THURSDAY, 22 FEBRUARY 1945
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Nineteen fighter-bombers hit villages, tanks, and trucks from Hsiangcheng to Hsuchang, attack railroad traffic around Sinsiang and Linfen, hit river craft, trucks, and troops in the Chiuchiang area, and claim 1 freighter sunk on the Yangtze River between Hankow and Nanking; a single B-25 attacks convoys in the Siang-Chiang Valley near Hengyang.
Burma: In Br Fourteenth Army's 4 Corps area, 2 mechanized brigs of Ind 17th Div and the 255th Tank Brig are committed to drive on Meiktila from Nyaungu bridgehead.
China: Gen Chennault learns that Ch forces under Gen Hsueh Yueh in E China have at last received arms from Chungking, well after fall of Suichwan.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 29 P-47s support ground forces in the Namhsan area; 11 closely support forces in the Mongmit sector; about 100 fighter-bombers attack troop concentrations, gun positions, supply points, trucks, and animal transport in the battle areas and behind enemy lines. Transports complete 600+ sorties to forward areas throughout the day.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Three B-24s on armed reconnaissance from Guam bomb Marcus Airfield. During the night of 22/23 Feb, six B-24s
fly individual harassment strikes against Susaki Airfield and the town of Okimura.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon, 100 B-24s
hit troop concentrations northwest of Fort Stotsenburg, P-47s pound Corregidor, A-20s
hit concentrations at Pugo, SW of Baguio,
B-24s bomb supply areas N and W of Baguio while
P-51s hit Angin and Marikina. B-24s bomb Tarakan Airfield and Labuan Airfield.
Units moving from New Guinea: HQ 42d Bombardment Group (Medium) Sansapor to Morotai [the group's 75th and 100th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) remain at Sansapor but begins operating
from Morotai with
B-25s]; HQ 347th Fighter Group and the 67th Fighter Squadron and 339th Fighter Squadron from
Middelburg to San
Jose with P-38s (the 67th Fighter Squadron and 339th Fighter Squadron are operating
from Morotai).
U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army area, XIV Corps continues preparations for final assault on Intramuros in Manila. In region E of Manila, 6th Div and 1st Cav Div attack across the Mariquina toward line Taytay-Antipolo-Montalban, cavalrymen driving through Taytay. I Corps begins drive toward Balete Pass. 35th Inf, 25th Div, attacks with 2d Bn along crude trail leading N from Rizal through Pantabangan and with 1st Bn toward Pampanga R valley. 2d Bn, 161st Inf, is ordered to clear final enemy position, called Bryant Hill, NW of Puncan. 127th Inf of 32d Div, with arty and air support, renews attack on Villa Verde Trail, taking knoll positions in the bowl. 33d Div gains Question Mark and Bench Mark Hills, concluding 4 days of limited attacks on these objectives; subsequently probes toward Baguio.
USMC: V AC continues northward attack toward phase line O-2--extending generally from Tachiiwi Pt on E coast to Motoyama village in center to W coast S of Hiraiwa Bay--after preparatory bombardment; is virtually pinned down by resistance from main enemy defenses consisting of mutually supporting pillboxes on high ground between Airfields 1 and 2. 4th Mar Div, passing RCT 21 of 3d Mar Div through RCT 23, continues attack with RCT 25 on right and RCT 21 on left, latter making frontal attack against Airfield 2. 5th Mar Div, passing RCT 26 through RCT 27 and reinforcing it with bn of RCT 27, continues slowly N on left flank of corps but is forced back to O-1 line when gap develops on right flank. The 3d Battalion, 28th Marines, reached the base of Mount Suribachi. RCT 28 works slowly around base of Mt Suribachi, encircling it except for 400 yards on W coast. Enemy continues local counterattacks and infiltration attempts under cover of darkness.
U.S. Navy: Off Iwo Jima, damage occurs when destroyer escort Melvin R. Nawman (DE-416) collides with tank landing ship LST-807, 24°46'N, 141°19'E, and tank landing ship LST-779 collides with pontoon barges at 24°46'N, 141°19'E.
Task Force 58 (TF 58) departs for a second air strike against the Tokyo area leaving Task Group 58.5 behind to provide night fighter protection.
Submarine Becuna (SS-319), despite presence of two escort vessels, sinks Japanese merchant tanker Nichiyoku Maru off Cape Padaran, French Indochina, 11°28'N, 109°06'E.
Japanese fleet tanker No.2 Tatekawa Maru is damaged by USAAF mine (laid by 20th Air Force B-29s) and runs aground in Padaran Bay; USAAF B-25s (5th Air Force) complete the destruction of No.2 Tatekawa Maru later that day, 11°08'N, 108°44'E.
Japanese submarine chaser Ch 41 is damaged by aircraft, 10°15'N, 107°15'E.
Japanese army ship Ikuta Maru is sunk by aircraft, Rabaul, New Britain.
