FRIDAY, 5 JANUARY 1945
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Four B-24s fly an air coverage mission
for a naval task force on its approach to Suribachi on Paramushiru.
Burma: In NCAC area, elements of 90th Regt, Ch 30th Div, begin crossing the Shweli.
China: 22d Div, Ch New Sixth Army, completes move to China.
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 4 B-25s pound 13 storage buildings
at Kengtung, China. 5 B-25s knock out a bridge at Dara, Thailand. 3 B-25s
bomb Wan Pa-Hsa and Hawng Luk, Burma while 1 B-24 bombs the Cap-Saint-Jacques,
French Indochina area. 29 P-40s and P-51s hit Hankow Airfield and Wuchang Airfield, claiming 50 aircraft destroyed in the air and on the ground. 23 P-51s
and P-38s hit Samah Airfield and other targets in Samah Bay, claiming 11 aircraft destroyed. 30 P-40s and P-38s attack various
targets of opportunity, Sinsiang, and Kengtung, China, and Wan Pa-Hsa and in
the Wanling area of Burma. 4 P-40s pound fortified hill positions in the Salween,
Burma area.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 16 B-25s flying an airfield
sweep inflict considerable damage on the Laihka, Aungban, Kunlon, and Mong
Long airfields; in the Namhkam sector, 2 P-47s join ground forces in blasting
artillery positions at Kunlong, China and Wingkang; 9 P-47s damage bypass bridges
at Mongmit; 70+ fighter-bombers attack storage areas, tanks and trucks, and
troop concentrations at Mong Yaw, Hsenwi, Hpa-Pen, Man Ton, Tunghka, Man Peng,
and Longhsu. Transports fly 550+ sorties to forward bases and frontline areas.
Operation Grubworm, one of the major transport achievements of the war, is
completed on this date one month from its start. The Chinese 14th and 22d Divisions, Chinese Sixth Army HQ, a heavy mortar Company,
a signal Company, and 2 portable surgical hospitals have been airlifted; the
move required 1,328 transport sorties; Air Transport Command provided 597 sorties; the air commando squadrons, 488; and Tenth AF, 243;
the airlift included 25,000+ Chinese soldiers, 396 US soldiers, 1,596 animals,
42 jeeps, 48 howitzers, 48 heavy mortars, and 48 antitank guns; the troops
and supplies have been landed at Chanyi, Kunming, Luliang, and Yunnani.
Only three aircraft were lost during the operation. HQ 4th Combat Cargo Group moves
from Agartala to Chittagong.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 22 B-24s from Saipan in morning and afternoon
raids, pound Iwo Jima; 7 P-38s, with 3 B-24s as navigational escort, fly a
strafing mission against Iwo Jima. Other B-24s act as airborne spotters for
the naval bombardment of Chichi Jima and Haha Jima.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In major strikes
of the day B-25s hit shore installations along Lingayan Gulf and
bomb Menado. B-24s attack Miri Airfield. Numerous smaller strikes
are flown throughout the Philippine and Netherlands East Indies. A-20s and
fighter-bombers attack airfields on Luzon, the C Philippine area and Mindanao,
fighter-bombers and B-24s hit the Pombelaa and Tondano area, and targets of
opportunity on NE Celebes. Other FEAF aircraft fly scattered strikes at various
targets in Borneo, Lesser Sunda and Tanimbar. The 4th Fighter
Squadron (Commando), 3d Air Commando Group, arrives on Leyte from the US with
P-51s. The detachment of the 68th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier
Group operating from Nadzab with C-47s, returns to Biak. The 69th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier Group moves from Nadzab to Biak with C-47s. The 547th Night Fighter Squadron, 86th Fighter
Wing [attached to 310th Bombardment Wing (Medium)], moves from Owi to San Jose with P-38s and P-61s.
U.S. Army: Kamikaze attacks on TG's 77.2 and 77.6 continue, causing damage to a number of vessels. Almost all of the estimated 30 attackers are destroyed. CVE planes intercept and damage 2 enemy DD's. On Mindoro, Palauan falls to composite force of guerrillas and 503d Para Inf troops. Another platoon of Co F, 19th Inf, arrives at Bulalacao and joins in march NE toward Paclasan and Dutagan Pt.
USN: Iwo Jima undergoes coordinated air-surface bombardment by land-based aircraft of Seventh Air Force and cruiser-DD task group. Surface vessels also bombard Chichi and Haha. PB4Y's photograph Iwo Jima.
Japanese air attacks continue against Lingayen Gulf bound forces in the teeth of heavy antiaircraft fire and combat air patrol. Of the minesweeping group, infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-70 is damaged by kamikaze, small seaplane tender Orca (AVP-49) and fleet tug Apache (ATF-67) are damaged by near- misses of suiciders, 15°36'N, 119°20'E and 15°53'N, 120°00'E, respectively. Kamikazes attacking the bombardment and escort carrier groups succeed in damaging heavy cruiser Louisville (CA-28) and destroyer Helm (DD-388), 15°00'N, 119°00'E, escort carriers Manila Bay (CVE-61), 14°50'N, 119°10'E, and Savo Island (CVE-78), 14°50'N, 119°00'E, and destroyer escort Stafford (DE-411), 14°00'N, 120°00'E. Suiciders also damage HMAS Australia and destroyer HMAS Arunta. Japanese escort destroyers approach minesweeping group but turn away at approach of destroyer Bennion (DD-662) and Australian frigate HMAS Gascoyne and sloop HMAS Warrego; subsequently, planes from TG 77.4 (escort carrier group) sink Momi 20 miles southwest of entrance to Manila Bay, 14°00'N, 120°20'E, and damage Hinoki and Sugi west of Manila Bay. TG 94.9 (Rear Admiral Allan E. Smith), three heavy cruisers and six destroyers, together with USAAF B-24s (escorted by P-38s) jointly pound Japanese shipping and installations on Chichi Jima, Haha Jima, and Iwo Jima, Bonins. Approaching Chichi Jima, Dunlap (DD- 384), Fanning (DD-386) and Cummings (DD-365) damage landing ship T.107; Fanning sinks her, 26°27'N, 141°11'E. Off Chichi Jima, David W. Taylor (DD-551) is damaged by mine, 27°04'N, 142°06'E, destroyer Fanning by gunfire. Off Iwo Jima, Dunlap, Cummings, Ellet (DD-398) and Roe (DD-418) sink landing ship T.154, 24°27'N, 141°20'E.
TF 92 (Rear Admiral John L. McCrea), three light cruisers and nine destroyers, bombards Japanese installations (airfield and fish canneries) at Suribachi Wan, Paramushiro, Kurils.
Destroyer escort Edwin A. Howard (DE-346) is damaged in collision with destroyer escort Leland E. Thomas (DE-420) off Mindanao, 09°48'N, 127°15'E.
Minelayer Monadnock (CM-9) is damaged by grounding off Ilin Island Luzon, 12°22'N, 121°01'E.
USS Cavalla (SS-244) sinks Japanese auxiliary netlayers Kanko Maru and Shunsen Maru in Java Sea, 05°00'S, 112°16'E.
Destroyer escort Brackett (DE-41) shells Japanese installations on Taroa, Marshalls.
PB4Y-1s from VPB-111 sink Japanese midget submarine Ha.71 two miles southwest of Chichi Jima.
