April 2, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology
MONDAY, 2 APRIL 1945
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): A B-24 on weather reconnaissance returns early
due to mechanical trouble; another B-24 investigates radar jamming on Kresta
Point in the Aleutian Islands.
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, 28 B-25s knock out
a bridge SE of That Khe, bomb the town area of Vinh, damage the bridge approaches
at Kep, hit shipping and other targets of opportunity along the coast of the Gulf of Tonkin, and blast the town area of Luc Nam. In China, 25 B-25s attack
trucks, tanks, rivercraft, and targets of opportunity at Sichuan, Neihsiang,
Sinyang, Mingkiang, Siangtan, Kweiping, Nanning, and Hengshan; four B-24s bomb
the Kowloon Docks in Hong Kong and hit shipping at Bakli Bay and Samah Bay; 32 P-51s pound airfields in the Shanghai area; 140+ other fighter-bombers
attack numerous targets scattered throughout S and E China, including troops,
trucks, horses, river shipping, bridges, gun positions, airfields, rail traffic,
and town areas. Lost is B-24J "Tough Titti" 44-40296 (crew survived).
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, bad weather cancels all offensive
missions; air supply missions continue with 469 sorties being flown to forward
areas.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Twelve B-24s from Guam bomb Marcus.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): During the night of 1/2 April three missions are flown. Mision 51: 115 of 121 B-29s
bomb the Nakajima aircraft factory at Tokyo; they claim 1-1-0 Japanese aircraft;
6 B-29s are lost including B-29 44-69666. Mission 52: During the night of 1/2 April, six B-29s mine Kure Harbor between 0000 and 0400 hours local without
loss. Mission 53: During the night of 2/3 Apr, 9 of 10 B-29s mine Hiroshima Harbor without loss.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb Hong Kong Harbor. On Luzon, B-25s and fighter-bombers attack Bamban bridges, Balete
Pass-Baguio area and Penablanca. Troops at Cebu City and on Negros Island are bombed by B-25s and fighter bombers. B-24s bomb the
Sarangani Bay area on Mindanao Island. Other B-24s hit Sandakan shipyards
and Tawau Airfield, Borneo. B-24s hit Bongao. Crashed on take off is B-24J "Burma" 44-40601.
RAAF: Beaufort A9-493 (MIA) and Beaufort A9-667 (MIA) collided mid-air after takeoff.
No. 338 Radar Station (338 RS) moves to Madang.
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