January 8, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology
MONDAY, 8 JANUARY 1945
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In Burma, 8 P-51s hit targets of opportunity
east of Muse and east of Wanling.
China: Chinese Training and Combat Command is split. Chinese Training Center is to operate a command and general staff school and service schools. Chinese Combat Command is to control operations of ALPHA Force and provide liaison sections for each of the major Ch commands under Gen Ho.
Burma: In NCAC area, U.S. 475th Inf at Mong Wi is ordered to move forward for action.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 21 B-25s hit troops and supply
areas at Nampeng and Mong Long; 74 P-47s and P-38s attack troop concentrations
and supply areas at Tunhunghkam, Monguy, Hpa-hpun, and Man Om;\ and 12 P-47s
knock out a bypass bridge at Namhkai. Transports complete 470+ sorties to forward
bases and frontline areas. The 317th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 2d
Air Commando Group, based at Kalaikunda, India, sends a detachment to operate
from Dinjan with C-47s.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 26 Guam based B-24s bomb airfields on Iwo Jima, while, during the night of 8/9 Jan, 10 more B-24s subject the to individual
snooper strikes over a 6-hour period.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: In the main strikes during the day , P-51s
and P-40s strafe airfields in the Lingayen
Gulf area; A-20s pound railroad yards at Cabanatuan,
motor convoys between Cabanatuan and
Bongalion and between Bongabon and Mojon, Rosales and
San Quintin rail installations, bridges at Cuyapo, Paniqui, and near Santa
Rosa;
P-47s hit rail yards and a truck convoy in the San Jose area; and B-24s
and A-20s attack Nichols
Field and Nielson, Lipa, and Calingatan Airfields.
B-25s with P-47 cover, bomb Fabrica Airfield, while B-24s bomb Likanan
Airfield and oil storage at Matina. P-38s attack Manggar and Sepinggang Airfields. Numerous small-scale attacks over the Philippines
and Netherlands East Indies continue.
RNZAF: Crashed during landing F4U Corsair NZ5527 (pilot injured).
U.S. Army:
The preinvasion aerial and naval bombardment of Lingayen
Gulf area continues. Mine sweeping is completed.
USMC: CG V Amphibious Corps Landing Force issues alternate plan for invasion of Iwo Jima, No. 4-44, calling for landing on western beaches. The preferred plan, 3-44, is subsequently followed on D Day.
USN: During continuing Japanese aerial onslaught on the Lingayen Gulf invasion force, kamikazes damage escort carriers Kitkun Bay (CVE-71), 15°48'N, 119°09'E, and Kadashan Bay (CVE-76), 15°10'N, 119°08'E. A suicider also crashes close aboard Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, ending her support operations that day.
Infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-404 is damaged by suicide swimmers, Yoo Passage, Palau.
Submarine Balao (SS-285) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Daigo Maru southwest of Korea, 34°28'N, 122°39'E.
Coordinated submarine attack group, TG 17.21 (Commander Charles E. Loughlin) attacks Japanese convoy off northwest coast of Formosa. Barb (SS-220) sinks merchant cargo ships Anyo Maru, 24°34'N, 120°37'E, and Shinyo Maru, 24°55'N, 120°26'E (which explodes violently, forcing Barb deep and tearing off deck gratings); and merchant tanker Sanyo Maru, 24°37'N, 120°31'E, and damages army cargo ship Meiho Maru, 24°25'N, 120°29'E; Picuda (SS-382) damages cargo ship Rashin Maru, 24°41'N, 120°40'E; and Queenfish (SS-393) damages tanker Manju Maru, 24°25'N, 120°28'E. In the confusion generated by TG 17.21's attack, merchant tanker Hikoshima Maru runs aground in Tungshiao Bay.
Submarine Piranha (SS-389) damages auxiliary netlayer No.2 Shinto Maru in the Nansei Shoto, 29°55'N, 130°05'E.
Japanese ship No.22 Seikai Maru is sunk by mine off Haha Jima.
Cargo ship Malay Maru is damaged by mine (laid by British submarine HMS Stoic on June 3, 1944) off west coast of Malaya, 05°57'N, 100°14'E.
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