March 30, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 30 MARCH 1945

UK: Prime Minister Churchill writes Gen Marshall asking that U.S. air resources be made available for support of British drive on Rangoon.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Eight B-25s cancel a shipping strike because of weather.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Five B-24s bomb the Samah Bay area. In China, 4 B-25s, supported by 24 P-40s, knock out a bridge at Chungmow; 10 B-25s bomb Hsuchang, 9 bomb Changanyi, and 9 pound the Yanglowtung railroad yards; 15 P-40s fly escort; Two B-25s bomb Hankow Airfield, 2 bomb Neihsiang, and single B-25s attack targets around Fang-cheng, Nanyang, and Anlu; 100+ fighter-bombers over S and E China hit troops, railroad targets, trucks, tanks, supplies, and rivercraft especially around Hankow, Wuchang, Kanchou, and Hangchow; the airfield area at Kanchou and airfield and railroad yards at Hangchow are hit particularly hard; the 529th Fighter Squadron, 311th Fighter Group, based at Pungchacheng with P-51s, sends a detachment to operate from Hsian.

Burma: In NCAC area, Br 36th Div, continuing SE from Mogok, reaches Kyaukme, where junction is made with Ch 1st Sep Regt. This brings operations on NCAC front virtually to an end, since Chiang Kai-shek has obtained Adm Mountbatten's promise to halt along line Lashio-Hsipaw- Kyaukme. In Br Fourteenth Army's 33 Corps area, Kyaukse falls to Ind 20th Div after hard fighting. In 4 Corps area, with Meiktila secure, Ind 17th Div and 255th Tank Brig start S toward Pyawbwe.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In the C Burma battle area 41 P-38s and P-47s hit enemy troops and supplies at Loiwing, Pawngleng, and Nawnghkio; 7 B-25s hit personnel, a supply area, and trucks behind the enemy lines in and near Laihka and at Kongleng; 7 other B-25s attack road bridges, knocking out a bridge at Loi Putau; transports complete 612 sorties to forward areas.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Ten Guam based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus in the N Pacific; during the night 5 others individually strike Chichi Jima Airfield.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Two missions are flown during the night of 30/31 Mar. Mission 48: 12 of 14 B-29s attack the Mitsubishi aircraft engine plant at Nagoya shortly past 0000 hours without loss. Mission 49: 85 of 94 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait the waters off Kure, Hiroshima, and Sasebo between Honshu and Kyushu; 2 others drop their mines in other areas; 1 B-29 is lost.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: B-24s bomb the Balete Pass and Solvec Cove areas; P-38s hit artillery positions in the Santa Fe area; B-24s and A-20s hit Legaspi Port and nearby Little Batsan; A-20s and fighter-bombers continue ground support missions in the Laguna de Bay area and W of Ft Stotsenburg. B-24s and A-20s support ground forces on Cebu. B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s hit Bongao, Sanga Sanga, and Kuching, Borneo area. Lost is B-25J 44-29350 (3 POW, 3 MIA). Lost on a ferry flight is B-25D "Chow Hound" 41-30669 (crew rescued).

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, 1st Bn of 35th Inf, 25th Div, is ordered to block E approach to Putlan Valley. 3d Bn relieves 1st Bn of 27th Inf on Highway 5 near Kapintalan. 3d Bn, 27th Inf, attacks through 2d Bn along ridge leading to Mt Myoko. In XI Corps area, 103d Inf of 43d Div is chosen to drive S and establish contact with XIV Corps. 172d Inf is to relieve 103d in current positions. 1st Bn of 1st Inf, 6th Div, continues attack but because of heavy enemy fire its gains are small. 3d Bn, 20th Inf, continues to fight toward Mount Mataba. As XIV Corps objective is moved E to line Lucena-Pagsanjan, 12th Cav of 1st Cav Div continues eastward, encountering enemy position near Calauan. 1st Bn of 187th Inf, 11th A/B Div, is unable to progress in Mt Macolod sector.

In the southern Philippines, in U.S. Eighth Army area, 185th Inf clears Bacolod with ease as enemy retires eastward on Negros into mountains in Patog-Negritos area. 40th Rcn Tr, probing eastward from Pulupandan, establishes contact with enemy's secondary line of defense near Atipuluan. 160th Inf, less 2d Bn, lands on Negros. On Cebu, 182d Inf clears rest of Hill 31, destroying 9 pillboxes.

Activity in Kerama Islands is limited to patrolling. Reconassiance and demolition around Okinawa proceed satisfactorily under protective cover of planes and naval gunfire. Preinvasion air and naval bombardment continues.

U.S. Navy: USS Indianapolis (CA-35) is damaged by kamikaze off Okinawa, 26°25'N, 127°30'E.

USS Roper (APD-20) is damaged in collision with attack transport Arthur Middleton (APA-25), Philippine Sea, 20°57'N, 132°05'E.

USS Tirante (SS-420) sinks Japanese guardboat Eikichi Maru off Kagoshima, Japan, 31°11'N, 130°09'E.

Attacks against Japanese convoy HI-88-J continue: USAAF B-25s sink auxiliary submarine chaser Shinan Maru and damage Coast Defense Vessel No.26 off Yulin, Hainan Island 18°09'N, 109°42'E.

Japanese submarine I-53 is damaged by mine, Suwo-Nada.

Lost is PB4Y-1 Liberator 38925 pilot Lt. Thomas J. Hyland (crew rescued).