March 24, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 24 MARCH 1945

USA: (Third Air Force): Lost on a training flight due to an aerial collision are P-40N 43-24362 pilot F/O Earl R. Goodyear (died) and P-40N 44-7305 pilot 2nd Lt. Roy C. Rom (wounded).

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 34 B-24s, with an escort of 9 fighters, pound the Chenghsien locomotive park and Yellow River bridge; 30+ B-25s and 100+ fighter-bombers, operating in forces of 1 to 8 aircraft, attack tanks, trucks, locomotives, troop concentrations, storage areas, airstrips, bridges, gun positions, and general targets of opportunity throughout S and E China.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): 31 fighter-bombers and 9 B-25s operating over the battlefront and behind enemy lines in C Burma pound troop concentrations, supply areas, a truck park, and general targets of opportunity; 9 other fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity along roads S of the bomb line; 504 air supply sorties are flown, landing men and supplies at advanced bases and dropping supplies to frontline forces. Lost is B-24L 44-49607 (3 MIA, 1 KIA, 6 rescued).

AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: Nine B-24s from Guam bomb the torpedo storage area on Marcus. 24 Angaur Airfield based B-24s bomb defensive positions and the town of Naga on Luzon. During the night of 24/25 Mar, five Guam based B-24s hit the airfield and town of Okimura on Haha Jima. VII Fighter Command: 16 Iwo Jima based P-51s hit air, naval, and radar installations and targets of opportunity on Chichi Jima.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 45: 223 of 248 B-29s attack the Mitsubishi aircraft engine plant at Nagoya, during the night of 24/25 Mar; 3 other B-29s hit alternate targets; 5 B-29s are lost including B-29 "The Life of Riley" 42-65241 pilot Major Jack B. Riley (MIA).

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s and A-20s pound Cebu City and defenses and installations on Cebu. On Luzon, B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and P-38s attack Balete Pass, Legaspi, the Batangas area, and scattered targets throughout Luzon. On Formosa, B-24s hit Takao Harbor and power plant and alcohol factory east of Okayama. HQ 91st Photographic Wing (Reconnaissance) moves from Mindoro to Clark Field. HQ, Fifth Air Force, is established at Fort Stotsenburg at Clark Field. B-24s sink Japanese Kori Go Maru (ex-Chinese Houlee) in Yangtze estuary near Shanghai, 31°11'N, 122°23'E.

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's XI Corps area, 1st Bn of 20th Inf, 6th Div, tries in vain to reach knoll about 500 yards to the east. 1st Inf finishes clearing its zone with capture of ridge overlooking Bosoboso River. 2d Bn of 103d Inf, 43d Div, pauses below New Bosoboso while enemy positions ahead are being softened with fire. In XIV Corps area, 1st Cav Div and 11th A/B Div begin converging drives on Lipa in areas to N and S of Lake Taal, respectively. 1st Cav Div, on N, takes Santo Tomas with ease. 1st Cav Brig relieves 7th Cav in Los Banos area, night 24-25. 188th Inf, 11th A/B Div, reinf by 3d Bn of 511th Para Inf and TD units, starts northward drive against scattered resistance. 187th Inf, 11th A/B Div, opens drive on Mount Macolod against strong opposition. 511th Para Inf, less 3d Bn, is being held in reserve for Legaspi operation. RCT 158 concentrates in Lemery for the same operation and passes to army control.

In the southern Philippines, in U.S. Eighth Army area, 40th Div is alerted for an upcoming operation in Negros Occidental. Covering Group (cruiser-DD force under Rear Adm R. S. Berkey) leaves Subic Bay bound for Cebu. On Mindanao, 162d Inf of 41st Div, reinf by 1st Bn of 186th, attacks Mount Capisan and secures it. Entire Sinonog River area is now cleared of organized resistance. For the next few days 162d Inf consolidates and mops up.

Japanese Army: General Sosaku Suzuki takes command of all forces on Cebu and appoints General Manjome in command of Cebu City and plans a defense in depth north and northwest of the city with a forward line over the high ground behind the city anchored on two fortified hills.

USMC: RCT 28, 5th Mar Div, takes responsibility for completing reduction of final resistance on Iwo; enemy pocket is confined to area 50 yards square on coast. Gen Kuribayashi is reported to be alive and holding out in a cave, but his hiding place is never discovered.

Marine Aircraft Group 32 (MAG-32) including VMSB-236, VMSB-142, VMSB-341, and VMSB-243 moved from Luzon to Zamboanga on Mindanao over the next three days.

U.S. Navy: In the Ryukyu Islands, Mine sweeping begins under cover of naval and aerial bombardment.

TF 54 (Rear Admiral Morton L. Deyo) battleships, cruisers, and destroyers bombard Kerama Retto and southeast coast of Okinawa, Ryukyus; bombardment continues daily. Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyer Kimberley (DD-521), 26°02'N, 126°54'E; light minelayer Robert H. Smith (DM-23), 26°00'N, 128°00'E; high speed transport Gilmer (APD-11), 26°00'N, 127°20'E; destroyer escort Sederstrom (DE-31) is damaged in collision with escort carrier Sangamon (CVE-26), 25°00'N, 130°00'E; high speed transport Knudsen (APD-101) is damaged by horizontal bomber, 26°12'N, 127°04'E.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) sinks Japanese auxiliary netlayer Fuji Maru off Tori Jima, Japan, 31°08'N, 130°30'E.

TF 58 planes sink Japanese merchant cargo ships No.5 Okinoyama Maru and Chokai Maru near Naha, Okinawa, 26°13'N, 127°39'E. Auxiliary submarine chaser Sobun Maru is damaged between Yaku Jima and Amami O Shima.