April 11, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 11 APRIL 1945

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): P-38s together with USN aircraft intercept Japanese balloon bomb over Attu and east of Adak. A P-38 Lightning shoots down a Japanese balloon bomb over Attu and portions of the gondola are recovered from Massacre Bay.

Burma: In Br Fourteenth Army's 4 Corps area, Ind 5th Div, with armored force spearheading, passes through Ind 17th Div at Pyawbwe and drives to Yamethin. The armored force drives through the town but infantry forces are delayed there by stubborn opposition.

China: Six ration purchasing commissions are sent into the field, beginning at this time, to procure supplies for Alpha.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 7 B-25s bomb Hsihhsiassuchi, 5 pound the Pinglo barracks and storage area, and a few others hit the Yanglowtung railroad yards and targets of opportunity E of Paoching; 150+ fighter-bombers attack troops, river, road and rail traffic, and a variety of targets of opportunity scattered throughout S and E China and N French Indochina.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 54 fighter-bombers hit troop and supply concentrations near Mong Kung and Mong Nim, attack trucks and targets of opportunity in other areas behind the battleline, and sweep several roads S of bomb line; transports fly 424 sorties carrying men and supplies to forward areas.

USN: Kamikaze aircraft attack the U.S. fleet off Okinawa. A kamikaze aircraft hits USS Enterprise CV-6 causing serious damage forcing the carrier to withdraw to Ulithi.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 24 B-24s from Angaur Airfield hit Cotabato supply and personnel areas on Mindanao. 18 B-24s from Guam pound positions on Eten.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: B-24s bomb Cotabato on Mindanao. On Negros Island, B-24s hit Japanese defenses NW of Guadalupe and A-20s hit a bivouac E of Negritos. On Luzon Island B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers bomb numerous targets including Fuga Island, the Cagayan Valley area, Santa Fe, bridges and other communications in Iligan, Naguilian, Manga, and Tuguegarao, and troops and supply concentration N of Imugan; troop support strikes are flown in the Solvec Cove area and E of Manila; Baguio and a troop concentration in the Batangas area and on the Bicol peninsula are bombed; at Iriga, defenses are hit with napalm. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Okayama while B-25s hit several targets including the Ts'eng Wen sugar refinery, Seiko, Sunbon-sha, and Shasekiryo. P-38s attack gun positions at Tarakan.

U.S. Army: In the Philippines, in the In U.S. Sixth Army area, one column of 158th Infantry moves by truck to Malabog and thence on foot to Camalig, which is undefended; another moves to SW slopes of Tagaytay Ridge. These advances place the regt in position for assault on Cituinan Hill mass from N and S. In I Corps area, 129th Inf of 37th Div pushes forward along Highway 9 towards Baguio and reduces opposition on Three Peaks. Elements of 33d Div drive E toward Asin from Galiano. Japanese are reacting strongly to 32d Div's penetration of Salacsac Pass, offering heavy fire and local but sharp counterattacks. 35th Inf, 25th Div, continues attacks toward Kapintalan while 161st holds on Crump Hill and reconnoiters toward Balete Ridge. In XI Corps area, 38th Div has largely accomplished its mission of destroying enemy W of Clark Field and Fort Stotsenburg, where over 5,500 enemy dead have been counted. In XIV Corps area, patrols of 1st Cav Div and 11th A/B Div, from Mauban and Antimonan respectively, establish contact on coast of Lamon Bay. Other elements of these divs maintain pressure on Mt Malepunyo and Mt Mataasna Bundoc.

U.S. Eighth Army area, rehearsal is conducted at Mindoro for amphibious operation to secure Malabang-Parang-Cotabato area of Mindanao. On Cebu, elements of Americal Div secure Coconut Hill and prepare for assault on Babay Ridge. 164th Inf, less 3d Bn, is moving to Mananga R assembly area near barrio of Taup. On Bohol, 3d Bn of 164th Inf, Americal Div, lands without opposition at Tagbilaran and probes N and E with motorized patrols. Co I motors to Candijay, on E coast, and sets up roadblock. On Negros, 40th Div continues co-ordinated attacks but makes slow progress.

Enemy begins strong, 2-day air effort against U.S. shipping in bid to regain Okinawa. TF 58, receiving weight of attacks, abandons support missions to keep off attackers. Suicide plane damages the CV Enterprise, which must withdraw to Ulithi for repairs. Other vessels suffer lighter damage. 27th Div units complete clearing Tsugen Shima, where Japanese casualties total 234 killed. U.S. Tenth Army orders 77th Div to land on Ie Shima on April 16, an operation previously scheduled as Phase II of Operation Iceberg, although Phase I is still in progress. In III Amphib Corps area, 6th Mar Div has frequent, sharp clashes with enemy on Motobu Peninsula as extensive patrolling continues. By now enemy positions in mountainous Yae-Take area are fairly well fixed. In XXIV Corps area, 96th Div continues futile efforts to take Kakazu Ridge under intense fire. Elements of 32d Inf, 7th Div, push into Ouki but are forced to retire since tanks cannot follow. Virtual stalemate exists all along corps front on approaches to Shuri.

U.S. Navy: Kamikazes damage battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) and destroyers Bullard (DD-660) and Kidd (DD-661), 26°00'N, 130°00'E; carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) near-miss by two kamikazes, 26°00'N, 128°00'E; and destroyer escort Samuel S. Miles (DE-183), 26°12'N, 127°20'E; carrier Essex (CV-9) is damaged by bomb, 26°50'N, 130°30'E; destroyer Hale (DD-642) is damaged by bomb, 26°00'N, 120°00'E; strafing accounts for damage to destroyer Hank (DD-702), 27°00'N, 130°00'E, and destroyer escort Manlove (DE-36), 26°12'N, 127°20'E; attack transport Berrien (APA-62) is damaged by collision with tank landing ship LST- 808, 26°22'N, 127°43'E; friendly fire accounts for damage to destroyer Trathen (DD-530), 27°13'N, 130°15'E, and attack cargo ship Leo (AKA-60), 26°21'N, 127°43'E; tank landing ship LST-399 is damaged by grounding, 26°20'N, 127°45'E.

Submarine Parche (SS-384) sinks Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Togo Maru off Todogasaki, 38°53'N, 142°05'E.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) sinks Japanese auxiliary minesweeper No.17 Hinode Maru off Tokckok- Kundo, 37°13'N, 125°11'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 215 is sunk by mine off Futaoi-Jima, Shimonoseki.

RAF: In the Andaman Sea Liberators from No. 203 Squadron sink Japanese submarine chae Ch 7 and auxiliary netlayer Agata Mary, 08°57'N, 93°38'E.

Australian Army: Eight "Z" Special Unit (Z Force) commandos are embarked aboard HMAS HDML 1321 then motor near Muschu Island and paddle ashore in rough seas. Ashore, seven were killed, only Sapper Edgar T. "Mick" Dennis escaped by swimming away and crossing enemy lines back into friendly territory ten days later.

RNZAF: Lost is F4U Corsair NZ5473 pilot FSgt William C. Crosby (MIA).