April 6, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 6 APRIL 1945

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Eight B-24s attack and photograph Kurabu on Paramushiru, especially Kurabu Airfield while eight B-25s hit radar installations in an all-out attack on Hayakegawa, Kotani and Minami Cape, dropping napalm-filled incendiaries for the first time; buildings and shipping in north part of Hayakegawa are hit especially hard; another B-25 flies weather reconnaissance.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Three B-24s hit targets of opportunity in the Bakli Bay area and four P-38s knock out a bridge in the Dien Bien Phu area. In China, 8 P-51s blast railroad targets of opportunity, troops, horses, and boat landings in the Chenghsien area and along the Lung Hai railroad and Yellow River.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): With improving weather conditions combat strikes in the C Burma battle area increase; 70+ fighter-bombers attack troop concentrations, artillery positions, tanks, trucks, fuel dumps, and general targets of opportunity along and immediately behind enemy lines; targets are located in several areas including Paklu, Nawnghkio, Loilem, Takaw, Mong Hko, Kongleng, Nawnghsan Pu, and Indaw; air supply sorties continue on a steady basis throughout the day.

Japan: The Kamikaze offensive reaches a peak with 355 suicide sorties and 341 dive bombers and torpedo bombers launched against the U.S. Pacific Fleet off Okinawa.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Eleven B-24s from Guam pound Marcus Airfield and positions on Marcus Island. 23 from Angaur Airfield bomb barracks and a wharf at Bunawan, Mindanao. 400 Kamikaze planes make an all-out effort against Okinawa shipping and beachheads; 2 destroyers, 2 ammunition ships, a mine sweeper and an LST are sunk; other vessels are damaged; nearly 300 Japanese planes are expended. The 163d Liaison Squadron, AAFPOA (attached to Tenth Army) begins a movement from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii to Okinawa with L-5s.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): HQ 468th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) arrives at West Field on Tinian from India.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-25s bomb the town of Hokko on Formosa. On Luzon, ground support sorties continue in areas around Balete Pass, W of Ft Stotsenburg, N, NE, and S of Laguna de Bay, and around Legaspi and fighters hit Carabao and Infanta. B-24s bomb a town N of Cebu City while fighters support ground units on Cebu. A-20s support ground forces on Negros Island. B-25s pound Bunawan on Mindanao. B-24s bomb Jolo defenses and ammunition and supply dumps. At Manila US Army Forces, Pacific (AFPAC) is established under General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. The 310th Fighter Squadron, 58th Fighter Group, moves from San Jose to Mangaldan with P-47s.

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's Legaspi sector, 1st Bn of 158th Inf continues southward along ridge to trail running W from Daraga, about a mile S of Busay. 2d Bn reaches Route 160, which extends from Legaspi to Daraga. AT Co, reinf, in shore-to-shore operation to clear Sorsogon Province, moves from Legaspi to Bacon, where Bicol Peninsula is but 5 miles wide, and lands unopposed; drives overland to Sorsogon. In I Corps area, on Highway 9, Co G of 129th Inf, under 33d Div control, becomes isolated from main body of 2d Bn while executing envelopment maneuver in Salat area. 126th Inf, 32d Div, moving eastward to N of 128th, reaches Salacsac Pass area and takes Hill 519. 25th Div, astride Highway 5, continues pressure toward Kapintalan. In XI Corps area, 2d Bn of 63d Inf, 6th Div, opens assault on Mt Mataba after preparatory arty fire. 20th Inf, whose relief by 63d is completed, probes toward Mt Oro and Mt Pacawagan. 103d Inf column of 43d Div, driving along shore of Laguna de Bay, makes contact with Tr B of 5th Cav, 1st Cav Div (XIV Corps), at Santa Cruz, giving Sixth Army a solid front in S Luzon. In XIV Corps area, elements of 1st Cav and 11th A/B Divs are fighting in foothills at N and W approaches of Mt Malepunyo hill mass. 7th Cav holds Mapait Hills and elements reach Onipa R. 187th Inf, with 3d Bn of 511th attached, drives NE from Talisay toward Malarya Hill and Sulac.

In the southern Philippines, in the U.S. Eighth Army Sulu Archipelago area, 41st Div detachment, having cleared Bongao Island with ease, returns to Sanga Sanga Island.

U.S. Army Forces in the Pacific (AFPAC) is established under General Douglas MacArthur, with headquarters in Manila. The new command includes forces formerly assigned to U.S. Army Forces in the Far East and of U.S. Army Forces in POA.

On Okinawa, In U.S. Tenth Army's III Amphib Corps area, 6th Mar Div, passing 4th and 29th Marines through 22d Marines, continues up Ishikawa Isthmus to line across it extending eastward from Chuda. In XXIV Corps area, troops of 383d Inf, 96th Div, clear half of Cactus Ridge in the course of hard fighting. 382d moves forward in region E of Ginowan road. On 7th Div right flank, 184th Inf, with close fire support and flame throwers, overruns elaborate outpost position on pinnacle some 1,000 yards SW of Arakachi. 32d Inf advances in coastal sector with little difficulty. The 96th Army Division began its attack against the Shuri defenses in the southern sector.

