March 14, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 14 MARCH 1945

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Of the twelve B-25s taking off to cover a naval task force on its way to Matsuwa, six abort due to weather and failure to locate the Navy task force; the others fly coverage sorties throughout the day.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Three B-24s claim one cargo vessel sunk in the South China Sea; 1 B-25 and 4 fighter-bombers damage 12 track sections near Tungyangchen; and 4 P-51s hit railroad targets of opportunity near Chihsien. 19 P-51s and P-38s blast the barracks area at Vinh Yen, French Indochina.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 20 P-47s fly close support for elements of the Chinese 50th Division in the Mansam area; 3 B-25s knock out a bridge at Laihka while 11 others bomb troop and a vehicle concentration nearby; 39 P-47s hit troop concentrations, supplies and vehicles at Laihka and Namlan while 29 others sweep roads S of the bomb line. 614 air supply sorties are flown to forward areas. The 165th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, moves from Asansol to Sinthe, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s and the 166th Liaison Squadron (Commando) moves from Sinthe to Asansol with the same aircraft.

Seventh Air Force: Eleven B-24s from Guam bomb Susaki Airfield while twenty-three from Angaur Airfield hit a Saragani Bay supply area on Mindanao. During the night of 14/15 Mar, 5 more B-24s flying individually hit Susaki Airfield. VII Fighter Command: Sixteen Iwo Jima based P-51s strafe and dive-bomb Susaki Airfield, the town of Okimura and several gun positions on Chichi Jima. The ground echelon of the 549th Night Fighter Squadron, VII Fighter Command, arrives at Motoyama No. 1 from Hawaii (air echelon is operating from Saipan with P-61s).

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Mindanao, B-24s bomb the Konel area while B-25s and B-24s hit the village and AA positions near Zamboanga and dock area at Isabela. A-20s and numerous fighter-bombers (including some US Marine aircraft) hit installations and defensive positions throughout Luzon. A-20s over Palawan hit Pandanan. B-24s bomb the Mako, Formosa naval base. B-25s on an armed reconnaissance and shipping sweep along the China coast bomb the secondary targets when no ships are sighted. The 2d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 22d Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Guiuan Airfield to Clark Field with B-24s.

USMC: At 9:30 a.m. the Marines declare Iwo Jima is secure.