March 27, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 27 MARCH 1945

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 25 B-25s hit towns, rail, road, and river traffic, and targets of opportunity around Kweilin, Liuchow, Hengyang, Hochih, Kaifeng, Anlu, Ishan, Kiyang, and the Siang Chiang Valley, China and Nanyang, Burma. 44 fighter-bombers hit trucks, trains, sampans, power facilities, and other targets around Nanyo, China and Hongay, Son Tay, Na Cham, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Moc Chau, Muong Hang, and Bac Quang, French Indochina. In China, 28 fighter-bombers knock out a bridge northeast of Liuchow, hit the town of Szeenhsien, and attack ammunition dumps and road and river traffic around Hochih, Ishan, Liuchow, Pingnam, Liangfeng, and Kweilin.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 80+ fighter-bombers over the battle areas and behind enemy lines in C Burma pound troops and supplies at several locations including the Mong Kung, Man Namkat, Nam-yang, Tonglau, Ho-na, Hkai-wun, Longwai, Monglawng, Laihka, and Namlan areas. Transports are exceptionally active, flying 635 sorties to forward areas.

Seventh Air Force: During the night of 27/28 Mar five B-24s, flying individual strikes from Guam hit Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima. VII Fighter Command: On Chichi Jima, 16 P-51s from Iwo Jima bomb ammunition stores and the town of Kitamura.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Two missions are flown: Mission 46: 151 of 165 Marianas based B-29s flying the first of many raids in support of the impending Okinawa invasion, hit Tachiarai Army Airfield and Oita Naval Airfield and the Omura aircraft factory on Kyushu; 3 others hit alternate targets; they claim 1-2-4 Japanese aircraft. Mission 47: 92 of 102 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait between Honshu and Kyushu s during the night of 27/28 Mar; 2 others hit alternate targets; they claim 1-0-0 Japanese aircraft; 3 B-29s are lost; this is first of many mining operations by B-29s in Japanese waters.

As preparations for invasion of Japan continue, B-29's of 313th Bombardment Wing on Tinian inaugurate a strategic night mining program to complete the blockade of the islands. This, combined with further intensive day and night aerial bombardment by other aircraft and submarine action in waters about Japan, yields excellent results. By midsummer Japan's merchant fleet is fatally crippled.

Operation Starvation, the USAAF aerial mining campaign (using Navy-provided mines) commences, as 94 B-29s mine the Shimonoseki Straits and the waters of Suo Nada, Japan. This operation and the six that follow are in support of the Okinawa campaign.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers bomb Legaspi, Balete, Ipo-Siniloan sector, the Batangas area, and several other locations throughout Luzon; fighters support the U.S. amphibious landings on Caballo. B-24s bomb Negros Airfields while B-25s and P-38s hit the Cebu City area. Other B-25s bomb Kinsui, Formosa, and B-24s lightly attack Sandakan. Lost ferry flights are C-47A "Windy City" 43-16011 pilot Captain Eldred E. Kellogg (MIA).

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, 2d Bn of 129th Inf, 37th Div, relieves 3d Bn of 130th Inf, 33d Div, in Naguilian area and seizes Burgos. 128th Inf, 32d Div, opens battle for Salacsac Pass No. 2 on Villa Verde Trail. Well-organized, interlocking enemy positions in this region have been delaying progress for some time since troops must investigate the numerous caves. Troops of 161st Inf, 25th Div, complete capture of Norton's Knob and hold it against night counterattack. In XI Corps area, as final elements of 1st Bn, 20th Inf, 6th Div, withdraw to reserve, rest of 20th Inf prepares for drive on Mount Mataba. 1st Inf completes relief of 20th Inf and prepares to drive N to clear region S of junction of Bosoboso and Mariquina Rivers. 2d Bn of 151st Inf, 38th Div, in shore-to-shore move from Corregidor Island lands on Caballo Island and begins clearing the island, which Japanese are garrisoning with well-entrenched force of about 400. In XIV Corps area, 1st Cav Div, less strongly opposed than 11th A/B Div, is directed to take Lipa. 8th Cav continues south along Route 19 to within 5,000 yards of Lipa; 7th Cav drives E from Tanauan against light resistance. 188th Inf of 11th A/B Div secures Lipa Hill, south of Lipa, and gets elements to within a mile of Lipa.

In the southern Philippines, in U.S. Eighth Army area, only light resistance is met as Japanese withdraw from Cebu City to strong hill positions. Americal Div forces seize Cebu City but withdraw before night. Elements of 182d Inf secure reservoir area and turn it over to guerrillas. Co G of 132d Inf lands on Cavit Island in Cebu Harbor, and searches uneventfully for enemy. From Palawan, regt Hq and 3d Bn, RCT 186, leave for Mindanao.

In the Kerama Islands, elements of the 77th Army Division landed on separate beaches of Tokashiki Shima, the last remaining major target and occupied Amuro Shima and Ruba Shima. On Zamami I., BLT 1 of RCT 305 patrols actively and locates one organized enemy position. BLT 3 of RCT 305 disperses force of 75 Japanese on Aka I. RCT 306 lands on Tokashiki I., BLT's 1 and 2 pushing northward abreast, slowed by difficult terrain; BLT 3, initially in reserve, lands to clear S part of island and patrols to S tip. Kuba I. and Amuro I. are taken without opposition by Co G of RCT 307 and Co B of RCT 305, respectively. Japanese suicide planes continue to attack surface vessels.

One battalion of army troops (Second Battalion, 151st Infantry, 38th Division), supported by destroyers Conway (DD-507) and Cony (DD-508) and three rocket-equipped motor torpedo boats, lands on Caballo Island near Corregidor, preceded by an air strike.

High speed transport Newman (APD-59), covering the landings on Cebu, sights and attacks a Japanese midget submarine off Talisay, Cebu. She is given credit for a "possible" submersible sunk.

Off Okinawa, an aircraft operational casualty damages carrier Essex (CV-9), 25°10'N, 132°05'E; kamikazes damage light minelayer Adams (DM-27), 26°17'N, 127°40'E.

USS Trigger (SS-237) sinks Japanese cable layer Odate, 200 miles southwest of Kyushu, 30°40'N, 127°50'E.

TF 58 planes sink Japanese guardboats No.13 Choun Maru and No.27 Yusen Maru and army cargo ship No.28 Suma Maru, Kuchinoerabu Bay, Osumi-Gunto, 30°30'N, 130°05'E, and No.12 Myojin Maru, west of Tori Jima, 30°00'N, 139°30'E.

USMC: Company A, Fleet Marine Force Reconnaissance Battalion, made a rubber boat landing on Aware Shima but found no Japanese and reembarked the next day.

USAAF B-24s attack six-ship Japanese convoy off Surabaya, damaging submarine chaser Ch 5 by near- misses.

Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa.1 is sunk by mine laid by RAF planes near the Deli River, Sumatra, 03°52'N, 98°45'E.

Royal Navy: HMS Stygian damages Japanese minelayer Wakatake (previously damaged on 25 March 1945 when she encounters a shoal upon leaving Macassar) in Java Sea, south of Kangean Island. Reaching Surabaya on 1 April 1945, Wakatake performs no more active service.

RAAF: Lost is B-24M Liberator A72-191 (MIA).