April 12, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 12 APRIL 1945

ZONE OF INTERIOR (ZI): U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies in Warm Springs, Georgia. Vice President Harry S. Truman is sworn in as the 33rd U.S. President of the United States.

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): P-38s shoot down Japanese balloon bombs over Attu.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, twelve B-24s supported by fourteen P-51s, bomb the Wuchang railroad yards and Wuchang Airfield; Seven B-25s bomb the Hsuchang railroad yards, 3 hit Loning, 2 attack Likuanchiao, 2 bomb Tenghsien, and a single B-25 attack storage areas at Pingyao and Huaiching; 100+ fighter-bombers attack troops, horses, bridges, river shipping, trucks, and railroad targets at several locations in French Indochina and at points scattered over S and E China; 449th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group based at Chengkung with P-38s, sends a detachment to operate from Posek.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): 75 fighter-bombers continue to pound targets in the C Burma battle area; troop concentrations, gun positions, supplies, vehicles, and general targets of opportunity are attacked along the battlefront, behind enemy lines, and along roads S of the bomb line; 369 air supply sorties are flown throughout the day. The 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, based at Myitkyina, with F-6s and P-40s, sends a flight to operate from Akyab Airfield.

Burma: In Br Fourteenth Army's 33 Corps area, Kyaukpadaung, communications center between Chauk and Meiktila, falls to 33d Brig of Ind 7th Div.

AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: 24 B-24s, based on Angaur Airfield hit a personnel area at Kabacan on Mindanao. VII Fighter Command: 90 P-51s are dispatched to escort B-29s on a raid against Tokyo; they claim 15-6-3 Japanese aircraft; Four P-51s are lost. During the night of 12/13 Apr, 6 Iwo Jima based fighters, operating singly at intervals, bomb and strafe targets on Kita, Chichi, Haha, and Ani Jima.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Four missions are flown during the day. Mission 63: 94 B-29s, escorted by 90 P-51s, strike the Nakajima aircraft factory at Tokyo while 11 hit the secondary target, the Shizuoka engine plant; B-29s gunners claim 16 fighters downed. Mission 64: 66 B-29s hit a chemical plant at Koriyama and 9 hit targets of opportunity. Mission 65: 70 B-29s hit a second chemical plant at Koriyama and 6 hit targets of opportunity; two B-29s are lost. Aboard a B-29 over Koriyama, SSgt Henry E. Erwin saved his crew by throwing out a defective phosphorous smoke bomb from his bomber and later earned the Medal of Honor for his actions.

Mission 66: During the night of 12/13 April, five B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait, the final mining mission carried out in support of the Okinawa campaign.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: P-38s and A-20s support ground troops on Cebu and Negros. On Mindanao Island, B-24s bomb Sapakan, Kabacan and the Davao Bay areas and P-38s hit Cotabato and also Kabacan. On Luzon, B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers pound targets throughout the Cagayan Valley, blast defenses at Balete Pass and in the Baguio area, and hit troops, communications targets, and defenses at numerous points in SW and SE Luzon Island. On Formosa, B-24s attack Tainan Airfield and bomb Okayama Airfield. The 70th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier Group moves from Dulag to Tanauan with C-46s and C-47s. B-24s sinks Japanese ship No.2 Hakushi Maru off Badjowe, 04°33'S, 120°23'E.

U.S. Army: GHQ SWPA establishes headquarters in Manila. In U.S. Sixth Army area, 1st and 3d Bns, RCT 158, begin two-pronged assault on Cituinan Hill mass, which enemy is defending stubbornly. 2d Bn (-) motors S along Route 1 to Bulan area to clear San Francisco region of Sorsogon Province. In I Corps area, 129th Inf of 37th Div, spearheading drive along Highway 9 towards Baguio, is stopped short of Monglo by fire from hills commanding the highway. Elements of 80th Inf, 33d Div, push into Asin but further progress in this area is delayed by tenacious enemy defense of complex tunnel system. Other elements of 33d Div are clearing Pugo-Tuba trail. Renewing northeastward attack on Mt Myoko, 27th Inf troops of 25th Div seize hill called Pimple near the crest. 2d Bn of 35th Inf relieves 3d Bn on Fishhook feature and reconnoiters. In XI Corps area, Baldy Force, having developed enemy positions in Ipo area during reconnaissance in force, returns to original position. In XIV Corps area, 1st Cav Brig, less 12th Cav Regt, relieves 11th A/B Div forces in region E of Mt Malepunyo and starts SE into the Bicols. 511th Inf, less 3d Bn, is released from army reserve to 11th A/B Div and takes responsibility for Mt Malepunyo sector, permitting 187th Inf to return to Mt Macolod, which has been bypassed.

