WEDNESDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 1945
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 21 B-25s, supported by 12 P-51s, pound Taiyuan; 2 B-25s and 12 P-40s hit Yoyang; about 100 fighter-bombers on armed reconnaissance attack troops, trucks, horses, railroad targets, river shipping, and other targets of opportunity at many locations throughout S and E China; the detachment of the 530th Fighter Squadron, 311th Fighter Group, operating from Hsian with P-51s, returns to base at Kwanghan.
Burma: In Br Fourteenth Army's 4 Corps area, elements of Ind 17th Div open drive toward Meiktila from Nyaungu bridgehead.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 16 P-47s provide close support for ground forces in the Namhsan area; 15 support ground forces in the Mongmit sector; 100+ fighter-bombers strike supply and troop concentrations and make offensive sweeps of roads along the battleline areas. Transports continue to land men and supplies at forward bases and drop supplies to frontline troops. The 127th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, based at Kalaikunda, India, sends a detachment to operate from Akyab Airfield with UC-64s and L-5s.
USN: Japanese kamikaze planes sink the escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea CVE-95 and
damage the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 24 P-47s from Saipan hit Pagan with napalm. P-38s from Guam escort photo aircraft over Truk and strafe aircraft on Moen and a wharf
on Falas. Three Guam based B-24s
on an armed reconnaissance flight bomb Marcus Airfield.
During the night of 21/22 Feb, six B-24s fly individual snooper raids from Guam against Chichi Jima.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon, B-24s bomb
Japanese positions in the hills west of Fort Stotsenburg, P-47s pound Corregidor and strafe the Bagae-Pilar road and fighters support ground forces at Marikina,
San Mateo, and on Corregidor; and Basco is hit by B-25s, A-20s, and P-38s.
In Borneo,
B-24s bomb Kudat and Sandakan Airfields while A-20s attack Jesselton Airfield and town. The 528th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 380th Bombardment Group (Heavy),
moves from Darwin to San
Jose with B-24s.
U.S. Army: in the morning the 12th Cavalry, 1st Squadron with artillery support from two 105mm self-propelled howitzers and M4 Sherman tanks assault the Manila Hotel and by the end of the day liberates the east wing.
In U.S. Sixth Army area, XI Corps successfully concludes operations on Bataan Peninsula with junction of East Force and South Force S of Bagac. Casualties: about 50 killed or missing. Japanese dead total about 200. Small Japanese force remains in Mt Natib area but it is eventually destroyed. Corps takes command of 40th Div in current positions in Zambales Mtns. 40th Div rests while Japanese positions are being neutralized by air.
USMC: The 21st Marines, in the V Amphibious Corps reserve, was committed in the 4th Marine Division zone. Japanese kamikazes attack support ships off Iwo Jima.
U.S. Navy: After preparatory air, naval, and arty bombardment, V AC attacks north toward Airfield 2 and south toward Mount Suribachi. Progress is slow and costly; effective tank strength at end of day is about 50%. While clearing northward to positions generally along phase line O-1, which includes S part of Airfield 2, assault forces encounter severe opposition from well-organized enemy positions around Airfield 2. RCT 21, 3d Mar Div, released as corps reserve, lands on Beaches Yellow to support attack on Airfield 2 and is attached to 4th Mar Div. RCT 28, 5th Mar Div, is viciously opposed as it continues methodical reduction of enemy positions but reaches base of Mt Suribachi. 5th Mar Div CP opens ashore. Enemy makes several local counterattacks and repeated infiltration attempts, night 21-22. Although Americans control air over Iwo, a few Japanese planes get through to attack shipping; sink Bismarck Sea and damage other vessels before being shot down.
Off Iwo Jima, kamikazes sink escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95), 24°36'N, 141°48'E, and damage USS Saratoga (CV-3), 24°56'N, 142°01'E (Saratoga is also hit by a bomb); escort carrier Lunga Point (CVE-94), 24°40'N, 141°44'E; tank landing ships LST-477, 24°40'N, 141°44'E, and LST-809, 24°08'N, 142°06'E; and net cargo ship Keokuk (AKN-4), 24°36'N, 141°48'E. Small carrier Langley (CVL-27) is damaged by bomb. Japanese mortar fire damages tank landing ship LST-390, 24°46'N,141°19'E. Collisions account for damage to destroyer Williamson (DD-244) and oiler Suamico (AO-49), 24°39'N, 142°01'E; destroyer Bradford (DD-545) and tank landing ship LST-812; attack cargo ship Yancey (AKA-93) and heavy cruiser Pensacola (CA-24), 24°46'N, 141°19'E. Heavy weather damages medium landing ship LSM- 43.
Navy and USAAF planes bomb and strafe Japanese installations at Truk.
Tank landing craft LCT-175 founders and sinks in heavy weather, 04°27'N, 133°40'E.
Destroyer Renshaw (DD-499) is torpedoed by Japanese submarine RO 43 south of Siquijor Island P.I., 24°36'N, 141°48'E. RO 43 escapes a ten-hour search by destroyers USS Waller (DD-466) and USS Shaw (DD-373) around Siquijor Island.
Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.72 and Coast Defense Vessel No.150 are damaged in collision off Wenchow, China.
Submarine Gato (SS-212) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Tairiku Maru in Yellow Sea off west coast of Korea, 35°24'N, 125°23'E.
Japanese merchant tanker Eiyo Maru, damaged by submarine Guavina (SS-362) the previous day, sinks off Cape Padaran, French Indochina, 11°22'N, 109°22'E.
Japanese cargo ship Fukusei Maru sinks after running aground off Cape Shirazaki, Honshu, 41°00'N, 142°00'E.
