MONDAY, 16 APRIL 1945
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): B-25s abort a mission
to bomb Hayakegawa because of weather front; six B-24s radar bomb the Kataoka
naval base on Shimushu; another B-24 flies a radar-ferret sortie.
Burma: In Br Fourteenth Army's 4 Corps area, advance elements of Ind 5th Div occupy Shwemyo against light resistance but are under enemy fire from Shwemyo Bluff.
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 18 B-24s pound a storage
area at Linfen; three B-24s bomb targets of opportunity in the Bakli Bay and Canton areas; 10 B-25s bomb Yungfengshih, Kweilin, and Shanhsien, knocking
out one bridge and hitting buildings, river shipping, and rail traffic. About
120 fighter-bombers over S and E China hit river, road, and rail traffic,
town areas, troops, and general targets of opportunity at many scattered locations;
the 490th Bombardment Squadron, 341st Bombardment Group,
based at Hanchung sends a detachment to operate from Hsian with B-25s.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 22 fighter-bombers pound
troop concentrations in the Ke-hsi Mansam vicinity; 19 others attack road bridges
behind enemy lines, claiming 1 bridge destroyed; air transport operations to
forward areas continue on steady basis.
USN: F6F Hellcats from VF-23 conduct a dive bombing mission over Kanoya Airfield. Lost is F6F Hellcat 78022 (MIA).
AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: Eighteen Guam based B-24s pound Marcus. 2 P-61s from Saipan bomb and strafe Pagan. VII
Fighter Command: Mission 3: In the first very long range fighter operation from Iwo Jima, P-51s with Twentieth AF B-29 navigational escort, strafe and
bomb targets at Kanoya Airfield; four P-51s are lost; B-25s
continue to furnish navigational escort in all subsequent VII Fighter Command
strikes (through 14 Aug) on Japan from Iwo Jima.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-25s
hit Taien Airfield, while B-24s and P-51s bomb Giran Airfield and Matsuyama Airfield and nearby areas. Fighter bombers hit N Luzon Island bivouacs and other targets
and support strikes and sweeps are flown over Cebu, Negros, and Mindanao with B-25s hitting highways on Mindanao and B-24s hit Carabao. P-38s pound Lingkas Tank Farm and
other targets at Tarakan. During the night of 15/16 Apr B-24s bomb
Taihoku, Formosa. The 387th Bombardment Squadron, 312th Bombardment Group moves from Mangaldan to Floridablanca with A-20s. Damaged in a take off accident is P-51D 44-64145 (survived) and P-51D 44-63280 (survived).
U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army area, 2d Bn of RCT 158, after repulsing determined counterattack on San Francisco, attacks and clears entire area. With S tip of Bicol Peninsula clear, northern exits of San Bernardino Strait are safe for Allied shipping. In I Corps area, elements of 148th Inf, 37th Div, overcome strong opposition on heights E of Highway 9 near Yagyagan. In XI Corps area, 1st Inf of 6th Div begins attack on Woodpecker ridge near junction of Bosoboso and Mariquina Rivers. After 2 days of preparatory air and naval bombardment, 1st Bn of 151st Inf, reinf, lands on Carabao I., final objective in Manila Bay, and secures it without opposition. In XIV Corps area, 11th A/B Div's 511th Inf captures Mt Malepunyo and Mt Dalaga. Elements of 8th and 7th Cav, 1st Cav Div, have pocketed enemy N and NW of Mt Mataasna Bundoc.
In the southern Philippines, in U.S. Eighth Army area, Americal Div forces on Cebu make slow progress against heights commanding Cebu City. Enemy begins planned withdrawal after nightfall. On Negros, torrential rains ground aircraft but arty continues bombardment of enemy positions. In Sulu Archipelago, RCT 163 of 41st Div mops up scattered resistance on Jolo.
After preparatory bombardment by warships and aircraft, 77th Div, less 307th Inf, begins landing at 8:00am on south and southwest coast of Ie Shima with 305th Inf on right and 306th on left. Assault forces move rapidly inland, hampered more by numerous mines than by enemy opposition; take the airfield and clear about two thirds of the island. 305th Inf repels enemy counterattacks after nightfall in brisk fighting. Permission is requested and granted to use 307th Inf on Ie. On Okinawa, III Amphib Corps' 6th Mar Div employs 7 bns in final, all-out assault on Yae-Take ridges. 4th Marines, attacking with its 3 bns and attached 3d Bn of 29th Marines, moves forward on southern and western ridges while 29th Marines probes from NE. 1st Bn, 22d Marines, closes gap between 4th and 29th Marines. XXIV Corps regroups and moves up supplies in preparation for full-scale attack on 19th.
U.S. Navy: For a second day, carrier planes from the fast carrier task force Task Force 58 (TF 58) under Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) attack airfields on southern Kyushu, Japan.
Off Okinawa, Japanese make major air effort against Okinawa. Kamikazes sink destroyer USS Pringle (DD-477), 27°26'N, 126°59'E; and damage carrier USS Intrepid (CV-11), 27°37'N, 131°14'E; battleship USS Missouri (BB-63), 26°00'N, 130°00'E; destroyer Bryant (DD-665), 27°05'N, 128°13'E; destroyer escort Bowers (DE-637), 26°52'N, 127°52'E; high speed minesweepers Hobson (DMS-26), 27°26'N, 126°59'E, and Harding (DMS-28), 26°42'N, 127°25'E; and oiler Taluga (AO-62), 26°03'N, 127°26'E. Destroyer McDermut (DD-677) is damaged by friendly fire, 27°30'N, 130°20'E.
Submarine Sea Dog (SS-401) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Toko Maru off Mikura Jima, 33°31'N,139°36'E.
Submarine Sunfish (SS-281) attacks Japanese convoy emerging from Yamado harbor, Honshu, and sinks Coast Defense Vessel No.73 and transport Manryu Maru, 39°35'N, 142°06'E.
Mine laid by B-29 damages Japanese cargo vessel No.10 Kaishin Maru off Shimonoseki, 33°53'N, 131°09'E.
USMC: Lost is FG-1D Corsair 76471 pilot Major Quintus B. Nelson (MIA) over Palau.
