SUNDAY, 25 MARCH 1945
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 20+ B-25s and 150+ fighters, operating individually and in flights of up to 8 aircraft, continue attacks on numerous targets including river, road, and rail traffic, airfields, troop concentrations, storage areas, horses, and gun positions throughout S and E China; the detachment of the 22d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), operating from Peishiyi with B-25s, returns to base at Yangkai.
China: U.S. Fourteenth Air Force personnel withdraw from Laohokon Airfield after destroying installations. This is the last of the Fourteenth Air Force bases to fall to enemy. Subsequent Japanese thrusts toward bases at Sian and Ankang are stopped short of their objectives by Chinese.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 26 P-47s support forces
of the Chinese 50th Division in the Hsipaw area; 44 fighter-bombers and 14 B-25s attack troops and supplies and hit targets of opportunity along roads behind the battleline in C Burma; 557 transport sorties are flown to forward areas.
Seventh Air Force: During the night of 25/26 Mar, 5 B-24s from Guam Island hit Susaki Airfield. 23 B-24s from Angaur Airfield bomb defenses on Cebu. The US Marines complete the reduction of the final resistance pocket on Iwo Jima. VII Fighter Command: 16 Iwo Jima based P-51s bomb and strafe Susaki Airfield, and naval and radar installations on Chichi Jima; 16 more follow with attacks on a radar station and personnel concentration on the island.
USN: Lost due to bad weather is F6F Hellcat pilot Webber (MIA) over Yap.
RAAF: Crashed is Beaufort A9-518 on a reconnaissance flight over Sepik River crashed Murik Lakes.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Cebu City is thoroughly pounded by nearly 70 B-24s. B-24s hit Legaspi, and B-25s and fighter-bombers fly numerous ground support missions, especially between Montalban and Laguna de Bay. B-25s attack Pandanan Island, Philippines. The 6th Combat Cargo Squadron, 2d Combat Cargo Group, moves from Biak to Dulag with C-46s; and the 339th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group, ceases operating from Morotai with P-38s and returns to base at Puerto Princesa.
USAAF B-24s (5th Air Force) 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 I Corps area, 128th Inf of 32d Div completes relief of 127th Inf on Villa Verde Trail and prepares to continue attack toward Salacsac Pass and Santa Fe. 3d Bn of 35th Inf, 25th Div, turns over roadblock on Old Spanish Trail to guerrilla forces, concluding American operations on this crude trail. 27th Inf, working along ridge toward Mt Myoko, has by now gained 4,000 yards and is up against enemy outposts. In XI Corps area, 1st Bn of 20th Inf, 6th Div, patrols and places arty fire on enemy positions ahead. 1st Inf prepares to relieve 20th of positions along Bosoboso R. 2d Bn of 103d Inf, 43d Div, seizes barrio of New Bosoboso and ridges commanding it, limiting Japanese escape routes to a single trail running NW from the barrio. To close this route 100, 1st Bn begins attack on Hill 1200, which commands it. In XIV Corps area, one 1st Cav Div column pushes from Santo Tomas toward Tanauan; another drives into Los Banos with ease. 188th Inf, 11th A/B Div makes contact with 187th SE of Mt Macolod. 187th pauses briefly in Mt Macolod area to patrol and probe.
In the southern Philippines, In U.S. Eighth Army area, X Corps issues orders for future operations on Mindanao. 24th Div is to land in Malabang area on 17 April. Five days later, 31st Div is scheduled to land in Parang area. 185th Inf assembles for operation against Negros. Cebu Attack Group, commanded by Capt Albert T. Sprague, USN, joins Covering Group off Cebu.
U.S. Navy: Preinvasion aerial and naval bombardment continues, though mine-sweeping operations prevent naval surface vessels from moving up to within effective range of Okinawa. Underwater demolition teams go into action.
Task Forces 52 (TF 52) and Task Forces 54 (TF 54) under Rear Admiral Morton L. Deyo battleships, cruisers, and destroyers bombard Kerama Retto and southeast coast of Okinawa with the bombardment continues daily until the end of the month. 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.
USMC: In the morning, Regimental Combat Team 28 (RCT 28) eliminated the last pocket of Japanese resistance, in the western half of Kitano Point on Iwo Jima. RCT 26 starts re-embarking.
Australia Army:
The lead platoon of "A" Company, 2/2 Infantry Battalion advanced on a narrow jungle ridge near Dagua and came under heavy fire from concealed enemy machine-guns sited on a small rise dominating the approach and killed one soldier and wounded nine others. Without awaiting orders, Lt Albert Chowne who was leading the reserve platoon rushed up a steep, narrow track towards the enemy guns and threw grenades that knocked out two light machine guns. He then called for his men to follow and fired his sub-machine-gun from the hip, while charing the enemy's position. As he advacnced into machine gun aand rifle fire, he was twice hit in the chest and seriously wounded but managed to kill two more Japanese before he died standing over three enemy foxholes. Chowne's actions resulted in the destruction of two enemy machine gun posts and inspired his men to capture the entire position.
