Hatka, Namhpakka, Loi-hseng, Mong Yaw and in the Hsenwi area, 4 others hit targets of opportunity along the Irrawaddy River from Tanaung to Kyungyi; 4
B-25s harass communications lines during the night of 1/2 Jan. Large-scale air transport operations continue. The 14th and 15th Combat Cargo Squadrons,
4th Combat Cargo Group, move from Sylhet to Argartala, India with C-46s. During Jan, the detachment of the 436th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 7th Bombardment
Group (Heavy), based at Luliang with B-24s ferrying gasoline to Suichwan, China, returns to base at Madhaiganj.
AAFPOA (Seventh
Air Force): 19 B-24s from Saipan bomb Iwo Jima; 9
more, during snooper missions on the night of 1/2 Jan, hit the at varying intervals.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: In the Philippine, B-25s and fighter-bombers make
low level attacks on Negros airfields; B-24s,
with P-38 cover, bomb Clark
Field on Luzon and others pound the Sasa area
on Mindanao.
On Halmaher, B-24s along with B-25s hit the Djailolo, Wasile
Bay bivouac areas, and Miti ammunition dump. B-25s bomb airfields on Ceram
, Moluccas and barracks at Laoag on
Luzon. Fighter-bombers are active against targets in the Manila area
and also hit Silay. Airfields, shipyards, and other targets in the Borneo, Celebes and
Lesser Sunda also sustain light raids, by FEAF fighters and bombers, which
also fly
armed reconnaissance.
HQ 345th Bombardment Group (Medium) moves from Dulag to Tacloban. During Jan 44, the detachment of the 4th
Photographic Charting Squadron, 311th Photographic Wing [attached to 4th Photographic
Group (Reconnaissance)] ceases operating
from Morotai with F-7s and returns to base at Hollandia, New Guinea;
at the same time, a detachment of this squadron begins operating in Australia
during the month (this squadron is mapping areas of the SW and W Pacific);
in New Guinea, the detachment of the 64th Troop Carrier Squadron,
403d
Troop Carrier Group operating from Noemfoor returns to base on Biak
with
C-47s. During Jan, the 8th Combat Cargo Squadron, 2d Combat Cargo Group,
moves from Finschhafen to Biak with C-46s.
U.S. Army: Operations to deceive enemy about Allied intentions against Luzon begin with limited action on Mindoro to clear NE part of island. Subsequent deceptive measures conducted on S Luzon are on a much smaller scale than anticipated and have little effect on the main operation. On Mindoro, control of Western Visayan TF passes from U.S. Sixth to U.S. Eighth Army. Co I, 21st Inf, moving by water from San Jose, lands on E coast at Bongabong without incident and marches northward toward Pinamalayan. On Leyte U.S. Eighth Army mops up, a tedious business that lasts until 8 May 1945. 77th Div of XXIV Corps is ordered to relieve 1st Cav and 32d and 24th Inf Divs of X Corps. On Fais Island, elements of 321st Inf, U.S. 81st Div, lands on Fais Island.
U.S. Navy: Destroyer escort USS Seid (DE-256), tank landing ship LST-225 and three infantry landing craft (LCI) of Task Unit 94.5.10 (TU 94.5.10) land one company of Army troops (321st Infantry) on Fais Island to investigate whether or not it was being used as a midget submarine base and a communication center by the Japanese.
USS Stingray (SS-186) lands supplies at Tawi Tawi.
U.S. freighter John M. Clayton is damaged by bomb dropped by Japanese plane, and catches fire off Blue Beach on Mindoro; four of the 29-man Armed Guard sailors die of the resultant burns.
USAAF planes sink Japanese ships No.7 Taiko Maru and No.3 Taiwan Maru off Masinloc, P.I.
Japanese cargo vessel Kyokko Maru is sunk by a mine laid by British submarine HMS Tradewind (P329) on October 30, 1944 off Mergui, 12°26'N, 98°39'E.
USMC: The 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, departs Saipan after five months' garrison duty.
