March 3, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 3 MARCH 1945

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Four B-24s over the Gulf of Tonkin and the South China Sea attack shipping targets of opportunity, claiming 1 vessel sunk and 3 damaged. B-24 sinks Japanese cargo vessel No.1 Yaei Maru in Tonkin Gulf, 20°10'N, 109°31'E. In French Indochina, 3 B-25s hit Kep, damaging several locomotives and boxcars and hit a bridge and 12 P-51s hit targets of opportunity between Vinh and Nam Dinh (2 direct hits are scored on the bridge at Minh Koi) while two P-51s blast a HQ building in Hanoi.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 24 P-38s and P-47s support forces of the Chinese 50th Division near Mansam; 16 support the British 36 Division in the Mogok area; 10 P-47s knock out the Na-lang bridge while 2 B-25s drop delay-action bombs in good pattern around the Loi-leng bridge; 10 B-25s join 80+ fighter-bombers in an attack on troops, supplies, tanks, trucks, gun positions, and transport elephants behind enemy lines, 29 of the fighter-bombers concentrate on the Kankang area. 643 air supply sorties are completed.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 10 B-24s from Guam pound Susaki Airfield in an afternoon strike, and 4 more, flying individual strikes, hit the same target during the night of 3/4 Mar. The 467th and 468th Fighter Squadrons, 508th Fighter Group, move from Kahuku to Mokuleai, Hawaii with P-47s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Formosa, B-24s pound the Tainan area and Kiirun while fighters hit numerous targets of opportunity and fighter-bombers bomb Koshun Airfield. B-25s bomb San Roque Airfield. B-24s and B-25s attack Zettle Field. Ternate, Echague and Caballo is bombed by A-20s. B-25s, aborting a strike against Formosa, bomb Basco Airfield.

RAAF: Spotted from the air are two Japanese tanks: Type 89 Chi-Ro Tank No. 1 and Type 89 Chi-Ro Tank No. 2.

RNZAF: Two Corsairs from No. 18 Squadron patrolling Ruri Bay in northern Bougainville spot two Japanese tanks: Type 89 Chi-Ro Tank No. 1 and Type 89 Chi-Ro Tank No. 2 and strafe both and return with another Corsair that drops a 1,000 pound bomb and spot a third tank. Later in the day, seven more aircraft from Piva bombed the tanks and left one on fire, and strafed the third tank which had not moved. It was hit and its ammunition exploded,"'completely wrecking it". The tanks are attacked for the next three days from the air.

U.S. Army: On Luzon, U.S. Sixth Army's XIV Corps area, 37th Div overcomes final resistance within Manila and liberates the city. Elements of 11th A/B Div conclude operations to clear Manila Bay with reduction of resistance in Ternate area. In I Corps area, 35th Inf of 25th Div seizes Digdig and is eliminating pockets in vicinity of Puncan as other elements of the Div work toward Puncan, on Highway 5.

Army troops land on Masbate, Burias and Ticao Islands, P.I., supported by naval gunfire and USMC planes. Only small Japanese garrisons are found, requiring only minimal naval forces for support.

On south Luzon, U.S. Eighth Army area, 1st Bn of 132d Inf, reinf, lands on Burias and Ticao Islands without opposition with Marine aircraft support. Ticao is free of enemy. Uneventful search of Burias is begun. Verde I. is now secure and American forces withdraw. Total enemy casualties there are 82 killed. On Palawan, 1st Bn of 186th Inf attacks toward Hill 1125 but is pinned down by intense fire.

USMC: Four Corsairs from Marine Fighting Squadron 144 (VMF-114) "Death Dealers" on a barge sweep over Babelthuap Island. Lost is FG-1A Corsair 14241 pilot 1st Lt. Kenneth A. G. Wallace (MIA).

Marine aircraft support the U.S. Army landing on Masbate, Burias, and Ticao Islands.

On Iwo Jima, VAC makes slow progress toward O-3 Line against increased resistance. 3d Marine Division clears Motoyama No. 3 (Airfield No. 3). In center, 3d Mar Div's RCT 9 is still unable to reach Hill 362, in region east of Motoyama, but 2d Battalion, 21st Marines, 3d Division reaches Hill 357 and Hill 362B, northeast of Airfield No. 3 and moves elements SE in effort to outflank Hill 362 and help RCT 9 capture it. No important Japanese resistance remained between the 2d Battalion and the eastern coast of the island. Left flank elements of 3d Mar Div on the Hill 362 N of Airfield 3 are relieved by elements of RCT 25, 4th Mar Div, as 4th Mar Div zone is expanded eastward. 5th Mar Div, with RCT 28 on left and RCT 26 on right, continues battle for Nishi ridge on left flank of corps. On corps' right flank, 4th Mar Div's RCT 24 secures rest of Hill 382; RCT 23 passes through RCT 25 on div right and isolates enemy pocket near Minami.

PM3c Jack Williams serving as a corpsman with a marine rifle company, is thrice wounded as he goes to treat a casualty. Although in a partial state of shock from his wounds, the corpsman shields the marine with his own body as he administers medical care first to the wounded man and then to himself. Instead of going to the rear, Williams remains at the front and tends a second wounded marine. As he finally stuggles to the rear to have his own hurts treated, hit a fourth time and killed. For his actions, he earns the Medal of Honor, posthumously.

PM2C George Edward Wahlen, wounded in the back the day before and having already performed heroic acts treating casualties on 26 and 28 February, is wounded a third time as he treats fallen shipmates. Unable to walk, he crawls 50 yards to render aid to a wounded marine. For this and previous acts of valor, Wahlen will earn the Medal of Honor.

Attack transport Bolivar (APA-34) is damaged by shore battery off Iwo Jima, 24°46'N, 141°19'E.

USS Sea Robin (SS-407) sinks Japanese transport Suiten Maru off Malang, Java, 06°34'S, 113°01'E.

USS Trepang (SS-412) sinks Japanese gunboat No.2 Nissho Maru off southern Honshu, near Mijake Jima, 34°05'N, 139°54'E.

USS Tuna (SS-203) lands supplies on northeast coast of Borneo.

Japanese merchant tanker No.1 Iyasaka Maru is sunk by aircraft off Hainan Island

RAAF: Bombers lay mines (70% U.S.-made, 30% British) in Yulinakin Bay, Hainan Island; Japanese oiler Hario hits one and sinks off Cape Bastian, 18°10'N, 109°40'E.