January 27, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 27 JANUARY 1945

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 22 P-40s and P-51s attack locomotives, trucks, and shipping at Sinsiang, Kihsien, and Nanking, from Taiyuan to Puchou, and E of Yiyang.

Burma: In NCAC area, blockade of China is broken as Ch 38th Div, assisted by arty and armor, links up with Y-Force troops on Burma Road, opening land route to China. Ch 30th Div, moving to Hosi-Namhpakka area to take up position to N of U.S. 5332d Brig, gets forward elements to village 3 miles W of the U.S. force. This leaves an escape gap for Japanese. In Br Fourteenth Army's 4 Corps area, Pauk falls to Ind 7th Div.

China: Gen Wedemeyer, having investigated the matter of negotiations with communist Chinese, informs Gen Marshall that his command has been told to support the Nationalist Government and that it has been forbidden to negotiate with communist Chinese without approval of Chiang Kai- shek.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): By this date the complete forward detachments of the forward B-29 groups in the Chengtu area have evacuated their bases and moved to more permanent bases in India; this move complies with the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) directive formulated on 15 Dec 44 and received on 18 Dec; the long-existing understanding that the XX Bomber Command might be moved from the CBI Theater when more convenient bases are available is thus put into its initial stage when the XX Bomber Command's Commanding General, Major General Curtis Emerson LeMay, and the JCS agree that on logistical grounds XX Bomber Command's operating scheme is basically unsound, a situation made more apparent when in November the Japanese had overrun Luchou and Yungning and threatened Kunming; this development necessitated air tonnage flown over the Hump being diverted to Chinese ground forces and the Fourteenth AF, resulting in curtailed supplies to XX Bomber Command and providing the catalyst for beginning a movement of the command from China. Mission 32: 22 of 25 XX Bomber Command B-29s based in India hit the navy yard and arsenal at Saigon. One B-29 bombs a bridge at Bangkok, without loss; the results are poor.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 30+ fighter-bombers support ground forces at Mansak, Molo Ywama, the area S of Molo, and the area S of Banwe; 8 others knock out a bypass bridge at Bawgyo; about 100 fighter-bombers hit troop concentrations, supplies, and targets of opportunity at or near Man Kyan, Kuinkuiloi, Ho-hkun, Pongkalau, Hsenwi, Kutkai, Hsa-tong, Pinghoi, Ho-mong, Padon, and Kyaung-hen. Transports fly 527 sorties to advanced bases and over forward areas, landing men and landing and dropping supplies.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 19 B-24s, based on Saipan bomb Iwo Jima; 10 B-24s from Saipan and Guam follow up with individua harassment raids against the during the night of 27/28 Jan. One B-24 from Angaur Airfield bombs Arakabesan.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 24 (Enkindle #3): 76 B-29s of the 73d Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) are dispatched from the Mariana against the Musashiho and Nakajima aircraft plants near Tokyo; clouds and high winds over the target area prevent bombing of the primary; 56 B-29s bomb the secondary target, the Tokyo urban area, and 6 others attack alternates and targets of opportunity; fighter opposition is the heaviest to date and 5 B-29s are downed; 4 others ditch or crashland; B-29 gunners claim 60-17-39 Japanese aircraft, the highest claim to date. American Losses included B-29 "Haley's Comet" 42-24616 and B-29 "Werewolf" 42-63423, B-29 "Ghastly Goose" 42-63541, B-29 "Shady Lady" 42-24619, B-29 42-24767 (Rammed, crash landed, crew MIA) and B-29 "Rover Boys Express" 42-24769. B-29 "Irish Lassie" 42-65246 was rammed twice, but made it back to base to crash land and was then scrapped. Japanese losses include Ki-45 Nick 4067 (rammed B-29) and Ki-45 Nick ?

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s pound Canacao Seaplane Base, Cavite, and Grande Island at at the mouth of Subic Bay while B-25s hit Cabcaben and Calingatan Airfield. Other FEAF aircraft continue small-scale strikes against numerous other airfields, town areas, gun emplacements, harbors, and communications and transportation targets throughout Luzon. Lost is P-38J Lightning 43-28834. The 19th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 22d Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Angaur Airfield to Guiuan Airfield with B-24s. Units moving to San Jose, including 320th Bombardment Squadron, 90th Bombardment Group from Biak with B-24s and 388th Bombardment Squadronand 389th Bombardment Squadron, 312th Bombardment Group from Tanauan with A-20s.

U.S. Army: U.S. Sixth Army receives major reinforcements as 1st Cav Div, 32d Div and 112th Cav RCT arrive at Lingayen Gulf. In XIV Corps area, continuing operations W of Bamban, 40th Div has secured Manila RR and Route 3 from Bamban S to Mantitang. 37th Div quickly takes Culayo and Dau and pushes on to Angeles, which is undefended. In I Corps area, as 27th Inf of 25th Div reaches Asingan without difficulty, 161st continues costly fighting at San Manuel. During a Japanese counterattack, M7 Priest is destroyed by a Japanese suicide sapper using a mine attached to a pole. Damortis-Rosario road is opened with junction of 172d and 158th Regts at Cataguintingan, in 43d Div zone.

11th A/B Div (-RCT 511), U.S. Eighth Army, conducts limited rehearsal for invasion of Nasugbu. The naval force, TG 78.2 under Adm Fechteler then sails for target.

U.S. Navy: Joint Expeditionary Force (-) for the Iwo Jima operation departs from Hawaii for the Marianas, completing movement by 5 February and resupplying in Marianas until 7 February.

Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, and Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, assumed command of the Pacific Fleet's striking force from Admiral Halsey and Vice Admiral John McCain, USN.

PT-338 "Gray Ghost" is damaged by grounding off Semimara Island off Luzon at roughly 12°06'N, 121°23'E.

Submarine Bergall (SS-320) sinks Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa.102 in Lombok Strait, 08°34'S, 115°50'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Ryuzan Maru is sunk by USAAF mine off Hankow, China, 29°46'N, 116°52'E; cargo ship Hsin Yang Maru is sunk by USAAF mine (laid by 14th Air Force B-24 on 19 January ) off Kiukiang, China, 29°55'N, 115°20'E.

Japanese transport Nagatsu Maru is damaged by mine off Chichi Jima.

USMC: SBD Dauntless dive bombers from Marine Scout-Bomber Squadron 241 (VMSB-241) fly their first mission by Marine Aircraft Groups, Dagupan in support of U.S. Army operations in the Philippines. Marine Aircraft Group 32 arrives at Mangaldan where it became part of Marine Aircraft Groups, Dagupan under the control of the 308th Bombardment Wing.