FRIDAY, 23 MARCH 1945
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): An eight bomber strike is called off due to weather.
Burma: Fourteenth Army's 33 Corps area, Ind 20th Div column drives from Wundwin northward to Kume. In 4 Corps area, Myingan falls to Ind 7th Div, which is by now being assisted by elements of Ind 5th Div. Fighting continues at Meiktila, where enemy is still trying to oust Ind 17th Div.
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 28 B-24s bomb the Tsinan railroad shops and Yellow River bridge; 5 B-25s bomb town areas, storage facilities, and targets of opportunity at Sinsiang and Wu-yang and chiefly in the Hsiangcheng area; 50+ fighter-bombers attack troops, horses, and river, road, and railroad targets in N French Indochina and S and E China.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 15 P-47s support Chinese ground forces, bomb troops, and positions at Nampongpang and Nakang; 16 P-47s hit targets of opportunity along roads from Mong Nawng to Wan Sing and to Kunlong, China; 11 P-47s hit quarters at Monglawng while 3 others attack supply dumps at Laihka; 9 B-25s bomb communications routes, creating 2 road blocks behind enemy lines. In large-scale air supply operations, 536 sorties
are flown.
AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: During the night of 23/24 March, five B-24s from Guam flying single-bomber strikes hit Susaki Airfield.
VII Fighter Command: 15 P-51s from Iwo Jima bomb and strafe various targets
on Chichi Jima, Haha Jima and Ani Jima.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s, B-25s, A-20s,
and fighters hit bomb Cebu City, hitting defenses
on Cebu and other islands, and on Luzon bomb the Antamok mines, Balete
Pass, and the Tangadon areas, along with several other targets. B-24s also
hit targets on Mindanao and
fighter-bombers attack Takao, Formosa. The detachment of the 421st Night Fighter
Squadron, 86th Fighter Wing, operating from Tacloban with P-61s, returns
to base at San Marcelino. B-24s from 22nd BG bomb Jitsugetsutan No. 1 power plant on Formosa with five damaged by anti-aircraft fire. Lost is B-24L "Tail Wind" 44-41652 pilot 1st Lt James M. Focht (MIA) by a direct hit from heavy anti-aircraft fire.
U.S. Army: U.S. Sixth Army area, Fifth Air Force begins series of attacks on Legaspi area in preparation for amphibious assault there. In I Corps area, Gen Krueger, to speed operations toward Baguio, attaches RCT 129 of 37th Div to corps, which in turn attaches it to 33d Div. 128th Inf, 32d Div, begins relief of 127th on Villa Verde Trail. 2d Bn, 128th, withdraws from Imugan area to Batchelor. XI Corps is directed to press operations to destroy enemy in Antipolo-Montalban-Ipo area, to complete opening of Manila Bay by capturing islands of El Fraile, Caballo, and Carabao, and to establish contact with XIV Corps E of Laguna de Bay in order to close gap between the corps. 20th Inf, 6th Div, is ordered to be prepared to take Mt Mataba. 1st Bn reaches woods toward which it started on 22d. 1st Inf gains most of its objective line. 2d Bn of 103d Inf, 43d Div, relieves 3d Bn on Mt Tanauan and drives N toward New Bosoboso. In XIV Corps area, 1st Cav Div relieves 511th Para Inf, 11th A/B Div for Legaspi operation. 187th Inf Regiment takes responsibility for capture of Mount Macolod.
In U.S. Eighth Army area, Co G of 185th Inf returns to Panay from Inampulugan Island. On Leyte, RCT 108 of 40th Div completes relief of 164th Inf, Americal Div.
U.S. Navy: TF 58 under Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher begins daily strikes against Japanese shipping and installations in the Okinawa area. TF 58 planes sink army cargo ship Kachosan Maru 25 miles northwest of Okinawa, 30°23'N, 128°40'E. Cargo vessel No.19 Yamato Maru is also sunk in these strikes. In addition, TF 58 aircrew also claim sinking one midget submarine and damaging another, and damaging Coast Defense Ship No.29 and submarine chaser Ch 58 off Sotsukozaki.
Destroyer Haggard (DD-555) is damaged when she rams and sinks Japanese submarine RO 41 in the Philippine Sea, 22°57'N, 132°19'E.
Submarine Seahorse (SS-304) is damaged by aerial bomb off the Ryukyus, 26°00'N, 128°00'E.
Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) attacks Japanese Sasebo-to-Ishigaki convoy SAI-05 in the East China Sea about 120 miles north-northwest of Amami O Shima, sinking transport Doryu Maru, 29°38'N, 127°36'E.
Fleet tug Zuni (ATF-95) is damaged by grounding off Iwo Jima, 24°46'N, 141°19'E.
USAAF B-24 (5th Air Force) sinks Japanese cargo ship Hokka Go Maru (ex-Chinese Peihua) 110 miles northeast of Wenchow, China, 29°21'N, 122°66'E.
USAAF B-24 attacks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.40, 26°58'N, 120°29'E, but although the airmen claim damage to their quarry, she in fact escapes undamaged.
Japanese destroyer Kuri is damaged by mine at mouth of Yangtze River.
Royal Navy: British carrier Task Force 57 (TF 57) under command of Vice Adm Sir Bernard Rawlings is assigned to U.S. Navy (USN) Fifth Fleet and sorties from Ulithi. The task force is to neutralize air installations in the Sakishima Islands to support of the Okinawa campaign.
USMC: Task Force 58, including Marine Fighter Squadrons 112. 123. 221. and 451 on board the USS Bennington and USS Bunker Hill, fly sorties over Okinawa over the next three days during the last of softening up operations.
RAAF: Lost is B-24L "Old Nick" A72-80 pilot S/L Nathaniel H. Straus (MIA) crashed Vansittart Bay.