U.S. Navy: Japanese launch an all-out air effort against shipping of Okinawa and the beachhead. Rougly 400 enemy aircraft attack with about three fourths shot down. In total, kamikazes sink 2 destroyers, a mine sweeper, 2 ammunition ships, and an LST; damage other shipping. Preinvasion air strikes against Ie Shima are intensified.

USS Bush (DD-529) was hit by three kamikazes and sunk at sunk, 27°16'N, 127°48'E. USS Colhoun (DD-801) was hit by one kamikaze that caused severe damaged and is scutted at 27°16'N, 127°48'E by USS Cassin Young (DD-793). High speed minesweeper USS Emmons (DMS-22) is damaged by five kamikazies at Lat 26°48'N, Long 128°04'E; destroyer Mullany (DD-528) is damaged by two, 26°24'N, 128°10'E; as is destroyer escort Witter (DE-636), 26°04'N, 127°52'E. Other kamikazes damage destroyers Morris (DD-417), 25°55'N, 127°52'E [while high speed transport Daniel T. Griffin (APD-38) is damaged by collision with Morris as she fights fires alongside] 25°57'N, 127°57'E, Leutze (DD-481) and Newcomb (DD-586), 26°38'N, 127°28'E; Howorth (DD-592), 26°32'N, 127°40'; Haynesworth (DD-700), 26°55'N, 129°29'E; minesweepers Facility (AM-233), 26°00'N, 127°00'E; Defense (AM-317), 26°38'N, 127°31'E; and Devastator (AM-318), 26°26'N, 127°40'E; destroyer escort Fieberling (DE-640), high speed minesweeper Rodman (DMS-21), and minesweeper Ransom (AM-283), 26°48'N, 128°04'E; motor minesweepers YMS-311, 26°38'N, 127°48'E, and YMS-321, 26°00'N, 128°00'E; and tank landing ship LST- 447, 26°09'N, 127°18'E. Near-misses by kamikazes damage small carrier San Jacinto (CVL-30), 26°46'N, 129°43'E, and destroyer Harrison (DD-573), 27°05'N, 129°22'E. Destroyer Hyman (DD-732) is damaged by kamikaze and torpedo, 26°45'N, 27°42'E; destroyer Taussig (DD-746) is damaged by near-miss of bombs, 27°07'N, 128°39'E; high speed minesweeper Harding (DMS-28) is damaged by horizontal bomber, 26°00'N, 127°00'E.

Friendly fire accounts for damage to battleship USS North Carolina (BB-55), 26°41'N, 129°32'E; light cruiser Pasadena (CL-65), 27°00'N, 129°00'E; destroyer Hutchins (DD-476) [from destroyer Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663)], 26°00'N, 128°00'E; attack transport Barnett (APA-5) and attack cargo ship Leo (AKA-60), 26°21'N, 127°43'E; attack transport Audrain (APA-59), 26°22'N, 127°43'E; tank landing ships LST-241, 26°20'N, 127°45'E, and LST-1000, 26°21'N, 127°44'E; and submarine chaser PCS-1390, 26°00'N, 128°00'E.

U.S. freighter Logan Victory, carrying 7,000 tons of ammunition, is irreparably damaged by kamikaze off Kerama Retto, 26°10'N, 127°16'E. Survivors are rescued by minesweeper Strategy (AM-308) and small craft; 3 (including its commander) of the 42-man Armed Guard are killed. The burning merchantman is then scuttled.

U.S. freighter Hobbs Victory, also carrying ammunition, is attacked by two kamikazes northwest of Kerama Retto. Armed Guard gunners shoot down one and damage the second, but the latter manages to crash the freighter and start uncontrollable fires that lead to her abandonment, 26°05'N, 125°14'E. Minesweeper Success (AM-310) rescues survivors, transferring them later to attack transport Gosper (APA-170). Hobbs Victory explodes and sinks the following morning.

USS Besugo (SS-321) sinks Japanese minesweeper W.12 in Saeku Strait, N.E.I., 08°13'S, 119°14'E.

USS Hardhead (SS-365) again attacks unescorted Japanese convoy SASI-45, sinking merchant cargo ship Araosan Maru in Gulf of Siam, 09°37'N, 102°48'E

USAAF B-25s strike shipping off the China coast and attack Japanese convoy HOMO-03, sinking Coast Defense Vessel No.1 and Coast Defense Vessel No.134 south-southwest of Amoy at Lat 23°55'N, Long 117°40'E, and damage destroyer Amatsukaze five miles east of Amoy at roughly Lat 24°30'N, Long 118°10'E but manages to beach at the entrance to Amoy Harbor.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Koun Maru in Yangtze near Chinkiang, Kabuto Maru at 32°02'N, 119°59'E, and (laid by USAAF planes on 4 March) Hsing Yun Maru in Yangtze, near Chinkiang, 32°05'N, 119°56'E. Japanese merchant cargo ship Fushimi Maru is sunk by USAAF mine in Shimonoseki Straits, 33°59'N, 130°52'E.

Dutch Mitchells (which claim two hits) and RAAF Liberators (which claim many near misses) attack Japanese light cruiser Isuzu off Flores.