THURSDAY, 1 MARCH 1945
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, six B-25s and 5 P-51s pound the
S side of Ishan while 17 other P-51s hit the E and W sections of the city;
9 P-51s attack targets of opportunity of Chinchengchiang while 4 others hit
troops and road traffic between Chinchengchiang and Hwaiyang. During Mar 45,
the detachment of the 11th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st Bombardment
Group (Medium), operating from Laowhangpin with B-25s returns to base at Yangkai; the 26th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, based at Kunming with P-51s sends a detachment to operate from Liangshan during the month; the 74th Fighter Squadron, 23d Fighter Group, based at Luliang with P-51s sends a detachment to operate from Tushan until Aug 45; the 426th Night Fighter Squadron, Fourteenth AF (attached to 312th Fighter Wing), moves from Chengtu to Shwantliu with P-61s (a detachment is operating from Hsian); and the 449th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group based at Chengkung with P-38s, sends a detachment to operate from Mentsz while the detachment at Yunnani returns to base. B-24s sink Japanese merchant vessel tanker Eisho Maru in Tonkin Gulf, 18°32'N, 108°11'E.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): HQ 444th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) begins
a movement from Dudhkundi to the Marianas.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 27 P-47s support ground forces
in the Mogok area; Sixteen fly close support strikes near Lashio; 14 P-47s damage
the approaches of the bypass bridge at Na-lang, but leave the bridge serviceable; about 100 fighter-bombers attack troops, supply areas, communications
targets, a ferry landing, and general targets of opportunity along the battlefronts
and immediately behind Japanese lines. Large-scale transport operations continue.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): HQ VII Fighter Command is removed from control of Seventh AF and transferred to AAFPOA and moves from Ft Kamehameha, Oahu, Hawaii to Iwo Jima during Mar 45. 7 B-24s from Guam bomb Susaki Airfield; During the night of 1/2 March, one B-24 hits Haha Jima, Five B-24s make separate harassment strikes on Susaki Airfield and the town of Okimura
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Formosa, B-24s
bomb the Takao aluminum plant, Tainan Airfield and nearby satellite field and fighters hit buildings at Keishu and storage tanks, railroad yards, and
targets of opportunity. Troops on Corregidor and W of Ft Stotsenburg are hit with napalm. B-24s bomb Tarakan Airfield, Labuan Airfield, and Manggar Airfield. B-25s hit Zettle Field. HQ Thirteenth AF moves from Morotai to Leyte and HQ XIII Fighter Command moves from Leyte to Puerto Princesa. HQ 18th Fighter Group moves from Lingayen Airfield to San Jose; the 531st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 380th
Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Darwin to San Jose with B-24s. During March 1945, HQ V Bomber Command and HQ V Fighter
Command moves from Mindoro to Clark
Field. B-25s sink Japanese transport Hokuhi Maru off Mako, Pescadores, 23°35'N, 119°35'E.
U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's XIV Corps area, 5th Cav clears Agriculture building, leaving a single strongpoint in Manila--the Finance building. RCT 145, including 1st Bn, which is garrisoning Intramuros, passes from control of 37th Div and Sixth Army to Provost Marshal General, USAFFE. In region E of Manila, 6th Div regroups for further action against enemy's Shimbu line, extending N from Antipolo to Mt Oro, while 1st Cav Div to south continues to probe to develop this line. In I Corps area, 33d Div continues to probe toward Baguio from S while Philippine Guerrilla Forces, North Luzon, under Lt Col Russell W. V olckmann, are exerting pressure toward the summer capital from the N. 32d and 25th Divs continue limited actions along Villa Verde Trail and Highway 5, respectively, toward Cagayan Valley and ultimately Balete Pass. 2d Bn of 127th Inf, 32d Div, encounters strongpoint in outer perimeter defenses of Salacsac Pass on Villa Verde Trail at Cabalisian River and is delayed by pillbox opposition. Other elements of 32d Div are working forward along Arboredo and Ambayabang Valleys. On Highway 5, 25th Div columns are converging on Puncan and Digdig.
