January 9, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology
TUESDAY, 9 JANUARY 1945
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): For the first time the Eleventh Air Force radar-bombs with
H2X equipment as four B-24s hit Suribachi Bay Airfield.
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 6 B-25s hit railroad targets, road bridge,
and building area NE of Thanh Moi, French Indochina. 25 P-40s, P-38s, and P-51s
hit targets of opportunity S, SW, and NE of Wanling, Burma. 8 P-51s bomb railroad
repair shops at Sinsiang, China while 3 P-40s hit a road west of Muse, Burma, causing a traffic block.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 26: 46 B-29s from Chengtu are
dispatched to bomb Kirun Harbor; 39 hit the target and 6 bomb
targets of last resort along the coast of China; this raid is the first of several
such operations against Formosa in conjunction with the U.S. invasion of Luzon to augment attacks by U.S. Navy carrier planes.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 8 P-47s hit division HQ at Ho-na while 4 others support ground forces in the Si-U sector; 90+ fighter-bombers hit supply areas, tanks, AA positions, and troop concentrations at Man Kat, Tonghsim, Kong-lin, Bawdwin, Mong Tat, and in the Hsenwi vicinity. 488 transport sorties are flown to forward areas.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 24 B-24s, based on Saipan hit an airfield on Iwo Jima which is struck again by 8 B-24s on individual snooper missions during the night of 9/10 Jan.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 18: 72 Mariana based B-29s are dispatched against the Musashino aircraft plant near Tokyo; high winds break up the formations so that only 18 B-29s can bomb the primary target; 34 hit alternates and targets of opportunity; they claim 13-3-11 Japanese aircraft; 6 B-29s are lost including B-29 "Waddy's Wagon" 42-24598 (MIA).
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb Mabalacat while
B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers destroy several bridges and numerous vehicles
and trains throughout Luzon, and bomb several airfields. Lost is B-25J "Lazy Daisy Mae" 43-36012 (MIA). B-24s also hit Nielson
Airfield. FEAF aircraft make small-scale attacks on barges,
airfields, and targets of opportunity on Mindanao,
Halmahera, Ceram area, north Borneo and on Timor. Nine A-20s from the 312th BG, 388th BS strike Talisay Airfield at low level dropping fifty 100 lbs parademo bombs. Lost is A-20G "Bug Eyes" 43-22161 pilot 1st Lt. Albert H. Franz (rescued). Also lost are C-47 42-100478 pilot 2nd Lt. Thomas H. Fletcher (KIA) and C-47A 42-100479 pilot 2nd Lt. Thomas H. Fletcher (KIA). Crashed on a training flight is BT-13B Valiant 42-89657 pilot 2nd Lt. Richard J Weitzel (MIA).
U.S. Army: After preparatory aerial and naval bombardment, at approximately 9:30am the Sixth Army under General Walter Krueger, begins landing on the shores of Lingayen
Gulf on Luzon. During the initial landing, 68,000 personnel are landed. A total of 203,608 go ashore in the subsequent landings. Two corps land abreast, XIV on right and I on left, without opposition. XIV Corps, with 40th Div on right and 37th on left, each with 2 regts in assault, is virtually unopposed while pushing inland to an average depth of 4 miles, its flanks near Calasiao on E and Port Sual on W. I Corps, more strongly opposed, is less successful. Its beachhead by end of day is narrower and shallower than that of XIV Corps and contains several gaps between assault forces. 6th Div, employing 2 regts, gains line from Dagupan to Pantalan River and has elements at Bued River crossing, south of San Fabian. 43d Div attacks with 3 regts to positions in vicinity of San Jacinto, Binday, and Hill 470, Hill 247 and Hill 385.
U.S. Navy: Seventh Fleet commander, Adm Kinkaid, heads the Luzon Attack Force Task Force 77 (TF 77) landings at Lingayen
Gulf on Luzon. In support of the Luzon operation, carrier planes of TF 38 attack airfields and shipping in Formosa, Pescadores, and Ryukyus areas despite unfavorable weather conditions. TF 38, under cover of darkness, then enters Japanese-controlled waters of South China Sea, passing between Luzon and Formosa without arousing enemy.
Under the overall direction of General Douglas MacArthur, the Luzon Attack Force, Task Force 77 (TF 77) under Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid) lands the Sixth Army troops under Lieutenant General Walter Krueger across Lingayen
Gulf under cover of heavy gunfire from the bombardment force, TG 77.2 (Vice Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf) and aircraft from the escort carrier force, TG 77.4 (Rear Admiral Calvin T. Durgin). The troops initially encounter little resistance, but Japanese air attacks and assault demolition boats continue to vex the invasion forces off the beaches. Kamikazes crash into battleship USS Mississippi (BB-41), 16°08'N, 120°18'E; light cruiser USS Columbia (CL-56), 16°08'N, 120°10'E; and destroyer escort USS Hodges (DE-231), 16°22'N, 120°12'E, in addition heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, is finally sent to the rear areas for repairs. Friendly fire damages battleship USS Colorado (BB-45), 16°08'N, 120°10'E; Japanese assault demolition boats damage transport USS War Hawk (AP-168) and tank landing ships LST-925 and LST-1028, 16°20'N, 120°10'E.
Task Force 38 (TF 38) under Vice Admiral John S. McCain supports the landings at Lingayen
Gulf with attacks on Japanese airfields and shipping in the Formosa, Ryukyus, and Pescadores Islands areas. Off Formosa, TF 38 planes sink Coast Defense Vessel No.3 north of Keelung, 27°10'N, 121°45'E; submarine chaser Ch 61, 22°40'N, 120°04'E; and fleet tanker Kuroshio Maru, merchant tanker Kaiho Maru, and cargo ship Fukuyama Maru south of Formosa; and small cargo vessel No.21 Ume Maru off Keelung; cargo ship Hisagawa Maru, 23°04'N, 119°51'E. They damage escort vessel Yashiro, oiler Kamoi, and escort destroyer Miyake and cargo ship Tainan Maru off Takao; Coast Defense Vessel No.9, Coast Defense Vessel No.13, and Coast Defense Vessel No.60 off Saei; auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 161 in Formosa Strait; minesweeper W.102 and auxiliary submarine chaser No.22 Nitto Maru off Keelung; and auxiliary submarine chaser Kinsui Maru north of Formosa.
Japanese merchant tanker Hikoshima Maru sinks as the result of damage inflicted by submarine Barb (SS- 220) and beaching the previous day, 24°37'N, 120°31'E.
Dutch submarine HNMS O 19 sinks gunboat No.1 Shinko Maru off Tandjung Puting, Borneo, Banten Bay, 03°41'S, 111°57'E.
British submarine HMS Porpoise (N14) lays sea mines south of Penang, Malaya. Afterwards, signals their mission had been successfully carried out and was never heard from again.
Other Japanese shipping casualties include merchant tanker No.4 Nanshin Maru sunk by aircraft off northwest tip of Luzon; merchant cargo ship No.9 Hokoku Maru is sunk by aircraft off Ishigaki Jima; auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 216 damaged by aircraft off Paishatun.
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