In the southern Philippines, In U.S. Eighth Army area, Americal Div on Cebu begins final drive on Babay Ridge. 182d Inf, attacking toward Hill 21 with 2 bns abreast, penetrates trench system just below military crest and repels several counterattacks during night. 2d Bn, 132d Inf, attacks from Guadalupe Ridge while rest of regt harasses enemy to right. 1st Bn, 164th Inf, moves secretly into position to attack from the rear and gets to within 1,200 yards of top of the ridge. On Bohol, 3d Bn (less Co I) of 164th Inf moves toward Sierra Bullones in central Bohol, where main Japanese forces are reported to be disposed.

On Morotai, 93d Div, U.S. Eighth Army, assumes tactical control relieving 31st Div.

On Okinawa, the Japanese Army launched coordinated counterattacks over the next two days against the XXIV Corps, USA, line coinciding with a second round of attacks by kamikaze planes. In U.S. Tenth Army's XXIV Corps area, action on Okinawa is confined to patrolling and mopping up bypassed pockets, except for further abortive efforts by elements of 96th Div to take Kakazu Ridge. After intense preparatory bombardment, Japanese begin a series of counterattacks in evening, mainly against 96th Div. American lines hold, but some enemy succeed in infiltrating. Ground reconnaissance of Minna Island, south of Ie Shima, by Amphib Rcn Bn of FMF Pac, during night 12-13, discloses no enemy troops.

U.S. Navy: On Adak Island, a fire of undetermined origin destroys buildings and damages Finger Bay dock and damages floating drydock YFD-22 and floating workshop YR-36. Gasoline tanker Ogeechee (AOG-35) is saved from further damage by escort patrol vessel PCE-895, which pulls her out into Finger Bay.

Off Okinawa, kamikaze planes and MXY7 Ohka (Baka) target ships anchored off Okinawa and radar pickets. USS Mannert L. Abele (DD-733) is sunk by MXY7 Ohka (Baka) at roughly Lat 27°25'N, Long 126°59'E, the first U.S. Navy ship to be sunk by the new weapon; destroyer USS Stanly (DD-478) is damaged by MXY7 Ohka (Baka), 27°12'N, 128°17'E; high speed minesweeper USS Jeffers (DMS-27) is damaged by MXY7 Ohka (Baka) and kamikaze, 26°50'N, 126°35'E; kamikazes sink support landing craft LCS-33 and damage battleship Idaho (BB-42), 26°26'N, 127°32'E; battleship Tennessee (BB-43), destroyer Zellars (DD-777), destroyer escort Riddle (DE-185), 26°00'N, 128°00'E; destroyers Purdy (DD-734), 27°16'N, 127°50'E, and Cassin Young (DD- 793), 27°17'N, 127°50'E; destroyer escorts Rall (DE-304), 26°36'N, 127°39'E, Walter C. Wann (DE-412), 26°17'N, 127°20'E, and Whitehurst (DE-634), 26°04'N, 127°12'E, and light minelayer Lindsey (DM-32), 26°28'N, 127°15'E; minesweeper Gladiator (AM-319) is damaged by near-miss of kamikaze, 26°05'N, 127°35'E. Friendly fire accounts for damage to battleship New Mexico (BB-40), 26°31'N, 127°37'E and destroyer Bennion (DD-662); while attack cargo ship Wyandot (AKA-92) is damaged in collision with medium landing ship LSM-312, 26°21'N, 127°44'E; tank landing ship LST-555 is damaged by grounding, 26°20'N, 127°45'E. Kamikazes also attack U.S. freighter Minot Victory, but Armed Guard gunners inflict sufficient damage on the suicider that it only strikes the ship a glancing blow and then disintegrates; there are no fatalities on board the merchantman among the 57-man merchant complement, the 27 Armed Guard sailors and nine passengers.

USS Chub (SS-329) is damaged by aerial bombs in the Java Sea, 06°03'S, 113°56'E, but remains on patrol.

USS Silversides (SS-236) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Shiratori Maru east of Tanega Jima,30°45'N, 131°57'E.

Mines sink Japanese submarine RO 64 off Kobe, Japan, 34°14'N, 132°16'E, and merchant cargo ship Minatogawa Maru off Wakamatsu.

B-24 aircraft (service and nationality unspecified) sinks Japanese ship No.2 Hakushi Maru off Badjowe, 04°33'S, 120°23'E.

Fire of undetermined origin destroys buildings and damages Finger Bay dock, Adak Island; the blaze also damages floating drydock YFD-22 and floating workshop YR-36. Gasoline tanker Ogeechee (AOG-35) is saved from further damage by escort patrol vessel PCE-895, which pulls her out into Finger Bay.

USMC: On Iwo Jima, the last unit of the 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division, who remained to assist in mop-up activities, departs for Guam.

Royal Navy: HMS Stygian sinks Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa 104 and damages auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 104 and Cha 114 off north coast of Bali, 08°05'S, 115°06'E.