SUNDAY, 21 JANUARY 1945
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, thirty B-24s pound the Hong Kong area; 12 P-51s hit Nanking Airfield (claiming 11 enemy aircraft destroyed) and targets of opportunity along the Yangtze River to Hankow; 30 P-51s and P-40s on armed reconnaissance hit targets of opportunity at several locations; 12 of the fighter-bombers concentrate on the Wanting area. B-24s sink Japanese salvage vessel Haruta Maru at Hong Kong, 22°20'N, 114°10'E.
Burma: In ALFSEA's 15 Corps area, brig of Ind 26th Div, after co-ordinated air and naval bombardment, lands on N coast of Ramree I. and captures Kyaukpyu. Ind 25th Div now holds all of Myebon Peninsula. In NCAC area, U.S. 5332d Brig establishes perimeter defenses along W side of Burma Road but does not block the road; makes contact with 114th Regt of Ch 38th Div, which is to block road to N.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, Ten B-25s bomb Heho Airfield; 12 P-38s bomb the bridge area at Nampawng; 26 P-47s support ground forces near Twinnge, Mahlainggon, and Konkha along the Irrawaddy River, and in the Si-U sector; 50+ P-38s and P-47s hit troop concentrations, supplies, and targets of opportunity at Me-han, Mogok, Hsenwi, Na-makhkaw, Kutkai, Kunhkan, and Man On. Nearly 500 transports sorties are flown to forward areas. Units moving to Myitkyina: 90th Fighter Squadron, 80th Fighter Group, from Tingkawk, Burma with P-47s; 115th Liaison Squadron, Tenth AF [attached to 1st Liaison Group (Provisional)], from Ledo with L-1s and L-5s.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 12 Guam based B-24s bomb airfields on Iwo Jima; during the night of 21/22 Jan, 8 more, flying separate snooper strikes from Saipan, pound the airfields.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 21: 30 of 33 B-29s, flying out of the Marianas bomb Moen Airfield.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb Marikina Airfield and hit barracks and coastal defense guns at Calabasan. B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers fly sweeps, small strikes, and armed reconnaissance attacks on airfields, road networks, bridges, gun positions, numerous vehicles, and other targets of opportunity throughout C and S Luzon. HQ 22d Bombardment Group and the 33d Bombardment Squadron move from Angaur Airfield to Guiuan Airfield with B-24s.
U.S. Army: In the Philippines, in the U.S. Sixth Army area, XIV Corps drives beyond day's objective, line Tarlac-Victoria, and is ordered to continue toward Clark Field, although its east flank is exposed for over 20 miles. 160th Inf, 40th Div, takes Tarlac without opposition; elements push on to San Miguel. Advance elements of 37th Div reach vicinity of La Paz. I Corps is to seize line Victoria-Guimba in strength while protecting left flank of XIV Corps. 103d Inf of 43d Div, continuing assault on Hill 600, gains military crest. 158th and 63d Regts finish clearing Blue Ridge, near Amlang. 63d Inf is then withdrawn into corps reserve. 172d Inf, clearing heights commanding Rosario, is reinf by Philippine 2d Bn, 121st Inf.
USN: Task Force 38 (TF 38) under Vice Admiral John S. McCain carrier planes strike shipping and airfields on Formosa, and in the Pescadores, as well as in Sakashima Gunto and on Okinawa in the Ryukyus. Carrier planes from USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) including eleven SB2C-3 Helldiers from VB-80, twelve TBM-3 Avengers from VT-80 escorted by eight F6F Hellcats from VF-80 attack Toshien Harbor (Takao Harbor) at Takao (Kaohsiung) on southwest Formosa (Taiwan). Damaged by shrapnel is SB2C-3 Helldiver 18632 pilot Lt(jg) George J. Walsh. Other targets include Sakishima Gunto, Okinawa, and the Pescadores. About 10 oilers and freighters are sunk and other vessels are damaged. At the airfields some 100 grounded planes are destroyed.
TF 38 carrier planes sink fleet tankers Eiho Maru and Manjo Maru; cargo ship Kuroshio Maru; army cargo ships Enoura Maru, Asaka Maru and 2 Nichiyo Maru and Teifu Maru; army tankers Shincho Maru and 3 Hoei Maru and 5 Hoei Maru, and Yamazawa Maru; fishing boat Brunei Maru; cargo vessels Daijo Maru and Yayoi Maru; and damage destroyers Kashi and Sugi, landing ships T.114 and T.143, merchant cargo ship Yulin Maru and water supply vessel Nikko Maru off Takao, Formosa; planes from carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) and small carrier USS Cabot (CVL-28) sink merchant tanker Munakata Maru at Keelung; TF 38 planes damage destroyer Harukaze off Mako.
Japanese counter with determined attacks on the warships, kamikazes severely damage USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) at roughly 22°40'N, 122°57'E and destroyer USS Maddox (DD-731), 23°06'N, 122°43'E; small carrier USS Langley (CVL-27) is damaged by bomb, 22°40'N, 122°51'E. Accidental explosion of bombs carried by TBM from VT-7 damages carrier USS Hancock (CV-19), 22°40'N, 122°30'E.
USS Tautog (SS-199) sinks Japanese merchant tanker Zuiun Maru, 33°33'N, 129°33'E.
Japanese army cargo ship Shoshin Maru is sunk by gunfire, 23°48'N, 125°16'E.
Landing craft LCT-253 founders and sinks in heavy weather en route to Tarawa.
