MONDAY, 12 MARCH 1945
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Four B-25s knock out the Song Rang bridge
in French Indochina; 6 P-51s hit road communications at Hwayuan, China and
bomb a building at Ha Coi, French Indochina.
Burma: In Br Fourteenth Army's 33 Corps area, Ind 20th Div is rapidly clearing region SW of Mandalay and takes communications center of Myotha.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 42: 44 of 49 B-29s hit oil storage facilities
on Bukum, Malayan States, and Samboe Island and Sebarok Island off Sumatra; 1 other B-29
bombs Arang Hill, Malayan States; they claim 0-0-1 Japanese aircraft; results
are poor.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 13 B-25s and 35 P-47s hit
troop concentrations, supplies, vehicles, and AA guns along the battlefront and behind enemy lines; 66 P-47s hit transportation targets and a bridge during
several road sweeps in C Burma; 12 others damage a bypass bridge at Hay-ti. Transports complete 677 sorties delivering men and supplies to advanced
bases and dropping supplies to frontline forces. The 164th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, moves from Shwebo to Ondaw, Burma
with UC-64s and L-5s.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Sixteen P-51s bomb and strafe Okimura.
Thirteen B-24s fly daylight strike against Susaki Airfield; During the night of 12/13 Mar, eight B-24s hit Susaki Airfield and Okimura. Twenty-four
B-24s from Angaur Airfield hit a Saragani Bay storage area on Mindanao.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s hit Mercedes
and Malabang on Mindanao. Lost are B-24L 44-41549 (MIA) and B-24L 44-49840 (MIA). On Luzon, other B-24s bomb Japanese troops near Ipo, B-25s hit supply area
at Bangued and troops at Pattao, A-20s and fighter-bombers fly ground forces
support missions. fighter-bombers also bomb Calallo. On Formosa B-24s, with
P-38 support bomb Takao and Tainan and P-51s also hit Tainan and bomb Jitsugetsu
power plants. 6th Troop Carrier Squadron, 374th Troop Carrier Group moves
from Biak to Tacloban with C-47s; the 33d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 22d Bombardment Group
(Heavy), moves from Guiuan Airfield to Clark
Field with B-24s; the 69th Bombardment
Squadron (Medium), 42d Bombardment Group (Medium) moves from Sansapor to Puerto Princesa with B-25s (the 69th BS has a detachment operating from Morotai). Also lost is C-47A 42-100455 (MIA).
U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's XIV Corps area, 6th Div commits 20th Inf to attack against Shimbu line, repels further small-scale enemy counterattacks. 20th Inf, driving E on left flank of div, gains its objective. 1st Cav Div is withdrawn from line for well-earned rest. 43d Div holds positions to S of 6th Div, previously zone of 1st Cav Div. Patrol of 103d Inf finds Antipolo undefended and in ruins. In 11th A/B Div sector of southern Luzon, 3d Bn of 158th Inf drives on Mabini, at neck of Calumpan Peninsula, until stopped N of Mainaga by Japanese. Strong Japanese positions on Mt Bijang are being neutralized by aircraft and arty. In I Corps area, 2d Bn of 128th Inf, 32d Div, on Villa Verde Trail, is attached to 127th Inf in order to increase pressure toward Salacsac Pass No. 2. 3d Bn of 35th Inf, 25th Div, holds roadblock on Old Spanish Trail a little N of Salazar, but efforts to continue along this axis are abandoned as impracticable.
In the southern Philippines, in U.S. Eighth Army area, 162d Inf reaches Recodo on Caldera Pt, Mindanao, and finds abandoned enemy positions. Co C drives to Masilay, NW of San Roque. Elements of 3d Bn reach village 1,500 yards NE of San Roque, which Japanese are defending stoutly. Co B of 19th Inf lands on Simara without opposition at dawn after naval bombardment and diversionary air attack on another part of island. On Romblon, Co C of 19th Inf takes Romblon town with ease and begins clearing scattered opposition elsewhere on the island.
U.S. Navy: Japanese guardboats No.1 Hinode Maru and Shosei Maru, are sunk by U.S. aircraft east of the Ryukyus, 26°54'N, 131°38'E.
USMC: 4th and 3d Mar Divs, V AC, mop up their respective sectors and reduce pockets of resistance remaining on each of their right flanks. 5th Mar Div is assisted by air, naval gunfire, arty, and tanks as it continues assault on final defenses of enemy--network of mutually supporting pillboxes and prepared positions on broken terrain of N Iwo Jima. Although little ground is gained, enemy positions are softened and many caves and pillboxes overrun. Iwo Jima airfields are renamed South Airfield, Center Airfield and North Airfield. The 1st and 3d Battalions, 9th Marines, in the 3d Marine Division zone, attacked west toward "Cushman's Pocket," the last strongpoint of enemy resistance on Iwo Jima.