In the southern Philippines, In U.S. Eighth Army area, aircraft begin preinvasion bombardment of Zamboanga area of Mindanao plus Panay and Negros. After naval and aerial bombardment, 1st Bn of 21st Inf, reinf, lands on Lubang Island and at western end of Verde I. Passage, and clears Tilic. Most of the island is cleared with ease within the next few days. Elements of Co E, 21st Inf, move to Verde I. from Mindoro. On Palawan, RCT 186 of 41st Div secures Puerto Princesa Bay.
USMC: VAC attacks toward Line O-3 from positions generally along Line O-2 in center and on left but far to rear on right. 3d Mar Div attacks with RCT 21 but upon encountering well-organized enemy position about 1,000 yards due E of Motoyama village, commits RCT 9 as well. RCT 21 secures W part of Airfield 3, but RCT 9 makes little headway against savage opposition. On right flank of corps, RCT 24 of 4th Mar Div relieves RCT 23 on div left and fights throughout day about
base of Hill 382; RCT 25 slows its advance to tie in with RCT 24 and hammers at enemy re-entrant near Minami. Contact between 4th and 3d Mar Divs is maintained with difficulty. 5th Mar Div, confronted with W flank of enemy's cross-island defenses, replaces RCT 27 with RCT 28 and completes capture of Hill 362. 3d Bn, 26th Marines, is committed to plug gap between div and 3d Mar Div, relieving elements of RCT 21 of this task. U.S. fighter makes emergency landing on Airfield 1.
Sixteen light planes of Marine Observation Squadrons 4 and 5 were based ashore. Commander, Landing Force Air Support Control Unit assumed responsibility for support aircraft and became Commander, Air, Iwo Jima.
U.S. Navy: Carrier planes and surface vessels of Task Force 58 (TF 58) under Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher bombard and photograph a number of targets in the Ryukyu Islands including Okino Daito within 450 miles of Kyushu. TF 58 planes sink torpedo boat Manazuru off Okinawa, 26°17'N, 127°35'E; minelayer Tsubame and damage escort destroyer Fukue and auxiliary minesweeper Nuwajima off Ishigaki Jima, 24°23'N,124°12'E; supply ship Kinezaki and army cargo ship No.11 Hoshi Maru in Kuji Bay, 28°10'N, 129°05'E; gunboat Chohakusan Maru and merchant cargo ship Ryukyu Maru off Naha, transport Toyosaka Maru off Miyako-retto, 24°46'N, 125°30'E; cargo ships Kinzan Maru off Okinawa, merchant cargo ships Taiken Maru off Miyako Jima and Luzon Maru off Naze. They also sink cargo ship Kiku Maru and damage torpedo boat Tomozuru and minesweeper Seki Maru off Amami-O-Shima, and damage submarine chaser Ch 49 off Ishikiri, Suwanose Island. Japanese merchant ships Dosei Maru and Otsu Maru are sunk by gunfire in Kuji Bay and off Miyako Jima, respectively.
Task unit consisting of destroyer Cony (DD-508), destroyer escort Formoe (DE-509), minesweepers Sentry (AM-299) and Salute (AM-294) and two infantry landing craft (LCI), begin minesweeping and reconnaissance of Baler Bay and Casiguran Sound, Luzon, to investigate a possible fleet anchorage and determine composition of Japanese forces in the vicinity. Army scouts and interpreters are embarked for use ashore.
USS Kete (SS-369) departs Guam for her second war patrol. Contact will be maintained until March 20 when presumed lost.
Off Iwo Jima, destroyers Terry (DD-513) and Colhoun (DD-801) are damaged by shore battery fire, 24°47'N, 141°21'E; medium landing ship LSM-59 by operational casualty.
USS Sterlet (SS-392) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Tateyama Maru, 34°11'N, 139°44'E.
USAAF B-24s attack Japanese convoy, damaging tanker Terushima Maru and cargo vessel Kashima Maru, 19°51'N, 108°50'E.
Japanese merchant ship Daishin Maru is sunk by aircraft off Manila.
Japanese merchant vessel cargo ship Eijo Maru is sunk by grounding in Shihtao Bay, off Shantung Peninsula, 36°09'N, 120°30'E.
Japanese army cargo ship Daia Maru is damaged by aircraft.
