SATURDAY, 7 APRIL 1945
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): A B-24 flies a radar-ferret mission along the
coasts of Paramushiru and Harumukotan.
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Fourteen B-25s hit town areas and
targets of opportunity at Sichuan, Hsihhsiassuchi, Neihsiang, Shaoyang, and Nanchang and 24 P-51s attack river, road and rail traffic in the Yellow River
area, S of Anyi, at Yuncheng, and at Tengfeng. Four B-24s bomb harbors and dock
areas at Bakli Bay and Samah Bay and at Haiphong;
and eight P-38s hit targets of opportunity around Dien Bien Phu and along the Nam
Hon area in French Indochina.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): 95 fighter-bombers operating over and
behind Japanese lines in C Burma pound troop concentrations, trucks, and supply
areas, and sweep roads S of bomb line. The 3d Combat Cargo Squadron, 1st Combat
Cargo Group, moves from Tulihal to Hathazari, India with C-47s.
AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: 24 B-24s from Angaur Airfield bomb the barracks area
at Bunawan on Mindanao. VII Fighter Command: Mission 1: 91 of 108 P-51s
escort B-29s to Tokyo; they claim 21-5-7 Japanese aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost. This is the first U.S. land based fighter escort over the home islands of Japan.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 58: 101 of 107 B-29s
bomb the Nakajima aircraft engine plant at Tokyo; 2 others hit targets of opportunity;
they claim 80-23-50 Japanese aircraft; 3 B-29s are lost. Mission 59: 153 of
194 B-29s hit the Mitsubishi aircraft plant at Nagoya; 29 others hit targets
of opportunity; they claim 21-11-22 Japanese aircraft; 2 B-29s are lost. HQ
444th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) arrives at West Field on Tinian from
India.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Bad weather hampers
strikes north of the Philippines. B-24s and P-38s over Formosa hit various targets
of opportunity. Fighters fly 130+ sorties in support of ground
forces at Solvec Cove, Villa Verde Trail, Ipo and Marikina River and NE
Laguna de Bay. B-24s again bomb Bunawan on Mindanao. Other B-24s and
P-38s hit Jolo and B-24s bomb Bima Airfield on Sumbawa Island in the
Lesser Sunda Islands. Unit moves: 311th Fighter Squadron, 58th Fighter Group from San Jose to Mangaldan with P-47s; 550th Night Fighter
Squadron, XIII Fighter Command (attached to 85th Fighter Wing), from Morotai to Tacloban with
P-38s, P-61s and P-70s. Crashed on take off is B-24J "Lucky Don" 42-73485 pilot 2nd Lt. Burton R Langer (KIA).
U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army area, RCT 158 continues efforts to extend control over Legaspi area. Airstrip at Legaspi becomes operational. In I Corps area, Gen Krueger, to speed operations in the N, releases rest of 37th Div, less 145th Inf, to corps. In 33d Div sector, Co G, 129th Inf, is still isolated in Salat area. On Villa Verde Trail, elements of 126th Inf, 32d Div, capture Hill 518 in Salacsac Pass area. 128th Inf, with air and arty support, launches general assault against Japanese hill positions in this region. 25th Div columns astride Highway 5 are enveloping Kapintalan. In XI Corps area, Baldy Force begins reconnaissance in force toward Ipo Dam. XIV Corps is directed to seize E coast towns of Mauban and Atimonan, on Lamon Bay, and prepare for advance SE into the Bicols. Elements continue pressure toward Mt Malepunyo. 187th Gli Inf, 11th A/B Div, seizes Malarya Hill. Elements of 188th Inf move E through Candelaria to establish contact with Filipino guerrillas moving west through Sariaya.
In the southern Philippines, in the U.S. Eighth Army area, rest of 2d Bn, 108th Inf, arrives on Masbate. On Cebu, 3d Bn of 132d Inf advances 1,000 yards NW from vicinity of Hill 27 toward Hill 26 but withdraws under counterattack. On Negros, Para RCT 503 arrives at Pulupandan.
