FRIDAY, 2 FEBRUARY 1945
US-UK: British-American discussions of war strategy end at Malta.
USA: Japanese balloon bomb was recovered from a farm near Laurens, Iowa. This was the 30th balloon bomb found in North America and one of three confirmed balloon bombs that landed in Iowa. The recovered wreckage included the paper balloon envelope, rigging and apparatus.
Burma: In NCAC area, Japanese force Br 36th Div to withdraw its small bridgehead across the Shweli. 124th Cav, U.S. 5332d Brig, takes heights in Hpa-pen area in sharp battle. 88th Regt, Ch 30th Div, gives little assistance.
IndoChina: Gen Wedemeyer relays to Washington news that Japanese are ordering Fr forces to disarm and disperse. In response to Fr requests for help, U.S. Fourteenth Air Force gives some assistance, although China Theater boundary is not clearly defined and Indochina is believed to be within Chiang Kai-shek's China Theater.
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Four P-40s attack a regimental HQ and
a storage area at Lungchow, China.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 11 B-25s pound troops and supplies at Loilem; 60+ fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Molo, Hosi, and Mabein areas; troops, supplies, town areas, and vehicles are attacked at Panma, Kan-loi, Pansak, Man Ho Pang, Pongkalau, Hsenwi, Namtu, Panghai, Kong kang, and Ondon. Transports complete 485 sorties to forward bases and over the frontline areas.
(Eleventh Air Force) Force landed is P-38J 42-67638 (rescued).
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Twenty Guam based B-24s pound a storage area on Iwo Jima.
During the night of 2/3 Feb, 10 B-24s, flying individual harassment raids, bomb the island's airfields. Four P-47s, on a reconnaissance flight, strafe buildings on Pagan. 22 B-24s from Angaur Airfield bomb Corregidor.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Colonel Carl A Brandt becomes Commanding Officer XIII Bomber Command. B-24s continue to pound Corregidor and Cavite and A-20s hit the Baler Bay area. In the Cagayan Valley, B-25s attack pillboxes, gun positions and river barges. B-24s hit Okayama Airfield during a dawn raid. HQ 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group moves from Leyte to Binmaley.
U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's XIV Corps area, main assault forces of 1st Cav Div reach Sabang- Baliuag sector. Elements of 5th Cav move eastward to vicinity of Norzagaray. Patrols make contact with 37th Div elements near Plaridel and elements of 6th Div, I Corps, N of Cabanatuan. One column of 148th Inf, 37th Div, takes Plaridel while another reaches Bocaue and patrols toward Marilao. Some elements of 145th Inf drive through Malolos to San Juan and others to Bulacan. Forward elements of corps are on general line Marilao-Santa Maria-Norzagaray. 129th Inf of 37th Div completes its tasks in Ft Stotsenburg area and prepares to join in 37th Div's drive on Manila. 108th Inf, 40th Div, shifts S to replace 129th; 185th Inf takes over positions vacated by 108th on W flank of 40th Div. I Corps has advanced sufficiently by this time to insure safety of XIV Corps from enemy counterattacks from the E. While 20th Inf, 6th Div, continues struggle for Munoz without making much headway, other elements of div prepare for assault on San Jose, 63d Inf cutting Highway 5 NE of Munoz and 1st Inf seizing bridge crossing along Rizal-San Jose road. 25th Div pushes into Umingan where 27th Inf is left to mop up while 35th Inf continues E toward Lupao. 161st Inf begins wide enveloping movement S of Lupao. In XI Corps area, 38th Div's 152d Inf is pinned down by stiff opposition from Zigzag Pass. 149th, far to N, is out of contact with enemy and returns to Santa Rita; ordered to retrace its steps along trail, which leads toward Dinalupihan, does so without incident. In U.S. Eighth Army area, 11th A/B Div drives to within 2 miles of W end of Tagaytay Ridge.
In XXIV Corps area, 77th Div concludes combat operations on the island. Americal Div is to relieve it for future operations on Okinawa. 7th Div's special TF returns to Leyte from the Camotes, leaving 2d Bn, 94th Inf (PA), to garrison Poro and Pacijan.
U.S. Navy: Submarine Besugo (SS-321), attacking Japanese convoy off Malay Peninsula, sinks Coast Defense Vessel No.144 off Cape Laguan, 04°32'N, 104°30'E.
Submarine Hardhead (SS-365) sinks Japanese merchant tanker No.19 Nanshin Maru, 05°40'N, 103°17'E.
USAAF B-24 attacks Japanese tanker Yashima Maru and forces her aground, damaged, off Flores Island.
Japanese merchant tanker No.3 Kinyu Maru is sunk by aircraft off Phantiet, French Indochina.
