THURSDAY, 29 MARCH 1945
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Six B-24s bomb Kataoka Naval Base on Shimushu;
Eight B-25s weather abort a mission to Tomari Cape and one B-24 flies a radar-ferret
mission along the Paramushiru coast.
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Eleven B-24s attack shipping in the South China
Sea at Bakli Bay and Samah Bay and at Haiphong, heavily damaging a destroyer and a merchant vessel. In China, 18 B-25s, escorted
by 12 P-40s, bomb railroad yards at Yoyang; Four B-25s claim six small steamers
sunk and several vessels damaged in the Liuchow area while 2 others hit the
town area and railroad targets in the Dong Giao area of French Indochina; single
B-25s hit targets of opportunity at or near Loyang, Loning, Neihsiang, Yiyang,
and Hsuchang; 90+ fighter-bombers over S and E China and French Indochina attack
troops, supplies, transport, and communications targets at several places,
concentrating strikes around Hengyang, Chuchou, Isuho, Nanking, and Namyung,
and among many targets hit Amoy Airfield and Kai Tek Airfield. The
22d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), based
at Yangkai with B-25s, sends a detachment to operate from Chihkiang.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 49: 24 of 29 B-29s fly the last mission
under the XX Bomber Command, attacking oil storage facilities on Bukum in the Malayan States during the night of 29/30 Mar; 2 other B-29s bomb
individual targets on the Malay Peninsula.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): Bad weather curtails operations in
C Burma; 6 B-25s hit troop concentrations and 8 others attack unsuccessfully 2 bridges immediately behind the enemy lines. Transports complete 560 sorties to forward areas. The 166th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, moves from Asansol to Ondaw, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s. Lost is B-24M Liberator 44-50335.
Seventh Air Force: Nine B-24s from Guam bomb Dublon. VII Fighter Command: 31 Iwo-based P-51s bomb and strafe Haha Jima.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): HQ 58th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) arrives from India to West Field.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s and B-25s attack Toshien, Byoritsu, and Eiko, Formosa. On Luzon, B-24s bomb Camalaniugan, B-24s and P-51s hit Legaspi and the surrounding area, and A-20s and numerous fighters hit various targets in southwest of Luzon. Cebu is bombed by B-25s in support of ground forces while A-20s support troops landing on Negros. B-24s bomb Oelin Airfield.
U. S. Army: On March 29, 1945 without pre-invasion bombardment to give the element of surprise, the U. S. Army 40th Infantry Division, 503rd Parachute Regiment (503rd PIR) plus Filipino guerillas made an amphibious landing on western Negros.
The 38th Division, 151st Infantry 2nd Battalion declares Caballo Island cleared except for approximately 200 Japanese hiding in the east and west mortar pits of Battery Craighill and tunnels near the eastern slopes of Hill 2.