On Okinawa, In U.S. Tenth Army area, fighter aircraft arrive on Okinawa. Amphib Rcn Bn, FMF Pac, completes reconnaissance of Eastern Islands, finding enemy on but one. In III Amphib Corps area, 6th Mar Div reaches line Nago-Taira, at base of Motobu Peninsula, and begins reconnaissance of the peninsula. In XXIV Corps area, 383d Inf of 96th Div completes capture of Cactus Ridge while 382d advances in region E of Ginowan road. 184th Inf makes main effort of 7th Div. After unsuccessful frontal assaults on hill 1,000 yards W of Minami-Uebaru, elements of 184th take this strong enemy outpost in enveloping maneuver.
U.S. Navy: During the Battle of the East China Sea carrier planes from Task Force 58 (TF 58) under Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher including Task Group 58.1 (TG 58.1) and Task Group 58.3 (TG 58.3) with over a thousand planes in three waves strike the Japanese Navy Surface Special Attack Force in the East China Sea. The carrier aircraft sink Battleship Yamato with torpedoes and bombs.The also sink light cruiser Yahagi west-southwest of Kagoshima, Japan, 30°40'N, 128°03' and four destroyers and damaged two other destroyers. Asashimo in East China Sea, 31°00'N, 128°00'E, Hamakaze and Isokaze 150 miles southwest of Nagasaki, 30°40'N, 128°03'E, and Kasumi in East China Sea, 30°57'N, 127°57'E, and damage destroyers Suzutsuki Hatsushimo, Yukikaze, and Fuyuzuki in East China Sea, 30°40'N, 128°03'E.
Off Okinawa, high speed minesweeper USS Emmons (DMS-22) irreparably damaged by five kamikazes yesterday, is scuttled by high speed minesweeper USS Ellyson (DMS-19); tank landing ship LST-447 sinks as the result of kamikaze damage inflicted the previous day, 26°09'N, 127°18'E. Motor gunboat PGM-18 is sunk by mine, 26°13'N, 127°55'E; while picking up PGM-18's survivors, motor minesweeper YMS- 103 is damaged by mine, 26°13'N, 127°54'E.
Also off Okinawa, kamikazes damage carrier USS Hancock (CV-19) at 27°00'N, 130°00'E; battleship USS Maryland (BB-46), 26°40'N, 127°29'E; destroyers Longshaw (DD-559), 26°29'N, 127°41'E, and Bennett (DD-473), 27°16'N, 127°48'E; destroyer escort Wesson (DE-184), 26°48'N, 127°55'E; and motor minesweeper YMS- 81, 26°35'N, 127°53'E; shore battery damages motor minesweeper YMS-427, 26°14'N, 127°52'E; tank landing ship LST-698 is damaged by grounding, 26°24'N, 127°45'E; tank landing ship LST-890 is damaged in collision with LST-788, 26°20'N, 127°45'E.
Submarines Gabilan (SS-252) and Charr (SS-328) sink Japanese light cruiser Isuzu, transporting troops from Koepang, Timor, to Surabaya, off Soembawa Island Celebes, N.E.I., 07°38'S, 118°09'E.
Submarine Tirante (SS-420) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Tama Maru 10 miles east of Shokokusanto, southwest of Korea, 34°35'N, 125°20'E.
Japanese fleet tanker Kamoi is sunk by aircraft off Hong Kong.
Mine laid by B-29 sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Hatsukari Maru off Wakamatsu harbor, 33°55'N, 130°50'E.
Mine damages Japanese naval auxiliary Shinto Maru below Woosung, China.
Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.43 Hino Maru is damaged by aircraft, south end of Hirato Jima, near Kyushu, Japan.
IJN: Operation Ten-Go: Surface Special Attack Force including Battleship Yamato, light cruiser Yahagi escorted by destroyers Isokaze, Hamakaze and Yukikaze depart on a one way kamikaze mission bound for Okinawa to attack the U.S. fleet and was the last sortie of the Japanese Navy during World War II. Detected by U.S. submarines and aircraft, the force is tracked and attacked by U.S. Navy (USN) carrier planes during the Battle of the East China Sea in the East China Sea. Only four destroyers surviving the battle: Yukikaze, Hatsushimo, Fuyuzuki and Suzutsuki with heavy damage.
USMC: The first F4U Corsairs of Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG 31) arrive at Yontan Airfield
on Okinawa.
The Fleet Marine Force Reconnaissance Company scouted the remainder of the Eastern Islands including: Takanare, Heanza, Hamahika, and Kutake Shima.
