March 12, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

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.

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. The 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 is operating from Morotai). Also lost is C-47A 42-100455 (MIA).