March 15, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 15 MARCH 1945

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): A single B-24 flies air coverage for a U.S. Naval task force while seven other B-24s abort due to bad weather.

Burma: In Br Fourteenth Army's 4 Corps area, Ind 17th Div continues to hold out in Meiktila although still isolated and dependent upon air supply. To assist in this area, 9th Brig of Ind 5th Div is being flown to Meiktila. Two mechanized brigs of Ind 5th Div are moving overland from Jorhat to aid Ind 7th Div on W flank of corps.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Four B-24s claim one vessel sunk in the South China Sea. In China, four B-25s hit the area east of Pingsiang; four P-51s hit locomotives between Sinsiang and Shihkiachwang and four attack motor transport in the Paotou area.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 30 P-47s support elements of the Chinese 50th Division in the Namhsan area; 32 P-38s sweep roads S of the bomb line. Transports fly 625 sorties to forward areas.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Eight B-24s from Guam bomb Susaki Airfield; three more B-24s on snooper strikes, hit Susaki Airfield during the night of 15/16 March.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In support of US ground forces on Luzon, B-24s, A-20s, and P-38s hit a HQ area at Baguio; P-47s hit Minuli bridge and enemy concentrations in the Balete Pass and west of Fort Stotsenburg; and A-20s and P-47s hit gun positions and occupied areas around Batangas. B-24s and B-25s hit personnel N of Saragani Bay and troops and gun positions in the Zamboanga area. B-24s bomb Lahug. P-47s dive-bomb Takao power installations. HQ 22d Bombardment Group and the 19th Bombardment Squadron move from Guiuan Airfield to Clark Field with B-24s; the 100th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 42d Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Sansapor to Puerto Princesa with B-25s; the 403d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Tacloban to Clark Field with B-24s.

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, 127th Inf of 32d Div continues hard fighting on Villa Verde Trail; 2d Bn of 128th Inf gets to within 500 yards of Imugan; where it is brought to a halt by enemy. On Highway 5, 1st Bn of 161st Inf, 25th Div, begins assault on Norton's Knob, where entrenched Japanese throw back repeated attacks for next 10 days. 35th Inf is ordered to relieve 1st Bn of 27th so 27th Inf may apply its full force against Mt Myoko. XI Corps, with new mission of attacking vigorously against center of Shimbu line, takes over XIV Corps zone E and NE of Manila and the divs (6th and 43d, less RCT 169) operating there. XIV Corps has penetrated outer positions of enemy in Montalban-Antipolo area. 6th Div, reinf by 112th Cav RCT, is to hold on left in Montalban area while advancing its right flank eastward in conjunction with 43d Div to S. In 43d Div zone, Japanese on Bench Mark 7 are almost encircled by 103d Inf. Co B TF gains ground commanding Teresa from S to E. 172d Inf is checked by opposition from Sugar Loaf. In W sector of corps, 38th Div continues to clear toward Mt Pinatubo. XIV Corps, with 1st Cav Div and 11th A/B Div under command, can now give its full attention to clearing southern Luzon. In 11th A/B Div zone, Co C of 158th Inf reaches and clears Mabini, on Calumpan Peninsula. Continuing S toward Mabini, 3d Bn is stopped by resistance about a mile short.

In the southern Philippines, in the U.S. Eighth Army area, Panay invasion force departs Luzon for target, convoy protected by Fifth and Thirteenth Air Forces. On Mindanao, 1st Bn of 163d Inf, 41st Div, clears heights N and E of Pasananca Reservoir with little difficulty while 2d Bn pushes 1,000 yards N of the Santa Maria and establishes line running N to Pasananca road junction. San Roque airfield becomes operational. On Romblon, Co C of 19th Inf reaches far side of island in overland and shore-to-shore movements. About 70 Japanese are estimated to remain in SW part of Romblon.

U.S. Navy: On Iwo Jima, Pharmacist's Mate Second Class Francis J. Pierce, assigned to a marine rifle battalion, is leading a stretcher party to a forward aid station when the group comes under heavy Japanese rifle and machine gun fire that wounds the other corpsman and two of eight stretcher bearers. Pierce takes charge, carries the newly wounded men to shelter and treats them before he draws his pistol and engages the enemy, covering the litter bearers while they carry three wounded leathernecks fo safety. After treating a hemorrhaging casualty who is hit again while the corpsman is taking care of him, Pierce expends the last of his ammunition and kills the enemy soldier who fired on them. Pierce, although exhausted and out of ammmunition, makes two trips carrying wounded marines 200 yards over fire- swept terrain.

TF 92 under Rear Admiral John L. McCrea, consisting of light cruisers Richmond (CL-9), Concord (CL-10) and Trenton (CL-11) and seven destroyers, bombards Japanese installations on Matsuwa, Kurils.

Submarine Bream (SS-243) is damaged by depth charges off North Borneo, 05°36'N, 114°33'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol.

USAAF B-24s bomb Japanese convoy YUMO-01, which had departed Hong Kong the day before, but while the attack upon cargo ship Tatsumiya Maru proves unsuccessful, the Liberators damage one of the escorts, Coast Defense Vessel No.36, 23°03'N, 116°52'E.

USAAF B-24 sinks Japanese auxiliary powered sailing vessel Hoseki Maru in Tonkin Gulf, 18°34'N, 108°37'E.

Japanese submarine chaser Ch 21 is damaged by marine casualty off the south end of Namoa Island.

Japanese netlayer Wakamiya Maru is damaged by marine casualty off Keelung, Formosa.

USMC: 4th and 3d Mar Divs, VAC, further reduce pockets of enemy within their sectors. 5th Mar Div gains 400 yards on right and 200 in center; RCT 28, on div left, remains in place supporting assault forces with fire. Naval support, except for illumination, ceases.