TUESDAY, 3 APRIL 1945
JCS designate General Douglas MacArthur Commander in Chief, U.S. Army Forces, Pacific, and Admiral Chester Nimitz commander of all naval forces in the Pacific.
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.
Burma: General Marshall assures the British that U.S. air resources will not be withdrawn from Burma before 1 June or capture of Rangoon.
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)]: B-24s bomb Hong Kong docks and shipping and sink cargo vessels Heikai Maru and Shozan Maru, and damaging escort vessel Manju, 22°17'N, 114°10'E.
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 pilot 1st Lt. Leonard E. Orcutt (MIA). Also, targets on Tarakan are bombed. B-25s attack northern Hainan.
U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army area, RCT 158 makes limited progress against enemy positions on a ridge running southward from Daraga. In XI Corps area, 169th Inf is detached from 43d Div and, with 112th Cav, forms Baldy Force to protect N flank of corps and probe toward Ipo, N end of enemy's Shimbu line. During night 3-4, 103d Inf of 43d Div concentrates secretly on slopes of Mt Sembrano and begins advance to establish contact with 1st Cav Div. 1st Inf, 6th Div, suspends ground attack while enemy positions ahead are being pounded by aircraft, mortars, and arty. 63d Inf is directed to renew attack against Mt Montalban. On Caballo I., tanks are brought forward but cannot reach enemy positions. In XIV Corps area, 187th Inf of 11th A/B Div, which now has foothold on saddle between Mt Macolod and Bukel Hill, moves to Lipa area, leaving 1st Bn behind to contain and maintain limited pressure on bypassed Japanese on Mt Macolod. 188th Inf is joined by its 1st Bn and releases 3d Bn, 511th Inf, for reserve. Patrol of 188th enters Tiaong without opposition. 2d Bn, 187th Inf, takes responsibility for Lipa-Lipa Hill area.
In the southern Philippines, In U.S. Eighth Army area, 185th Inf, fording Guinhalaron River on Negros, advances through Silay to Imbang River. 40th Rcn Tr platoon probing along Silay-Guimbalon road meets heavy fire near Guimbalon. 1st Bn, 160th Inf, places fire on Concepcion area. General Eichelberger grants request for RCT 164 to move from Leyte to Cebu as reinforcements. On Cebu, 1st Bn of 132d Inf finishes clearing Bolo Ridge. Positions delaying 3d Bn are pounded by air. A co, reinf, of 2d Bn, 108th Inf, lands on Masbate at town of Masbate to help guerrillas gain control of the island. On Romblon, organized enemy resistance ceases.
On Okinawa, Tenth Army spotting planes start operating on Okinawa. In III Amphib Corps area, 6th Mar Div extends control over Yontan-Zan Hill mass in 7,000-yard drive; advances its left flank to the base of Ishikawa Isthmus. 1st Mar Div advances its right flank to E coast; reconnoiters Katchin Peninsula and along E coast as far N as Hizaonna. F6F Hellcat makes successful forced landing on Yontan Airfield. XXIV Corps pivots right to attack due S with 7th Div on E and 96th on W. 32d Inf, 7th Div, drives quickly S along E coast to Kuba; 184th Inf starts passing through left flank elements of 96th Div. 96th Div, which commits 382d Inf between 381st and 383d, is unable to reach Unjo but to W reaches general line Atanniya-Futema-Chiyunna-Isa.
U.S. Navy: Off Okinawa, escort carrier Wake Island (CVE-65) is damaged by a kamikaze near-miss, 26°05'N, 128°57'E, as is high speed minesweeper Hambleton (DMS-20), 27°00'N, 127°00'E; a kamikaze damages tank landing ship LST-599, 26°10'N, 127°16'E; tank landing ship LST-554 is damaged by storm, 26°20'N, 127°45'E.
Motor minesweeper YMS-71 is sunk by mine off Sanga Sanga, 04°59'N, 119°47'E.
TF 58 planes sink Japanese guardboat No.1 Taijin Maru and damage guardboat No.2 Hosei Maru southeast of Japan, 30°00'N, 137°30'E; and sink cargo ship Imari Maru off southwestern Kyushu, 33°45'N, 129°42'E. Coast Defense Vessel No. 32 is damaged at 31°51'N, 124°47'E.
USN land-based planes sink Japanese tanker No.30 Nanshin Maru (the only surviving ship of convoy HI-88-I) in Nha Trang Bay, French Indochina, 12°15'N, 109°10'E.
RAAF: Damaged is P-40N Kittyhawk A29-384 lands at Rockhampton Airfield and was written off.
