TUESDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 1945
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Tweleve B-25s knock out 4 bridges and damage
2 others in N French Indochina. In China, 12 others bomb Ishan and Hwaiyuanchen;
Four B-24s over the Gulf of Tonkin and South China Sea attack shipping, claiming
2 vessels sunk; 19 fighter-bombers hit barracks SW of Ishan, 15 attack Kiungshan
Airfield, 12 hit targets of opportunity in the Yoyang area, 23 hit targets
of opportunity around Kiyang, and 30 others hit scattered targets of opportunity
at other points in S and E China; the 22d Bombardment Squadron (Medium),
341st Bombardment Group (Medium), based at Yangkai with B-25s, sends a detachment
to operate from Peishiyi; the 35th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron,
Fourteenth AF, based at Chanyi with F-5s, sends a detachment to operate from
Laohwangping (another detachment is operating from Chengkung).
Burma: In Br Fourteenth Army's 33 Corps area, Japanese opposition to Ind 20th Div subsides and Irrawaddy bridgehead is firmly established. In 4 Corps area, brig of Ind 17th Div is flown in to Thabutkon from Palel as rest of div reaches outskirts of Meiktila.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 40: In the Malayan States during the
night of 27/28 Feb, 10 of 12 B-29s mine Johore Strait east of Singapore and one mines Penang Harbor. Personnel of the 58th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy)
begin shipping out of Calcutta for Tinian and Guam,
implementing the redeployment orders of the 6 Feb War Department directive;
the final shipment arrives in the the Mariana on 6 Jun, completing the transfer
of the wing from India without loss of a single life or aircraft.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth
Air Force): In Burma, 18 P-47s closely support ground forces in the Mongmit
area; 4 others knock out a small bypass bridge at Hay-ti; about 100 fighter-bombers
attack troop concentrations, supplies, gun positions, elephant transport, and
road traffic along the battlefronts and behind enemy lines. Transport operations
continue on a large-scale as 589 sorties are completed.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 9 Guam based
B-24s blast pillboxes, artillery emplacements, blockhouse, and mortar positions
on the N part of Iwo Jima. On Mindanao 22 B-24s from Angaur Airfield bomb Daliao Airfield and Libby Airfield. During the night of
27/28 Feb, nine B-24s, flying snooper strikes out of Guam,
bomb airfields, radio stations, and the town of Okimura on Haha Jima.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: B-24s, A-20s, and P-38s strike Puerto Princesa in preparation for the following morning's amphibious landings. On Luzon, ground support continues on a largescale including a strike on Baguio by
P-51s. On Mindanao P-38s
and USMC aircraft hit airfields. B-24s bomb Tarakan and Jesselton Airfields.
On Formosa, Takao is hit by B-24s while fighters sweep the W coast. Sweeping
the China coast, B-25s hit a fleet of junks and sampans near Hong Kong destroying
and damaging 25+. The 8th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group moves from San Jose to Lingayen Airfield with P-38s and the 12th Fighter Squadron, 18th Fighter Group, moves
from Lingayen Airfield to San Jose with P-38s. The 65th Troop Carrier Squadron and 66th Troop Carrier Squadron, 403d
Troop Carrier Group moves from Biak to Morotai with
C-46s and C-47s (the squadrons cease operating from Hill
Field, Mindoro);
and the 432d Fighter Squadron, 475th Fighter Group, moves from Dulag to Clark Field with P-38s (a detachment is operating from San
Jose). Lost on a ferry flight are P-51D pilot Alexander (POW / MIA) and P-51D 44-63338 pilot 2nd Lt Leon A. Bollinger (MIA). Lost is B-24J "My Irish Colleen" 44-41176 pilot 1st Lt. James W. Line (MIA).
U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's XIV Corps area, 148th Inf of 37th Div clears stubborn enemy from most of Legislative building in Manila. 145th relieves 3d Bn of 129th. 63d Inf, 6th Div, holds Mt Pacawagan against heavy opposition. 1st Inf positions in Mt Mataba area are untenable and Cos I and L withdraw; Co C is unable to progress against the mountain and also falls back. In I Corps area, 27th Inf of 25th Div captures Japanese plan for defense of Balete Pass. 35th Inf reopens line of communication.
In the southern Philippines, in the U.S. Eighth Army area, an 81mm mortar section of 19th Inf is sent to Verde Island. Advance party lands on Lubang I. to establish roadblock.
USMC: V AC continues attack toward O-2 line after intense preparatory fire. In center, RCT 9 of 3d Mar Div penetrates enemy positions to secure rest of Airfield 2 and heights beyond. RCT 23, making main effort of 4th Mar Div, reaches top of Hill 382 but withdraws to more favorable position for night; RCT 25 is delayed on left by troublesome pocket near Minami but gains ground along E coast. 5th Mar Div, replacing RCT 26 with RCT 27, advances slowly but steadily N on left flank of corps. First detachment of PBM search planes arrives at seaplane base.
The 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, in the 3d Marine Division zone, overran Hill PETER and the crest of 199 OBOE to the north of Airfield No. 2; the airfield was captured by the 1st and 2d Battalions, 9th Marines. Marine Observation Squadron 5 commenced operations from Airfield No. 1. Major General James E. Chaney, Commanding General, Army Garrison Forces and Island Commander, lands on Iwo Jima with his headquarters and a detachment of the 147th Infantry Regiment, USA, and advance elements of the VII Fighter Command, USAAF.
U.S. Navy: Off Iwo Jima, collisions account for damage to small carrier San Jacinto (CVL-30) and oiler Merrimack (AO-37), 23°00'N, 139°00'E; destroyer Colhoun (DD-801) and attack transport Knox (APA-46), 24°49'N, 141°20'E [Colhoun collides with attack cargo ship Libra (AKA-12) soon thereafter]; tank landing ship LST-121 and attack cargo ship Starr (AKA-67), 24°46'N, 141°19'E; tank landing ship LST-809 and tank landing ship LST-224, 24°46'N, 141°19'E; Japanese shore battery fire damages attack cargo ship Leo (AKA-60) and tank landing ship LST-884; mortar fire accounts for damage to medium landing ship LSM- 92
Submarine Blenny (SS-324), attacking Japanese convoy off French Indochina, sinks merchant tanker Amato Maru off Cape Padaran, 11°58'N, 109°18'E.
Submarine Scabbardfish (SS-397) sinks Japanese guardboat No.6 Kikaku Maru, 100 miles northeast of Keelung, Formosa, 25°45'N, 123°20'W.
Japanese merchant vessel No.2 Suma Maru is sunk by aircraft 80 miles off Amoy, China.
HMS Activity rescues one boatload of 20 survivor of SS Peter Silvester sunk on February 6, 1945 by U-862 in the Indian Ocean (see March 10, 1945).
