WEDNESDAY, 17 JANUARY 1945
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, twelve B-25s bomb the town area, river shipping, and trucks at Ishan and 3 B-25s and 8 P-40s pound sampans and storage areas W of Hengshan while 2 B-25s hit an oil dump and other targets of opportunity in the Hsiang River Valley and another blasts
a troop compound at Chaling. 4 B-25s damage a bridge at Phu Lang Thuong, French Indochina. 180+ P-40s, P-51s, and P-38s hit a large number of targets of opportunity from the Burma border to Shanghai concentrating on the Wanling, Burma area and airfields in the Shanghai, Wuchou, and Wuchang areas.
Burma: In NCAC area, U.S. 5332d Brig clears Japanese outpost from Namhkam village, within 3 miles of Burma Road, and begins to clear ridge, which this village surmounts. Ch 38th Div, less 114th Regt, is ordered to advance toward Wanting to secure trace of Ledo Road.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 29: 77 of 92 B-29s from Chengtu bomb Shinchiku Airfield; 8 other hit alternates and targets of opportunity in SE China; 1 B-29 is lost.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 4 B-25s demolish 2 bypass bridges at Ho-hko; 8 pound the village of Mansam; 20 P-47s support ground forces along the Irrawaddy River, hitting targets at Konkha, Onbaing, and Wabyudaung; troop concentrations and supplies are bombed by 75 fighter- bombers at Nawngchio, No-na, Man Hpa-yaw, Man Namket, Nanhu, Panghai, Mong Nge, and Ho-Pok. Transports fly 489 sorties to forward bases and frontline areas.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 14 B-24s from Saipan pound airfields on Iwo Jima; Three from Guam on armed reconnaissance flight, bomb Marcus; 2 B-24s, from Guam and Saipan, fly individual harassment strikes against Iwo Jima during the night of 17/18 Jan.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): HQ 29th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and the 6th Bombardment Squadron, 43d Bombardment Squadron and 52d Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) arrive at North Field from the US with B-29s. Their first mission will be February 16, 1945.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In principal strikes
of the day on Luzon, B-24s bomb railroad yards at Legaspi while B-25s hit roads and railways east of Manila, destroying many railroad
cars and troop-laden trucks. Other B-24s pound the Daliao area and Talisay Airfield. B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers continue
to fly small strikes and armed reconnaissance against bridges, shipping, port areas, airfields, trucks, and other targets of opportunity throughout
Luzon and in the central Philippines. P-47s escorting A-20s attack Laoag. The escorting P-47s strafed five five Sugar Dogs and one Sugar Charlie anchored off Salomague. Lost is P-47D 42-23208 pilot 2nd Lt. Arthur F. Cain, Jr. off Vigan. Crashed on a practice bombing mission is B-24J "Milady" 42-73134 pilot 2nd Lt. Robert T. Neal (KIA). The air echelon of the 82d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group moves
from San
Jose to Lingayen Airfield with F-6s and P-40s (ground echelon is enroute from Morotai to Lingayen).
U.S. Army: In the Philippines, In U.S. Sixth Army area, General Douglas MacArthur directs General Walter Krueger to speed drive southward to Clark Field and Manila. XIV Corps continues preparations for offensive. In I Corps area, 6th Div begins push on Cabaruan Hills with 20th Inf and on Urdaneta with 1st Inf. 25th Div attacks in center of corps with 27th Inf on right and 161st on left: 27th reaches the Binalonan-Urdaneta Road; 161st pushes to Binalonan, where enemy is offering lively opposition. 103d Inf, 43d Div, takes Pozorrubio, from which most Japanese have withdrawn. 63d Inf is attached to 158th Inf to help clear heights commanding Damortis-Rosario Road in Amlang-Cataguintingan region. 158th takes ridge about 1,000 yards NE of Damortis.