THURSDAY, 4 JANUARY 1945
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Four B-24s bomb the Ft Bayard area in China and the Samah Bay area. In Burma, 6 B-25s damage a bridge and a warehouse, and destroy 2 other buildings at Kentung and 21 P-40s on armed reconnaissance pound targets of opportunity in the Wanling area.
8 P-51s knock out a bridge at Huizan, Thailand and damage another, and twenty other fighters hit targets of opportunity around Lohochai, Sinyang and Hankow.
Burma: In ALFSEA area, 15 Corps completes occupation of Akyab, key port and air base on Arakan front. In NCAC area, U.S. 475th Inf finishes crossing the Shweli. U.S. 124th Cav reconnoiters for crossing site over the Shweli while awaiting airdrop.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 13 B-25s, escorted by 12 P-47s, bomb Namsang Airfield; 12 P-47s hit bypass road bridges at Inailong and Bawgyo, damaging approaches to the latter; troops and supply areas are hit at Man Kat, Hsenwi, Yi-ku, Se-hai, and near Nawnghkio by 36 P-47s and P-38s; 6 P-47s bomb cable and pontoons along the N riverbank at Na-lang;
6 hit enemy activity near Twinnge and 5 attack a truck dispersal area and warehouses at Mogok. Transports fly 597 sorties to front areas and forward bases.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 13 Guam based B-24s pound Iwo Jima. During the
night of 4/5 Jan, 10 more hit the with individual harassment strikes.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s pound Puerto
Princesa Airfield; B-25s hit a railroad and highways in the San Pedro area
on Luzon. B-25s and P-38s hit Tanamon and Sidate on Celebes. Other B-24s and
B-25s, flying small scale strikes, hit airfields on S Luzon and Mindanao on NE Celebes , and in the C Philippines, and bomb shipyards in N Borneo. The
ground echelon of the 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 71st Tactical
Reconnaissance Group, begins a movement from Tacloban and Dulag to Luzon (the air echelon is operating from San
Jose, Mindoro with P-40s). USAAF planes damage Japanese submarine chasers Ch 17, Ch 18, Ch 23, Ch 37, and Ch 38 off San Fernando, Luzon.
USN: TF 38 continues operations against Japanese airfields and shipping in the Formosa area. Navy planes sink auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 163, Cha 176, and Cha 210 and damage escort vessel Ikuna and auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 204 in Formosa Strait; sink auxiliary netlayer Iwato Maru northeast of Taiwan; and damage minesweeper W.41 near Takao, Formosa. Japanese air attacks continue against Lingayen Gulf- bound forces; a kamikaze crashes escort carrier Ommaney Bay (CVE-79) in the northeastern area of the Sulu Sea, irreparably damaging her; another suicider narrowly misses escort carrier Lunga Point (CVE- 94). Destroyer Burns (DD-588) scuttles Ommaney Bay, 11°25'N, 121°19'E, but not before destroyer Bell (DD-587) is damaged by collision with the escort carrier as the former fights fires. South of Mindoro, a kamikaze crashes U.S. freighter Lewis L. Dyche (carrying bombs and fuses), which disintegrates, killing all hands, including the 28-man Armed Guard; debris from the exploding freighter damages nearby oiler Pecos (AO-65) and minelayer Monadnock (CM-9), 12°19'N, 121°04'E; small seaplane tender Half Moon (AVP-26) is damaged by near-miss of bomb.
Task Force 38 (TF-38) continues strikes against enemy airpower and shipping off Taiwan and strike Kobi. As a result of the 2-day attack, 110 Japanese planes are destroyed; 12 ships are sunk; and 28 other vessels are damaged. 18 planes of TF 38 are lost in combat. Force landed is F6F Hellcat 71441 pilot Lt(jg) Charles V. August (POW). In the Sulu Sea, Task Group is attacked by kamikaze attack. USS Ommaney Bay (CVE-79) was damaged by a kamikaze P1Y Frances and abandoned and at 7:45pm scuttled by a torpedo.
Japanese army vessel No.15 Horikoshi Maru is sunk by mine off northeast shore of Mukai Jima.
U.S. Army: Japanese planes attack TG 77.6 and TG 77.2 as they continue toward Lingayen Gulf. One CVE is so badly damaged that it has to be sunk. At the request of Gen MacArthur, Adm Halsey orders TF 38 to extend its coverage of Luzon southward on 6th. Main body of Luzon Attack Force sorties from Leyte Gulf after nightfall. X Corps, U.S. Eighth Army, terminates offensive operations on Leyte. Japanese planes continue active over Mindoro and destroy an ammunition ship.
81st Div troops on Fais Island complete their search of the island and withdraw.
