February 12, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

MONDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 1945

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): B-25s cancel a cover mission for a naval force because of weather.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 6 P-51s destroy 6 locomotives between Suchow and Pengpu and strafe the Nanking Airfield and Suchow Airfield; other fighters claim at least 10 more locomotives destroyed in areas S of the Yellow River; P-40s bomb troops in the Hsiangcheng area and hit trains on the Pinghan railroad; HQ 81st Fighter Group and the 92d Fighter Squadron move from Kwanghan to Fungwansham with P-47s.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): 23 P-47s support ground forces hitting NE of Nabu and bombing mortar positions S of Myitson; 4 others support forces at Loiya; 3 P-47s severely damage a bridge at Pa-mao; 60+ P-47s and P-38s pound supply areas, troops, tanks, and trucks at various locations including Hu-kawt, Kongtap, Namtu, Namta-gun, Mongmit, Loingu, and Tonsing. 520 transport sorties are flown to forward areas throughout the day.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Nine Guam based B-24s pound Chichi Jima naval installations while 19 bomb airfields and defenses on Iwo Jima; during the night of 12/13 Feb, Eight B-24s from Guam fly single bomber harassment strikes against both Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 31: 21 B-29s from the Mariana bomb heavy AA sites on Iwo Jima in preparation for the amphibious invasion of the on 19 Feb; no losses. Mission 32: 10 B-29s fly a reconnaissance mission for the US Navy covering from 135-OOE to 148-OOE and to 30-OON; 1 B-29 is lost.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s continue to pound Corregidor; A-20s sweep the southern Bataan Peninsula, sink about 30 barges loaded with troops, ammunition, and supplies; throughout the day B-25s and fighters directly support ground forces on the Bataan Peninsula and from Lingayen Gulf area to Nichols Field. The 67th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group, based on Middelburg with P-38s, begins operating from Morotai. The 498th, 499th, 500th and 501st Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 345th Bombardment Group (Medium), move from Tacloban to San Marcelino with B-25s.