April 3, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 3 APRIL 1945

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 17 B-25s bomb Pinglo, China railroad yards and in French Indochina, the Ninh Binh railroad yards, knock out a bridge at Thinh Duc, and damage bridges at Gian Khau and Mon Cay. In China, 60+ fighter-bombers knock out bridges at Hsitu and between Chuting and Hengyang, destroy pontoon bridges in the Kanchou area, hit Yangtong airfield, pound the Hai Duong, French Indochina railroad yards, and hit river traffic and other targets of opportunity at several locations including Hongay, and Cao Bang, French Indochina, and Tayu, Hankow, Kanchou, Yoyang, and the Ishan- Hwaiyuanchen, areas of China.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, bad weather again causes cancellation of most scheduled strikes; a few fighter-bombers hit a Japanese held wooded area near Kenglong; transports complete 383 sorties to forward areas.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Four missions are flown during the night and early morning hours of 3/4 Apr. Mission 54: 9 B-29s mine the waters off Hiroshima without loss.

Mission 55: In the early morning, 48 of 49 B-29s hit the aircraft plant at Shizuoka, Japan without loss.

Mission 56: 43 of 78 B-29s attack the Koizumi aircraft factory and 18 hit the urban areas in Tokyo as a target of opportunity; they claim 1-0-0 Japanese aircraft.

Mission 57: 61 of 115 B-29s strike the aircraft plant at Tachikawa and 49 hit the urban area of Kawasaki as a target of opportunity; 1 B-29 is lost.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: The Hong Kong docks are again bombed by B-24s. Other B-24s and B-25s hit Kagi Airfield, butanol plant, and railroad yards at Kagi, Formosa while A-20s sweep other rail targets. On Luzon fighter-bombers and A-20s hit the Balete Pass-Baguio-Naguilian area north of the Cagayan Valley supply targets, the Laguna deBay area, and Infanta, also, Miri Airfield, troops in the Cebu City area. Lost is B-25J 44-31504 (MIA). Also, targets on Tarakan are bombed. B-25s attack northern Hainan.

RAAF: Damaged is P-40N Kittyhawk A29-384 landing at Rockhampton Airfield and later written off.