THURSDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 1945
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Six B-24s attack shipping off the French Indochina coast, claiming one cargo vessel sunk and a patrol boat damaged. In China, 4 P-40s attack a division HQ SW of Yungning; the 16th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, based at Chengkung with P-51s, sends a detachment to operate from Poseh (another detachment is operating from Laohowkow). B-24s directed to the scene by USS Boarfish (SS-327), complete the destruction of grounded Japanese cargo ship Taietsu Maru (damaged by Boarfish and run aground the previous day), off the coast of French Indochina, 14°56'N, 109°00'E. Lost is B-24D "Axis Nightmare" 41-24138 pilot 1st Lt. Delton D. Shilling (4 MIA).
Burma: In NCAC area, main body of Br 36th Div starts crossing Shweli R in Myitson region under enemy fire.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 33: 113 B-29s are dispatched to hit the naval base at Singapore; 67 bomb the Admiralty IX Floating Drydock (and a vessel berthed in it) in Singapore Harbor damaging oiler Shiretoko, 01°20'N, 103°50'E and 21 bomb the West Wall area of the naval base at Singapore; 21 others hit alternate targets at Martaban, Burma and George Town, Malayan States including Penang; they claim 3-4-14 Japanese aircraft; 2 B-29s are lost.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 28 fighter-bombers support ground forces around Hosi and Molo; 12 B-25s knock out the Mong Pawn bridge; 8 P-47s damage the approach to the Pa-mao bridge; 8 others hit Hsumhsai Airfield; 90+ fighter-bombers hit troops, supplies, vehicles, a ferry crossing, and various targets of opportunity at several locations including Nauchye, Hsenwi, Man Pwe, Pongkalau, Nawng Mawn, Na-lang, Kunhkan, and Panghtu-Iin. 550 transport sorties are flown to forward areas. The 2d and 4th Combat Cargo Squadrons, 1st Combat Cargo Group, move from Tsuyung and Chengkung, China respectively to Dohazari, India with C-47s; the 459th Fighter Squadron, 80th Fighter Group moves from Chittagong to Rumkha, India with P-38s. During Feb 45, the 24th Combat Mapping Squadron, 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, based at Guskhara sends elements to operate from Tulihal and Cox's Bazar, India with F-7s.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 21 Saipan , Mariana -based B-24s hit Iwo
Jima in
the afternoon, and 10 more, flying individual snooper raids, hit the
during the night of 1/2 Feb. Twenty B-24s from Angaur Airfield bomb Corregidor. During February 1945, 6th Night
Fighter Squadron, VII Fighter Command (attached to 318th Fighter Group) moves
to Kaman Field with P-61s (a detachment is operating from Kipapa Field);
the detachment of 17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 4th Photographic
Group (Reconnaissance), operating from Bougainville with F-5s, returns
to base on Morotai.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s pound
the Canacao Peninsula and Cavite areas; targets include a shipyard, seaplane
base, communications, and supply. B-25s hit Puerto Princesa. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Okayama Airfield during the night of 31 Jan/1 Feb
and hit Okayama Airfield and Heito Airfield and during the day bomb Toko Seaplane Base. The 71st Bombardment Squadron (Medium) and 823d Bombardment Squadron, 38th Bombardment Group
(Medium) move from Morotai to Lingayen Airfield with B-25s. During Feb 45, the 160th Liaison Squadron, 3d Air Commando
Group, based at Calasio, Luzon with UC-64 and L-5s sends a detachment to operate
from Mindoro , Philippines; the 529th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 380th Bombardment
Group (Heavy), moves from Darwin to San
Jose with B-24s. Lost is P-51D 44-15199 (MIA).
U.S. Army: The Luzon beachhead area is declared secured and U.S. Army concentrates on the capture of Manila. In U.S. Sixth Army's XIV Corps area, 1st Cav Div and 37th Inf Div drive southward toward Manila. Prov Rcn Sq of 1st Cav Div reaches Gapan. Elements of 5th and 8th Cav Regts cross the Pampanga north and south of Cabanatuan and clear most of Cabanatuan. Motorized elements of 8th Cav reach Santa Rosa. 37th Div's 148th Inf drives down Route 3 to Labangan R; some elements then advance E toward Plaridel until stopped at Plaridel airfield while others continue down Route 3. To W, 145th Inf column takes Hagonoy without opposition. In I Corps area, 6th Div and 25th Div attack east to cut Highway 5 at San Jose. 6th Div commits 1st and 3d Bns, 20th Inf, against Munoz but is still unable to enter. 27th Inf of 25th Div, assisted by 35th Inf, attacks toward Umingan and gets elements into the barrio. 32d Div, blocking southward movement of enemy from Cagayan Valley, gets elements to San Nicolas at the southwest entrance to Villa Verde Trail which spans westward 27 miles to joins Highway 5 at Santa Fe. On N flank of corps, 43d Div and RCT 158 consolidate on hills and ridges commanding Damortis-Rosario-Pozorrubio road. In XI Corps area, 152d Inf of 38th Div, approaching Japanese MLR at Zigzag Pass, gains less than 1,000 yards. 149th, following trail (which bends sharply northward instead of paralleling Route 7), is about 4,000 yards N of Route 7.
In U.S. Eighth Army area, when 188th Inf of 11th A/B Div meets delaying opposition in defile between Mt Cariliao and Mt Batulao, short of Tagaytay Ridge, planned drop of 511th Para Inf on the ridge is postponed until 3d. Fifth Air Force planes from Mindoro support fighting.
USMC: On Luzon, Marine Aircraft Groups, Dagupan providing air cover, flank protection, and reconnaissance.
Japanese aircraft raid Morotai a total of 82 times between September 12, 1944 until February 1, 1945.
IJN: Sunk is Subchaser CH-28 and Landing Ship T-115 in the Balintang Channel of the Luzon Strait when attacked by P-51 Mustangs from the 3rd Air Commando Group (3rd ACG, 3rd Fighter Squadron (3rd FS) and 4th Fighter Squadron (4th FS) that bomb and sink both ships.
U.S. Navy: Destroyers Jenkins (DD-447), O'Bannon (DD-450), and Bell (DD-587), and destroyer escort Ulvert M. Moore (DE-442) sink submarine RO 115, 125 miles southwest of Manila, 13°20'N, 119°20'E.
B-24s (14th Air Force), directed to the scene by Boarfish (SS-327), complete the destruction of grounded Japanese cargo ship Taietsu Maru (damaged by Boarfish and run aground the previous day), off the coast of French Indochina, 14°56'N, 109°00'E.
Motor torpedo boats PT-77 and PT-79 are damaged by friendly fire west of Mindoro, 13°55'N, 120°36'E. USAAF P-51s sink Japanese landing ship T.115 in Luzon Straits, 20°00'N, 121°00'E, and damage escorting submarine chaser Ch 28.
Japanese netlayer No.16 Nissho Maru is sunk by mine west northwest of Mokpo, Korea, 35°00'N, 125°00'E.
Japanese tanker No.26 Nanshin Maru is sunk by mine, 30°05'N, 135°15'E.
Royal Navy: British submarine HMS Spark sinks Japanese towboat No.203 Katsura Maru and damages motor sailboats Nanyo Maru, Nampo Maru and No.80 Tachibana Maru off Jabara, 06°41'S, 110°32'E.
