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.
Burma: In Br Fourteenth Army's 33 Corps area, Ind 20th Div begins crossing the Irrawaddy in Myinmu-Allagappa sector W of Mandalay, night 12-13, against little opposition.
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.
U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's XIV Corps area, Japanese remaining in Manila are isolated as 5th Cav and 12th Cav, latter replacing 8th Cav, drive west to the shores of Manila Bay. In co-ordinated assault, Nichols Field is largely cleared of enemy by 188th Regt and part of 187th, 11th A/B Div. 40th Div advances its flanks, 108th Inf taking Hill 6 and 185th taking Snake Hill North, but is stubbornly opposed in center, where progress is slow. In I Corps area, 33d Div comes under corps control to relieve 43d Div and RCT 158. Corps is regrouping for drive N into Caraballo Mts. 27th Inf, 25th Div, relieves 1st Inf, 6th Div, at San Jose and improves positions along Highway 5. 35th Inf moves to Rizal and probes northward with patrols toward Pantangan. 6th Div occupies positions along E coast, bisecting enemy forces on the island. In XI Corps area, RCT 1 of 6th Div starts S from Dinalupihan for operation to clear Bataan. General Robert Eichelberger issues the basic plan for Eighth Army's part in clearing Visayan Passage.
U.S. Navy: Submarine Hawkbill (SS-366) sinks small Japanese cargo vessel Kisaragi Maru and the two large landing barges she was towing at the time, Lombok Strait.
Japanese merchant ship Shinko Maru is sunk by aircraft, 26°57'N, 120°25'E.
